The things we do for love. (21 page)

He had to put a stop to this. The police would be here soon and he really did not want Cassie to be in the embarrassing position of being caught in the middle of… something.

He gently took her hand away from him and kissed her one last time before he withdrew his mouth from hers.

She looked up at him, her lips moist and swollen from his kisses. Her eyes sparkling and dazed as sexual hunger and awareness burned in their depths.

Damn he wished he could carry her off right this second. That look alone was enough to make him explode. He groaned out loud and got up from his position just as a rap on the door sounded out.

Just as well really, another second and they would have been naked and rolling around the living room floor. Not that he would have minded but, he wanted it to be better than that for Cassie. She deserved more than a roll around on the floor.

Chapter 27.

Cassie was overwhelmed with all the activity that seemed to go off around her all at once.

Two policemen had sat with her taking her statement. They had noted her injuries and asked her to look around to see if she could see anything missing.

Cassie hadn’t been able to see anything obvious. She did not keep cash lying around in the house, not large amounts of it anyway.

And the only jewellery in the house would be Faye’s and that she had taken it all with her. Walking round the house Cassie discovered that the burglar had not managed to get upstairs. All the rooms had remained untouched. That was something at least.

She did not know what she would have done had she found all her clothes strewn about. Most especially her underwear. She wouldn’t have been able to wear them again.

It was a couple of hours later that Cassie was finally more clear headed. The police had gone. The locksmith had changed all the locks and secured the premises.

Luke had set to work with some warm soapy water and flannels and cleaned up her wound, washing as much dried up blood from her face and her hair as he could.

Cassie had sat still and let him. She could do it herself, she had told him, but he was having none of it and so she had fallen silent and let him get on with things.

Somehow a small bag had been packed for her and she listened as Luke told her he would take it to the car and come back for her.

She nodded dutifully and sat still until Luke returned and then she let him pull her gently to her feet. He had found a fleece blanket that he wrapped around her so that she would not be cold.

She felt tears on her lashes at that. No one had ever cared enough to make sure that she was alright, that she wasn’t cold. It was always her that took care of others. It felt strange to have the role reverse, it felt nice.

Luke pulled her closer to him and she opened her mouth to say something but his lips were already covering hers and she did not fight it. Instead she enjoyed the feel of his lips on hers.

She kissed him back without any hesitation, matching every move, every stroke. His kisses changed from light, gently soothing, nips to deeper hotter kisses.

His tongue danced with hers. He cupped her head to cradle it before angling her head so that he could get closer. So that he could deepen the kiss further.

She felt his other hand at her ribcage, her heart raced in her chest. She moaned against him. His hand came up to cover one breast and she threw back her head and let out a cry.

Luke’s urgent hot lips kissed along her jawline, to her ear lobe. Down the column of her throat. To her collarbone. And then to the upper swell of her breast that was pushing against the confines of her dress.

She felt the zip at the back give and then Luke was pushing the material away from her breast. His fingers pulling the material down exposing her skin to his gaze. She drew in a sharp breath as he bent his head and sucked the rosy nipple into his mouth.

She moaned again as her fingers curled, biting into his flesh as he suckled on her. She felt the spirals of pleasure coarse through her as his tongue scraped across the sensitive nipple until her body trembled against him.

He pressed his hard arousal into the soft flesh between her legs.

“Cassie.” He whispered hoarsely. His voice thick with passion. “Let me show you how special you are.”

“Luke.” She groaned.

“Give me permission Cassie.” His lips trailed back up her throat.

“I…”

“Say yes, say you’ll let me. Give me permission to show you how special you are. How beautiful you are.” He kissed her mouth again. A hand stroked up the back of her leg, pushing her dress up as he went. And then she moaned as he cupped her bottom and kneaded the flesh that he found there.

“Luke.” She was breathing hard now. Her body aching, throbbing with a need she had never experienced in her life, ever. “Yes.” Whispered.

He groaned then, taking her mouth in a kiss that left her breathless and clinging onto him as though if she let go she would drown.

And then he covered her breast with her dress and did the zip back up at the back.

“Come.” He whispered close to her ear and she opened her eyes as he drew his face away enough to look into her eyes. “Let’s go home.” He told her and he gathered her up, lifting her off her feet as she carried her out.

Her front door was closed up behind them and then she was being bundled up in Luke’s car. He reached in and put her seat belt on her before kissing her lips gently and closing her door before coming round to get into the driver’s side. “Are you warm enough.” He asked her as he pulled the blanket around her.

“Yes, thank you.” She said. Luke started the car and then they were pulling away from the curb.

“How are you feeling now.” He asked her sometime later as they drove along. It was the early hours of the morning now. Luke must be tired, she thought, feeling guilty.

“Oh, yes I am fine really. I should phone Adam and let him know.”

“Already done.” She turned to look at his profile as he drove along. “Your phone book was in the hall.” He explained.

“Oh.” She said.

“Adam will pop by later to see you. I reassured him that you were alright.”

“He doesn’t know where you live.” She said.

“I gave him the address. Don’t worry he will find it. It’s not like he could miss it.”

“Oh?” she enquired and then Luke motioned his head and she looked out the front windscreen. And then she said. “Oh.” this time, though it was in awe.

As they drove up a long gravel drive Cassie was treated to the sight of Luke’s home, it looked like a castle. Well, a stately home anyway.

The thing was massive, really massive. She had never seen such a big house up close before. Well not unless she had been on a visit to a tourist attraction.

And there were turrets, one on each side of the massive house. Actual turrets for heaven sake. And a flag was blowing in the breeze from one of them. How cool was that?

Cassie felt light headed and giddy but then realised that she was holding her breath and so she took in a large dose of much needed air.

There were lights on, burning bright lighting it up. Giving it a gothic look in the semi darkness of early morning. She glanced at the clock on the dash board. It read two in the morning. “Oh, wow. Luke it’s… it’s…”

“Welcome to Covington Hall.” Luke told her.

“It’s…”

“It is quite foreboding isn’t it.” Luke offered.

“Massive.” She breathed.

“Thirteen bedrooms, five reception rooms, one library, seven bathrooms, dining rooms, drawing rooms and a sewing room, plus a large over the top ballroom.”

“Wow.” She repeated. What else could she say? “It is very beautiful.”

“Mm.” He said and she chanced a glance at him.

“You don’t like it?” she frowned, how could someone not like this?

“It’s okay.” Okay? Cassie found that sad. That he could look at this and see it as okay and nothing more. But then he had probably grown up here and had stopped really seeing it a long time ago.

“It’s more than okay.” She told him.

“Then, of course there are the grounds. Which are extensive.” He continued. “The Tennis courts. Swimming pools. Separate cottages. It has its own wood too.” Luke sounded embarrassed as he reeled off its attributes. She even detected the note of cynicism.

“Wow.” That was an understatement. “You don’t like it?” She asked. How could he not like living here?

“It has been in the family a long time.” He shrugged a shoulder.

“If you don’t like it. Why don’t you sell it and find something smaller?” She frowned.

“It’s my home. It was my father’s home and his father before him. And so on.”

“You really don’t like the fact you were born into money do you?” she said knowingly. “That you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.” She recalled his earlier words.

“Not really.” He agreed.

“Why not?”

“Silver tarnishes.” He told her sadly.

“But you are more than that Luke.” She said quietly as they pulled up in front of the house, well palace, castle. Call it what you will.

Luke switched off the engine and turned to look at her. A strange little smile playing on his mouth as he looked at her for what seemed like forever. He reached out and brushed her hair back from her face gently.

“I am now.” He said and he got out of the car and came round to open her door and helped her from the car. She wanted to ask him what he had meant by that but decided against it for now.

The large front door opened as Luke grabbed her case from the boot of the car and he steered her toward it as a plump older woman came out to greet them. Cassie had seen her before, in the courtroom, she had been there.

“Didn’t I tell you to go to bed and get some sleep.” Luke asked her.

“Higgle piggle and pish posh tosh with you.” She admonished sternly and Cassie bit down on her lip to stop a smile from developing.

“We could have handled things just fine.” Luke told her as he sighed.

“You couldn’t handle an ant farm.” She told him.

“Cassie this is Vera my housekeeper. Ignore most of what she says because she does not know what she is talking about most of the time.”

“Hello.” Cassie greeted with a smile and Vera smiled warmly back at her.

“Come on in child. There’s a chill in the air and you ain’t dressed for it.” Vera told her and then turned to Luke. “I mean really? And you being a doctor an all. She’ll get pneumonia.”

“No, she really won’t.” Luke told her, then turned to Cassie. “See, I told you. She doesn’t know what she is talking about.”

Vera was right about one thing. She wasn’t dressed for it. She may have been wrapped up in a fleece blanket but underneath she still had on her dress that she had worn to dinner. Cassie could definitely feel the chill wafting around her bare legs.

“Thank you.” She said self-consciously as she walked up the three steps that led to a kind of platform that continued on until it met the house and the front door.

Vera turned to look at Luke and then shook her head and tutted at him.

“What?” Luke asked his housekeeper.

“Me? Nothing. What would make you think I had something to say.”

“You shook your head and tutted at me.”

“Did I?”

“You know you did.” Vera turned to Cassie and made a face at her.

“I’d leave him outside if I thought I could get away with it.” And then she moved away from the threshold so that Cassie and Luke could enter.

“I pay your wages.” Luke pointed out.

“That you do.” Vera agreed. “That’s why you don’t get left out here.”

“And there I thought it was because you cared.”

“Me? Cared? Hogwash and twizzle sticks.” Vera dismissed.

Cassie laughed and Luke scowled at Vera, but Cassie could see only affection in his eyes. It was also reflected in the housekeepers. They obviously went back a long way.

Chapter 28.

“Come on in Cassie.” Vera welcomed her inside. “How are you?” she asked as she ran her eyes over Cassie’s face

“I… u…. I’m fine.” She gave the other woman a tentative smile.

“How’s the head feeling?”

“Fine, thank you.”

“I’ve got some paracetamol if you need it. Just ask.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything you need?” Vera asked her once she was completely inside and the front door was closed. “Anything at all. You just ask me and I’ll get it for you.”

“Why don’t we get in and get things settled before you start your claustrophobic motherly fussing.” Luke suggested dryly.

“I ain’t fussing.” Vera told him.

“No? what would you call it.”

“I’d call it, you’re in danger of a clip round the ear if I have any more of your cheek young man.” Cassie couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing.

“I could fire you.” Luke pointed out, raising his eyebrows at her.

“Hogwash and twizzle sticks.” She told him as she steered Cassie further into the grand hall. “If you fired me, you’d miss me.”

“No I wouldn’t.” Luke assured her.

“Yes you would.”

“Maybe for a minute but then I would hire someone else.”

“Ain’t no one that could fill these shoes.”

“You are right.” Luke placed an arm about Vera’s shoulders and kissed her cheek.

“Oh go on with you.” She said and then she turned to Cassie. “This is the grand hallway.”

And grand it was, with its large sweeping stair case with an intricately carved bannister and hand rail that continued to the top.

Cassie swept her eyes upward towards the high vaulted arched ceilings with paintings and carvings everywhere.

“Wow.” She breathed as she turned around in a circle taking in the gold leaf edges around pictures of clouds and cherubs.

Then on to the flocked Brocade wall paper in creams and an old fashioned muted green.

There were carvings and embellishments and paintings everywhere. It reminded Cassie of when she had visited Hampton Court many years before.

She saw the many large wooden heavy looking doors that lead from the grand hallway. Cassie felt like she had just walked into a museum or an old palace. She felt a bit like a princess.

“What do you think?” She heard Luke ask her and she caught the note of nervous anticipation there.

So, for all his, I don’t like it bravado. It did mean something to him that she liked it, she could hear it. As though if she liked his home that reflected how she felt about him. She hid a smile.

“I… it’s stunning.”

“Really?”

“Beautiful.” She stopped as her eyes swept around again in awe. “It’s very… Downton abbey.” She said at last.

“I’ve always preferred Pemberley.” Vera told her.

“Pemberley?” Luke asked.

Vera and Cassie turned sharply to him and saw the uncom-prehending look he wore on his face as though he had never heard of Pemberley before. Philistine. Well, finally, she had managed to find at least one fault that he had.

Cassie looked at Vera who looked back at her before they both turned to him again and in unison they said.

“Mr Darcy.” Luke still stared at them blankly for a few more minutes and then shrugged his shoulders, frowned and shook his head.

“Impossible.” Cassie exclaimed. “You couldn’t possibly not know.”

“Sorry.” He said.

“I don’t believe it.” Vera exclaimed as she threw up her hands and brought them down again.

“I don’t either.” She agreed with Vera in a shocked voice.

“How could you have not heard of Mr Darcy?” Vera asked him.

“Have you been living in a goldfish bowl?” Cassie asked him.

“Um.” And then he grimaced at them again. “No, can’t say I have.”

“But it’s… it’s...” Cassie looked at Vera and Vera looked at her and then together they both said. “Mr Darcy.” on a breathy wistful sigh.

“That wet shirt.” Vera said, a contemplative smile appeared on her lips and she developed a glazed faraway look in her eyes.

“That wet shirt.” Cassie agreed, a contemplative smile appearing on her own lips as she also developed a glazed faraway look in her eyes. Both women sighed loudly and slowly and even made a humph kind of noise.

“Do you know, I think I just saw my whole life flash before my eyes and I’m not sure if I liked what I saw.” Luke’s voice intruded and both women turned to regard him.

“You know what your problem is don’t you?” Vera asked him.

“I have a bossy housekeeper.” He suggested.

“You have no culture.” Vera corrected.

“You know what your problem is don’t you?” Luke threw back.

“Yes… you.” Vera told him.

“Pride and prejudice.” Cassie said.

“What is?” Luke turned to her.

“Pemberley, Mr Darcy, that wet shirt. Pride and prejudice. Jane Austen.”

“Ah…” Luke said.

“Ah… what?” Cassie asked.

“Ah… nothing.” Luke said before shaking his head and smiling at her.

“Ah… something.” She told him, narrowing her eyes.

“You are probably right.” Luke agreed. “Vera, why don’t you show Cassie into the drawing room while I take her case upstairs and I will join you in a minute.” And then he was heading for the stairs before she could stop him.

“Good, you can stand up for yourself. He needs that.” Vera told her and Cassie laughed.

“Thank you. I think.”

“Yes well, you don’t want him to get too big for his britches.”

“I shall keep it in mind.”

“This way dear.” Vera said as she put an arm around her.

“Actually is there a bathroom I could use?”

“Oh yes, there’s one just over there.” And Vera steered her in that direction. “I’ll wait here.” She told her.

Cassie opened the door and stepped inside feeling on the wall for the light switch. She found it and flipped it then gasped as she took in the room.

All shiny marble and intricate carvings across the high ceilings. Wow the room was big. Her own modest home could have fit inside this one room.

Why would you need such a big room for just a toilet, bath, shower and a sink? And whatever that strange looking contraption in the corner was?

Best not to ask, she decided. Instead Cassie used the facilities and washed her hands, and then felt guilty as now the sink had splash marks in it.

Okay, so that was what a sink was for, she knew that. But it had looked new and unused.

Cassie made her way out of the bathroom. Vera had been good to her word and was waiting for her in the hall so that she could show her into the drawing room.

An open fire had been made up and the room was warm and inviting. The lights were dimed low casting shadows on the walls. It was all dark woods and creams and burgundy fabrics. All very nice, all very decadent. “Here sit yourself on the sofa.” Vera told her as she plumped up a couple of cushions. Probably unnecessary.

Cassie did not argue with her, instead she unwrapped herself from the fleece blanket and she did as she was told. Relaxing against the plump soft cushions as she felt the warmth of the fire on her skin.

Luke joined them a moment later and sauntered over to the sofa. “I shall leave you to it then.” Vera said as she turned to leave but then called over her shoulder. “And don’t you be going and blowing it.” And then she was gone.

“What did she mean by that?” Cassie asked Luke.

“You really don’t want to know.” Luke told her and she smiled. He was probably right. “Would you like anything to drink?” Luke asked her.

“Oh no, thank you I am fine.” She told him.

“How’s the head?” He reached up a hand to brush her hair away from the small wound to inspect it. His warm fingers brushing against her skin and she shivered but not from cold.

“I’ll live, I think. Just my luck a head injury on top of alcohol. Bad combination.”

“You only had two glasses of wine and one glass of champagne.” He told her with a smile. My, he had been watching her closely, hadn’t he?

Now she really was self-conscious. How much had he seen, what had he been able to tell from watching her all evening? Had he sussed her out as it were. Had she given herself away. She fidgeted in her chair with embarrassment.

“I, yes well. I don’t really drink.” She explained.

“I would think your mother put you off.” Luke agreed quietly

“Yes.” She said. “I guess she did.”

“I can’t say I am a big drinker myself.”

“No?” she watched him shake his head.

“I’ve seen the emergency room on a weekend.” He grimaced.

“You must see some pretty horrible things.” She agreed.

“It has its moments.” He agreed. “Not so much these days. I managed to buy into a practice, so I am a g.p now.”

“But you still do the odd hospital shift.” She said.

“I do occasional surgeries. Nothing more. Minor stuff really.” He waved it away as though it were nothing. And maybe to him it was.

“You have a lovely home.” She told him.

“I told you I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.” Luke derided. “Didn’t I warn you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” She said. His mouth gave a twisted cynical smile.

“I guess.” He shrugged.

“Why do you hate it so much?”

“I guess because you end up being stuck between two worlds. Not really belonging to one or the other.”

“I don’t understand.” She said as she frowned.

“You don’t belong with the self-made rich men and you don’t belong with the working class that you work alongside.”

“Ah.” She said.

“Ah… what?” Luke asked as he smiled.

“Ah… nothing.”

“Ah… something.” He said and she giggled.

“Why don’t you cut your own path, design your own world.” She asked him.

“You make that sound so easy, but it isn’t.”

“It can be if you let it.”

“You should stand up to Faye and agree for her to go get the help she needs.” Luke told her.

“You make that sound so easy, but it isn’t.”

“It can be if you let it.” A soft laugh escaped her lips.

“Tell me about the house.” She asked as she put an arm on the back of the sofa and laid her head on it. She was so tired.

“The house has been in my family for five generations.” He said now. “My great, great, great, great, great grandfather built it. He made his fortune as a prospector or something.”

“What’s a Prospector?”

“Panning for gold. Mining for diamonds.” He shrugged. “That kind of thing.”

“Oh, wow. You should be proud of that. Of your history. I don’t even know who my mother’s parents were.” She said.

“I am sorry. Maybe one day I will be.” He said.

He looked over at her then. His eyes sweeping over her tired looking face. She was struggling to keep her eyes open. “Sorry,” He said. “You are tired. Here.” He got up and before she could stop him he leant down and scooped her up into his arms.

“Oh.” She exclaimed on a gasp and she put her arms around his neck. “I can walk.” She told him as he strode from the room and began the climb up the stairs.

“I am sure you can. But, for me, this is much more fun.” He said.

“But I can walk, really I am fine now I promise. No lasting effects from earlier.” She told him.

“Let me take care of you Cassie.”

“Yes but…”

“You don’t need to tough it out on your own all the time.” He told her. “Lean on me for a while.”

“I guess I have learnt to just lean on myself, depend on me.”

“That’s because you have never found anyone strong enough for you to lean on.” He said gently. “You have now. So lean on me. I promise I won’t let you fall.” They reached the top of the stairs and he walked down a long corridor before stopping at the threshold of an open bedroom door.

He stopped as though he were trying to decide something. And then he moved, as though the decision had been made and he turned, moving away from the door and going over to another one and stepping inside.

He used his foot to nudge the door closed behind them and he carried her around the corner and further into the room.

The room was massive, the bed was. Wow. Four poster. Carved wooden four poster bed with its own canopy and thick heavy drape curtains that was tied back at each post. It was a bed fit for a princess.

Or a king, she decided as she noted that this looked like a masculine room, but even without the décor to give it away then the smell of the room had.

She could smell his aftershave and his scent and knew instinctively that this was not the guest bedroom but the master bedroom. His bedroom. His bed.

Cassie felt her heart beating erratically as her mouth went dry as she suddenly felt like the fly that had found its way into a spider’s den.