A Regimental Affair (14 page)

Ginny arranged the waterproof sheet and Bob did the same. As he did so he shuffled up close to her. ‘Shared body heat,’ he said. ‘Best way of keeping warm.’ Ginny didn’t say anything.

Blast her previous fantasies. Her heart was pounding. She hoped to God he couldn’t hear or feel it.

The sky, where they could see it through the trees, was completely black except for a speckling of stars, and apart from the rustling of the branches the silence was total.

‘Have you noticed that since that wretched lorry, there hasn’t been another vehicle on this road?’ said Bob.

‘Yes. Mind, I shouldn’t think it gets much traffic, even in daylight,’ said Ginny.

‘How do you feel now?’

‘Not so cold.’

‘Good.’

Ginny felt the conversation was stilted because they were both thinking how potentially awkward their situation was. She decided to grasp the nettle.

‘This’ll get the rumour-mongers talking, won’t it?’ she observed lightly.

‘The commanding officer spending the night with a strange woman, you mean? Well,’ he turned to look at her, his face inches from hers, ‘I don’t mean ‘strange’ like that, not strange peculiar …’

‘I should hope not,’ murmured Ginny, acutely and achingly aware of how close he was. Bob moved towards her until their lips met. Ginny felt such a surge of ecstasy course through her body it made her feel quite dizzy. Bob’s arms moved round her and pulled her against him. Ginny felt her body bend so she moulded against the contours of his exactly and then she, in turn, put her arms around him. She had imagined them kissing more times than she cared to think about and now it was happening and it felt wonderful. Far, far better than in her dreams. She could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she shut her eyes and sank into the perfection of the moment.

But then Ginny came to her senses. Yes she had longed for this; yes she wanted him, but not while he was still married to Alice. ‘No,’ she murmured. ‘This is wrong. We mustn’t …’

‘How can something that feels so right be wrong?’ whispered Bob.

‘But it is. You’re married.’

‘Oh, Ginny. Let’s not think about that now.’ Bob pulled back and used his right hand to lift Ginny’s face so she had to look at him. ‘Ginny, I’ve adored you from the moment I first set eyes on you. I’ve never met anyone more vital, more vivacious, more beautiful than you. Even though I love Alice, I sometimes find myself wondering how things would be if I’d met you first? These last few months, having you so close and yet so inaccessible, have been more difficult than you could possibly imagine.’

Ginny gave a little groan. No, this wasn’t right. Yes, it was words she wanted to hear but not with Alice in the picture.

‘No, Bob.’

‘But, Ginny, you must have known how I felt?’

‘I knew you liked me, were kind to me.’ She became bolder. ‘And I fell for you when I first saw you. You’re the reason I’m still single. Every man I meet I compare with you, and no one ever comes close.’

‘Oh, Ginny. I want you so much.’

Suddenly the tears she had managed to choke back earlier welled up again. She had spent more than a decade longing for this moment and now she had finally been granted her wish, she was overwhelmed by it all. And she was also crying for all those lonely years of unrequited love, the nights she had spent with other men while imagining that it had been Bob beside her in bed. And she was crying because, try as she might, she knew that Bob shouldn’t be risking his family’s happiness and his career for a night with her. She dragged a hanky out of her sleeve and blew her nose but still the tears coursed down her face.

‘Oh, Ginny,’ said Bob folding her in his arms again. ‘Ginny, I had no idea that you felt the same way.’ But Ginny didn’t answer, she couldn’t. She buried her face in his heavy woollen jumper and the tears flowed harder. He kissed the top of her head and gently rocked her back and forth to comfort her. ‘Ginny, Ginny, Ginny,’ he whispered as he patted her shoulder and tried to soothe her. But her silent, shoulder-shaking sobs continued to rack her body.

Eventually her tears subsided. Her silent sobs died to nothing and she lay quietly in his arms.

‘Oh, Ginny. What is it? What has made you so unhappy? Surely if I love you and you love me, and we’re together …?’

Ginny gulped and blew her nose. ‘I’m not unhappy. Not really. It’s wonderful to know that you feel the same way about me as I do about you. But nothing can come of it. We can’t have an affair. Just think what would happen if Alice found out.’

‘It’s a risk I’m prepared to take.’

Ginny raised her head from his chest and looked at him. ‘Are you?’

‘Yes.’ Bob felt a degree of tenderness towards her that he didn’t think he’d experienced since he’d held Megan as a newborn.

She rested her head against his chest once again. ‘Do you remember the time we went climbing together?’

‘Yes.’ There was a pause. ‘I wanted to kiss you then.’

‘I know, but Staff McLean appeared.’

Bob remembered and nodded. He’d thought about that moment on any number of occasions. ‘I think that’s when I first fell in love with you.’

‘I didn’t mean that to happen.’

Bob squeezed Ginny gently and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. ‘You always seemed so bouncy, so full of life. I imagined you had a hundred men dancing attendance on you. I thought I was just another bloke amongst dozens who had fallen for your charms.’

Ginny looked up at him again. ‘But you were the only bloke I wanted. Still want, but …’ She paused.

Bob rubbed her shoulder distractedly. ‘But you don’t think it would be right,’ he finished. ‘No one need know.’

‘But they would. Eventually someone would notice. You know what the regiment is like for gossip.’

‘Not if we’re discreet.’

Ginny felt herself weakening. He was so sure and she wanted him so badly. And he was the one taking the risk. She didn’t have the strength to resist. She wanted him, ached for him too much to hold out. She stretched up slightly and kissed him again on the mouth. ‘If you’re sure,’ she said when they drew apart again. ‘If you’re certain no one else will ever know, then no one will get hurt.’ She snuggled down under the tarpaulin and laid her head against his jersey. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs. Ginny must be able to feel it too. She picked up his left hand, draped over her shoulder, and began to kiss his fingertips. Then Ginny began to lift up her sweater. She felt Bob’s entire body stiffen in anticipation. She gently took his right hand and placed it on her shirt over her breast. ‘Feel me,’ she said. ‘Feel how much I want you.’

Bob began to caress her hard nipple through the fabric. He heard Ginny groan with pleasure. Bob almost did too as a surge of passion rippled through him from his fingertips to his toes. Then, finally giving in to his own overwhelming desire, he began to undo her buttons.

When they were both naked they knelt, facing each other, on the damp leaf mould that formed the forest floor. The chill, still air seemed to heighten the eroticism of the moment and they pressed forward so their bodies touched from breast to thigh. Every movement of her hands, every flick of her tongue sent shivers of delight racing up and down his body. Bob could feel the hardness of his erection sandwiched between him and her flat stomach and he revelled in the sensation as they kissed again. Then they sank sideways onto the ground and Bob’s hand moved down her flanks to her thighs and slid between them. Ginny was deliciously damp. Bob was afraid that he might come too quickly for her.

‘Take me,’ she whispered. ‘I can’t wait.’ But he just smiled and bent his head so he could suck at her nipple. He had to get her to fever pitch too. His fingers felt the muscles in her pelvis tighten deliciously. She shuddered with pleasure and arched her back slightly and his finger slipped inside her. ‘Oh, God,’ she moaned. ‘Please, now.’

Bob rolled on his back and Ginny rolled on top of him. She grasped his erect penis in one hand, lifted herself and then lowered herself on to it. It was Bob’s turn to groan. Ginny spread her knees so she could spear herself as deeply as possible then she arched her back as she leant forward so her breasts dangled provocatively over Bob’s lips. He pulled her forward and took one in his mouth. He felt her pelvic muscles flex once more. Bob responded with a thrust of his pelvis. This was unbelievable, he thought, almost drunk with lust and desire. Ginny began slowly to raise and lower herself. Bob continued to suck her nipple with his mouth and he kneaded the other one with his hand. Then suddenly he knew that if he didn’t take control he would come before she did. He pushed her off, flipped her on to her back and with an almost ferocious thrust he took over. Almost instantly he knew he’d succeeded. He felt Ginny shudder and writhe as the hot waves of orgasm rushed through her. Ginny’s body arched as the powerful feelings took complete control of her. ‘Oh, God!’ she yelled.

Bob made one last, long thrust and then he too felt his own orgasm overtake him. It was so intense as to be almost painful, and shuddering and shaking he collapsed on top of her.

When his breathing had settled, Ginny began kissing him again. ‘Don’t think you’re getting any sleep tonight,’ she whispered. ‘If you think that was good, just wait and see what I’ve got planned next. Now we’ve both got the urgency out of our systems, I’m going to tease you until you beg me for it.’

Her hand slipped down to his groin and Bob knew from the expert touch of her fingers that she was as good as her promise. ‘Be gentle with me,’ he groaned.

‘Possibly, but when you find out what I want you to do to me, you may change your mind.’

Chapter Nine

‘Hi, Alice?’

The line was bad but Alice could still recognise her husband’s voice. ‘Bob. I wasn’t expecting a call.’

‘I know but I wanted to assure you I am OK in case you heard the news from anyone else.’

Alice felt a prickle of worry. ‘What news?’

‘I was in a pretty bad accident yesterday. Some bloody local lorry driver ran the Land Rover I was in off the road. The Rover is a write-off but I got out with nothing more than a few bruises.’

‘Oh, Bob! How dreadful. Was anyone else hurt?’

‘Ginny Turner got a bad cut to the head. It needed five stitches but the doc says she’ll be all right. No concussion or anything.’

Alice tried to sound pleased that Ginny had escaped relatively unscathed. ‘Oh good.’ Even she could hear that she had failed.

‘We were pretty lucky. It could have been a lot worse.’

‘It sounds as if it was bad enough.’

‘The worst thing was getting rescued. We ended up halfway down a mountain and it took the regiment a while to track us down.’

‘You poor thing. You must have been so worried.’

‘I think we were lucky that it wasn’t bad weather. If it had happened a few weeks later on in the year … I mean, it snows heavily here.’

‘Exactly.’

Alice told Bob her news, most of which was incon sequential stuff, and then the time of their rationed phone call had ticked away, so she hung up. She was glad Bob had told her categorically that he was all right. The CO being in a car accident was the sort of news that the other officers would be sure to tell their own wives, and if Alice had heard the intelligence second-hand she would have been worried.

She looked at the clock. Six. Time to go round to Sarah’s for the meeting to organise the wives’ club Christmas party. She gathered up her file, notebook and handbag and pulled the front door shut behind her. On the way to Sarah’s she met Debbie heading for the same destination.

‘No Danielle?’ asked Alice.

‘I’ve left her with Louise. I don’t think she’d have much of a contribution to make to the meeting.’

Alice smiled in approval. Very sensible. So many wives thought that they could take their children along to anything, like some sort of fashion accessory, and that their babies and toddlers would be welcome. Frankly, Alice thought that there were any number of functions for which it would be better to leave the children behind, but sadly she seemed to be in a minority these days.

Sarah’s front door was open but Alice rang the bell anyway.

‘Come in,’ called Sarah from somewhere inside. The two women stepped over the threshold.

‘Coo-ee,’ called Alice.

‘I’m in the dining room.’

Alice led the way along the hall and looked round the door. Sarah was struggling to lift the computer monitor off the table and put it on the sideboard, but she had got into a tangle with various flexes and she was balancing the monitor on the edge of the table, supporting it with one hand while she tried to disconnect the wires with the other.

Debbie immediately darted forward and lent a hand.

‘Phew,’ said Sarah as the muddle was resolved. Debbie dumped the keyboard and speakers beside it.

‘At least we’ve got a table for the meeting now,’ said Alice, wondering why on earth Sarah hadn’t got herself organised earlier.
Fancy leaving things to the last minute like this
!

Sarah looked at her with a little annoyance as if she was aware of Alice’s thoughts. ‘I’ll go and put the kettle on. I expect you would like tea, wouldn’t you, Alice?’

‘Thank you. That would be very nice.’

‘And a glass of wine for you, Debbie?’

Debbie shot Alice a half-guilty look, then with a self-conscious smile she said, ‘Lovely.’

‘Red or white?

‘Whatever.’

‘I’ve got both open.’

Alice’s eyebrows shot upwards. Wasn’t it enough to have one bottle of wine open, but two! And to be drinking on her own …

‘Red then, please.’

When Sarah returned with a cup of tea and two glasses of wine, the three women sat down around the table.

‘Before we start,’ said Sarah, ‘I just want to say how sorry I was to hear about Bob’s accident. Thank goodness he’s all right.’

Alice thanked Sarah for her concern and then brought the meeting back to their plans for a Christmas party for the wives. It was an annual event and usually consisted of a seasonal meal followed by some sort of cabaret act. The previous CO’s wife had organised a troupe of male strippers which had been a huge success with everyone but, success or no, Alice had no intention of allowing anything as bawdy as that while she was in charge.