Besieged (26 page)

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m a solicitor.”

He frowns. “Really?”

No I just made that up for shits and giggles. “Yes.” I smile sweetly and see Theo shaking with laughter slightly beside me.

“Wow, you don’t look like a solicitor.” He shakes his head.

“And what do I look like Mr Hillford?” He gives me a smarmy smile.

“Well you are with Mr Ellis here, and he is well known for dating models.” He nods toward Theo, that slimy grin still on his face. “And you look like that. I figured you probably put those looks to good use.” He laughs and looks at Theo and Mike like he just said something hilarious. Oh, he did not.

Theo smiles before leaning into Mike. “Brace yourself.” He whispers.

If there is one thing I cannot stand its dicks like this. “I do hate to burst your bubble, but just because a woman is sporting a set of tits does not mean she is automatically discounted from any intelligible profession and must get naked to earn money.” I say, very calmly I might add.

“I didn’t say you get naked, but now that you mention it I expect you’d make more than you do as a solicitor if you did.” He laughs again. “Just saying.” He holds up his hands. Mike groans and puts his head in his hands. Sarah seems completely oblivious to the fact that her husband is an arsehole who is making inappropriate comments to another woman.

I turn to Theo. “Really?” He looks at me and frowns. “These are the type of people you have running multi-million pound companies?”

He smiles. “No.” That’s it, just no.

“What?” He is so odd sometimes.

“It’s been a pleasure guys but we have to go. Steve I’ll call you on Monday.” Steve looks as white as a sheet. Theo pulls me to my feet. I glare at Steve as I leave.

Theo tucks my hand under his arm as we walk to the waiting car. The temperature has dropped outside. I shiver as he holds my door for me.

"Here." He takes off his jacket and places it over me like a blanket.

"Thanks." I say grateful for its warmth. It smells of him, cologne and masculinity.

He climbs behind the wheel and turns to face me. “Well done sugar.”

“What? What are you on about?” I ask.

“You did exactly what I thought you would.”

“What, call your staff out on their sexist shit.” I frown.

“No, confirm my suspicions. There have been some informal insinuations of sexual harassment against Hillford. I won’t have that in my company, but I needed confirmation as no formal complaints were made.” He chuckles. “So I brought the most beautiful woman that twat will ever see to dinner and waited for him to make a comment. Like I said, I only have the best running my companies, I have to fish out the rubbish.”

“Gee, thanks. Nice to know I’m good pervert bait.” I grumble.

He grabs my chin and presses a kiss on my lips. “The very best.” He says with a smile.

"Lilly." Theo's voice breaks through my deep unconsciousness.

I pull back my eyelids squinting against the bright light.

"We're home. Come on." He places a firm arm around my waist and helps me from the car. I lean against the side of the car feeling totally disorientated, when did I fall asleep? Theo sighs.

"Dear god woman, a couple of glasses of wine and you're like the walking dead."  With that he suddenly scoops me off my feet so that I’m cradled against his chest. I want to tell him to put me down and I am perfectly capable of walking, but his chest is so inviting, radiating red hot heat and that wonderful fragrance he has. I snuggle closer to him and instantly fall back into unconsciousness.

I awake at three in the morning with a mouth like the Sahara. The bed is cold and Theo is nowhere to be seen. I climb out of bed and walk into the hallway, I realise that I’m wearing one of his t-shirts, but I don't remember putting it on. There is a soft glow filling the hall which seems to be coming from upstairs. I groggily climb the stairs. As I reach the top it becomes apparent that the light is coming from behind me, from Theo's desk. He sits at the desk staring at the computer screen. He's still dressed in the same suit he wore to dinner.

He smiles when I step into the light. "Hey sugar." His face is drawn and there are dark circles under his eyes.

I round the desk and perch in front of him sitting on the edge. I pick up his bottle of water from the desk and take a huge gulp, quenching my burning throat. He watches me as I place it back on the desk before wrapping his arms around me, pushing his hands under my t-shirt to caress the bare skin of my back. I place my hands on either side of his face and stare into his bloodshot eyes.

"You haven't been to bed. Why are you still up?" I whisper.

"I'm sorry. There's been some hassle in Italy. I've been trying to sort it, but I think I’m going to have to go out there." He drags his hand through his hair.

"How long for?" I ask.

"No longer than a week hopefully." He smiles at me.

"Okay." I whisper.

"I'm going to talk to Simmons, convince him that I need my UK solicitors on board. I want you to come with me."

I roll my eyes at him. "You don't have to do that. I'll be fine. I was just fine before you came along Theo." I smile at him.

"You might be fine, but I won't be. Besides I could genuinely use you. There are a lot of legal issues at the moment." He frowns.

"Bullshit, anyone could sort that out." I shake my head. "Look, now that we're 'together', I think it would be best if we keep personal and professional separate. I don't want my career to be affected by you.” I lightly brush my fingers across the stubble of his jaw. "I will miss you though." I wink at him.

He smiles. “Check you with the mushy declarations.”

“Don’t get used to it.” I grumble.

He laughs. “Look...we had a deal. Two weeks, and you would live with me to witness it, so you're coming. I made a promise and I will see it through. I'm doing this to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt how much you mean to me, even if it kills me, which it may do." He smiles wryly.

“You call me mushy. I think I just wretched a little.” I smirk.

“Wow, that’s such an attractive image.”

“Hey, you’ve seen me throw up monumentally. You should be immune by now.” I smile.

“Sugar, I love you, but I have to say you are not a graceful vomiter, what with the dribbling and the crying…” I punch his arm as he laughs.

“Dick.” I mumble.

“So you’ll come?” He tries to catch me off guard.

I sigh. I'm not going to win this argument right now. "You're impossible. Come on. Let’s go to bed." I take his hand and lead him back to bed. He climbs into bed next to me wearing only his boxers. He wraps a strong arm around me pinning me to him.

“Theo can I ask you something?” I say quietly.

“Anything sugar.” He kisses my hair.

Okay, here goes. “What happened to your parents? I mean, you and Mike are so close, you said he was a parent to you.” I feel like I’m prying, but I guess I’m just really curious. “You don’t have to answer.” I whisper.

“No, it’s okay. My mother lives in Italy. She’s been married six times. My brother William and I were the product of marriage number one, Cat from number two. My father died of cancer when I was five. Cat’s dad doesn’t want to know.  She sent us to boarding schools when we were very young. Her husbands didn’t want kids around.” He squeezes me tighter. ”We don’t really speak much anymore.”

“I’m sorry.” Theo’s story is not indifferent to mine, except that I would have gladly been packed off to boarding school. Dead father, mother who doesn’t give a fuck. It’s all very familiar. “Do you think…do you think you’re mother loves you?” I whisper. It’s a question I ask myself all the time, but the answer is always the same and always hard to take. The truth hurts.

“In her own strange way maybe, but not in the traditional sense, no.” He says calmly.

“But you’re okay. I mean you’re successful, so you obviously got past it?” This seems important for some reason.

“I think that you can let the shit wear you down and wallow in it, or you can pick yourself up and make a life for yourself.” He kisses my hair. “What about your parents? You never talk about them.” I tense. “You don’t have to tell me.” He rubs my arm, trying to release some of the tension. He asked me once before about my parents, but I managed to change the subject.

“Um, my father died when I was five in a car crash. My mother…” Images of my mother’s demented face flash through my mind. Her standing watching me. “My mother is dead to me.” I say finally. 

“Okay. I love you Sugar.” I smile. He knows exactly what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.

“Thank you.” I whisper, and I mean it. I’m truly grateful for him. I snuggle against his chest as he strokes my hair, soothing me into a deep sleep.

The next morning I wake up with Theo wrapped around me, his strong arms like iron. "Hey." He breathes.

"Hey." I turn to face him. His smile is heart stopping. His face illuminated in the morning light. Immediately my blood starts to heat and a dull ache forms between my legs. It's been over a week and it's killing me. I can take no more. I decide to go on the offensive. I sit up and roll onto him, straddling his hips. I can already feel his red hot erection through his boxers. I grab his wrists, pinning them above his head on the pillow before kissing him. I tease him with my tongue, before nipping his lip. I run my hands over his naked torso, followed by my lips. I circle each nipple with my tongue and graze each one with my teeth, causing his breathing to quicken. I get to the waistband of his boxers and run my tongue enticingly across the skin at the edge. He trembles slightly before suddenly flipping me on my back and pinning me to the mattress.

"Enough." He says, clearly amused.

That's it. How can he be so restrained? I'm so horny I will resort to begging. "Ugh, Theo, please." I huff as I slump back into the pillows.

He kisses my neck slowly. "You're so hot when you're horny." He breathes against my neck. "You get that maddening look on your face. It's almost irresistible." He purrs.

"Almost..." I raise an eyebrow and smirk at him as I pull his oversized t-shirt over my head leaving me in only a scrap of lace.

He takes a deep breath. His eyes heat with desire and I can see his control slipping. He ducks his head and takes one nipple in his mouth, he sucks hard causing pleasure to shoot through me. My back bows off the bed as I gasp.

"Mmm, completely irresistible." He trails kisses down my stomach until he reaches the edge of my knickers, kissing along the seam mimicking my earlier actions.

He hooks his fingers into the lace at my hips and pulls them down my legs in one swift action. My breath hitches and then quickens. His gaze holds mine as his eyes blaze dangerously. My pulse hammers. I lean back into the pillow trying desperately to calm my wild reactions. I jump as his lips skim my inner thigh. Moisture pools between my legs making me squirm, desperate for relief. He chuckles a low throaty sound, before flicking his tongue over my sensitive clitoris. I moan incoherently at the contact. He loops his arms around my thighs pinning my back to the bed and my pelvis firmly in place. The sight of his dark head bent between my legs is enough to make me come on its own, let alone the torturous teasing of his tongue. Within moments it's too much and with one swift final flick of his tongue I come violently. The relief is heady and leaves me in a dream like haze.

Theo nips the inside of my thigh before leaning over me with a smug grin on his face.

"Better?"

"Much." I breathe.

"Making you come turns me on so much." He raises an eyebrow, his blue eyes twinkle mischievously. He gets up and heads to the bathroom, leaving me sated, yet desperate for more.

"Where are you going?" I moan.

"Cold shower." He replies as he shuts the bathroom door. He is impossible.

Later in the morning I go to the dance studio for an hour, I haven't been all week and it's killing me.  After a thorough session I go back to Theo's, but get a text.

Molly: Fancy Lunch? El Diabolo's? xx.

Me: Sure. What time? xx 

Molly: 1.30? xx 

I check my watch, that's an hour. Other than my brief run in with Molly I haven't seen her. I miss her and George.

It's warm out today, for once the British summer is as it’s supposed to be, sunny.  I wear a short navy blue summer dress and cowboy boots. Theo has already gone out to the garage, he's meeting Cat this afternoon and said he'd drop me off on the way.

"Wow, look at you." He beams when I get in the car.

"Thanks. I'm trying to expose my skin to some of this sunshine." I pull my enormous sunglasses on as the garage door opens. Theo looks typically good in his white shirt and chino's with his Ray Ban's.

"It's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. I was thinking we could invite a few people over for a barbeque?" He smiles hopefully.

"As in your friends?” I ask. Things have been going really well, but I’m not sure I can deal with a meet and greet just yet.

“And yours.”

“Um, Theo isn’t that a bit of a statement. Don’t you think we should wait a few weeks…or month’s.” The panic must be written all over my face by this point.

“Lilly, it’s just a barbeque. Calm down and stop freaking out.” He rolls his eyes.

“I am not freaking out.” I grumble. I am totally freaking out.

“Good, barbeque it is then.” He turns around and backs the car out calling an end to the conversation. Great, just great.

I meet Molly at the Tapas bar around the corner from our flat.

I feel as though I haven't seen her in so long.

“I’ve missed you.” She squeals.

“I know. I’ve missed you too, and George.” We’re sat outside and the sun makes her hair shimmer like spun gold.

“Well, it’s only another week, and then you’ll be home right? You’re not moving in with him?” She looks at me as if daring me to say yes.

“Uh, no. I am not moving in with him. Jesus Mole. Like you said it’s been a week. I’m not that stupid.” I roll my eyes.

“You never know. I thought you might have gotten used to how the other half live.” She cocks an eyebrow.