BUTTERFLIES FLY AWAY (35 page)

“Oh My God Carrie, Oh My God!  You are going to
have to increase your insurance cover for all this!” she joked.

“I was so upset at the hospital that my bag was
ripped and bloody after the mugging but I didn’t expect this.  It’s too
much.  I will have it sent back.”

“I thought the police had your bag?”

“It’s upstairs in the bottom of the wardrobe, I
haven’t been able to look at it.  I need to speak with Nico”

“Kate, I am a loyal sister but I am also a loyal
Aunt and Godmother to Carrie.  She is an adult and I have to respect her
wishes when it comes to her life.”

“Belle you should have told me.  I felt foolish
finding out as if my daughter had some guilty secret that she was too ashamed
to tell me of”

Belle could feel her sister’s frustration across the
miles.  Kate had caught her unaware when she answered her phone.  She
was with Nico who could hear every word being said by Kate.

“Katie, Katie, calm down.  Who are you angrier
with here Carrie for not telling you or yourself for not wanting her to move
on?  We all loved Rob but even he wouldn’t want her to mourn him
forever.  She is a young vibrant woman with the rest of her life in front
of her.”

“Not everyone is ready to let go Belle, I thought
you would have understood that.”

She was left with the dial tone in her ear.

“I guess you heard every word?”

Nico could not deny it.  “Unfortunately I did”
he was quietly seething.  Obviously Carries Mother was not pleased with
his presence in her life.  But he wasn’t going to be dissuaded.
 Carrie was all that mattered to him.  Convincing her parents could
come later.

The ringing of his phone interrupted any
conversation.  Belle left the room. 

“Hello Carrie, how has your day been so far?”

“Hi Nico, it’s had its moments.  Thank you for
the lovely flowers they are beautiful.  I feel overwhelmed with your gifts
and generosity but it’s too much Nico, I can’t accept them.”

“It’s your birthday Carrie and I insist.  Let
me spoil you a little even though I don’t know when we will see each other
sometime soon.  I enjoy giving you presents.”

“Let me think about it.” She said as a
concession.  “I had a look at your schedule with Robin.  You have
some time after you return from the Asia trip.  I’ve asked Robin to block
some days if that’s okay with you.”

“Of course it is.  What do you want to
do?  Where can I show you?”

“I think that can be your challenge Nico, I know you
will keep me on my toes”

“Well your toes are one place we can start with!”

“You are incorrigible”

“But you love me anyway” he joked. 

Love, there was that word.  Love.  Love
had made her happy and made her so sad.  It had given her so much joy that
love with Nico was scary too.  She didn’t know what to say.  Did she
love him?  She didn’t have to think long.  A millisecond at the
most.  Yes she did. 

Silence.

“So, tonight,” Nico said breaking the silence. 
“What are your plans?”

“I eh, just a family dinner at home.  We have
Aunt Peggy’s party tomorrow.  It was their anniversary yesterday but they
didn’t much fancy having a party on a Thursday night.”

“Save your dances,”

“It’s not that sort of party, not a ball gown
event.  But an epic Reynolds family gathering.”  Carrie didn’t
disclose that she had had a disagreement with her Mum.  It didn’t feel
right to bring the subject up at that time.

The evening had passed without any major
upset.  No disagreements or fights or catastrophe had befallen the
party.  Ryan and Claire had left a couple of hours earlier.  Carrie
had opted to stay on a little longer with her parents.  Her Uncle had
given a lovely speech thanking Peggy for being by his side for the last 40
years.  Oh she had thought she would have had 40 years or more with
Rob.  But it wasn’t to be.  It had brought a tear to Carrie’s eye and
she had briefly retreated to the bathroom to fix her make up.  She wiped a
smudge of mascara away.  Typical she hadn’t worn waterproof.  The box
of tissues was empty so she grabbed some from the toilet cubicle and repaired
her make up.  The door swung open and Carrie stepped back into the cubicle
to avoid colliding with the door.

“I see little Miss Hoity Toity joined us tonight,”
the voice of her cousin Marie slurred.  “Aye so she did, finally got off
her pedestal,” Marie’s friend joined in.

“I feel sorry for her, I mean all on her own, no
kids or anything.  No wonder Claire is still there.  She probably
won’t let them leave!”

“Oh don’t be so horrible Marie, it’s not like that,
I feel sorry for her too but at least I’ve got my man to go home to
tonight.  What’s she got?”

Carrie swung the door back.

“Go on Marie, tell me why don’t you?  My life
is just fine.  Claire’s is too.  I don’t need anyone to feel sorry
for me.  Now why don’t you go sober up and stop making a show of yourself
at your parent’s party”

She didn’t say anything to her parents about her
conversation with her cousin on their journey home.  Things were still a
little strained with Carrie and her mother after the discovery of her
relationship with Nico and her plans to leave in a few days for New York.

The taxi approached the quiet cul de sac of Bluebell
Gardens.  “When do you leave Carrie?”

“I fly out Tuesday morning back Thursday afternoon
or evening I think”

“Well this time try and stay out of trouble”

“I will Mum, but I will see you before I go”

The plans were made and for the last week Carrie had
conspired with Robin to keep Nico completely in the dark over their
arrangements.  Carrie had an early morning flight which after the time
difference would get her at JFK mid-day.  Robin had blocked Nico’s diary
with a 1.30 pm meeting and afternoon lunch with a new client.  Nico had no
evening engagements as Robin had again discreetly blocked that off too,
although she had made a dinner reservation for them.  He flew out the
following day on a three week trip to Asia and Australia.  Carrie was
travelling light; she had a small case and her oversized red Hermes bag. 
Enough clothes for the almost two days that she would be in New York, a gift
for Nico and the lovely gold Dolce and Gabbana dress.   It was such a
tight schedule that any flight delay would ruin their plans.  She thanked
the gods that the flight passed without any hiccup and she found the driver
waiting at the airport.  She texted Robin that she was in the car and the
driver said they would be at Devanti headquarters in ten minutes.  Carrie
was too excited to take in the sights.  Another check at her watch. 
12.45. Now she had to ask the gods to keep the roads clear.  Robin was
waiting for her at the main entrance.  Carrie gratefully hugged her.

“Robin, thank you so much for helping me with this,
I really couldn’t have done this without you,”

“It’s been my pleasure, I just hope Nico agrees
afterwards and I still have my job, come on I’ve got your security pass and we
will go up in the private elevator”

Carrie smiled at the un-smiling security guard and
signed the electronic pad.

She lost count at the number of floors that the
whizzed past and held back as Robin walked in front, checking that Nico wasn’t
out of his office.  They sneaked passed an open seating area.  The
passed another impressive reception desk with an encased waterfall and the
sparkle of the scrawled D of Devanti.  Again Robin walked ahead of Carrie
who was pulling her case. 

“Now I’m going to take you to the guest bathroom,
once you are ready, give me two rings on my mobile and I will come and get you,”

“Okay,” Carrie nervously nodded.  13.03pm.
Gulp.

Carrie shut the door and firmly locked it.  A
shower cubicle, separate toilet and even a small seating area.  With
lightning speed she stripped off and tied her hair back.  The quickest
shower on record to refresh her body after seven and a half hours on a plane
not to mention the remainder of the travel time.  A dry with the softest
of towels and she was soon applying her body lotion.  13.19pm.

Panic oh no, starting to panic.  Running out of
time.

She tried to take a few calming breaths and opened
the case again; she pulled on the tiny miniscule wasp black suspender
belt.  She smoothed the thin stockings over her legs and tried to secure
the tab to the suspender belt.  After a few shaky attempts she managed
it.  Tiny black panties followed and they most amazing black bra to
complete the look.  It created a cleavage that Carrie didn’t know she
had.  She quickly pinned her hair up into a bun, added the briefest sweep
of make-up but finished with a brazen red lipstick that drew attention to the
fullness of her lips.  Her sexy black louboutains were her shoe of choice
with a tiny black skirt with side split that enabled her to move across the
room.  She finished buttoning the shirt leaving a few buttons open hinting
at the cleavage.  She added black framed glasses that were purely for show
as her eye sight didn’t not require them.  She pulled on the black jacket,
closed the case and dialled Robin’s number.  13.28pm.

A few seconds later Robin was at the door.   
“Oh my God”

“What?”

“You look crazy different, now give me your case, I
will keep it safe until you need it later”

Another quick look around the corridor.

“Now turn left then keep walking, there’s no one
here to see you, it’s the only door at the end of the corridor, good luck” she
gave Carrie a squeeze to the arm.  Her feet sank slightly into the deep
pile of the thick gold carpet, slowing her pace.  13.30pm.  With no
one to announce her arrival she hesitated at the double doors before turning
the handle.  Time to put those nerves away. 

Nico was seated behind his desk.

“Hello Nico”

Still keeping eye contact she leaned back to close
the door and turn the lock.

“Carrie, what on earth?”

He pushed the chair back.  “Stay where you are
Nico”

“Carrie, let me contact Robin, I have an appointment
I need to reschedule”

“That’s okay Nico, I’m your appointment, and do you
want to reschedule me?”  She pouted removing her jacket.

“Hell no”

“That’s good, because I’ve come a long way for this
meeting,”

The jacket fell to the floor where it joined her bag
that she had dropped.

She sat on the edge at the corner of the desk,
crossed her legs to display a briefest hint of the stockings at the top of her
thigh.  He let out a soft whistle.

“Like what you see?” an echo of their first night
together when he had walked naked to the bathroom.

“I do but show me more”

Carrie moved from her perch on the desk and leaned
over the seated Nico.  Her cleavage eye level with his mouth.  He
moved his head forward and she allowed the briefest of touches before she
pulled back.

“Uh uh, hands to yourself Mr Devanti, I will say
when,”

He let out a slow sexy laugh that tickled her to her
toes with longing.

“Okay the floor is yours,”

She loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt to his
waist.  His stomach was flat and perfectly toned.  She knew he worked
out from the time they spent together during her recovery but still her fingers
lingered as they touched his belt buckle.  One leg she hooked over him
only straddling him to tease as she lowered her hips until she hovered above
him.  She could feel the hard length of him straining against her. 
His head tipped back she ran the tip of her tongue across his lip but pulled
away before he could deepen to a full kiss.  She shook her head and
started to kiss slowly down his throat and chest until she reached the buckle
of his belt.  His cock hard and straining against the zipper.  With a
slow stroke of her hand the zipper freed him into her waiting palm. 
Taking her time she stroked him harder then released him.  Slowly her
hands removed the black panties and she bent over revealing her ass to him as
it peaked out from under her short skirt.  Her body was burning for him
but still he stayed in the large chair watching her every movement. 
Letting her have this control before his shattered.  The panties now
removed.  She straddled him and without hesitation pulled him deep within
her.  Her wetness covering him in one movement.  Nico ripped the
shirt open, freeing her from the delicate bra, his head nuzzling at her breasts
as his hands held her hips.

“Carrie you are driving me wild, this won’t be long”

Their kiss was full of passion, “I don’t care, I
need you inside me” she told him when they broke for air.  She was
desperate for him, for the taste and feel of him inside her.  He lifted
her and her body was thrown face down onto the desk as he continued to take her
from behind.  His thrusts deeper and deeper as the momentum grew. 
The desk in disarray with the force of their lovemaking.  Papers falling
on the floor like confetti leaving a paper trail of their own.  Her hair
was loose from the sexy bun and he pulled it aside from her neck as she twisted
round for another kiss.  A final thrust and he broke.