Downsizing (7 page)

She flew back down the steps and launched
herself into his arms. Beyond thinking straight, Noah caught her as
she wrapped her legs round his waist.

“
Sure about this?” he asked, on
the verge of sliding into her.

“
Oh, God, yes! I’ve always wanted
you, Noah, you know that.”

He walked to the edge of the pool and wedged
Cassie’s bum against one of the water inlets. Her eyes widened as
it gushed against her buttocks.

“
Like that, do you?”

“
It feels wonderful, but it’s not
what I want. Come on, Noah, I can’t wait!”

Chuckling, he thrust into her, hard. She
encouraged him with throaty groans, shifting beneath his hands so
that he slid more and more deeply into her. It was a brutal
coupling, his urgency and the sensuality of the water lapping
against his swollen sac robbing him of finesse. The only thought in
his mind as the blood pounded behind his temples centered upon the
cataclysmic climax building inside him.

Cassie came noisily, calling his name and
biting painfully at his shoulder. Noah made to withdraw but, still
in the throes of her climax, she dug her nails into his buttocks,
forcing him deeper inside her. Unable to get out in time he shot
his load into her with a despairing groan.

As soon as it was over Noah pushed it to the
back of his mind, already thinking of the million things awaiting
his attention at Broad Street. He climbed out of the pool and
reached for his clothes almost immediately. Cassie let him go
without protest.

“
What are you doing here anyway?”
he asked her. “I thought you’d gone up to town with your
parents.”

“
Keeping track of my movements,
are you?” When he didn’t respond she spoke again. “I was supposed
to go up to town, but I had a headache.”

“
And you always lay in the sun
when you have a headache?”

“
It got better.”

“
Yeah well, see you around.” He
waved over his shoulder and headed for the gate.

“
Sure, Noah.” She resumed her
position on her sun-lounger without bothering to put her bikini
back on. “It was great,” she added to his retreating
figure.

But since Noah didn’t bother to turn back he
failed to see the triumphant smile spreading across her face as she
closed her eyes and allowed the sun to dry her body.

Noah saw nothing more of Cassie and decided
that he’d read her right. All she’d wanted was a bit of rough, and
now she was happy to go back to her privileged life with that twat,
Spiller.

Six weeks later he was working alone in the
kitchen of the ground floor flat at Broad Street, stripped to the
waist as he plastered the walls. He glanced up when he heard
footsteps, wary when he saw Cassie approaching him.

“
What are you doing
here?”

“
Sorry to interrupt, but I need to
talk to you.”

“
Well, now’s not a good time. As
you can see, I’m in the middle of something.”

“
I wish it could wait, but it
can’t.” She lowered her head and her voice simultaneously. “Noah,
I’m sorry to hit you with this, but I’m pregnant.”

“
What?” The tray dropped from his
hand, splashing wet plaster all over the floor. “How the hell did
that happen?”

“
How do you think?” Tears were
coursing down her face.

“
Christ!” Noah ran his hand
through his hair, adding wet plaster to the dust already settled in
it. He pulled up a wooden crate and plonked himself down on it. “I
thought you said you were on the pill.”

“
I am, but they must have not
worked.” She looked bereft. “What can I say? It happens in rare
cases, apparently.”

“
What are you going to
do?”

“
What are
we
going to do,
Noah? It is yours, you know. In spite of the way I behaved in the
swimming pool, I don’t usually indulge in casual sex. But if you
don’t believe me, we can do a DNA thingy when the baby’s
born.”

“
You’re going way too fast for me
here,” he said, holding up a hand. “You’ve just hit me with the
fact you’re knocked up and now you’re talking about DNA tests.
Let’s step back a bit. When did you find out?”

“
Yesterday.”

“
And it’s definite?

“
Quite definite.”

“
Fuck!” He slammed his fist
against the newly plastered wall. “What a mess!”

“
I’m sorry,” she said in a tiny
voice. “But I thought you ought to know. I don’t expect you to
stand by me or anything.”

“
Have you told your
parents?”

“
Not yet.” She shuddered. “But
I’ll have to, and soon.”

“
So what would you like to
do?”

“
Well, there are three options.
Abortion—”

“
No!” Noah shouted the word,
totally averse to the idea. “No,” he repeated, more quietly, “there
has to be another way.”

“
Well, there’s adoption, I
suppose. But I don’t think I could give a child of mine away to
other people and never see it again.” More tears slipped from
beneath her lashes.

“
Yes, but—”

“
That just leaves bringing the
child up alone. The shame would crucify my mother, but I dare say
she’ll get over it eventually.”

“
I can’t get my head round this
now, Cassie. I’ve gotta have time to think.” He let out a long
sigh. “Meet me here tomorrow at twelve, and maybe I’ll have come up
with a solution.”

“
All right.” With downcast eyes
she meekly turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

“
I’m sorry I got you into
this.”

Her eyes flooded with tears. “I feel so alone,
Noah.”

“
Don’t worry, things are never as
bad as they seem.”

Things are never as bad as they seem. His
words echoed inside his head, taunting him. They’re not as bad as
they seem; they’re usually a fucking sight worse. As soon as she
left, Noah thumped the wall again with enough force to damage his
fingers. A few minutes’ casual pleasure in a swimming pool was
destined to ruin the rest of his life. All his plans were turning
to dust because he’d allowed his dick to override common sense. His
heart plummeted as he sought a way out of a situation that offered
no obvious escape clause.

His mind flooded with images of Maxine. He
would have to tell her that he’d quite literally fucked up with the
woman he’d claimed for years to actively dislike, and the prospect
filled him with shame. He could already picture the confusion,
hurt, and condemnation in her eyes. She would never believe that he
loved her after this. And he did love her; he’d known it for some
time now. There was just something about her, something he could
see that everyone else overlooked that made him feel incomplete
when she wasn’t around.

Close to despair, Noah reapplied his mind to
Cassie’s situation. Adoption was definitely the best option. The
agencies screened adoptive parents so carefully nowadays that his
child would be guaranteed a loving home. Cassie wasn’t keen on the
idea now, but he and her mother between them could probably
persuade her. Mrs. Turner was the unlikeliest of allies, but she’d
do anything to avoid a scandal and he’d doing anything to avoid a
loveless marriage.

When he met Cassie the next day and suggested
adoption, she refused to even consider it.

“
No, Noah.” She spoke with a quiet
dignity that caused him to look at her with a modicum of surprised
respect. Knowing how spoiled she was, how used to doing whatever
she liked, he had imagined that she’d look upon motherhood as an
inconvenience to be avoided at all costs. “This is my child, and
I’m not giving it away to a stranger. You don’t have to have
anything to do with it if you don’t want to.”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and
turned her to face him. “Think about it for a minute, Cassie. We’re
both young. We’ve got all our lives ahead of us, and it’s too soon
to be burdened with kids. Christ, we’re not much more than kids
ourselves.”

“
Our child might be a burden to
you, Noah, but I look at it differently.” She picked up her bag and
turned to go. “I’m going home now. Daddy will be back for the
weekend tomorrow night, and I’ll tell them together what’s
happened.”

“
Hang on, Cassie, not so fast. We
haven’t come to a decision yet.”

“
There’s nothing left to decide.
I’m going to have this baby and bring it up myself. You can see it
if you want to, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t because I’ll
love it enough for both of us. And,” she added, “you don’t need to
support me financially. Once he gets over the shock, Daddy will
look after me, and you can keep all your precious money for your
projects.”

Noah was floored by this unexpected display of
maturity. “There’s a side to you that I didn’t realize existed,” he
said.

“
You thought I was a selfish,
self-centered brat.”

“
Something like that.” He raked
his hand through his hair and looked at her for a long time before
speaking. He was surprised when he thought about it afterward that
she didn’t break the uneasy silence. Perhaps if she had, he
wouldn’t have made his next irrevocable decision. “There’s only one
answer then. I suppose we’d better get married.”

She gasped. “I wouldn’t force you into
that.”

“
You’re not forcing me, I’m
offering. No child of mine will be brought up alone or, worse,” he
said, somehow dredging up a smile, “by your mother.”

“
Noah, how can we get married when
we don’t even love each other? Besides, it’s obvious you don’t
really want to.”

“
We made a baby without loving one
another, so we’ll just have to live with the consequences and make
the best of it.”

She screwed up her nose. “It doesn’t seem very
romantic.”

“
Give me time to get used to the
idea.” He kissed her briefly, feeling nothing but abject
despair.

“
I’ll come with you when you talk
to your parents tomorrow. You shouldn’t have to face them
alone.”

Her face lit up. “Thank you, Noah.” She
paused. “Er, I hope you know what you’ll be in for.”

He scowled. “I’ve got a fair idea.”

She turned to leave, and Noah only just
managed to wait until she was out of sight before he sat on the
floor, head in hands, and let out an anguished howl.

Chapter Six

Madeleine Turner’s face was a study in
disapproval when she opened her front door and saw Noah standing
there.

“
Hello, Noah. Is there a problem
with the garden?”

“
No, I’ve come to see
Cassie.”

She elevated both brows. “Well, I’m not sure
it’s convenient right now.”

“
Hello, Noah.” Cassie stepped in
front of her mother. “Come in.”

Madeleine stepped aside with obvious
reluctance. Cassie introduced him to her father, who was far more
welcoming. Noah accepted his offer of a beer and then sat on the
decked patio, listening to Cassie’s breathless small-talk. When it
fizzled out, partly because Noah was making no contribution toward
it, Cassie cleared her throat.

“
Mummy, Daddy,” she said. “We have
something to tell you. Noah and I are going to get
married.”

“
What?” Madeleine’s shrill
exclamation drilled straight into Noah’s head. “Don’t be
ridiculous.”

“
I’m old enough to do as I please,
Mummy.”

“
Yes, but you’re as good as
engaged to Graham.”

“
What’s brought this on?” Charles
asked, crossing one elegantly tailored leg over the other and
reaching for his scotch.

“
I’m sorry to upset you,” Cassie
said, dropping her eyes, “but I’m pregnant.”

“
Oh, dear God, what has this evil
boy done to you?” Madeleine screeched.

“
I should have thought that was
obvious.” Charles Turner remained impeccably cool.

“
How could you!” Mrs. Turner
rounded on her daughter. When no one answered her, she continued
with her diatribe. “Well, you aren’t going to marry him, miss, so
you can put that notion straight out of your head. You can go away
to your aunt in Shrewsbury and have the baby there. Then it can be
adopted and you can come home. But you are not, simply not, going
to marry
that!”
She pointed at Noah with a trembling
hand.

Noah schooled his features into an
impenetrable mask and swallowed his anger. He made no effort to
defend himself, knowing better than to expect any other reaction
from Cassie’s mother. Right now he felt almost as sorry for her as
he did for himself. Her plans for her daughter’s future had just
been shattered every bit as comprehensively as his own.

“
He’s only done this so he can get
a toehold in this family.” Madeleine pointed a finger directly into
Noah’s face. “He’s used his looks to turn Cassie’s head, but it’s
your money he’s after, Charles. Don’t be taken in by him. He’s no
better than his father.”