Forever Scarred (19 page)

“
Just answer me one thing. Why me? Why do you want me so badly that you’d go to these lengths to try and get me in your bed? You have said it yourself, you’re not a bad looking guy, you have plenty of money and like splashing the cash. You could get easily other women to sleep with you if you wanted them. What’s so special about me?”

Freeman stepped forwards and
raised his hand to her cheek. She withstood the pressure to shudder as he brushed a fingertip down her face.

“So
lovely.” He whispered and for just a moment his eyes clouded over, but then they immediately came back into focus. He stepped back from her. “It’s simple really Lucy. If I want a woman, I have her. I always get what I want, even if it takes a little persuasion to get it. I refuse to take no for an answer. For months at work I had been trying to get you to notice me, but every time I had you on my own you turned up that cute button nose of yours and gave me the heave ho. Well, I have decided that it won’t go on any longer. I will have you Lucy.”

Lucy shuddered. It was clear that he wasn’t going to give up. She tried another tactic.

“But I don’t even work for you anymore and you have Jessica. Surely she keeps you busy. She seemed to keep you happy enough with her while we were in France. I distinctly remember seeing you both looking as if you had been at it all night on the morning we left the chateau.”

Freeman threw his head back and laughed
loudly.

“Jessica
Dennison! Are you mad! She was just available for the night. She’s a fraud Lucy, made of plastic. Every part of her face and body has been nipped or tucked or had something done to enhance or tighten it. It’s like fucking a plastic doll. She must have so few nerve endings left, I doubt that she feels much herself. She’s not a real woman, not real like you.”

Lucy suddenly began to panic. It was clear the Freeman wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“So what has happened to make you come here tonight? It’s been nearly two months since we came back from France. I haven’t heard a word from you in all that time, so why now? This really is not a good time to discuss anything. I’m moving in the morning.”

Freeman smiled
lazily.

“I know that Lucy. I know everything about you and I’ve already spoken to your broth
er to tell him that you won’t need his hospitality.”

Lucy stiffened
as she listened to his words.

“What? How dare you interfere in my life l
ike this? I’m going to Michael’s house tomorrow and there’s not a damn thing that you can do about it.” Her voice was more powerful than she felt.

Freeman’s
laughter echoed around the empty hallway.

“But you don’t understand Lucy. You don’t need to move house a
t all. I have bought this place and I insist on you staying. I will be paying off your loan in the morning and bringing what you owe to my own company. I will be adding it to your outstanding debt and you won’t be able to pay the principal off for at least five years. I should think that should bring you to your senses if nothing else. You’re going to be mine Lucy, for as long as I want.”

She would have fallen over
in shock if there hadn’t been another knock on the door at that precise moment. Hearing what might be her only chance to get rid of him without using the corkscrew, she swiftly moved past Freeman and opened the door.

Mr. Cheng from the local
Chinese restaurant stood on the doorstep with a bag of hot food. His face dropped in dismay as he saw Freeman standing there.

“Oh! I think I have brought
wrong order. This is meal for one.” His sorrowful tone helped Lucy take her chance.

She
grabbed up her handbag from the floor.

“N
o that’s absolutely right Mr. Cheng. Mr. Freeman was just leaving.” Carter scowled at Lucy as she stood back to let him out. He walked out of the door and pushed past Mr. Cheng.

“That’s okay Lucy. I can wait until tomorrow to see you. After all
, what are another few hours between friends?” He sauntered off down the path and walked back to his car.

Lucy stood there staring after him
as his big car pulled away from the verge and it was only when Mr. Cheng gave a small cough that she came back to her senses. She rummaged in her bag for the right money and handed it over to the waiting man. He didn’t leave immediately but looked curiously into Lucy’s pale face.

“I don’t like that man.
He arrogant. What he wan in few hours?”

Lucy shook her head and took the bag of food from him.

“Nothing really. Nothing important at all.” She closed her eyes for a second and looked back outside, then added in a whisper. “He just wants to take over my life.” She spoke quietly and didn’t think that Mr. Cheng could have heard but he raised his eyebrows in surprise at her comment.

“
Did he threaten you? You wan help Lucy? I can ask Kosi and Karl down here if you wan. Take them five minutes to come.”

Lucy shook her head.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just move out of here before he arrives.”

Mr. Cheng raised his eyebrows.

“You movin’ out Lucy? Why you no tell us?”

She looked at him sadly.

“I have no choice. I have no choices left at all.” She gave him a watery smile. “I’m moving into Michael’s for a while so I’ll still be around. I don’t know what I’m going to be doing long term though. I’ll be fine Mr. Cheng, I’ll still order your food, don’t you worry.”

She stepped back and the man smiled at her and moved away from the door.

“Well, okay, but if he come and you no like him, you call me. Okay? I send boys.”

He lifted his chin defiantly as
Lucy nodded and closed the door at last. She slammed home the bolt and walked through to her kitchen.

Her appetite had disappeared
completely along with the urge to open the wine. She leaned back against the counter and let the tears flow down her cheeks. When the tears began to drip from her chin she grabbed the napkin out of the food bag to stem the flow.

None of this was her fault
, though she blamed herself for not seeing through Stewart sooner. He had fooled her right from the start and left her with debts that she thought she could overcome, but with someone as controlling as Freeman on her back then she was beaten. She had done the best she could but her best just wasn’t good enough.

Her best
wasn’t even good enough for Joe. She had thought that he had feelings for her, that he might have tried to find her, come after her, but she had heard nothing. She sobbed into her hands again and then walked up the stairs to her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and held the pillow against her body and dreamed of Joe lying with her, his hot skin on her body, his hard muscles bunching as he took her so passionately. She’d had one night with him, one night of the most beautiful feelings possible, desire, passion and love pouring unrestrained from of both of them.

Her heart thudded hard against her ribs
at the glorious memories. She knew it was love on her part. There was no other explanation for the emotions that she had experienced or the feelings she still held. She thought Joe had felt the same way, but maybe it was different for him, maybe he really wasn’t looking for love and she was just a quick lay to release a bit of pent up tension. Maybe he got lucky every time a new set of clients went to the chateau.

She rolled over in the bed and closed her eyes tightly
as she prayed that he didn’t take women to his bed every time the chateau had guests. She didn’t want him to see her as a quick fling. She wanted to dream of him, wanted to feel him one last time before she gave in to Carter Freeman. She couldn’t even run away. Freeman had made that perfectly clear when he had mentioned her brother Michael. He had a wife and family and probably a mortgage with Freeman too. There was no way she could bring her troubles down on his family. She would just have to get it over with. Maybe Freeman would get bored with her, maybe she wouldn’t live up to his expectations.

She clutched at straws that
she knew didn’t exist and lay breathing quietly, feverishly hoping that some kind of world disaster would befall the planet before Freeman sealed her fate the next day.

Chapter Thirteen

Robbie
was crying into his father’s trouser leg and David was scowling at Joe furiously.

“Damn it Joe! How could you forget
him? You were the one who suggested the blasted game in the first place. He was hiding for bloody hours. If Geraldine hadn’t wondered why he didn’t come in for his tea he might have been out there all night. You know how desperate he is to beat you at your own game and once it got dark we would never have found him.”

Patrick stood silently to the side waiting for Joe’s explanation.

Joe felt terrible. He swallowed noisily as he squatted down to Robbie’s level, wondering what on earth he could say to make it up to the child. He really hadn’t meant to forget the boy but his mind seemed to wander of its own accord these days and there wasn’t much he was able to do about it. Random thoughts of blonde hair and dimples intruded into everything he did. His heart rate picked up at the mere thought of the woman he had turned away.

He
stared at the dark haired boy in front of him and put Lucy from his mind for just one moment. He had to make this right with his little pal. He tugged at Robbie’s shoulders gently and felt marginally better when the child actually turned towards him and snuggled into his chest. Joe cleared his throat before he spoke softly into Robbie’s ear.

“Hey kiddo, I’m really sorry. I had
some things on my mind and you were so quiet this time I just forgot you were even there. It will never happen again Robbie. I didn’t mean for you to be frightened.”

Robbie
wound his arms around Joe’s neck. He gulped down his tears and wiped his nose on Joe’s shirt before pulling back and looking up with glistening eyes.

“That fox really scared me Joe. He was as big as a wolf and he came right up to me and looked at me
with huge red eyes. His tongue was hanging out too. I thought he was going to eat me Joe!” Robbie’s lips began trembling again.

Joe
gulped down his guilt and ruffled Robbie’s hair. He gave him a big, confident smile.

“
Don’t be daft. No measly fox could have eaten you even if he was as big as a wolf. You are way too big and tough and you don’t look a bit like Red Riding Hood anyway. No basket of goodies for grandma for a start.”

Robbie gave a small
watery smile and wrapped his little arms around Joe’s neck again.

“Do wolves only eat
girls then? We shouldn’t let Ellen take Rose out walking in the forest, though I think the sound of her bawling would probably frighten the big bad fox away. She’s real loud Joe. She would be rubbish at hiding.” He released his grip, rubbed his eyes and grinned at Joe, then leaned forwards and planed a wet kiss on the end of his nose.

Patrick let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed that the immediate crisis was over. At least Robbie had been found and Geraldine had at last been persuaded to go and lie down after an evening of complete
and utter panic.

Patrick bent down to Robbie and whispered something in his ear. Robbie opened his eyes wide and
then scooted off out of the kitchen to find a bowl of homemade ice-cream in the freezer.

As soon as the boy had disappeared
into the scullery Patrick frowned at Joe again.

“This has got to stop Joe. We can’t run the place like this. Last week there was the problem with the harness on the zip wire
. If Dave hadn’t noticed at the last moment, someone could have been killed. The week before it was the climbing tower. If that had come down with those twelve guys still on it we would have all been slung in jail. And then there was the canoe race into town. Who’s flipping idea was that? You let the whole situation get out of control and there was a massive row with the locals. The Maire actually came and spoke to me about it.”

Joe
groaned loudly and closed his eyes. He sank into the chair nearest the table and laid his head on his arms as his huge shoulders slumped in defeat.

“I’ll leave. I can’t do this anymore. You’re right
I’m not on my game, someone is going to get hurt and it will be my fault. I can’t damage the reputation of this place. It wouldn’t be fair to those who need it. I’ll pack up tonight and go in the morning.”

David rolled his eyes and sat down beside his friend.
He put a friendly arm over his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

“Don’t be stupid
mate. We don’t want you to leave. We just need you to focus. Look, we’re not daft. We know what or rather who the problem is. We’ve both been through it ourselves to differing extents. Women can be the very devil in disguise sometimes. We just have to find a way to put it right.”