The Angels' Share (23 page)

Connor’s mouth devoured my words and my naughty thoughts spun in a muddle. He lay me down on the tapestry sofa and unfastened my jeans. With his mouth still attached to me, I couldn’t protest that we might be interrupted, that Ethan had promised sprays of winter foliage and holly and ivy for our festive decorations. I couldn’t even let him know that I had just seen Ethan walk past the window with his wheelbarrow and our eyes had met, briefly, as Connor grappled one-handed with his belt before pushing his erection straight inside me without thought of anything else.

Ethan had hesitated, gathering enough from the hazy image through the glass to realise that he would need a punishment later when he confessed to spying on his new mistress.

There was a sharp rap on the door before it clicked open followed by a rush of cold air winding through from the hallway.

‘I hope I’m not interrupting.’ If Ethan had come in a moment earlier, he would have caught Connor sliding from between my legs, spent, quickly satisfied and eager to finish the domestic arrangements that I had begun.

‘Not at all, Ethan,’ I said, raising my eyebrows and playfully lashing my hand across his buttocks when Connor’s back was turned. Connor was going to have to get used to me keeping my staff in order. Indeed, I was rather hoping he could help. ‘Did you get some Christmas greenery?’

‘Loads of it. I’ve left it in the scullery.’ His words were slow and thoughtful. ‘Are you moving in too?’

Connor turned, realising that he was being spoken to. ‘Yes, I am. My cottage will be cleared by the end of the week.’ He walked up to me and wrapped an arm around my waist in a kind of masculine semaphore that told Ethan I belonged to Connor.

Ethan addressed me. ‘The cottage, Miss Callister. Is there a chance that I could rent it from the estate? As much as I enjoy the elements, the gardener’s hut doesn’t have a bathroom and now this house is occupied…’

Ethan Kinrade was asking me for a roof over his head. I grinned the biggest smile since I had arrived on the island. The large man stood before me, having effectively made himself two inches tall by asking that question.

‘You may not be able to afford the rent,’ I replied, offering him a large pout. ‘A gardener’s wages won’t go very far.’

‘I could perform extra duties, Miss.’ His deep voice didn’t suit the grovelling but I was enjoying it.

‘That was what I was hoping you would say, Ethan.’

Connor laughed and pinched my bottom. ‘You’re incorrigible,’ he said to me. ‘But right. There are many things you can do to earn your keep. Just make sure you’re never idle and the cottage is yours. Right, Ailey?’

‘Right,’ I agreed and Ethan had to watch while Connor landed a deep, searching kiss on me and squeezed my ass for a good few minutes. Next time, I promised myself, we would go all the way with Ethan watching and then tie him up for a good spanking because he had spied on us. Despite my recent climax with Connor, I was ready for it all over again, and Ethan certainly was, judging by the bulge in his work trousers.

‘That’s very kind of you both,’ he said and I actually thought he was going to bow. ‘I won’t let you down and I’m happy to do anything you wish.’

Connor and I glanced at each other and he sent me a knowing wink. He had previously let slip some of his secret fantasies, which were similar to some of Lewis and Liz’s naughty preferences. Connor, it turned out, had a desire to be watched.

‘So you’ve never done anything like that before?’ It was later that evening and we were sitting on the floor of the beach cottage, huddled by the fire and pulling spiced meat off chicken legs. I’d gone to fetch the last of my belongings and we’d decided to make an evening of it, taking a basket stuffed full of food and wine. I knew I would miss the remote simplicity of the place and although we both agreed to make full use of the cottage in summer for fishing trips and beach barbecues, I couldn’t just walk away without one last goodbye. Connor poured more red wine and grinned at my question, his teeth twinkling almost as brightly as the numerous tea lights we had lit around the room.

‘I’ve been waiting for you to teach me. That is, if you’re not too busy punishing Ethan.’ Connor lay back on his elbow and the glint in his pale eyes told me that he was teasing me.

‘I’m Lady of the Manor now. I have certain duties to perform and if that involves –’

He smothered my talk with a kiss and I could taste the wine on his lips and the desire on his tongue. Thousands of ideas flashed through my mind and I could hardly believe that Connor was saying such things to me.

I pushed gently against his chest. ‘Come here,’ I said hopefully, standing up and skipping to the window like a frisky kitten. ‘Please be there,’ I whispered and blew dust off the binoculars. I focused on the little cliff top cottage but, although the lights were on, Liz and Lewis were nowhere to be seen. ‘Pass me the torch.’ Bewildered, Connor watched as I flashed the light out of the window and intermittently took a look through the binoculars.

‘Bird watching?’ he asked.

‘Kind of. Ah, wait. Look!’ I handed the binoculars to Connor and guided his view to the cottage. When he let out an excited hoot and had to adjust the growing bulge in his jeans, I knew that he had spotted Liz undressing provocatively. It was fortunate that I’d told them we would be down at the beach cottage when Lewis had telephoned earlier.

‘She’s incredible,’ Connor said, his voice clogged and slow.

‘You wait,’ I giggled and unfastened his jeans, deciding to work with my mouth on his never-satisfied cock while he took in the delights of Liz’s striptease.

‘Is there a man there yet? That’s Lewis, her husband. They performed for me the first night I stayed here. It was the start of a very special adventure.’ Connor didn’t speak so I buried my face again in his warm groin and nuzzled and sucked and chewed upon the delightful package that would be mine for ever.

‘There’s a man, naked, taking her from behind. Right in front of the window.’ Connor’s words were half-formed, partly from disbelief and partly because he was so close to coming in my mouth he hardly dared breathe.

Finally, so he could satisfy me, Connor pulled himself from my mouth and handed me the binoculars. ‘Your turn.’ He stripped off his remaining clothes while I took a look at the view.

‘Hey,’ I said and pulled a face at Connor. ‘They’ve got binoculars now. They want to watch
us
.’

I noticed the swallow, the twitch on his jaw, the extra-long blink as it dawned on him that already he would be indulging in one of his fantasies.

‘I can see life’s never going to be dull with you about, Ailey Callister.’

And he wasted no time in peeling off my layers of warm clothing and lifting me up so that my legs were wrapped around his buttocks as he seated me carefully on the erection that shone in the moonlight.

Later, exhausted, excited that we had struck a special kind of bond with Liz and Lewis, Connor and I lay in each other’s arms by the fire. The high tide washed at the door-step rocks, gently reminding us of the power of the sea that rocked back and forth only a few feet away.

‘I’ve a present for you.’ I pulled at my jacket and retrieved the brown paper package that Steph had given me. Some of the string had come loose.

‘An early Christmas gift?’

I shrugged. ‘Could be. I hope you enjoy it. It’s just that I don’t want it any more. Far more interesting things happen to me when I’m not trapping my thoughts within its pages.’

Connor unwrapped it and flicked quickly through the tatty leaves of my pocket-book, as if he was trying to take in everything at once. He snapped it shut and held it against his chest and then pulled me even closer as we melded for warmth beneath the fur throw.

‘Thanks,’ he smiled and even as the word fluttered around my head, my eyelids drooped and closed.

Reclaiming my life had been a tiring business. It was only when Connor shifted to reach for his glass, perhaps an hour later, that I saw him thoughtfully turning each page of my diary, his eyes absorbing every line, every word. One side of his face was lit by the fire, the rest of his expression in shadow. I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.