The Boleyn Effect (The Boorman Ending) (24 page)

Gaskill's fingers touch my
cheek and I flinch. This can't be happening. This man hates me with
a passion.

'I think you know what I
want. If I'd have known you had a taste for the older man I may
have suggested it earlier. Harry Cobain isn't the only one who has
potential.'

'No but he's the only one
who'd I ever consider being with,' I answer.

'Come on, you looked
mighty fine in that little dress and those 'fuck me' heels. I
wouldn't mind finding out what it feels like to have them behind my
ears.'

I think I physically gag
at his suggestion. My stomach is turning so much that I think it
will soon empty.

'You will never find out,
because you make me sick,' I hiss.

'I doubt that, once a
whore always a whore,' Gaskill snaps.

The door of the office
slowly opens and I breathe a sigh of relief as Harry steps out.
Gaskill turns around and his face pales slightly.

'Harry?' he
flounders.

'Apologise to her,' Harry
snaps.

'Come on Harry, how long
we known each other. You must know you're being played. She's
flirted with me since day one.'

'And you're supposed to be
my friend and my lawyer. Now apologise.'

'I'll do no such thing.
Why not share it? She must be a nice piece of arse for you to have
carried on with her. Let's both give her a once over and then
compare notes. It's not like the first time we've
shared.'

'I forgave you for
Claudia.'

'Come on Harry, if I
hadn't have screwed that pathetic whore, you wouldn't have married
into the Aire Empire. You had Katherine, only because I allowed you
to have her.'

I move just in time as
Gaskill falls into the wall from Harry's punch. Harry holds out his
hand for me to take and pulls me to his side.

'That pathetic whore gave
you your one and only heir you jumped up prick. And as for
Katherine, she can do what she wants now. She's free. As are you.
Our friendship and professional relationship is over, and since you
seemed to hold Katherine's interests, you can tell my wife not to
expect me home tonight or any other night. I've found her
replacement and for the record, no one else is having this one, she
belongs to me.'

Her replacement? Not going
home? Belong to him? Harry's first love was or is George's mum.
Shit! This is big and I'm not sure how much more I can
take.

'You're a fool Harry and
you're messing with the wrong guy.'

Gaskill gets to his feet,
just as I hear my next client coming through the door. I see Clair
now hurrying out of the office into the foyer in order to stall
them. I really should appreciate her more. As Gaskill leaves, I
turn towards Harry who wraps his arms around me.

'You didn't have to do
that,' I say.

'Yes I did. I wasn't going
to stand by and let that bastard treat you like that.'

'I have to go, my next
client is here,' I say. 'Will I still see you tonight?'

'I've effectively walked
out on my wife. Is it ok to stay?'

I throw my arms around him
and hug him tight, just as Clair re-enters.

'Meet me back here at
four,' I answer. 'Now I really must go.'

Harry pats my bum as he
walks away and leaves. Clair comes to my side and grabs my
arm.

'You are really playing
with fire. Please finish this and find someone else, I beg
you.'

'I don't want anyone
else,' I say. 'What did you hear in while you and Harry were in the
office?'

'We heard everything, but
don't worry I will not be relaying anything back to George. He'll
flip his fucking lid if he finds out.'

'At least we can agree on
something,' I smile.

'I wanted to come out
sooner, but Harry made me wait. I think he wanted to see what
Thomas was capable of.'

'Well I think we are both
realising who our real friends are,' I answer.

CHAPTER
THIRTY ONE

Laid on my sofa covered by
only the throw, Harry and I are wrapped in each other's arms.
Instead of the frenzied passionate unions we've usually endured in,
this time it was more like making love.

He'd met me as soon as I
closed the studio with a small bag and some takeaway food. We had
barely got through my own front door when we started to consume one
another with hot kisses. Tumbling onto the sofa, Harry did
something he'd never done before and stripped me naked. Item by
item while kissing each bit of flesh exposed.

It was slow and leisurely
as he took his time on different parts of my body. Nothing needed
to be rushed in case we got caught. This time we were able to just
enjoy one another. Then, once I was completely naked and burning
for him, he too stripped and placed himself between my
legs.

His mouth never left mine
as he moved slow and precise inside me. Instead of loud groans and
screaming the others name, everything was controlled and muted,
with little whimpers that occasionally left my lips. I hadn't
realized that it could be so much more fulfilling. The orgasm was
less intense, but yet more contented and satisfying and in that
moment I didn't want him to separate from me ever.

But now as we lay
together, I fear I may ruin the mood as I ask about
Gaskill.

'What is it you want to
know?' Harry asks.

'You said something about
your interests and swapping sides?'

'Kathrine's father was a
bit of an arsehole and shrewd bastard. He hated me. Didn't think I
was good enough for his daughter and when she married me, he
changed his will.'

'But didn't she inherit
the businesses?' I ask.

'She did, but none of the
money that's stuck in trusts. She only gets that on the condition
that we renewed our wedding vows after twenty years to prove my
worth.'

'Hence the renewing of
vows. Surely she's made enough to not need it?'

'You know what I have
given up understanding what the deal is between Katherine and this
will. I've my own investments and by keeping them separate they
should not get lost in this mess. That's what Thomas was supposed
to be doing making sure everything stays safe.'

'Where does it leave you
and me?'

'It leaves me to have you
whenever I want,' he laughs as he nips my breasts.

'I am being serious,' I
chastise.

'So am I. Please Leigh,
don't worry about it. Katherine is my problem. Let me deal with
her.'

'But Gaskill will be my
problem. George and I have been best friends for years. He could
make things difficult.'

'He won't. I'll sort
it.'

I know Harry enough not to
argue with him on this.

'I need to ask one more
thing.'

Harry sighs deeply as he
lifts his eyes to mine.

'Please don't make me go
there.' He says.

'But Claudia and
Thomas...does George...?'

'Leigh, it's in the past.
The woman is dead. The Gaskill family fought for George and won him
and it broke Claudia's heart.'

'Was there ever a chance
that...?'

'That George is mine,'
Harry finishes. 'At first it was considered, but the relevant tests
were done. George is a Gaskill. I suppose it's one of the reasons I
forgave. It was my way of doing something for Claudia by keeping an
eye on him.'

'I should be grateful,' I
smile. 'It would be really weird sleeping with my best friend's old
man.'

'Hey, less of the old man
thank you,' Harry laughs grabbing my sides and tickling
me.

'On another note I had no
idea you could be so commanding,' Harry chuckles.

I roll on top of him and
pin him down.

'My office, my
rules.'

'I've never let anyone do
that to me before. I like to take charge and lead, but it was
amazing to be at your mercy,' he says.

'It's because we are good
together.'

'You're good for me,' he
mutters.

Later that night, I climb
out of bed, leaving Harry sleeping and go into the kitchen.
Grabbing my phone, I hope that he picks up. I should try and make
amends with George. Purely for selfish reasons I have to keep him
close, because he may be my only protection from his
father.

However, there is a small
part of me that also a little worried about his state of mind.
Since this began we both have changed so much and I do want
normality back. I don't know if we may even get to a point where we
are better to one another instead of so damn destructive. But for
now I have to turn my skills back onto my creator.

'Do you know what time it
is?' comes the grumbled reply.

'I need to talk to
you.'

'I thought you didn't want
to anymore.'

'We just needed time. I
miss you George and I need you.'

There is a sigh on the
other end.

'What's going
on?'

Omitting the incident with
his father, I explain how Harry is now living with me and how I am
frightened of the repercussions.

'What do you want me to
do?' he asks.

'Find out how desperate
Katherine is to keep Harry and find out about the clause in her
father's will.'

'Does it matter if he's
with you now?' George asks.

'Of course it matters. I
want Harry all to myself.'

CHAPTER
THIRTY TWO

'So what have you found
out?'

George and I are sitting
in a coffee shop. It's the first time since that night that we've
been in each other's presence. It's painfully awkward at first.
When I look at him all I see is what he's done to me. I would be
quite happy if I never laid eyes on him again, but I need to keep
him close. He needs to believe that I've forgiven him.

I had woken that morning
in Harry's arms and that feeling was beyond anything ever
experienced. I've never loved before. Didn't really know what it
felt like. I just never wanted to commit to anyone. Yet, waking up
and seeing Harry's sleeping face I understood why my mother married
my father so quickly so young and probably understand what I mean
to them as their first, born in the flush of new love.

Making love that morning
with Harry telling me he was never going to leave me made my heart
hurt in a good way. I seriously never believed when starting this
that I would find the man I would want to keep and now I have I
don't want him to let me go. Now, I prepare myself for the best
act, I've yet to perform. Playing the one man who taught me how to
play best.

'Well for one, my parents
are being fucking cagey. Father has taken to locking himself in the
office all hours and mum, well she's doing the usual pretend he's
not a knob routine.'

'Do you think she knows
about Harry and I?' I ask.

'Probably, she has stopped
asking about you. She and Katherine are pretty tight. Look, what is
happening with Harry? You both can't stay cooped up in that flat.
He's too used to his luxuries.'

'We've not planned
anything yet. But does it matter as long as we are
together?'

George laughs at me and I
try and prevent the bristle.

'You can be such a child
sometimes. This is the real world and you will have to do more than
open legs to keep hold of him. You have none of Katherine's wealth,
so ask yourself what you can offer him that she
couldn't.'

I flinch as I catch his
meaning.

'I'm not doing
that.'

George shrugs. 'It's just
a suggestion. Anyway I am sure Katherine will make her move soon.
Considering that all the others have never managed to make him
spend a night away from her, the mere fact you have is creating a
stir.'

'Well then maybe you're
wrong I can keep hold of him without resorting to desperate
measures, and he's told me he loves me,' I smile.

'Congratulations, but
don't count your chickens just yet,' he answers.

'I'm saying how it is.
Plus you said that once he tells me he loves me our slate is wiped
clean.'

'And it will be once I get
my mark.'

'That's not what we
agreed,' I snap and then rein myself in.

'We agreed that once I get
enough material I can use to get my Masters then your slate is
clean. It's taken you three months to get a man to leave his wife
when no other could. You are much more than Anne Boleyn ever was. I
have to admire that, but the game is not over yet. He could still
go back. You've got to survive the honeymoon period
first.'

'Believe me, I have much
more tricks up my sleeve,' I say confidently.

'I'm sure you do. Look,
Leigh...'

'Let's just leave
it.'

'No,' George pushes and
grabs my hand. 'I'm sorry. I really I am. For everything. You're
right, I did control you, because I wanted you to be everything I
needed. But the fact is you're pretty damn amazing as you are and I
should be grateful that we are friends.'