Un-Break my Heart: Book 2 (The Heart Trilogy) (25 page)

“Look at that” she breathed, her eyes transfixed on a necklace with a heart shaped pink sapphire on the end. She headed on along the street and into Ann Summers.

“I’ll be with you in a minute” Mitch shouted and then ducked into the jewellery store. Moments later he was back with her, a box concealed in his inner jacket pocket.

“What do you think” she asked, holding up a bra and thong in bright pink, with white spots and lace trim “It’s on sale at the moment” she finished.

“Go on then” he indulged, knowing that he would feel the benefit of it later. She also grabbed a pair of over the knee socks, white with a pink ribbon trim too. The girl behind the counter tried not to drool at the sight of Mitchell as she serve
d
Charlott
e
and wrapped the purchases up.

On the way home she snuggled into his arms, as he held her close. The wind whistled around them and the rain had increased in intensity but she felt warm in his embrace. She was also eager to try on the new underwear and make some new memories, to sustain them both through the separation to come. The house was silent as James and Stephanie were still out so they quickly let Jester into the garden for ten minutes and then while Mitch waited for him Charlie dashed upstairs. Slipping out of her clothes she quickly changed and then pressed play on the stereo and waited on the bed, artfully arranged against the cushions.

Downstairs Mitchell heard the music start and bounded up the stairs, he couldn’t wait any longer. Inside his room she was waiting for him on the bed, her long legs looked splendid in the white knee highs, leaving a larger expanse of her smooth skin between there and the triangle of cloth that covered her very centre. His eyes wandered up over her taut stomach, ribs and then the rise of her breasts, hidden under the new bra, but peeping out at the top. He knew that he only needed to run his fingers over the fabric to feel her nipples distended beneath.

“What do you think?” she murmured. He hardly heard the words just watched the movement of her lips and her tongue before he pulled off his t-shirt and jeans. The bulge of his desire was evident in his briefs that strained to contain him.

In seconds he was outstretched on the bed beside her, his fingers ran down her body that was burning beneath his touch. He gazed down at her face, the features softened as she returned his smile and said

“Kiss me Mitchell. Love me Mitchell like you’ve never done before”

Her hands ran over his back, touching him lightly and trailing exotic patterns onto his skin with her nails. She felt his lips leave hers and closing her eyes she gave in to pure feeling. In her mind Mitchell was singing the lyrics of Hungry Eyes to her that was playing in the background.

         
“I want to hold you so hear me out

I want to show you what love’s all about

Darlin tonight

Now I’ve got you in my sights”

Slowly he lifted her hips towards him as his tongue slid into her, circling and teasing as he moved ever closer to the centre that would break her apart. She moaned and cried out his name over and over as he experienced her orgasm intently. She tried to lift up to reciprocate but he held her down.

“This is all for you my lovely Charlotte”

With those words he plunged inside of her and they danced together, weaving and pulsing their bodies consumed with desire and love. Then it was his turn to cry out as he came and then sagged atop of her body. Charlie watched his eyes close as he nestled into the crook between her neck and shoulder.

Carefully she lifted the duvet cover that had crumpled at the bottom of the bed and pulled it over their cooling bodies and then closed her eyes too. It was the sound of the front door opening that roused them from their slumber.

“Shit, it’s nearly seven in the evening” Mitch said, leaning up on his elbow.

“Does it matter” Charlie murmured, still struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Charlie, Mitchell are you home” I shouted up the stairs “We’ve bought some pizza home for tea”

“Thanks Stephanie but we ate at lunchtime” Mitchell called, as he scrambled out of bed and started to get dressed.

“Mmmmh pizza, I’ll definitely remember that meal” Charlie remarked, as she joined him.

When they finally appeared in the doorway of the lounge I noticed their dishevelled look and smiled.

“Are you sure you’re not hungry” I asked.

“I am a bit but we had pizza for lunch in town” Charlie replied.

“Well, tuck in to the rest, there’s plenty here” Mitch disappeared briefly and returned with some drinks and they settled together in one of the armchairs, Charlie curled up on his lap.

“Did you have a good day” Mitchell asked.

“Yes, say goodbye to this sofa in a month as we’ve replaced it along with a few other things for the house and a big surprise for the garden” James said. He looked across at me and we giggled like kids with a naughty secret.

“So what have you bought for the garden then” Charlie asked.

“You’ll have to wait and see” James replied.

We enjoyed their puzzled looks as we grinned with amusement at the thought of our very own hot tub arriving and being installed when we returned fro
m
Jamaica. We hadn’t planned to walk into the showroom on the retail park but it had been too tempting not to. The salesman had allowed us the luxury of a good half hour wander before he pounced. I had to admit that I never knew James was such a shrewd dealer and having shook hands and signed the paperwork we rushed out of the showroom and went for a pub lunch to recover. We had spent the rest of the afternoon wandering and picking up the odd new item for the kitchen but the tub had been the purchase of the day, eclipsing even the new sofa.

Chapter 37

We all spent Sunday lazing in our own way. I had my laptop set up and after doing a couple of hours of work on plans for the station I closed it down and picked up the latest Stephen King novel instead. James had disappeared to the gym for the morning; Charlie and Mitch were in the studio together. Jester had been walked and was busy working on a bone from a couple of days ago. Pam had offered to cook dinner for late afternoon and Peter was doing his final mow of the lawn before the cold weather really started to hit home. Eventually the smell of roast beef filled the house and I wandered into the kitchen to offer my assistance.

Pam shooed me away so instead I sat at the kitchen table and we talked.

“I still can’t believe that you are back in James’s life” Pam said, turning towards me.

“I can’t either but I have my daughter and your grandson to thank for it” I replied.

“Yes and an incredible amount of luck” I conceded.

“Or fate” Pam said “True love is a once in a lifetime chance and I knew when I first saw you with James that you were his true love. I could hardly have believed he would leave you for her and the only good outcome of that were my two wonderful grandsons” Pam said. She crossed the room and held my hand in hers

“Welcome back Stephanie, this time my son will look after you or god forbid what I might do to him”

“And I’ll look after him too” I replied.

Just then Peter appeared from the garden and spotted the two of us.

“Hope I didn’t interrupt” he said “I thought I’d see if Jester wanted to keep me company while I finish up in the garden” he said. At the mention of his name Jester bounded from his bed and headed towards the open door. He was momentarily distracted by the sound of the car in the driveway but with Peter just ahead of him he continued. A few minutes later and James entered the kitchen.

“How are my best girls” he said, as he engulfed his Mum in a bear hug.

“You’re a bit sweaty dear, why don’t you go and have a shower before dinner” she chided.

“Sure Mum” he said, but he still planted a quick kiss on my forehead before he headed upstairs.

Even that small amount of physical contact had me blushing like I always used too. In so many respects whenever I was with James my body reacted like it had done as a teenager. The pull between us was like that of magnets and I was drawn to him.

“I’m just going to freshen up before dinner” I said, on the way I knocked the door to the studio and heard Mitchell shout.

“We’ll be done in a minute, Charlie is already drooling over the smell” he laughed. I heard her laughing in the background and turned to head out. I knew that James would be in the shower by now and I had a sudden urge to join him.

I almost ran up the stairs two at a time but I wanted to stay quiet so that James would not hear me. Nearing the bedroom door I paused and heard the shower running in the en-suite. Quietly I pushed open the door and tiptoed across the bedroom, shedding my layers as I went. The bathroom door was ajar so I stealthily crept through and saw the shower cubicle ahead of me. Behind the fog on the glass I could see his toned back and rear, shaped legs beneath and broad shoulders above as he stretched to rub shampoo into his hair. Taking a sharp breath I opened the door and as the cool air hit James he turned to find me standing before him.

He stepped back as I slipped in next to him and took the shower gel from his hand.

“Allow me” I murmured, seductively.

“Does my Mother know you’re up here” he said.

“Maybe, but perhaps we’ll have to be quiet” I breathed. His eyes lit up with the humour of the situation as his hands started to glide over my slick skin.

“Just like old times then” he remarked, his eyebrows rose as he flashed me his wicked grin.

With the lather in my hands I ran my fingers down his firm chest and watched the soap suds conceal and then reveal in patches the body that I craved. I adored every single inch of him, some more than others as I knelt down and took him in my mouth. It felt strange to feel the water running over my head and down my back as I flicked my tongue up and down his length, gently nibbling the tip and playfully withdrawing and then allowing him to push back into me. He pulled me up and turned me around so that he could squeeze some shower gel into his palm. Just like the old days he used his and I loved the fact that we would both emerge smelling the same.

Pushing me up against the cold tiles the silky feel of his hands cushioned in gel ran down from my shoulders and onto my breasts once more. Then they slid lower and around the swell of my hips and stomach before burrowing into the folds of my lips, soothing and gently but persistent in their movements. I ground around on him until he knew I was close and then his hands moved around and beneath my bum. I gasped as he lifted me with ease and pushed me further up against the wall of tiles behind me before filling me fully. Keeping with the theme of secrecy I rested my head in his shoulder and tried to keep my groans to a minimum as he pushed and pulled against my inner muscles that held him tight.

In a slight pause he gazed into my eyes and started to laugh and I joined in quietly.

“Oooh that feels so nice” he groaned “Keep laughing it makes you flutter upon me and it’s cute”

From that moment on as I laughed softly he pumped into me harder and faster until we both felt limp after the high. We parted and I slid down to sit on the base of the shower, the hot water felt cool against my burning skin. James knelt down in front of me and his lips sought mine. A kiss that seemed to last a lifetime and claim me completely, I knew that for me I could never go back. I had dropped off a cliff into the waves below and I drowned there.

Pulling me up into his arms we cleaned the soap off and then stepped back into reality.

“We’d better get dressed, Mum hates to be kept waiting when she’s been cooking all day” James said, trailing a final finger along my arm, igniting shivers still until he hooked it under my chin. I was staring up into his eyes once more.

“I love you” I said.

“Till the end of time” he replied, before his lips tasted mine in a kiss that I could only describe as from the soul. Then we dressed and hand in hand followed our taste buds to the roast dinner waiting for us, all of us, the Cooke an
d
Ede
n
family.

We were last to the table and I tried not to make eye contact with my daughter who I was sure would notice the post orgasmic flush to my pale skin. Pam winked at me as I took the seat next to her and Peter placed his hand on James’ shoulder as he sat down.

“What a good way to spend our last evening all together before Mitchell heads off to the bright lights of the United States” Peter said “So I’d like to propose a quick toast to our new family” He smiled across the table taking each of us in turn as we clinked glasses in the centre.

“To the future and long may it bring us all happiness?”

“The future” we all chimed in. I looked across at Charlie and saw tears already glistening on her eyelashes. I knew this was difficult for her, I knew because I’m sure that she was feeling exactly the way I felt when I had watched James and his family drive away on that rainy day.

Mitchell noticed her quietness and when they thought I wasn’t watching he ran a finger across her cheek, catching the single tear that had managed to escape. The tenderness I saw stopped me in my tracks and I suddenly found it hard to swallow the mouthful of beef. James grazed my thigh beneath the table and I knew that he saw it too, and realised that tomorrow was going to be the hardest day yet for all of us. Putting down my knife and fork I dropped my hand and laid it on his and gripped it tightly. Charlie suddenly left the table with Mitch not far behind her, their footsteps echoed on the stairs and a door shut above us.

“I’ll put their dinner plates on the side in case they are hungry later” Pam said. I knew she was finding the emotion hard to handle and as the rest of us tried to continue with the meal the lightness had gone.

Later lying in bed I turned to James

“Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a tough day”

“I know but I hope that together we will get through it” he said.

“It was like looking across at my younger reflection tonight” I continued “I don’t want either of them to hurt each other but life apart can lead to temptation and betrayal”

“For both of them” James concurred, as I laid my head on the rest that his arm and shoulder made.

“Kiss me honey, make it all better” I whispered, and he obliged willingly. I don’t know how I managed to sleep that night as once more my dreams were turning into nightmares. Swirling around and around in a jumble were images of Charlotte, Mitchell, Mark, Sarah, Chris and James. They were fighting to escape a tangled spider’s web and I was paralysed to help them I could only stand and watch as they struggled less and died. Each of them held a piece of my heart leaving me with the final beat. Suddenly a hand with polished nails ripped it from my grasp as I turned and saw her in the last moments of my life, the words “I win” my last sound.

Waking up sweating I was alone in bed and it took a moment to realise that I could hear footsteps heading downstairs. I pulled on James’ t-shirt and followed him down and found him in the kitchen he was sat at the table, Jester beside him with his head resting on his knee.

“Did I wake you, I think I was having a nightmare” I said, moving to put the kettle on.

“I was having difficulty sleeping too so I thought I’d come down and get you a glass of water for when you woke up”

“I think tea will be better” I said. He noticed that as I reached for the cups his t-shirt rode up and exposed my ass.

“What were you dreaming about” he asked, trying not to be distracted by the quick flash I’d given him.

The kettle boiled and I filled our mugs and sat down opposite him.

“Just the usual” I said “But it doesn’t feel so bad when I wake up with you”

“No more nightmares from next Friday, our holiday will see to that” he said.

“Yes, I definitely need to de-stress for ten days before I start my new job” We let Jester out for a wee and then we headed back to bed with our half finished cuppa. James lifted the t-shirt over my head and ran his hands over my skin.

“I’m not letting you go tonight” he said “And the next time we’re alone in this house I want you in that outfit again”

“Deal” I replied, snuggling further into his embrace. However it still took me a little longer to erase the shadow of her.

In their bedroom Mitchell held Charlie close too, her sobs had finally given way to sleep and he watched her breath rise and fall in her chest. It was hard trying to stay strong when all he wanted to do was the same, he should have been feeling excited about following his ambition, but withou
t
Charlott
e
it was an empty one. He knew the jewellery box was still waiting in his jacket pocket. He had also hidden a note in her underwear drawer and at the same time a pair of her knickers had been hidden in his bag. The evening had been a struggle, especially after his Granddads toast at the dinner table. That single tear on her cheek was all it took to convince him of her love and wiping the torrents away that fell afterwards had distracted him from his own feelings
.
Charlott
e
was his lucky star, his dancing angel, his inspiration and his baby and this separation felt like he was leaving her in the corner.

Walking back to their bungalow through the garden the rain hid the tears still brimming in Pam’s eyes.

“I’m going to miss Mitchell, its bad enough without Darren around” Pam said.

“I know but Charlie will be here now, and we’ve got to look after her while James and Stephanie are on holiday” Peter said.

“Oh yes and then Steph moves in too and I guess six weeks is not that long” she replied, as they headed through the door.

“I meant that toast this evening; we’ve really got a good family now” Peter said “Now how about a nice cup of tea before bed”

“I’ll put the kettle on then”