Caged (8 page)

“Oh yes, the next trip I make inside your tight clench will
be different.”

As her breathing settled down, he couldn’t help but think
about curling over and holding her close. Spooning his lover would end it all
perfectly. He’d had no desire to do cuddle before Gabby. Now he hungered for
the simple yet companionable position.

“Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Get some rest and be
ready for whatever comes your way. Call me as soon as you see the Minster.” He
wanted to be sure everything was ready for her when she arrived. The call would
be all he’d need to get to the front door and let his lover in his home.

“I will, promise.”

“Dream of me fucking you until you climax, baby girl.”

“I always do.”

She blew a kiss down the line before it went dead.

Pushing a button to end the call on his end, Max settled
amongst his pillows and considered how connected they were to each other. They
were a couple who enjoyed and respected each other, had a fulfilling sex life
and were personally satisfied with their professions.

There was only one glitch in it all. He was based mainly in
York and she was in London. He’d worked longer in London to be with her, but he
needed to get work back on track. Separations weren’t easy for either of them.
He didn’t want to regret the time he needed to spend in the north any more than
she should about her time in the south.

They’d talked many times over the past month about what made
an ideal working environment. For her it boiled down to a few things. She’d
said, besides the tools necessary in her creation process, great light and a
central location for inspirational walks. Gabby needed nothing else.

High order, but sitting on his desk upstairs were details
for a building in the center of the Shambles and another on Goodramgate. Both
would appeal to her love of old buildings. Their locations were in the
historical heart of the old city. He’d gone inside both and found office space
to suit her needs. The bonus would be she could rent out the areas she didn’t
need to any number of businesses and make money on her investment.

There was a third option and it was upstairs, in the rafters
of his home. Either way, he’d leave the details for her to decide what suited
her best. He had to know if she wanted to work up in the north and make working
visits to London. He was sure he loved her and believed she loved him, but
needed to hear the words from Gabby directly.

Reaching out, he turned off the bedside lamp, pulled the
duvet up to his waist and settled back to fall asleep.

Yes, in the traditional social definition, they were a
couple. There was, however, one more connection they needed to make to bring
them together as suited them personally. Closing his eyes, he pulled up a
picture of her face and took a breath, then another. She was the last thing he
wanted to see, touch and smell before he fell asleep.

They’d figure out a way to spend more of their time with
each other.

For all the angst leading to the event, the time taken by
the bride for dressing and photos was nothing short of wonderful.

Gabby had enjoyed it all, but now she was eager to switch
gears and get personal. The posh car turned out of the estate and onto a long
stretch of a road with the tall trees on either side. Her plan was to sit back
and soak in the scenery.

They drove down a long, narrow road and she gasped. There
were peacocks on the lowest branches of tall trees. Their tails fell to the
street as if they were blue-green-purple swaths of fabric. It was simply
stunning to see the multiple colors surrounded by leaves on the trees, stone
walls lining the road and endless fields of green grass. She wished she had a
camera and promised herself she’d come back to see them again with one in hand.

Already she could tell her creativity was itching to get to
work. As she took it all in, she was seeing necklaces reminding her of the
peacock display. Even a flock of sheep eating their way down a pasture offered
inspiration for a playful ring.

Passing through small villages with a pub and little else
made her smile. Life in the country was different from city life. They were
driving through some of the most vibrant land in England and she found it
inspiring. The road went down a twisting hill and into a bit of flatlands with
nothing but vegetable allotments, fields with sheep and cows grazing and houses
with colorful gardens in the front and laundry on a line in the back.

There was a quiet splendor and the inevitable question of
whether or not she could live in the north came to mind. She was a city girl at
heart and yet all the stone houses surrounded by wide-open spaces made the
rural life appealing.

Over time the villages became larger, bigger houses were added
to the mix then they started to blend together into the suburbs. They passed
the railway museum and she sat forward to see more clearly out the window.

From listening to Max, she knew they were close. First
they’d have to drive through an arch in the historic city wall. She didn’t want
to miss it or her first view of the minster. She pulled her phone from her
purse and waited to call him as promised. Gabby knew his home was on a tiny
side road directly behind the famous church and was eager to soak it all up.

It had been too long, a month since she’d seen him and could
reach out to touch her lover.

They drove under the huge stone wall surrounding the city.
She was surprised at its size. All she could think about was how Max mentioned
it ran along the back of his house and wondered again exactly how big a place
he had. If the huge wall was behind it then the place had to be a mansion.

The window between her and the driver opened. He spoke to
her in a friendly but respectful voice. “Miss, the Minster is coming up on your
left.”

The man slowly drove in front of the cathedral, pausing long
enough for Gabby to open the window. Her first sight of the elaborate building
was overwhelming. She picked up her phone and dialed Max as the light turned
green. After making a quick left, there was yet another large building with a
sign on it she read as he answered the call.

“We’re almost there Max, I see the Treasurer’s House on our
left.”

“Have the driver follow the narrow road and stop at the gate
I told you about.”

“Okay, see you in a minute.”

Gabby was excited to see him. It may have only been a month
and she’d figured she could handle it. Unfortunately, the time they’d spent
apart had been a big drain on her emotionally. No matter how much she tried for
it not to happen, her work had been affected by their separation. He wasn’t
there to talk about the day over dinner or curl up with at night.

She may not have been looking for any attachments, but had
found one she wanted. Max filled her with such joy, she couldn’t imagine being
without him. She loved him and wanted to be with him. They needed to figure
something out. Otherwise she may have no career to worry about. She giggled
because of the melodramatic ideas floating through her head. Things weren’t
that bad, but there was no doubt her creativity was being messed about.

The driver slowed the old silver car down to a snail’s pace
and carefully made the left turn onto a narrow, cobbled road. Tall brick walls
were on either side, offering hints of the gardens belonging to the homes
dotted along the way. After a short distance, the road turned sharply to the
right. After the turn, she stared at the building she most wanted to see.

“There it is! Stop at the gate with The Tower House sign.”
She was on the edge of the seat, pointing through the window at the old
carriage entrance. The brick house was a tall structure but not overly wide,
quietly elegant and reeking of history. Over its hundreds of years in existence
it was obvious the structure had been taken care of. Max had told her how his
mark was to sympathetically update and also make it energy efficient.

Personally, she couldn’t wait to see the large garden, full
of flowers and trees. She’d been told it was big, private and yet within the
city walls.

Collecting her purse and hat, she reached for the door
handle only to have it opened for her. The driver held her hand as she exited
then went to the trunk to collect the rest of her things. After she had her hat
in place, she turned toward the gate, eager to make her way to the front door
and her man.

Instead of taking a single step, she was picked up and
squeezed.

There was no chance to say anything, nor did she want to.
Not when he pressed his lips to hers and took her breath away. While her arms
wrapped around his neck, her feet left the ground. Lost in him, she was
startled by the eventual loud throat-clearing behind them.

The driver!

She’d forgotten all about him. Without any shame, but some
awkwardness at being caught kissing her lover, she looked at him. The man was
older and had eyes filled with laughter. She started to pull away with an
apology already forming on her lips.

“I’m sorry… I haven’t seen…I mean this is my—oh dear. I’m
sorry.” Gabby knew she was blushing, could feel the heat on her cheeks. It
didn’t help when Max slowly slid her down his body, showing her first hand
exactly how much he’d missed her. A reunion should start with them spending
hours between the sheets and she was anxious to get there.

“Thank you for bringing me all this way. Please pass on my
appreciation to the Earl and Countess for their generosity in arranging such a
delightful drive.”

Max reached out and took her case, garment bag and hatbox
from the other man.

“I certainly will, miss.” With a smile at her lover and a
single “Sir”, the man got back in his car and carefully pulled away.

“Shall we?” With a smile he motioned for her to walk ahead
of him. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly.
She enjoyed the sound of his heart beating beneath her ear. Life couldn’t get
much better than this.

She knew it was time to make some changes. The separation
had shown her she wanted to spend more time with him. Ideas were circling her
head as she pressed a kiss to his chest. Stepping back, Gabby was more than
ready to take their reunion inside.

“We have a couple of hours before the party starts, what
shall we do?” Gabby laughed and stroked a hand over his delicious backside. She
was confident she knew what they were going to do. Get naked and make love.

“Actually, I have an idea.”

“What? Wait, let me guess, go up to your bedroom and mess up
your bed.” Laughing, she stepped through the open front door and into the
living room. Immediately she was drawn to big, mullioned windows showcasing the
garden.

Close to the house grew a large fuchsia tree and clematis
climbed through its branches. The sight was full of bright pink and purple
blooms, adding a spice of color to all the green.

At the back, a good distance from the house and filled with
a variety of bushes and trees, was the city wall. It was a tall brick
fortification for the town running the width of the garden and was covered in
ivy. There was a walkway up top. She’d read about it and Max had shown her
pictures. She was surprised there was no way to see the tourists who were
walking up there. Later she’d have to ask him how the disappearing act
happened.

As the weather was beautiful, blue sky and a bright sun, he
had left a set of French doors open wide, filling the house with fresh air.
Before she could step over the threshold to investigate further, he said
something causing her to immediately stop in her tracks.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nice hot bath, relax
after your hectic morning? I’ll be up in a bit with your things.”

Turning around, she looked at him and was ready to ask for
details about the party. Before she could ask a question she remembered he’d
mentioned Cassandra, her club persona.

Common sense told her something kinky was going to happen.
Good, it had been more than a month since they’d had a chance to play. She
didn’t need any part of her pushed into the background for too long. It also
made her curiosity about the party they were hosting grow.

“Okay.” Without another word, she followed directions to his
room. She was eager to make the transition to his submissive lover.

There was an extra swing to her hips while she undressed.
She put her hair up in a loose bun and prepared a bath in his master suite.
He’d cleared shelf space for her and had added some of her favorite Culpepper’s
oils.

Once she’d stepped into the steaming tub of traditional
bubbles laced with a hint of lavender wafting through the air, she leaned back
and was ready to relax. As the heat surrounded her body, she cleared her mind
of work. Photographs, deadlines, contracts, commission work and sales figures,
whatever, they were gone.

Gabby focused on each breath she took and let go. She
brought air into her body with the idea of it being pure and released it while
pushing the unrest out at the same time. The bride and her tiara were gone. The
V&A exhibition details, gone, as was the strain of having a relationship by
phone. Actually, the last one was almost gone. She needed his touch, his
possession before she managed to release the stress from missing him.

There was no doubt in her mind she wanted more from their
relationship. She believed he did as well. No longer would she push the situation
to the back of her mind and simply be happy when they were together. They’d
talk about how to be together this weekend and come up with a solution.

When the water lost its heat and before it took her
drowsiness away, she stepped out and dried off with a warm towel. Wrapping it
around her body, she pushed the end between her breasts and walked into the
bedroom only to be brought up short. The big hat was caught on the edge of the
armoire and its box resting on top. The clothes she’d brought with her were
hung up and the bag had been folded and sat on the floor of the wardrobe.

Without having to look around, she knew Max wasn’t anywhere
in the room. She felt his absence while taking in what he’d done to make her
comfortable. It was her turn to put him at ease.

Walking over to the bed, she pulled the towel off and lay
down on top of the duvet. Shifting onto her side, she watched the door, waiting
for him to come back from wherever he’d gone. If she knew her man, then it
wouldn’t be long before he walked back into the room. Unfortunately, releasing
her stress had relaxed her much more than she’d considered possible. Her
eyelids grew heavy and the long hours she’d been working finally caught up with
her.

After a few minutes of fighting it, she told herself it was
okay to close her eyes while she waited for him. She was only resting, not
sleeping.

The fib worked for a few seconds, then she realized she’d
fall asleep if she kept them closed. She wanted to be awake when he came in to
snuggle up beside her. It was too late. She’d tempted her senses with rest
until it became impossible to stop slumber flooding through her.

There was one last conscious idea to slip through her mind
before she fell asleep with a smile. She had no doubt when he returned he’d
wake her up with a kiss.