Harkett's Haven (12 page)

Rachel couldn’t help laugh when they both stumbled through the door to get out of the rain. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the sofa. The stove still glowed with the morning’s embers. Eric’s expression changed gradually, his
laughter replaced with gentle desire.

He
held her on his knee and cupped her full breast through her rain soaked shirt. He gently rolled her nipple and then placed his mouth over the swell of her breast and sucked at her through the cold fabric. His mouth was hot and the contrast with the cold fabric sent shiver of desire through her.

She rolled her
head back as his other hand cupped her other breast.

Grabbing her shirt in his hands he ripped it from her, making her gasp in surprise. He reached behind her and
unclasped her bra, freeing her large breasts.

He sucked his breath in sharply at the sight of her exposed flesh an
d bent his head again to kiss her. His hand wondered to the button on her jeans and expertly undid it, pulling down her zip.

Rachel leant back off his lap making him loosen his hold of her. She pulled off her jeans and socks.

‘You next.’ She smiled at him. He stood quickly and pulled off his shirt and then his trousers, his erection springing free from the confines of his underwear.

He reached behind her head and took the pin from her hair, letting loose her long slightly damp hair around her shoulders
, covering the top of her breasts.

‘God, you’r
e beautiful Rachel.....’ He lifted her up to stand beside him. He held her close to him, his erection pressing insistently into her stomach, her breasts pressed up against his chest.

‘I want to savour you,’ he whispered in her ear.

He kissed down her neck; small, gentle, slow kisses that made her tremble. Her breathing quickened to match his.

He knelt in front of her, his head on her flat stomach, his cheek against her, his eyes closed.

He turned his face into her and he inhaled.

‘I want to be deep inside you.’

She held his head gently, not daring to move.

Slowly he ran his large hand up the inside of her leg, moving up between her legs,
the edge of his hand nudging her sex.

‘Move your legs open Rachel.’

Her heart was beating like a rabbit’s, her desire building to a fever inside her.

She did as she was told and opened her stance, allowing him access to her. He nuzzled into her short downy hair and then his fingers were in her, pushing slowly but insistently deeper. His tongue flicked her clitoris gently.

Rachel’s knees were shaking and she was afraid she would not be able to stand much longer. He was doing things to her that made her molten hot inside.

He stood beside her again, his finger still in her, his eyes watching her. His thumb flicked over her clitoris and Rachel felt
unable to breathe, riveted to the spot, totally under his control.

Her eyes dropped to his erection which took her breath away. She was d="+y. She esperate for him to enter her and she reached to touch him, her fingers unable to span his girth.
He watched her slide her small hand up and down his manhood and groaned, his fingers still inside her. He took his hand from her.

‘Please Eric. I want you in me.’ He voice was pleading.

She had never begged anyone to fuck her but she thought she was going to climax with his next breath on her skin.

With no warning he, lifted her up on to him, her legs instinctively wrapping around his muscled body.

He slid into her, making her gasp, his heat deep inside her. It happened very fast and he held her on him easily.

His breathing was shallow. His hands held her buttocks to support her. She felt him
move his fingers to their joining, feeling his cock lodged deep inside her.

He walked with her, his arms around her, taking her to the table in the kitchen. His movements in her as he walked made her moan her desire.

Placing her gently on the edge of the table, he moved slowly out of her, watching his slick, wet penis withdraw from her delicate lips.

Rachel watched too, transfixed. He entered her again, this time jamming his fingers between them, pushing gently at her clitoris.

‘Eric, I can’t take much more...’ Her climax was building within her and it was like a runaway train. She was incapable of stopping it.

Sensing her urgency, he pushed in and out of her rapidly and then gasped.

He lifted her off the table and back on to him and emptied himself into her with a roar. Rachel bit into his shoulder as her climax shuddered through her.

He buried his face into her breasts and sighed.

‘Rachel. It seems crazy to say this to you after knowing you for such a short time but...... I... I’ve fallen in love with you.’

He spoke sincerely and she lifted his face to her, wanting to see his eyes.

His eyes spoke more than his words and she kissed him. He responded immediately and already she could feel him hardening again within her.

They made love again on the sofa, slow and easy, afterward
s lying naked and at total ease together. Eric held her close and they both watched the dancing flames of the stove.

‘I can’t ever remember having a better day Rachel.’

She said nothing, delighting in the feeling of his warm skin close to her, not wanting him to move but knowing that their time together today was drawing to a close.

‘
Eric. I hate to say it but you’ll have to leave. Esme’ll be getting out of school soon.’

A sudden look of panic flitted across his face, ‘God Rachel, what’s the time?’

Rachel checked her watch, ‘Two fifty.’

‘Shit.’ He leapt from the sofa and started retrieving his clothes from around the room.

Rachel pulled the="el pulle blanket around her and couldn’t help smiling at the naked man tearing round her house, collecting his scattered clothes.

‘Is it 3:30 she gets out of school?’

‘No, 3:15. I’ll need all my time to get there.... Shit.’

‘I’m sorry
Eric......’

He raced to her and grabbed her,
scooping her into his arms, holding her tight.

‘
No sorrys necessary. Can you come for dinner tonight? Esme would love to see you.’

She hesitated, unsure what to say for a moment, the answered decisively, ‘Soon maybe but not tonight. I’ve got a lot to catch up on.’

He looked crestfallen for a moment and then said, ‘Tomorrow then and I’ll not take no for an answer.’

He smiled at her and she was swept away
by this beautiful man who had charmed her in a way that she would never have believed possible after her experience with Tom.

‘I’ll send you a message but I think, yeah, probably, that would be OK.’ She grinned at him
.

He buried his face in her neck and kissed her.

‘What I wouldn’t do to stay here longer...’

She pushed him gently, reluctantly,

‘Go on Eric Harkett. You’ll be late.’

He kissed her again and still pulling on his shoe, stumbled through the door.

‘Drive carefully Eric,’ she shouted after him.

She stood at the door watching him as he disappeared off down the track and until he was long gone from sight, hugging the blanket tight around her.

She turned to go back into the house when the wind and rain chilled her sufficiently to seek the shelter and warmth of her home.

The rugs lay scattered on the sofa and Rac
hel felt a frisson of delight thinking of the time they had shared there.

Eric was a str
ong and masterful lover, gentle and considerate. She couldn’t help compare his lovemaking with Tom’s. Disturbingly she was having frequent flashbacks to her time spent with Tom. She had tried her hardest to put him out of her mind but now he crept into her thoughts more and more. She wondered if this was a part of the healing process triggered by her developing relationship with Eric.

She put some milk
on the stove and made herself a hot chocolate, savouring the feel of the warm mug and made her way back to the sofa, curling up, warm and happy.

Taking small sips of the swee
t liquid she remembered the first date she had with Tom. After they spoke on the beach that first time, she had gone home, thinking nothing more of their meeting. She had been curled up on a deck chair reading a book on the porch of her cottage, when he had driven up in an Aston Martin, the car’s engine, rumbling low and threatening. He had introduced himself, asked her out t sced her o dinner. He was charming, confident and devastatingly handsome. She had refused, politely but firmly. She felt uneasy, even then, that he had made the effort to track her down.  She was unnerved by his confidence. He asked if she would accompany him to dinner the following evening and she had made up an excuse, a lame one as she remembered. He didn’t give up, and had asked her out the day after that.

She had decided there and then to tell him that she wasn’t interested as it was going to be the only way he would leave her alone.
She told him and he shrugged and left. He visited again the following night. And the night after that and it was only then that she had relented and agreed to have dinner with him. He was resolute and although she was unnerved she was also flattered. He collected her from home, took her to the country house he was renting and hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off her. He was entertaining, charming and God, so handsome. He was also determined, intense and uncompromising. The alarm bells had rang, softly, so softly as they ate but she had silenced them, overriding her instincts. And so their relationship began.

She jumped at a sound from the bathroom, her memories fragmenting and evaporating.

‘Hello?’ she said softly. No answer.

She stood, ‘Hello?’ slightly louder this time.

She walked towards the bathroom, annoyed with herself for being so easily spooked.

Slowly she pushed open the
door.

Rachel gasped to see Claire crouched in a corner, wet mascara streaked face, eyes red from crying.

6.

‘
God, Claire. What are you doing here?’

It suddenly
occurred to Rachel that Claire must have been in the house since she returned back with Eric.

She must have heard them talk, must have known what went on between the two of them.
Had she watched them? Her stomach turned and roiled. What was she doing here?

Her mind raced but she found herself frozen to the spot, unsure what to do or say.

Claire pulled herself up to stand, her arms wrapped tight around herself.

Rachel took a step back out of the room.

‘Claire. I don’t know what you’re doing here but I think you should leave right now.’ Her voice sounded muted and shaky.

Claire sniffed and then smiled.

‘No Rachel Somerville. No.’ She paused and added, ‘Or should I say, Rachel Christensen.’

Rachel felt the room spin around her and she grabbed the
book shelf, feeling faint.

Sensing the
balance of power shift in her favour, Claire stepped from the bathroom and into the living area, moving to stand by Rachel, holding her arm to steady her.

‘Come and sit down. I have a few things to say.’ Rachel found herself being led to the sofa by the woman
whose tears had now dried up, replaced by a small, tight smile set hard on her face.

Rachel hadn’t heard her real surname spoken since she had left Tom. To hear it now from s
uch an unexpected source was shocking. How had she found out?