Somewhere in His Arms (65 page)

             
“Where’d he go?”

             
“He took a train all the way to the house in Whitby in the middle of the night! I had to come back and tell Maggie and she told me to let him work it out and go fetch him in the morning.”

             
“That’s awful. Alec said the house was in disrepair.”

             
“It’s nothing but misery and strife! The place ain’t fit for a pack of dogs.”

             
“So why not sell and get it over with?”

             
“It’s been in the family for generations, and Alec is loathe to part from it. It’ll cost a king’s ransom just to make it livable again, but I don’t see how anyone in their right mind aside from rats would want to call it a home.”

             
“Oh, I don’t know,” Lucy said, thoughtfully sipping the last of her tea. “Maybe it just needs a little tender loving care.”

             
Pat grunted in disgust and took the plates to the sink. He rinsed them off before placing them in the dishwasher. “He won’t talk to me. Maybe he’ll talk to you.” He checked his watch. “He’s been out there long enough, lassie. Go get him.”

* * *

             
She stood watching her husband swim back and forth to a distant bell buoy and flopped down into the sand clutching his robe and a blanket. Lucy wrapped herself in the blanket as it was damn cold and called out to her husband. But it seemed he was in his own little world where she was not welcome. Back and forth he swam, touching the buoy and heading for shore again with only a sliver of moonlight peeking through the clouds to light his way. Lucy observed him for a few minutes before she gave up and lay back, closing her eyes.

             
The cool night air caressed her face, and the rhythmic lapping of waves lulled her into a semi-conscious state where she neither slept nor thought. She was about to fall completely to sleep when she felt something cold and wet on her face. Lucy swiped it away, only for another drop to hit her face, then another. Flicking out her tongue, she discovered it was seawater, cold and salty. Her eyes opened to find Alec standing in all his naked glory above her, the water glistening like thousands of tiny, scattered crystals and shook his head, flicking the water out of his hair.
              “Stop that!” she said irritably, taking the edge of the blanket and wiping her face. “You’re going to get me all wet!”

             
Alec laughed wickedly. “I certainly hope so, love.” He bent down, reaching for her feet, and pulled her legs apart. He sighed and moved over her, settling himself snugly between her thighs. “I’m cold,” he complained, nuzzling her ear and warming his nose against her neck.

             
“Oh!” she cried, wrapping her arms and blanket around him. “Your nose is like the iceberg that sank the
Titanic!”

             
“Warm me,” Alec breathed and slid his arms beneath her. “You’re so soft,” he whispered.

             
“And
you’re
very cold!” she admonished. “You’re going to catch pneumonia if you stay out much longer. Come back inside and I’ll draw you a hot bath.”

             
“Let me hold you first,” he buried his face into the sweet hollow between her neck and shoulder and held her to him. “Where were you?”

             
She stroked his damp hair and wrapped the blanket closer about him. “Pat and I had a long talk over tea and Wensleydale.”

             
His head snapped up in surprise. “He broke out the Wensleydale?”

She nodded and Alec swore. “It must have been serious.” Alec toyed with the satin ribbon holding her nightgown together. “What did he say?”

              Lucy reached up and smoothed his cold cheek. “He told me about your mom and how they met.”

             
“Everything…?” Alec hung his head.

             
“Shh,” she whispered soothingly and urged his head down onto her breasts. “He wanted me to know that I have to give you space from time to time. I wish you’d told me about your father though.”

             
“Y-You don’t have to give me space,” he said brokenly. “I wouldn’t push you away.”

             
“No…?”

             
He raised his head and kissed her lips. They were cold. “Sometimes I just need quiet so I go off by myself. But I wouldn’t mind you coming along, wife.” Alec reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. “It gets lonely feeling sorry all by myself. I’d like a little company.”

             
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she laughed softly and slid her arms about his neck. “I never got the chance to thank you for saving me.” Lucy placed soft kisses against his neck and shoulder. “Thank you.”

             
“It was nothing,” he murmured, closing his eyes at her touch. “She had it coming.”

             
“That’s not what I meant.”

             
“What…?”

             
“For
that
night,” she said, pressing grateful kisses against his roughened cheek. “That night we met. You saved me from those two. I never understood why.
              “But I
told
you why.”

             
“I know. But now I know you didn’t want what happened to your mom to happen to me.” He stiffened in her arms and she tightened her embrace. “I’m grateful.”

             
“I-I couldn’t let it happen again,” he gulped. “Mum used to wake up screaming….”

             
“Hush, darling,” Lucy soothed. “We’ll not speak of it again if you don’t want to. I just wanted you to know how grateful I am for you.”

             
“I-I don’t deserve you, love,” he said, openly sobbing now. “You’re too good for me.”

             
“Oh, stop!” she scolded, pressing her lips against his feverish brow. “I’m not going to argue with you. But it’s something you should know when you’re having one of your pity parties and don’t issue an invitation to the one who loves you dearly.”

             
“Am
I having a pity party?” Alec was able to laugh in spite of himself. She always made him laugh; even through the darkest of nights she had the power to shine her brilliance down into the blackest depths of despair. “And
who
said you weren’t invited?”

             
“It doesn’t have to be spoken. I know when you need to be alone.”

             
“Oh, Lucy love,” he sighed in understanding. “Don’t feel that way. I always need you.”

             
“Pat said I should leave you alone.”

             
“What does he know?” he grunted, lightly cupping her breast through the flannel. “Since when do you wear flannel to bed?”

             
She giggled and cradled him between her thighs, trying to warm him with her body. “Like?”

             
“I don’t know,” he murmured and untied the ribbon at her throat. She gasped as his hand slipped inside to claim a soft breast. “It all depends on how fast I can get you out of it.”

             
“Not here,” she sighed in pleasure as his thumb stroked lightly over the nipple. “You’ll take me to bed and do it properly like a good little husband.”

             
His head dipped to kiss her between her breasts and then moved to caress her lips. “I will, huh?”

             
Lucy nodded, arching her body against his seductively. He groaned and kissed her roughly. “Take me to bed and let me hold you,” she whispered in his ear.

             
Alec raised his head and stared down into the visage he loved beyond life itself. “Yes, ma’am,” he muttered hoarsely and kissed her again, her soft laughter mingling with his.

              Rudy parked the rental car and sat in disbelief, wondering if the clerk had given him the wrong address. The derelict sanitarium loomed over him like something out of a horror novel; crumbling bricks lay in sporadic heaps and broken windows peered down at him as if contemplating his demise. He stepped out of the car and made his way along what remained of the stairs and pushed the heavy door open. It creaked on its hinges and sent ghostly echoes reverberating through its lonely corridors. A shudder crept its way through him as he hurried to the third floor.

             
It was getting late and he hurried to finish his task before he was left in complete darkness. An old room once used as storage for patient records lay at the end of the hall, and he winced as his shoes crunched loudly on shattered glass; he half expected some lunatic to lunge at him from the shadows. Rudy flicked on his flashlight and pushed his way into the room, which looked as if some angry giant had tossed it to and fro in a fit of rage. Tattered papers and shredded books lay in discarded piles amongst old file boxes; most of these held the most intimate details of a person’s life.

             
But the staff had been in a hurry to vacate, so they’d left the most confidential recordings of people who had been committed at one time or another for such banal offenses such as petty theft and postpartum depression, exposed to anyone and anything that dared enter. He felt sick at the thought that society could so easily cast off the wrecks of humanity without so much as a second glance. Pushing these disturbing thoughts aside, he rummaged around in an old file cabinet, holding up the flashlight as he quickly scanned the yellowed pages. He didn’t have much time, and if he didn’t find what he was looking for he’d have to come back tomorrow. Rudy shuddered at the thought and was so engrossed in his task, he didn’t hear glass crunching in the hallway, never saw the person who raised their arm high and brought an object they held down onto his head…
hard.
              Rudy crumpled to the floor as his skull exploded in a blinding flash of agony. His last thought before he slipped away was that they hadn’t tied their shoelaces.

             
The person tossed the object aside and ran off, expelling shards of glass beneath their feet.

Chapter Thirty-Four

He scanned the crowd wishing he were anywhere but here. Harvey had decided to throw a little party to make up for their little “squabble.” Gavin didn’t know why he even bothered; half of these people were Harvey’s friends. They were mostly lowlifes in the industry; the kind of parasites your mother warned you about. Some of them were snorting blow off expensive mirrored coffee tables; half a dozen were fucking each other on various pieces of furniture; and the rest were so stoned out of their minds, Gavin was certain they didn’t know their ass from their elbow. Shaking his head in disgust, he decided he’d had enough, and was about to call it a night, when Harvey intercepted him at the door. He had a girl with him.

             
“Gavvy, baby!” he bellowed, expelling fumes of stale cigars and vodka. “Where do you think you’re going?” He grabbed Gavin’s sleeve and steered him towards the stairs. Harvey pushed a gorgeous brunette in a black bandage dress at him. “You can’t leave without sampling the wares, my boy!”

             
“I’m tired, Harv,” Gavin said, trying not to look at the girl. She looked about twenty with smooth dark skin, large almond-shaped eyes, and a luscious mouth. She also looked like she needed to be rescued; no doubt Harvey had tried to finagle himself a free sample.

             
“Nonsense!” Harvey slurred and practically shoved the poor girl into Gavin’s arms. “Take her upstairs and then tell me you’re leaving!” He left without waiting for an answer, as a lithe blonde had suddenly caught his eye.

             
Gavin was left with the poor girl whose eyes kept darting anxiously about as if she were afraid of something. “You…um…want to go upstairs?” he asked, not quite certain what he was going to do when he got there. “It’s too noisy here, don’t you think?”

             
She nodded shyly, her thick mane of glossy black hair bouncing along with her. “Okay.”

             
He smiled and escorted her up to a bedroom on the second floor. Gavin opened the door cautiously and peered inside. “I think it’s safe,” he said nervously and she giggled. He urged her inside and shut the door. When he glanced back, she had crossed her arms over her chest and was staring out the window. She seemed nervous about something. Gavin hoped she wasn’t afraid of him. But why should she be? Most of the girls Harvey invited to these things usually knew their way around a bedroom. “You want a drink?” he asked suddenly and watched as she flinched and then smiled.

             
“Sure,” she said and Gavin detected a slight accent. He handed her a small glass of wine and hid a smile when she grimaced at the taste. “What is this?”

             
“I don’t know,” he laughed and took the glass from her and set it down. “I think it’s wine, I can’t be sure.” Then Gavin reached up and ran his fingers through her silken locks. She was wearing a thick layer of cosmetics and he could see she didn’t need them. “What’s your name?” he asked huskily, pressing his lips against her cheek. She stiffened slightly but stood still.

             
“Connie,” she said, so softly he had to strain to hear it. “And yours?”

             
“Gavin,” he breathed and slid an arm around her slender waist. She stiffened again and he pressed his lips against her ear. “I’m not going to hurt you, sweetness. Just let me hold you a bit.” That seemed to calm her and she relaxed a little. “Are you afraid…of me?” he asked. For the first time in his life he was actually nervous around a woman.

             
She peered up at him with wide eyes.
Afraid?
Yes, she was. But she couldn’t tell him that. “I’m cold,” she managed and did not object when he moved toward the bed, pulling her with him. Soon he had her beneath him and was kissing her.

             
Gavin pressed soft kisses against her skin inhaling the sweet scent he’d long forgotten. He hadn’t meant to take her to bed, but she was so lovely and she seemed willing. It had been a long time since he’d actually
gone
to bed with a woman. He didn’t think work counted, as he didn’t enjoy most of it anyway. His breathing grew labored as he held her to him and kissed that soft mouth, her soft breasts pressing into his chest through the shirt he wore. He was suddenly eager to feel her silken skin and pulled her dress down to cup a sweet breast. She gasped into his mouth and his tongue gently coaxed hers out of hiding to stroke and beguile. He groaned when her tongue timidly met his in an awkward dance. He slid his knee between her thighs and she cried out, suddenly frightened but unable to tell him to stop. Gavin slid his mouth across her cheek and down her silken throat, heading eagerly towards that most luscious of fruits. He pushed her dress down further and claimed a taut nipple with his tongue, drawing it into his mouth and sucking gently. She gasped again, feeling hot and cold and afraid. Gavin was slowly becoming aware of her reticence; he felt it in the imperceptible stiffening of her body and the fact that she had not touched him. His head snapped up and when he peered down into frightened eyes, it washed over him like a bucket of cold water.