Stirred with Love (27 page)

Flesh, she shuddered with desire. She thought back to how Will had run his tongue across her upper lip before moving in for the kill, remembering the feel of his erection straining against his jeans as they pushed their bodies as close as was possible.

 ‘God, I feel like I’ve known you for ever, yet these past few days I’ve missed you so much,’ Will whispered to her as she climbed into his car. ‘Come here.’ Within seconds, their lips locked and Kate felt as though she’d never left him. What was happening to her!

‘I suppose we’d better move from outside the coffee shop,’ Will said a few minutes later when they hadn’t moved. Reluctantly, he started the engine.

The rest of Kate’s night flew by in a mixture of delight and frustration as she and Will went to a restaurant in Hedworth. But it had been too busy for intimacy and they left shortly before eleven. They pulled up back outside Church Square and the kissing started again, tenderly at first, then harder, more forceful and more passionate. Kate had never been a ‘back-seat-of-the-car’ woman. But she so wanted him and as her hands moved lower she knew he felt the same.

Suddenly, Will broke away and got out of the vehicle. He ran round to the passenger side and flung open the door.

‘Come on,’ he grabbed Kate’s hand.

‘Where are we going?’

He led her along the pathway and pushed her up against the trunk of the oak tree. Kissing her more urgently now, he pressed his body as near to hers as was physically possible. Then his hands were inside her jacket, and then inside her jumper.

Kate wasn’t sure if it was the cold night air or his skin connecting with hers that made her struggle to catch her breath. Mirroring his action, she pulled out his shirt and ran her fingers up and down his spine as she explored his mouth. He pressed his hand around her breast and for a moment she thought her feet had left the ground.

His hand moving lower now, Kate followed suit. She reached for his crotch, turned on more as a moan escaped from his lips. Her hand fell on his belt and she tugged at the buckle.

Suddenly Will’s hand was on hers, pushing it away. ‘No! We can’t do this.’

We can’t?

He pulled back, his eyes never leaving hers. Even in the pale lighting, Kate could see how much his pupils dilated.

‘I wished I had my own place up here now. Would you think it was presumptuous of me to book a hotel somewhere and we can go away for the night soon?’ he asked.

Kate laughed, somewhat breathlessly. ‘Presumptuous is the wrong word, Will. I’d say it was more necessity.’

Will treated her to that smile again. ‘I want it to be special rather than hurried, no matter how frustrated you can feel I am.’

‘Oh, I would say you’re extremely frustrated.’ Kate pressed on his erection again, relishing his look of anguish.

‘You wouldn’t have done it here, would you?’

Kate shook her head. ‘No, but it will give me something to fantasise about next week while I’m at work.’

‘Oh, god, Kate,’ Will pulled her towards him again. ‘I don’t think I can wait that long.’

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

When Chloe had decided to enrol at college, Kate had given her a couple of hours off to attend their open day. She’d only been there for a few minutes but already it seemed like she’d never been away. She integrated herself into the hustle and bustle all around her, moving out of the way when a delivery man wheeled a trolley loaded with copier paper past her. There were all kinds of people milling around. Extremely young like herself; extremely old like the lady who announced at the top of her voice that she was enrolling for her second course learning computer studies.

Chloe spotted an open door and made her way towards it.

‘First time here?’ a man approached her in one stride. She nodded and he pointed to a table in the far corner. ‘Help yourself to a prospectus and, if you get stuck, give me a shout.’

Chloe turned to speak to him but already he was a blur
.
She politely pushed her way over to the corner of the room to a table piled high with booklets. Once she’d flicked through the pages and found the subject she was looking for, she sat down on a recently vacated chair. The course she was after was run on an afternoon and evening, starting at lunch time and going through until nine. Eagerly, she got out her phone. She needed to check this was okay with Kate first.

‘Have you chosen anything yet?’

Chloe looked up to see a young woman, she guessed, around her age, maybe a little older. She had a round face, short blonde hair and her front teeth were uneven as she smiled nervously. She loosened her scarf before she sat down beside her.

‘I’m not sure I know what I want to do,’ she added, the panic clear in her voice.

‘I’ve decided to do business studies.’

‘Do you think it will be hard?’

‘Probably, but I suppose I’ll do nothing for the first six months and then everything for the last few. I always leave revising to the last panicking minute.

‘I’m Chloe, by the way,’ she added with a smile, realising she might have made a friend already.

‘I’m Fran. Do you think there’ll be two places left?’

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. ‘I don’t know that either, the course starts next week. Shall we go and find out?’

Lily straightened up, wincing as a pain ran up the full length of her spine. She knew she shouldn’t have sat in the armchair for so long with Rosie but she’d been so engrossed in watching Gene Kelly dancing on and off the kerb in a rerun of
Singing in the Rain.

‘Are you all right?’ Kate asked, looking up from the magazine she was reading to see that Lily had gone pale again.

‘I’m fine.’ Lily forged a smile as she willed away the pain. ‘It’s my arthritis playing up. My doctor says it’s better in the summer when it’s warmer, but I can’t tell the difference at any time of the year.’ She moved herself around in the chair and lifted her feet on to her foot stool.

‘You sit there and rest.’ Kate put down her sandwich. ‘I’ll get you a cold drink.’

‘No, please finish off your lunch. I’ll be fine once my tablets start to take affect.’

‘It’s okay, it won’t take a minute.’

Lily laid back her head, realising she’d overdone things again. When Kate returned with her drink a few minutes later, she was asleep.

‘Keep an eye on her for me,’ she told Rosie who had snuggled up next to her.

‘Hello, you,’ Kate greeted Will with a huge grin as he came through the front door into the coffee shop an hour later. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. ‘I didn’t know you were in town today.’

‘It’s only a whirlwind visit, I’m afraid.’ Will handed her a brochure. ‘I’ve picked out a hotel in Manchester, wondered what you think.’

Kate took the brochure from him.

‘It’s on page seventeen. How’s Lily, by the way? You said she was ill again the other day.’

‘She’s still a little under the weather. We’ve banned her from the shop, but if I know Lily, she’ll be back downstairs soon.’

Will gave a half smile before pointing to the brochure. ‘What do you think?’

Kate eyed the photographs with glee. The hotel looked fabulous. Four poster beds, eight acres of gardens, indoor heated pool and Jacuzzi.

She kissed him again. ‘I can’t wait.’

He pulled her closer. ‘No, neither can I.’

‘Yuck,’ said Chloe, walking past. ‘Put him down.’

‘Don’t want to,’ said Kate. ‘Have you time for a coffee?’

‘No, I’ve got to go. I’m late for my next appointment already. I’ll call you later. Bye, Chloe.’

Minutes later, Chloe noticed he’d forgotten his file. Seeing the hotel brochure peeping out of it, she pulled it out. Wow, she sighed, wishing she might be that special to a fella one day. The place looked amazing. She stared closer at the photograph and imagined herself sitting in the grand hall, in front of a roaring log fire with a man who loved her deeply.

As she closed the folder again and went to put it behind the counter, the contents slipped out and onto the floor. Chloe bent to retrieve them. As well as the hotel brochure there were a set of drawings, plans. Curiosity getting the better of her, she unfolded it to see more. She frowned. The plans were of Church Square but hang on…where was the –

‘God, I’m sure I’d forget my head if it wasn’t attached to my shoulders.’

Chloe jumped as she saw Will walking back across the room. Hastily, she shoved the plans into the folder and gave it to him.

‘I was just going to let Kate know,’ she replied.

‘Thanks, but I need the brochure so that I can book the room.’ His eyes rested upon hers as he rubbed his hand back and forth across his chin.

Chloe felt the colour in her cheeks rising as he continued to stare. Ohmigod! Had he seen her looking at the plans?

Then just as quickly, Will’s eyes began to twinkle and he grinned. ‘Don’t tell her but I’m going to book champagne and arrange for us to have dinner in the room.’

Chloe began to breathe normally as she watched him go again. Trying to recall everything she’d seen, she wished she’d had time to look a little closer. But every time she came to the same conclusion. And it wasn’t good.

After a fitful sleep, Chloe was up early the next morning, still wondering what to do for the best. She couldn’t believe that Will wasn’t who he said he was. He had tricked Kate. He’d tricked them all, really. Should she say something to her or let him explain himself?

But just then, she heard Kate coming out of her room and then walking across the landing. Hearing the bathroom door open and shut shortly afterwards, Chloe dashed into her bedroom. Her eyes roamed around until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed Kate’s mobile phone and, with a quick glance over her shoulder, flicked through the contacts list. Finding the number she was after, she wrote it down quickly, put back the phone and without anyone seeing her ran back to her room. Once she’d heard Kate go downstairs, she sent a text message. As she had predicted, her mobile began to ring straight afterwards.

‘You got my message then.’

‘Who is this?’

‘It’s Chloe. Who else do you think would know your little secret?’

Silence.

‘I am right, aren’t I?’ she broke into it.

A pause. ‘Yes, but it’s not what it –’

‘My god, Will, you piece of lowlife. You sly, conniving, evil…how could you do that to Kate? She’s my friend. She’s going to be destroyed when she finds out.’

‘If I could just explain!’

‘I don’t think it’s me you should be explaining to.’

‘I know that, but –’

‘Look, I’m no good at keeping secrets. And this is one which I don’t want to keep from Kate. So, either you tell her tonight, before you plan on seducing her at the weekend, or else I will.’

‘Chloe! I can’t just –’

‘Tonight, Will. If she doesn’t know by tomorrow morning, I
will
tell her.’

Chloe snapped her phone shut before he could answer.

Later that morning, Kate slipped into Lily’s bedroom and, finding her asleep, left her a glass of orange juice on the bedside cabinet before tiptoeing out of the room.

‘How is she doing?’ Lucy asked after taking an order from an elderly couple who had just walked in.

‘Okay, I think,’ Kate replied, ‘although you never can tell with Lily.’

Lucy reached for a saucer and clattered a cup onto it. ‘I could do more hours, if it helps.’

‘I’ve already asked you to cover when Chloe is at college.’

‘So?’ Lucy moved behind Kate and popped a chocolate muffin onto a plate. ‘Before I started to work here I used to sit at home all day, waiting for Karl to come in, moaning when he was late. Now, I don’t know, it sounds stupid saying this, but I feel like I belong, like I’ve got a routine to my life. And Chloe and I are getting on better now, so it’s much more fun.’

‘What did go on between you two?’ Kate was curious to know as she tidied up the counter.

‘Nothing really.’ Lucy felt her cheeks burning as she thought back to how juvenile she’d been. ‘I suppose I was jealous of her. She’s so full of life. But since that night in Rembrandt’s, we’ve got to know each other better. I really like her now. I don’t know why I didn’t give her a chance in the first place. I’m a bit like that though. It’s insecurity I think. I have a terrible time with Karl because I think he’s too good for me.’

‘I’m just glad that you worked things out.’

‘Well, I think working here has made me realise that I don’t need to have everyone’s undivided attention. People like me for
me
. I don’t have to impress people by dressing in the latest designer gear, or going to the best holiday resort or going on about where I live. I’m just lucky, that’s all.’

‘Ooh, hark at you with your ‘big woman’ speech.’

Lucy gnawed at her bottom lip. ‘I’m sorry if I caused you any problems, Kate.’

Kate laughed. ‘Lucy, you didn’t give me problems, you gave me nightmares! Still, if you’re up for it, I’ll sort out a new rota.’

‘Great. So are you looking forward to your night of passion in the fancy hotel this weekend?’

Kate grinned. ‘I most certainly am. But I can’t believe how nervous I am.’

‘Oh, don’t be.’ Lucy slid the order onto a tray and picked it up. ‘It’ll be exciting…and so romantic. There’s nothing better than being treated to a dirty weekend. I hope you’ve treated yourself to some new underwear too?’

Kate nodded, thinking of the chocolate brown and cream lacy set that was packed in her overnight bag ready for the occasion.

‘Where’s he taking you tonight?’

‘We’re just going to a wine bar for a drink. He’s picking me up at eight. Quite a nice surprise, actually. I didn’t think he was down this way today.’

At eight thirty, Kate sat in a booth waiting for Will who was getting their drinks at the bar. Being a cold and windy night, the room was fairly empty. But that wasn’t the only thing that was chilly. Will had been so quiet since he’d picked her up. There had been no usual happy to see you embrace when she’d got into his truck. Instead, he’d started the engine and driven off. It was as if he wanted to get here as soon as possible.