Downtown Girl (Lipstick Red #1) (9 page)

‘Definitely,’ she replied, as she pulled his shirt over his head.  This was going to be raw sex. 

She needed music.  Sex
had
to be better to the beat of a good tune.  She knew exactly what she’d choose.  Hesitating with the CD in her hands, he walked up beside her, took it from her hands and inserted it in to the player. 

‘Good choice,’ he whispered with hot breath against her cheek as the instrumental opening bars of her favorite soft rock song,
Meeting You At Midnight
, by Amberdelta, pounded in their ears.  He smiled to himself as he thought about the five young men he’d paid to enter a music studio, and the CD they’d produced going straight to number 1.  For a minute, they swayed to the music, their bodies pressing together in the heat of the moment, emotions building as he lifted her, settling her around his hips, with her legs wrapped around his waist.

Don’t go away, not while we’re together,

I want to see you smile, next to me, forever,

Say you will, go with me, wherever,

Don’t change your mind,

For I’ll be left blind……

He walked toward the bed and laid her down, as the song picked up pace, his heart racing with the intimate words which said everything that he wanted to. 

They clawed at each other’s clothes, pulling them off urgently.  She turned him, shoving him hard onto the bed, intending to mount him on her terms, before his hands found her newly freed breasts.  He cupped them with both hands as she pulled his briefs down, catching his erection in the palm of her hand and gripping it tightly.  She began to stroke it while she moved toward his body. 

She straddled him, sitting on top of his thighs, looking down at his muscular body.  Bending over, she licked at the tip of his cock, sending shivers down her spine as he tugged gently at her nipples, then ran his hands down to clench her bum cheeks.  She might not like being spanked, but she could handle a little foreplay.  Slipping off, she picked up his tie and secured it around his eyes.  She might be imagining it, but his cock hardened and grew by the second.  His groan was like nothing she’d heard before. 
This could be fun,
she giggled to herself
.

He couldn’t see her, but he could hear and feel anything she did.  She’d make sure he enjoyed it.  She blew on his cock, making it jump and twitch.  His breath caught as he anticipated her next move.  She was finding it a turn on.  Climbing back onto his thighs, she fisted his rock hard manhood, pushing it against her throbbing bud as his hands found their way back to her breasts. 

He took her by surprise, flipping her over and changing the balance of power.  Laughing, he removed the tie as his eyes devoured her naked body, while he bent to tug at her nipples.

‘Vanilla’s good for me, if that’s what you’re worried about!’ he whispered breathlessly into her ear, as he slid his body along hers, skin to skin.  ‘There’s nothing wrong with smooth, luscious and creamy.’

She opened her legs to allow him to slide between them, his hands slipping behind her knees to pull them up.  She felt her juices flow as he slid a finger down to enter her and draw it expertly back over her clit.  She was close.  Guiding him toward her, she arched her back to meet his body as it descended on hers.  His erection found its way as he spread her folds to allow it to enter.  Her back arched to meet each thrust, allowing him to plunge in deeper. 

Circling his hips with each thrust, he expertly brought her to the point of orgasm before he let go, his body spasming as she felt his hot liquid hit her cervix.  He continued to grind slowly on her swollen bud as she began to feel the waves of pleasure crash over her, radiating down her thighs in a rush of hot tingling nerves, and taking her breath away.

‘Fuck, I could stay like this with you forever,’ he rasped, as she felt his body jerk in reaction to her muscles squeezing his plunging shaft tightly during her orgasm. 

He nibbled her earlobe as he scooted her round, pulling her on top of him.  She was so tired.  Feeling her eyes begin to close, she reached out an arm to set her alarm clock.  Then, she rested her head on his chest, with her arms curled in.  She felt safe, as one of his arms slid round to the small of her back, while the other fisted in her hair.  She heard his breathing slow, as his heart beat rhythmically in her ear, lulling her into a deep sleep with a satisfied smile.    

Taylor woke, feeling her exposed breasts chilled and tight with hard peaks, stimulated by the breeze from the open window.  She slid the sheet covering her pelvis up to her chin, and smiled at the memory of the night before.  She curled round lazily, bringing her knees up to her chest, before stretching and patting the pillow beside her, disappointed.  David had gone.

She thought she’d set her alarm before they went to bed, but she’d either got that wrong, or David had switched it off when he got up.  It was nearly lunch time and she’d slept for hours.  What he’d said played on her mind. 
He could stay like that with her forever. 
She hugged herself tight.  She could think of nothing better.  A few days ago, she’d have run from him, but now she was thinking about planning a future with him.  The sensible part of her brain tried to kick in, but she pushed it aside. 

‘
Grab happiness while you can,’
her grandmother used to say, ‘
because you’ll wake up tomorrow and it’ll be too late
.’  She still missed her grandmother, even after five years.  They’d always been close and Taylor had been devastated one summer day when she’d visited, only to find her lying on the floor in a puddle of congealed blood.  Taylor was comforted when the post mortem showed she’d died almost instantly when her head hit the fireplace. 

She’d slipped while trying to hang a new picture on the wall.  It was an old one from her youth, as a twenty something, on the arm of a local gangster who was both admired and feared.  When Taylor first saw that picture as a teenager, she’d been shocked.  She couldn’t understand why her grandmother would have fallen for such a seedy character.  Now, she understood completely, and suspected that the gangster in the picture was actually her grandfather.  The dapper young man had turned Mae’s head into mush, and she’d fallen hook, line and sinker for him.  Taylor wished she’d found out how it ended.  She’d look up his story when she got back to America.    

Mae might have been fifty five years older than Taylor, but she’d had an adventurous life.  Pictures lined her walls of a daring woman on horseback, riding through rough terrain, with the wind in her hair.  She’d been married twice and lived life to the full, enjoying every opportunity that came her way, and getting more adventurous as she grew older.  She’d been more sexually pro-active than Taylor.  If the term Cougar had been invented when Mae Griffiths was in her prime, she’d have worn it with pride.

Good on you gran,
she thought.  Taylor’s attraction to David, finally allowed her to understand, that her grandmother had lived a good and happy life, not the seedy one that other people accused her of.   

Sliding out of bed, she pulled on an old t-shirt and faded denim shorts, then padded to the kitchen for a much needed coffee.  She found his note waiting for her on the table. 

Emergency at work.  Will call later.  Didn’t like to wake you as you slept so beautifully.  Dinner tonight if you’re free.

David x

She hugged the note, skipping like a little girl who’d just been bought a much treasured toy.  He’d signed his name with a kiss.  She’d have to cancel dinner with him if Amber flew in, but they could see each other another night.   

 
Her phone pinged with a new message.  She’d slept through about a dozen already, so glanced at the last two first, both from Amber.

‘Did you get my messages?  Caught the earlier flight.’

‘Where are you?  Landing in two hours.  Are you still ok to pick me up, or are you in the middle of a smoking spankathon?’

Two flaming hours!  That was no time at all to get to Heathrow.  She’d have to use the tube.  There was no way Amber would enjoy that on the way back to the flat.  Her fingers flew over the tiny phone keyboard.

‘Bog off.  Should never have asked you about spanking!! See you at Heathrow!  Wine for lunch?’

‘You shouldn’t have to ask about the wine…’

###

Taylor’s phone rang as she took her seat on the busy tube to Heathrow.  Frowning, she wondered whether to ignore it.  She’d been sacked, so there was no reason for Kevin to call her.

‘Taylor Griffiths,’ she said hesitantly into the phone.

‘I should bloody think so.  Where have you been?’ Kevin growled down the line.  For someone who’s usually so amenable, she sensed his rising anger.

‘It doesn’t matter now.  I’ve been sacked.’

‘Of course it matters.  Who sacked you?’

‘You haven’t heard?’ she replied, totally taken aback that her indiscretion hadn’t been shared with the office.

‘Enlighten me.  The day has gone from bad to worse, and it’s not even half over.’  His sarcasm caused her brows to knit together.

‘Jack Collins.’

His explosion down the phone took her by surprise.  ‘How?  What the hell is he thinking?  I’ll get that sorted today!’

She couldn’t tell him about Jack.  About how close she’d come to danger.  She never wanted to see Jack again.  Whispering quietly down the phone, she made her decision.

‘It’s over Kevin.  I’m finished at Willgox.  I won’t be back.’  She pressed the end call button, cutting him off in mid sentence.  It was time to move forward.  She wouldn’t help them dig up information about Alan Inglebrook, or David Burton for that matter.

Kevin rang twice more before she banned his number.  If she spoke to Kevin for too long, she knew she’d end up telling him about Jack, David
and
Alan.  She wouldn’t do that willingly.

She’d been daydreaming and not watching the arrivals board.  ‘Over here!’ Taylor shouted, waving her arm madly when she spotted Amber leave the customs exit, in a bright red coat with purple spots.  Just typical of Amber.  She looked like a hyena in a bloodbath.  She’d waited over an hour for the plane to arrive, and her nerves had grown by the second.

‘It’s good to see you,’ Amber flashed her a massive grin as she leaned in to hug her tightly.  ‘I’ve missed you.’ 

‘You’ll never guess,’ Amber flushed red as she grabbed Taylor by the shoulders and enveloped her in another huge hug. 

‘Guess what?’ Taylor queried as they collected her case and waited for the tube.

‘Jack Collins is taking me out tonight.’  Amber flushed with excitement as Taylor felt goosebumps raise on her arms.  ‘I had to say yes, or I’d have had to pay for my own ticket.’

‘Shit Amber, he’s married!’  Taylor’s heart constricted.  Jack Collins was playing with her.  ‘Don’t meet him.  Please.’ she took Amber’s hand in hers, her eyes locked on her best friend.  ‘He’s bad news.’ 

Taylor began to panic under her calm exterior. 
Jesus, what have I done? 
Amber was here, vulnerable, and Jack Collins was going to use her to make a point.  Amber didn’t know him.  She’d no idea what he was capable of.  Through foggy ears, she heard Amber begin to speak as the air began to turn fuzzy around her eyes.

‘I owe him an explanation at least, for why I don’t turn up to work tomorrow.’

‘You don’t owe him anything.’ Taylor shouted, forcing the descending grey mist from her eyes.  ‘He pinned me up against a wall, so I kneed him in the balls. 
That’s
why I lost my job, and you got offered it!’ 

Amber’s eyes widened as her nostrils flared.  Taylor pursed her lips as she considered Amber’s inappropriate response.  She’d warned Amber.  There was nothing more she could do to keep her from meeting Jack Collins.  Amber’s face changed in a matter of seconds, from a disbelieving scowl with narrowed eyes, to the happy go lucky girl she knew.  She hoped she’d done enough. 

‘You’ll have to cancel him tonight.  There’s someone I’d like you to meet.’

‘The spankathon man?’ Amber giggled like a schoolgirl. Her momentary spark of anger diffused almost instantaneously.

###

Pulling Amber into her favorite wine bar, she ordered two large glasses of white, as Amber quickly sent a text.  Taylor had called David and left three messages this afternoon.  He hadn’t messaged back, which was unusual and unexpected.  He’d been meticulously predictable in the last few days. 

‘Just as well I’ve blown off the talented Mr Collins isn’t it?  We couldn’t have you drinking alone, with Mr Spanky going awol.’ She lifted her hands to make inverted commas with her fingers in the air. 

Taylor unreasonably wanted to slap her for being so insensitive.  She wondered if Amber had always been so blaze, or if six months in London had made the old Taylor grow up.  It was going to be a long week.  She was almost grateful when a group of youthful investment bankers idled up and monopolized the conversation.  It gave her an excuse to pull out her phone and anxiously try David again.  Amber was the centre of attention with her short black skirt that floated as she walked, teamed with a sheer royal blue chiffon top that hugged her pert breasts.  She’d been born with a body to die for, and she knew it. 

Taylor touched Amber on the shoulder.  ‘I’m going to the rest room, I’ll be back in a few minutes.’

‘Take your time,’ she drawled.  ‘Look at these guys, they’re hot.  Which one will I go for?’  Taylor rolled her eyes and left Amber to giggle and flash her shapely thighs.  She couldn’t get up to much in a public wine bar with dozens of people milling around.

Sitting in a toilet cubicle, she tried to ignore the noise of the music, texting David worriedly.  ‘
Where are you?  Answer your phone, please!’
  She was met with silence, again.  She dialed his number, only to get his answering machine.  She hadn’t even asked which hotel he was staying at.  She considered getting out a phone book and starting on the hotel section, under the letter A, but her head hurt as she blinked away the heavy feeling that descended over her eyelids.   

‘Jesus, Taylor, are you there?’ a shouting Amber called through, banging on each cubicle in turn.  Taylor opened the door, her cheeks stained with black streaks, where the tears had run rivers of mascara. 

‘What?’ she asked miserably.  She was sure she’d been discarded like a wet rag after he’d got what he wanted. 

  Grabbing her hand, Amber pulled her through to the lounge.  Her legs felt stiff, as if they were carrying lead weights.  It was quieter in the lounge where Amber had gone to chat to the investment banker of her choice.  She stared at the gigantic TV screen dominating one wall, as the rolling news flashed images of David. 

Feeling her legs begin to wobble, she leaned against a table for support.  Her mouth dried as she tried to swallow and listened to the commentator.

Lindy Collins, wife of legal high flier, Jack Collins, was found dead this morning at 11.30.  She was found by her housekeeper, who was concerned that she’d failed to show for her regular breakfast meeting.  Rumors state that she was strangled by her own lingerie.  Sources confirm the arrest for her murder, of David Burton, her ex-boyfriend, entrepreneur and former gang leader, along with accused accomplice, Stephen Collins, estranged brother of the victim’s husband. 

Taylor’s legs buckled as the room went black, and she slid to the floor.  Conscious of arms lifting her, she couldn’t pull herself out of the fog around her brain.  She knew instantly that she’d been drugged, and her heart ached to think that Amber might have done it.