Eros (15 page)

‘Don’t fall asleep, Skye.’

She moaned.
He took one hand off the wheel and shook her. ‘Skye!
Don’t fall asleep!’

Her eyes half fluttered open.
‘Not.
Sleeping.’

‘Good.
Hang in there.
We’re almost home.’

The road curved round until finally the mansion was in view.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Coop pulled into the driveway and stopped the car, then quickly got out and ran round to the passenger side.
He flung open the door and reached in for Skye, picking her up again.
He kicked open the front door, carried her into the living room and lay her gently down on the sofa. Then he sprinted into the kitchen, pulled out a bottle of vinegar and a clean cloth and rushed back.

He put some of the vinegar onto the cloth and began dabbing at the painful red marks. Skye stiffened in protest.

‘It’s okay,’ he hushed her.
‘Just stay still.’

Carefully pouring more vinegar onto the cloth, he continued to dab at the welts.
She moaned again.

‘Skye, I’m going to need to take off your blouse.’

‘No,’ she shook her head.

‘I have to,’ he said gently. ‘I need to get to all the stings.
You can trust me,
I promise.’

Skye looked in the direction of his face and gave a small nod.
He smiled down at her, brushed away the wet tendrils of hair from her face and began to unfasten the buttons on her blouse.
He sucked in his breath when he saw the extent of the marks on her body.
He’d bloody well kill Apollo the next time he saw him.
Making sure every red welt was covered in vinegar, he laid the cloth to one side and picked her up again.

‘What are you doing?’ she protested.

‘You need to rest,’ Coop said, shifting his weight so she was secure against his chest.

He began to walk carefully down the corridor, passing her bedroom.

‘Wait!’

‘I promised you I wouldn’t go into your room, remember? Just relax, Skye.
Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.’

Everything seemed rather hazy.
Being carried by the invisible Coop was quite possibly the oddest sensation in the world.
If she kept her eyes open, it appeared that she was floating in mid air through the house.
It made more sense to close her eyes than to let her brain struggle with what was happening.
And her eyes were so heavy anyway, it was a struggle to keep them open.

‘That’s it,’ he said softly from above.
‘Just rest.’

She gave in to the darkness and succumbed to sleep.

When Skye woke the next morning and stretched out her limbs, the first thing that assailed her was the smell.
It was as if she just walked out of a fish and chip shop after liberally dousing herself in vinegar.
Her skin felt tingly and tight and there was a heavy weight curved round her waist.
Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings.
She was in a bedroom and it wasn’t her own.

The bedsheets half covering her body were white, contrasting against the heavy mahogany of the bed frame.
The room seemed similar to her own, but there was something more masculine about it.
The warm weight against her skin tightened and pulled her closer.

Coop.

‘You’re awake,’ he murmured in her ear.
‘How do you feel?’

Trying to force herself to relax, she pulled away and sat up. Realising all she was wearing was her underwear, she snatched up the sheet to cover herself, blushing as she did so.

‘Uh, fine,’ Skye answered.
‘Fine.
The stings don’t hurt so much now.’

She heard the bed creak as Coop sat up.
He had to resist the urge to reach out and smooth away her hair from her face.
He could feel himself hardening and moved further away to try to avoid alarming her.

He cleared his throat, hoping his voice sounded normal.
‘That’s good.
I’ll nip down to the village and get some antibiotic ointment though.
You were hurt pretty badly.’

Skye drew her knees into her chest. ‘Thank you,’ she said quietly.

‘For what?’

‘Helping me.
You didn’t have to.’

‘You didn’t think I’d just leave you there, did you?’

Skye half-shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Coop watched her carefully.
‘I’m going to make him pay for what he did,’ he said finally.

She blinked.
‘You mean Apollo?’

‘Who else?’
There was a grim note to his voice.

‘Coop, you can’t,’ she said flatly.

‘Of course I can.’

‘No, you can’t.
Unless you put a stop to this, it’ll never end.
You shot him so he threw me into the sea.
Now you’ll do something else, then he’ll do something else and it’ll just escalate until someone gets hurt.’

‘Someone already got hurt,’ he growled.

‘I’m fine.’

‘There was no reason for him to pick on you, Skye.’

‘He thought I was in on the plan,’ she pointed out.

‘I told him…’

‘Coop,’ she interrupted, ‘just leave it.
Please?’

He stared at her.
The green flecks in her eyes were pleading with him.
Sighing heavily, he acquiesced. ‘Fine.’

She smiled softly.
‘Thank you.’

Coop looked down and traced a shape on the smooth sheet.
‘You know, it might be best for you to stay here for a while.
Until we’re sure the jellyfish stings have gone away.’

Skye looked down at her body.
The marks were already starting to fade.
Last night seemed like nothing more than a bad dream.

‘You’re right,’ she found herself saying. ‘Maybe I should wait.
It would be best to make sure they’ve completely healed before I travel.’

Coop tried to keep the smile out of his voice.
‘I’ll go and see if the pharmacist is open.
The ointment will probably help with the pain.’

Skye nodded slightly, listening as he sprang up, bell ringing as he did so.
Then the bedroom door opened and closed and she heard him padding off into the distance.
She hugged her knees closer to her chest.
Why had she done that?
There was nothing to stop her from leaving now.
It was hardly a long flight back to the wet grey skies of England, so using the stings as an excuse didn’t really wash.
And yet she didn’t want to leave.
She’d be going back to yet another jobless existence.
Here it was sunny, and she had a job that she rather enjoyed, despite Coop’s many strange requests.
And there was Coop.

She chewed on her lip.
He’d done everything she’d asked of him.
He’d reversed the love spell on Apollo and he’d not lied to her since she’d confronted him.
And last night… She sighed.
He’d been so gentle and tender and made her feel so safe.
Then there was the way his arm had felt when it had tightened round her and pulled her closer to him.
She clenched her teeth and told herself off.
He wasn’t interested in her.
The kiss he’d faked on her had proven that.
Plus, there was the part about him being able to have any woman he wanted.
He’d hardly pick her, would he?

Skye extricated herself from Coop’s sheets and out of the bed.
It would be at least an hour before he returned.
That gave her more than enough time to get back to her room and shower off the stink of vinegar.
Then she’d call Emma.
Her old friend would be able to give her some sound advice.

***

Half an hour later, Skye was curled up on her enormous bed, finally wearing clean clothes and feeling ten times better.
Emma, who’d been delighted to hear from her, had been regaling her with stories about life back in London.
It sounded as if she was having a whale of a time.
Strangely, however, Skye had realised she didn’t miss it at all.

‘So what’s the gossip with you?
How’s life in Greece?’

‘It’s good,’ Skye answered slowly.

‘Well that doesn’t tell me anything!
What’s your mysterious boss like?’

Skye took a deep breath.
‘He’s really nice.’

‘Nice?’ Emma screeched into the phone.
‘Is that all you can say?’

‘Okay, he’s more than nice.
I, um, fell into the sea last night and he rescued me.’

‘You fell into the sea?
How in the hell did you manage that?’

‘It’s a long story.
The thing is, Emma,’ Skye began.

‘Is that you’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?’

Skye didn’t answer.

‘I knew it.
I could hear it in your voice.  Skye, it’s never a good idea to get involved with your employer.’

‘I’m not involved with him,’ she said. ‘He’s not interested in me. He’s unbelievably good looking.’
Or so I’ve been told anyway, she thought.
‘He’s wealthy, charming, funny.
He can have his pick of any girl.’

Emma bristled on her behalf. ‘Hold on, don’t put yourself down, Skye.  Any guy would be lucky to have you.  Have you met any other girls?’

‘No,’ she admitted.

‘Well then!
He’s free, you’re free.
I’ve changed my mind.  Screw the employer part.  You need to go for it, girl.’

‘It’s not that easy,’ Skye said.
‘I told him I wanted to leave.’

‘Why would you do that?’

She sighed.
‘It’s complicated.’

‘Skye Sawyer.
You’re an intelligent, beautiful woman.
If he doesn’t want you, then it’s his loss.
But if you don’t try, if you don’t tell him how you feel, then you’ll never know what could be.
Regret the things you do…’

‘Not the things you don’t,’ Skye finished.
‘You’re right, Emma.
It’s just easier said than done, that’s all.’

‘Rubbish.
You’ve got nothing to lose.’

She was probably right, Skye figured, hanging up the phone.
Because judging from the way she felt at the moment, she’d already lost everything she had to lose.
Her heart.
She hadn’t realised it until this very moment.
She barely knew him.
He was invisible, for goodness’ sake!
And yet somehow, the way he’d looked after her last night had shown her what she’d been feeling all along.
What a mess.

The door to the mansion banged open and she heard Coop calling out her name.
Feeling suddenly awkward, she got to her feet and went to meet him, realising from the sounds he was making that he was in the kitchen.

As soon as she entered, he spoke, a surprised and not entirely happy note in his voice. ‘You’re up and dressed,’ he commented.

‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘and feeling a lot better.’

Coop had been hoping he’d find her still wrapped up warm in his own bed. ‘That’s good,’ he murmured.
‘I got you that ointment and some food.’

‘Thank you.’
Skye shifted her weight.
What on earth was she going to say now?
She racked her brains.
Damn it.

Coop gazed at her.
She still looked drawn and the welts were still painfully visible on her soft skin, but she seemed well.
More than well.
The last thing he needed was for her to decide she was well enough to travel back to England after all.

‘Will you take me with you today?’ she asked suddenly.

He started.
‘Um…’

‘When you go out to do your job?
You know,’ she cocked her fingers into the shape of a gun and aimed it towards him.

He blinked.
That was good.
If she was with him, then she wouldn’t be thinking about leaving. ‘Certainly,’ he responded.
‘I’ve got three to do today, so it may take some time.’

She smiled, her face lighting up.
‘Brilliant.
I want to know more about what you do.’

‘You should go and put on the ointment first.’
His voice was gruffer than he’d intended.
‘It’ll help with the healing.’

Skye nodded.
That was twice he’d spoken and sounded annoyed.
She wondered whether he was starting to wish she’d just make her mind up and leave.
Biting her lip, she grabbed the jar of antibiotic cream from the counter. ‘I’ll be back soon.’

He nodded back at her then remembered she still couldn’t see him.
Bugger it.

‘Great,’ he said.
He almost added that he could help her put on the cream but then recalled the way his body had responded to her that morning.
It was probably safest to leave her to it.

By the time she returned, he had made her a light breakfast and left it on the counter.
Her cheeks coloured when he referred to it, as if she were embarrassed that he’d bothered to make her a meal.
He scowled.
He preferred it when she was arguing with him.
At least then he knew where he stood.

When she had finished eating, he reached out and took her hand.
She jumped, making him wish he hadn’t.

‘We should get going,’ he said softly.

‘Okay, great.
Where to?’

‘New York.’

Skye’s eyes widened.
Coop grinned. ‘Have you been before?’

She shook her head.

‘Well, maybe we can squeeze in a bit of sightseeing along the way.’
He pulled her gently towards the door.
‘Are you ready?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then let’s do this.’

He opened the door.
The pair of them stepped through and Skye found herself blinking to adjust to the sudden change in light.
‘It’s night time,’ she said surprised.

Coop laughed.
‘Of course it is.
There’s a seven hour time difference.’

Skye could have smacked herself on the forehead.
She had sounded like some kind of naïve little girl.
Why hadn’t she thought of the time difference before she spoke?

‘“Time”,’ he quoted softly, ‘“on whose arbitrary wing the varying hours must flag or fly.’’’

Time certainly flew when she was with Coop, Skye thought.

‘You know your Byron,’ she said aloud.

‘Did you ever doubt it?’

She smiled in answer and looked around.
‘So where are we exactly?’

‘MoMA.
The Museum of Modern Art.’

‘It’s 3 am though.
Surely it’s closed.’

‘It may be closed but some people are working late.’
He moved behind Skye, holding her by the waist and gently moving her so she faced a small glass door set in the side of the building.
‘Watch.’

Fully aware of his proximity, Skye tried to remember to breathe.
Before long the door opened and a small figure wearing a long coat and a rather precarious-looking hat emerged.
Whoever it was waved to someone inside, probably a security guard, and then began to make their way down the steps to the pavement.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the street, whipping off the hat and sending it tumbling down.