Legacy of Desire (8 page)

After she’d been drawing for about fifteen minutes he came and stood behind her and she felt his hands on the zip at the back of the dress. Automatically she stopped work and started to turn her head. ‘Keep working,’ he said sharply. ‘I don’t want you to do anything except draw.’

She could hardly grip the pencil her fingers felt so weak but obediently she remained with her head bowed over the board as Jay, agonisingly slowly, drew
the zipper down. Then, just as she felt certain that he was going to touch her, he spoke. ‘Slip the straps off.’ His voice was thicker than usual but his tone was even. Uncertain as to exactly what he meant she looked questioningly at him as she slid the straps off her shoulders and down over her arms. As the dress fell forward into her lap, leaving her upper body clad only in the half-cup strapless bra, her breasts swelled and she felt the nipples thrusting against the material that was imprisoning them.

‘Keep working,’ he reminded her.

It was almost impossible. Davina felt like screaming at him, begging him to touch her, to do something to break the erotic tension that was building inside her, but he was in charge, he was the one who could choose what happened. All she could do was go along with his wishes. As she began to draw once more she felt tears prick her eyelids and bit hard on her lower lip. She was determined not to let him see how aroused and frustrated she was, even though she knew that he must guess. Suddenly she jumped as something cold touched her skin and she realised that he was fastening a pearl choker around her neck.

‘Perfect,’ he sighed, stepping away to study at her. ‘Look at me, Davina.’

She raised her eyes from the drawing, and this time she didn’t attempt to hide the hunger that she was feeling. ‘Have you any idea how sexy you look?’ he asked, but Davina knew that he didn’t want an answer. He was really talking to himself.

Moving towards her he reached out and as she raised her head he drew the middle finger of his right hand in a line from the base of her throat, over her chest, finally coming to rest on the top of the bra. She was hardly breathing now, tense with expectation as his finger moved in two delicate arcs over the top half of each breast, tracing the outline of the bra. Her breasts were aching; she felt as though they were pulsating with her need.

‘Stand up,’ he ordered, removing his finger and stepping away from the desk.

Davina got to her feet and he signalled for her to walk around in front of him. Once more she obeyed and the silence in the room was electric. She could hear his breathing as well as her own. It was ragged, almost rasping, yet still he made no move towards her.

Davina wanted him. She’d never wanted anything so
much in her life before and it was shaming because she sensed that she was never going to have him. He was enjoying her need, taking pleasure from her frustration, and there was nothing she could do about it because it was impossible for her to hide her feelings.

‘Does Phil have any idea how lucky he is?’ he asked. She opened her mouth to reply but he crossed the room with two long strides and for one glorious moment his finger touched her lips. ‘Don’t bother to answer that. I know he doesn’t. He isn’t sophisticated enough to appreciate a woman like you.’

They were only two inches apart now and as he looked down at her, her lips parted involuntarily and she closed her eyes as his head moved a fraction as though he were about to kiss her. She was trembling with excitement, could already imagine how it would feel when his mouth closed over hers but then, to her shame, she felt him brush past her and heard the front door slam as he walked out.

She was left standing in her underwear, the black dress a crumpled heap by the stool where it had fallen to the floor when she’d stood up, and she was grateful that there’d been no one there to witness her humiliation as,
with eyes closed, she’d craned forward for a kiss that Jay had never intended her to have.

Jay was just about to go into his study to work that afternoon when Pattie stopped him. ‘Where were you this morning?’ she asked.

‘Examining my estate.’

Pattie didn’t like the expression on her lover’s face. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Precisely what I say. I always say what I mean, you should know that by now.’

‘Which part of the estate?’ she persisted, but then realised that she’d made a mistake as Jay frowned. ‘Okay, if you don’t want to tell me, don’t. I can’t imagine why it’s such a big secret.’

‘Anything else?’ queried Jay.

Somehow Pattie managed to smile at him, when what she really felt like doing was screaming. ‘No. Got a lot of work to do?’

‘Afraid so. See you at dinner.’

Pattie turned and saw Tanya standing in the hallway. ‘Why is he so secretive about everything?’ she asked bitterly.

‘Why do you want to know his every move?’ asked Tanya gently.

‘Because I want to be part of his life,’ explained Pattie.

‘Maybe that’s not what he wants.’

‘Maybe it’s not, but it’s what I intend to happen. I’ve just got to play my cards right that’s all. I do love him you know.’

‘I know you
think
you do,’ agreed Tanya.

‘I’m sure he was seeing Davina,’ continued Pattie furiously. ‘I can tell she fascinates him.’

‘It’s only because she’s different and a challenge,’ said Tanya soothingly. ‘You’re very tense, Pattie. Why don’t I relax you a little?’

Pattie nodded. ‘Sounds like a great idea. Let’s use one of the guest rooms.’

In the small blue room, so called because of the varying shades of blue decoration, Pattie swiftly stripped off her tight white jeans and shocking pink top beneath which she wore nothing at all. Then she stretched herself out on the bed, her arms at her sides. ‘Do anything you like,’ she murmured. ‘Whatever you do, it’s always good.’

‘I’ll have to go and fetch a few things,’ said Tanya, and for the few minutes that she was away Pattie couldn’t help thinking about Davina and wondering what was going on in her lover’s head.

However, all such thoughts were quickly wiped from her mind when Tanya delicately oiled Pattie’s arms, shoulders and upper chest before starting to trail a vibrator over the flesh. She used the slow setting to lightly caress the delicate skin of the inside of Pattie’s arms, moving around the crease of the armpit and up and down the arm. Then she applied it briefly to the tiny hollow at the base of Pattie’s neck before repeating her movements on Pattie’s other arm.

Pattie sighed. ‘Such bliss,’ she murmured. ‘I wish Jay had the patience to do this sometimes.’

‘Women understand women’s bodies better,’ said Tanya calmly. ‘That doesn’t mean it’s better with women, just that it’s different. Are you ready for a little more stimulation?’ Pattie nodded, closed her eyes and parted her legs. She shivered as Tanya spread a little oil over the creases of her thighs and then, setting the vibrator to a faster speed, moved it swiftly across the skin before parting Pattie’s sex lips and slowly easing it
deep inside her until she was able to rotate it around the blonde girl’s cervix. As usual this had a devastating effect on Pattie and with a scream of delight she climaxed, her whole body shuddering as wave after wave of contractions pulsed through her.

‘God, that was good,’ she groaned. ‘Imagine how shocked Miss Prim at the cottage would be if she could see us now …’

‘My turn,’ said Tanya, handing the vibrator to Pattie. ‘Wouldn’t you just love to have her at our mercy for an hour or so?’ asked Pattie, as she began to stimulate the Oriental girl.

‘I’m not sure,’ said Tanya slowly. ‘Sometimes it’s dangerous to introduce an outsider into a group when everything’s going well. They can cause trouble.’

‘Don’t be silly,’ said Pattie. ‘Davina isn’t the kind of girl to cause trouble.’ But Tanya, already sighing with delight as the vibrator moved over her slender body, wasn’t so sure.

Phil arrived at the cottage early on the Saturday morning. ‘Looks like I’ve brought the fine weather with me,’ he said with a smile as Davina went out to greet him. ‘They say today’s going to be a real scorcher. It should be perfect for a dip in the lake.’

Davina frowned. ‘I’m not sure if we can use the lake now.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because it belongs to Jay Prescott.’

‘But we’ve always used the lake,’ protested Phil.

‘I’ve always used the lake,’ Davina corrected him. ‘You’ve been using it since we started going out together.’

‘What’s the difference? Have you asked Jay if you can have a swim?’

Davina remembered the way the American had studied her so intently as she’d sat, scantily clad, at her drawing board, her flesh trembling with desire. How could she possibly ask him for anything after that? ‘I’d rather not.’

Phil groaned. ‘You’re pathetic. If you won’t ask him I’ll do it for you.’

‘No!’ Davina grabbed hold of Phil’s arm. ‘He might not want to let me use it, but he’ll find it difficult to refuse me. If you ask he’ll simply say no. He wouldn’t feel that he owed it to Uncle David to let you swim in the lake.’

‘Then ask him,’ Phil urged her. ‘I’ve been looking forward to a swim during the whole drive here. The traffic was appalling.’

‘You didn’t have to come.’

Phil looked sharply at her. ‘Don’t you want me here?’

‘Yes, but not if the journey’s such an ordeal for you. Besides, you never used to come every weekend.’

‘It’s different now,’ he said truculently.

Davina was grateful that he didn’t know exactly how
different it was. ‘I’ll go and ask him,’ she said reluctantly. ‘There’s lemonade in the fridge when you’ve unpacked. Pour a glass for me will you, I won’t be long.’

It was only as she walked up to the front door that she remembered that Jay had asked her to check with him before visiting the main house. Luckily it was Pattie who answered the door. ‘Hi,’ said the blonde girl, with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Phil’s here for the weekend,’ explained Davina. ‘When my uncle was alive we used to swim in the lake. I wondered if Jay would mind if we still did that?’

Pattie frowned. ‘You swim in that horrible lake? The water’s freezing!’

‘We’re not used to Californian sunshine, we’re more willing to suffer for our pleasures, I suppose.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Pattie hesitantly. ‘Jay hasn’t said anything about it and …’

‘What haven’t I said anything about?’ drawled Jay, looming up behind Pattie.

‘Swimming in the lake.’

His eyes widened. ‘Hell no, it’s not something I’ve thought much about. I’m not into masochism.’

‘Davina is,’ said Pattie slyly, and Jay gave her an almost imperceptible shake of the head. Immediately she turned and walked away, leaving Davina wondering what the other girl had said wrong.

‘You really want to swim in that thing, do you?’ he queried.

She nodded. ‘If you don’t mind.’

‘Why should I mind?’

‘Because we’ll be trespassing on your property.’

‘We?’

‘Phil’s here for the weekend.’

He nodded. ‘I see. I wondered what had given you the courage to make such a request. I got the feeling when I saw you last that you were a little on edge. When I heard your voice just now, I thought for one exciting moment that you’d come to invite me back to the cottage for another rent-paying session.’

Davina glanced at the ground. ‘I’d rather not talk about that,’ she muttered.

‘I’m sure that’s true,’ he conceded. ‘Don’t worry, it’s our little secret. As for the lake, feel free to take a dip whenever you like, providing you’ve no objection to me strolling over to take a look.’

‘It’s your lake,’ said Davina.

Jay nodded. ‘That’s right, Davina. It’s my lake, my house, and you’re my tenant. I call the shots but as long as you ask nicely when you want something I think you might find that having me live here isn’t too bad after all.’

‘I must be getting back,’ said Davina hastily, and for the first time that she could remember she heard Jay laugh softly as she turned her back on him and hurried back to the cottage.

‘You took long enough,’ said Phil. ‘What did he say?’

‘He doesn’t mind at all. I don’t think any of them will be using it. In America they like their water warmer.’

‘You mean Pattie won’t be swimming?’ Phil sounded disappointed.

Davina laughed. ‘From what she said I can’t imagine anything less likely.’

‘Have you seen much of her?’ Phil tried to keep his voice casual but Davina sensed he was genuinely interested in the blonde girl. She remembered how the two of them had chatted together over dinner the previous weekend and wondered what they’d talked about.

‘I haven’t seen her at all. I’ve seen Jay once or twice but no one else.’

‘Why have you seen Jay?’

Too late Davina realised that she should have kept quiet. ‘He asked me to do a couple of bits of typing for him,’ she lied.

‘Oh, I see.’ Phil promptly lost interest. ‘What do you want to do after we’ve swum? Go into Oxford, take in a movie and then have a meal?’

‘That sounds lovely. I’d like to get away from here for a bit.’

‘It must be horrible for you,’ said Phil sympathetically. ‘If Jay was a different sort of person he’d be embarrassed at taking over the way he has, forcing you into the position of an outsider.’

‘He didn’t write the will, my uncle did,’ said Davina quietly.

‘I don’t know why you stick up for him,’ retorted Phil.

Davina didn’t know either, but for some reason Jay always seemed much nicer when she was with Phil than when he was away. The contrast between them was so great that her tolerance of Phil plummeted to zero. ‘Let’s go and swim,’ she said.

The lake was set at the far end of the grounds where the sloping lawn fell away and was surrounded by tall, thick bushes. These provided a good wind break and the whole area was quite a suntrap. Slipping off the skirt and blouse she’d put over her costume, Davina dived straight into the water then, as she surfaced, shrieked at the sudden coldness. ‘It’s freezing,’ she shouted to Phil, who was still standing at the edge. He hesitated for a moment then dived in himself, but not as elegantly as Davina. It was more of a bellyflop than a dive and Davina, treading water nearby, saw that Pattie and Tanya, who were walking down the lawn, both started to laugh.