“Yes, Felix,” she breathed. I smiled slowly then my mouth covered hers. She jerked slightly in shock, separating our connection and stared up at me for a moment with wide eyes. God, what was I doing? This was completely out of order. I was out of my drunken mind.
“Christ, sorry Lu?—”
It was her turn to cut me off this time. Both her hands came up to frame my face then into my hair as she pulled me back down to her level. Her soft mouth sealed over mine, and she let out a small moan, which flipped the switch on any control my lust-addled mind had been exerting over my body. My arms closed around her, one wrapping around her back with my hand splaying between her shoulder blades so I could pull her body into mine, the other low on her waist to do the same. Everything about her was small and soft and unbearably delicate, but also raw and intoxicating. It was a lethal combination.I could taste the sweet cocktail that prick Piers had probably bought her mixed with unique Lucy.
“Woah! Now I get it.” Will’s shouting broke through into my fuzzy brain, and I managed to pull back from the kiss. Lucy had clearly been so swept up in the moment that she hadn’t even heard Will, despite his obnoxious shouting. Her eyes were still closed, and she leaned forward to follow my retreat. I almost smiled, but then I remembered bloody Will was standing right next to us. His finger was up now, pointing between us. “Family friend,my arse. Why didn’t you just say you were fucking her, man?”
Lucy’s eyes had blinked open, and I felt her body go rigid. When I glanced at her shocked face, I saw the colour drain out of it.
“Fuck off, Brent,” I snapped, grabbing Lucy’s hand and pulling her away from the alcove, pausing only to nab her coat off the bar stool beside her. As usual, Lucy tripped, and I caught her just before she went down, hauled her up against me and then pushed our way through the crowd and out of the bar.
When we got to the exit, I let her go, but only to shake out her coat and bundle her into it. She still seemed too dazed to fully function. I texted Frank, and then I pulled Lucy outside onto the pavement. She only had to shiver once, and I was done for. I put my arms around her and pulled her into me so that her face was in my chest, and she was practically inside my coat as well as her own. Her small hands were pressed against me, and she looked up at me as I kept her in the circle of my arms.
“Er… what’s happening, Felix?” she whispered.
“You kissed me, that’s what’s happening.”
She blinked once, opened her mouth to speak, shut it again, then shook her head as if to clear it.
“Are you angry with me for kissing you?” she said, her voiceboth tentative and confused. I couldn’t really blame her, but I did smile despite still feeling fucking furious with Will.
“No, love. I’m not angry with you. Brent can go fuck himself, but you’ve done nothing wrong.”
She shivered at the endearment, and I didn’t think it had anything to do with the cold. Warm satisfaction flooded through me, and I pulled her small body closer to mine. After kissing Lucy and holding her in my arms, all my stupid reasons for not doing this sooner were rapidly melting away. So what if Hetty and Mike thought I was taking advantage? I’d prove to them otherwise. So what if it was inappropriate behaviour with a subordinate? I’d sort it out with HR myself. So what if I had a talent for fucking up relationships? I’d just have to do better with Lucy. Frank pulled up then, and I grabbed Lucy’s hand.
“Come on,” I muttered, pulling her to the car and then opening the door for her, indicating she should get in first.
“Hi, Frank,” Lucy said, giving him a small wave. “How are the grandkids?”
Frank smiled at her. “Lucy, this is a surprise.” He glanced at me, a hint of disapproval in his expression, before turning back to Lucy.
“Ha! For me too,” muttered Lucy.
“I’ll take you home first, then,” said Frank.
“Oh,” Lucy said as we pulled away from the curb. She sounded disappointed. I was still holding her hand, and she gave it a squeeze before she moved to whisper in my ear. “Isn’t your home closer?”
“Yes.”
Her face had that adorably confused expression again as she looked up at me and I just couldn’t help it. Despite the waves of disapproval coming off Frank, I kissed her. It was brief, hard and claiming. When I pulled back, her face was flushed as she blinked up at me. She paused for a moment andthen squared her jaw, a look of determination replacing the confused expression from before.
“I think I want to come home with you,” she whispered. Then, seeming to lose her nerve, she bit her lip, and her eyes slid to the side. I used the opportunity to kiss her cheek and then moved to whisper in her ear.
“You should probably be the one to tell Frank that. He clearly thinks I’m kidnapping you as it is.”
“Right,” she whispered back, then louder. “Er… Frank, actually we’re going to Felix’s so… um, just go there. Er… please?”
“It’s no bother to take you back to your place, love,” Frank said in a firm tone, and I smiled but controlled the urge to roll my eyes. What Frank didn’t do was alter his direction. I remembered how far Lucy’s house was from the office and wondered how she got to work every day. Did she take the tube at night and walk back after dark? My smile dropped as I imagined her walking home from the tube in the dark at night, freezing and totally vulnerable. How had I not taken an interest in this before? What if she’d been attacked? I tightened my arm around her as a few different scenarios flew through my mind.
“Well, that’s kind, but I just really want to go to Felix’s place,” Lucy was trying to make her tone as firm as possible, but it wasn’t quite having the effect I was sure she was going for.
“I’m sure you’re best off getting home,” said Frank. As much as the old bastard was annoying me, I also had to suppress a laugh. Clearly, he did not approve of Lucy being with me. I couldn’t say I blamed him. Frank had driven me home with a fair amount of women over the years and rarely twice.
I knew I had some sort of deep-seated commitment issues, but I had a very good reason for that, and for the last few years all the women I dated, even if only briefly, knew thescore. Some of the models and actresses were just happy with the extra publicity anyway, so there was often a symbiosis to the relationship – not particularly romantic, but I wasn’t disappointing anyone. I always made it clear where I stood on commitment, usually before I’d even kissed them and definitely before they agreed to come home with me to make sure there were no expectations on either side. Funnily enough, the thought of havingthatconversation with Lucy made me feel vaguely ill. With her, I realised, I had allsortsof expectations, not least that no other man touched her ever again. Quite the demand for someone I’d only kissed twice. Frank still hadn’t changed direction, the stubborn sod.
“Frank, we’re going back to mine,” I put in, raising my voice just slightly. I caught his eye in the rear-view mirror, and he frowned at me. I raised one eyebrow, daring him to contradict a direct order. He made a low, disapproving noise in the back of his throat.
“Right, well, if you’resure, Lucy,” he said finally. Lucy relaxed against me, her nose buried into my side, and my chest swelled as she inhaled.
