Mistress by Agreement

‘I don’t believe you but I have to go. Take care, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.’

‘I love you.’ At least she could say that and mean it. But the people who were supposed to love you the best always ended up hurting you. She closed her eyes for some time after she’d replaced the receiver. Was Kingsley going to hurt her? She had already hurt him when she had sent him away.

It was a different variation on what she’d been thinking since she had decided she wanted to be with him, and her brow wrinkled. He had conquered his demons for her but she had unwittingly given him a few more when she had refused him before he’d left for Jamaica. And now she might hurt him again when she asked him about Alex’s sister. But he was a man, not a child. She had pussyfooted about with Miles, scared of hurting him or making him angry. If Kingsley was the one for her he would meet her halfway. He might not like what she asked but he could handle it. That was the sort of man he was. The ache inside her deepened.

She wanted to believe in a love that would last for ever. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted to. But that wasn’t wrong or weak, was it? She had only stopped wishing for it when the hurt of being disappointed had been too much to bear, but since Kingsley she had dared to hope again.

Would she have the courage to ask him about Alex’s sister when he was standing in front of her, and she could see what she might lose? She hoped so. She didn’t want to be disappointed in herself just when she was beginning to like what she saw in the mirror for the first time since she had been five years old.

She got to the airport early, not because she had planned to but because she couldn’t help herself.

She had agonised over what to wear since she’d left work at the unheard-of time of four o’clock in the afternoon, and the entire contents of her wardrobe were now strewn over her bed at the flat. Ridiculous. She wrinkled her nose at herself and then moved her head to catch her reflection in the shiny surface of a snack dispensing machine.

She had gone from sophisticated to smart casual to casual and then back to sophisticated again about ten times in the last three hours, but eventually she’d let the weather decide for her. Lightning was flashing in weird jagged streaks across the rooftops and thunder was rolling ominously, but as yet there was no rain, just a stifling heat that was oppressive. She had chosen a light, spaghetti-strap silk crêpe dress in white, which fell to just above her ankles and which was wonderfully cool, dressing it down with slip-on cork sandals. Simple, chic and with just the right touch of ‘I haven’t dressed like this especially for you, I always look this good’.

The plane was on time and her thudding heart belied the outward picture of cucumber-cool, composed femininity that had more than one pair of interested male eyes turning Rosalie’s way. But she didn’t notice any of them. All her senses were tied up with the watching for Kingsley.

And then she saw him. Tall, confident and incredibly handsome. She thought, I’ve bared my soul to this man, told him things I’d never planned to tell anyone. How had it all happened? And then he saw her, raising his hand as his face broke into the smile that never ceased to make her heart jump.

‘Hi.’ He reached her, dropping his case and taking her in his arms. He bent down, pressing his mouth against hers and his lips were warm and firm, the familiar delicious smell of him teasing her nostrils and the hard body sending tingles down her spine. The kiss only lasted moments but she was trembling when he let her go, brushing a wisp of hair from her forehead with the tip of one finger as he said, ‘You look beautiful, incredible.’

‘Incredible’s overdoing it a bit,’ she managed fairly lightly, ‘but I’ll take beautiful.’

“My pleasure.’ He grinned at her and her senses went into hyperdrive as his hands cupped her face as though he couldn’t bear not to touch her. ‘I’ve dreamt of you every night,’ he said softly, ‘but there’s nothing like the real thing.’

Kingsley, oh, Kingsley. I didn’t want to fall in love with you, that hadn’t been the plan, but how do you stop an unstoppable force?

She glanced at the sea of people, her voice small as she said, ‘Let’s go, shall we?’

He looked at her, a searching look, but said nothing, simply reaching for his case and then tucking her arm in his as though it should be there. And she wanted it to be. So much.

Once outside she became aware that the first fat raindrops were falling from a sky that looked like something from a science fiction film. ‘The storm’s breaking at last,’ she said quietly. How strange. It had hung on for days and it had to be the minute they’d met again that the elements unleashed their fury.

Kingsley had just hailed a taxi when the heavens let loose with a sheet of water that had her soaked before she could scramble in. Once in the taxi she realised that the dress that had been so chic and elegant moments before was now completely see-through, hugging her body in a way that would win first prize in any wet T-shirt competition.

&n

bsp; ‘Hell!’ Kingsley raked back his dripping hair, the thin black shirt and trousers he was wearing soaked through but still decent. ‘What is it about me that brings storm and tempest?’

It was said jokingly but something in her face caught his attention, and as the taxi driver began to move gingerly away, windscreen wipers at Olympic speed, he reached for her again, drawing her into him as he said, ‘Okay, what is it? And don’t say nothing,’ and now there was no amusement in the deep voice. ‘This was supposed to be the grand reunion, not a tragedy.’

She shivered, and not just because she was wet through. He had given her flat as their destination, and she had been hoping to wait until they were inside before saying anything. She felt the warmth of his body begin to warm her and she sucked in a breath. She might ruin everything here. She wanted to touch him and hold him, talk with him, love him. But she had to know. She didn’t know how to start. ‘Did you really dream of me?’ she asked a little breathlessly.

‘Sure.’ He moved his head, looking down at her with eyes as blue and clear as sapphires. ‘But if I’d seen you in this dress before it would definitely have featured.’

‘I didn’t realise it went see-through in the rain.’

‘I’m not complaining. It’s all the welcome homes I’ve ever had rolled into one.’ He tilted her chin, kissing her nose and then her eyelids before taking her mouth in a kiss that immediately made her want more. And then he said, ‘So? Spill.’

No accusations. You’re asking the question, that’s all. ‘I saw you on the news,’ she blurted out, not at all as she’d meant to start.

‘What?’ Whatever he’d been expecting, it was clear it wasn’t this.

‘On the news,’ she repeated. ‘They were interviewing someone about the cyclone and you were in the background, helping to rescue an old man?’ She was looking at him very carefully.

‘Well, I’ll be blowed.’ He grinned at her. ‘I’d have sent you a kiss if I’d known.’

She stiffened; she couldn’t help it. ‘Actually you were already busy in that realm.’ She raised her eyebrows questioningly but she had lost him, she could see it in his puzzled face.