16. Cassian
SIXTEEN
Cassian
F or the first time in my life, I took children to school. There was no need for Romy to take them and she’d looked exhausted on the first morning, the girls that sort of fizzy wide awake that was probably going end in tears or a tantrum before the end of the day. They were ready early and I was running later than usual, so they walked with me to school.
What they didn’t know was that the person walking the dog behind them, a rather large Alsatian, was employed by Roe’s security firm. Another employee, a woman this time who looked like she should’ve been a ballerina, picked us up at the school gates.
“Are you Mr Caddick, the head teacher?”
I nodded, knowing what the question would be.
“I’m here to fill in as a teaching assistant today. Where do I show my certificates and disclosure form?” She smiled at the girls who were instantly enchanted by her.
“Walk with me and I’ll take you to the school administrator.”
I took the girls straight to class, passing them over to their teacher and introducing Miss Piper, who I suspected could probably disarm most of the members of Puffin Bay, Roe probably being the only exception.
Her details checked, added to the school’s log for safeguarding purposes and she was back in Mia’s class, an extra pair of hands for the day as well as the person keeping an eye on what was going on around the school. I knew she was wired up, hearing from someone else on the team who was outside. This was all in place until Friday at least, unless the police found Cara or Blake, or something happened so we knew Mia would be left alone, safe.
It was worrying me. The school site wasn’t as secure as it could be, with the school fields open at the back, no fencing to stop anyone from walking – albeit a long way – into the back school yard. I’d mentioned it at a governors’ meeting before I’d moved, one of the handovers so I could lead the school from day one. It’d been brushed off, an easy dismissal that had concerned me then. I was responsible for safety and welfare of the children and staff in school and that left us with a too open area.
Roe’s team were aware of it, and right now, the school site was safer than it’d probably ever been.
The day went as smoothly as usual, Romy collecting the girls from school at the end of the day with a promise of tea at the Puffin Inn, which pleased them both. Another couple of parents joined them, and I felt a bit more satisfied that we’d get through the day without a major event, or at least until this evening when I might get some alone time with Romy.
The evening passed with a quick tour of the schoolhouse for the girls before they had a bath in what was also a relic from the spit up of the seventies. I had football practice, moved from the Tuesday because of the town meeting, and by the time I got back to the schoolhouse, Mia and Heidi were in bed.
“They wanted to stay up to see you, but I figured you’d had enough of kids for one day.” She smirked, pouring a glass of wine for both of us. “All they could talk about was you taking them to school and they were full of Miss Piper and how fun she was.”
Her smirk changed to a smile, one that beamed.
“Miss Piper is exceptional, probably because she knows she won’t have to deal with having her sleeves tugged on every two minutes after this job’s done. Have you had any update from Liv, by the way?” I’d spoken to one of the detectives in the morning, who hadn’t had much in the way of new information, at least what he could tell me.
Romy nodded, taking a good drink of her wine. “That tastes good. She phoned just before pick up time. They’ve got a detective interviewing Stan Jarmin in prison and they think he’s going to talk. He knows more than what he’s been letting on, but from what Liv’s said, they don’t think he’s happy that his daughter’s been targeted.”
“I suppose he still has influence even from inside,” I pinched an olive from a bowl she’d put out. “When I kiss you in a minute you’re going to taste olives on me.”
She reached out and popped an olive in her own mouth. “That cancels that out. Does that mean you’re going to kiss me again?”
“Damn right. I might do some other things too.” I pulled her into my arms, wondering why this felt right even when it shouldn’t. I shouldn’t be liking someone this much when I wasn’t even fully divorced. I shouldn’t have met someone so quickly, someone who was a parent of the school where I was now the boss. Lots of shouldn’ts.
But I decided I should still kiss her, so I did, not tasting any olives.
The kiss descended into something heated quickly, Romy ending up seated on the kitchen worktop, putting it and her in peril. I pulled her closer towards me, her legs either side of my waist and had visions of fucking her there, of finally feeling what it was like to have her come around me, grip my cock, sending me over the edge and I was hard again, a roar of frustration tampering my control.
“Maybe we should put a pin in this until Friday.” I broke the kiss.
She shook her head, her hair now loose from her ponytail, wild about her face. I brushed it back, loving the feel of it thick and heavy in my hand.
“I owe you for last night.”
“That’s not how it works.” I shook my head, but there was only so much protesting I was going to do.
“It is if I say so.” She scrambled off the worktop and checked the baby monitor. “Both fast asleep.”
Then she surprised me, closing the kitchen door and undoing the shirt she had on. Underneath she wore just a lacy bra, one that gave me a good idea of what it held.
“Fuck, Romy.”
“Not tonight. You can fuck Romy on Friday.” She slipped the shirt off, placing it on the back of an almost catastrophically dilapidated kitchen chair. It wasn’t the chair I was focusing on though, my attention was just on her as she reached round her back and undid her bra, leaving herself bare from the waist up.
She picked up her shirt again and put it on, leaving it undone, so I could still see her tits, round and full, her nipples hard and pink.
“This is to give you something to look at. Choose a chair that’s not going to kill you and sit down.”
“I don’t usually follow orders.”
“You don’t usually get orders like this.” She licked her lips. “If I can remember what to do.”
I laughed, seeing through her veneer of confidence. “I can help you practice.”
“Don’t be cute,” she laughed. “Take a seat, for my sake.”
I took the one facing the door, the table blocking anyone who came through the internal door.
Romy pulled a cushion off the chair next to it, the material from circa nineteen seventy, and then she kneeled on it, her hands going straight to the fly of my pants, nimble fingers pulling out my cock.
“Come up here.” I put a finger under her chin. “A kiss first.”
She kneeled higher, her lips meeting mine for a soft, almost chaste kiss.
Still no taste of olives.
“You know I’m returning the favour. This time I’m going to make you come on my hand while I have my mouth on those tits.”
She caught a deeper breath.
“Are you going to suck my dick while I play with those tits now?”
She nodded, her eyes glassy. I knew if I touched her pussy now she’d probably explode, just like I would when she put her mouth on my cock.
I stooped over as she sank down, her hand running up and down my length, my balls tightening already. I ran my fingers up and down the side of her body, feeling her shiver before I moved them round and cupped her tits in my hands.
At the same time her lips touched the head of my cock, the rest of the world paused. She used her hand as well as her mouth, controlling how much she wanted to take in. Her tits were heavy in my hands, my fingers playing with her nipples making her squirm. I wanted to be inside her now, her long legs wrapped around my hips while I made her come on my cock, marking her – which was a whole other thing I’d consider later.
“I’m nearly there.” I wasn’t sure whether she wanted me to come in her mouth or where.
She moved her mouth off me, keeping up the same rhythm with her hand, and she leaned back, the shirt falling away, exposing her tits.
“Come on them.”
Those words were all it took.
I cleaned her up, enjoying it far too much, finding out what it was like to have my mouth on her nipples, finding out that she was a fan of having them played with, finding out that she was really wet and ready when I slipped my hand down the thin sweatpants she was wearing, her clit slick and centre soaking. I teased at first, toying with her entrance before slipping a finger partially in. Her hips moved, seeking more friction, wanting to reach that sweet ending.
“I’ll have to see to myself in the shower in the morning, ‘cause all I’ll be thinking about is your pretty tits with my cum all over them.” I nipped her neck, slipping in another finger, not as gently this time.
She moaned, her hands gripping my shoulders, tits still on show for me.
“Then I’ll be thinking about being in here.” I started to up the speed of my fingers. “My cock doing this instead. Do you want that?”
“Yes. Now.”
I laughed quietly. “Not now. There isn’t time, and I don’t want you to have to be quiet.” Not like she was now, biting her lip every time I changed the pressure on her clit.
“I’m going to come.” I felt her tense, the wetness between her legs growing, and then she broke apart, her legs almost buckling.
I steadied her, not that I was that steady myself, and kissed her slowly and gently. Then I pulled my hand up to my mouth and looked in her eyes while I licked a finger that’d been inside her.
“You’re a tease.” She batted me with her hand, tits still out.
“Not as much as you.” I looked deliberately at them. “You’re so fucking amazing.”
“You’re just saying that because I sucked you off.” She blushed at the words. “That makes me sound like a teenager.”
We were both laughing, the sound still quiet enough to not wake the girls. “I’m not sure what’s the most romantic way to put it.” I leaned over and started to do up the buttons of her shirt, kissing her on her still-hot cheek. “You need to change your underwear, by the way. It’s soaking.”
“Which is your fault.”
“I’ll take that. I’ll make us a cup of tea, if you want one.”
She was half-way to the door, picking up her bra. “Please. I’ll be back down in a minute.”
I was surprised when she did come back down a few minutes later, wearing soft cotton shorts and a matching top, white with yellow flowers on them, and slightly see-thru.
I expected her to sit away from me on the sofa in case one of the girls came down, but from the look on the baby-monitor, they were sleeping soundly. Instead, she sat next to me, arranging us so she could lie between my legs, her back to my front.
“I’m sorry if you’re not a cuddler. But that was rather a big thing.”
“We’re not talking about my penis, are we?” I wrapped my arms around her front, resting them on her stomach.
“Well, that as well. You know what I meant.”
“I do. And I don’t mind cuddling. I’d rather you were here than the other end of the sofa. You’re not worried about the girls coming down?”
“We’d hear them and I’m not worried about them seeing us like this. Are you? Would you rather they didn’t know? I know it could make things awkward if – when – things don’t work out.”
“Only if we make it awkward and only if it doesn’t work out. Let them know we’re not just friends and if it doesn’t work out, we can show them how something ends well.” I didn’t think it was going to end, because if I was honest with myself, I’d fallen head over heels with her in the last few days. For the first time, I just wanted my divorce to be officially over, for that old part of my life to be firmly in the rear view.
She turned around, her breasts pressed against my chest in a way that was not helping me relax. I cupped her backside, enjoying the feel of it under my hands, slipping them up the legs of her shorts.
“I probably shouldn’t have my hands there.”
“Probably not. Do you think this could work out? I mean, I have a kid plus another. There are better catches.”
I shook my head at her, sneaking a quick kiss. “If there are better catches, why am I here with you?”
“You’ve taken pity on me?”
“I’m not sure this is pity.” I shifted my hips under her. “It’s painful and I’m really looking forward to Friday.”
“I should probably get up. Take my tea upstairs because this isn’t helping your situation, is it?” She shifted off me, pulling a blanket over me. “Or my situation.”
“Fair point. Shall I take the girls to school again in the morning?”
Her smile quivered. “Yes, please. It’s never that someone offers to do that. Seriously.”
“I’m after brownie points. Wondering what I can trade them in for.”
She grinned, the quiver gone. “I’ll come up with a list.”
We had the same routine on Thursday. I walked the girls to school where we were conveniently met at the gates by Miss Piper. We all headed to sign her in and then she took them to class and I went back outside to greet children and parents.
“How’s Romy, Mr Caddick?” Belle, one of the mum’s, called me over. “The police cordon is down from around the cottages now, I noticed.”
“Romy’s okay. Worried, as you would be.” We hadn’t talked about what the party line should be.
Belle nodded, also looking worried. “I need to speak to the police. I left a message for Liv, but she hasn’t got back to me yet.”
“When did you leave it?”
“About twenty minutes ago, so I should give her time, I know. I saw a man around last night who I’m sure I’ve seen with Cara.” She reeled off a description. “My mind could be playing tricks on me, and he could just be a tourist and he’s never been here before, but he was hanging round at an odd time.”
“Whereabouts?”
“Near the Puffin Inn, in the small ginnel just down from it. It was about ten last night – I was on my way home from Freya’s yoga class - ” She paused, her phone ringing. “This is Liv now. I’ll tell her.” She walked away, happier now she was speaking to the right person.
The Puffin Inn would be the obvious place for Mia to be, if Romy’s house was unavailable. It kind of made sense if someone looked there for her, although it would be stupid trying to do anything with the amount of police in the area.
I headed back inside, having ten minutes before we had an assembly, and phoned Roe Holland.
He answered after two rings.
“Tell me this isn’t an emergency?” Was his greeting.
“This isn’t an emergency. One of the parents has just passed this on. She’s on the phone to Liv as I speak – or probably still is.” Belle could talk a lot, so I’d discovered on my first day. I told him what she’d described to me, the details of the man, where he’d been.
The ins and outs of what Roe Holland actually did were a happy blur. The firm he worked for, or owned because I wasn’t sure, seemed to consist of a mixture of good hackers, ex-military and cops, and people like Piper, who could probably blend in anywhere. I didn’t know if what he did was legal, or how it worked with the police, and I didn’t want to know. I’d asked his wife, Freya, about it and she’d shrugged, telling me what she’d heard about sounded like an espionage novel.
I figured that was a pre-prepared answer.
“That’s interesting. He fits the description we’ve got of Blake Harris, who is an absolute mother fucker of a piece of work. Aggravated assault in his distant past, GBH, ABH, intent to supply, and then, like magic, he doesn’t get caught for anything. His boss, Mike Gelding, is after this area of Wales to be his territory and Richey seems to offer a degree of immunity.”
“Bent cop?”
“Possibly. They’ll get found out sooner or later because there are a lot of big names wanting the trophy for sorting this out.”
“Do you think Blake’s after Mia?” I didn’t need to be too interested in the rest right now, although I’d want to know later.
“I think Mia’s leverage for Stan-the-man to hand this run over to Richey-Wannabe-Richer. I don’t think Blake will do that dirty work, it’ll be the job of his minions.
“Oh, and by the way, one of the two men who broke into Romy’s has been admitted to hospital in Liverpool. Nothing to do with my fist on his jaw, this was a more thorough turning over.”
“Good to know. How’s the security at Romy’s – she sorting it out today?” I didn’t want her there on her own, although I hadn’t interfered too much.
“Like Fort Knox. Amelie and Freya are helping her out, and Finn was there too, as well as security. We don’t think they’ll try there again, although it wouldn’t be bad if they did. So head’s up, text me if you need the internal cameras downstairs momentarily switched off.” He chuckled. “Security briefly saw you getting familiar in the kitchen but they promised they looked away quick.”
“Do all of Puffin Bay know now?” I cursed, having forgotten we might’ve had people passing by.
“Only Freya and she won’t say anything, or anyone on the team. Get in there, new boy.”
“Fuck off.” I laughed and hung up.