Chapter 20
CLARK
Four years ago
I’m still lying on the bed, propped up on my elbow, the white sheet wrapped around my waist, when Dayna walks out of my en-suite.
I could have got ready five times, she’s been in the shower that long.
Instead, I’ve been lying here with a goofy grin on my face that I just can’t shift, waiting for this moment.
She smiles as she comes back into the room, her hair wet, eyes bright, skin clean, fresh, exquisite.
‘Has anyone told you how gorgeous you are?’
She giggles, a sound that warms me to the core. ‘You need to get ready, Clark.’
‘Just let me see. Just one quick look then I’ll get ready.’
Her lips curl into a lopsided smile as she slowly unhooks her towel. ‘What’s in it for me?’
‘What would you like?’
She looks to the ceiling and hums, making me laugh. ‘A movie night. My choice. None of that boy crap. A chick flick.’
‘Deal.’
‘And popcorn. Copious amounts of popcorn. Made properly, in the pan, and you have to make it.’
‘Okay.’
‘Hmm, and ice cream, Belgian chocolate.’
‘Is that everything?’
She bites her lip, and my cock hardens almost instantly. Finally, she lets the towel fall to the ground.
Darting from the bed, I grab her waist, throwing her over my shoulder. ‘Sweet Jesus, this body.’ I place her down on the bed and hover over her, my nose almost touching hers. ‘You drive me crazy, Dayna Cross.’
She slips her hand between us and cups my erection. ‘Good crazy?’
I growl as she rubs my dick. ‘Fucking awesome crazy.’ I grind against her and press my lips to hers, dipping my tongue inside to taste her, fresh and minty.
‘We’ll be late for lunch,’ she says, as breathless as I am.
‘Don’t care.’ I worm down her body, kissing her neck, her collarbone, the soft plump flesh of her amazing tits.
I don’t want to be with anyone else. Since the night we met four weeks ago, all I’ve wanted to do is wrap her up and keep her all to myself.
She unnerves me, torments me in a way I can’t control.
But somehow, being with her puts me at ease, too.
I don’t need to lash out or drink. I don’t want to score women and gamble.
Being with her, this, is enough. She’s everything I need.
I try not to think about how much that worries me as I work down past her navel. Pushing up her knees, I lick my fingers and part her slick, wet lips.
‘Clark.’ The way she says my name, a whispered, lustful plea, makes me desperate to be inside her. She’s the first woman I’ve ever gone bare with and she feels like magic, every muscle, every crease and fold.
‘Why are you saying my name, baby?’
‘I want you inside me.’
I crawl over her, holding my dick to position it at her entrance, then I take her hands, interlacing my fingers in hers, and hold them to the mattress, looking into those deep brown eyes as I slide into her.
The feel of her takes over everything, every rational thought, my mind, my body. She is everything.
When we’ve taken every piece of pleasure from each other, I collapse onto her chest, and she wraps her arms around me, kissing my head, stroking my hair. My heart hammers under my ribcage, and I don’t know if it’s the workout or just being here, with her, that makes it hard to breathe.
‘We’re really going to be late now,’ she says.
* * *
There’s a first time for everything. That doesn’t make me any less nervous about taking a girlfriend home to meet my family. I’m twenty-eight years old. It’s verging on ridiculous. I’ve been with enough women, but I’ve never wanted to bring one home.
This one.
‘Would you relax? How bad can it be?’
I zap the car as we head to the house, slipping my hand into hers. ‘I’ll ask you that in a couple of hours.’
She smiles and nudges into my shoulder as if I’m joking.
‘You look beautiful, by the way,’ I tell her, watching her cheeks flush almost to the colour of her blouse.
She rubs her skirt as if there’s something on it and squeezes my fingers tighter as her heels dig into the gravel.
At the door, I pull her waist to mine and drop my forehead to hers. ‘What if I said I don’t want to share you yet?’
‘I’d probably ask what’s wrong with me.’
I smile as I press my lips to hers, because that’s exactly what she’d say. I pull her tighter to me and dissolve into her kiss, just as the front door is pulled open.
‘Nice entrance, bud!’
She tries to pull away from me, but I inhale slowly, keeping her close just a second longer before opening my eyes. ‘Dayna, meet my kid brother, Spencer.’
She holds out her hand and looks startled when Spencer goes straight in for a hug.
And so it begins.
‘All right, Spence, that’s enough,’ I say. He releases Dayna and punches me in the arm, running inside before I can pull him into a headlock.
‘He’s home from uni for the weekend,’ I say, feeling the need to justify again why I’ve dragged her here. She smiles nervously and tucks her hair behind her ear.
I hang up her coat and take her hand, leading her to the lounge.
My tension dissipates as soon as I see Kathryn sitting on the sofa with her boyfriend, Joe.
Kathryn stands, and I turn to Dayna to make the introduction, but she’s busy looking up at the high, grand ceiling and ridiculously over-the-top crystal chandelier.
‘Dayna, this is my twin sister, Kathryn.’
A genuine, warm smile pulls on her lips as she extends a hand to my sister. ‘It’s so nice to meet you, Kathryn.’
‘And you, although I confess I only found out you existed yesterday,’ Kathryn says, playfully knocking into my side.
‘Nice to know you’ve been talking about me,’ Dayna says with a pout that I think is more playful than annoyed.
I tuck her under my arm and quickly kiss her temple.
As Joe introduces himself, Spencer bursts into the room, his jaw working through a mouthful of something he’s stolen from the kitchen.
‘You could have made an effort, Spence,’ I snipe as I take a seat on the sofa with Dayna. ‘Have you even showered?’
He considers his checked shirt, open and hanging loose over a white T-shirt.
His jeans look worn, and his wrists are full of leather and rubber bracelets.
His sandy-blond hair looks like he’s just crawled out of bed, and he hasn’t bothered to shave.
He slops down into a chair, hanging a leg over the arm.
‘Dress up for you? You shitting me? I’ll shower right before I go out tonight. Chicks seem grateful for a clean dick.’
I hold back a laugh, but Dayna giggles, giving me the green light to go ahead.
‘Is that your chat-up line, Spencer?’ Dayna asks, leaning forwards to take an olive from a ramekin on the coffee table.
‘I don’t need a line, Dayna. They just have to look at me.’
We all banter back and forth, Kathryn and Joe joining in. I slip my arm across the back of the sofa behind Dayna and cross my ankle over my opposite thigh, finally relaxing. I shouldn’t have worried; Dayna has enough sass to hold her own.
‘Clark, darling, good afternoon.’
My mother has gone to town, playing up to appearances. She floats into the room, her arms out wide, pearls draped around her neck and hanging low on her tailored dress.
Kathryn rolls her eyes at me before I stand and hug my mother. ‘How are you?’ I ask.
She pinches my cheek hard and turns my head left then right. ‘I’d be better if you came here more often than when your brother’s home. Now, where is this beautiful girlfriend I’ve heard so much about?’
Massive exaggeration based on the three-minute phone call earlier in the week when I first mentioned Dayna.
‘I think Clark might be biased,’ Dayna says bashfully as she stands.
My mother holds her by the shoulders and looks over her, head to toe, in a way that makes my blood boil. ‘Nonsense, you are just divine. What do you do, Dayna?’
‘I’m in commodities, actually. Oil, too. I rotate positions right now because I’m still training.’
My mother lifts her eyes to the ceiling over-dramatically.
‘Another one. Well, I’m sure you’ll fit right in with Harold.
Who, incidentally, is going to be late. Apparently, his golf game was delayed teeing off or some such, and one of the men playing is particularly slow.
We’ll start. Come on, everyone, let’s go to the dining room. Elspeth is almost ready to serve.’
We file out of the lounge behind her, but I tug Dayna’s hand and keep her back behind the others. ‘We’ll get out of here as soon as we can.’
‘It’s fine, I’m enjoying myself. Your brother is home; you should see him.’
‘Why does your expression tell me I’ve done something wrong?’
‘I just wonder why you didn’t tell your family about me?’
I take hold of her face. ‘You’ve seen the best of them so far, trust me. I just wanted to keep you to myself, in our bubble. Is that so bad?’
Her lips curve upwards, and she shakes her head.
‘You’re incredible,’ I tell her before kissing her deeply. I can’t ever sate my need for her.
We sit around the large walnut table in the dining room, and Elspeth serves a lunch of sea bream and vegetables. Conversation is easy between my brother, my sister and Dayna. My mother even starts to tone down her performance from her usual level of show-off.
I hear the front door open and close, then my father’s footsteps coming down the hall.
‘I’m going to change!’ he shouts, not bothering to come into the dining room.
He knows Spencer is home, he knows I’ve brought my girlfriend to meet the family for the first time, yet he doesn’t bother even dipping his head around the door to apologise.
Dayna must feel my temper flare, because she rests a hand on my knee and squeezes gently until I look at her. ‘It’s okay,’ she mouths.
I take her hand and raise it to my lips. I respect my father for everything he is. The head of the house, an astute businessman. I fucking despise him for everything he’s not.
Our plates are almost empty by the time the mighty Harold Layton graces us with his presence.
He takes a seat at the head of the table and looks at my mother at the opposite end. ‘Tell Elspeth I’m ready.’
‘I’m here, sir. Your lunch.’