Reasons Why - 17

Chapter 17

Chloe didn’t see his family again, they flew home the following day and Chris threw himself into his training. There was however, a real change in him, and it worried Chloe. In the time they’d been together he’d not held back, was never reticent, but in the days after his parents left he was quiet and distant.

After the third night of his ‘late training’ and avoiding of her, she borrowed Didi’s car at seven o’clock and drove to his house. He wasn’t there, but had every intention of waiting. Eight pm a car pulled into the drive behind her and she jumped out.

Chris emerged from his vintage car looking baffled, wary and possibly a little angry, “what are you doing here?” He was too polite to sound angry, but there was no humour in his voice.

Chloe crossed the ten steps to stand in front of him, “I haven’t seen you since Sunday night. It’s Wednesday. I miss you!”

Groaning he rested his hands over his face, “I can’t...” Shaking his head he dropped his hands, “I think you should leave!”

As he made for the house she refused to let him do this, “Christos Petrakis, are you running away from me?” When he didn’t answer, she added, “or are you struggling to deal with the fact that your family aren’t perfect? Because I can tell you that no one is, and we all have shit like this!”

He turned back to her, “my Dad gave me an ultimatum, give up lax, go back to the East Coast, toe the line, take over the business, or lose my family.”

                “Shit!”

Chris nodded, “shit indeed. So I have to make a choice, and accept that the man who supposedly loves me can force me to make that choice.”

                “I didn’t help that cause.” Suddenly Chloe could imagine that this was a backlash at her outburst, she’d wanted his parents to appreciate him, not disown him. But he was strong, independent, and VERY good at what he did. Looking at his lowered eyes, the haunted look on his gaunt face, she wanted to make him better. But she was leaving in two weeks; she’d be deserting him too.

Jumping up the steps, to join him at the door, she cupped his face and smiled at him, “but I was incensed at the way they treated you. You are such a wonderful man; I meant every word I said to you...and them.”

His eyes studied her face, but he couldn’t find the words to portray how he felt. So she continued, “I’ve lived in the shadow of my brother all my life, he was the funny one, the good looking one, vivacious, vicarious - you name it, it described him. I know how you’re feeling...Your sister! What a spoilt cow! Have you spoken to your other sisters? Don’t you get on with them?”

Chris shook his head, “I know you mean well Chloe, but can you honestly tell me that your parents ever disregarded your feelings, your future for him?”

She nodded, “I can! All the time! He was a great sailor, went on a course when he was about ten, after that every holiday involved boats, for him. My horse riding lessons were overshadowed, my music lessons put on the backburner. Then at sixteen he gave it all up to chase girls. We were close, but I was forced to go to the same university as him, as it was cheaper for them to have us in the same house. I wanted to go to Liverpool...he wanted London. This is the unfair nature of families!”

                “But you don’t hate him for it, or them?”

She laughed, “I gave in to his every whim too. We all loved Owen. I admit he wasn’t the most considerate, and he wasn’t as spoilt as Tiana seems to be, but he did rule the family.”

Chris slid an arm around her shoulder, “and that’s why he leaves such a void?”

It wasn’t a question that warranted an answer, and the waft of emotion that overwhelmed her caused her to lean into him, and fight a few tears. Chris kissed her forehead, and led her into the house.

Sitting together on the sofa he took her hands, and tried to contemplate all that happened, this week with his parents, but also the last month. She’d burst into his life in a ball of passion and colour, and he doubted he’d ever feel the same again. He cared more about this woman and what the future would bring than any trauma with his family. That was the real problem here he realised as he pulled her into his arms, when the shit had hit the fan with his family, that disgraceful scene in the restaurant, he’d sided with Chloe, run to be with Chloe, snubbed his family...for Chloe. And she was leaving, and suddenly couldn’t think about that, try to imagine his life without her in it.

Their lips finally met, and for both of them there were so many emotions behind the contact. For Chris there was all that he felt, and all that he feared he’d lose, but for Chloe there was the turmoil of her own past, and the insecurity of the future. Both of them wanting to live in this moment and not think about anything else.

Chloe opened her mouth to Chris’ invading tongue, it was a possessive gesture on his part, controlling, dominating. But she wasn’t intimidated, she wanted to be controlled, at that moment the thought of more rejection like the last three days was too painful. She wanted him, and was happy to be swept along with his need, his desire.

Not that she was a passive party in this relationship. Nipping at his bottom lip, snagging it between her teeth, she reminded him that she was here. Her reward was a moan, sliding out of his mouth, and she used the opportunity to push him back onto the sofa. Straddling him, she revisited his lips, and his arms tugged her flat against him, their bodies touching along their lengths from toes to nose.

                “What are you doing to me Chloe Palmer?” His voice was hoarse; a rumble against her skin, and it was sexier than anything Chloe had known.  Wriggling her hips against his groin, she was rewarded with both another moan, and his erection swelling even more against her.

                “I’d say turning you on...if this is anything to go by!” She added another wriggle and he groaned. Rolling over they both toppled to the floor, but he was over her now, back in control. Very slowly, and deliberately, he tugged at her clothing, until she was tantalising and tempting naked and waiting for her. As his fingers explored her, delved into her, teased her beyond belief, she fought the wafts of pleasure and tugged at his clothing, and as he lowered his head to replace his fingers tipping her into the abyss of an overwhelming orgasm, she gave into the sensation, knowing that he was halfway to undressed too.

As she tried to recover, Chris scooped her into his arms, and carried her upstairs. In the bedroom she watched as he removed the jeans that she’d managed to at least loosen, his t-shirt was long gone, the slinky sporty boxers he wore were extremely attractive but they disappeared too. As he strode towards him, she turned onto her knees, and with a glint in her eye that made him gasp, she reached for him, guiding him into the recesses of her mouth. Her tongue swirled, her hands raked his thighs, and Chris anchored his hands into her hair, not wanting the moment to stop.

Chloe had another early start, and hated leaving Chris in bed. Since the first time she’d slipped out without waking him, and hurt him so much, she’d promised not to do it again. So when she leaned across the bed to give him a gentle kiss, the last thing she expected was his arms to slide around her and for him to kiss her back.

                “I’m free today, so I was wondering if you and the boys wanted company?”

She grinned, “We were planning on a picnic at the beach?”

                “Perfect!”

The rest of the week was blissful, Chris joined the family frequently, Chloe spent every night with him, and it just got better. Phil loved having him around, the boys loved him, he helped Didi with the dishes after dinner, and made Chloe laugh so much. He was perfect, and she loved every minute of it. So many times she found her mind drifting, imagining times in the future, them together in a nameless place, neither his home nor hers, with no outside world. Because that was what it would take and the bubble would burst with the realisation that it was just a dream.

One evening they’d gone for a jog together, pounding the boardwalk pushing each other to run further and faster. Stopping for a breather at the bridge that led into town, she stretched her calf as Chris leaned over the bridge and watched the water swirl.

                “You know half the team have been taking about this hottie jogger that treads these boards. And none of them know it’s you, and that I have the pleasure of seeing below the hot running gear!”

She glanced over her shoulder, “you perving Petrakis?”

Moving behind her he brushed against her buttocks in a very suggestive way, “let’s just say I’m waiting for the shower when we get home!”

Straightening her running shorts, she shook her head, “you sir, are one helpless man!”

Laughing he slapped her backside then started running back in the direction they’d come, “last one home is on foot massage duty!”

As he disappeared into the distance she smiled to herself, she had every confidence that she could tempt the reverse out of him, he was putty in her hands, she knew that much.

Sunday evening, Chloe and Chris were babysitting for the boys, Phil and Didi were at a golf dinner when the phone rang. It was never for her, but she always answered out of courtesy, and as she lifted the handset, she instantly recognised her father’s solemn voice.

                “Dad? How are you? I haven’t spoken to you in ages!”

He sighed, and Chloe could imagine him pacing the kitchen with the phone in his hand, he could never keep still, “Chloe, Max Bremmer called earlier.”

The World stopped moving, Chloe felt as though she was falling rapidly through an endless hole. There was no end, no one or nothing to stop her. Max Bremmer was her old boss, or rather the senior partner at the law firm she’d worked at for five years. And the defending lawyer for Malcolm Pinker, her brother’s murderer.

                “Chloe are you there?” Her father was concerned at the silence the lack of response from his daughter, and his voice got louder, “Chloe?”

                “Mmm.”She managed to mutter, then listened as he informed her she was being called up as a witness in court, by the defence.  She was being subpoenaed to support Malcolm Pinker’s defence.  It didn’t make sense, it confused and scared her, and all she could do was acknowledge the fact, then hang up, before she broke down.

By now Chris had turned around to see what she was doing, and as he watched her pale in front of his eyes, he rushed to catch her as she stumbled away from the phone.

                “You ok? What is it?”

Chloe looked up at his concerned face, knowing that explaining the phone call would take a weight off her mind, but then he’d need to know why they’d called her up, how she could possibly be able to over any support to that man...and there were places that she couldn’t go...wouldn’t go.