You Got It Wrong - Part Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Two

Nina was sat opposite Theo in the kitchen a great poker hand in front of her when Lilah looked in.

                “I’m getting an early night; got to meet my agent in at nine in London in the morning, so I’m on a train at some ungodly hour.”

Nina looked up, “that mean you’re modelling again?” There had been a lull recently, since splitting with her last boyfriend she’d cut back on travelling, in being away, but that hadn’t been an entirely positive move. The thought that she was getting her mojo back pleased Nina no end.

                “A few things on the horizon, I’m going to be VERY selective though, I’m not a desperate teenager chasing fame anymore. If they want me in the right situation then I’ll do it.”

Nina grinned; at her lowest ebb her friend had compared modelling to prostitution, something that had disturbed her. “That sounds amazing. Do you want me to come and meet you after, get some lunch?”

Lilah nodded, “that sounds brilliant. I’ll be done by half twelve I reckon, think I can get us into Gordon Ramsey’s new place...I met the maitre’d a few weeks ago. I’ll call him in the morning.”

Lilah came across the kitchen and gave Nina a kiss on the cheek, then waved to Theo with a slightly sarcastic grin, before leaving them alone.

Theo was slouched in the chair across the table from her, his hand of cards between them, a convenient barrier to literally hide behind. Before Lilah had entered the kitchen, he had been smiling from his half hidden position, eyes low darting his head an inch to meet her gaze then returning to his cards. She’d found it funny, but during and after Lilah his whole demeanour changed.

                “What’s wrong?”

He shrugged, “nothing why?”

She shook her head as she threw a few more chips into the centre of the table, “I’ll see you Mr Peterson.”

Lowering his hand, he revealed two pairs, but that was no match for her flush which she laid out with a flourish, “you were smiling before Lilah came in, did she do something to offend you?”

She studied him and there was a delay, a hesitation that made her realise she’d hit the nail on the head, “what did she say?”

Groaning he tossed the hand onto the table, “she just made it clear she thinks I have ulterior motives for being here.”

Nina inclined her head for a moment as she took than on board, then she stood and made for the fridge, “it was my suggestion.”

He shrugged a response then watched her as she came across the kitchen to him, her extended arm offering a beer, “and have you?”

                “Have I what?”

Lowering herself opposite him again, she knew the alcohol was loosening her lips, she had a moment to stop, but her lips seem to continue without her brain engaging, “got an ulterior motive.”

Theo stared at her, he could see the pulse at the base of her throat racing, his eyes were sparkling and he’d never seen her look more desirable, more exciting. He’d started the evening apologising for being so uncouth at the wedding to her, and yet now...now she was making a move. That was what this was, wasn’t it? The silence seemed to only magnify the sound of their breathing, the bubbles popping in their beer, and the way they both swallowed nervously.

                “An ulterior motive?” He finally managed. “That would mean that I would have planned tonight.”

He couldn’t miss the way her eyes dropped, was that disappointment? He didn’t want her to think that he hadn’t thought those thoughts, he wasn’t about to reject her all over again.

                “But we’re not a million miles from where I had hoped we would be when I called you after the wedding.”

As he watched her waiting for a response, her eyes were still averted, but he couldn’t miss the way she bit her bottom lip, worrying it with her teeth. For Theo it caused a bolt of heat to light up his body, his stomach lurched for a moment, and he had to pause. His instinct was to reach out, touch her bruised bottom lip, brush it with his thumb. Then he thought about her lips fastening around it, sucking it into the warm cavern of her mouth. He heard a moan, then realised it was him, and it was that that finally caused her eyes to lift to his.

                “You intrigue me...” he responded to his urge, reaching out to massage her bruised bottom lip, his fingers sliding over her smooth skin, resting at her hairline. Her lips parted with a sigh and her eyes studied him. He was equally blessed and cursed that a table separated them, because his body was displaying very obviously his desire for her.

                “Theo.” His name was a breath on her lips, and she was leaning into his hand.

Theo couldn’t remember a time when he had wanted something as much as he wanted the woman opposite him. From the minute he’d set eyes on her they’d had a turbulent time, mainly due to him, but was it really that bizarre to be suspicious of someone...a stranger to be so generous and caring? In this day and age he didn’t think he was hugely out of order, but then that was a huge part of why he found her so captivating. She dropped everything to help her, to help Mansell, to help Melody. And she really had no ulterior motive for that.

Standing he leaned forward bringing his face close to hers.

                “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

She bit her lip for a moment, nervous, then she gave a half smile, “infuriate you? Annoy you?”

He laughed and was surprised how throaty that sounded, “all the time, but that’s not what I mean.”

He could see her swallow, the constriction of her throat so obvious, as was the way she moistened her lips. He hadn’t wanted to go there, to lift the tension to this level. He wanted her, whenever he was in her company that was blatantly obvious, almost unable to control. But he hadn’t intended to make a move; he had too much on his plate without screwing up something with her.

But now, their faces just a breath apart, her eyes filled with warmth, skin covered in gooseflesh, primed, wanting him as he wanted her. He was sure. Leaning closer he could feel her breath against his lips, as her eyes closed anticipating a kiss, a shout from the corner of the room caused them to leap apart.

                “Daaaad?”

It was a wail more than a shout and they both sprung apart almost violently, pushing away from the table that separated them. But Melody didn’t appear at the door. It was only then that Theo spotted the baby intercom illuminated on the work surface.

                “I’d better go see to her...she won’t know where she is...”

Several hours later Nina was no closer to sleeping. The events of the evening were vivid Technicolor replays on the back of her eyelids. She’d tossed, turned, fumed and felt embarrassed, and when her clock read two am she knew she had to get to sleep soon. Warm milk with a shot of whisky, that always worked for her. So she jumped out of bed and crept along the hallway past the doors to Lilah’s and then the spare bedroom, not wanting to disturb anyone.

Filling a mug with milk she slipped it into the microwave, and leaned against the counter, being in the kitchen only made the evening more real. She’d wanted to kiss Theo, hell she’d wanted more, and that was what she found hardest to deal with. Since she’d found her stepmother with her boyfriend almost ten years earlier, she’d avoided men. There had been a few drunken encounters on her prolonged trip to France and Spain that followed her discovery, but they’d been accidental falling together moments, with Theo, she wanted it. Would quite blatantly plan time with him, plan ways to be alone with him. Until he ran off.

But Melody had woken, he was being a good father, she tried to reassure herself. But couldn’t he have just made some comment, some hint that he felt the same way, instead of leaving her mortified, feeling like some hussy? She wanted to scream aloud, but didn’t. Instead she reached inside the kitchen cupboard and pulled out her best whisky, it may seem a waste going into hot milk, but she had standards when it came to Scotch.

The microwave pinged and she took out the mug and was just topping up the milk with whisky when the kitchen door opened. She turned with a smile expecting to see Lilah there, but instead she came face to face with Theo, in his t-shirt and boxers, hair ruffled from sleep. But as he looked at her his eyes literally popped out on stalks.

Theo hadn’t been able to sleep, he was aware of every creak of floorboard, every mattress spring as he tried to share a bed with his wriggling daughter. Melody was a restless sleeper at the best of times, but tonight she seemed to be taking an award for it, or maybe his lack of sleep was compounding the issue. Either way he’d not wanted to disturb the house by getting up, but when he heard someone in the kitchen he didn’t feel so bad about getting up for a drink.

But as he opened the kitchen door he knew he’d rue that decision for a long time. Until he saw Nina he really didn’t know if it was her or Lilah that had woken, but the vision that greeted him, was all Nina. She had her back to him, and was wearing just a tight strappy purple vest that came to what he imagined was her belly button. That alone wasn’t an issue, but it was only accompanied by a pair of black knickers. Her waist, her hips, and those shapely legs were all completely bare. And it took his breath, his head was rolling as though he’d just stepped off the fastest roller coaster, and his heart was pounding equally as hard.

And then she turned to face him, a smile briefly on her lips, that disappeared when her eyes met his. As he noted the disappointment at finding him there, he couldn’t help but study her, from the back she’d looked like a teenage boy’s dream, but head on. Words failed him. The tight vest clung to her shapely body, her large breasts emphasised, her nipples hard pointing almost through the soft cotton, her rounded tummy, she lacked the slimness that was so fashionable, but her rounded hips, just begged for his hands, and he had no idea how he’d manage a conversation with her looking like that, when he met her eyes again, they were staring at him, but then he knew that his reaction to her was more than obvious, and her wide eyes only confirmed that she’d spotted his desire for her.

His throat was dry, his brain unthinking for the level of arousal that overwhelmed it.

                “I was getting a drink...do you want...”

But she didn’t finish the question, the offer of a drink for him, as he had stalked the few steps towards her and silenced her with a hand to her cheek, an assessing, caressing hand.

Nina felt like crying, she’d never felt so out of her depth, never felt so short of breath, so unable to focus. His fingers slid over her cheek settled in her hair, caused waves of sensations to erupt across her skin. She couldn’t remember a moment so tense, so exciting, when she felt so aroused, so desperate for something. She watched as his face grew closer.

                “We were disturbed...earlier...” the words were a rasp the voice barely resembling the Theo she’d spoken to so many times. But she had little time to process that thought, instead, his lips found hers...and it was like an IED had fired in the centre of her.