City Cinderella Read online

  ‘Good. I’ll get it. Put your dressing gown on and sit in the chair.’

  His eyes gleamed. ‘Are you going to dry my hair?’

  ‘Only to make sure it’s done properly. I flatly refuse to let you get pneumonia and put all my hard work to waste.’

  Emily went off to search in the guest room chest, which, like all the other chests in the flat, lay outside her normal tidying up jurisdiction. It came as no surprise to find a few items of female underwear in the drawer with the hairdryer. Probably the current girlfriend. Who had to be a very tidy creature. In the short time Emily had been cleaning for Lucas she’d never seen any traces of feminine occupation.

  When she got back with the hairdryer Lucas submitted to her ministrations with such blatant enjoyment that Emily thrust her fingers through the layers of glossy black hair as rapidly as she could, keeping the dryer on full heat until Lucas protested.

  ‘Steady on. I’ve only just managed to cool down.’

  ‘You’re done, anyway. Back into bed, please.’ Emily thrust her own hair back from her shiny face.

  ‘I feel a hell of a lot better after a shower. Why don’t you have one, Emily?’ said Lucas, eyeing her with sympathy. ‘If you need a change of clothes, borrow something from the guest room.’

  Emily stiffened, not at all happy to wear something one of his girlfriends had left behind.

  ‘Ladies who stay the night with me,’ he said, reading her mind, ‘don’t sleep in the guest room. But my sister keeps some things in there. Borrow what you like. Alice won’t mind.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Emily shortly, and poured water into a glass, then handed it to him with the pill. ‘Would you like something to eat?’

  ‘Please don’t bother, Emily—you look worn out,’ he said remorsefully. ‘I’ll be fine now. Have your bath.’

  ‘How about tea and the inevitable toast afterwards?’ she suggested, annoyed to find her throat thickening at the touch of sympathy. ‘I fancy some myself,’ she added, her voice even huskier than usual.

  ‘In that case, thank you.’ Lucas gave her a very serious look. ‘Look, Emily, I know I’m an awkward swine half the time—’

  ‘Half the time?’

  He grimaced. ‘Most of the time, then. But I deeply appreciate what you’re doing for me.’

  She gave him a stiff little smile and went off to the kitchen, feeling much too tired to cope with a Lucas Tennent who succeeded so spectacularly when he set out to please.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  EYEBROWS raised at the labels on Alice Tennent’s underwear, Emily restricted herself to some lacy briefs, but otherwise made do with her own clothes. Later, showered and dressed, with hair curling damply over the towel round her shoulders, she went to see Lucas, who still looked haggard and sunken-eyed, but visibly less feverish.

  ‘You’re better,’ she said, pleased. ‘Fancy an egg on your toast? Or you could have honey, or jam.’

  He thought about it, then shook his head in defeat. ‘I’ll pass on all three, thanks.’

  ‘Egg for breakfast, maybe?’

  ‘Never mind breakfast, Emily. May I have the pleasure of your company for supper tonight?’ he said, and smiled.

  Emily’s knee-jerk reaction to the smile was to give Lucas Tennent anything in the world he wanted. ‘Certainly,’ she said, determinedly brisk. ‘I shan’t be long.’

  ‘You’re an angel,’ said Lucas later, when she returned with a tray. ‘This is perfect for me, Emily, but you should be eating something more substantial.’

  ‘This is just what I want, too,’ she assured him as she sat down. It was the truth. She was too tired to bother to cook, or eat, anything more demanding.

  ‘Because I’ve worn you out,’ Lucas said darkly.

  ‘Not at all.’ Emily licked her buttery fingers one by one, then stopped, her face hot when his eyes followed the procedure with a relish which made her toes curl. ‘More toast?’ she said, passing the plate to him.

  ‘You have some, too,’ he ordered.

  ‘No more for me.’ She got up to hand him the mug of tea.

  Lucas took it with a word of thanks, his eyes on her face as she sat down. ‘Get some sleep in the other room, Emily. I’ll make sure I take the pills on time.’

  ‘I wouldn’t sleep if I did,’ she assured him. ‘So I’ll set my alarm and we’ll both get some sleep until it rings.’

  Twenty minutes later Emily was settled comfortably on one of the sofas. She’d wrapped Alice Tennent’s terrycloth robe round her in preference to staying in her clothes, added her own jacket as makeshift cover, and fell asleep almost at once. It seemed like only seconds before the alarm startled her into unwilling consciousness, and disorientated, cold, and only half-awake, she stumbled from the room and went to rouse Lucas.

  He was deeply asleep, but to Emily’s relief the covers were dry and his forehead free from sweat. She touched his outflung hand.

  ‘Lucas.’

  The thick black lashes lifted slowly on unfocused eyes. Lucas stared at her incredulously for a moment, then his eyes lit up and his arms shot up to pull her down to him. Almost in the same movement he rolled over and captured her beneath him, his mouth on hers in a kiss which paralysed her brain.

  The hungry, expert mouth took complete possession of hers, kissing her into silence, his tongue invading and caressing, the sheer weight of him holding her body down as he stripped himself. His hands smoothed her robe away to find the warmth beneath, his fingers trailing ribbons of fire over her skin, and she gasped at the exquisite sensation as he caressed her hard, expectant nipples and sent heat arrowing downwards to melt any last shred of resistance. Lucas made a relishing sound deep in his throat as she yielded, his caresses finding erogenous zones Emily had never known she possessed. When his fingers slid between her parted thighs to work their magic on the concealed, throbbing bud, she gave a choked little scream and reared up against him, and Lucas, fiercely aroused, entered her with a smooth, practised thrust which pinned her to the bed. He captured her hands, his eyes burning down into hers for an instant while he held her impaled. Then he began to move, his body urging hers to move with him, and for the next few hot, surging minutes of urgent flesh on flesh, her body responded with total abandon to physical possession so absolute that she clutched his shoulders in frenzy when a powerful orgasm swept over her at last, engulfing Lucas in the same shattering climax before he collapsed on her as though he’d been poleaxed.

  For a long, breathless interval Emily lay winded beneath his weight, her body vibrating with the throbbing aftershocks of his lovemaking. But at last, desperate for a deep breath, she pulled herself together and thrust bunched fists at Lucas’s shoulders. He rolled clear, trying to take her with him, but she shoved at him so violently he let her go, and without looking at him she tugged at the dressing-gown until she was free. She scrambled out of bed and stood up with her back to him, body and hands shaking as she wrapped the material around her and tied the sash viciously tight. Back still turned, Emily managed to pour a glass of water, took a pill from the pack, blindly thrust it towards Lucas, and rushed out to make for the bathroom in the hall.

  She locked the door and sat on the edge of the bath, hands thrust in her hair, breath still heaving through her chest as she fought for calm. I bet Florence Nightingale never had that problem to cope with, she thought, and began to laugh. And couldn’t stop even when Lucas began hammering on the door.

  ‘Let me in,’ he bawled. ‘For God’s sake, Emily, calm down and unlock this door, or I’ll break it down.’

  His threat cut off her hysterics like a douche of cold water. She unlocked the door, turned on the tap in the washbasin and bent her head to splash her face. She felt a towel thrust into her hand and straightened to dry her face, and at last forced herself to face him.

  Lucas looked pale and haggard, hair wild and eyes heavy, but in some indefinable way no longer as ill as before.

  New cure for flu, thought Emily, and gave him a derisive little smile whic
h stopped well short of her dimple. ‘Do you know what my gut reaction to—to all that was?’

  His mouth twisted. ‘Disgust?’

  ‘Regettably, no. As was embarrassingly obvious.’ She looked him in the eye. ‘I’m a practical soul, Lucas Tennent. My first thought was money. Because I can’t work for you now. And in my current financial situation that’s bad news.’

  ‘You mean all you can think of is money?’ He frowned incredulously. ‘I thought you were hysterical because you felt I’d raped you.’

  Emily shook her head impatiently. ‘We both know that what happened between us was nothing like rape. I—I co-operated with too much enthusiasm for that. Anyway, I thought rapists were motivated by anger.’

  ‘Whereas the only one angry is you,’ he said bleakly.

  ‘Do you blame me?’

  ‘No.’ He thrust an unsteady hand through his hair. ‘Not in the slightest. Is there any point in an apology, Emily? If so, I’ll grovel.’ He swallowed, his eyes locked with hers. ‘I must have been dreaming of you. Then I woke up to find you there for real, and you know the rest. I was only half-awake at first. But that’s no excuse. Once you were in my arms I couldn’t have let you go if the roof had fallen in.’

  ‘Maybe it’s the antibiotics—’ She glared at him. ‘Please tell me that you took that one just now?’

  ‘Of course I didn’t,’ he snapped. ‘I was too concerned about you.’

  ‘Then go and take it now, for heaven’s sake.’

  ‘If I do, will you come with me? To talk?’

  Her anger drained away. ‘All right,’ she said listlessly. ‘But only after I’ve had another bath.’

  It was some time before Emily, fully dressed and more or less in her right mind, felt up to facing Lucas again.

  ‘Before you ask,’ he said swiftly as she went into the bedroom, ‘I’ve taken the pill.’

  ‘Good.’ She moved the chair well away from the bed and sat down in it, legs crossed, trying to look relaxed. ‘So what do you want to talk about?’

  Lucas sat erect in the bed, his eyes holding hers. ‘First of all, I apologise again, Emily. It’s not a habit of mine to force a woman.’

  She eyed him with scorn. ‘Oh, come on, Lucas. You didn’t force me. I was so sleepy it was more a case of taking me—and my body—by surprise.’ She thought about it. ‘More a revelation than a surprise, to be exact, especially the last bit. I’ve never had an orgasm before.’

  Lucas looked thunderstruck. ‘Never?’ he asked at last.

  ‘No. I’ve always faked it.’

  ‘Surely that didn’t go unnoticed?’

  She shrugged. ‘Miles certainly never mentioned it.’

  Lucas shook his head in wonder. ‘The more I hear about this guy, the harder it gets to believe you even passed the time of day with him.’

  Emily sighed despondently. ‘Whatever I felt for him didn’t survive the first couple of weeks. But where we both worked everyone knew we’d bought a place together, and I wouldn’t admit, even to myself, that I’d made such a disastrous mistake. My parents wanted me to marry someone else.’

  ‘And Miles took you away from him?’

  ‘Sort of. The relationship with Harry was already running out of steam, anyway. He’s a solicitor. Lives in Chastlecombe. But when I came to work in London things sort of fizzled out between us. Then Miles came on the scene, in hot pursuit from the first. Very different from cautious, sensible Harry. But, alas, my savings were my main attraction for Miles.’ She gave Lucas a wry look. ‘I don’t have much luck where men are concerned.’

  Lucas moved to the side of the bed and leaned towards a suddenly wary Emily. ‘Don’t look like that. I’m not going to pounce on you again.’ He reached for her hand. ‘Let’s clear the air. Where I’m concerned you needn’t worry.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Money, for a start.’

  She dropped his hand like a hot coal. ‘Money?’

  ‘I meant,’ said Lucas impatiently, ‘that even if you never want to lay eyes on me again, you can still go on working for me if you want, because normally our paths never cross.’

  ‘Oh, right,’ she said dully.

  ‘The other point I’m forced to raise is lack of protection.’ His eyes held hers relentlessly. ‘Though your only fear on that score where I’m concerned is possible pregnancy.’

  She stared back in outrage. ‘Isn’t that enough?’

  ‘Which means that you don’t practise contraception yourself.’

  ‘No. I’m one of the awkward ones. The pill disagrees with me.’

  Lucas nodded briskly, then winced. ‘I must remember not to do that.’

  Emily jumped up. ‘Please lie back. For a moment I’d forgotten—’

  ‘That I’m ill?’ He smiled. ‘So had I. How about writing an article for the Lancet. New miracle cure for influenza.’

  ‘It’s not funny to me,’ she snapped.

  ‘Nor to me,’ said Lucas quietly, his eyes steady on hers. ‘It was miraculous, Emily.’

  Secretly, she was in full agreement, but something about the way he was looking at her told her it would be dangerous to admit it. ‘Please rest now. When I leave in the morning I want to know you’re on the mend. And able to take care of yourself when I’m gone.’

  Lucas held out his hand. ‘Sit on the edge of the bed for a while, Emily. We haven’t finished our talk.’

  She shook her head and got up. ‘No more talk, Lucas. I’m tired. And it won’t be long before I’m back with the next dose of pills.’

  ‘You don’t have to,’ he said at once. ‘I can do that myself.’

  ‘Possibly,’ she retorted, ‘but I’ll be back at six, just the same. Goodnight.’

  This time when Emily settled on the living room couch she felt jumpy and out of sorts, and so far from sleep that she gave up after a while and tiptoed into the kitchen for some water. She perched on one of the stools, chin in hands, then turned to see Lucas watching bleakly from the doorway.

  ‘You look the picture of despair, Emily,’ he said, coming nearer.

  ‘Not despair, exactly.’ She slid off the stool. ‘I was just sorting things out in my mind.’

  ‘What things?’

  ‘Dates,’ she blurted, then blushed to the roots of her hair.

  Lucas reached for her involuntarily, and Emily leaned against him limply. ‘When will you know?’ he asked.

  ‘End of next week. I’ll find out how soon I can take a pregnancy test.’

  Lucas tipped her face up to his. ‘And give me the result straight away.’

  ‘Of course.’ She smiled faintly. ‘Lucas, I certainly didn’t bargain for all this when I decided to play Good Samaritan.’

  ‘Enough to cure you of all charitable impulses in the future,’ he agreed, and smoothed her unruly curls back in a gesture which made her throat thicken. ‘Go and get some rest, Emily. I promise to take my pill at six.’

  ‘I couldn’t sleep if I did,’ she said, backing away.

  ‘Neither could I.’ His eyes met hers. ‘The memory of making love to you, Emily Warner, will give me insomnia for the foreseeable future.’

  ‘I bet you say that to all the girls,’ she said wearily.

  ‘You couldn’t be more wrong.’ He shivered and Emily hurried to take his arm.

  ‘Will you please go back to bed?’ she scolded. ‘I absolutely forbid you to have a relapse.’

  ‘If I did would you stay to look after me?’

  ‘Certainly not! Because you’re going to be fine from now on. Though you might feel a bit down for a while,’ she warned. ‘I certainly did.’

  ‘Without you on hand I’ll be more than just down.’ In the bedroom Lucas gave her a dark look as he slid beneath the covers. ‘Are you really going to abandon me in the morning, Emily?’

  ‘I have work to do,’ she reminded him. ‘But after I’ve finished at the Donaldsons’ I’ll look in on you before I go home.’

  Emily made sure Lucas took the medication at s
ix, then retreated to the sofa for an hour to worry about taking the morning-after pill neither of them had mentioned. If her intolerance to contraceptive pills was anything to go by, the effect of such a huge dosage of hormones would be unpleasant in the extreme. But better that than a possible pregnancy. Not that one solitary experience of love, sex, or whatever spin one put on the episode with Lucas, need necessarily result in a baby. And even if it did it wasn’t the end of the world. She bit her lip. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t bring up a baby in her room in Nat’s house. The two flights of steep stairs alone vetoed that. She would just have to find somewhere else. Because for several reasons, her father’s calling among them, she couldn’t face the idea of returning pregnant and single to Chastlecombe.

  At last Emily could stand it no longer. She got up, made use of one of the new toothbrushes Lucas kept in the main bathroom, then went into the kitchen to make coffee. Overcoming reluctance to face Lucas by the light of day, she put her head round his door and found him sitting upright against his pillows, reading the Financial Times from the day before.

  ‘Good morning,’ he said, abandoning the paper. ‘You look shattered, Emily.’

  ‘I’m never very bright in the morning,’ she confessed. ‘How do you feel?’

  ‘A damned sight better than I did yesterday.’ He sniffed the air. ‘My olfactory powers are back to normal, for a start. Do I smell coffee?’

  ‘I’ll bring you some right away.’

  ‘Bring yours as well and sit with me,’ commanded Lucas. ‘We need to talk.’

  ‘Yes, we do,’ Emily agreed. When she got back she handed him a steaming beaker, then sat down with her own. ‘First, the morning-after pill,’ she said baldly. ‘I’d better find a doctor today and ask for one.’

  ‘No way!’ he said forcibly. ‘Alice’s flat-mate vomited for days after taking that, and still stayed pregnant. With your intolerance to contraceptive pills, Emily, God knows what a high-voltage dose of hormones would do. Leave the outcome to me. Please.’