definitely the look she was aiming for tonight.
Her jewelry she kept to a minimum. A silver chain locket necklace and silver loop earrings. Her perfume was an expensive one, a present from Dora for her birthday back in June. It was called True Love.
True irony, Jessie thought wryly as she slipped her feet into the same strappy black high heels she’d worn the previous Friday. Her only regret about her appearance was that she hadn’t invested in some fake tan. No sleeves and no stockings meant that a lot of her pale flesh was on display. But she hadn’t been paid yet and could have only afforded the cheap variety. Better to have no tan than to have orange streaks and oddly coloured elbows and ankles.
‘Kane’s here,’ Dora chimed out a few seconds before he knocked on the door. She must have heard his footsteps on the concrete path which led around to the granny flat.
‘Coming,’ Jessie replied, amazed at how nauseous she was suddenly feeling. What had happened to the carefree girl she’d used to be?
Well, that girl was gone, Jessie realised, replaced by a nervous wreck who was scared stiff that she’d be so hopeless that Kane wouldn’t want to see her again after tonight. Which might be for the best. But somehow, at this precise moment, wisdom wasn’t Jessie’s long suit.
Thinking about the girl she had used to be, however, reminded her that she didn’t have any condoms. Still, she was sure Kane would be well prepared. A man who didn’t want children would always be prepared.
‘Kane! Kane!’ Emily’s excited voice reached Jessie.
Jessie hoped her daughter didn’t start chanting to him about his being her mummy’s boyfriend.
‘Won’t be a sec,’ she called out from the bedroom as she hurriedly put her make-up, brush and wallet into her black patent evening bag and headed for the bedroom door.
Kane hadn’t actually come inside. He’d stayed standing on the back doorstep under the light that shone down from above.
‘Oh,’ she said on seeing him. ‘We’re colour coordinated.’
He was wearing a black suit—casually tailored—with a white T-shirt underneath. No doubt a very expensive designer white T-shirt. Not that it mattered. On him, anything looked good.
By the look in his eyes what she was wearing was meeting with his approval as well. It was good that men rarely knew what a woman’s clothes cost. She wouldn’t mind betting that his T-shirt had cost more than her whole outfit. Minus the lingerie and the shoes, of course. They had been expensive.
‘Doesn’t Mummy look pretty?’ Emily said from where Dora, by some miracle, had kept her sitting at the table, eating her dinner. Admittedly, it was spaghetti bolognaise, Emily’s favourite. But Jessie had pictured her daughter hurling herself into Kane’s arms the moment he arrived.
‘Yes, indeed,’ Kane agreed with gleaming eyes.
‘Are you going to ask Mummy to marry you?’
It was just the sort of question Jessie had feared.
She groaned her embarrassment whilst Dora laughed.
Kane, the suave devil, took it in his stride. ‘Would you like me to?’ he said.
‘Oh, yes,’ Emily replied.
‘Your wish is my command, princess. The trouble is I don’t think your mummy’s quite ready to marry me yet.’
‘Why not?’ Emily demanded to know, scowling up at her mother.
‘Kane and I have only known each other a week,’ Jessie said with more patience than she was feeling. ‘You don’t marry someone until you’ve known them much longer than that.’
‘Two weeks?’ Emily suggested, and both Dora and Kane laughed.
Jessie rolled her eyes. ‘At least two weeks. Now, you be good for Dora tonight and go to bed when she tells you to. Thanks a bunch, Dora.’
‘My pleasure, love. Just you and Kane have a good time. And don’t go thinking you have to rush home. Stay out as long as you like. I’ll go to sleep on your sofa.’
‘I shouldn’t be too late,’ Jessie said firmly. More for Kane’s ears than Dora’s. ‘Bye, sweetie.’ She gave Emily a kiss. ‘Love you. See you in the morning.’
‘At least two weeks, eh?’ Kane said as they walked together along the side-path. ‘In that case, we should be engaged by Christmas.’
‘Very funny,’ Jessie said.
‘Who says I’m joking?’
‘Kane, stop it.’
‘Stop what?’
Jessie ground to a halt beside Dora’s prized hydrangeas, which were in full bloom. ‘Stop being ridiculous. You and I both know you would never marry me.’
‘Why not?’
‘For one thing I have Emily.’
‘I think Emily’s fantastic. Cutest kid I’ve ever met.’
Jessie shook her head in exasperation. ‘This is a stupid conversation and I don’t want to continue it.’
‘Good, because I’m sick of talking, anyway.’ Before she could read his intention, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, right there and then.
Jessie’s first instinct was to struggle. What if Dora came out and around the side of the house and saw them? She even opened her mouth to protest.
Silly move.
His tongue darted inside and she didn’t think about anything much after that for a full five minutes. By the time he let her come up for air, her head was swimming and her body was on the countdown to lift-off. She actually moaned in dismay when his mouth lifted. Her fingers tightened on what she thought was his back, but was actually her evening bag, resting against his back.
‘Now I know what to do with you,’ he said thickly as he stroked an erotic finger over her puffy lips. ‘Every time you start to get stroppy tonight, I’m going to kiss you. So be warned and try to behave yourself in the restaurant. Unless, of course, you’d rather we didn’t go out to eat. We could drive straight to my place if you prefer. I do have food there in my freezer and a perfectly good microwave. Wine too, and fresh fruit. I’m actually quite domesticated. I only turn into a wild beast around you.’
‘I like the wild beast,’ she heard herself saying in a low, husky voice. But that finger on her lips felt incredible. Before she could think better of it, her tongue-tip came out to meet it. He stared down at her mouth and then slowly, ever so slowly, inserted his finger inside.
Her stomach somersaulted.
‘Suck it,’ he commanded. And she did, thinking all the while that she would do anything he told her to do tonight.
The thought blew her away. This was dangerous territory she’d just entered. But more exciting than anything she’d ever experienced before. Lyall was kindergarten playtime
