Liam O’Grady stood at the wide table, in his pristine white shirt and neatly pressed deep blue trousers, looking for all the world like a model in a men’s fashion magazine. I made out Finn St Just who was lounging in a chair beside his brother.
The northerly light fell into the large room, pale and diffused, for the myriad glass panels were helping it to filter in slowly, and the aroma of cigarettes, leather, and whiskey greeted me.
*
This was a man’s den.
The overwhelming masculine power that radiated from the walls, made me shrink in alarm.
There was nothing soft and feminine here.
And I bet, I thought, my throat clenching in terror, the walls must be soundproofed too!
I don’t know why I made that observation.
My fertile imagination was working overtime.
But the feeling of being totally at the mercy of the men in the room brought on a feeling of fear.
Of helplessness…
*
This room had a dark wooden floor, and no carpeting to disguise the beauty of the polished wood. The ceiling, I noticed, was delicately plastered, like a work of art and one entire wall was covered with bookcases, lined with books. I knew that I was gawping and hastily clamped my mouth shut. Liam O’Grady’s eyes were on me, fixed, unblinkingly as I took a couple of baby steps and stopped.
I can’t do this, I thought, in rising panic.
I can’t just sign over my life for a year to two strangers; to agree to sleep with them. And I a virgin at that!
And then, I thought of Nelson, his threats, and with a deep breath, I stepped forward.
*
Liam made it easier for me, possibly reading my confusion and my fear. He came around the table and stood before me and I looked into his brilliant blue eyes.
He was close and I could see the lines around his mouth, the lines of fatigue. He was older than me, I thought, blinking in wonder; he must be thirty!
For a nineteen-year-old, thirty was like ancient.
*
But it was the male fragrance of his body that took hold of me, making me long for strange things. A scent of pepper, pine…lavender and citrus.
Suddenly, all I wanted to do was to press my face into his neck.
Suddenly, I wanted to suck his thick, strong neck, to smell him…
What was wrong with me, I thought, biting my lower lip nervously. The brilliant blue eyes were fixed on me, his lips, firm and full, a pouty mouth, almost like a girl’s, turning up the corners, in amused knowledge. And the feeling that he had probably read my mind, made me blush.
*
In that growling voice of his, Liam spoke,
“Bianca Cruz. We are happy to have you here. Won’t you take a seat?”
And he waved his large hand expansively, indicating the large room, with a number of cosy-looking armchairs and a large couch, arranged in an appealing way before a large fireplace. There was also a drinks bar on one side, throw blankets around the place arranged artlessly and I sighed. It looked so comfortable, I knew that I could sit there for hours.
But that’s not what I was there for.
*
I became aware of St Just observing me silently with those golden eyes that seemed to pierce through my clothing and strip me naked. I felt a tingling and I spoke, in a voice that came out husky, not at all like the confident person I was pretending to be.
“Thank you, Mr O’Grady,”
His eyes glittered and I saw his mouth tighten.
I felt his displeasure but he replied mockingly,
“This way, Ms Cruz.”
And he led me to the couch.
“Drink?” he asked, his thick eyebrow raised sardonically as if he already knew the answer, and I shook my head, my face pink. I did not like to drink. God forbid, after seeing Heather tottering about the house tipsily, all I wanted was to ban drinking!
*
He glanced at his silent half-brother and as if on cue, Finn St Just rose and strolled over. He had a sheaf of papers in his hands and my face burnt as I recognized the same papers I had thrust into Liam’s hands not too politely a few days ago.
But he indicated one of the comfortable chairs and I sank down, pressing my trembling knees together.
*
I had chosen to wear a midi skirt and a blouse, both of which I had picked up from a clearance sale some time ago. While the polka-dotted flowy skirt was beige, I had topped it off with a blouse that was not so old; white and lacy, making me look demure with the white pumps I had dragged out from the bottom of my cupboard. They were old and out of fashion. The skirt came to my knees and clung to my plump figure, and made me uncomfortably aware of how Finn and Liam were watching me.
They settled on chairs close to me and I stopped breathing.
Well almost.
*
Liam sipped from a tumbler with dark, honey-coloured liquid and I thought immediately of Finn’s eyes.
I looked up to find his searching gaze on me. I squirmed
Liam shuffled the papers, rustling them more than necessary and spoke, politely,
‘Perhaps you would like to read through the agreement once more, Ms Cruz, before you sign on them?’
I looked up at him wordlessly and nodded.
*
As I reached out my hand to take the papers, our fingers touched; the spark of static that shot through me was enough to make me gasp. His face tightened but he said nothing.
My face burning, I quickly lowered my head, reading the letters that seemed to mist before my eyes.
Was I really going to do this, I asked myself, my breath coming quickly.
My hands must have been shaking for Liam O’Grady reached over to an intercom and said in a clipped tone,
“Send up a lemonade to my room. Cool and sweet. Now.”
I looked at him and again felt the graze of excitement as our eyes met.