would take too long. I reach my floor and pull out my keys.
I turn them in the lock and open the door to the apartment, panting from running. The hallway and kitchen are empty.
“Hey!” I call. “Lorna?”
A surprised looking Lorna appears in the hallway. She’s only wearing a pale blue bra and panties. Her lean model frame is showcased to perfection.
“Hey, honey,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting you back.”
Something in her expression seems a little guarded. My eyes flick towards her bedroom.
“Did you bring someone back?” I mouth, pointing to the half open door.
She gives a guilty half smile, nods, and shrugs.
Hmmm. Not like Lorna to feel guilty about male company. Then I make the connection.
“It’s Ben Gracey, isn’t it?” I say, not bothering to keep the outrage from my voice.
Lorna gives another small nod, her eyes pleading with me not to make a scene.
Part of me wants to storm into her bedroom and give Ben a piece of my mind. Last time I saw him with Lorna, she fell into a diabetic coma. And he conveniently vanished from the bar.
But James is parked outside in a no parking zone, and I don’t want to be responsible for him getting fined. Plus , I don’t know how much of my business it is. Maybe there was an innocent explanation for Ben’s disappearance.
“Do you have my phone?” I say eventually.
“Yeah. Sure.” She gives me a wide relieved smile. “Give me a sec.”
She vanishes into her bedroom, and I hear a low male voice.
My anger rises up again. How dare he show up here, after abandoning her! And what is Lorna thinking? What is the attraction to this man?
You can talk , whispers a dark part of my subconscious. You’re falling for a man who likes spanking you.
Lorna emerges with a smile and hands me my phone.
“I’ll be gone for a while,” I say, my eyes still flitting uncertainly to her bedroom doorway. “The movie has been rescheduled to start in a few days.”
Lorna’s eyes widen in surprise, but I can tell she has other things on her mind.
She gives me a tight hug.
“Ok, honey,” she says. “You take care. Call me , ok?”
Her violet eyes are searching mine.
“Ok,” I say, making it clear in my expression that I do not approve of her houseguest.
Her face makes an adorable little expression which only Lorna could get away with. It says ‘I know I’m bad,’ and ‘I can’t help it,’ and ‘please forgive me,’ all at once.
I smile back at her, unable to stay mad.
“I’ll speak to you soon,” I say, hugging her again before running for the door.
I catch a glimpse of her happy face before shooting out into the corridor.
Who knows? I think as I race down the stairs again. Maybe I’ve got Ben wrong after all.
I’m still dwelling on this thought as I pull open the car door and slide into the passenger seat, completely out of breath.
“You didn’t have to run,” says James, sliding the car into gear and pulling away.
“I didn’t want you to get a ticket,” I explain.
“You never need to worry about that,” he says.
Of course . He’s James Berkeley. He probably has dispensation from the Queen to park anywhere he pleases.
“What’s wrong?” he adds, catching a glimpse of my confused expression.
“Oh, nothing,” I explain, “it’s just that your cousin was in the apartment with Lorna. I’m not sure he’s a great influence.”
“My cousin? As in Ben Gracey?”
“Yes.”
“He’s not a good influence,” confirms James. “I would advise your friend to keep away from him.”
“What’s your deal with him?” I am curious. James has told me they’re cousins, but they obviously have a history.
James is silent for a moment, as if considering how to reply.
“He’s my stepbrother,” he says finally.
This is unexpected. I pause for a moment, taking it in.
“Then why call him your cousin?”
“Because I don’t like him,” says James simply. “And his mother is no longer married to my father.”
Ok. That makes
I turn them in the lock and open the door to the apartment, panting from running. The hallway and kitchen are empty.
“Hey!” I call. “Lorna?”
A surprised looking Lorna appears in the hallway. She’s only wearing a pale blue bra and panties. Her lean model frame is showcased to perfection.
“Hey, honey,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting you back.”
Something in her expression seems a little guarded. My eyes flick towards her bedroom.
“Did you bring someone back?” I mouth, pointing to the half open door.
She gives a guilty half smile, nods, and shrugs.
Hmmm. Not like Lorna to feel guilty about male company. Then I make the connection.
“It’s Ben Gracey, isn’t it?” I say, not bothering to keep the outrage from my voice.
Lorna gives another small nod, her eyes pleading with me not to make a scene.
Part of me wants to storm into her bedroom and give Ben a piece of my mind. Last time I saw him with Lorna, she fell into a diabetic coma. And he conveniently vanished from the bar.
But James is parked outside in a no parking zone, and I don’t want to be responsible for him getting fined. Plus , I don’t know how much of my business it is. Maybe there was an innocent explanation for Ben’s disappearance.
“Do you have my phone?” I say eventually.
“Yeah. Sure.” She gives me a wide relieved smile. “Give me a sec.”
She vanishes into her bedroom, and I hear a low male voice.
My anger rises up again. How dare he show up here, after abandoning her! And what is Lorna thinking? What is the attraction to this man?
You can talk , whispers a dark part of my subconscious. You’re falling for a man who likes spanking you.
Lorna emerges with a smile and hands me my phone.
“I’ll be gone for a while,” I say, my eyes still flitting uncertainly to her bedroom doorway. “The movie has been rescheduled to start in a few days.”
Lorna’s eyes widen in surprise, but I can tell she has other things on her mind.
She gives me a tight hug.
“Ok, honey,” she says. “You take care. Call me , ok?”
Her violet eyes are searching mine.
“Ok,” I say, making it clear in my expression that I do not approve of her houseguest.
Her face makes an adorable little expression which only Lorna could get away with. It says ‘I know I’m bad,’ and ‘I can’t help it,’ and ‘please forgive me,’ all at once.
I smile back at her, unable to stay mad.
“I’ll speak to you soon,” I say, hugging her again before running for the door.
I catch a glimpse of her happy face before shooting out into the corridor.
Who knows? I think as I race down the stairs again. Maybe I’ve got Ben wrong after all.
I’m still dwelling on this thought as I pull open the car door and slide into the passenger seat, completely out of breath.
“You didn’t have to run,” says James, sliding the car into gear and pulling away.
“I didn’t want you to get a ticket,” I explain.
“You never need to worry about that,” he says.
Of course . He’s James Berkeley. He probably has dispensation from the Queen to park anywhere he pleases.
“What’s wrong?” he adds, catching a glimpse of my confused expression.
“Oh, nothing,” I explain, “it’s just that your cousin was in the apartment with Lorna. I’m not sure he’s a great influence.”
“My cousin? As in Ben Gracey?”
“Yes.”
“He’s not a good influence,” confirms James. “I would advise your friend to keep away from him.”
“What’s your deal with him?” I am curious. James has told me they’re cousins, but they obviously have a history.
James is silent for a moment, as if considering how to reply.
“He’s my stepbrother,” he says finally.
This is unexpected. I pause for a moment, taking it in.
“Then why call him your cousin?”
“Because I don’t like him,” says James simply. “And his mother is no longer married to my father.”
Ok. That makes
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