Third Time Lucky?

Set

Marie

A loud ping was what it took for Richard to break the kiss, maybe because it signalled we had reached our floor or we were stopping for someone to get on, anyway Richard pulled back slowly.

As for me a fog settled in my brain and I stood or rather leant back against the lift wall, still with my head tilted back and I'm sure a glazed look on my face.

The look of victory that appeared on Richards face as he moved further back from me, suddenly pulled me out of my fantasy to be replaced by anger.

"Why did you kiss me" I growled.

"Because I wanted to" he smirked, Yes! He bloody smirked at me!

"Well don't do it again" trying to sound pissed.

"Why did you not enjoy it" he raised his eyebrows, still with that damn smirk on his face.

My mouth flapped open and closed like a fish out of water because, I want to shout no, but my flushed face would prove I was lying, damn him he was right I did enjoy it, but no way was I going to tell him that.

If the truth be told I was more angry at myself for letting it happen and not stopping it than I was at him for initiating the kiss in the first place.

"God you're impossible" I hissed stomping out of lift so he couldn't witness my bright red face and hoping that I was on the right floor and I wasn't going to make a bigger fool of myself.

I hadn't gone more than ten paces when I came to a sudden and abrupt halt as a large hand wraps itself around my arm.

Richard leaned down and whispered in my ear, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention and sent a shiver down my spine.

"We need to talk"

"No we don't" at least that was what my brain said to me, but my mouth refused to cooperate and what it said was.

"Yes we do"

Since when did my lack of common sense and dormant libido pull rank on my brain and operate my mouth.

Okay I'm weak I admit it especially when it comes to him! he still has a hold of me, his thumb rubbing circles on my arm, his hot breath on my neck and my imagination running amok and honestly I was going to tell him how it should be and he needed to back the f**k off, really I was.

But before I could convince myself that I should beat a hasty retreat to my suite and lock and bar the door.

I found myself propelled towards his suite and through the door, before being dumped on the edge of his bed.

"Drink?" He enquired.

I nodded. Things were moving way to fast for me to understand what was happening, I needed time and space from this man to pull myself together, but it didn't seem I was going to get that soon.

"Alcoholic?"

Again all I could do was nod, my mouth was inoperable and my senses on hiatus.

He grinned, he knew he was affecting me and he was going to move in for the kill.

He passed me a small glass of amber liquid, that I took a large gulp from making me cough as it burnt its way down my throat.

"Steady" he whispered. "That's a thirty year old malt whiskey, you will be drunk in no time drinking it like that,"

Then he leaned in and caressed my ear.

"And I don't want to take advantage of you when drunk, I prefer you sober when I have you again"

Suddenly reality hit like a battering ram.

I shot up off the bed.

"Oh no, you don't, you have dumped me on more than one occasion after getting what you want, I'm not falling for that again.

He let out a huge sigh and collapsed on the bed, I made to move to the door, when his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, I hadn't realised he could move so quick.

"Please let's talk, I want to explain"

I should go, but I think I had used up all my commonsense in a previous life, as I turned to face him, arm folder across my chest.

Tilting my head to one side and raising my eyebrows in a sign of well get on with it I'm listening.

Then a further deeper sigh, he pulled me closer to him and still held my arm, unfair I can't deal with him this close to me.

"Remember that day on the bus after I scored the goal..." he started.

How could I not it was imbedded in my thoughts.

"Well after you know the kiss and my mother seeing" he sounded nervous, the great Richard Freeman nervous no way.

"You see my mother had plans for me, heck both my parents had my life planned out for them. Kissing you was the best and worst thing that happened to me that day"

I tried to pull away feeling a little insulted, but that only made him grip me tighter.

"The kiss was the best thing" he quickly added.

"My mother seeing the worst, we argued, because I wanted to see more of you, but she wasn't having it, so the next day I found myself shipped off to a boarding school."

I couldn't help but gasp, how horrible that must have been.

"When we met again, I was the happiest man on the planet and when we had sex, wow! I fell in love even more with you. Unlucky for me my mother had me followed and threatened to cut me off without a penny and I would not inherit the family business if I stayed with you, but that I needed to marry Katrina Buckingham as she was more socially suitable for them."

He looked at me with such a sad face, I felt my heart crack a little more.

"I was a fool I was so caught up in the money, power and being what my parents wanted I went along with it, until they tried to pressure me into marrying Katrina"

He drew in a deep breath before continuing.

"That was the last straw, I didn't want to marry Katrina so I decided that I needed to break the hold my parents had over me, soo.... I set-up my own company and made it work, that's when I left my father's business dumped Katrina before I was forced into marriage. Business was good allowing me to buy other companies and expanded my empire."

"Oh, so it was because you didnt want to get married that you did what you did" I asked.

"Oh I want to get married believe me, but not to her, I have someone else in mind" he stared at me.

Uh ho.

"You do? "

"Oh yes" he drew out still staring at me.

I gulped.

"H..h..Who" I stuttered.

"You!" He said bluntly.

Oh god I had to ask didn't I.