It was fitting that both Weavers and Hawks were buried on the estate and had followed through with legalities for a personal graveyard permit, so we were fully within the law. I didn’t visit often, but had no intention of hiding any of our history from our children when the time came.
Including Jacqueline.
I’d begun to tell her about our shared lineage but hadn’t gotten very far.
We’d met five times over the past two years.
To begin with it was awkward and confusing to stare at a stranger who’d shared a womb and birthday. But slowly, we turned from polite acquaintances to pleasant friends. We had plans to take Kes to see her next month up in Cornwall.
She didn’t have children of her own and had only just married her long term partner, Joseph. She was my sister...but it would take time to become family.
“Somewhere special.” Jethro smiled in the dark. “I thought we’d walk off dinner...that okay?”
“Of course, more than okay.” My mind raced with how to tell him the news.
A snuffling sound came from the undergrowth. I froze, peering into the bush, searching for a hedgehog or badger.
Squirrel came bounding out of the undergrowth, weaving around Jethro’s legs.
“Bolly, what the hell are you doing out of the kennels?” Jethro scowled. “How the devil did he get out?”
I grinned, dropping to my haunches to hug the dog. He’d adopted me on my first night at Hawksridge and was still my favourite of the foxhounds. Jethro no longer hunted, but every now and again, we would gallop across the estate with the baying dogs at our heels.
The dog yipped, coming to lick my hand. “He can come with us.”
“We’ll take him back to the stables afterward.” Jethro snapped his fingers. The hound heeled obediently.
Silence fell as Jethro and I moved further into the woods. The moon only illuminated so much, but our eyes adjusted. Following an animal path, we popped out in a little clearing where a few ferns and foxglove bowed in sleep.
I turned to Jethro to tell him my news, but his mouth landed on mine, hushing everything I wanted to say.
“Would you play a game with me, Mrs. Hawk?”
I grinned, his skin silver in the moonlight. “A game? What sort of game?”
His teeth nipped their way to my ear. “A game to replace bad memories with good.”
We’d done that with every debt. The octagonal greenhouse had become afavourite place for kinky sex and the lake shed its stigma of the ducking stool and became a prized picnic spot. We’d rechristened Hawksridge Hall with so many happy memories over the past few years.
My heart raced. “You have me intrigued. Go on.”
He chuckled. “Remember that first day? When you ran for your life to the boundary? I told you to run. That I would chase you. And when I found you...you gave me the best fucking blow-job of my life.”
I shivered. “I remember.”
“I want to chase you again, Nila.”
My eyes widened at the naughty, delicious thought of what he would do to me when he caught me. “Naked or dressed?”
His eyes flashed. “Run while you’re dressed. It won’t stop me from claiming what’s mine when I catch you.”
I panted, backing away from his arms. Already breathless, I had no idea if I’d be able to run very far. Not that I wanted to. But the sheer thrill of running from the man I loved, knowing what he would do when he stopped me, sent my blood racing. “How much head start do I get?”
“A few minutes.” He bent and grabbed Squirrel by the scruff. “I’ll have my friend here to help me. Just like I did that day.” His lips twisted into a sexy smirk. “I suggest you run fast, Needle. Otherwise, I’ll have you on the ground and my cock between your legs before you’ve gone a few metres.”
Swiping my hair into a ponytail, I secured it with an elastic. “Okay.” My nipples ached, and I grew shamefully wet. Walking backward, I smiled coyly. “Bet I get farther than you think.”
“I suggest you stop taunting me and start running...”
