S. Wait in bedroom, I’ll be ready in ten. M x
The red underwear had been kicked under the bed. Scott could see a stray bra strap sticking out. Maya must be making a special effort: that wasn’t good, wasn’t good at all.
Scott lay down awkwardly on the bed, not entirely sure that he liked this new form of welcome. Much easier to be pushed on the bed, have his clothes ripped off and to get down to business. At last, Maya appeared in a silky dressing gown which gaped open just enough to show tasteful, but sexy, white lace underwear and, set on her feet, a pair of very high white stilettos. She put a slender leg up on the bed, so that it rested on his thigh.
‘Get undressed.’ Maya could see his cock already rising in his jeans and became wet at the thought of putting it in her mouth. She had hugged herself in delight when the professor had called her, reassured that he hadn’t heard what she had whispered the last time or, if he had, that he was not put off by it. It was a win-win situation in her eyes. Tonight she was going to fuck him so hard that he would never ever let her go.
‘Little bird, you are just so demanding.’
‘Just how you like it, Professor. Now, I’ve been a very bad girl today and I think you should punish me.’ She whacked the black leather horse whip against her palm.
‘You had better bend over then, you little whore.’
Maya got on all fours, seductively allowing the professor to get a full view of her perfect pert arse in her white lacy thong.
By the time the deed had been done, they were both sweating furiously. Maya was so overcome by her orgasms that she’d had to lie still as her body experienced little ‘aftershocks’ of pleasure. Eventually, she got up, opened the sash window and lit a cigarette. The professor watched her as she went, hungry for more of her already.
‘Fuck, that was good. I’m going to miss that toned little arse of yours.’
Maya spun around. ‘What do you mean? Where are you going?’
‘We both know that this isn’t going to last, Maya. There’s a big age gap between us. You have your whole life ahead of you. You may want kids. I don’t.’
‘We can go on and do this for a few years yet. I’m young. I don’t want to settle down. I don’t want not to see you.’ She tried to keep the panic from her voice. But Scott must have been able to hear it anyway.
‘I just want you to know the score. This is sex, right? I enjoy your company but we can never be a couple.’
Maya laughed. ‘Of course we can’t, and of course I know it’s just sex. I’m not stupid.’ She felt like she was going to cry. She took a deep breath then rushed out her lie. ‘I’m sorry to have to rush you off, but I’m meeting some friends for a drink soon.’
‘But I can stay for at least another couple of hours.’ Scott’s brow furrowed in confusion.
‘That’s a shame, but I really must get ready.’
When he left, Maya leant against the bedroom door and let herself slide to the floor, her legs splayed in front of her. She was crying. She rarely cried. Bugger emotions. Bugger the bloody professor! She got up slowly and reached for her phone. Being hurt wasn’t on her agenda. She was going to have to wean herself off him, like a dirty cigarette. Scrolling down till she found his number, she hovered her index finger above it for a second and then, with a look of anguish, pressed delete.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Gracie felt like she was watching herself in slow motion. She tried to regain her balance, but at the speed she was running, there was no chance of stopping her fall. She yelped in pain as she hit the pavement with force and she lay there, for a second, praying she had not broken anything and that nobody had seen her.
That would teach her for running away from her emotions. What was Lewis thinking of? How could she say yes to marrying him? Why did he even think she might say yes? He had said that he loved her hysterectomy scar. She had so wanted him to love that scar. God, she was confused.
A woman in her mid-forties, with cropped hair dyed a bright red, helped her to her feet. Her voice was soft and comforting: ‘Come on, let me help you up, you poor thing. Now, where are you hurting?’
Gracie lifted her damaged leg off the ground, like a flamingo. Her right elbow and left knee were badly cut.
‘Here…’ The woman led her to a wall nearby. She picked up Gracie’s bag, which had flown to the edge of the pavement, and put it by her side. ‘Now, let me take a look at you.’
Gracie was mute as the kind lady continued. ‘I’ve just come off my A&E shift. I thought I was done for the night. I’m Ali, by the way.’
‘Gracie, Gracie Davies. And I’m sorry.’
‘No need to be sorry. You’re lucky I was in the right place at the time. Although it looks bloody awful and hurts like hell, I think a clean-up with an antiseptic wipe and a dressing will sort you out.’
Gracie panicked. ‘I don’t want to go to hospital.’
‘No, you don’t need hospital for this. I’m getting the bus so it’s not ideal for me to take you back to mine to dress it. Are you far from home? Is there someone you can ring?’
Gracie reached for her phone and saw that she had three missed calls from Lewis. He was minutes away from her. Maybe she should just call him? Suddenly a red van screeched to a halt in front of them, passenger window already down.
