Read Online Beneath Us the Stars by David Wiltshire - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: David Wiltshire
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keep warm.
‘Think nothing of it.’
As they drove slowly out of the town centre through the blacked-out streets, the headlights reduced by masking tape to narrow slits, she leant her head on his shoulder. They didn’t speak, content to be just close.
But when at last they turned into her road she suddenly sat up. ‘Driver, would you stop here.’
As the car drew to a halt a worried Bill said: ‘You OK?’
She nodded. ‘The old witch will be waiting up, listening. This way I can get in and up the stairs before she knows it.’
The driver started to get out to open her door, then found Bill’s eyes in the rear-view mirror which had lit up. There was no doubting the message. He coughed. ‘Do you mind if I step out for a cigarette, sir?’
Bill nodded his thanks. ‘Carry on – five minutes.’
When he’d gone Bill gently placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face and turned her head to him, finding her lips with his own. The kiss was long, the most passionate they had ever shared.
Eventually his hand dropped to the outside of her thigh, under her coat which had fallen open. Mary stiffened, felt as if hot blood had surged into her belly. His hand moved higher, pulled tighter so that her hips turned. Her bottom almost left the seat as she was pressed harder against him.Through the thin material of her dress Mary realized that he was reacting to the feel of her, and she knew that something inside her had been set in motion, something which she had never experienced before, something exquisitely unstoppable, unless….
Fear of the unknown made her pull herself free. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’
She started to open the door. Flustered, he jumped out and ran around to her. ‘Mary, I’m sorry. Have I upset you?’
She smiled and placed a hand on his arm. ‘No, there’s nothing to worry about – I promise. It’s been a wonderful evening.’
‘You’ll see me tomorrow?’ he pleaded.
‘Of course, it’s what I want. I’ll come to you.’
‘What time?’
She thought for a second.
‘How about first thing?’
His face broke into a beam.
‘Come early – early as you can.’
She chuckled. ‘I’ll be at your hotel around nine – all right?’
Bill’s smile grew even wider.
‘Great. I’ll be waiting.’
They looked searchingly at each other, their faces caught in the pale light of a half-moon.
In the seconds that elapsed, more was said then than with a thousand words of love. She suddenly went up on her toes, gave him a peck on the cheek, and walked quickly away.
Bill stood looking after her until she was lost in the shadows .
In bed, when she’d stopped shivering and warmed up, Mary thought again of the overwhelming, frightening urge she had had in the car – like being on the edge of a precipice.
She shivered again, but this time not with the cold. It took only a second or two for her to realize what she had to do – what she wanted to do, but the rest of the night was spent in a restless half-awake, half-asleep torment at the magnitude of what she was thinking; of jumping over the edge into the abyss.
In the morning, when she was dressing, Mary looked down at her body.
Taking a deep breath she realized she was saying farewell to innocence.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bill was waiting for her on tenter-hooks. Every time the phone rang at reception he tensed up. By 9.30 he was pacing up and down and continually going to the door. Eventually, to his immense relief, he saw her coming up the steps, looking fresh and wholesome and wonderful.
He rushed out to meet her. ‘Hi.’
She paused, smiled up at him. ‘Good morning. Did you sleep all right?’
‘No – you?’
‘No.’
They grinned ruefully at each other, then she became serious.
‘Bill, can we have a coffee? I need to say something – while I’m clear-headed and resolute.’
Anxiety descended on him like a ton weight. ‘What’s the matter?’
Mary suddenly realized from his face that he was suspecting all sorts
‘Think nothing of it.’
As they drove slowly out of the town centre through the blacked-out streets, the headlights reduced by masking tape to narrow slits, she leant her head on his shoulder. They didn’t speak, content to be just close.
But when at last they turned into her road she suddenly sat up. ‘Driver, would you stop here.’
As the car drew to a halt a worried Bill said: ‘You OK?’
She nodded. ‘The old witch will be waiting up, listening. This way I can get in and up the stairs before she knows it.’
The driver started to get out to open her door, then found Bill’s eyes in the rear-view mirror which had lit up. There was no doubting the message. He coughed. ‘Do you mind if I step out for a cigarette, sir?’
Bill nodded his thanks. ‘Carry on – five minutes.’
When he’d gone Bill gently placed the palm of his hand on the side of her face and turned her head to him, finding her lips with his own. The kiss was long, the most passionate they had ever shared.
Eventually his hand dropped to the outside of her thigh, under her coat which had fallen open. Mary stiffened, felt as if hot blood had surged into her belly. His hand moved higher, pulled tighter so that her hips turned. Her bottom almost left the seat as she was pressed harder against him.Through the thin material of her dress Mary realized that he was reacting to the feel of her, and she knew that something inside her had been set in motion, something which she had never experienced before, something exquisitely unstoppable, unless….
Fear of the unknown made her pull herself free. ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’
She started to open the door. Flustered, he jumped out and ran around to her. ‘Mary, I’m sorry. Have I upset you?’
She smiled and placed a hand on his arm. ‘No, there’s nothing to worry about – I promise. It’s been a wonderful evening.’
‘You’ll see me tomorrow?’ he pleaded.
‘Of course, it’s what I want. I’ll come to you.’
‘What time?’
She thought for a second.
‘How about first thing?’
His face broke into a beam.
‘Come early – early as you can.’
She chuckled. ‘I’ll be at your hotel around nine – all right?’
Bill’s smile grew even wider.
‘Great. I’ll be waiting.’
They looked searchingly at each other, their faces caught in the pale light of a half-moon.
In the seconds that elapsed, more was said then than with a thousand words of love. She suddenly went up on her toes, gave him a peck on the cheek, and walked quickly away.
Bill stood looking after her until she was lost in the shadows .
In bed, when she’d stopped shivering and warmed up, Mary thought again of the overwhelming, frightening urge she had had in the car – like being on the edge of a precipice.
She shivered again, but this time not with the cold. It took only a second or two for her to realize what she had to do – what she wanted to do, but the rest of the night was spent in a restless half-awake, half-asleep torment at the magnitude of what she was thinking; of jumping over the edge into the abyss.
In the morning, when she was dressing, Mary looked down at her body.
Taking a deep breath she realized she was saying farewell to innocence.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bill was waiting for her on tenter-hooks. Every time the phone rang at reception he tensed up. By 9.30 he was pacing up and down and continually going to the door. Eventually, to his immense relief, he saw her coming up the steps, looking fresh and wholesome and wonderful.
He rushed out to meet her. ‘Hi.’
She paused, smiled up at him. ‘Good morning. Did you sleep all right?’
‘No – you?’
‘No.’
They grinned ruefully at each other, then she became serious.
‘Bill, can we have a coffee? I need to say something – while I’m clear-headed and resolute.’
Anxiety descended on him like a ton weight. ‘What’s the matter?’
Mary suddenly realized from his face that he was suspecting all sorts
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