Chapter Forty Two

The house was in darkness, the late hour, but also the winter making the place seem exceptionally cold and dark.

"It's huge!" Theo announced as he pushed open the front door. Reaching for a light switch, they were both surprised when the Victorian chandelier cast light around the high ceilinged hall.

"I thought the utilities would be switched off."

Shrugging he moved to the left, to the high archway that led to the lounge and flicked another switch. Nina stared; it was hardly any different to the place she remembered from her childhood. Expensive gold silk wallpaper, Chesterfield chairs, large marble fireplace, even some of the ornaments were there, but she couldn't help but notice that the expensive ones were gone. Her mother had loved Lalique, and some of the pieces that had sat on the fireplace were priceless...but they'd fetched a price. Obviously.

With sudden sadness she crossed the room and ran a hand across the mantelpiece.

"You ok?"

Turning slowly, she nodded, "they've desecrated the place...but maybe not as badly as I'd imagined. But everything sellable...my mother's things, I expect my father's."

"But they're not squatting here, so that's a good thing isn't it?"

"Oh yes, I did wonder if they would be here. That was what I was scared of."

He pulled her into his arms, "just that?"

"That and the ghosts of my childhood."

Smiling knowingly, he nodded, "but we all have those, it's just for some they're happy...normal. For us they are anything but."

Glad that he understood things exactly, she gave him a tour as they entered each room systematically, checking the doors and windows for any sign of forced entry.

"What you going to do with the place?" he asked as they stood in her father's library.

"Originally I was going to sell it. There's a large amount outstanding on the place, they mortgaged it heavily. But I was sensible in the main and banked my share of things...I can afford to get a reasonable mortgage on the place, but I think I'd rattle around here. And I love Brighton."

He nodded, "it is a great place. Would you have to sell your house there?"

Shrugging she started to climb the stairs, "I don't know, I think I can manage both, but it will tie me up financially...and they're both big old barns, they'll cost a fortune to run. There's an option of renting one out...but I don't want to see anyone living in my grandmother's or my father's home. So it's a quandary."

He followed her up to the first floor landing, then passed her to open the doors, the house had an eerie feel being empty and so cold. He was glad that he was there with her to protect her, she was someone who did everything on her own, he liked being that person for her, the one who cared, who looked out for her.

"Well, let's make sure this place is safe first, then you can relax a little."

She smiled at that, the first one he'd seen all night, well the first genuine natural one anyway.

"Thanks for being here...I was scared."

Theo chuckled; "these old houses are a little terrifying in broad daylight, in the cold, and dark..." he gave a dramatic shudder then led her up to the attic level.

An hour later they'd checked every room, turned off all the stopcocks for the water system and secured the odd loose window lock.

"It's as good as we can make it...but I do have glaziers and locksmiths on my team...do you want me to send them over tomorrow?"

"You'd do that?"

Sliding his arm around her he grinned, "I'd do anything for you."

The laughter that the comment created died on her lips as he kissed her, hard.

It was so easy to forget everything when she was in his arms, when his lips were causing chaos and his hands teasing her beyond belief. The place, the day, even the time seemed to disappear. Nothing mattered but him, tasting her, touching her, teasing her.

There was nothing else.

Fast and furious sex in her father's bedroom should have felt a lot worse than it did, but as they lay there, entwined on the old tapestry bedspread, she felt special, cared for. Somewhere over the last few months she'd opened her heart to this man, and he'd put aside the pain and anguish of his wife and seemed to trust her equally the same way, she never thought she'd feel this way, the way she felt about him...but also the way he made her feel, special, cherished...he made her feel loved and she hadn't had that since her grandmother died. It was humbling and world life changing for her.

As he kissed the top of her head, mumbling words of wonder into her hair, those three little words were there, waiting to slip out. But she wasn't ready. She needed it to come from him first, her fragile ego wasn't ready for rejection, he'd been married before, he'd felt love before, she almost needed him to clarify things, to open up that door.

Craning her neck she back to stare up at him, "that was amazing; it just seems to keep getting better."

He let out a huge breath then nodded, "you are perfect, do you know that?"

She guffawed at that, then pulled herself to her feet, reaching for her sweater, "not sure about that, but it's bloody freezing in here."

He grinned, "now that you're not heating my blood I have to agree. Will you come back with me?"

She nodded, "if you don't mind."

"You don't want to talk about what's happening..."

When she froze from tugging up her jeans, she turned to see him slipping his shirt over his perfect body, and she almost became distracted. She wanted to tell him so badly, but it wasn't her place, it wasn't her story. But she owed him something.

"She's fragile at the moment...not well. I'm all she has...we're everything to each other."

He gave a knowing nod, "I'm not trying to force you here, but sometimes you need to share things."

It would be so easy to just blurt out her worry, her concern, but she knew that Lilah would hate it, and that was betraying her.

"I can't tell you Theo, I only wish I could."

Nodding again, he fastened the remaining buttons on his shirt then pulled his sweater over his head, "you know where I am though?"

All she could do was give him a smile and hope that he understood her position.

Waking in his arms with no agenda other than enjoying a leisurely wake was a luxury Nina couldn't remember ever feeling before. Turning in his embrace, she reached up to kiss his jaw and she was rewarded with a groan.

"Is it morning? Damn."

She chuckled, "it's the weekend, and I can hear Melody downstairs with Mansell and his carer."

Suddenly he tugged her on top of him and grinned, "so that means we don't have to rush."

He was already hard against her inner thigh, and whilst it would be easy to capitulate to this mutual instinct, there was a high chance that an almost four year old was about to burst in and catch them in flagrante.

"How quick can you be?" she asked as she slid her thighs astride his, bringing her pelvis in line with hers, "as I don't want to be caught in the act."

As she lowered herself against him and rubbed her body against his, he groaned and his eyes literally rolled to the back of his head, "if you keep that up it will be the quickest explosion this side of Vesuvius, I guarantee."

She felt a little embarrassed when they entered the kitchen holding hands a little later, all eyes turned to them and she tried to fight a blush, "ah Nina, I wondered what was keeping my brother. Nice to see you again."

Daniel, obviously visiting, stooped to kiss her cheek, whilst Mansell chuckled like a child behind them. Melody had a mouthful of cereal and just waved at them both.

Theo's response after ruffling his daughter's hair, was to punch his brother, albeit playfully, in the shoulder, "don't embarrass her, it's hard enough getting her to spend time with me, without you laying this on."

He shook his head, "on the contrary, I'm just glad to see you making a decent choice when it comes to women. You've not before!"

Nina blushed again, and rushed over to the coffee machine to regain her composure, but instantly there was a hand on her hip, and a voice at her ear, "enough there for me too?"

Biting her lip anxiously, she nodded, "of course."

"Don't run away from this, not when you're doing so well."

"I feel like an intruder," she hissed.

He shook his head, planting his lips on the side of her neck, "you are a part of this family. Can't you see that?"

"I'd say 'get a room' but you've only just got up!"

Without moving from her side, Theo growled, "leave it brother or I'll break your nose again!"

That made Nina laughed and she turned to the handsome politician, "he broke your nose?"

Daniel grimaced, "we've only ever had one run in, and two grown men, too much whisky...it was a lucky punch!"

Laughing she moved to sit next to Mansell who was smiling as he watched his grandsons bicker, then his eyes lifted to Nina's and she knew that this was what he wanted, what he had longed for when he was back at Oakland.

"So where's the delectable Hélène? I thought you were having a sleep over."

He grinned, "she is one day late, a lady's prerogative. She is due in an hour...hence Daniel being here too."

Nina sipped at her coffee, watching the three men react to that, "so I'm going to get going, you don't need me around."

All three made to protest but she was insistent, "I've got to go back to my father's house and sort things, and then I'm meeting Lilah later...so it's fine honestly, you need some family time."

Theo was the biggest protester, but she wasn't about to give in, Lilah needed her, and she didn't want to impose in this delicate family moment. She was gathering her coat and boots when Theo pulled her into the downstairs cloakroom.

"It's a weekend; I want to spend as much time as I can with you."

She grinned, "I can come back later maybe, let me just see what I get done today."

It wasn't enough really for either of them and he swamped her with his desperate kisses, pinning her against the closed door.

Eventually dragging herself free she chuckled, "you are a bad influence Mr. Peterson."

He rolled his eyes, "I want to be a physical bad effect, but it seems that you are escaping my evil clutches."

"Will you see me out? Give me a kiss goodbye?"

He groaned, "if it's all I get, then I'll take it."

Leading her to the door, he hugged her before letting her out of the house.

As she reached the bottom of the steps, she turned and waved back up at him, at the exact moment that a black cab pulled up, and Hélène emerged from it smiling.

"Ah, Nina, we once again meet in the same situation!"

She hugged the older woman, "yes, you seem to arrive when I leave. But at least I know that Mansell gets even happier after me!"

The woman laughed then passed her as she moved up the stairs towards Theo. That left her facing Gabriel.

"Nina, you are looking happy."

She grinned then glanced over her shoulder at a scowling Theo, he didn't like his cousin.

"It's a sunny day, despite the temperature..." she dropped into French almost gratefully, it was surprising how quickly she lost her grasp of the language and it was a while since she'd spoken it.

After some small talk, she gave him a quick hug, "I'm just going to grab some breakfast, then I've got to rush."

He gave a nod, "I'll join you, if you don't mind. I'm not exactly welcome in there." He gestured to the house behind them.

"I can't be too long, but the café around the corner does great breakfast."

His face lit up in a smile, "you might just have made my day!" With that he'd slung an arm around her shoulder, "show me the way!"