Someone to Love Me.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten








It was true that money talked and when Luke set his mind to doing something he didn’t hang around.  Once he’d decided on the last weekend in September for the wedding the Church had been booked, Susie was sorting out the reception details and his parents were due to arrive the day after tomorrow. 
         Catherine had agreed to let Luke’s mother help to select her wedding gown. What did it matter to her; she’d no intention of wearing it.  Her heart wasn’t in it, or perhaps that was the problem, her heart was in much too deep whereas to Luke’s way of thinking, it was just one great big responsibility. 
         She was wary of him, he was becoming very solicitous of her – far too much so.  He hadn’t let her out of his sight for the last two days.  It was going to cause problems if he continued to stick to her like glue!  She would never be able to slip away.
         Maybe if she played along with him he would – what was the American terminology?  Oh yes, ‘cut her some slack’. 
         She could hear Luke as he talked to someone on the phone in his den-cum-office.  She also knew that he had started to work from home so that he could keep an eye on her.  Well, he wouldn’t be able to keep that up forever. 
                What she really needed to do was lull him into a false sense of security.  Deciding that there was no time like the present Catherine headed for the kitchen and the coffee percolator.
         She filled two mugs and carried them through to Luke in the office.  Placing his on the desk in front of him she sent him one of her sweetest smiles. 
Luke raised an eyebrow before giving her a questioning look and Catherine had no doubt that he was wondering just what she was up to.  She edged round the desk and put her mug down next to his before leaning over his shoulder to look at what he was doing.
         “Can I help you with anything,” she purred, “my last boss said I was a damn good PA.”
         Luke smiled as he turned to look at her and her nearness had his temperature rising from a warm glow to an impassioned heat. There was no doubt about the reason for the upsurge.  He knew just what was causing it.
         It was the way her hair spilled down across her shoulder and smelled of sunshine and lemons; her luscious breasts filling her tank top to perfection as they swayed temptingly close to his face and her pert backside which was pushed out behind her as she leaned over his desk. 
         The mixture of all three was making the hot blood head south of his belt.  Hell, she looked so damned delicious she was good enough to eat!
         Before Catherine had a chance to register what was happening Luke grabbed hold of her and swung her round so that she was now firmly settled on his lap.  One of his strong arms was wrapped around her waist holding her close while the other tangled in her hair as he pulled her mouth to meet his.
         No way should this be happening; all that she wanted to do was to win his trust with friendliness, nothing more.    Huh! Tell that to the Marines!
         As Luke’s lips covered hers the heat accumulated in her centre and her capricious body turned traitor. 
         Catherine felt his length grow harder under her bottom and she squirmed as she tried to turn and press herself intimately against him.
                Craving more, Luke put his arms beneath her knees, stood and carried her to a huge, well-worn sofa that was placed strategically in front of the hearth.  Laying her down he stretched out beside her and pushing his knee between her thighs half covered her with his powerful length. 
         Catherine’s body throbbed as she felt his weight press down on her and she capitulated to the searing sensations he was creating in her as his erection pushed against that sensitive place between her legs.  All thought of trust and friendship disappeared as she was overtaken by a frenzied hunger that only Luke could satisfy. 
         His hands dragged at her top pulling it up and freeing her breasts to the onslaught of his seductive mouth.  He licked and suckled her until she thought she would die from the pleasure. 
         Catherine struggled to unbutton his shirt as he worked his hand down inside the waistband of her jeans in an effort to reach her hot centre.  It was obvious from the wetness that met his searching fingers that she wanted him. 
         Freeing his hand Luke tugged her jeans undone and pushed them down taking her panties along with them.
         Catherine finally succeeded in undoing Luke’s shirt and she yanked it free.  Both her hands were now intent on loosening his manhood from the confinement of his jeans.  With his help she dispensed with his belt and set to work on removing the remainder of his clothes. 
         Once they were both free from the limitations of garments Luke pushed himself up on his elbows and watched her face as he slowly entered her warmth. Easing himself down, he covered her with his hard body. 
         Catherine revelled in the feel of flesh on flesh as Luke turned his attention back to her breasts taking each rosy aureole in turn into his hot mouth and gently sucking and nipping at them. 
         The sensation caused Catherine’s body to clench around his hardness as her hips pushed against his.  Lifting her legs she wrapped them tightly around his waist.  He slid his thickness slowly in and out, the tip never quite leaving her.  Catherine wanted more and she brazenly pushed herself against him.
                She didn’t want slow and she didn’t want gentle, she wanted hard and fast and deep.  She wanted to stretch herself out submissively, offering herself to him.  She wanted him to give her all that she could take and take everything that she had to give.
         As if he could read her mind Luke raised the pace and she bucked beneath him as they built up towards an exquisite climax that left them trembling in each others arms. They lay there; both of them breathing raggedly as the aftershocks caused Catherine to pulse convulsively in that place where her sweet warmth surrounded him like a glove. 
         She’d fallen again, dear God how she’d fallen but there was one thing that she was certain of, this time would be the last. If there was any consolation then she knew that she couldn’t get any more pregnant than she already was!
         Luke raised himself up and looked down at her with what she could only describe as a self-satisfied smile on his face.
         “Darlin’ how can you not want to marry me when we make such sweet music together?”
         Catherine’s jaw dropped. How bloody arrogant can one man get?  He thought that good sex was all it took to make marriage?    Mustering all her strength she pushed him off the sofa onto the floor.  So much for playing along with him she thought as she grabbed her discarded clothing, stepped over him and stomped naked towards the bathroom. His laughter followed her from the room.
         She’d wait until his parents arrived and then, hopefully she would stand a better chance of getting the hell out of there. 

                                                          ***

         They were on their way to the airport to meet Luke’s father and mother off the plane.  With her make up skilfully applied to cover what remained of the six day old bruises on her face Catherine was glad to be out of the house.  After being cooped up alone with Luke ever since she’d checked out of the hotel she was beginning to feel more than a little claustrophobic.
         He appeared to be determined not to let her out of his sight and as each day passed Catherine was becoming more and more frustrated.  Add the heightened sexual tension into the mix and she felt ready to explode. 
         There was so much that she had to do but as long as Luke continued to follow her like a shadow she was going nowhere.
         She wanted to get to her bank for the cash that she would need if she was ever going to escape Luke’s plans for her.  Adding to her frustration was the fact that she wanted to check on her home and organise the repairs herself not just leave it to some faceless interior designer who would probably charge an inflated price for his work. 
         Of course, as far as Luke was concerned she wouldn’t be using the apartment again so in his eyes it didn’t matter how it was decorated. 
         Ha! That’s what he thought and she wasn’t about to disabuse him.  She drew her mind back to the present.
         Catherine chewed her bottom lip knowing that she would soon meet Luke’s parents and she glanced across at him.
         “Is there something bothering you darlin’,” he asked.
         How did he do that?  She swore that at times he could see right into her mind and read all that was written there!
         “Have you told your parents that I’m pregnant?”
         “No, I thought we’d tell them together after the wedding.”
         “Oh”
         “Do you think we ought to tell them before we tie the knot darlin’?”
         “I’ll leave it up to you.  They’re your parents so you ought to know how they’ll react.”
         She had a good idea of how her parents would have reacted to the news although she could not understand why James had attacked her the way he did.
         “Don’t worry Catherine; Mom and Dad will be over the moon to find out that they’re about to become grandparents.  I know they’ll love you and I promise you that you’ll love them.”
         Love! Huh!  What did he know about it?  He wouldn’t recognise love if it jumped up and bit him on the backside. 
         On that thought Catherine slumped down in her seat and sank into a sullen silence until they reached the airport.
         The plane from Dallas was on time and Catherine’s stomach churned as they waited for the passengers to deplane.  Luke had impressed on her the fact that he didn’t want his parents to know that their marriage was anything other than the real thing. 
         Catherine wasn’t about to tell them otherwise and anyway she didn’t intend hanging around long enough for it to take place.  She would only be here for as long as it took to get some cash together and then, at the first chance she would be on her way. 
         She hadn’t decided where she would head for yet but she was working on it. 
         “There they are.”  Luke broke into her thoughts as he waved to a man and woman who were standing by the baggage carousel.  Catherine studied them as they waited for their luggage to appear. From where she stood she could see that father and son were very much alike.  Not quite as tall as Luke, she could tell that in his youth Luke’s father must have been very striking.  He was still a handsome man and although she couldn’t see the colour of his eyes she felt sure that they’d be a rich brown.  He was wearing a white Stetson – a dead giveaway – and would you believe it, a pair of black cowboy boots!  Like father, like son!
         Luke’s mother was every inch the magnate’s wife. About the same height as Catherine, she was attractive and chic.  Her hair was fashionably styled and her clothes screamed couture. She certainly didn’t look like grandmother material but then looks could often be deceiving.  In fact her style of dress was not dissimilar to the way Catherine’s own mother had dressed but of course each was, or in the case of her mother, had been the wives of powerful men.  She guessed them both parents to be in their mid-fifties although neither of them looked it. 
         Luke pulled her towards them and she watched with envy as he hugged both of them in turn before putting his arm around Catherine and introducing her.
         Tom Bennett shook her hand enthusiastically before he leaned down and planted a huge kiss on her cheek.  Grace Bennett hugged her warmly as she told Catherine how much she was looking forward to having a daughter in the family.  Grace Bennett might dress and look as chic as her own mother had in life but that was where the similarity ended.  Luke’s mother had everything that her own mother had lacked.  She had an assuring warmth that enveloped you and made you feel that you were special.
         Catherine’s emotions were in danger of overflowing as she compared the ready affection shown to her by Luke’s parents to the coldness she always received from her own mother and father. 
         It was no wonder that she’d grown up lacking in self-esteem.  Her parents hadn’t loved her and neither had James Cavendish. 
         She often questioned what was it about her that made her so unappealing?  She shouldn’t really find it surprising that Luke also was unable to love her, should she? 
         Convoluted thinking perhaps but to her mind she was unlovable and that was reason enough for Luke not to care for her. 
                When asked, his parents had declined to stay with them saying that they didn’t want to crowd Luke and Catherine as they made their wedding preparations. Now, sitting in the back seat of the Jaguar with Grace as they drove to the hotel where Luke had booked a suite for them Catherine tried to answer the myriad of questions that Luke’s mother threw at her. 
         By the time they reached their destination you would have thought they’d known each other for years. Grace made Catherine feel as if she really cared about her, a feeling that Catherine had never had since her Grandmother had died.
         If she could have seen Luke’s face she would have been surprised to note his look of pride as he listened to them. 
         They dropped his parents at their hotel and after seeing them settled and arranging to meet them for lunch the following day, left them to recover from their jet lag. 
         Instead of making their way home Luke surprised Catherine by driving into the City.
                “Are you going into the office?” she asked him.
                “Nope, we have some errands to do.”
         Catherine tried to contain her curiosity without success.
                “Where are we going then?”
                “We’re going to the jeweller’s darlin’.”
                “Why?”
                “We’re goin’ for rings.”
                “For rings?”  Parrot like, Catherine repeated his words.
         “Yes rings, an engagement ring and wedding rings?”
         “Oh!”  She didn’t know what else to say.  It would be a waste of breath to tell him that they wouldn’t be needed.
         He took her into one of the City’s more exclusive jewellers and they were shown to a private booth by the assistant who brought them a large selection of rings both engagement and wedding.  He then stood back to allow them to make their choice in private. 
         It all felt wrong to Catherine; to her it was such an intimate thing to be doing whereas to Luke it was just another part of the charade. 
         When Luke asked her if she could see anything that she liked Catherine hesitated not knowing what to say. It wasn’t as if it was a real engagement so why was he going to the trouble of buying costly items. 
         None of the rings had a price tag but she was sure they were all pretty expensive.  She felt guilty that Luke was prepared to spend such a large amount on something that she had no intention of wearing. 
         Seeing her hesitation Luke selected a princess cut diamond solitaire set in white gold and with a matching wedding band.  It was exquisite and if she believed that Luke was offering it to her with his love she would have worn it with joy.  But she knew that it was only there for show. 
         Taking her left hand Luke placed the ring on her finger.  It was a perfect fit  If she didn’t know different she could almost have believed they were star struck lovers. But it took two for that!
         The assistant’s eyes lit up as he stood quietly in the background.  He was probably adding up the amount of commission that he was about to make! They shone even brighter when Luke selected the matching wedding band and one for himself as well.
         Boy is he getting into this marriage thing or what, Catherine thought as she began to remove the ring from her finger.
              “Leave it on,” Luke told her. 
              She didn’t argue with him, she knew better so instead she sat quietly while he went with the assistant to pay for the purchases.
         They left the jewellers and returned to the car in silence.  Luke opened the door for her and after closing it went around to the
driver’s side and slid into his seat. He turned to look at Catherine.
         “I want you to have this,” he told her as he took a credit card from his wallet and passed it to her. 
         “I’ve arranged for you to have your own account.”
         “I don’t need this Luke,” she told him passing the card back.  “I have money of my own.”
         “Darlin’ you’re goin’ be my wife and as such I’ll provide for you, so don’t argue with me because I promise you, you won’t win.”
         Reluctantly Catherine put it in her bag – for now!  She would return it along with the ring, when she left.
         “Can we call at my apartment on the way back?”
         “No.”
         Well that was a straightforward answer!
         “But why not?” she asked.  They were playing twenty questions again!
         “You know damn well why not Catherine. Cavendish hasn’t been found yet.  He could be watching for you to return to your apartment and we can’t take that risk.  Give the police time to catch up with him.” 
         She could tell that Luke was beginning to get angry with her but she had the bit between her teeth and so she pressed on.
         “They’ve probably stopped looking for him by now and anyway I want to see what kind of mess the decorators you hired are making!”
         If she was starting to sound sulky it didn’t make one jot of difference to Luke.
         “No more arguments darlin’ I’ve said no and I sure as hell mean no!”
         He was becoming angrier and she was beginning to see the powerful side of him, the hard side that he used to quell his competitors.  But the more he told her ‘no’ the more determined Catherine was that she would have her own way.
                Maybe she’d have her chance after lunch tomorrow while she was shopping for her bridal gown with Grace.  She felt a pang of guilt knowing that she was about to take advantage of Grace’s good nature as well as her ignorance of the situation but what else could she do?
         She didn’t have a foolproof plan put together yet but Catherine was sure that once Luke and his father left her and Grace alone to shop she would be able to take advantage of any opportunity that might arise.
         All she needed was a chance to get some cash and then to call at her apartment.  She just wanted to take a quick look around before she left because it might be a while before she could return.  After that the rest should be easy. 
         Did she say easy?  Dear Lord, how had her life become so complicated so quickly?  And all because of one night of sex, although she had to admit that it had been fantastic sex! 

         The next morning Catherine carefully prepared herself for lunch, once again making sure that her makeup covered her bruises.  They were almost gone but she didn’t want to have to start explaining them to Luke’s parents. 
         She checked to make sure that she had the keys to her apartment in her bag.  With any luck the locks would not have been changed. 
         The break-in had been through the patio doors so there should have been no reason to change the front door locks.  She crossed her fingers hopefully as she realised that if new locks had been fitted her plans would be ruined. Time was running out and today might be her only chance to get away.
         Lunch itself was fraught with pitfalls as she tried to act normally while being cross questioned in the nicest way possible by Luke’s parents. 
         Luke had warned her again of the consequences if she were to let them know that theirs was anything other than a love match.  The thought of losing her child to him plus the stress of all the pretence was wearing her spirit down and she was coming very close to screaming pitch.
                Luke must have realised how near to the edge she was and so with a look that said ‘be careful’ he and his father said goodbye and took their leave. 
         Catherine and Grace finished their coffee before setting off to look at wedding dresses.  They had a list of couturiers and a driver on standby to take them wherever they wanted to go.
         Catherine’s thoughts turned once more to her own parents and she wondered, had they still been alive, what would their reaction to her marriage be?  Would her mother have found the time to spend helping her with all the arrangements? 
         The answer to that question was yes.  She would probably have taken over and turned the whole thing into a bloody circus, an occasion to use to impress their friends and acquaintances.  They would even have worked around the reality of her pregnancy. 
         The fact that Luke was a successful business man and a wealthy one to boot would have guaranteed that he was acceptable to them whatever the circumstances. 
         Did Luke know how lucky he was?  His parents were everything that Catherine wished her parents could have been and she couldn’t help but like them.  They were part and parcel of who Luke was and she envied the fact that he loved them the way he did because she knew in her heart that she wished he could love her in the same way.           Chiding herself for being overemotional she dragged her attention back to the job in hand.
         As they looked at wedding dresses, Catherine almost had herself believing that she was buying one for real, wishful thinking perhaps but she could dream couldn’t she? 
         As the afternoon wore on she became more and more tired.  The heat and the effort of trying on dresses were starting to take their toll.  Keeping up the charade with Grace was not easy and Catherine was finding it hard to pretend an enthusiasm she wasn’t feeling. 
         She had tried on dress after dress and it was only as she tried on a gown that had really caught her eye that her mind remembered the reason she was here.  She walked out of the dressing room and Grace’s face lit up with delight. 
         “You don’t need to try on anymore Catherine,” she told her. “That’s the one.”
         Catherine couldn’t argue with her.  If she were really was going to be a bride then this dress was definitely the one that she would choose. 
         Cut in classic lines from ivory satin, the strapless bodice was covered in tiny seed pearls.  Nipped at the waist, the full skirt fell to the floor while at the back it flowed out to form a train that was edged in the same pearly decoration as the top. 
         It was a fairytale dress and Catherine fell in love with it the moment she saw it.  Unfortunately she was unable to foresee a happy ending.  She looked at herself in the mirror and the light in her eyes dimmed. 
         Luke’s threats and all the pretence for the benefit of his parents were wearing her energy down.  She was sure that all this stress couldn’t be good for her baby either. 
         Grace noticed that something was wrong with Catherine as she made her way back to the changing room take the dress off.  When she still hadn’t reappeared five minutes after the assistant had left her Grace tapped on the door and went in. 
         Catherine had re-dressed and was sitting on a red gilt chair.  Tears were silently coursing down her cheeks even though she was trying her best to hold them in check. Grace took one look at her and without asking for any explanation walked over and took Catherine in her arms and held her until the tears subsided. 
         Catherine knew that she wasn’t going to be able keep up the lies and pretence any more.  It wasn’t fair to Grace, who had shown more kindness in a matter of days than her own mother ever had. 
         “I’m sorry,” Catherine told her as she pulled in deep breaths between the sobs, “I can’t do this any more.
         “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Grace asked soothingly.
         “I can’t.”  The tears threatened again as she remembered Luke’s warning.
         “Darlin’ nothing can be so bad that it can’t be fixed can it?”
         How could she tell Grace what was wrong?  Being her baby’s grandparent meant that she had a vested interest in its future.  Catherine’s heart was willing her to say nothing but her head was telling her that in Grace she would have a friend if she could put her trust in her. 
         Catherine began to tell her about her working relationship with Luke and about the trip to Ireland.  When she reached the part about her pregnancy Grace was thrilled to bits and Catherine recognized that she was genuinely pleased.
         “Is that all that’s worrying you?” Grace asked.  “Plenty of brides walk up the aisle in your condition nowadays.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of or were you worried that Tom and I would react badly to the news?”
         From the moment she met them Catherine had known instinctively that the fact she was pregnant would make no difference at all to their opinion of her but Grace had clearly misunderstood what Catherine was trying to say and so Catherine was going to have to explain the situation in more detail. 
         She told Grace about the relationship between herself and her parents and then about Luke’s reaction to the pregnancy. 
         “Then I don’t understand what the problem is Catherine.  He wants to marry you which must prove that he’s committed.”
         “But that is the problem Grace; he’s marrying me because he has to, not because he wants to.  He doesn’t love me, he never loved me. He’s in love with Claire O’Donnell.”
         “I don’t believe that for one minute Catherine in fact I’m certain it’s not true.”
         “It is true; he’s been seeing her ever since they met in Ireland and more so since I stopped working for him.”
         Grace looked puzzled as she faced Catherine.
         “Do you have any feelings for my son?” she asked.
         Catherine knew that honesty was imperative and so looking at Grace she told her.  “I love him with all my heart and I always will.”
         Grace smiled.  “I think I knew that would be the answer before you spoke, it’s written in your eyes.”
         Blushing, Catherine returned her smile.
         “It doesn’t make any difference Grace, I can’t marry Luke when I know the love I feel for him isn’t returned.  It wouldn’t be fair to raise a child in a home that lacks love.  I know this from experience because that’s the kind of home I was brought up in.”
         “Catherine I’m a mother, I pride myself on knowing my son and I know that he loves you and wants to marry you for that reason alone and not simply because you’re pregnant.” 
         Catherine smiled a smile of resignation.  It looked like she was going to have to tell Grace everything if she wanted to make her understand.  She really didn’t want to portray Luke in a bad light to
his parents but it was the only way to show Grace that he didn’t love Catherine; that it was the child he wanted.
         When she told Grace how Luke was blackmailing her into marriage it was dismissed it as rubbish.  Luke would never do that, it wasn’t in him to behave in such a way. 
         Catherine gave up.  What more was there to say?  She understood how Grace felt; in her place she would probably feel the same.
         She stood up.  “I need to go somewhere,” she told Grace. “I’ll get a cab, you take the car back to the hotel and I’ll meet you there later.” 
         Catherine hadn’t told her about James because she didn’t think it had any bearing on what they’d been discussing and Luke must not have mentioned him and so Grace didn’t argue with her or try to stop her leaving. 
         Once outside, Catherine flagged down a passing taxi and gave the driver the address of her apartment. As the cab pulled away she realised that nothing had been decided about the dress.  But then again – what did it matter!