Rough 'n' Tough Read online

  He pressed up against her, squashing her to the side of the pool. His damn fine erection was trapped between them, butting into her stomach.

  She was breathing fast, so was he.

  “Harper,” she murmured when he kissed over her cheek to her ear.

  She closed her eyes and moaned as he cupped her breasts.

  “You’re so fucking cute,” he said. “And sweet.”

  “And you’re so bad. My father would kill you.”

  “I ain’t scared of him.” He cupped her jaw forcing her to look at him. “I ain’t scared of no one.”

  “But he’d kill me.”

  “Well I wouldn’t want that, it’d spoil our fun.” He twitched his eyebrows, then set his mouth over hers again.

  He switched attention to the other breast, slipping his fingers beneath the cup of her bikini and tweaking her nipple.

  Fuck. Were they really going to go for it, right here, in the pool? Could she? Had her libido taken control of her actions so entirely?

  “Carmel! Carmel, where are you?”

  “Shit!” She shoved at his chest. “My father’s here.”

  “What?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Doesn’t the eejit work?”

  “He’s not an eejit, and yes, he does work, bloody hard.” She quickly turned and hauled herself out of the pool, knowing she was giving Harper a good look at her arse as she did so. “Get out.” She repositioned her bikini top, made herself decent again, then grabbed a towel. “Now! He can’t see you in here. He’ll blow a gasket.”

  Harper gave an amused huff, then practically jumped from the pool.

  Carmel allowed her attention to drift to his boxers. His cock was tenting them and the wet material hugged his shaft.

  “Carmel!”

  “I’ll stall him, you get out of here,” she said, dashing from the pool area. She needed to stop her father before he got there.

  Harper didn’t reply but she hoped he understood the urgency.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she said, rubbing her tingling lips. “You’re back early.”

  “Yes. I got all the way there and they were a no show. Have they any idea how inconvenient at trip like that is? I have a hundred other things I could be doing. I’ll never work with them again, they’ve burnt their bridges with me.”

  “Calm down. Think of your blood pressure.” She put her hand on his arm. “Come on, have you eaten?” She steered him until he turned around.

  “No, I haven’t had time.”

  “Well I’ll make you something. It’s not good to go too long without food.”

  As she guided her father into the kitchen she resisted the urge to look over her shoulder. Whatever the hell had just happened between her and Harper would have to wait to be examined in her head. The man was too damn sexy and too damn forward for his own good.

  And that was going to get them both into trouble—big, fat, trouble which would make people wonder about her sanity.

  Chapter Five

  Carmel made her father a quinoa and chicken salad. He complained about it, stating a steak sandwich would suit him better, but she stuck to her guns and the rules his doctor had lain down.

  Her mother arrived home later in the day, and as she walked into the hallway, a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the house.

  “We’re in for it,” she said, placing a bottle of Malbec and a Marks & Spencer bag on the table. “The rain is just starting. Great big spots.”

  “Mmm,” Carmel said, barely looking up from her phone. Since Harper had left so suddenly, she’d felt despondent, lacking…frustrated.

  “I did think we’d go to The Duck and Swan for dinner, celebrate with a slap up meal, but not in this weather, I’d rather stay in.” Her mother reached for a crystal glass.

  “What are we celebrating?” Carmel asked, finally looking up.

  Her father did the same from where he sat at the island with his laptop.

  “I won.” Her mother grinned. “The bridge tournament. I was totally unstoppable.”

  Carmel smiled. “Well done.”

  “Yes, jolly well done, darling.”

  Her mother grinned and poured a large glass of white wine. “Now I just need to win the charity golf tournament next week, and I’ll be happy.”

  “You’re so competitive.” Carmel shook her head. Both her parents were the same. They had to be the best of the best no matter what they did. But, she guessed that’s how they were in the position they were today. Not luck, but hard work and determination nothing short of awe-inspiring.

  Had the gene skipped her?

  Perhaps professionally. But Carmel was determined to find happiness with a good man. A real man. Not one of the Cedrics of the privileged world.

  Her father stood and pressed a kiss to her mother’s cheek. “I’m proud of you, and I’m glad we’re not going out. Not in this. Staying home and cosy is the best thing for us.”

  Her mother giggled then they both glanced at the window. Rain was spattering against the pain like tiny bullets. A vivid sulphurous-yellow flash lit the kitchen accompanied by a clap of thunder.

  Ding dong.

  “Who on earth could that be?” Carmel’s mother’s said with a frown.

  “In this weather?” Her father strode across of the room. “A mad man with a hardy soul.”

  Carmel’s stomach flipped. She didn’t know why, but something had put her senses on high alert. And it wasn’t just the electricity in the storm.

  Who was at the door?

  Harper?

  She went to the front window. She couldn’t see the front door from the kitchen but there was no vehicle on the drive, no white transit van as there had been over the last few days. The one which held his tools and goodness only knew what else.

  After a few minutes her father wandered back into the kitchen and picked up his glass of Scotch. He sat back down.

  “Who was that?” her mother asked with a frown as she continued to construct dinner.

  “The gardener. He wanted his money.”

  She frowned. “Harry? You should have let him in, not kept him out in the rain. It won’t do his arthritis any good, it’s why he retired.”

  “No not Harry.” Her father took a sip of his drink. “Just a guy I got to do some trimming around the tennis court.” He shook his head. “We really need to prioritise replacing Harry permanently. The shrubbery is going crazy this time of year. And now this rain, it will only get worse.”

  “Well what about this fellow? The one you’ve just paid?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Not suitable for a permanent position.”

  “Why not?”

  “Trust me on that one, Florence.” He frowned at his laptop and took a sip of his drink. “Most unsuitable for us in every sense of the word.”

  Carmel knotted her fingers together and squirmed on her seat. Her lips tingled, her nipples spiked. Just talking about Harper, knowing he was nearby, had set off a chain reaction of arousal.

  What the hell was it about the unsuitable guy that suited her so damn well?

  ***

  Dinner was a quiet affair. Carmel filled her parents in on how her revision was going and made a point of being super positive to keep them happy, even though she couldn’t remember ever feeling so despondent or distracted from her studies.

  The storm blew over after several more rumbles and a dusky twilight slashed horizontally with inky-blue clouds spread over the sky.

  Just after nine o’clock she made her excuses and headed to her bedroom. After turning on the bedside lamp she stared in the mirror. Did she look different? Was there something in her eyes that hadn’t there before now she’d kissed Harper?

  Was it something other people could see?

  Her parents?

  Her friends?

  She didn’t know. But something inside was definitely different. A longing tugged inside her body like an invisible cord, and in her mind, a desire to…know. Know what it would be like with him. To throw caution to the win
d and stop being the sensible good girl, to take what she wanted whatever the price.

  She turned from the mirror, hugging herself. The last time she’d stepped out of her box, away from her comfort zone, with Cedric, it had gone horribly wrong. Last night had proven that when he’d threatened to tell people a little bit of bondage had got her off.

  But perhaps it was all down to fate. If Cedric and her hadn’t ever been together, then there would have been no argument and no reason for Harper to intervene. He’d likely have passed her in the alley, tipped his head in greeting and walked on by.

  As it was she had needed him in the alley. Needed him in a completely different way to how she needed him now.

  She pulled her curtains closed and sat on the edge of the bed. Running the palm of her hand over her breasts she thought of Harper cupping the underside earlier, in the pool.

  His touch had been electric, so much more than just skin on skin. There was something captivating about it, thrilling. Her entire body had reacted, not just her nipple.

  She slipped her fingers under the waistband of her denim shorts and into her knickers. A tremble wended its way up her spine and she tensed her thighs.

  If only they’d had more time.

  Thank goodness they hadn’t.

  Fucking a bad-ass traveller in the family pool wasn’t cool.

  But oh, so hot.

  She closed her eyes and tipped her head back as she found her clit and rotated her fingertips over it. What would it have been like if the glorious big cock she’d felt nudging against her had had the chance to plunge into her pussy? How would it have felt to have Harper between her legs, her ankles crossed at his back, clinging to his glorious shoulders as he rammed in and out of her?

  She held in a moan and bit on her bottom lip. She’d never know. Harper was destined to be fantasy material forever. A moment in time that had been lost.

  Or had it?

  Should she try and find him? This sexy, roaming man who was a dangerous as he was mysterious?

  Tap. Tap.

  She froze. What the hell…?

  She opened her eyes and stared at the window. The sharp little noise had come from the glass.

  Tap. Tap.

  There it was again. Quickly she pulled her hand from her knickers and stood. She glanced over her shoulder. Her bedroom door was shut.

  Cautiously, she pulled back the curtain. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the evening light. But when it did, she saw a figure standing on the gravel path beneath her window.

  Harper.

  She opened the window, her breath coming in sharp snatches. “What are you doing here?”

  He tossed a few pieces of gravel to the ground, placed his hands on his hips and grinned. “I’ve come to get ya, Posh Girl.”

  “Come to get me?”

  “Aye.” He glanced around then looked back up and gestured for her to come to him. “I want you.”

  He wanted her. The way she wanted him?

  “Come on.” He took a step backwards, towards the shadow of the trees lining the driveway. “I ain’t got all night.”

  Go with him? Could she really just sneak out of the house? Run off into the darkness with the man who had her hormones raging and her mind so pre-occupied she could barely think straight.

  Of course she could. And what was more, she more than wanted to go with him. It was a rabid desire. There was no way she could refuse him.

  “Hang on,” she called in a shout-whisper. “I’ll be right down.”

  She shut up the window and pulled the curtains tight again. The pillows on her bed were plump and she shoved a couple under the covers to make it look as if she were in the bed, should anyone happen to look in.

  Dragging on a thin black sweater, she wondered about changing her denim shorts but changed her mind. She had good legs, long and tanned, and the night was still warm, despite the storm.

  After dragging a brush through her hair, applying a squirt of Chanel and a sweep of lip balm, she turned off her bedroom light.

  On the landing all was quiet and dark. Her parent’s bedroom door, at the opposite end of the corridor, was shut. It seemed they were having an early night and must have followed her up the stairs.

  Being careful not to stand on the creaky step, Carmel crept down into the darkness. She headed for the side door, in the kitchen, rather than using the front, remembering only just in time to flick the security alarm off before she opened it.

  The scent of freshly soaked grass hit her. The air was damp and warm and caressed her nostrils and her legs. After locking up, she stuck to the side of the house, walking on pavers rather than gravel, her soft shoes silent.

  “Hey.”

  A strong arm circled her waist and she was pulled into a shadowed recess.

  “Harper,” she gasped, setting her hand on his chest as he backed her against the wall.

  He smiled down at her, the dim light only serving to make him look even more irresistibly roguish.

  “You shouldn’t be here?” she said, despite the fact she was thoroughly glad he was.

  “Sure I should. I came to get my cash from your pa.” He pressed into her, his body long and strong.

  “That was ages ago.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think he’d take kindly to me taking his cash and his sexy daughter so I waited and then took a guess which bedroom would be yours when two upstairs lights came on.”

  “You’re lucky you got the right one.”

  “Luck of the Irish.”

  She slipped her hands upwards, to his neck. His hair was tied back and his skin soft until she reached the sprinkle of stubble peppering his jawline. “And where are you planning on taking me?”

  “To my home.” He tipped his head a little. “I’ve seen yours, only right you see mine.”

  “Your home in Bowton or in Ireland?”

  “It’s a fair trek to Ballymena from here.”

  “Ballymena? Isn’t that near Belfast?”

  “Just north. Where I was born.”

  “But not raised.”

  “Nah, raised on the road. Never been in one place for long.”

  “And that suited you?”

  “Always has, always will.” He lowered his head and swept his lips over hers.

  She sighed and melted towards him. The illicitness of their encounter made it all the more sexy. They were wrong together but so damn right it was impossible to resist.

  He slipped his hands from her waist to her butt and pulled her closer, groaning a little as he did so. The kiss deepened, and he squeezed her arse cheeks.

  Her pussy clenched, and her belly tightened. How far could they go here? With her parents so close.

  He lifted his head, breaking the kiss. He was breathing fast.

  “In the pool,” she whispered. “What would you have done if my father hadn’t come home?”

  He grinned. “Don’t you know?”

  She shook her head and studied the way his eyes were glinting.

  “I’d have made you come,” he said, his lips hovering over hers, their breath mixing. “I’d have made you come so hard you’d never be the same again.”

  Her knees weakened. A heated flush travelled through her body. It was all she could do not to whimper with longing. “I would have liked that.”

  “Aye, you would have. A lot.”

  God, he was so cocky. So damn self-assured. It should have her rolling her eyes but far from it. Carmel couldn’t remember ever feeling so turned on by a guy. She was desperate for a hard orgasm that would mean she was never the same again.

  And Harper was the one to deliver. A fact she was sure of.

  Chapter Six

  “Let’s get outta here,” Harper said, stepping back and winding his fingers with hers. “Just keep it quiet, okay.”

  “Because you know my father would flip if he caught us.”

  “More than flip, after seeing him earlier I think he’d kick the bucket.”

  “You might be right. B
ut he’s on a programme to lose some weight and bring his blood pressure down.” And upsetting that regimen was the last thing she wanted. She loved him. His health was a priority for the whole family right now.

  She followed Harper from the shadows and across the gravel path, trying to make as little sound as possible. Once on the lawn running parallel to the drive, Harper slung his arm over her shoulder and ambled along as though he owned the place and her.

  “You shouldn’t have come here tonight, you know that,” she said, enjoying having his body moving in time with hers as they walked.

  “I do lots of things I ain’t supposed to do.” He plucked a roll up from his pocket and lit it, ducking his head as he did so.

  A waft of smoke skittered past her and she breathed it in. A year ago she’d given up tobacco, and now had to be content with second hand smoke. Far from being something she hated, it was always a pleasant hit of forbidden nicotine.

  “Are we walking all the way?” she asked. “To the site.”

  “Nah, I parked up the road. Didn’t think a princess like you would enjoy a mile hike.”

  “I’m not a princess, and I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I’ve seen your damn fine legs.” He chuckled.

  “I’m glad you approve.”

  “Approval is important to you?”

  “I guess.” She paused. “Isn’t it to everyone?”

  “Can’t say I’m fussed what people think of me. Just as well, usually I’m scum of the earth, no better than a rodent. It’s the way it is for my folk. One look at me and my ink, people clock my accent, and that’s it, I’m worthless. Should be thrown in jail and key thrown away.”

  “I don’t think you’re worthless, far from it.”

  “Then you’re the exception.”

  A white van came into view, parked alongside a row of trees still heavy with rain.

  “Your carriage awaits,” he said.

  A sudden shot of nerves went through her. What the hell was she doing? Going off in the dark with this gypsy, this guy she hardly knew, except he could handle himself and wasn’t above breaking the law.