Читать книгу A Sudden Change of Heart - Barbara Taylor Bradford - Страница 12

‘What are you doing in Paris?’ Laura asked, smiling at Doug as he came through the door. ‘You’re supposed to be in Los Angeles.’

‘I was never going there. I lied. I wanted to surprise you, darling.’

‘You succeeded,’ she said, and came into his arms.

Pushing the door closed with his foot, Doug held her close to him for a moment then bent down and kissed her on the mouth. Finally pulling away, he said, ‘I thought a weekend in Paris would be great for both of us. So here I am.’

‘I’m thrilled, it’s just wonderful, that’s all I have to say.’

He walked across the room, his arm around her shoulders, and said, ‘So whatever you have planned I think you should cancel it. I want you all to myself.’

‘I’m glad you do, and I feel the same way. There’s no problem about cancelling things. All I have are two appointments with galleries, but they don’t matter all that much. Oh but Doug, I told Claire I’d have dinner at the apartment tomorrow night. I can’t really cancel that.’

‘I don’t want you to, and you know I love Claire. It’ll be good to see her and the Shrimp.’

Laura laughed. ‘I’d forgotten that you call Natasha that. She’s not much of a shrimp anymore, though. More like a…golden salamander.’

‘Mmmm. So she’s growing up gorgeous, is she?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘There’s the bell. It’s my bag,’ Doug said and went to open the door. The porter placed his suitcase, briefcase and overcoat in the room, thanked him for the tip, and left.

Laura said: ‘Are you hungry? I’m sure the Relais Plaza is still open. I’ll get dressed and we can go down for a bite.’

‘No, don’t bother, darling. I ate dinner on the plane. But I would like a drink. White wine would be great.’ Leaning into her he kissed her on the cheek, took off his jacket and tie. ‘I’m going to have a shower and then I’ll be right with you. Order a bottle of Pouilly Fumé, sweetheart.’ He continued to undress and Laura went to call room service.

She was propped up against the pillows on the bed sipping a glass of carbonated water when Doug came out of the bathroom swathed in a bath towel which he had wrapped around him toga style.

‘The wine’s over there on the chest,’ she said. ‘I had the waiter open it.’

‘Thanks. Do you want a glass with me?’ ‘But of course.’

Doug poured two glasses and carried them over to the bed. After giving one to Laura, he strolled around to the other side, climbed onto it, sat propped up next to her. Turning to look at her, he lifted his glass and touched it to hers. ‘Here’s to our weekend together, darling,’ he said and smiled.

Laura smiled back at him over the rim of the glass. ‘To the weekend. And to you, darling. You’re a crazy fool, flying all this way just for two days, but I love it.’

After a few sips of the white wine, Doug placed his glass on the bedside table; drawing closer to Laura, he kissed her cheek, then her neck.

Immediately putting her wine on the nightstand next to her, Laura shifted her body around to face him, and a moment later he was pulling her into his arms. Doug renewed his kisses, showering them on her neck, her shoulders, her bare arms; reaching inside her nightgown he began to caress one of her breasts sensually, drawing small sighs from her.

Moving closer to him, Laura loosened the towel wrapped around him, let her hand trail down over his flat stomach, making gentle circular movements; her fingers fluttered down, and she began to stroke him.

Doug lay very still, his eyes tightly closed; he luxuriated in her touch, drifted with his sensual thoughts. He felt a slight movement against his legs as Laura slithered down the bed and crouched over his thighs. She was still stroking him and then unexpectedly her moist lips encircled him and he let out a long sigh as she took him fully in her mouth. Suddenly he was aroused. After a second or two, she stopped, lifted her head, kissed his stomach, and then pushing herself up the bed she brought her mouth to his.

Doug’s excitement was mounting. He returned her fervent kisses and with suddenness, almost abruptness, he rolled them over so that he was on top of her. Their mouths stayed locked together. Her tongue grazed his and they shared a moment of intense intimacy before Doug pushed his hands under Laura’s buttocks, fitted her long, lean body into the curve of his. And at last he was hard enough to slip inside her, easily and expertly, and within moments they had a rhythm, were rising and falling together, their movements swifter, almost frenzied. Her legs went high around his back and he shafted deeper into her, sinking deeply into the warmth.

Soon Doug felt as though he were falling through dark blue water, falling down, falling further and further down into a bottomless dark blue sea. The waves washed over him, beat against him. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut. Images danced behind his lids. Oh yes, he thought, oh yes, and as he began the long slide down into total ecstasy he saw that face, trapped as it was in his mind…

‘Doug, oh Doug!’ Laura cried. ‘Now. Please. Oh please don’t stop, darling.’

Her voice came to him from far away. And yet it was clear, sharp, the voice he knew so well. And it brought him down. Instantly he lost his erection. His fantasy shattered. Falling against her, Doug lay still, breathing heavily. He was flaccid, drained of energy all of a sudden. And he was mortified.

After a long moment, Laura whispered, ‘Why did you stop? What happened?’

‘I don’t know,’ he whispered back. ‘I’ll be all right in a minute.’ But he wasn’t, and after a short while he slid off her, and lay on his back, still breathing deeply.

‘Are you all right, Doug?’ she asked, concern giving her voice an edge.

‘I’m fine,’ he replied in a low voice. He felt vitiated, sapped of his strength.

Laura’s hand reached for him; she began to stroke him, endeavouring to arouse him once more. But a moment later when her lips encircled him, he knew her efforts would be in vain. This happened a lot with her these days, this loss of strength and vitality at the crucial moment. Doug got off the bed, hurried into the bathroom.

Snapping on the light and locking the door, he went and looked at himself in the mirror. What in God’s name was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he bring the act of love to its true culmination for them both? He had always been proud of his prowess as a lover, his staying power.

It was odd how he fell apart, though, somehow never reached fulfilment these days. Panic struck him. Was it always going to be like this? For the rest of his life? Was he always going to be an ineffectual lover, a man incapable of satisfying a woman, satisfying his wife? Suddenly, Doug was hit by a rush of embarrassment. He had flown all this way to make love to her and he had failed her, failed himself.

And then he thought: It’s all in the mind, of course. That’s where all this begins. And ends.