Chapter 18
“It's not quite as Downton Abbey as I was expecting,” confessed Tabitha, throwing herself on the sumptuous bed.
Freddie laughed.
“Did you have visions of staff lining up to greet you on your way in the entrance?” he teased.
Tabitha was glad her coffee colored skin hid her blushes.
“As a matter of fact I did.”
Freddie flung himself next to her on the mattress.
“Roger Hastings has disappointed the Queen of Brooklyn.”
“Not at all.”
Freddie looked so relaxed and friendly, Tabitha realized she was breathing easy and in the moment. The week leading up to Christmas had been hellish. In terms of moods, Freddie was all over the place. Having only dated a few months, the couple should've been in the honeymoon stage of their relationship, but other than his first twenty-four hours back he'd barely touched her. Their conversations had consisted mainly of surface talk. Up until now Tabitha thought her company at Christmas was nothing more than obligation on Freddie's part. Laughing about her idealized notions of a British Christmas they were able to appreciate one another's humor.
Impulsively Tabitha sprung up and straddled Freddie. Normally stylish and sophisticated, the cream woolen turtle neck sweater and faded blue jeans made him appear like a cheesy model from a winter catalog. He was cute and cozy. Bending down she let her lips brush his. Freddie's eyes closed dreamily and he looked serene and at peace.
“I've missed you,” she whispered.
“I've missed me.”
“I know you better than you think, Freddie Ravensdale.”
“I know,” he agreed, eyes remaining shut.
“Want to tell me what's been going on in that head of yours?”
“I think my head's been getting in the way of my heart of late.”
“Want to tell me what's going on in that big heart of yours, then?”
Freddie's eyelids flickered open and a devilish smile spread across his face. In one swift movement he'd pinned Tabitha to the bed.
“Might be more fun if I show you.”
A pair of similar sounding voices called for Freddie in the house. He groaned at the interruption.
“Sounds like your sisters are back from their last minute shopping.”
Freddie rolled off Tabitha and scowled.
“I love them to bits, but their timing couldn't be worse.”
“We can pick up later,” winked Tabitha. “Come and introduce me.”
Freddie stood up and smoothed down his clothes. He reached for Tabitha's hand.
“Prepare to be smothered in love,” he warned.
Opening the door to the guest room, Freddie and Tabitha stepped out. As soon as he entered the twins' line of vision they sprinted down the corridor to him. Tabitha was bemused as they competitively raced to get a hug from Freddie first.
His hands slipped under the arm pits of the girl that made it to him first and he swung her around playfully. The twin that had been a fraction slower hugged his waist. Placing down one kid sister, he lifted the other to kiss her on the nose.
They didn't have the natural blonde hair and fair complexions of Freddie and Isabella (when Izzy wasn't having home hair dyeing disasters). They were tall and slim like their half-siblings, but both were brunettes with olive skin. The inherited blue eyes the twins shared with their older brother and sister made the young girls absolutely striking.
“We want to meet Tabitha,” announced one of the twins.
“And you can. This is Tabitha. Tabitha this is Lily and Poppy.”
“Poppy has the beauty mark above her lip?” observed Tabitha offering a hand for Poppy to shake.
“Only way to tell us apart,” declared Lily.
“I'm honored to meet you two and I'm thrilled to be spending Christmas with you guys. Thanks so much for agreeing to have me.”
“Izzy told us you were the best,” announced Poppy.
“I'd rather you'd have told me Freddie said that,” she giggled, “but I'm fortunate to have a good friend in your older sister.”
“Aren't you just?” said Izzy, having made her way up the stairs laden with shopping bags.
“Izzy's changed her hair,” said Freddie dryly.
“I liked it better black. She looked more like us,” said Poppy loyally.
“I think Izzy looked a bit scary,” growled Freddie.
“I think you'll start looking like a caveman if you don't get those blonde locks shorn soon,” jibed Izzy.
Freddie scowled at the women laughing like hyenas at his unkempt medium length hair.
“You sound like a coven of witches and no man wants to spend Christmas in a nest of nattering women.”
“Outnumbered I'm afraid, dear brother.”
Finding the youthful exuberance of the twins infectious, Tabitha happily accepted their invitation to see their purchases and help them select what outfits were appropriate for the different functions held over Christmas.
Freddie seized the opportunity to let the women bond to catch up on some time alone. He knew he'd made a huge error of judgment insisting Samantha be invited. It was too late to repair the impending havoc that would soon take place. Back in his bedroom he paced agitatedly, unsure of exactly what damage limitation options were available to him. With a bout of nausea consuming him, he was forced to acknowledge there was no going back on his absurd behavior since his return.
He loved the town house. Based in the reserved up-market area of Bloomsbury, he admired the fact that such a large house could be located in a quiet area close to the green of Russell Square and only a few minutes walk to the real hub of London's West End.
Freddie hadn't grown up here. After the divorce, his father and new wife had bought the house. While Freddie liked to think of the room he was staying in as the guestroom, he knew the bedroom had been designed specifically for his tastes when he was a teenager. Despite the fact that his father was quick to send Izzy and him to boarding school, his step-mother wanted to make the new house a home to Frederick and Isabella.
Rationally, he knew his father's wife, Carmella, was in no way responsible for his parents’ separation. A combination of his father's devotion to Hastings-Bass and his mother's alcoholism had driven them apart. He did feel Carmella's involvement with his father had been the reason why he and Izzy had been sidelined in their father's affections.
Wandering down two levels of staircases to the ground floor, he ambled into the main reception where a glorious Christmas tree topping six foot stood. He felt a pang of guilt. In previous Christmases he'd been the first around the house to help the family decorate the tree. This year, torn between love and loyalty, he'd steered cleared of the tradition. He saw a few baubles he'd made in primary school were hung on the front of the tree on prominent display.
“Poppy and I were far more precise and creative than you with our attempts,” said a meek voice linking her arm through Freddie's.
“I was a boy. I wanted to be out riding reindeers and playing in the snow, not in school making ornaments for a Christmas tree.”
“Mummy put yours up. I think she was sad you didn't come this year.”
Freddie's youngest sister, Lily, was wiser than he gave her credit for. He knew she was subtly letting him know that Carmella missed him and would always think of him as part of the family.
“I was in South Africa, remember? That's why I couldn't come.”
“I know. I was just saying we missed you.”
“Well I'm here now.”
He bent to kiss the top of her head.
“What do you think of Tabitha?”
“She's beautiful. She looks like a model or a singer.”
“I like her accent best,” said Poppy, stomping down the stairs. “I think she might know more about fashion than Izzy.”
“Don't let Izzy hear you say that,” chuckled Freddie. “Where is Tabitha, anyhow?”
“She's in the lounge.”
Freddie made his way over to the entrance to the lounge, leaving the twelve year olds to admire their handiwork on the main Christmas tree. From the side of the door, he could see Tabitha in deep conversation with Isabella and Carmella. In his eyes she was perfect. Casually dressed in skin tight black jeans and knee high boots, she had on a thin cream scoop necked shirt with a scarf loosely wrapped round her neck serving purely as an accessory. The twins were right; Tabitha was effortlessly cool.
He knew he should be whipping her upstairs to make love to her. The stirring in his loins should've been the only thing on his mind. To have someone so beautiful in his life, a woman that valued work and family in equal measures and loved Freddie without condition was a blessing. For reasons unknown to him, he'd jeopardized this relationship out of spite, anger and resentment for his father.
Seeing Tabitha sitting on a cushion, glass in hand while talking and laughing with his step mother and sister made a picturesque scene. Checking his watch he wondered when the imaginary frame would smash and ruin the picture forever.
“Am I interrupting anything?”
The three women spun their heads to look at him. Their faces radiated welcome and warmth.
“Of course not. Join us for a snowball,” offered Carmella.
“It's a bit soft, well, tame drink for me, Carmella.”
“Don't be stuffy,” scolded Tabitha. “I'd never tasted one before and I'm onto my third.”
“Lucky for the family you aren't an obnoxious drunk!”
“Go on. You can have a scotch later with your father if you want something stronger,” said Carmella.
The last thing Freddie wanted was to share a drink with his father, given how difficult their last one-on-one had been. His differences with his father were not Carmella's fault.
“Oh alright then,” he agreed.
Freddie sat on the sofa between his step-mother and sister. Tabitha moved her cushion to allow her to rest against Freddie's legs. Reaching her hand up, she sought his fingers. He laced his hand in hers and listened to the women chat.
“It must be refreshing to have someone in the Hastings-Bass office with fire in their belly,” said Carmella.
As much as Freddie wanted to harden his heart to Carmella, he'd never been capable of it. She was too invested in the family and in Hastings-Bass for him to pretend they had nothing in common. Growing up, “Hastings-Bass” was considered worse than a swear word in the household. Despite the hard work of his ancestors and father, his birth mother never had any interest in the fashion label. Carmella on the other hand had worked at the label and was genuinely invested and curious about the gradual expansion of the company.
“It is. The new line has pushed Christmas sales through the roof which is all down to Tabitha.”
“And now she's discussing a fragrance line for men.”
Freddie caught Tabitha's eye.
“S&S,” Tabitha twinkled in reference to her assessment of Freddie smelling of scotch and sex his first morning back from South Africa.
“You have a name for it already?” asked Carmella excitedly.
“Not quite,” said Freddie blushing.
“In-joke, I'm guessing,” remarked Isabella.
Tabitha laughed.
“The brand yes, the idea no. Reaching a younger market has really opened up a lot of opportunity in the market for us,” revealed Tabitha.
With Izzy as a fashion journalist, the adults were able to talk shop. Eventually, Roger arrived home. Tabitha thought he looked chuffed to have his entire family in the one room.
“Have you settled in, Tabitha?”
“I have, thank you Roger. Your house is beautiful.”
“I think the decorations enhance it at this time of the year, but thank you. We try our best to make it a home.”
From the corner of her eye, Tabitha could see Freddie's lips curve into a sarcastic sneer, but he managed to bite back whatever he wanted to say.
“Is everyone good to eat at eight?” inquired Roger.
The family nodded and muttered agreeably.
“Well that gives me a couple of hours to get ready and relax, so I'll see you all in the dining room a little later,” he concluded.
“I might go and pamper myself a bit. Is there any dress code for dinner?” asked Tabitha.
“Casual and relaxed. It'll just be dinner, drinks and caroling with family,” assured Carmella, keen to make sure Tabitha was under no pressure.
“Sounds divine.”
She stood up, dragging Freddie by the hand to the exit.
“Tabitha,” said Roger as she passed by him.
She stopped to speak to him as Freddie walked toward the stairs.
“It is lovely to have you for Christmas. I hope you know how much I appreciate your hard work in the office, but more importantly I'm grateful for the obvious affection and care you have for my son. Seeing Freddie with someone he's comfortable with is possibly one of the best Christmas gifts I've ever had.”
“Thanks Roger, that means a lot to me.”
Tabitha reached up to kiss his cheek and had no yearning to be back in America with her own family. She was finally in the right place.
*
“I think I can safely say you've won over the entire house,” said Freddie.
His mood was relaxed. There was no sign of Samantha or her father. It appeared as though he was off the hook for Christmas Eve and the idea of indulging in food and wine with his family was particularly appealing to him.
“There's only one heart I want to win.”
“You've won it.”
His soft, warm lips caught hers. He smelled like fresh soap and the crackling fire had permeated his woolen sweater, making him snuggable and huggable. She returned the kiss and rather than any fast and furious sex, they stood kissing in the room for what felt like forever.
The more intense the kisses became, the closer their bodies were. Tabitha could taste Freddie. Equally enamored with Tabitha, Freddie's tongue gently probed her mouth. His hands went to her firm rounded buttocks to pull her nearer so that only a sheet paper could separate them. Tabitha could feel the rod in Freddie's pants pressing against her toned stomach. The deliberate time he was taking was tantalizing and she felt a wet burst from between her legs. Part of her was desperate to be ravished by him, but she wanted to enjoy being cherished by Freddie.
Unable to help herself, her hands ran under his clothes to make contact with his warm skin. Her hands were stroking his back firmly and Freddie's cock was stiffening under her caress. Inhaling, he reached to tug the t-shirt and sweater over his head in a swift movement. Standing there in the dimmed light of the room she was astounded by his beauty.
His torso was naturally defined. Tabitha's fingertips went to the base of Freddie's throat. She let them trail down the center of his chest and outline the pectorals. Freddie's chest heaved and fell as she allowed herself time to appreciate the fine specimen of masculinity standing in front of her.
Placing a hand over each pec, her hands glided over the rock hard six-pack stomach. The softness of his skin was inviting. Without asking, Tabitha undid the buckle of his belt, unbuttoned his jeans and pushed the faded denim jeans downward. Freddie stepped out of his boots and locked the door. The outline of his erection looked mammoth sized as it strained against the black tight-legged Calvin boxers he wore.
Feeling secure that they were free from interruption, Freddie stalked toward Tabitha. His height and presence had her subconsciously stepping backward as he approached. Closing in, Tabitha took a final step and realized she could only fall back on the mattress at the base of the bed.
“You have skepticism all over your face,” he observed.
“It’s been a while,” she said quietly.
“I know. That’s unforgivable on my part. Sometimes in trying to protect people, I end up hurting them because I behave like I’m pushing them away. I think maybe that’s what I was doing with you.”
Tabitha reached up to stroke his cheek.
“If you had a little faith in this relationship, you might find that by discussing things with me that the emphasis you place on certain issues is exaggerated.”
“I have faith in the relationship. I don’t always have faith in me.”
“Trust me, Freddie. Talk to me,” advised Tabitha, before silencing him with a kiss.
Freddie released himself from the hand Tabitha had slid round his neck. Pulling gently at her scarf, he withdrew it from her neck and dropped it to the floor. His hands went to her crushed cream top and he gracefully lifted it over her head. Tabitha could hear the sharp intake of his breath as he caught sight of her pendulous breasts in the lacy white bra.
Quickly repositioning himself, Freddie sat on the edge of the mattress. Thighs spread wide; his hands went to Tabitha’s slim waist to haul her in front of him. Pleased by Freddie’s response at seeing her half naked, she reached behind to unclasp her bra. As she shrugged herself out of it, she could see Freddie’s cock bulging in his underwear.
Impulsively his mouth latched onto the darkened nipple of her left breast. He sucked hard, causing Tabitha to moan softly. Her other nipple was hardening being exposed to the cool air, but when Freddie pinched it between his finger and thumb it became a bullet. As he concentrated on taking her breast in his mouth, he began massaging the alternate one; enjoying the firm weight of it.
Releasing her from his mouth, his tongue flicked over her other breast as he began undoing her jeans. As he peeled the skin-tight stretch denim over her womanly thighs, he smiled approvingly at the matching white lacy panties.
Unzipping Tabitha’s knee high boots; Freddie’s broad, solid shoulders offered support as she shifted out of them and kicked her jeans away. Edging slightly up the bed, Freddie shoved his boxers down; tempting Tabitha was his long, thick shaft. He beckoned her closer, whispering that she should get on and ride him.
Momentarily shy, Tabitha shook off her inhibitions and mounted Freddie. Dipping her head she kissed him firmly on the mouth. His hands flew to her breasts to knead them as they continued kissing. Turned on and keen for more, Tabitha gyrated her hips and ground herself against Freddie’s pulsating hard-on.
Slipping his hands into her panties, he squeezed the firm flesh of her buttocks to increase the pressure of her gyrations on his erection. Not wanting to wait, Freddie moved his hands from her pert behind. Gently pushing her upwards from the kiss, as Tabitha straightened her body, he was able to roughly shove the crotch of her dampened panties aside to allow her proper access to his cock.
Raising herself till she was kneeling, Tabitha deliberately took her time to slide onto Freddie’s prick. She closed her eyes as the helmet burst through her slit. Freddie’s blue eyes were flickering all over her body to take in everything from her expression to the way she moved in perfect motion with him as they made love.
Her slippery slit worked Freddie in inch by inch and the contractions her pussy made as she clamped around each new inch was a bliss previously unknown to them both. Sinking down completely on his cock, she stayed as still as a statue to enjoy the feeling of all him being wholly inside her.
Certain her teasing was deliberate, Freddie bucked his hips. The sharp stabbing sensation drew Tabitha back into the present. Her hands flew to Freddie’s chest to steady herself as she began to ride Freddie’s prick. Her breathing was heavy as her body familiarized itself with his length and girth. Making love with Freddie was as challenging as it was rewarding. The feeling of being completely filled by him was indescribable, but his size was something Tabitha had taken time to become accustomed to.
Turned on, well-lubed and completely in love, she was soon able to slide smoothly and gracefully up and down his length. Their eyes maintained contact throughout the session. Having found the appropriate rhythm and pace, Tabitha let her nails follow the outline of Freddie’s form as they trailed from his beautiful face, to his muscular arms, to his honed body.
To prevent himself climaxing too early, Freddie shut his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the sensation of Tabitha’s touch. Longing for her body, his hands went to her waist and spread to feel her soft tummy before heading north towards her breasts.
Tabitha’s hands went to his and she firmly placed them by Freddie’s side again. His eyes fluttered open at the miscommunication. Her chocolate brown eyes were serious and smoky. A smile played on his lips as she began leaning backwards. Her arms stretched behind her to stabilize herself on Freddie’s thighs. The minor shift in position gave Freddie a better full frontal view of Tabitha’s feminine hourglass figure as she began to speed up the bobbing on Freddie’s dick.
Watching her breasts wobbling he sensed she was close to peaking. Keen to assist in the process, Freddie’s hand went to her waxed mound. Opening his fingers he let his thumb find her clit. The shiver that went through Tabitha’s body as he pressed on the bud had him bucking his hips.
Wet and wanting, he let his thumb circle her nub with the exact amount of pressure required to take her to the brink. As she moved faster and more feverishly on his shaft, he persisted in rubbing firmly around the outside of her clit, occasionally letting the tip of his index finger brush over the sensitive area. In minutes Tabitha was arching her back and biting back a scream as she orgasmed on Freddie’s cock.
Close himself, Freddie sat up suddenly, wrapped his arms around Tabitha to hug her to him and thrust a final time before reaching his own climax. Sweaty and sticky, he held her until both their breathing had settled and their bodies were calmer and under control.
He kissed Tabitha sweetly
“I wish we could stay like this all night.”
“Me too,” she whispered back, “but it’d be very rude to your father and Carmella and I don’t think they’d need three tries to correctly guess where we were and what we were up to.”
Freddie pouted but knew she was right.
“Showers and dress for dinner then?” he suggested.
“Nothing to stop us sharing a shower,” she mentioned seductively.