CHAPTER 12
Winston was beginning to get worried. He knew Lara liked to take long runs but she had never taken one this late and she had been gone 7 hours. It was now 4am. He had called the police and explained the situation. They had said that usually they would wait 24 hours before looking into cases like that as a missing person. But seeing as this was Lady Lara Croft, one of the most well know adventurers, they had agreed to send someone around to the manner. They couldn't afford to be careless with a missing aristocrat.
The officer now stood in the library, asking the elderly butler questions along the lines of "Has she ever gone missing like this before?" to witch Winston had answered; "I have known Lady Croft since she was a very young girl, she always let's me know when she'll be back. She told me she'd only be gone a bout 2 hours." He noticed that the officer was shaking his head slightly. "With all due respect officer, I know that Lara can take care of herself, but she is not invincible, she can get hurt as much as you and I can."
"I understand your concern sir," the officer spoke "but, I'm sure everything is just fine."
Just then they heard the front door open. Winston rushed into the main hall, to be greeted with the sight of a flustered Lara, wearing totally different clothes to the ones she had left in. there was a nasty bruise forming on her right cheek, and her throat was an angry mix of red, purple, blue and yellow/green with scrapes and such completing the wound.
The police officer had followed Winston and had started speaking before he had registered Lara's wounds and attire. "You see sir, she's.." he noticed her wounds then and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Fine" Lara finished for him and smiled kindly "I'm fine, thank you officer for coming out so promptly but as you can see I am safe, so you can be on your way" "But, "the officer used the pen he was holding to indicate her wounded neck, he composed himself then and straightened "lady Croft, may I be as bold as to enquire after your current appearance?"
Lara smiled "hmmm, no you may not! Thank you officer" she stood by the door with Riley behind her, still unnoticed by the officer and butler.
"Lara, what happened?" Winston asked from where he stood in the hall.
Lara smiled warmly at him, "I'll tell you all about it over supper" she glanced at the grand father clock across the room "make that breakfast, I'm starving" Winston nodded and headed off towards the kitchen. Riley realized then that he hadn't offered her any food while she had been at his home. As if only just remembering, Lara called after her butler "oh, Winston!" he came back around the corner a small smile on his face, glad to see her back safe and sound.
"Yes my Lady?"
"Could you prepare something for my friend?" she indicated over her shoulder with her thumb and Riley gave the butler a small wave. Winston's smile widened slightly. "Certainly Lara" "Thank you" she sent her butler an affectionate wink before he turned back in the direction of the kitchen. Winston couldn't help smiling to himself as he walked into the spacious room. Lara had referred to her companion as her 'friend'. This fact made him smile due to the fact she almost never referred to anyone as her friend, especially not men.
The police officer was now eyeing Riley very suspiciously. "Sir," he spoke quietly and Lara turned so she could see both Riley and the officer. "Maybe you could explain Lady Croft's current appearance to me" Lara didn't like the accusing tone in the officer's voice. She almost laughed at her self when she realized how protective she was being of Riley. It must have been because he had saved her. She decided to get rid of the officer once and for all while relieving Riley of all suspicion.
"Oh, my clothes!" Lara spoke before Riley had a chance. "Actually, they're his clothes" she spoke straight to the officer, nodding in Riley's direction when she mentioned him. "You see officer, the thing is, we couldn't find all of my clothes, so I had to borrow some of his." She smiled sweetly then turned to Riley with the same sweet smile. She could see in his eyes that he knew what she was doing and was amused by it. "You know" she continued "I'm sure you threw my bra towards the kitchen!" Just to make sure he was following, she gave him a little wink. "Yeah," he played along, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "I think you panties are in the study!"
"Ah" the officer cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed "I have to get back to head quarters. Now that I know everything is ok"
"Oh, ok. Thank you officer" Lara smiled and closed the door behind him. She laughed and gave Riley a bright smile. "You are a naughty girl Lara"
"Oh I know" she grinned again and grabbed him by the hand, "come on, it smells like Winston has breakfast ready!"
She went to walk across the hall but Riley didn't move, he kept hold of her hand, his feet glued to the marble floor slowly, he pulled Lara by the hand, moving her closer to him. He brought his face closer to hers and kissed her ever so gently. This time, when she wrapped her arms around him, he couldn't control himself, he slid his hand underneath the baggy shirt she wore, stroking the skin on her lower back. Although Lara seriously like Riley, she began to panic as he made it very clear what was on his mind. She pushed at his chest, and stepped back a few paces, gasping for air.
Riley could read her face, and knew he had gone too far.
"I'm sorry, Lara. I didn't mean to..."
"Riley, let's just take it slow ok? We've known each other. what. 6 hours?" she watched as Riley nodded and put his hand to his mouth. He desperately wanted to kiss her again and as he watched her mouth as she spoke, his desire grew.
"I'm never this relaxed with a guy I've just met. Usually it would take a few months for me to even consider giving a guy the time of day." She reasoned with herself as well as him "I think it might be because you saved my life and looked after me, but I think we've taken things way to fast so far. I'd like to actually get to know you Riley"
He smiled then, and nodded "yeah, same here. I can slow down, no problem" he knew he was lying about being able to stop, but he desperately wanted to know her. If that meant ignoring what he wanted for a while, he could do it... he hoped so anyway.
He was deep in thought as he followed Lara down the long halls to the kitchen.
"Winston" Lara said kindly as they entered the room. He turned and smiled warmly as he set two plates at the kitchen table, each one containing a full English breakfast (eggs, bacon, tomato, toast) again his eyes landed on the wound on Lara's neck. "please, Lara." He said as he pulled her chair out for her "what happened to you?" "I was attacked" she said simply. "I wasn't expecting it. And if it hadn't been for Riley here" she smiled across the table at him as he sat down "I would have come home in a body bag!" Winston went very pale and walked towards Riley, he extended his hand to the new man and Riley took it slowly. Winston shook his had, placing his free one on the back of Rileys. "thank you sir. Thank you" Lara smiled at the surprised look on Riley's face as he answered Winston "erm, no problem"
Winston smiled again at Riley, nodded at Lara then left the room.
"he likes you" Lara told Riley quietly after Winston had left the room.
"only because I got you here. He seems to care for you a lot" Riley smiled as he spoke
"oh we care a lot about each other. He was like a father to me when I was growing up... after my birth father dies that is"
"you're lucky to have him Lara"
"I know" she smiled and took a bite out of a piece of golden toast "and now I have you too!"
Riley only smiled and went about eating his breakfast. He didn't want to break his promise to her, but all he wanted to was kiss her.
Winston was beginning to get worried. He knew Lara liked to take long runs but she had never taken one this late and she had been gone 7 hours. It was now 4am. He had called the police and explained the situation. They had said that usually they would wait 24 hours before looking into cases like that as a missing person. But seeing as this was Lady Lara Croft, one of the most well know adventurers, they had agreed to send someone around to the manner. They couldn't afford to be careless with a missing aristocrat.
The officer now stood in the library, asking the elderly butler questions along the lines of "Has she ever gone missing like this before?" to witch Winston had answered; "I have known Lady Croft since she was a very young girl, she always let's me know when she'll be back. She told me she'd only be gone a bout 2 hours." He noticed that the officer was shaking his head slightly. "With all due respect officer, I know that Lara can take care of herself, but she is not invincible, she can get hurt as much as you and I can."
"I understand your concern sir," the officer spoke "but, I'm sure everything is just fine."
Just then they heard the front door open. Winston rushed into the main hall, to be greeted with the sight of a flustered Lara, wearing totally different clothes to the ones she had left in. there was a nasty bruise forming on her right cheek, and her throat was an angry mix of red, purple, blue and yellow/green with scrapes and such completing the wound.
The police officer had followed Winston and had started speaking before he had registered Lara's wounds and attire. "You see sir, she's.." he noticed her wounds then and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Fine" Lara finished for him and smiled kindly "I'm fine, thank you officer for coming out so promptly but as you can see I am safe, so you can be on your way" "But, "the officer used the pen he was holding to indicate her wounded neck, he composed himself then and straightened "lady Croft, may I be as bold as to enquire after your current appearance?"
Lara smiled "hmmm, no you may not! Thank you officer" she stood by the door with Riley behind her, still unnoticed by the officer and butler.
"Lara, what happened?" Winston asked from where he stood in the hall.
Lara smiled warmly at him, "I'll tell you all about it over supper" she glanced at the grand father clock across the room "make that breakfast, I'm starving" Winston nodded and headed off towards the kitchen. Riley realized then that he hadn't offered her any food while she had been at his home. As if only just remembering, Lara called after her butler "oh, Winston!" he came back around the corner a small smile on his face, glad to see her back safe and sound.
"Yes my Lady?"
"Could you prepare something for my friend?" she indicated over her shoulder with her thumb and Riley gave the butler a small wave. Winston's smile widened slightly. "Certainly Lara" "Thank you" she sent her butler an affectionate wink before he turned back in the direction of the kitchen. Winston couldn't help smiling to himself as he walked into the spacious room. Lara had referred to her companion as her 'friend'. This fact made him smile due to the fact she almost never referred to anyone as her friend, especially not men.
The police officer was now eyeing Riley very suspiciously. "Sir," he spoke quietly and Lara turned so she could see both Riley and the officer. "Maybe you could explain Lady Croft's current appearance to me" Lara didn't like the accusing tone in the officer's voice. She almost laughed at her self when she realized how protective she was being of Riley. It must have been because he had saved her. She decided to get rid of the officer once and for all while relieving Riley of all suspicion.
"Oh, my clothes!" Lara spoke before Riley had a chance. "Actually, they're his clothes" she spoke straight to the officer, nodding in Riley's direction when she mentioned him. "You see officer, the thing is, we couldn't find all of my clothes, so I had to borrow some of his." She smiled sweetly then turned to Riley with the same sweet smile. She could see in his eyes that he knew what she was doing and was amused by it. "You know" she continued "I'm sure you threw my bra towards the kitchen!" Just to make sure he was following, she gave him a little wink. "Yeah," he played along, slipping his arm around her shoulders. "I think you panties are in the study!"
"Ah" the officer cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed "I have to get back to head quarters. Now that I know everything is ok"
"Oh, ok. Thank you officer" Lara smiled and closed the door behind him. She laughed and gave Riley a bright smile. "You are a naughty girl Lara"
"Oh I know" she grinned again and grabbed him by the hand, "come on, it smells like Winston has breakfast ready!"
She went to walk across the hall but Riley didn't move, he kept hold of her hand, his feet glued to the marble floor slowly, he pulled Lara by the hand, moving her closer to him. He brought his face closer to hers and kissed her ever so gently. This time, when she wrapped her arms around him, he couldn't control himself, he slid his hand underneath the baggy shirt she wore, stroking the skin on her lower back. Although Lara seriously like Riley, she began to panic as he made it very clear what was on his mind. She pushed at his chest, and stepped back a few paces, gasping for air.
Riley could read her face, and knew he had gone too far.
"I'm sorry, Lara. I didn't mean to..."
"Riley, let's just take it slow ok? We've known each other. what. 6 hours?" she watched as Riley nodded and put his hand to his mouth. He desperately wanted to kiss her again and as he watched her mouth as she spoke, his desire grew.
"I'm never this relaxed with a guy I've just met. Usually it would take a few months for me to even consider giving a guy the time of day." She reasoned with herself as well as him "I think it might be because you saved my life and looked after me, but I think we've taken things way to fast so far. I'd like to actually get to know you Riley"
He smiled then, and nodded "yeah, same here. I can slow down, no problem" he knew he was lying about being able to stop, but he desperately wanted to know her. If that meant ignoring what he wanted for a while, he could do it... he hoped so anyway.
He was deep in thought as he followed Lara down the long halls to the kitchen.
"Winston" Lara said kindly as they entered the room. He turned and smiled warmly as he set two plates at the kitchen table, each one containing a full English breakfast (eggs, bacon, tomato, toast) again his eyes landed on the wound on Lara's neck. "please, Lara." He said as he pulled her chair out for her "what happened to you?" "I was attacked" she said simply. "I wasn't expecting it. And if it hadn't been for Riley here" she smiled across the table at him as he sat down "I would have come home in a body bag!" Winston went very pale and walked towards Riley, he extended his hand to the new man and Riley took it slowly. Winston shook his had, placing his free one on the back of Rileys. "thank you sir. Thank you" Lara smiled at the surprised look on Riley's face as he answered Winston "erm, no problem"
Winston smiled again at Riley, nodded at Lara then left the room.
"he likes you" Lara told Riley quietly after Winston had left the room.
"only because I got you here. He seems to care for you a lot" Riley smiled as he spoke
"oh we care a lot about each other. He was like a father to me when I was growing up... after my birth father dies that is"
"you're lucky to have him Lara"
"I know" she smiled and took a bite out of a piece of golden toast "and now I have you too!"
Riley only smiled and went about eating his breakfast. He didn't want to break his promise to her, but all he wanted to was kiss her.