It was nearly 7:00pm when Lucas started driving towards his home, to collect Gail for the meal at the Mayor's house. They were supposed to be there by 7:00pm; however, he did not not conform to peoples rules and he would turn up whenever he felt like. When he turned onto his street, he was taken aback by the number of cars parked in front of his house and began to get suspicious as to what Gail had been up to while he was not here to watch her.
Lucas entered his home with Caleb and stared unimpressed at the candles lighting the way past the large Christmas Tree in the entrance hall. Lucas sent Caleb to his room to hide the presents he had bought, then began to follow the candle lit hallway when the boy returned to his side.
'What's goin' on Lucas?' Caleb asked confused, as they walked deeper into the property.
Lucas did not answer the question, he continued silently on the candle lit path. As they headed down a long corridor, the faint sound of Dean Martin's Let It Snow could be heard and Lucas felt his rage begin to stir. He had never felt uncomfortable in his property; however, the closer he got to the music, the more his unease grew.
The sound of loud laughter could be heard and Lucas headed towards the open door at the bottom of the corridor. He glanced over his shoulder at Caleb to ensure he was still by his side, then entered the large dining room and looked around suspiciously.
'It's about time the guest of honour arrived' Mayor John exclaimed and got up to meet Lucas.
The room erupted into warm greetings for Lucas; however, his attention was firmly fixed on Gail, who was close to the head of the table. She had crossed a line inviting these people into his home and it was taking all of his self control not to lash out.
Abe was sat next to Gail and caught the look of resentment in Lucas' eyes, the man was hiding it well behind a charming smile; however, he could see right through his old friend and placed a protective hand on Gail's.
Gail winked playfully at Abe, then got up to meet Lucas. She signaled for the serving staff she had hired to start bringing out the food, to distract their guests and linked her arm around Lucas'. 'You want to parade me around like a show pony, then we're doing on my terms' she whispered in his ear, then led him to his seat.
Caleb sensed Lucas' anger and took a seat next to Merlyn, who did not look pleased to be here. 'What's goin' on Merly?' he whispered.
Merlyn sighed and leaned close to her brother. 'From what I can gather Gail's gone crazy and is draggin' us all into her delusion'
'What delusion?' he asked concerned.
'The one where she believes we're the perfect normal family' she snapped and took a sip of the wine Gail had allowed her to have, to take the edge of.
Lucas sat down and gripped Gail's knee tight, then leaned close to her. 'This is a violation of my privacy Darlin' and even that short little dress of yours isn't gonna save you from punishment for this' he whispered and smiled charmingly, so no-one could see his anger.
Gail shot Abe a reassuring smile, sensing his concern, then turned her full attention towards Lucas and gently squeezed his inner thigh. 'Do you feel that?' she asked quietly, ignoring his threat.
Lucas stared deep into her eyes, then regarded her curiously. She had a glint of mischief and he began to sense intrigue within her. 'What I feel is a betrayal Gail' he snapped, then took a deep breath when her hand traveled further up his thigh.
'You disappoint me...Aren't you the one who's always trying to portray an air of superiority over these people? I thought you'd jump at the chance to display our happy little family in front of them all' she sighed, then released his thigh and turned her attention back to Abe.
Lucas was about to interrupt them, when the first course was brought out. It appeared he was required to perform for his guests and would address Gail's unacceptable behaviour later.
Matt paced around Lucas' study, glancing at the old books situated neatly in the bookshelves around the room. He had chosen to bring Luke downstairs and decided to inspect some rooms while the baby was sleeping. The study had a dark charm to it and he could understand why Lucas would enjoy spending time in here, he used to get lost in books himself and envied the mans collection.
'Don't envy me too much Harvard, you wouldn't wanna lose that innocent angle you've always got goin' on' Lucas said, as he entered the room and walked towards the fire where Luke was sleeping peacefully.
'I thought he might benefit from the warmth in here...' Matt started to explain; however, Lucas held up his finger to silence him.
'I'm not lookin' for a fight Doc', on the contrary' Lucas laughed and sat down on the dark green couch in the center of the room, then unbuttoned his shirt collar and rolled up his sleeves.
Matt regarded Lucas suspiciously, it was out of character for him to be so accepting of his presence.
'I have bigger fish to be concerned with than you Harvard' Lucas sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
'You don't like your guests?' Matt smiled knowingly and walked over to an unusual book he had spotted on a small table. It was titled Occultist Power and he was suddenly intrigued with it's contents.
Lucas stood up when he noticed Matt's attention had settled on a book he had no intention of letting the man explore, then took hold of the book before Matt could. 'I wouldn't call them my guests and I can't think of anythin' worse than having these people loose in my home'
'Oh so it's fine for you to invade a persons privacy, but god forbid someone step into your extravagant mansion' Matt smiled smugly.
'Sarcasm doesn't suit you Doc'...' Lucas smirked, then went to his cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. '...Can I tempt you?'
Matt shook his head and regarded Lucas suspiciously. 'You know I'm sober'
'God forbid you let your hair down and come join the adults' Lucas teased, then poured himself a large glass and downed it.
'Is it appropriate behaviour for the town Sheriff to goad a man into drinkin'?' Merlyn asked, as she entered the room with a large plate of food.
Lucas let out a long sigh and shook his head. 'uh-oh, here comes the fun police...' he said sarcastically and refilled his glass of whiskey, '...There's only one thing worse than spending time with those reprobates out there'
Merlyn narrowed her eyes and stared at him with disdain. 'And what's that?'
'Standing here and listenin' to your preachin'...Enjoy the jail-bait Doc' Lucas teased, then left the room with his drink and his book.
Merlyn shook her head and handed Matt the plate. 'I thought you might be hungry'
Matt smiled and placed the plate down on the small table beside him. 'Actually Gail made sure the catering staff made brought me something when you all ate...how is it in there?' he asked curiously, not understanding why Gail had chosen this play.
Merlyn just shrugged and walked quietly over to the baby. 'It's strange...you'd think I'd be used to being ignored in a room full of people, but this was a whole new experience' she smiled sadly.
'I thought you had Caleb with you?' Matt asked, feeling anger rise within him when he sensed her sadness.
Merlyn laughed and stroked Luke's cheek tenderly. 'He's too busy socialisin' for his daddy to care about me' she whispered, careful not to disturb the baby.
Matt let out a long sigh and watched her carefully. Her long dark brown hair hung loose over her shoulders and he felt something stir within him. 'You can keep us company' he suggested, ignoring his common sense screaming at him to keep quiet.
Merlyn turned towards Matt and smiled, she thought he would never ask and she was happy to be keep out of her cousins game.
Gail watched as Caleb led the last members of their party out of the dining room, he wanted to be of some help and she was more than happy to allow him to show their guests out on his way to bed. She glanced at Abe, who was whispering by the door with Lucas, then picked up her glass of wine and went towards the large fireplace.
Lucas glanced over his shoulder when Gail got up and regarded her suspiciously.
'You leave her be boy...this is your own fault for tryin' to force her into a social situation before she was ready' Abe whispered and shot a look of warning at his friend.
Lucas forced a reassuring smile and placed his arm around Abe's shoulder. 'I wouldn't hurt a hair on her pretty little head ol' man, now are you alright finding your way to Caleb? He's gonna set you up in one of the spare rooms for the night'
'I ain't a cripple boy and I don't need you to house me' Abe snapped, but left the room obediently and went to find Caleb.
Lucas turned his full attention towards Gail and watched closely as she stared at the sheet covering the large painting above the fireplace. Lucas had not been in this room for years; therefore, he was unfamiliar with the art his family had hung here; however, it was clear his love was intrigued by something in here.
Gail stared at the covered painting and took a large sip of her drink. She had felt a presence around her all evening and it was irritating her that Lucas appeared unaware of what she was feeling. She had chosen to bring the party here, in the hopes of causing some uncontrollable reaction from her lover; however, he remained blissfully ignorant to the presence surrounding her. She was taken out of her thoughts by Lucas' hand reaching from behind and gripping her neck gently.
'Now that I finally have you all to myself, what am I goin' to do with you Miss Emory?' he teased and pulled her back into him roughly.
Gail turned her head to the side, to allow him access to her neck then let out a long breath when he inhaled her scent. 'Surely you're not mad at me for throwing a wonderful dinner party for your constituents?' she asked sweetly.
Lucas was about to answer when he felt something brush against his back and he suddenly became aware of a presence in the room with them. He glanced behind him to inspect the presence, then turned his attention back to Gail when he sensed her calmness. 'Surely you're not disappointed in me for not sensin' our uninvited guest?' he asked sarcastically.
Gail smiled, happy he was finally allowing himself to feel the strangeness in here. 'If I'm going to stay here and cater to your needs of superiority over your townspeople, I'm going to need you to keep up sweetheart' she teased, then pushed her behind against his hard manhood. Something in here was playing with her urges and she was finding it hard to resist.
Lucas sensed her desire and stroked his finger gently down her back, he smiled when he felt her body quiver under his touch and leaned forward to brush his lips against her shoulder. 'You cold Darlin'?' he whispered seductively, then gently ran his tongue over her shoulder and up to her neck.
Gail bit her lip to stifle her aroused moan and tried to regain some control over her body. 'Have you been in here before?' she asked curiously, trying to distract herself from the sensational feeling of his lips on her neck.
Lucas nipped at her neck playfully, then turned her around to face him. 'I'm sensing there's somethin' I'm supposed to know here, or are you fishin' for information for some other purpose Miss Emory?' he asked, then slowly knelt down in front of her and began lifting up her dress.
Gail inhaled deeply, trying to muster up some strength to resist then reached down and pulled him up before his mouth could reach it's intended target. 'Stop' she ordered. Her body was engulfed with a deep longing for him to be inside of her; however, she concentrated hard and attempted to push her desire away.
Merlyn was sat comfortably next to Matt watching intently as he fed Luke his bottle, when a strange force hit her. She glanced around the room to confirm they were still alone and gave herself a mental shake; however, her body started to tingle all over and she felt the temperature of her skin increase as she watched Matt.
Matt sensed the change in his companion instantly and regarded her curiously. He could be mistaken; however, the look she was giving him indicated that she wanted him come closer. Matt was not stupid so he finished feeding the baby, placed him gently over his shoulder then carefully stood up and attempted to wind him. Luke was surprisingly well behaved for a Buck, he could not say the same for his companion at this moment in time.
Merlyn inhaled deeply and watched Matt as he stood up to pace the room, she pulled her dress up slightly and crossed her legs so the top of her thigh was visible. 'You're good with him' she said and smiled when Matt appeared to blush.
Matt felt her eyes on him and did not know what to do, the baby was ready to be put down; however, he continued to stroke his back and feign winding him, to create some distance from M. 'He's a good boy...'
'Let's hope he doesn't take after his father' Merlyn interrupted, then stood up and took Luke from his arms, sensing he was using the baby to avoid her.
Matt watched her for a moment, then walked towards the door of the Study when she placed Luke in his cot. 'I should check on Gail' he said, but stopped when M came behind him and placed her hand on the door.
'She's a big girl...and so am I Matt' she whispered and inhaled his scent. She did not know what had come over her; however, she felt a kind of animal desire surging through her veins and it was directed straight at the man before her.
Matt experienced a feeling of longing, something he had not felt in a long time and he allowed the girl to run her hands up his arms. This was wrong and he did not know what had come over her; however, a strong urge to be held came over him and he could not shake it.
Merlyn sensed his conflict and took his hand in hers, then led him to the couch. When they were sat down together, she stroked her hand tenderly over his cheek and stared deep into his eyes.
'This is wrong...I'm wrong' he said, trying to sound stern; however, her warm smile indicated he was not fooling anyone.
Merlyn smiled as Matt tried to show some restraint, she respected his concern for her; however, the strong desire flowing through her could wait no longer and she leaned in close, then placed her soft lips on his.
Lucas felt himself beginning to get frustrated, he sensed Gail's desire and could not understand why she was resisting him. He did not want to hurt her, he just wanted to taste her.
'I'm resisting as it won't stop there' Gail sighed, reading his mind.
'I have a lot of restraint Gail, I've proven that' Lucas said and caressed her cheek.
'Did I say I was concerned about your restraint?' she asked, then pulled out of his reach and walked back towards the large dining room table.
Lucas watched as she ran her fingers over the dark wood and tried to shake off a feeling of deja vu. Everything in his being was calling for him to go to her; however, there was a strangeness in this room that he did not care for.
Gail had opened herself up to the presence surrounding her, flashbacks of Rosemary losing her virginity on this very table shot through her mind. She laughed to herself when she thought of him waiting until she had turned 16, as if that was an appropriate age to start the girl on her path of obsession. The more Gail thought about her visions, the more she realised that neither her nor Rosemary stood a chance.
She was amazed that she had managed to resist Lucas for as long as she did. Had she have doubted the well thought out story he had given her about her parents deaths sooner, she might have had a fighting chance; however, there was no denying their connection now and it appeared something within this property wanted her to know that.
'Am I borin' you Darlin'?' Lucas asked, after she had remained silent in thought for a few minutes.
Gail decided that she did not want to get into her visions with him right now; therefore, she shot him a wicked grin, picked up her glass of wine and left the dining room. She was in a playful mood and being in that room was not helping her restraint.
Lucas attempted to push down his urges and followed close behind her down the long corridor, he loved it when she got in a playful mood like this and her sheer determination to withstand his charm made for a great challenge.
He felt his manhood become hard at the thought of continuing this game; therefore, he picked up the pace then dragged her through the kitchen and into his Study. He was about to throw her down on the couch when he spotted Matt Crower laying on Merlyn, kissing her passionately. 'Well welcome to the party Doc', it's about time you joined the adults' Lucas smirked, amused at the state they had caught him in.
'You're kidding me' Gail exclaimed in shock, as Matt jumped up and put his hand over his mouth in shame.
'We weren't doin' nothin' wrong' Merlyn tried to reason; however, Gail grabbed her by the arm and roughly dragged her out of the room, giving Matt a disapproving look as she left.
'I don't know what came over me...' Matt started, then stopped when he realised he had no explanation for what he was doing.
Lucas went to Luke, to ensure his boy was oblivious to what was going on and smiled when he saw that he was fast asleep. 'Of all the things I could get you on, I never thought statutory rape would be one of them' he laughed.
Matt felt a tight ball in the pit of his stomach when Lucas said the words and he felt sick. This was all Lucas required to turn people against him and the man had witnessed it with his own eyes, he was so disappointed with himself.
'Ah hell, quite your mopin' and just own it...I ain't gonna do anythin', I'm just surprised you had the balls to act on your urges'
'You're not going to anything?' Matt asked, in disbelief.
'Let's call it a Christmas miracle Harvard...' Lucas said sarcastically, '...Now come on, let's get you a ride outta here before Gail comes back and has your hide'
-To be continued-
