Country Pleasures Read Free Page A

‘Absolutely,’ she said. ‘It’s adorable once it’s lived in, isn’t it?’
    â€˜So that means I don’t have to go out into this infernal storm, hunting for logs?’
    â€˜Maybe later. You’re excused for the moment, but the fireplace does look kind of bleak without a fire going, doesn’t it?’
    Janie changed the CD and enjoyed the few moments’ silence.
    â€˜Trivial Pursuit?’ she asked eventually.
    They both shook their heads.
    â€˜Draughts?’
    â€˜Too many draughts in here already.’
    The wind rattled the window in agreement.
    â€˜I’ll tell you what’ll warm the cockles and cheer us up.’ Janie leaned over the squashy sofa and rapped her knuckles on the top of her friend’s head. Sally blew her nose into a bright-pink handkerchief and looked round eagerly.
    â€˜You’ve dreamed up Big Chief Hard-on. You’ve planned the big surprise. Any minute now, Ben and some hunky mates are going to roll up in an enormous black four-by-four, loincloths akimbo, armed with tomahawks and baying for our bodies.’
    â€˜Guess again. I told you, this is a man-free zone. Anyway, Ben’s overseas, working in Amsterdam or somewhere. He’d go running straight back there if heknew a harlot like you had designs on him. Ben needs protecting.’
    â€˜You mean you want him for yourself,’ said Sally.
    â€˜Don’t be silly. I’m going to put the kettle on.’
    â€˜Kettle?’
    â€˜OK, I’m going to open some of that Chardonnay you brought,’ Janie corrected. ‘You must have spent your entire redundancy cheque on those cases of food and wine. And then, for this evening’s entertainment, you’re going to tell me what happened with that waiter.’
    â€˜What waiter?’ asked Sally, feigning innocence.
    â€˜Come on, you haven’t said a word about that particular close encounter since I left you creaming yourself at the café last Sunday.’
    Sally laughed and wriggled herself back into the soft cushions.
    â€˜Oh, right, him. I haven’t had a chance to tell you, and anyway, I’m still recovering from the experience.’
    â€˜I don’t believe you,’ said Janie. ‘You can take all comers.’ She wandered into the kitchen to fetch the wine, and decided that the cupboards would look good painted a misty blue.
    â€˜Too right I can, but I thought you had declared this a man-free zone,’ called Sally.
    â€˜That doesn’t include telling stories about them,’ Janie said returning to the room with the wine, two glasses and an assortment of savoury snacks. ‘At least, not for today. Come on, you can start with, “it was a dark, dark night …”’
    â€˜Well, if you insist. And if you’re sitting comfortably, I’ll begin. Except that, as you know, it wasn’t a dark, dark night. It was a boiling hot afternoon, not seven days ago, although the welts and bruises are still thereto remind me.’ Sally’s voice went husky with remembered lust. ‘Now then, what you’re about to hear makes cowboys and Indians look like child’s play.’
    â€˜I’ll be the judge of that,’ said Janie, pulling out the cork with a pop just as a clap of thunder exploded over the cottage.
    â€˜Well, for a start, it turned out that he wasn’t a waiter at all. He owns the bloody joint! I recognised his name from the financials when he told me. Rod Mastov. He owns a whole chain of cafés and bars.’
    â€˜Good name, Rod. Especially if he turned out to be the sex dog you thought he was. Or perhaps a sugar daddy?’ said Janie, crossing her legs under her on the floor and scooping up a handful of peanuts.
    â€˜Nothing daddy-ish about him. Admittedly he’s older than he looked when he was strutting about in those tight black jeans taking orders, but he’s still fit as a flea. We were jumping into a