City Woman (31 page)

‘Don’t ask me to explain it, Maggie, because I can’t. We just clicked that first time we met. You do that with people sometimes. With you I feel free to be totally myself and
that’s a rare thing. I feel we’ve known each other for a lifetime and I wish to God you weren’t married.’ Adam looked dejected.

‘Well I am, and there’s nothing can be done about that. I have three children to think of, but, Adam, I’m entitled to some happiness! We all make mistakes but that
doesn’t mean we have to stop living or that we’re never entitled to another moment’s happiness. I’m making a fresh start in my life today. I want you to be in it. You know
how I’m fixed; you know the constraints I’ll be under. What you decide is entirely up to you, Adam.’ Maggie looked him straight in the eye.

For answer, Adam bent his head and very gently kissed her on the lips. A light, soft, sensuous kiss that took her breath away and made her long for more.

‘Let’s go home,’ he said huskily.

‘Oh yes,’ Maggie murmured against his mouth, opening her lips wider as his tongue teased her lips and the soft inside of her mouth before flicking gently against the moist velvet of
her own tongue. They parted, dazed. ‘You know where the house is; so follow me in your car and drive carefully,’ Adam instructed.

‘I’ll do my best,’ she said shakily. His kiss was unlike any other she had ever had and it shook her to the core of her being. Terry was always a very passionate aggressive
lover and she had forgotten how erotic a very gentle, exploring kiss could be.

They walked across the weir and back up between the glasshouses towards the exit. When they reached the car-park, Adam opened her door for her and before she got in he drew her to him. ‘Be
happy,’ he breathed softly against her lips, making her want to taste him all over again. But he wouldn’t let her. Pressing his index finger softly against her mouth, he said,
‘Soon,’ and went over to his own car. Maggie was so aroused she had to calm herself by taking several deep breaths. Adam lived in a two-up-two-down redbrick house in Drumcondra, only
five minutes away, which was just as well as Maggie drove in a haze of desire, intent on being with him as soon as she could, and with scant care for the rules of the road. She parked behind him
and followed him into his hall, aching to have his arms around her.

‘Do you want to eat first?’ he asked and she gave him a dig in the ribs.

‘Oh, Adam, stop teasing me,’ she said breathlessly.

He laughed and, taking her hand, led her up the stairs. ‘I never do anything on the first date,’ he joked as he led her into the bedroom. ‘You’re an awful bad influence
on me. I hope you’ll respect me in the morning.’

‘I will. I will.’ Maggie pulled him to her, hungry for him.

They kissed again, a long slow lingering kiss that made her heart thud against her ribs as she arched herself against him. Very slowly he began to undress her, easing her dress off, brushing
aside her bra straps with butterfly-light kisses as his mouth followed the wisps of lace down to the hollow between her breasts.

‘Oh Adam!’ she moaned in a frenzy of impatience, as she pulled off his shirt and, unbuckling his belt, drew his jeans down over his hips.

‘We’ve all the time in the world,’ he murmured as he unclipped her bra and let it fall to the floor. He tenderly caressed her breasts, his tongue flicking her nipples. The
warmth of his breath made her burn with desire. He eased her down on the bed and lay down beside her, stroking and caressing her whole body. His lips following his fingers, under her breasts, over
her belly, down along her inner thigh. Gently he stroked a finger inside the lacy wisps of her briefs and Maggie gasped with pleasure. He slid them down her legs with one hand, his other fingers
tantalising her with feathery touches and caresses that made her groan in mindless pleasure. For a long time he kissed and caressed her so sensually and erotically, until the sensations were almost
unbearable. Only then did he enter her, bringing her quickly to the most powerful orgasm she had ever experienced. Then he came too, his face buried in her hair, calling her name over and over.

‘I’d forgotten it could be so good,’ Maggie murmured, as she lay in the circle of his arms a little while later, totally relaxed and contented. As well as being such a generous
lover, Adam was also very responsible when it came to contraception.

Adam raised his head and gazed down at her, his hazel eyes warm as he studied her, glowing and flushed after their love-making, her tousled auburn hair so striking against the white of the
pillow, her green eyes heavy-lidded and slumberous and sensual, her full red lips just asking to be kissed. ‘Maggie, you are so beautiful. You taste like honey, so sweet and wet and warm.
We’ll just have to spend tonight reminding you of how good it can be, now won’t we?’ Bending his head, he parted her lips in a kiss that brought all those wondrous sensations
rushing back.

Twenty-Six

‘I can’t believe I did it; I can’t believe I went to bed with Adam but oh girls . . . it was lovely.’ Maggie was having lunch with her two friends and
Devlin and Caroline were agog as she told them of the events of the previous day. ‘Do you think I’m awful?’ she asked a little uncertainly.

Devlin shook her head. ‘No, Maggie, of course not. Just be careful. You could be letting yourself in for a lot of heartache.’

‘Well, Devlin, at least I’m prepared to take that chance,’ Maggie said calmly. ‘Adam cares for me a lot and I’m not pushing him away the way you’re pushing
Luke away. Better to have loved and lost and all that. Loving and being loved is the most precious thing in the world.’

‘Don’t lecture me, Maggie,’ Devlin snapped.

‘OK.’ Maggie turned her attention to her Caesar salad.

‘I think it’s nice the way he is so supportive about your book.’ Caroline reached across and gave Maggie’s hand a squeeze. She bit her lip. ‘Richard and I are going
for an annulment. Charles is dying of cancer and he’s going to Boston to be with his brother. Richard is going with him and will stay with him for as long as he’s needed; so I’m
going to be on my own. Maggie, I think you’re dead right to have your affair with Adam. If someone loves you, make the most of it: grab it with both hands. There’s nothing worse than
being alone, and you can be married to someone and be utterly lonely. I know; I was.’

‘Caroline, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell us before now?’ Maggie was shocked. ‘You hadn’t made any decisions like that before we went away for our weekend
and that was only a couple of weeks ago.’

‘I found out only when I came back from Wexford. Charles told Richard that very day. I think he’s right to go with him. Charles and he love each other and at a time like that you
need all the love you can get. Poor Charles, he’s a lovely man. I’m going to miss him,’ Caroline said sadly.

‘What are you going to do?’ Devlin asked in concern.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and smiled. ‘Who knows? Grab life by the throat in my usual adventurous fashion,’ she said dryly.

‘If you need us, we’re here,’ Maggie said firmly. ‘Aren’t we, Devlin?’ She looked her friend in the eye.

‘Of course we are,’ Devlin said warmly. ‘And Maggie . . . I’m sorry I snapped.’

‘You should try and lighten up a little bit, Devlin, just for your own sake. Don’t let your business affairs overwhelm you. There’s more to life than work.’

Devlin gave a wry smile. ‘Well, looking at you, that’s obvious. You arrived here grinning from ear to ear, whatever you were up to last night!’

‘Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,’ Maggie said tartly. ‘Believe me, Devlin, a couple of long lustful nights with Luke is just what you need.’ She laughed
as her friend’s jaw dropped. ‘Look, it’s not just about sex,’ Maggie explained. ‘Don’t think that for a minute. Even though that was terrific because Adam was
totally concerned with my pleasure – which is a change for me, I can tell you. It’s the sharing and the support and the emotional sustenance that mean so much, especially when you
haven’t had them for so long.’ She smiled at Caroline and Devlin. ‘It’s like being reborn. You probably think I’m as mad as a hatter. Maybe I’m not explaining it
very well but for the first time in a long while I feel that I have some control of my life. There is happiness of a sort for me.’

‘And you deserve it more than anyone,’ Caroline affirmed.

‘Maggie, do you know something,’ Devlin laughed, ‘you’re an incorrigible romantic. Isn’t she, Caroline?’

‘One of us has to be,’ Caroline replied with a hint of a smile. ‘One of these days I’m going to go looking for a bit of romance myself – anything has to be an
improvement on my experiences.’

‘Now
that
would make a novel for sure,’ Devlin murmured wickedly. ‘Could you imagine the reaction of the glitterati. The gossip columnists would have a field-day. The
things they write about people. Mind, if they heard some of the things I’ve heard since opening up here, they’d be gobsmacked. Do you see your one over there in the pink-and-grey
leggings? She’s married to Hugh McHugh the financier and they’re absolutely loaded. She spends her time shoplifting. She was caught trying to slip a silk camisole into her bag without
paying for it down Grafton Street, and she’s notorious in town for it. And the one she’s talking to, Leslie Delahunty – she’s only six weeks married and she was caught by
her husband in bed with her father-in-law. Maggie, I’m telling you: you need step no further than City Girl for inspiration for your novels.’

‘Whoever said “truth is stranger than fiction” sure knew what he was talking about,’ laughed Caroline. ‘Did you hear about Rita Dillon?’

‘Noooo!’ exclaimed the other pair. ‘What’s she done now?’

The rest of the lunch was devoted to a very satisfying gossip as the three of them caught up on all the news that travelled like bushfire around the luxurious environs of Dublin’s most
exclusive health and leisure complex. Finally, Maggie had to call a halt as she had told her mother she wouldn’t be too late in collecting the children. Nelsie had been very gracious about
keeping her grandchildren overnight when Maggie had phoned her the previous evening to say she was unavoidably delayed in the city. Knowing her mother, Maggie had no doubt that she would demand her
pound of flesh at some date in the future. Nevertheless, she was grateful to her and didn’t want to take advantage.

She hummed to herself as she sped down the Bray dual carriageway. There wasn’t much traffic and she was in Rathnew in less than an hour. She stopped at the supermarket and bought a box of
Black Magic for Nelsie, who had a weakness for the dark chocolates, and some jelly babies and Smarties for the children. As she drove towards Brittas, she was sorry the journey was almost over. She
had enjoyed it, particularly the solitude which she never seemed to have much of these days. It had been nice and relaxing listening to Ronan Collins on the radio playing romantic music, which
brought back vivid memories of the passion and pleasure of the night before. A record of Elvis Presley singing ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ came on and Maggie sang away, thinking
of Adam and how good it had been to spend the night with him. She had promised, that morning as they parted, to phone him daily, and if she could persuade her mother to take the children once more
she intended going back up to Dublin to spend even an afternoon with him.

Humming and smiling at the memories that were so fresh in her mind, Maggie drove into the site and drew up outside her mobile. She climbed out of the car and ran lightly up the steps of the
veranda. She wanted to take off her posh dress and wear something more appropriate for the farm, as no doubt the kids would want to feed the hens and help with the milking. Vaguely, she noticed a
little girl and a petite blonde woman on the end of the veranda surrounding the mobile opposite. Lady Muck must have arrived, she thought fleetingly, as she unlocked the door and rushed inside,
undressing almost as she went. Ten minutes later, dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt and loafers, Maggie was racing down the steps again and into the car. She had been so
anxious to get changed and on her way that she hadn’t noticed the look of shocked recognition on the face of her new neighbour.

Twenty-Seven

As Marian Montclare looked out the kitchen window of her luxurious mobile, she could not believe her eyes. It was Maggie MacNamara. Well, obviously she was married now, so
MacNamara was probably no longer her surname, just as Gilhooley was no longer Marian’s. What the hell was she doing in the next mobile? Didn’t someone called Cassidy own it? Imagine
having spent the best part of twenty thousand pounds for a luxury mobile and site, only to find herself side by side with her erstwhile friend. Maggie was really the last person she wanted to see.
It had been fifteen years – no, more – since they had parted on bad terms. Deep down, Marian acknowledged that at least Maggie had made an effort to save the friendship. Her pride had
not allowed her to accept the offer of reconciliation. As far as she was concerned, Maggie had ruined their friendship by accusing her of treating her like a doormat, just because of a silly mix-up
over holiday arrangements. That had pierced Marian to the core; for Maggie, who had always looked up to her and been as close as a sister, to criticize her like that had been unthinkable.

She watched as the other woman got into her car. Although it was hard for her, Marian had to admit that Maggie looked a million dollars. Such a change from the tomboy she had known. When she and
Maggie were going to school together, all Maggie had ever worn was jeans in the winter and shorts in the summer and her thick auburn hair had a flyaway wildness that her friend had never been able
to control. The radiant woman who had run up those veranda steps in her chic tailored dress, with a figure and tan worth dying for and a short sophisticated hairstyle, was light years away from the
Maggie she remembered. Nevertheless, Marian had recognized her immediately. Obviously the same couldn’t be said for Maggie, but then she had been in such a rush that she had hardly glanced in
her direction.