Page 93 of Lipstick Kiss

“Then we will never marry.”

Cynthia’s heart broke every time he said those words. He was matter-of-fact, with no emotion about the subject.

“But...”

“You knew who I was from the very beginning, Cynthia. Don’t try to change me.”

Cynthia knew not to argue. The money she got from her father to terrorise Imelda paid for her trips overseas and everything Benny needed. They’d concocted a smoke-and-mirrors story about Jonathan adopting his cousin’s son when the mother died of cancer. There was no father, and Jonathan agreed to take him in. For the story to be believable, they had no choice in what to name their child, as Jonathan’s cousin had a child about Benny’s age, but they lived in Australia. So Benny’s birth certificate said, Benjamin Cranford. Her father said he constantly looked to see if Cynthia was married but wasn’t looking at births. Jonathan’s cousin’s son was born in Australia, so he wouldn’t find the connection unless her father was properly snooping.

If people were looking, it wouldn’t take a genius to work it all out. Still, thankfully, her father had other Turner business to worry about.

They’d got away with it.

Or she thought she did.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed that her father kept close tabs on where she went when she left Turner Hall. The trip to see her son and Jonathan wasn’t scheduled, and she’d taken advantage of her father being off-island for a couple of days while Freddie was back for the birth of their fourth child.

Cynthia had agreed that Jonathan would raise their child, but Benny was sworn to secrecy. If Benny ever told anyone Cynthia was his mother, he would never see her again. Benny had accepted this deal from a young age and never questioned it or acted out. Soon after Benny’s birth, Cynthia returned to Turner Hall and stayed there for two years without seeing Benny. It was the hardest two years of her life, but she had to keep her distance from her child to make the story stick in everyone’s eyes. From then on, she saw him every six weeks when he wasn’t in school. Jonathan’s boarding school allowed Benny to board with the other pupils and had his schooling like the rest.

But Jonathan never rose higher from a school teacher. He was never promoted in the last twenty years. In some ways, Jonathan said he was thankful. He could go home on time and have all his holidays to himself. If Jonathan had been promoted, he would’ve had to give up his free time, and then Cynthia wouldn’t be able to meet them during the school holidays.

“I’m sorry, Cyn,” Jonathan said, slowing his pace.

He stopped and spun around to kiss Cynthia. It wasn’t beach-appropriate, but she let him kiss her deeply and passionately. Unfortunately, they had a few hours together and little time to get naked. So the kiss would have to do.

“It’s okay. I’m starting to think we’ll never get married, and you both will never live on Copper Island.”

Jonathan softly kissed her again and grabbed her backside to bring her flush with his body. He was hard for her, still, after all these years.

“We can’t,” Cynthia said.

“Sure we can. We managed it last time,” Jonathan said, nipping at her lips with his teeth.

It was like a direct link to her clit when he bit her bottom lip.

“I wish I’d brought Jenny,” Cynthia muttered over his mouth.

“You didn’t, and you didn’t last time either, and we managed. That’s why we’re meeting here. Let’s head back up to the guest house and put Benny in the living room, and we can nip upstairs.”

Cynthia was in two minds. First, she was still smarting from Jonathan, not even contemplating marrying her and her need to feel him inside her.

“I don’t see Benny very often. It would be a shame to leave him just for sex. We’ll have the holiday to spend every night together.”

Cynthia felt spiteful, but if he was withholding marriage, she could withhold his orgasm.

Jonathan sighed heavily and took her hand to lead them over to where Benny had made friends with a couple of kids his age. Cynthia and Jonathan perched on the rocks and cuddled while they watched their son laughing and splashing in the water.

When they reached the guest house a couple of hours later, Cynthia was tearing up that she would be leaving Benny so soon. They slipped into the three-storey house and walked down the hallway.

“Ah, Benny, there you are,” Sally, the guest house owner, greeted them. “Do you fancy batch-testing some pies?”

Benny whipped his head around to his parents, and Cynthia let out a laugh. Benny had the best puppy dog eyes, and she would never deny him anything when he used them on her.

“All right, but try not to spoil your dinner,” Cynthia said.

Benny dashed down the back corridor to where Sally stood with an apron around her waist. Once they were out of sight, Jonathan grabbed Cynthia’s hand and dragged her up the stairs to his room.

“Jonathan, what are you doing?”

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