Dreaming of you - Completed

Chapter Five

"May I?" Startled Lily jerked away, since she was snuggled up against Kaseem. Her head on his shoulder. Groaning inwardly she knew how it looked to others. There would be talk.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she yawned. "I didn't realise how tied I was. How rude of me, to nearly fall asleep on you, Mr Al-Hussein." She pulled a face to be taken into her fiance's arm and waltzed away. She glanced over Charles' shoulder to see the redhead in Kaseem's arms, his head down whispering in her ear. She laughed and placed a hand behind his neck to caress. Blue eyes glanced across to hold hers briefly, then he waltz away, leaving Lily feeling downhearted and made her excuses to go back to their table.

She was such a fool. Looking away as Kaseem came into view, the redhead practically wrapped around his body, his hand low on her back, almost encouraging her behaviour. Any closer they might as well be making love. It sickened her. Thankful he was seated at another table as courses were been served. She sat quietly at Charles' side smiling until her cheeks ached then Charles tapped his glass to get everyone's attention as he stood.

"On behalf of my fiancee and me, we would like to thank everyone for coming to this, our practice dinner before the wedding. One month exactly to this date we would be married. To Lily," he said lifting his glass towards her as she stared at him gobsmacked.

Panic had her heart racing. One month.then she would be Mrs. Fairmont. It was wrong, so wrong. She couldn't do it to search out Kaseem and his darkened features. This had been as much as a shock to him as her.

"To Lily," the gathering rose their glasses to her and she nodded, her smile frozen. Kaseem didn't rise his glass or say her name. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be but was. Why didn't he tell her? She looked up at her fiance to see triumphant in his hard grey steel eyes and was aimed at Kaseem. It took all her power not to tip the drink over Charles' head. What he just did was mean and cruel. No hint in the invitation at all, then suddenly her picture was being taken by the media that had entered. "Darling," he held out his hand forcing her to stand at his side as more photos were been taken.

"How about a kiss?"

She froze in horror at such a thought to have an arm go around her waist and turned to have his hard unyielding lips on hers feeling nauseated by his touch wanting desperately to push him away, but couldn't so stood in his arm, lips tight only to gasp for breath as he released her. "Don't ever do that again," she hissed behind a tight smile. She retook her seat. He might be marrying her, but he wasn't getting any fringe benefits from her in any form. She looked under her lashes to Kaseem, who was just glaring at her. The redhead at his side clung to his arm whispering in his ear. Her bright red lips pressed close to his ear obviously whispering sweet nothings in his ear. She looked away unable to bare it for a moment longer.

The rest of the night went slowly and barely touched her food that could've been sawdust for all she cared. Her heart was breaking. Charles had won. She declined any other offers of dancing pleading a head ache, eventually making her excuses to leave taking a black cab back to Charles' town house in London.

Unable to sleep, Lily slipped on a satin dressing gown over the naked form to hold close with crossed arms and headed barefooted to the spa room that was dimly lit by candles in large crystal holders. She dropded the gown from her shoulders and ascended the steps to the spa and lowered into the warm water and across to press a button to have a continual bursts of bubbles. Releasing a long sigh of pleasure she leaned on the edge resting her chin on crossed arms to stare across the city lights winking in the darkness from buildings. Streaming lights from cars below barely the size of bugs. The water eased her tense body. Not her aching heart. She knew she shouldn't go there. Nothing was going to bring Kaseem back into her life no matter what she wanted. In some ways it would have been better, if they had never met.