Lucinda's New Life

And throughout it all, loyal, reliable Victoria would be guarding his back, constantly by his side.

Now Alan Reid had been bought off with the promise of money and power in America and she was free to help Peter run one of the most powerful business empires in the country. When his wife's father eventually died, Peter was exactly the right man to take charge of her enormous private wealth too.

Well, that's what he thought would happen. Victoria knew better.

Though Peter had reached an exalted position in international sport, he was as susceptible to subliminal female influence as any other heterosexual man. With full access both to his business and personal secrets, Victoria could not be better placed to exercise financial and personal power through the man who would soon worship and respect her as strongly as she had always adored him.

And if that didn't work, she always had Alan's software to fall back on.

But for now, Peter Mountfield was a man one could really trust. With a confident, capable, efficient partner like Victoria by his side and the silent complicity of his wife's family, marriage or no marriage, the world could be their oyster.

23rd April - Epilogue

Cyndi sat in the deep, comfortable armchair in the corner of her the bedroom she shared with her wonderful husband, feeding her four-week-old baby. It was his mid-afternoon bottle and he had already taken half in a very short time.

What an appetite the child had!

She looked at the beautiful creature in her arms and a warm glow came over her. She had it all! She was a mother to this tiny person, a wife to the best husband a wife could ever want and the best lover a woman could desire too!

In a way she wished she could breast feed her baby like other Mums did but the bars through her nipples made that impossible and she couldn't risk taking them out in case it made her less attractive to her husband.

Besides, she didn't want to risk damaging her new boobs. The breast enhancements Peter had paid for since her rescue were the finest quality and she was proud of their considerable size.

Anyway, the little child was simply thriving on the bottled milk. Strong from the moment he was born and growing so quickly, he would be a perfect part of her new family. Someone to be proud of; from his strong hands, his sparse curly dark hair to his glistening ebony skin, he would make their family proud one day.

For some reason her father and mother had been upset when little Steven was born. She couldn't understand it; wasn't he the grandchild they had always wanted? Her mother in particular had burst into tears and run from the room when the midwife had presented the new arrival. There had been crying and shouting for hours.

At least her husband had been pleased, she thought with an increased glow. Peter was proud of her and had told her so many times how much he cared for her and wanted to look after her.

Only a week ago she had overheard him talking to her father about her and about the new baby. His words had made her glow within and proved how much he loved her so much that tears had formed in her eyes.

What was it they had been saying?

"And you're certain you can live with her Peter? No-one who sees the baby will be any doubt. It can't possibly be yours. He's black for Christ's sake!"

"Hugo, she's my wife and I love her, whatever she's done. She's unwell; I can't possibly just abandon her now."

"But..."

"I mean it! Okay, this isn't the best thing that could have happened but we can't blame her and we certainly can't blame the child. Cinders has changed but she's still the girl we both love. She's looking after the baby well and he is adorable, you have to admit that."

"You're right, he is adorable and she clearly loves him. You can trust me to make provision for him too."

"Thank you. I knew you'd do the right thing."

"You'll get full power of attorney next week?" Hugo asked.

"If the Doctors and Lawyers get their act together. It's uncontested; diminished responsibility."

"Then at least the business will be in safe hands. The thought of all those shares in the hands of a... a..."

"A person with problems, Hugo!"

"At least with you in control of all her finances and the business too, I know she'll be safe."

"I promise Hugo; I will take care of her as carefully I always have."

"I know you will." There was a pause before his father-in-law spoke again, and when he did, it was softly and conspiratorially. "Peter?"

"Yes Hugo?"

"With Cinders being... the way she is, if you felt the need to... um... find an alternative outlet for your... um... needs, I would understand. As long as you were very discreet, it wouldn't affect our friendship or... um... any of the arrangements we have made."

Cyndi smiled when she remembered his kind words and a warm glow washing over her. How she loved Peter. He loved her too, he loved their beautiful black baby. They were a real family.

They would have more babies too; have the big family she had always wanted. She couldn't wait to be pregnant again, but this time by her wonderful husband.

Meanwhile she was free; free from having to worry. Free from construction sites, free from bad tempered Site Managers, free from concrete, contracts or time pressures.

Everything that really mattered in life was either in her arms or would soon be between her thighs.

Peter would look after her. She was free to be the real wife, mother and above all, the real sexual woman she always should have been.

Sometimes Cyndi thought she didn't deserve to have such a wonderful life.