have moved on by then. I mean, don’t you have business interests all over the world?’
‘I do, but I like to come up here when I can. Windermere Hall is a family place. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time here, in between London business and fly-aways.’ That impulsive urge swept through him again. ‘In fact, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend even
more
time here. I like the countryside and I like the vibe, and virtual offices make it possible to work anywhere nowadays.’
‘Oh … right … That’s great.’ She sounded so unsure. Not quite trusting. Oh why wouldn’t she trust him? How could he get her to let her guard down?
For God’s sake, you stupid bastard, I wouldn’t trust you if the positions were reversed!
He had to slow it down, way down. But maybe not
too
far. After all, this thing would only be lasting a few weeks at most.
‘I’ll take you home now.’
Wait? What? Oh no … She’d been right. It wasn’t easy.
If only I’d loosened up. Acted less uptight.
‘But … I thought …’
‘Let’s take it slowly, Jess. It’ll be better that way. We only met today, and you are … what you are.’ He rose to his feet, and reached out for her hand, drawing her up too. ‘We need to get to know each other. Be friends first, then lovers, eh?’
It made such sense. What was it, barely more than twelve hours, thirteen, fourteen, since that old blue car had pulled up beside her? And now here she was, disappointed because he’d not rushed her headlong into bed, and ushered her skilfully into the world of not being a virgin.
But I want him! I barely know anything about wanting, not really … but I want him!
Smiling and chatting as normally as she could with Ellis, Jess allowed him to escort her down to the lobby and out of the hotel. Was he aware of how glum she was inside? How angry with herself? He probably was, but was too much of a gentleman to act in any other way than as if the evening, and she, were both perfect. The Citroën was waiting for them when they stepped outside, driven round for him from the parking area by a porter. Did everybody get that service at Green’s, or was it just billionaires?
The powder blue car glided through the town like an air-sprung ghost. With every yard it covered, Jess cursed herself more and more.
Blithering idiot, you should have gone for it! Just look at him … he
is
Dream Lover. He’s glorious. And no matter what he says, you might never see him again.
She’d kick herself, she knew, if that happened. This might be it. All there ever was of her ‘relationship’ with the mysterious, glamorous, handsome man beside her.
He was quiet, almost as if his thoughts were as troubled as hers. Watching the road and the traffic, he turned and stole a quick glance at her occasionally and smiled, but said nothing.
In what seemed like no time, they were drawing up outside her house.
This is stupid. You’re a coward.
‘Ellis?’
He turned to her, and it was the unmistakable rush of hope in his eyes that did for her.
‘Will you take me back to the hotel? Now?’ Aiming for his forearm, at the last minute, she swerved and laid her hand on his thigh. So muscular. So hard. Solid against her fingers beneath the fine cloth of his suit trousers.
The rush of hope flared to something else. In the darkness, he focused on her. His beautiful oceanic eyes widened. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I am. I’ll probably be rubbish in bed and a complete nervous nelly, but I’ll try and do my best.’
Ellis’s bark of laughter made her flinch, but before she could even start feeling terrible, he swept his arms around her, and pulled her against him. It wasn’t a voracious kiss, raunchy passion and all that, just a hug. A happy, enveloping hug, his face pressed against the side of hers, lips in her hair.
‘You won’t be rubbish, you crazy woman! You’ll be wonderful!’ He nuzzled his face against her, rubbing like a cat somehow, affectionate yet primal.
‘I do, but I like to come up here when I can. Windermere Hall is a family place. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time here, in between London business and fly-aways.’ That impulsive urge swept through him again. ‘In fact, I’ve decided that I’d like to spend even
more
time here. I like the countryside and I like the vibe, and virtual offices make it possible to work anywhere nowadays.’
‘Oh … right … That’s great.’ She sounded so unsure. Not quite trusting. Oh why wouldn’t she trust him? How could he get her to let her guard down?
For God’s sake, you stupid bastard, I wouldn’t trust you if the positions were reversed!
He had to slow it down, way down. But maybe not
too
far. After all, this thing would only be lasting a few weeks at most.
‘I’ll take you home now.’
Wait? What? Oh no … She’d been right. It wasn’t easy.
If only I’d loosened up. Acted less uptight.
‘But … I thought …’
‘Let’s take it slowly, Jess. It’ll be better that way. We only met today, and you are … what you are.’ He rose to his feet, and reached out for her hand, drawing her up too. ‘We need to get to know each other. Be friends first, then lovers, eh?’
It made such sense. What was it, barely more than twelve hours, thirteen, fourteen, since that old blue car had pulled up beside her? And now here she was, disappointed because he’d not rushed her headlong into bed, and ushered her skilfully into the world of not being a virgin.
But I want him! I barely know anything about wanting, not really … but I want him!
Smiling and chatting as normally as she could with Ellis, Jess allowed him to escort her down to the lobby and out of the hotel. Was he aware of how glum she was inside? How angry with herself? He probably was, but was too much of a gentleman to act in any other way than as if the evening, and she, were both perfect. The Citroën was waiting for them when they stepped outside, driven round for him from the parking area by a porter. Did everybody get that service at Green’s, or was it just billionaires?
The powder blue car glided through the town like an air-sprung ghost. With every yard it covered, Jess cursed herself more and more.
Blithering idiot, you should have gone for it! Just look at him … he
is
Dream Lover. He’s glorious. And no matter what he says, you might never see him again.
She’d kick herself, she knew, if that happened. This might be it. All there ever was of her ‘relationship’ with the mysterious, glamorous, handsome man beside her.
He was quiet, almost as if his thoughts were as troubled as hers. Watching the road and the traffic, he turned and stole a quick glance at her occasionally and smiled, but said nothing.
In what seemed like no time, they were drawing up outside her house.
This is stupid. You’re a coward.
‘Ellis?’
He turned to her, and it was the unmistakable rush of hope in his eyes that did for her.
‘Will you take me back to the hotel? Now?’ Aiming for his forearm, at the last minute, she swerved and laid her hand on his thigh. So muscular. So hard. Solid against her fingers beneath the fine cloth of his suit trousers.
The rush of hope flared to something else. In the darkness, he focused on her. His beautiful oceanic eyes widened. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I am. I’ll probably be rubbish in bed and a complete nervous nelly, but I’ll try and do my best.’
Ellis’s bark of laughter made her flinch, but before she could even start feeling terrible, he swept his arms around her, and pulled her against him. It wasn’t a voracious kiss, raunchy passion and all that, just a hug. A happy, enveloping hug, his face pressed against the side of hers, lips in her hair.
‘You won’t be rubbish, you crazy woman! You’ll be wonderful!’ He nuzzled his face against her, rubbing like a cat somehow, affectionate yet primal.
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