He opened the drawer and a grin formed on his lips. “Ah, I see your friend likes to look after you?”
“Likes to interfere with my sex-life more like.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but on this occasion I am so glad she did.”
“Hmmm, when you put it like that, I suppose I should thank her.” Mallory smiled up at him.
Sam ripped open the box and took out a foil packet. He opened it and took out the condom. After sliding it down the length of his erection, he knelt between her thighs. He crouched down to kiss her passionately.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He breathed, caressing her cheek.
“I’m very sure, Sam. I want to feel you inside me…Please make love to me.”
He slowly slid into her and she gasped as she welcomed him in. It felt so good; so right. He kissed first her forehead, then her nose, her cheek, her neck. He continued down to her breast, cupping it gently before devouring her nipple with his warm mouth, making her gasp again as her climb began once more.
This had never happened twice in one night to her before. But then again, no man had ever taken the time to bring her pleasure so selflessly. She grabbed his hair with one hand and reached for his left buttock with her other hand, pushing him deeper inside. His breathing became shallow and she knew he was joining her in the ascent.
They couldn’t seem to get close enough to each other. He broke away from their kiss and gazed down at her. Tiny beads of sweat covered his chest. She leaned up to taste him there, finding her way with her mouth across to his right nipple which she caressed with her tongue. He threw his head back, pushing deeper and deeper; his breathing rougher and his movements more determined. He grabbed onto her hip, lifting her onto him. He thrust faster into her and once again she was lost at the top of her Everest. Seeing him in such ecstasy pushed her over the edge and she began to climax, whimpering as she tightened around him, until a split second later he cried out and joined her in free-fall.
When they had floated back down to earth, Sam collapsed back onto the bed, pulling Mallory into his side. Quite exhausted, she wrapped her arm around him and nuzzled into his neck. They breathed heavily, still speechless from the passion they had just shared. Sam turned his body to face her.
They stared into each other’s eyes, caressing each other’s fingers and exchanging gentle kisses, whilst their breathing calmed and their heart beats settled back to their resting rates.
“Wow,” was all Mallory could manage to say after the long silence as she gazed deep into the eyes of her lover.
“You’re telling me!” Sam inhaled deeply and rolled onto his back, raising an arm above his head. She lay beside him not knowing what else to do. He turned to face her again and softly said, “Hey, penny for ‘em?”
“I’m just thinking that was probably the best sex I’ve ever had, but don’t go getting all big headed and arrogant now.” She poked his bare flesh playfully. He scooped her up and pulled her into him once again.
“If I told you that I felt exactly the same way would that help?” he asked, stroking her hair.
“If it were true then yes, I suppose I’d feel pretty good.” She said in a small voice.
“All I can say, Mallory, is that I hope we do a lot more of that and on a regular basis too. In between the odd conversation and meal of course,” he teased. “A man’s gotta eat.” She nuzzled into his neck again, smiling and relishing his words.
~~~~~
Sam had returned to Canada for Christmas a couple of weeks later. Mallory missed him terribly. He had left her a little gift under her tree and given the strict instructions that it was not to be opened until Christmas morning.
Josie and Brad had arrived to stay on Christmas Eve and they had all drank champagne and prepared the veg for their festive feast. They had eventually gone to bed at around midnight, after playing a very long game of scrabble, which Brad had won and boasted about for the rest of the wine fuelled evening.
Mallory awoke at nine Christmas morning and made her way downstairs, eager to open her gift from Sam. Brad and Josie were still sleeping and so she switched on the tree lights and admired her beautifully decorated, real, tree. She inhaled the fragrance of the garland over the fireplace. She loved Christmas so much. She held the rectangular box wrapped in Santa paper and read the tag,
To my beautiful Yorkshire Rose lots of love from Santa Sam. she grinned widely and ripped the paper off eagerly. Inside was a red velvet box. She opened it slowly and gasped at the contents. A stunning white gold bracelet of linked hearts, each with a diamond at its centre. Wedged into the lid of the box was a note. She unfolded it and read, Mallory, I give you my heart, forever. She wanted to cry and wished so much that he was here with her. She missed him desperately.
Lunch was amazing but they all ate far too much. At two o’clock the phone rang and Mallory almost vaulted over the sofa to answer it.
“Hello? Sam?”
“Hey, baby, it’s me. Merry Christmas.”
“Oh Sam! Merry Christmas to you too. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too. Been telling my Mom and Ry all about you,” he told her. “They want to meet you. How would you fancy a little holiday out here sometime?”
“Sam, that’d be amazing. We’ll have to arrange it. I opened my gift by the way.”
“Yeah? What did you think?” He sounded hopeful.
“It’s just beautiful, Sam. I love it.”
“I’m so glad. I just wanted you to have it when I saw it.”
Hearing his voice made her heart melt and made her miss him even more. Being apart at Christmas was difficult even though, relatively speaking, they had only just met. They chatted for a while until Sam had to go.
“I’ll see you soon. Can’t wait.” She sighed into the receiver.
“See you soon…I love you.”
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his words.
“S-sorry?”
“Whoops…I should maybe have said that to you in person, huh? Well, it’s out there now so I’m going to say it again. Mallory, I love you.”
Tears began to cascade down her face. “Oh Sam, I love you too.”
~~~~~
January 2011
“Just at least say you’ll think about it, Mally?” Sam pleaded as Mallory rested her head on his shoulder in a warm embrace. “I mean, we could go up there for holidays a few more times first before we relocate completely?” He implored. “And Josie is more than capable of running Le Petit Cadeau for you now. She’s there more than you are. The cottage has a workshop and you could concentrate on making stuff for the business again, which you know you would love.” He desperately tried to convince her of the prospect of such an idyllic lifestyle.
Mallory turned and picked up the print out of the pretty white washed, stone built cottage and began to read the description. Three good sized bedrooms, one en-suite, one family bathroom, lounge, dining room, farmhouse style kitchen, utility room and best of all a workshop. She and Sam had spent several happy holidays over the past couple of years in Argyle and had visited the Isle of Seil with its pretty, stone, hump-backed bridge. They had admittedly talked of living there eventually. Eventually! Not right now! Not when they were so happy here and things were going so well.
Sam had been doing his usual ‘just looking’ on the Scottish property websites and had discovered the cottage near the water’s edge in one of their favourite places and had simply fallen head over heels for the place. He had decided that he had spent too much time in his brother’s shadow and wanted to buy a place of their own, do something different, maybe write a book. They could afford it now, with the shop doing so well and Sam’s inheritance—a combination of money left by his beloved Father and from Uncle Jacob, his father’s eccentric and wealthy brother. Why wait until they were too old to really enjoy it?
“It does look very pretty,” she mumbled, not realising she had done so out loud.
“Does this mean you’ll think abou
t it?” The look on Sam’s face was reminiscent of an excited schoolboy. How could she possibly resist?
“I will think about it. But I mean think.” Almost before the words had left her lips he swept her up in his arms and swung her around, kissing her passionately, before leading her up the stairs to their bedroom.
Chapter Two
January 2011
Mallory awoke to a bright, January Saturday morning. She blinked a few times to acclimatise her eyes to the sun streaming through the ridiculously thin curtains. Sam was wrapped around her, his naked limbs tangled in the cotton sheets and one buttock peeking out. She suppressed a giggle and the urge to spank him quickly to rouse him from his slumber.
Stretching her arms above her head she thought back to last night’s delicious love-making. Sam had been even more attentive than usual, which was saying something. He was a very attentive lover under normal circumstances, but last night she had felt as though he was on some kind of mission. Or was he thanking her for agreeing to ‘think’ about the move to Scotland, to their dream cottage. Maybe he was trying to convince her. Who was she kidding? She needed no convincing. She knew for a fact that they would be moving, lock, stock and barrel if they could only secure the deal before some other lucky so and so beat them to it.
Realising she needed to go to the bathroom, she slid out of bed, as carefully as was possible considering she was pretty much wearing a six foot two male about her person. She grabbed her fluffy robe and shrugged it on, tiptoeing to the bathroom.
When she returned to the bedroom, Sam was gone, but there was the distinct sound of out-of-tune wailing and whistling coming from elsewhere in the little cottage. Rolling her eyes and smirking to herself, she drifted down the stairs to find her gorgeous man clattering around the kitchen with serious intent.
Caterwauling, as only Sam could, along with the sounds of Radio 2, he was oblivious to Mallory’s presence in the room. She stood silently watching him as he danced around with a couple of mugs and sang into the coffee scoop along with Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. He really was a delight to behold. His grey checked ‘lounge’ pants—he wouldn’t be seen dead in pyjamas, he had once told her—hanging low around his hips; the light spattering of hair on his chest, begging to be nuzzled; his unruly bed-hair sticking out at all angles. She sighed and suddenly felt the need to hold him.
Wandering over silently and standing behind him as he waited for the kettle to alert its readiness, Mallory slid her arms around his smooth skin, kissing his back as she did so.
“Well, good morning, Miss Mallory Yorksher.” The pet name had stuck from their very first encounter, even though they had been engaged for over a year and she was soon to be Mrs. Sam Buchanan. “Did ya sleep well?”
“How could I not sleep well?” She replied.
“Oh I just wondered if you had maybe been lying awake, you know, thinking about little Highland cottages, or maybe mentally setting out your new workshop.” He turned to embrace her and gently kissed the top of her head.
“I said I would think about it Sam, but that’s all.” She reminded him sternly.
“I know, I know.” He sighed, turning around as the kettle clicked off.
She felt a pang of guilt at his obvious sadness. What could it hurt, really? It was what they had dreamed about for a long time. Admittedly she never expected they would be able to fulfil the dream until later in life, but hey, why wait? It would mean a totally different lifestyle and a fresh start. She knew that initially they would be overrun with guests, maybe for the first year, until the novelty wore off for family and friends travelling such a distance. But it would be their very own little piece of paradise. Maybe it wasn’t everyone’s idea of paradise. Scotland wasn’t renowned for its tropical weather but that really didn’t matter a jot. It was their dream location—theirs.
Sam had dreamed of writing a book since before he met Mallory; he had a head full of amazing ideas, but never had the time to get them down. Plus, it wasn’t as if they couldn’t afford to take the leap. But it was scary. It was a huge change. But the more she thought, the more the butterflies in her tummy danced the hot shoe shuffle. She was excited. She wanted to do it.
They sat at the little kitchen table munching on toasted bagels and cream cheese, drinking freshly brewed coffee, as was their weekend ritual. Sam was chatting away keen to plan the day ahead. Mallory, on the other hand, was finding it hard to concentrate on Sam’s suggestions to jump in the car and take a trip to the seaside for some fresh air and good old Scarborough fish ‘n’ chips. She was consumed with to-ing and fro-ing over the minutiae of the possible move in her mind.
“Penny for ‘em?” Sam finally gave up on his one way conversation when he realised that Mallory’s eyes had glazed over and she sat in an almost trance like stupor.
Suddenly Mallory jumped up, “We should go for it!” She blurted out the thoughts in her head.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Mally?” Sam’s eyes danced like fiery green amber. His excitement expressed throughout his whole body.
“Yes!” She gasped and lurched over to him. She flung her arms around his neck knowing that he had only ever wanted the best for her. “A million times, yes! Get the phone quick, ring the agent.”
Sam grasped Mallory in a strong embrace and covered her face with kisses. She laughed uncontrollably, almost hysterically, at the realisation of what they had just decided. It was immense.
“Have I told you how much I love you, Miss Mallory Yorksher?” He whispered breathlessly into her hair.
“Yes but tell me again.” She stared into his loving gaze, eager to hear his words.
“I love you, no, I adore you, no—I worship you.” He continued to pepper her with kisses “My beautiful, beautiful Mallory. I can’t wait for you to be my wife and I can’t wait to spend our nights holed up in that little cottage, making love in front of a roaring fire and the wind blowing outside. I don’t care how cliché that sounds. I want the cliché. I want to spend my life with you in our little piece of paradise.” He uttered the very words she had been thinking earlier. It was as if they were one person with a single mind-set. She loved that. She loved him.
“I’ll call the agent first thing Monday morning and make arrangements for us to go visit.” He breathed into her long matted birds nest of morning hair.
“Hmmm, well, if we have to wait until Monday, what are we going to do to occupy ourselves until then?” She fluttered her long lashes provocatively at her fiancé. He didn’t need any more hints. Whisking her up into his arms he carried her over to the squishy old couch that had seen better days and laid her down, hunger gleaming in his eyes.
~~~~~
It took forever for Monday to come around. Thankfully it was Josie’s day in the shop and so Mallory didn’t have to make the journey into Leeds. She would probably have been as much use as an inflatable dartboard. Sam had taken a day’s leave too, which rarely happened. Despite the opportunity for a blissful lie in with her hunky man, she could fight the excitement no longer and tugged at Sam’s ear lobe in a bid to wake him from dream land. If that hadn’t worked, plan B was to send Ruby in to jump on him in her giddy canine fashion. How could he be asleep when there were things to be done? She stressed. Sam begrudgingly opened his eyes.
“What time is it my little Yorkshire puddin’?” He yawned.
“Half seven. I couldn’t sleep, Sam, I’m so excited.”
“Ya don’t say.” He mumbled rubbing his weary eyes.
“Shall I go and make coffee?” She urged, leaning in for a kiss.
“That’d be grrrrand,” Sam replied, rolling his ‘r’ in his best attempts at a Yorkshire accent.
Bashing him playfully with a cushion she told him, “that accent still needs work, Mister.”
Mallory clambered out of bed, scrambled into a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt and headed down to the kitchen.
When Sam had finally crawled out of bed and spoken to the agent later that morning, it was s
uggested that it would be best for them to go up and view the interior of the property as soon as possible and that there had been a lot of interest from other parties. This was unwelcome news and it filled Mallory with dread. But Sam didn’t falter. He simply proceeded to book a Bed and Breakfast a short drive from the cottage for them to take a few days break in the area the following week. They would have to wait, hoping and praying that no one would pip them to the post.
~~~~~
After a ridiculously early start, they arrived at noon at the B and B they had found located at Easdale, just along the road from the cottage. The owner greeted them with home-made Scottish shortbread and fresh coffee. Their appointment wasn’t until one o’clock and so they had an hour to relax in their room. The problem was that Mallory’s nerves were on end and she found it hard to sit still, never mind relax. Her palms were sweating and her heart rate could rival that of someone running a trolley dash. She kept glancing at her watch.
Sam smiled and shook his head, “Mally, you are driving me crazy. Would you please just calm down. We’re here. It’s not long now.” He pulled her into an embrace on the squashy bed and kissed her. The kiss was enough to temporarily fog her brain into a calm trance-like state as his delicious lips moved over hers. She sighed against his mouth and felt him smile. Suddenly Mallory’s phone began to beep.
“Ooh, it’s time!” She leapt from his arms. “Come on slow coach!” She tried her best to pull him from the bed. He allowed her to pull him upright shaking his head again, a grin firmly fixed on his face.
“Yup, crazy.” He muttered to himself.
The drive along the road to the cottage took all of ten minutes. There were jagged rocks rising skyward to Mallory’s left side with a few houses dotted just in front. Mallory looked out of the window next to Sam as he drove, killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand she was able to look at Sam’s handsome unshaven face and on the other she could look over the water. The winter sun glistened like scattered diamonds on the sea and the rocks way out in the distance looked like a stationary ship that had dropped anchor just off the stunning coastline. She couldn’t help but allow the small smile that had been curling up the corners of her mouth to spread into a full on grin. Why on earth it took me so long to agree to this I’ll never know.
Bridge Over the Atlantic Page 4
