'Don't,' Matt said gently, noticing the look of discomfort in her eyes. 'I've explored every inch of your body. What we're doing is as old as time and as natural as breathing. Knowing what I do to you makes me feel very good and talking about it is healthy.' He took her back into his arms. 'So is cuddling, and you, Miss Cannon, are a very nice armful to cuddle.'
Ella gave him a hug. 'You've given me wonderful memories Matt. I feel cleaner if that makes sense. The shadows of the past seem faint now.'
Matt kissed her on the lips. 'Good. For the rest of our time here I shall do my level best to banish them altogether!'
Ella laughed, her unease forgotten, as he scooped her up and placed her back on the hard ground. They helped each other dress before returning to the tent.
'Is it me, or am I getting smiled at a lot?'
They had just been served their dessert and coffee and the servants had retired for the night.
Matt gazed at her. 'I think they know what we've been up to,' he whispered.
'What!' Ella blushed the deepest red Matt had seen on her.
'We're not exactly quiet about it sweetheart. And out here,' he indicated the expanse of the desert, 'things are still pretty basic. They won't be hearing anything that hasn't been heard before. Besides Kasib knows what nearly happened at the palace, he'll be pleased that you've got over that ordeal.'
Ella wasn't convinced she would ever be able to make love in the desert again.
In the middle of the night Matt proved her wrong as he awoke her body from sleep with the most sensuous of orgasms. Hungry to feel him inside her she climbed on top of him and rode him hard. She collapsed onto Matt, panting heavily, her body slick with sweat. She awoke in that position in the morning with his morning hardness nudging her moist heat. She was insatiable with this man and for the first time she initiated their lovemaking.
*
Matt slipped in behind Ella as she sat on the sunbed and stretched his legs out either side of hers. He caressed her arms before gathering her close for a hug and placing a kiss against the side of her neck.
'I have to go back tomorrow.'
Ella's heart sank at the news. These few days with Matt had been heaven without the outside world intruding.
Matt felt her body droop. He felt the same which was strange because he never wanted to spend long with a woman. In fact, this was the longest he'd been with someone without other people being around. And he wanted more!
'That was Azzam on the satellite phone. Apparently Zander has been on the phone to him every day and now decided it's time I returned. The production company are screaming at him to get me back to finish filming. We own the company for god's sake but they're calling the shots!'
Ella turned in his arms, reached up and kissed him.
'It's okay. This had to end sometime. And I've probably got people screaming for me too - I should have been back in the studio days ago.'
'Well I don't know about you but I think we should make this a night to remember. What do you think?' Matt moved to sit beside her as he released the ties on her bikini and let her breasts spill into his hands. Ella fell back against the lounger and gave in to the desire that was uniquely Matt.
In the early dawn Ella found herself wide awake. Her sleep pattern had gone to pot. They'd made love so many times during the previous nights and dozed in each other's arms during the days, her body no longer knew what it should be doing.
The thought of their lovemaking excited her. She remembered him taking her up against the shower wall as well as on the sand beside the pool. She grimaced. That hadn't been so pleasant - getting sand everywhere. But washing each other afterwards had been glorious. She was so much more comfortable now touching Matt's body and loved that she aroused him so hard and fast.
She glanced across at Matt who lay sleeping naked beside her, his left hand flung across his face again - that seemed to be a favourite sleeping position.
'Are you going to keep looking or come over here and satisfy me?'
Ella jumped. 'You rat! I thought you were asleep!'
Matt turned on his side and flung his arm over her. 'I know. But my senses seem finely tuned to when you're awake.'
Realisation hit Ella with a wallop. 'You weren't… that first night when I…. Oh god, you were, weren't you?'
'Yep!' Matt grinned at her.
His mood changed. 'I thought it would help you if you could explore my body thinking I was asleep. And it did, didn't it?'
Ella crimsoned and nodded, suddenly unable to speak. Matt placed a gentle kiss on her lips. 'Sweet Ella, how can you still get embarrassed after everything we've done in the last few days?'
He pulled her up against his chest and deepened the kiss. He felt restless about going home and needed this time with her when everyone else was sleeping. Ella was like a drug and he was torn between wanting to keep satisfying himself with her and putting some distance between them.
*
Ella hadn't stopped for five days. From the moment Azzam's private jet had landed at Heathrow airport and she had turned on her mobile phone she had been in the studio. She'd had to work the complete weekend too to make up for the lost time.
She hadn't even got home that day until ten o'clock at night when the studio had finally wrapped it up for the day. They'd had her back in at eight the next morning. Her suitcase was only half unpacked and her food cupboards were bare.
She'd had time to register that the press had indeed given up on her, return Daniel's phone call and glance through her mail. Other than that all she'd done was sleep. Matt had managed a few texts and a couple of voicemails but they were playing cat and mouse on their calls. When he called, she was recording and when she phoned him back he was unavailable.
Exhausted she may be but she'd gone to bed every night with a smile on her face. She felt all loved up and so very aware of her body. She tingled when she remembered those few stolen days in the desert. Even Azzam's gentle teasing hadn't been enough to embarrass her. He'd welcomed them both back at the palace with open arms. She'd been surprised at the warmth of his embrace for her when she thought about the state she'd been in when she'd left.
Within an hour of arriving at the palace they'd travelled in Azzam's limousine to the airfield in Quinaard and the three of them had then flown back to London. Ella had been a little disappointed that she hadn't had Matt to herself but he'd been attentive to her, ignoring Azzam's knowing glances. As they'd waited behind Azzam to disembark, he'd taken her in his arms and kissed her.
With their studios in different parts of London, they'd parted at Heathrow. In case any photographers had been around Matt hadn't kissed her again. He hadn't wanted to give the papers any fodder when Ella had only recently escaped their invasive clutches. She understood his logic and was grateful for it but it didn't lessen the hurt that he hadn't gone public with her.
She sighed. What did she expect? Matt Adams wasn't into settling down. He'd been tied down at eighteen and brought up two teenage girls - he didn't want to have any more responsibilities like that. Their time in the desert had been a hiatus from their lives and now they were back, Matt would no doubt go back to being with other women. She knew it was likely and had thought she'd prepared herself for it, but it cut her up to think it. If they were ever at their phones at the same time, his call would probably just be a friendly one to see how she'd settled back in.
The phone rang breaking her thoughts. The quickening of her pulse died when she realised it wasn't Matt.
'Hey Tess. How are you? Where are you just now?'
'Home. I arrived yesterday and I'm here for a few weeks before I then head off to the States. What are you up to just now?'
Ella wondered if Matt had said anything to her. 'Busy in the studio at the moment. I think another few days should wrap it up, then I've got a charity concert at my sister's college, and then I think I've got a couple of weeks off.'
'We'll need to get together when we're both free! What's the concert in aid of?'
<
br /> Ella told her and they chatted for a few more minutes before Tess hung up with a promise to take four tickets. Ella was relieved not to be asked any questions about Matt when she didn't know how he viewed their relationship.
*
'Who are you?'
Matt looked up from his paper and rolled his eyes. 'Ha ha. Very funny.'
Zander joined him at the kitchen table. 'I presume you've now got everyone off your back, the filming is finished and all crises in the restaurants have been averted?'
Matt gave him a pointed stare.
'Well, I knew you'd landed back on UK soil, Azzam told me. But you've been conspicuous by your absence for the last, what, nine days? No longer being screamed at every time I answered my phone was a big clue you were back in control.'
'Yes, yes, and yes to your presumptions. Now, do you think I could enjoy my breakfast in peace please?'
Zander poured himself a cup of coffee and waited. Matt didn't disappoint.
'You do realise this is the first time I've sat down since I did get back? I've stood in front of TV cameras for fourteen hours a day for over a week, I've dealt with supplier problems, spent eight hours with students who don't give a damn, calmed two brilliant but temperamental chefs and dealt with police over a, now former, member of staff who was stealing. Last night was the first time I collapsed into bed knowing I would get more than three hours sleep and I still haven't got my bag unpacked yet.'
Zander smiled. He was so predictable. When Matt didn't get any down time, he was as temperamental as the rest of the chefs they employed. No mention in there of the lovely Ella. Zander decided to stir the pot and see what fell out.
'Which woman is it this time that only let you get three hours beauty sleep?'
'Why does everyone assume I'm with a woman all the time? And you should know better. You know half the stories aren't true!'
Hmm, defensive. Interesting. Zander pushed a bit more.
'Well, I shielded a number of calls while you were incommunicado. At least three lovely ladies were looking for you to escort them somewhere or other this week.' Zander shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'I presume you've caught up with them'.
Matt scowled. Zander made him out to be some kind of playboy, when he was no such thing. His thoughts jumped to Ella. He wouldn't take out another woman when he was dating her. He sat up sharp. Where did that realisation come from! He rolled it around in his head. Yeah, 'dating' sounded okay. He wanted to be in an exclusive relationship with her. That should have scared him, but instead it just brought a smile to his lips. They'd still never managed to catch up with each other. He would have to rectify that before Ella tried out her new found confidence with someone else. That thought caused a jealous rage to stab sharply at his heart.
Zander watched the display of emotions cross his face. If he knew his brother as well as he thought he did, then Azzam was correct - Matt and Ella were all loved up. He would also agree with Azzam that Matt hadn't quite realised it yet. Well, well, sooner or later he supposed it was inevitable that their family dynamic would change but he'd always thought it would be because the girls fell in love. Seeing that look of contentment that had briefly flashed across Matt's face made Zander wish for something he'd never wanted before.
Zander sighed. 'Before you go and catch up with Ella….' Matt's head whipped up.
'How do you…? Azzam. Are there no secrets in this family? What rumours has he been spreading?'
'No rumours, he just voiced a couple of observations, that's all. Anyway, as I was saying - before you go I need to talk to you.'
Matt narrowed his eyes as he studied Zander. He sounded serious and now he looked at him properly, he also looked worried.
'What's up bro?'
Zander looked round the kitchen. 'Not here, in case the girls come down. My apartment?'
'Sure. I made some bread this morning. Want to take some up?' Zander nodded.
Whilst Matt busied himself getting together what they needed for breakfast, his mind worked overtime. Zander was the more serious between the two of them but he'd never been like this. Matt was worried.
*
Zander shoved his hand through his hair wondering how things had gone pear-shaped so quickly. Last week everything had been under control. As CEO of Two's Company he was beyond pleased with how it was holding up through the recession. In his own investment business he was successfully juggling a variety of stock options and selling at the right time. His social life was just how he liked it and his only bug had been fending calls for Matt.
He took a bite of fresh bread loaded up with homemade jam and looked across at Matt while he chewed.
He swallowed and took a deep breath. 'We're under investigation for money laundering and fraud.'
Matt spewed the coffee he'd just taken a mouthful of.
'What!' He thundered, as he reached for a cloth to mop up the spill. 'Just put it out there why don't you Zander. Geez! Is there no back story you could have fed me in the lead up to that news? Is this some kind of late 'April Fool's' joke?'
Without letting Zander reply, Matt continued. 'At least you're okay. Christ Zander I thought you were going to tell me you were terminally ill, you looked so serious. This is some kind of mistake right? What does Michael say about it all?'
Michael was the company's Finance and Investment Director who had overall responsibility for what happened to the income.
'Michael had an accident on holiday. He's in a coma in Italy.'
Matt swore. 'Poor bloke. What happened?'
Zander filled Matt in with as much as he knew. He'd spoken to Michael's wife who'd told him that Mike was lucky to be alive. The hire car was a complete write off. A hit and run driver had forced him off the road.
Matt couldn't get his head round all this. One minute he's planning to catch up with Ella and the next he's in the middle of a double-whammy crisis that Zander had been shouldering on his own. He felt guilty for not being there.
'How long has this been going on? You could have left a message, I would have dropped everything in an instant. You know that!'
Zander smiled at him. Yeah, he did know. They were always there for each other.
'Mike's accident happened on Wednesday and word came through yesterday about the investigation.'
Matt's guilt lessened slightly. 'Who? How?'
'Some sleazebag newspaper editor phoned to,' Zander used his fingers to quote the air, ''warn me' about what they were going to do.'
'And that would be?'
'Hand their evidence over to the police.'
'Oh come on Zander. It's all a scam - if he has any information, why warn us first? Where's the big splashy article exposing us? This could all be a bluff, there is no investigation yet. He's wanting something - what is it?'
Zander shook his head. He summarised the nasty accusations that had been made about their success, the company's success, how there had to be something going on when they were as well off as they were etc. etc.
'This could wrap us up in red tape and bureaucracy for months. There's no substance to it but an investigation could damage us financially. If he goes public, this sort of media coverage will damage the brand name.'
They talked it over until they'd hashed it to death. Mike's accident was tragic bad timing if there was a major investigation. He was the one with the in-depth knowledge of investment movements for Two's Company. Zander was very careful to keep his own investment activity completely separate. Matt didn't have Zander pegged as a dramatist, but he'd spoken as if the investigation had started when in fact it was just a threat. Mike's accident must have unnerved him to overreact in that way.
'If this does go belly up and you get swamped with an investigation, are you going to miss the family trip to Long Island?'
Zander pulled a face. 'Possibly. I don't know what to expect on Monday never mind the following week.'
'What are you going to do about Mike's work? Can you get an interim finance director? Could they take some
of the load off if there is an investigation?'
Zander thought about it. 'They'd have to be good and good ones are in short supply. We'll see. I won't rule it out.'
Satisfied, Matt turned his attention to their yearly Duval-Adams Foundation charity ball. They'd held this event for the last five years, raising nearly two million pounds to help orphaned kids and kids who were carers. Their closest friends were invited to enjoy a four-course meal created by Two's Company before outbidding each other at the auction and then dancing the night away. It was also the one time a year that the Duval-Adams family indulged their shared talent for music and performed together in public. They all played different instruments and usually played a short concert that got people in the mood for putting their hands in their pockets for the auction.
'Come on, let's go and turf these girls out of their beds and sort out what we're going to play this year.'
As they left the apartment Matt slung his arm round Zander's shoulders. 'Don't shoulder everything yourself bro,' he said, referring to their earlier conversation. 'We'll get through this the same way we've got through everything - together.'
Before Zander could acknowledge the comment, Tess and Ronnie barrelled into them.
'We've been looking for you.'
'Let's sort out the concert.'
The girls spoke together.
Matt and Zander exchanged a look and grinned. The business may be taking a hit but the telepathy in the family was as strong as ever!
Chapter 12
Ella hummed to herself while she finished getting ready for tonight's performance. She was feeling really good about life just now, and knowing she was going to see Matt later on played no small part in her mood. Flutters of excitement swirled around in her tummy as she thought about spending the night with him once the concert was over.
They'd exchanged texts and managed a few late night phone calls but when Matt had tried to see her last weekend she'd been stuck in the studio re-recording a couple of tracks that hadn't been recorded properly the first time round.
He'd then been in Europe for a couple of days and out of contact but she knew from her conversation with Tess earlier on that he was now safely home. All four of them were going to be there tonight. Tess had made no mention of her relationship with Matt so she presumed he'd still not said anything. She really didn't want to be his secret but if it wasn't going to last then maybe it was better that his sisters, and her friends, were none the wiser.
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