My nose twitched as the aromas of garlic and olive oil wafted in the air. Max beckoned me to sit at the table and I took my place on the cushioned window seat overlooking the garden, suffused in warm lighting. This little nook within Max’s huge home was delightful, intimate and cosy. You could almost forget that you were in a huge manor house.
Max served up a delicious starter of pan-fried scallops and came and sat down beside me. Afterwards we ate a sea bass main with crispy sauté potatoes and buttered asparagus. It was sublime, comparable to anything I’d ever eaten in a restaurant. Was there really no end to this man’s talents?
There’d been a shift in the air from the previous evening when we’d been spontaneous and carefree. Tonight I’d been enjoying getting to know Max better, hearing about his childhood in a more formal, restrained manner. I sensed we were both being careful around one another, gently pulling away the layers, discovering more about each other.
‘Do you want to take a look outside?’ asked Max, after we’d finished our meal, noticing me peering out through the window.
‘I’d love to.’
Bella and Holly who had been comatose in front of the Aga all evening jumped up as soon as we made moves to go outside. Max slipped his coat around my shoulders and took hold of my hand, leading me into the garden. Even in the half-light I could see what a wonderful space it was, with perfectly tended lawns sweeping into the distance as far the eye could see. Classical statues overlooked the lawns, and ornamental box plants lined the path that meandered around the edges. Max told me that beyond the old wall on the right-hand side was a vegetable garden and a wildflower garden. Somewhere, behind the scenes, must be a team of full-time gardeners to see to the maintenance of the extensive grounds.
We watched the dogs lolloping into the distance as we wandered slowly around the garden, talking, laughing, all the time our hands clasped tightly together.
‘Thanks for coming tonight, Ellie. I’ve really enjoyed having you here.’
‘No, it’s me who should be thanking you. I’ve had a great time. The food was amazing and seeing your beautiful house, well, honestly, it’s completely knocked me out.’
‘Come on, there’s more to see yet.’ He whistled and the dogs came bounding back, pushing past us to beat us back into the house, skidding as their paws hit the kitchen floor. I laughed, giving them both a hug before Max led me through the kitchen and into the magnificent hallway.
‘You did want to see upstairs?’ He stopped, one foot on the first step and turned to look at me. The way he asked, his voice sexy, warm and persuasive, made me wonder if there was a hidden meaning to his question. I was definitely more than happy to find out.
‘Yes, of course. I’d love to see the rest of house.’
‘Good.’
Before I had time to protest, Max bent down and in one fell swoop scooped me off my feet and into his arms.
‘Whoa! What…’
He laughed and swung me round in his arms. ‘Well you were the one who mentioned a romantic fantasy involving Rhett Butler. Isn’t this what you had in mind?’
‘Yes, but I didn’t mean… And no, it’s not my romantic fantasy. Oh, Max just put me down, you’ve made your point,’ I said giggling, flapping my legs helplessly in the air, not wanting him to put me down for a moment. ‘You’ll do your back in.’
‘Nonsense, it’s fine,’ he said, swaying on the spot, pretending his knees were buckling beneath him. He then proceeded to carry me upstairs as though I really was just a slip of a girl, when in fact I wasn’t – too many beers and slices of cake had put paid to that – but Max made the trek upstairs seem remarkably easy. From my vantage position of his arms, I had a terrific view of the ornate ceiling and the numerous paintings lining the walls, although I couldn’t really appreciate the beauty of them, focussed as I was on Max’s all-encompassing presence above me, my arms clinging tightly around his neck. He was far too distracting for me to want to concentrate on anything else.
At the top of the stairs he turned left onto the galleried landing, striding past a number of doors until he reached a door at the very end of the walkaway, gently pushing it open with his knee.
‘And this is the master bedroom,’ he said, standing on the threshold to a beautiful big room, decorated in muted creams and beiges. Good job I wasn’t standing or else my knees would have buckled beneath me at the giddy realization that I was actually in Max’s magnificent bedroom. Taking centre stage was a huge four-poster bed adorned with a gold silk eiderdown, bright white pillows and lots of plump cushions. In the pretty bay window, framed with abundant luxurious drapes, was a charming chaise longue overlooking the garden.
‘Lovely,’ I sighed, feeling at something of a disadvantage, still held aloft in Max’s arms. ‘You can put me down now, you know.’
Ignoring my muted protests, he walked over to the bed and laid me in the centre. As I sank into its glorious depths, Max’s head hovered over me, close enough for me to inhale his delicious sent and just within kissing distance of his mouth. My eyes closed and my hands clutched the feather duvet beneath me as a wave of desire washed over me. My body tingled with anticipation as I waited to feel his breath on my face, his wide full lips upon mine. And waited… And waited. Nothing. I opened half an eye, expecting to see Max preparing to kiss me, but instead he was over on the other side of the room. He flung open the patio windows, allowing a cold rush of air to flood in to the room, revealing a pretty balcony.
‘The view from up here is even better. Come and take a look.’
Quashing my disappointment, I rolled over and clambered out of the bed and joined Max at his side. ‘It’s beautiful,’ I agreed.
So too were the other numerous bedrooms he showed me – I stopped counting at ten – all decorated to individual themes, with highly specified bathrooms or wet-rooms. Admittedly my heart wasn’t quite in it after leaving the master bedroom behind. For a moment, I’d imagined we were going to continue where we’d left off the other night, but Max seemed more interested in carrying on with the guided tour. Maybe seeing me in his bedroom where Sasha had previously been had given him second thoughts about the wisdom of this whole idea?
‘All these bedrooms?’ I really couldn’t make sense of it. ‘There’s only you living here,’ I said incredulously. ‘Why do you need so much space?’
‘I do have friends come to stay from time to time,’ he said, clearly amused by my question. ‘Besides, this was always intended to be a family home. I’d like lots of kids one day.’
Crikey. I’d pity the poor woman who needed to produce all those children. Suddenly, I was struck by the disparity in our lifestyles. Max belonged in a different world entirely. Honestly, it made me wonder what was I doing here?
It hadn’t be that long ago that Sasha had been padding about this beautiful home, sharing her daily life with Max, sharing his bed too, no doubt, and her influence was probably all around me still in the lovely furnishings. What was I? A temporary distraction? Someone who had come into Max’s life to serve as a catalyst for him to make some overdue changes, changes he admitted he would have made anyway at some point.
‘I think I should go.’ The words escaped my lips, startling me as much as they caught Max off-guard.
‘Really, already? Oh God, I’m being a bore, aren’t I? Sorry. Look, I know I can get carried away talking about the house. It’s a bit of a passion of mine if you hadn’t already guessed, and sometimes I just don’t know when to stop.’
He raised a hand to my face and ran his fingers across my cheek.
‘No, it’s not that.’ His touch sent shock waves coursing around my body. ‘Thanks for inviting me, Max. I’ve loved looking round your house, hearing how you’ve made the renovations, it’s just…’ I paused, standing at the top of the beautiful staircase. It was just what? That I suddenly felt uncertain. Vulnerable at being alone here with Max, not knowing what he expected from me. I couldn't compete with Sasha and I certainly didn’t want to be just a fling for h
im. I felt as though Max was about to rip out my heart and throw it into the night sky, and I wanted to run out of the house and not come back or see Max ever again. Thinking about it sent my head into a fuzzy spin, especially with Max’s deeply intense gaze fixed hard upon me. Yesterday, I hadn’t the time to think, everything had happened so quickly, but now, it was as if we were standing on the edge of a precipice.
‘I don’t want you to go, Ellie.’ He grabbed my arms and pulled me closer to his body, our eyes locked together. My head tried to think rationally, but my body responded in the way it only knew how to this man, relinquishing into his embrace. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’ And everything. ‘It just feels…’ How could I possibly explain when I could barely make sense of it myself.
He kissed me lightly on the lips before pulling back to look at me. ‘How does that feel, Ellie? Tell me.’ I felt his breath upon my face, his voice husky as he stroked my cheek.
‘Oh…’ He could have no idea the effect he had upon me deep down inside. ‘Lovely,’ I said, with a sigh, all rational thought leaving my head. ‘Just lovely.’
Max smiled warmly. ‘Look, Ellie, I meant every word I said last night. I’m crazy about you. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. But if you’d rather not be here, if you want me to take you home, then just say.’ His gaze challenged me. He cupped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, his eyes observing me imploringly. ‘It’s your decision, Ellie.’
Twenty-Four
‘Kiss me again, Max,’ I murmured.
His handsome face smiled down on me. ‘Oh, I am more than happy to oblige.’
That seductive smile curled on his lips as he took my face in his hands, his dark eyes open, but hooded with desire. His mouth found mine and my lips parted, the sensation of his taste on my tongue igniting all my senses. He kissed me softly, as though for the first time, and I felt my body sway under his attentive embrace. My hands reached out for his head, pulling him closer, wanting more of him, more of his delicious kisses, feeling lost to everything around me but the intensity of this gorgeous man currently sending my entire being into spirals of delight. His body was firm and hard against mine, my hands running over his broad shoulders, eager to discover every inch of him. Our kisses came faster now, more urgently, our breathing ragged, as we occasionally surfaced for air, looking imploringly into each other’s eyes.
‘You’re beautiful, Ellie, do you know that?’
I laughed away the compliment, but my skin prickled in acknowledgment of his words and with it the realization that under Max’s adoring gaze, seeing for myself the light in his eyes and the effect I was having on him, I felt beautiful too.
He laid a trail of kisses from my mouth, down my neck and across my collarbone, making my toes curl in delight. His hand brushed against the curve of my breast and I gasped, taken by surprise by the intensity of his touch. His masculine scent was intoxicating, my head lost to everything but the moment. I grabbed onto the balustrade to steady myself, thinking my legs might buckle beneath me.
‘Have I shown you my bedroom?’ said Max with a glint in my eye. He scooped me up again in his arms, my body feeling as light as a feather in his hold. Unable to stop a big smile of contentment from spreading over my face, I clasped my arms around Max’s neck not wanting to let go. Ever.
‘Oh, I could definitely get used to this,’ I teased.
‘Really? Well, I can see I’m going to have to increase my sessions at the gym then to keep my strength up.’
‘Oi,’ I said, digging my heel into his thigh.
He laughed too as he strode along the landing towards his bedroom, carrying me comfortably in his arms. He pushed open the door and walked across to the bed, dropping me down gently into the depths of the fluffy white linen. This time he didn’t turn away, he leant over me, his brown eyes looking deeply into mine, his weight on my arms pinning me to the bed. He whispered my name in my ear, making my whole body tingle with anticipation, before proceeding to kiss me, tentatively at first, small sweet kisses on my mouth and on my neck, making me squirm with delight until I thought I wouldn’t be able to tolerate the exquisite sensations anymore. Then his kisses became more insistent, his tongue exploring my mouth, his evident hard desire for me fuelling my own passion.
His hands ran over my body and when his hand cupped my breast, my nipples hardened immediately to his touch. My hands reached out for him, eager to feel the strong lines of him and the firmness of the muscles in his chest and arms. Oh, and his thighs. Strong, muscular thighs. Everything about this man was irresistible and I felt spellbound by the magical effect he wove on my body and soul.
Max rolled over onto his back pulling me on top of him. I sat astride him, and his hands, strong hands with a gentle touch, which had already brought me such pleasure, fondled my breasts through the fabric of my dress, driving me to heavenly distraction, before he found the tie at my waist.
‘May I?’ he asked, a wry smile on his lips.
Such a gentleman. I nodded, unable to contain my excitement, desperate now for him to rip it off me.
Max pulled the two ends apart and my lovely new dress fell open. Max watched as I shrugged the dress off my shoulders, letting it slip down to my waist. Keeping eye contact, I pulled down my bra straps and unclipped the catch at the back, throwing my bra to the side, all the time revelling in the adoration of Max’s unwavering gaze. I didn’t feel self-conscious at all, just totally at ease. All powerful in my feminine potency. His hands reached up, his fingers tracing my breasts with the lightest of touches, my body arching involuntarily.
‘Mmm, come here you gorgeous creature.’
Max grabbed my arms and pulled me down on top of him, rolling me onto my side to face him. His expressive eyes devoured me greedily as he used one hand to smooth my hair behind my ear while the other cupped my breast, taking my breath away. I undid the buttons on his shirt, my hands discovering the hardness of his torso beneath, my fingers running along the highly toned ripples of his stomach muscles. He pulled me to his body, our legs intertwining, and I relished the sensation of his naked flesh up against mine. His thumb and forefinger found my nipple and I gasped. He gently squeezed, pulled and twisted at my breasts in a way that had me writhing in pleasure. I reached down to his waistband, undoing the button to his trousers, my hand grasping his full-on hardness, bringing a smile of warm satisfaction to my lips and eliciting a groan from Max. With an urgency now, he pulled off his trousers and boxers and threw them aside, sweeping my dress to the floor at the same time. He pulled me into his embrace, our bodies in unison, our mouths coming together in an explosion of kisses. His hand travelled from my breast down to my stomach and then to the waistband of my knickers, each smooth movement causing my insides to melt further until his fingers were tracing a trail beneath the elastic, taunting and teasing me with their promise.
He pulled away from me, his hands grasping my head, his gaze observing me fervently. ‘God, Ellie. You do something to me. Do you know that? Something deep down in here.’ His voice was heavy with emotion as he tapped on his chest with the flat of his hand. I smiled, pulling his head to mine and kissing his lips, full wide lips that seemed to have a magnetic pull. I simply couldn’t get enough of his delicious sensual kisses.
His hand ran down my leg, hitching his thumb onto my knickers and pulling them down over my thighs so that I could wriggle free of them. We were both fully naked now, our legs wrapped around each other, our bodies seeming to meld together perfectly. His hand travelled along the inside of my thigh, up and down, his thumb stroking my flesh in a slow rhythmic movement that sent me into ever-increasing spirals of delight.
I called his name, pulling him closer, reaching down to feel him, my hand grasping onto his hardness, wanting more of him, all of him, my heart thumping with a passion I’d never experienced in my life before.
‘Max,’ I said, breathlessly.
‘What do you want, Ellie?’ he said, his voice taunting me.
‘Please, Max,’ I gasped, feeling as though my heart might not take any more.
Max reached above me, pulling out a small packet from the pillow behind my head. ‘Are you absolutely sure this is what you want, Ellie?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you mention something about going home?’
‘No! Max please,’ I begged him. ‘I want you. So, so much.’ His gaze held mine, desire simmering between us. ‘Please. Now.’
He slid his hands under my hips, lifting my body to his, gently inching his way into me, slowly, surely, my body yielding to his weight on top of mine, our bodies melding together, each movement bringing a gasp of pleasure to my lips. He drove deeper into my body, at first slowly, but then with more intent, more purpose, with infinite skill, again and again, so that I couldn’t concentrate on anything else but the exquisite sensations tormenting my entire body. My mind was lost to everything but Max and the highly charged significance of the moment.
Max’s focus was fixed entirely on me, taking his pleasure from the thrills he delivered to me, his hands caressing and fondling the contours of my body, while he thrust hard inside me, each deep movement pushing my body further and further towards a teetering edge, ebbing and flowing relentlessly until I couldn’t contain the delicious sensations any longer, my whole being relinquishing to a final shuddering wave that overwhelmed me completely, my beautiful sweet release bringing Max to a total-encompassing peak too. He collapsed down on top of me, falling into my embrace. We both exhaled together in harmony, our bodies warm and glowing in satisfaction.
Christmas at the Dog & Duck Page 19
