“Thank you.” I gratefully reply.
He escorts me inside, waving good-bye with a big boyish grin. No doubt he is relieved to be finally having some well, deserved time off. I step into the lift. My girlish giddiness seems to have returned with a vengeance, as it goes up to the apartment. When the lift doors open, I am met by the darkened hallway. There is only a flickering candle on the hallway table, softly lighting the way for me. I walk towards it. Only then do I see that the dining room has candlelight coming from inside it, flicking shadowy patterns all over its large walls.
“Jonny?” I enquire in a quiet voice.
“In here,” a soft voice can be heard from the far end of the room. I slowly walk into the glowing space. Right at the top end of the huge table is a silver candelabra with five impressive branches each holding a lit candle. The table has been set for two with beautifully ornate lead crystal wine glasses and red linen napkins. Jonny is standing there, patiently waiting for me to join him.
I am so flattered that Jonny has done this for me. It feels so utterly romantic, that I do what any woman would do . . . grin from ear to ear. “What is all this?” I ask, with a parted mouth.
Jonny welcomes me with his loving smile. “I wanted to do something special for you,” he answers, standing in front of me. The candles’ dancing glow reveals the golden flecks hidden within his creamy hazel eyes.
My arms clasp around his neck, my body needing to be close to his. “Thank you, it’s gorgeous.”
Jonny kisses my nose and asks, “Are you hungry?” I nod in response.
The boyish grin he wears so well looks down at me. “Don’t get too excited, I’ve only put the leftovers on some fancy plates.” I giggle as he pulls out the chair for me, gesturing with his suave hand to take my seat at the table. He carefully pours some wine into two glasses. As he hands me mine, he whispers. “I love your laugh, that dimple of yours is irresistible.” His eyes are seductive and captivating this evening. I am magnetised by them. Time seems to stop when we are alone. I always lose myself to him completely. My free will leaves me at the mercy of him every single time. I watch him move confidently around the table, not once breaking our heated gaze. Oh, this is too damn hot!
“Thank you.” I say, taking a provocative sip of my white wine.
Holding his glass in his hand, he gives me a sexy half-smile. “So you liked the flat then?”
“It is fabulous. It really is going to make life so much easier,” I gush.
“I’m glad.” he replies, licking his full lips with his devilish tongue after a sip of his drink. His piercing stare is one I have never seen before. It’s still Jonny but it’s a darker Jonny. A hot as fucking hell, Jonny. There is something more hiding behind those wolfish spheres of his . . . I just don’t know what it is yet.
I try to keep the conversation going, which is hard to do when Jonny Riley is looking at you like he wants to devour you any second now. “So did your Mum, Steph and Harry get off okay?” Keep talking, Jessica!
“They did,” Jonny’s reply is short and curt with a low huskiness to his voice. He continues to stare beneath his darker lashes. I suppress my need to gulp hard by taking a much needed sip of my wine. He leans back in his chair, one arm draped over the back of it. He looks absolutely divine this evening in a black shirt, loosely buttoned with a complementary pair of black jeans. I swear, this beautiful man would look fucking divine wearing only a black bag. Everything about him is naturally sensual; from every pore, he oozes sexiness and tonight he is in a playful mood. Fuck!
I try to turn the tables. “You have a wicked glint in your eye tonight.” I say with a confident grin.
His eyebrow quirks up. “Do I?”
“Yes, you do. You are behaving very badly tonight, Mr. Riley.” I seductively tilt my head to meet his incessant gaze.
“Talking of bad girls, you have been one,” he says with a dark edge to his low voice.
I try to swallow slowly, playing down my surprise. Shit . . . what have I done? “Have I?” I ask in a shaky voice. I honestly don’t understand why the hell I am acting like I have done something wrong? Shit!
Jonny sits forward, putting his hands on the table. He continues to stare, holding the stem of the wine glass between his calm fingers. “Yes, you have. I thought you knew you could talk to me about anything?”
I lift my chin, meeting his hard stare. “I know I can.” Is that the right answer? Shit, I’m drowning here! Not only does his heavy gaze persecute me, so do my own thoughts.
Jonny’s lips pinch together as he tilts his head. “Not about everything it would seem?” He throws me a displeased look. Fuck! What is he on about?
I try to remain calm, coolly responding. “Like what, exactly?” I ask, smiling sweetly.
“Come on, Jessica. Talk to me. I sensed something was bothering you, but chose to ignore it. Then Stephanie let something slip last night. I was too drunk to make any sense of it then, but I’ve thought of nothing else since.” He tells me, blinking slowly.
I look at him from across the table. Although we are quite close to one another, his cross expression makes me feel like we are miles away from one another. “Is it about America?” I ask in a whisper.
“Yes it is . . . why didn’t you speak to me sooner?” he demands in a calm voice.
I shrug my shoulders like a child. “There never seemed to be a good time.”
“So tell me now.” He asks, abruptly.
I hold my glass tightly in both my hands like it’s my security blanket, twisting it between my fingers. Right . . . here goes nothing! “Okay. The thing is, I have been worrying, stupidly so may I add, about your career taking off in America. I worry that eventually you may want to live out there.” I look at the table. I can’t bring myself to look at him. I suddenly feel ridiculously silly after my reluctant confession.
Jonny leans across the table, taking my hand into his. “Jessica, I can’t say how things are going to pan out in America. Even if it did take off, I would choose my roles wisely. I would never do anything which would risk me and you not being together.” Relief washes over me. I can’t help but smile with relief, too.
I look him in the eye. “I am sorry I didn’t talk to you. It was only when Stephanie mentioned something yesterday did it trigger all of these stupid fears to run away with me. We have been so busy, there just never seemed to be a good time to talk to you about it.”
Jonny shakes his head, looking back at me. “You always let your gorgeous yet crazy mind run away with you, Jessica.”
“I know I do . . . what can I say? It’s a bloody curse!” I joke feebly with a shrug of my embarrassed shoulder.
Jonny lifts my chin with his finger. “Anything I do, I will run by you first because I love you.”
I close my eyes with a smile. “I love you, too.”
We sit there, in relieved silence. Another hurdle has been jumped over and will be gladly put behind us now.
Jonny then throws me one of his to-die-for smiles. “Now we have got that out of the way, you had better get your sexy ass over here now, Dimples!” He pushes out his chair, patting his lap. I gracefully move around the table and ease myself slowly down onto him. His arms wrap around my body. “That feels better now, doesn’t it?”
I smile contentedly. “It does.”
“You know that I love travelling, but I would never leave England. I am well aware that your life is here with the girls.” Jonny kisses my nose.
With one arm around his neck, I tilt my head forward to see his face. “Why are you so damn understanding?” I ask him.
“It’s not about understanding. It’s about telling the truth, Jessica. I know my lifestyle is going to affect yours, even though I really am trying hard to keep things as normal as I possibly can for you. However, there will be things in my life that will happen and will involve choices needing to be made. However, any choices I do have to make, will always be passed by you first, okay?” His reassuring hold tightens around me.
&
nbsp; “Okay, but what if things did take off in America, what then?”
Jonny placates me with a kiss to my neck. “Let’s just see how I do out there first, shall we?”
I frown, holding his face in my hands. “Just humour me here, Jonny! What if you do get offered more film roles out there and things are going well. Would it mean you will be away more?” I ask with a deadly serious expression.
Jonny shakes his head. “Not necessarily, no. It depends on a lot of things. Where the film is being shot. Who the other actors are and of course whether I want the role in the first place,” he confidently answers.
I rest my head on his shoulder and sigh. “I’m sorry I keep going on about it. I am scared, that’s all.”
Jonny takes my face into his understanding hands. “Listen to me, Jessica. You are my life. If you are here, then that can only mean one thing . . . our life is here. I may get more overseas offers, but there are ways and means to work around them so it doesn’t affect us. I love you so fucking much, Dimples. I will do everything . . . I mean everything, to protect that. Have you now got that inside your crazy-assed brain?” He laughs.
I smirk. “I think I’ve got it, Mr. Riley.” Jonny seals our conversation with a loving kiss. His eyes close and he kisses me with such tender assurance, that my heavy mind now feels weightless.
Jonny pulls back, tracing my lips with the pad of his thoughtful thumb. “I don’t want our last days together being thwarted with worry. I want us to enjoy our time left. I want to kiss and make love to you. I want us to laugh and have fun. I want us to be just that . . . us.”
I hold him, really tight. Once upon a time Jonny Riley used to be in my dreams, but now he is in my arms and in my life. “I love you.” I say, kissing his eyes, his nose and finally his beautiful mouth. When we separate from our loving kiss, Jonny’s eyes brighten with his huge smile. He quickly stands up with me still in his arms. I squeal, fearful he may drop me.
“What about dinner?” I ask.
“Dinner can wait; we need to build up an appetite first.” He starts carrying me out of the dining room.
“And how do you suggest we build up our appetites, Mr. Riley?” I suggestively pout, batting my lashes at him.
“Well . . . I am going to take you upstairs and fuck you senseless, Jessica Neel,” he relays with his dominant reply, cocky as hell grin and deep desire in his eyes. I wrap my legs tightly around his waist as his strong arms carry me up the stairs to do just that!
Christmas Day is wonderfully uncomplicated. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in bed together after calling all of our loved ones. I spoke to Lissy and Lottie for over half an hour. Jonny rang his mum, Steph, Harry and the lovely Beef. Who, surprisingly, wanted to speak to me personally to wish me a very happy Christmas. That honestly made my day. Then I rang Lydia and Jake, who were just about to set off for Christmas dinner with Jake’s parents. Yet another first for Miss Lydia I-Will-Never-Settle-Down Mason. Finally, I called Simon and Mary, who bless her, actually burst into tears over the phone when I handed her to Jonny. His wanting to wish her a merry Christmas was all too much for the overwhelmed sweetheart. We happily lazed around, laughing and joking. Exchanging stories of our past and finding out whether we wanted the same things for our future. I already knew that one day Jonny wanted to marry me, but it felt wonderful to hear him say it again. I asked him about whether he wanted to be a father. Jonny told me he had never really thought about it before but wasn’t opposed to the idea either. Then we talked at length about how I was worried about whether I would be able to have children again. My chances are lower now with only one fallopian tube, but Jonny being Jonny, just held me close; kissing away all of my fears with his loving and wise words. “What will be, will be.” Is the last thing he said to me on the subject.
I don’t think I want to have another baby, I just needed to know whether Jonny does. I mean, look at me. I am now thirty seven with two older daughters. I honestly don’t think I could face returning to dirty nappies, breast feeding and sleep deprivation. That is why it was so important to find out whether fatherhood is something that Jonny is desperate to have. I needed to know where we both stood on the subject. From his comments, I am guessing that he isn’t yet ready but that could change in the future. I cannot think about it, though. I have enough to worry about. I cannot worry about whether or not we will have a baby in the future, right now. I will simply have to cross that bridge, if and when I come to it.
Come the evening, it’s a bitterly cold and crisp night. The stars are out in all their glory. Every single one can be seen in the beautiful clear sky, stunning and scintillating above us. After being in the hot tub together, we dry off. We put on the thickest and fluffiest towelling robes, cocooning ourselves within a luxurious teddy bear throw to snuggle up with on the outside seating. I am tightly wrapped around Jonny’s lean, muscular torso. My head rests on his chest, rising and falling with his relaxed breathing. We sit quietly, looking out at the city lights and up at the starlit sky. Silence has never felt so comforting, so beautiful. Eventually the silence is broken with Jonny’s gentle voice. “Do you believe in fate, Jessica?” Jonny doesn’t move or look at me when he asks his question; he just continues to watch the night sky.
With my hand flat to his chest, I lift my head up slightly. “I’m not sure. Why, do you?”
Jonny glances down at me. “I never used to, but sometimes I think back to the day when I met you. Erin had actually booked me into another hotel, but I made her change it to The Broadway at the last minute.” Jonny smiles, as he strokes each one of my fingers so lovingly while he reminisces.
“I didn’t know that. Why did you change hotels?”
Jonny gently shrugs his shoulders. “That’s my point; I don’t know why I asked her to change it. What exactly was my reason for doing so? I honestly have no idea why? All I know, is that if I hadn’t changed my mind . . . I never would have met you.” He kisses my fingers. God, I love it when he does that!
I snigger. “Shit . . . your life could have been so much simpler.” I playfully bite his softer than soft ear lobe.
He lets out an over-exaggerated sigh. “True.” I look at his cute satiric grin staring down at me, so I teasingly pinch his side. “Ow!!” he yells.
With a silly pout and an over-dramatic frown, I scold him. “This is where you are supposed to say, but you are so wonderful, Jessica! Why ever would I want the simple life when I can have you!” I giggle into his chest.
He is laughing now, too. “I know that, Dimples. I just don’t want your pretty little head getting any bigger now, do I? If I am too nice to you, it is never going to fit through the doorway and it’s way too fucking cold to get stuck up here!” He laughs deeply, wrapping his playful arms around me.
“Very funny,” I sneer.
His tone quickly changes. “Seriously though, Jessica. Everything has been worth it. I wouldn’t change one damn thing. Merry Christmas, beautiful.” His whole upper body moves closer and his hands pull me into him.
Looking into his cappuccino eyes, I whisper into his parted lips, “Merry Christmas, Jonny,” We share a sweetly cold kiss yet our fused bodies are hot beneath our fluffy robes and shared blanket. Everything feels so perfect . . . so right.
“Jonny?” I ask with my head now back where it loves to be, against his body; blissfully comfortable under his chin. Jonny continues to stroke my thigh with his gentle fingers, tracing tantalising circles on my content skin. “Yes, Jessica.” Just by the way he answers me, I know that he is smiling.
“I think I do believe in fate,” I say with conviction.
His wandering fingers cease their teasing pattern upon my thigh, but carry on again when he responds to me. “Fate sometimes likes to keep us on our toes, but we were always meant to be, Jessica.” He kisses the top of my head, breathing me in and exhaling with only happiness.
My body reacts to him with a content sigh. “I am glad that I make you happy, Jonny.”
“You not only make me
happy, you give everything in my life a reason. Everything stops and starts with you, Jessica. I never thought I would ever fall in love again.” His body tenses, he clams up like he has already said too much.
I sit up a little, so I am able to see his anxious face. I look deep into his apologetic eyes. I know he is talking about Georgina and I know that this is the perfect moment to find out more about her, his forever love. “Who made you think you would never fall in love again?” I ask in a calm voice.
He thinks before answering. His expression now much more serious and pensive. “Someone from my past walked away from me a long time ago because she couldn’t handle a future with me due to my fame. It took me a long time to get over it, but I did get over it. I just figured I might never meet someone who would love me, for me. Then I met you, Jessica. You threw every idea, thought and feeling I ever had into the air. I didn’t care about trying to catch them all because I knew I had met the woman who had my heart in her hands. I knew she wasn’t going to ever give it back to me. My heart is yours, Dimples. It always will be. You accept me for me. You love me for me and you make me happy, being me.”
I am overwhelmed by his heartfelt words. It doesn’t even bother me that he is unable to tell me her name because, frankly, I don’t think I have ever heard anything more beautiful and as emotive as what he has just said.
Jonny strokes my cheek while looking deep into my soul. I tilt my head so his palm cradles my overcome face. I am barely able to speak because his words have made such an emotional impact.
“I don’t think I have ever heard anything more beautiful than that, Jonny. Thank you for loving me and believe me when I say, loving you is the easiest and most precious thing in the world. I will love you until I take my last breath.” I kiss his waiting lips with a slow yet burning kiss, which entwines us on a much deeper level. This is Jonny baring his soul. Laying his heart on the line by admitting he had loved and lost before. I no longer care about Georgina and their forever love because it wasn’t forever. I am the one who is in Jonny’s arms right now. She was the one who walked away from him, leaving the door to his heart open . . . for me.
A Famous Affair Page 47
