‘Thank you,’ I smiled as I sat inside. Dan must have known I was coming, how else would a chauffeur be sent for me? But how would he have known? I sincerely hoped he didn’t have his investigator tracing me still, that would be unacceptable. I felt my heart racing and looked down to see my hands were trembling. I’d tried desperately not to get my hopes up that everything that had happened could be rationalised, that I could forgive him, and that we could have an honest discussion as to where we were going to go from here. But seeing him again had opened the floodgates on all the feelings for him that I’d tried so hard to suppress. The thought that he was probably waiting at the house for me, maybe stuck on a business call, waiting for his driver to take me to him filled me with excitement. I kept watch out of the window, appreciating that the ride this time was a lot smoother. I was disappointed when we passed the turn for the island and headed on down to the village and up to the hotel. I got out and stretched as I looked around. It was like a miniature twin turreted castle, with the most magnificent view of the loch. The driver carried my case into the baronial style hall and disappeared before I even had a chance to think about tipping him.
‘Good evening, Miss Baxter,’ smiled the lady behind the desk.
‘Good evening. Is there any way you can pass this tip to the chauffeur, he left rather quickly.’
‘There’s no need for a tip, for any of the staff, it’s all part of the service,’ she smiled. I raised my eyebrows. Was this some Scottish expression everyone used? ‘So you’re in the luxury tower suite, I’ll arrange to have your bags taken up. Evening dining has closed, but room service will deliver anytime through the night.’
‘I’m sorry I don’t understand, I didn’t book a luxury suite.’
‘Bear with me a moment,’ she smiled again as she looked at her computer screen and I wondered what the hell was going on. ‘Ah I can see that you didn’t, however you’re on our VIP list so you’re automatically upgraded to the best available suite in any of our hotels around the world.’
‘And what did I do to deserve being placed on your VIP list? I’ve never stayed here before?’ I asked, perplexed.
‘My records show that there’s a standing instruction from the owner. If you book in at any of his hotels you’re given VIP service,’ she smiled. I swallowed hard as an idea formed in my mind.
‘I don’t suppose the owner is Oliver Davenport?’
‘Yes, Miss Baxter. He purchased us a few years ago, then proceeded to open other luxury spa resorts in various international locales. You’ll find a brochure in your room, along with one for the spa treatments if you wish to book any in.’
‘Thank you. I don’t suppose there’s any way of contacting Mr. Davenport to say that I’m staying here and wanted to thank him?’
‘He’ll already be aware. All hotels are under instruction to contact him immediately if we take any bookings from you.’
‘Right,’ I nodded, still a bit dazed. So much for the down to earth hired help I fell in love with.
‘Here’s Callum, he’ll take your case up for you if you’d like to follow him. Breakfast is served from seven to ten-thirty in the main dining room, or you can order room service for no extra charge.’
I raised my eyebrows again as I walked into my suite. I had a lounge and dining room with an amazing view down the loch, the island just visible in the distance. I opened a set of double doors to the master bedroom which had been done in sumptuous shades of gold and purple. There was a large bouquet of brightly coloured gerbera daisies on the bedside table, my favourite flowers, and I noticed a card propped up against them addressed to me. I opened it to find a typed note.
Miss Baxter. Welcome back to Scotland. Order anything you like, food, treatments, Champagne. The bill is on me. Mr. Complex
I laughed at his sign off. Was he here? The thought that I’d get to see him tonight had my heart beating wildly again. I’d planned on getting a taxi down to the island at midday tomorrow to wait for him as he came to the mainland for his daily ritual. I jumped as the phone rang.
‘Hello?’
‘Ellie.’ His voice was like a sensuous caress and my body shivered in delight.
‘Dan. Or do I call you Oliver?’
‘I actually prefer Ollie.’
‘I’m not sure if I can adjust to that, plus Ollie and Ellie’s a bit weird. It sounds like one of those children’s TV programmes like Rosie and Jim, but they didn’t rhyme where Ollie and Ellie does rhyme, it just don’t sound right at all. I know you as Dan, it’s like me asking you to call me ... Bridget or something.’
‘Still as talkative and random as ever,’ he chuckled.
‘Still as complex as ever,’ I retorted and he sighed.
‘Why are you in Scotland, Ellie? In particular at the loch? You made it quite clear that you wanted nothing to do with me.’
‘Maybe I was a bit rash in refusing to hear you out.’
‘So now you know who I really am and have had time to let that sink in, you suddenly want me again?’
‘That’s unfair,’ I bit back immediately. ‘You said you knew, you knew that I’d fallen in love with you before I even left the island. I had no idea who you were. I fell in love with Dan the maintenance guy. Don’t you dare make out that I’m only here because I found out you’re someone else, someone with money.’ I felt tears stinging my eyes and heard a deep sigh.
‘I’m sorry, that was unfair of me. I’m just thrown, Ellie. You made your distaste for me apparent, I left assuming I’d never hear from you again. What changed in the last few days?’
‘I … I … maybe I trusted that you were a decent man and that you lied to protect me. I came back to the hotel to talk to you on Sunday, but you’d already left.’
‘You did?’ he sounded surprised.
‘Yes. I want answers, Dan.’
‘Are you still seeing your boyfriend?’ he asked quietly.
‘Tom? He’s not my boyfriend, we had a lunch date and I’ve told him that I’m not ready for a relationship.’
‘Because you’re still in love with me?’
‘Dan,’ I sighed as I covered my eyes.
‘If I’m not going to lie anymore, neither are you Ellie. Did you have sex with him?’
‘That’s none of your business,’ I protested, too embarrassed to say that in spite of everything I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone but him touching me.
‘I’m a possessive and jealous man, Ellie. I need to know if you slept with him, or any other men, since you left Scotland in January?’ he demanded.
‘No,’ I whispered and heard him breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Have you?’
‘No, no men,’ he chuckled.
‘Dan!’ I scolded, wondering if I could ever get my head around calling him Ollie.
‘No women either Ellie. I meant what I said. You got to me. You’re the only woman who’s managed to get to me since … trust me, you’re all I can think about. I’ve really missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you too,’ I responded as my heart warmed at his declaration. ‘But I’ve not forgiven you yet.’
‘I can understand that. So, you really want to listen to my side of the story?’
‘Yes,’ I breathed. ‘But it needs to be full disclosure, no more lies or cover ups or I walk away for good this time. I won’t stand for that anymore, I deserve better.’
‘You do deserve better and I promise, full disclosure.’
‘When?’ I asked, hoping any second that the door would knock.
‘I’m still in London,’ he sighed. ‘I have some commitments I can’t get out of, but I can be back Sunday lunchtime. I’ll pick you up and we can talk, this isn’t something I want to do over the phone. Ok?’
‘Ok,’ I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. I was disappointed, I was hoping to see him tonight, to finally get to the bottom of this, to see if we had a chance or not. All this waiting and secrecy was killing me.
‘I need to go, I have a conference call to make to Califor
nia. Please make use of the spa tomorrow, anything you want.’
‘It’s pricey,’ I replied as I looked at the brochure.
‘Trust me, I’m good for the money,’ he replied and I could hear the smile down the phone. ‘I have a close connection with the owner.’
‘Still as cocky as ever.’
‘Still as infuriating as ever. Don’t make me spank you again by not doing as you’re told. I’ll see you on Sunday, Miss Baxter.’
‘I’ll see you on Sunday, Oliver Daniel Davenport,’ I replied and heard him make some weird groaning noise. ‘Are you ok?’
‘You’ve no idea how badly I wanted you to call me by my real name,’ he sighed.
‘That’s why you kept asking me not to call you Dan when we … when we were …’ I stalled.
‘Having mind blowing sex?’ he growled. ‘Yes. In the spirit of fair warning I hope that you’ve kept limber, because if you hear me out and forgive me I’m going to be ripping off your clothes and fucking you furiously to make up for the drought of the last six months.’
‘O God,’ I groaned. ‘You went three years, six months is nothing.’
‘Three years was easy when I didn’t have the memories of sex with you to tempt me. God damn it, I have to go. Sunday.’
‘Sunday,’ I agreed and realised he’d gone. I threw myself back on the bed and covered my eyes. His explanation had better clear everything up and leave me with no doubts, as frantic furious sex with him was too tempting an offer to try and resist. I quickly sat up and dialled Brooke to fill her in.
Day Three
Saturday 5th July ~ Year One
Dan
I woke up at six a.m. to find my cock was throbbing with an intensity that had only come about since I met Ellie. I’d hardly slept all night for thinking about her, about our phone call. I desperately wanted to believe that I could tell her the truth and she’d still want me, but I was reluctant to get my hopes up again. That day I’d seen her walking towards me at The Savoy had been a complete punch in the chest, as well as another painful rapid cock swelling. She’d looked fucking stunning with that sexy green dress on, that was before she was lying at my feet, with her short dress having risen up, affording me a glimpse of her succulent cunt covered in thin green lace. The fury that had torn through me when she declined my request to talk, and that bloody journalist had kissed her, was unparalleled. Mother had sensed my disposition and had insisted we leave as soon as I’d eaten my lobster and had James drop me at the office. She knew work was the only thing that distracted me when I was in one of those moods. Women never walked away from me. It was an unfamiliar situation and I didn’t like it.
I gripped my shaft as I slowly moved my hand up and down and parted my thighs to caress my balls at the same time. I was like a damn teenager again, knocking one out every few hours as I fantasised about her. I was going to get bloody masturbation calluses on my right hand. I started panting and my hand speeded up, as the thought of sucking her clit and tasting her sweet nectar spurred me on. Within minutes it was over. That damn woman was ruining me. Ellie Baxter, if you think you’re walking away without me fucking you, think again, I thought to myself as I tried to regulate my breathing. Whether or not she believed or forgave me, I was going to have her beneath me, screaming again as I pounded into her before she left. If I couldn’t have her permanently, I’d make damn sure she’d regret it every time she had a regular fuck that didn’t compare to what I did for her. If she walked away she’d ruin me, it was only fair that I ruin her in return. I headed down to my parent’s pool and gym for an hours work out before Magdalene their housekeeper made me a full English breakfast.
‘Here you are, Ollie,’ she smiled. ‘Big plate for a big boy.’
‘Big man, Magda,’ I laughed and she just winked at me and patted me on the back. With the exception of my parents, Logan and apparently Ellie, our Portuguese housekeeper Magda was one of the few people who wasn’t intimidated by me. She’d been with the family since before I was born and had pretty much been my primary carer when mum was jetting around on photo shoots and appearing on runways. I adored her.
‘You’ll always be little Ollie to me. I changed your nappies remember, Signor?’ she chuckled.
‘Thanks for the reminder,’ I replied with a roll of my eyes as I wolfed down the large breakfast she’d prepared.
‘So what’s this I hear about a new lady in your life?’
‘Does my mother tell you everything?’ I sighed as I pushed the plate back and cocked my eyebrows at her.
‘O course. Magda is part of the family. I just want to see you happy again. You haven’t been happy since Miss Rebecca passed away and that’s been over ten years,’ she reminded me. I rubbed my hands over my face. She was right. I was only twenty two when I lost her in childbirth. I’d pursued her at Uni and surprised my parents, and Magda, by going steady. They were well aware of my reputation for never sticking with a woman for more than a few dates.
‘I’ve met someone, but it’s complicated.’
‘Why complicated? I don’t understand,’ she asked as she cleared my plate away.
‘I’m still married and I … concealed that from her, pretended I was someone else, she found out and ran from me.’
‘Signor! Lying?’ she gasped as she looked at me horrified. ‘Did we not teach you better than that?’
‘I know, spare me the lecture, I’ve had it off both parents already. I liked her, I wanted to see if she was genuine before I told her who I was.’
‘Ahhh, because of Miss Moira,’ she nodded.
‘Mrs. Davenport,’ I corrected.
‘She may be your wife in name, but she is not your wife, Ollie. She tricked you, you were only married for one night, didn’t consummate it and she’s been dead for the last three and a bit years.’
‘She’s not dead damn it,’ I bit back. What was wrong with everyone? Why did they insist on talking about her as if she were dead, she wasn’t. A marriage of love it certainly wasn’t, but she was still my damn wife. A wife I’d promised to honour, to be faithful to and I’d broken that bloody promise when my self-control around Ellie shattered.
‘You deceive yourself,’ she scolded with a wagging finger. ‘A person on a life support machine, who has been declared brain dead, is not alive. You are holding on out of guilt, instead of forgiving yourself and moving on.’
‘If you worked for me I’d fire you for insubordination,’ I scowled.
‘Then I’d just spank your bottom like I did when you were naughty as a child. You refuse to see reason. Eu desisto,’ she muttered as she threw her hands in the air.
‘Well I won’t give up, she’s my responsibility. I did this to her, I owe it to her not to give up on her.’
‘It was an accident, you owe it to yourself to follow your heart. I can’t bear to see you as unhappy as you were when you lost Miss Rebecca and your son,’ she moaned as she lifted the corner of her apron and wiped her eyes.
‘Magda,’ I sighed and rose and strode over to give her a hug and kissed her forehead. ‘It’s not that simple.’
‘Do you love this … Ellie?’
‘I care for her deeply, I’m not sure if it really is love. I don’t think I’m capable of it.’
‘Por deus, eu desisto,’ she muttered as she wriggled out my grasp. ‘You will be a very sad and lonely man and I can’t bear to stand by and watch it, neither can your poor mother. Get out of my kitchen before I’m tempted to spank some reasoning into you,’ she ordered, as she grabbed a cooking spoon and pointed at the door with it.
‘Magda!’
‘Ir agora!’ she pointed, telling me to get gone. ‘Before I lose my temper.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ I muttered, her and my mother had seriously fiery tempers that would put the most hardened dominant man in his place. I earned myself a crack on the backside with the spoon for blaspheming in front of her as she launched a tirade of Portuguese at me, so I quickly strode to the front door to find James. Getting to wor
k and holding the final meetings for the takeover would give me back my damn manhood. No one questioned me there, or tried to tell me what to do, or yelled at me in God damn Portuguese. Being bilingual I’d yelled back at my mother the once, when I was younger and more naïve, never again. My father had to come and haul her out of the room as she’d launched into a mammoth rant. Growing up with her and Magda had left me pretty much able to handle any woman. Yet Ellie … Ellie just brought out the worst in me by challenging me as well.
‘Morning, Sir,’ smiled James as he opened the door.
‘Morning James, thank God for some male company.’
‘That bad?’ he enquired as I climbed in.
‘Let’s just say twenty Chinese businessmen will be a piece of cake compared to one feisty Portuguese housekeeper.’ James laughed and shut the door as I adjusted my cuffs and tie and ran my hands through my hair. I rarely came to London for face to face meetings anymore. I could conduct teleconferences from my office in the house in Scotland. Doing them from the boathouse in December, while dressed casually for Ellie had been challenging, never knowing when she might turn up, or potentially show me up by launching into one of her verbal assaults. I chuckled. I actually couldn’t wait to see her tomorrow. If I hadn’t promised my parents we’d attend a private charity gala later I would have organised my flight for straight after this meeting.
James dropped me at the Davenport headquarters where Stuart, my Personal Assistant, was waiting for me at the door. He’d worked for me since I’d fucked the last female PA in my old offices, and had been threatened with a lawsuit when I ended it. My legal team paid her off and insisted that I didn’t employ any more women in the role as a form of self-protection. When I worked in the city long days and nights at the office inevitably meant working in close proximity and for long periods of time. Not many men in my position, with a good looking woman in a short skirt offering to do whatever you wanted, would have the willpower to resist fucking his PA over her desk at some stage. I felt a smile creep across my face at the thought of Ellie dressed in a sexy secretary outfit with glasses on, spread across my desk as I restrained her hands and fucked her from behind, while still wearing my three piece suit. That would tempt me to spend more time in my London office.
31 Days of Summer (31 Days #2) Page 4
