by M. L. Smith
“Let’s go back to the hotel. Please,” I pleaded with him.
“I’m so sorry, Jennifer,” he said as tears filled his beautiful eyes.
My heart was breaking for him as I had never seen him so upset. Alex was lying on the ground in a ball, looking pathetic. We side-stepped past him and returned to the hotel.
Once we were back in the room, Zack was back to his normal self.
“What the hell happened back there?”
“Alex is one of Phoebe’s many exes. She had a six month affair with him and he has taunted me about it relentlessly. I’m sorry you had to see that, Jennifer.”
“It’s okay. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I filled the sink and soaked a soft flannel. He had a small cut to his left eye and I gently dabbed the wound. Zack winced as I cleaned the cut.
“I will tell you one thing, Zack, you can really fight!” I smiled at him, trying to lift his mood.
“That’s what growing up with three brothers does for you! We all used to box regularly at a small club down town. A lot of boys used to try and take us on. They usually failed when we kicked their asses!”
“Are they as handsome as you? I bet you look gorgeous all together!”
“Well, Sam is the oldest, then me, then Jake and Harvey is the baby of the family. I wouldn’t leave you on your own with Jake though, he’s a right man whore!”
“I would love to meet all your family sometime.”
“I will take you soon, sweet Jennifer. Here I have a picture on my phone of when we went last time.”
He showed me the picture of him and his brothers. They all looked gorgeous. I bet they were popular at school!
“I’m beat. Let’s go to bed, boss.”
“I’m sorry about tonight, Jennifer.”
“It’s okay, Zack. Don’t worry about it but I didn’t realise that you had such a temper. You frightened me.”
“I would never, ever, hurt you, baby.”
“I know you wouldn’t. I trust you.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let him goad me like that.”
“Make love not war.”
“What a wonderful idea, JB.”
“Don't forget you will have to suit up, Mr Cole!”
“I know!” he told me, getting up to find a condom.
After a very refreshing sleep with my beautiful man next to me, I awoke and checked out the lovely view. I made some coffee and left Zack sleeping. He didn’t even snore.
My text alert beeped quietly and it was a message from Ross.
“Do you have any developments to report, Black?”
I decided to nip out onto the balcony and give him a quick ring.
“I can't speak long but I saw someone in the woods when we were flying overhead. Hopefully I will find where they were on my return.”
“Flying overhead? Where are you?”
“Paris. We flew over in his plane.”
“Jesus, you are having it rough, Black!”
“I know but I am recovering, Sir.”
“Okay but don’t have too much fun. Speak to you soon.”
I decided to try and find out Alex’s surname as he could be in the suspect pool. There was something amiss about him.
As I went back into the room, Zack woke up and smiled at me.
My tummy did a little flip as I smiled back.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
I took his coffee over and checked the cut on his eye.
“I think you will live. It doesn’t look too bad,” I told him, kissing it better.
“You should have been a nurse but I think you would drive the male patients wild!”
“Ha! That’s very funny, Mr Cole!”
“What do you fancy doing today?”
“All the tourist stuff would be great. The last time I went up the Eiffel Tower, I had loads of cheap plonk in my bag that I was hiding from the teachers on our school trip. Happy days!”
“You are a naughty girl, Jennifer.”
After a lengthy breakfast in bed, we left the hotel and started to visit the tourist haunts of Paris. It was a beautiful day and lovers strolled along hand in hand, enjoying the atmosphere of the world’s most romantic city.
We visited Notre Dame, The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
The day literally flew by and when we returned to the hotel, Zack suggested a refreshing swim. We gathered up our swimwear and headed down to the pool and gym.
After a few lengths of the stunning pool, we clambered out and got into the hot tub. The place was deserted and we were pleased that we had it to ourselves.
We laughed as the bubbles exploded around us as we started kissing like a pair of teenagers. Zack pulled back and grinned.
“You make me so happy, Jennifer. I have fallen for you hook, line and sinker!”
“Me too. I wanted to tell you ages ago how much I loved you but I was scared that you didn’t feel the same way about me.”
“You are kidding me! I loved you from the moment that you stood in front of me on my doorstep. I was practically sitting on my hands! I wanted to kiss you and ravish you!” he whispered, laughing softly.
“Ooh, how very Mr Darcy of you!”
“Kiss me, Jennifer.”
I pulled him closer into me and lavished him with sweet kisses.
What a wonderful trip it had been.
Chapter Twenty Six
The following morning, we quickly packed up our things and Zack called for the car to take us back to the airfield.
We had enjoyed room service last night as we wanted to spend time with each other with no one else around.
It was amazing.
“Have you enjoyed yourself?”
“I have had a wonderful time, Zack. It was just what I needed.”
“I have really enjoyed myself too, baby.”
Our car pulled smoothly in front of the hotel.
“Well, isn’t this sweet?”
The voice was annoyingly familiar.
We both turned round and saw Alex standing there. He looked a right state with a black eye, a broken nose and a bust lip. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had had a couple of broken ribs after Zack’s aka Rocky’s pummelling.
“Go away, you idiot,” Zack snapped at him.
His anger started to bubble up.
“I am thinking about pressing charges against you. You are a maniac, Zack!”
“Bring it on, you fucker! Do your worst. You started it. Don’t you ever come near her again or you will be very sorry!”
“You haven’t heard the last of this, Zack. I promise you that!” Alex spat before walking away from us.
“What a dick he is, Zack!”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself!” he growled.
We boarded the plane after a quick journey where we said our goodbyes to Paris. I didn’t want to leave but we had to get back to reality.
Ten minutes into the flight, Zack looked a bit worried.
“Shit, why does that read that?”
I decided to keep quiet as he figured out what the instruments said.
“Jennifer, I don’t want you to panic but the fuel gauge is reading really low. There could be a fault in the gauge but we could be losing fuel rapidly.”
“What do we need to do?” I asked him calmly whilst panicking wildly inside.
“We might have to bail out.”
“What? Jesus.”
“I will bring the plane lower and try and get over some woods or a lake.”
We went into a sharp descent and I felt my ears popping.
I was really scared but I tried to be brave. Well, if we died at least I was with the man I loved.
The ground seemed to be coming at us really quickly and suddenly it rushed towards us like some surreal dream.
“Shit! Brace yourself!”
I covered my head with my hands and I shut my eyes really tightly. I had never been so frightened.
We hit the ground with an almighty thum
p and branches and trees smashed the side of the small plane. Our bodies bounced around the cockpit like rag dolls and then suddenly there was complete silence. We had come to a stop in front of a wide tree and miraculously we were in one piece.
I cautiously looked around and I quickly realised that Zack was unconscious.
“Zack, wake up. Please wake up. I need you!” I shouted at him but I got no response.
I roughly shook his shoulder trying to wake him up. I undid my harness and clambered over to him.
“Zack, please, I’m scared. Wake up!”
He didn’t respond and I started really panicking.
“Somebody help! Please!”
We were in remote woodland somewhere in Northern France.
Who the hell was going to hear me?
I started to rifle through my bag looking for my phone. Shit! There was no signal!
Zack started to come round and I saw that he had quite a lot of blood running down the side of his face.
“Jennifer, are you okay?” he mumbled.
“I’m fine but you are hurt” I told him calmly.
“Use the radio. We need help now.”
After a few attempts, I managed to raise somebody and I tried to explain what had happened. Zack read off the coordinates so we could be located then we had to sit and wait.
I found a first aid kit and cleaned up the large wound on his forehead. We were lucky to be alive judging by the shape of the plane.
“I’m tired, Jennifer. I might shut my eyes just for a minute.”
“Zack, don’t go to sleep. Please stay awake. You have a concussion.”
I chattered on to him to keep him awake and luckily he didn’t close his eyes. Before long, we heard noises outside the plane and I was relieved to see several men clambering up to the plane.
They loaded Zack into the back of a pick-up and I sat next to him, holding his hand keeping him awake.
The hospital was a short drive away and the staff whisked him away on a gurney to assess his injury. I sat in the small waiting room eager for good news.
I gave Scarlett and Jasper a quick call and tried to calm them down when they got upset. I tried to reassure them and myself that everything would be ok.
A doctor strode into the waiting area looking around for me. I stood up expectantly.
“Miss Black, Mr Cole has sustained quite a serious head injury so we have sedated him until we can assess the injury fully,” he explained in broken English.
“Can I see him?”
“Yes and I will arrange a bed for you to stay with him.”
“Thank you.”
The doctor led me to a private room and Zack was lying in the bed with a bandage wrapped around his head. He was wired up to various monitors that beeped quietly. I couldn’t believe how fragile he looked.
I took a seat at the side of the bed and kissed his fingers. A stray tear fell down my cheek as I watched his still sleeping body. I sat with Zack for a while, summoning up the courage to ring the twins again.
“Scarlett, it’s Jennifer again. They are going to keep your Dad here for a few days at least. Why don’t you ask your Grandparents to stay? I hate to think of you two on your own with just Marcia.”
“Is he going to be alright, Jennifer? Tell me the truth. I can take it,” her voice caught as she swallowed a sob.
“He has a serious head injury so they are keeping him sedated a bit like they did when I had my accident. The doctors don’t really know the extent of his injury. I will let you know when I find something out. I promise, sweetheart.”
After a lot of loud crying, Scarlett agreed to call her Grandparents and arrange for them to stay. Next I rang Zack’s parents. I explained what had happened and I found out that Zack had told them about me which surprised and touched me.
I lay down tried to get some sleep in the uncomfortable makeshift bed next to him.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Zack had been sedated for three days and I hardly left his side during that time. I felt beyond grubby but someone from the rescue crew brought our cases to the hospital so I had some toiletries at least.
“We are going to bring him round later on, Miss Black. He is so very handsome. You are very lucky!” a large jolly nurse informed me.
Another nurse came in and took the drip out of his hand. It left a large bruise.
He looked terrible and he would probably have cringed if he could have seen himself. Zack could really use a shave.
The nurse left the room and he started to fidget around in the bed.
“Phoebe, are you there?” he croaked.
“No, it’s Jennifer?” I told him holding his hand.
“Jennifer?”
“Yes, your girlfriend.”
“I don’t know who you are.”
He stared blankly at me looking right through me. Oh no, he had amnesia.
This was not good.
“Please will you get Phoebe and my children? I need to see them,” he asked, getting agitated.
“Okay, I will be back in a minute,’ I told him, going to find the doctor.
“Doctor, he doesn’t know who I am. He is asking for his wife who has been missing for the last six months,” I explained to him, trying not to get upset.
“This is quite common with a head injury, Miss Black. Most likely he will be fine in a couple of days or it could take longer. The brain is a complex thing. You will have to be patient. I will come and see him now.”
We went back into the room and Zack was trying to take off the various monitors attached to his body.
“I need to get out of this place. Where the hell is this place?” he shouted.
“Mr Cole, please try and relax. I will explain everything to you.”
“Well?” he demanded, glaring at the doctor.
“You and Miss Black were travelling back to the UK in a small plane and you crashed. Miss Black didn’t sustain any injuries but you sustained a head injury. You have been here for four days.”
“Where are my wife, son and daughter? I don’t understand.”
The doctor looked at me for help.
“Zack, Phoebe is missing. She has been for the last six months and Scarlett and Jasper are at home with Phoebe’s parents,” I gently told him.
“What do you mean missing?”
“She’s missing, that’s all I know.”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
He lay back, clearly worn out by his exertions.
“Just rest now. You need to recover.” I stroked his hair.
“Look,” he said, “you are very pretty and seem nice but I just don’t know who you are. I am very tired and confused.”
His beautiful blue eyes searched my face for answers.
“It’s okay. Everything will work out alright.”
I carried on stroking his hair and holding his hand. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
Whilst I was sitting watching Zack sleep, an insurance investigator came in and told me that they had checked the plane to identify the cause of the crash and the investigator found that the fuel lines had been tampered with.
Who would want to do that?
The lovely Alex sprung to mind.
There certainly hadn’t been a dull moment since I started this assignment.
Zack stayed in the hospital for the next few days and I kept Scarlett, Jasper and his parents regularly posted with updates. I didn’t mention the fact the he had lost his memory as I didn’t want to add to the worry.
“Good morning, Zack. How are you today?”
Yesterday, he let me shave him and he was back to his stunningly handsome self again.
“Better thanks, Jennifer.”
He smiled at me and my heart melted.
“I am starting to remember a few things. I remember being in the plane with you and I was shouting and telling you to brace yourself.”
“Yes, that’s what happened. You tried everything you could to land the plane safely. I was rea
lly impressed how cool you remained.”
“I also remember making love to you and how amazing and special it was every single time.”
I got up and shut the door.
“Do you remember these then?” I asked as I pulled my top up to reveal my breasts.
“Oh yes, I do. The world’s most perfect breasts,” he laughed, leaning over to grope me.
His touch felt so good.
I clambered on top of him and kissed him passionately as he pushed his hand inside my bra. My nipple swelled up to him.
I couldn’t help noticing that he had an erection. I undid my jeans and he slipped a finger inside me.
He must still fancy me.
Thank god!
“I can’t wait to get you out of here and do bad things with you, just like in the song!” I teased him, kissing him.
“I’m looking forward to it too, Jennifer. I love you.”
“I love you too, Zack.”
I climbed off him and straightened myself up.
“Zack, I need to tell you about what the insurance investigators turned up at the crash site. They said that the fuel lines had been tampered with. Somebody had cut them on purpose.”
“Jesus. That’s not good news.”
“Do you think that creep Alex could have anything to do with it?”
“I don’t think he would know about where the plane was. I really have no idea who it could have been.”
“Did the doctor say when they would be releasing you?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“How will we get home?”
“We can board a ferry just up the road. Greg, one of my drivers, will pick us up from Dover. I could get a plane sent over but I don’t really fancy flying at the moment,” he told me with a wry smile.
Chapter Twenty Eight
The following morning, Zack was thankfully released from the hospital and we took a taxi to the ferry terminal.
As we queued to buy tickets I got the distinct feeling that someone was watching us. I looked around but I couldn’t locate who it was.
After we boarded the ferry, we headed to the bar for a drink and the feeling was with me again.
“Zack, do you feel like we are being watched?”
