by Kelly, Marie
CHAPTER THREE
After clearing customs and stowing their luggage in the large car waiting for them, Kelly had smiled ruefully to herself noting that Marc didn’t slum it as they were whisked away to his villa in yet another luxury vehicle.
The journey had taken less than half an hour and they had passed through beautiful little villages with their white washed flat roofs and cobble stoned roads, some of which only just allowed the large car to pass. Kelly was excitedly taking in everything about this new country which she had never before visited and pointing out trees, shrubs and different landmarks to Max, who looked at her with large adoring eyes in complete disinterest.
The artist in her had loved the different shapes and textures of the scenery and the way the light flooded the landscape. The way parts of the countryside seemed so flat and barren, while large thin trees seemed to grow from them cutting through the blue sky itself. Marc watched as she took in his country, watching as the love of it entered her eyes, something so deep inside him glad.
While she had been told that the villa had 10 bedrooms, this had still not prepared Kelly for the house itself. He had not mentioned that it was part of a large estate and that to enter they had to pass through impressive gates which allowed the car to travel up the long sweeping drive, with its lush carefully manicured lawns and flower beds. However, she had gasped in awe on seeing the house itself, her eyes mirroring her thoughts that she had never seen anything so beautiful.
It stood on two levels, its white walls topped with the terracotta clay tiles which covered the many different roof levels. Large verandas seemed to be everywhere, some contained within pillars and others open with ornate railings protecting them. On both levels the windows ran from ceiling to floor giving the house an elegant yet friendly feeling. Flowers, shrubs and greenery grew everywhere. Some winding their way up the building itself and others hugging the landscape in which the building was set like a jewel.
The villa had sat on a hillside and in the background Kelly could see the twinkling blue of the sea itself, and the combination of sky, sea, greenery, terracotta and white house rendered Kelly speechless, her eyes like saucers.
“Welcome to my home” Marc had said a note of pride in his voice, as he smiled into her large awestruck eyes.
“It..It’s beautiful” Kelly managed to say, Marc saying nothing, just flashing her one of those fantastic smiles which always made her heart skip a beat.
“Come on young man” he had said Lifting Max into his arms “Come and see your new home”
With that he had led the way up the wide stone stairs to the entrance of the house, an entrance which while opened wide held the largest wooden doors she had ever seen. The doors were exquisitely carved depicting images of animals and flowers, and suddenly Kelly understood why he had looked down on her home.
As they entered the house itself, she could feel the change of temperature instantly. Outside the air was hot and although a soft wind brought some relief from the burning sun, Kelly and Max were not used to such temperatures. However, the inside of the building was cool, instantly making them sigh with pleasure at the relief of it.
The area was massive, with marble floors throughout and as she had walked the sound of her footstep had made musical sounds within the area. The hallways seemed to be a central area in which all rooms came off. However, her eye was instantly drawn to the beautiful staircase, its large wide base sweeping up to an upstairs landing which ran around the whole of the entrance hallway, allowing those upstairs to look down and see the area below them. Looking up the ceiling was high above, with a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ornate roof itself.
As they had moved down the hall, Kelly could see a small delegation of people waiting for them. Marc had placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her, an act which made her whole senses jump with sensations she tried hard to ignore.
Marc had smiled at the people waiting. There was an older woman, two young girls and a middle aged man.
As they got closer, the older woman, unable to contain herself any longer, had clapped her hands to her heart and rushed over to Marc her eyes all over Max
“Oh, my, he is your double Marc” she had cried her fingers tickling Max’s chubby little legs
“Oh he is beautiful” she had said her eyes shining with tears.
The rest of the group had remained where they were, shyer than the older woman, but they too were admiring the small boy held so proudly in his father’s arms.
Marc laughed in pleasure
“Thank you” he said with a warm smile for the whole group.
“Beth, meet Max” he had said an obvious note of pride in his voice. Then pulling her closer
“And Kelly Brown”
Kelly had smiled at the older woman and the others who hung back respectfully. However, Beth Green had quickly stepped forward and pulled Kelly into a bear hug
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you” she exclaimed taking Kelly by surprise “You are so welcome”
Kelly had laughed warmly feeling the uneasiness of her surroundings slip away.
“Beth…” Marc sighed in exasperation “Get a grip”
At that the older woman had let her go, but given her a smile full of humour
“Yes sir” she said a note of mockery in her voice, and Kelly had seen the looks which had passed between the two noting how comfortable and close they seemed to be.
She was then introduced to the others. The smallest of the girls, Maria, who Kelly estimated to be about 18 and the larger, Sofia was slightly older, both girls having the dark Spanish characteristics which added to their youthful attractiveness. The older man was Mario who was the gardener, who had smiled warmly as much to his delight Kelly had told him how beautiful the gardens were and shown a real interest in the flowers themselves. Mario had flushed at her obvious sincerity and offered to show her more if she wanted and Kelly had smiled warmly nodding keenly.
From here Marc had shown her around the rest of the house. She was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the place, with its numerous living areas, dining rooms, formal dining rooms, library and study, and she was quite sure that she would have got lost if he hadn’t been with her. From one of the many verandas they exited into the large back garden, and Kelly had gasped with awe at seeing the large pool which took central place within the smooth lawn once they had rounded the corner from the villa itself. Around it were numerous tables and chairs and even she noted what appeared to be a bar area. A real party pool she had thought to herself. From the pool, it was easy to see the azure blue of the sea and she was speechless with the beauty of it.
Marc was smiling softly at her reaction to it all
“You like?” he had asked as Kelly nodded still speechless
“I like” she had finally replied and looking into his face they had shared a smile.
“Come on” he said hoisting Max back up into his arms, as the small boy had tried to squirm away.
“Let’s go check out the bedrooms”
And with that they had once again returned to the hall and made their way up the magnificent stair case. All the bedrooms like the rooms downstairs came off the central stairwell, with every room accessible from the upper hall. He had moved to the first corner and entered the room allowing Kelly to pass through.
“This is your room” he said adding “I hope its OK”
Kelly was busy looking around herself totally awestruck. It was large, bright and airy occupying a corner position of the building. Two French windows, each on either side of the room allowed the sunlight to stream in while also enabling the breeze to rush through, making it cool and comfortable. She could have put her whole flat into this area she thought, again understanding how he could look down on her home. On one end of the room a door led to what turned out to be a large en-suite bathroom, luxurious in every detail, Kelly gasping in wonder. With a grin Marc had led her to another door which on opening Kelly found to be Max’s room.
“I
thought that it would be easier if you had easy access to each other” he had grinned, as she had gasped in delight.
“Marc, I don’t know what to say” she managed “It’s perfect”
“Good, I had to get this door put in specially”
Looking around his room, Kelly could see that no expense had been spared from the furniture, which was themed as a racecar to the décor which was designed to be every young child’s dream. She was glad to see that the pictures on the walls mirrored many she had painted on his wall at her flat, remembering how he had used his mobile phone to take pictures when he had visited, this small consideration making her feel so strange inside.
“Well…” he asked “what do you think”
“It’s beautiful” she replied with wonder in her voice
Marc had put Max down so that he could crawl over to examine the toys which littered the room and they had both watched, laughing as he moved around the room grabbing things to stick in his mouth. Kelly noticed that the whole room was completely child friendly from the railings which while the French windows could be opened to let in air, ensured that he couldn’t accidentally fall through those doors, to the protective sockets in the walls. He or no doubt some highly paid designer, had obviously spent a great deal of time preparing for their arrival.
Kelly had stifled a sudden yawn, tired from her early morning and travelling, which Marc had seen, smiling at her sympathetically. Unlike his young son who was racing excitedly around the room, she had not spent nearly 3 hours sleeping on a plane.
“Why don’t you go grab a shower and maybe lie down for a while” he had offered seeing as she had looked back at him her face hesitant
“If I don’t let Beth get a real hold of Max soon my life will be hell”
He had chuckled, as she had started to argue with him that it was not necessary
“It won’t be pretty Kelly, the woman is a Rottweiler”
Kelly had laughed in submission, suddenly feeling so exhausted and grubby from the travel and the heat. The idea of a nice luke warm shower seeming very appealing, as sensing her hesitation Marc had continued
“Look, dinner is at 7 and someone will wake you up 15 minutes before, I’ll look after Max”
With a nod of her head, Marc had scooped up the young boy much to his delight and disappeared, as Kelly had moved back into her room, casually wondering which of the many doors on the landing was his.
The shower had been all she expected it to be and had made her feel clean again as she had pulled on one of the thick fluffy white bath robes which hung behind her door and securing it around herself. She would lie down on the soft bed for just one second she had told herself, her wet combed hair fanned around her, as she had allowed her eyes to close, breathing in the sounds and smells of this exciting new country. That was the last thing she had remembered as sleep had invaded her body.
After hearing no answer to his knock, Marc had gently opened the door. The sun was already starting to fall, leaving the room in a misty half light. Looking over he had seen Kelly lying on the bed, one arm resting on her stomach the other palm side up thrown level with her head. She looked incredibly peaceful the only movement being the rise and fall of her chest as she softly breathed. He had moved in closer to squat beside her and to lean in whispering her name, while thinking how lovely she looked.
Watching as she had started to stir, a soft sensual moan had escaped her lips before two arms had moved upwards to wrap around his neck, pulling him in closer. Her soft body arched to meet his as in surprise he had placed his hands on either sides of the sleeping woman to stop from falling over her. She had pulled his head down to meet hers and as their lips had touched so too did Kelly’s eyes open. Momentarily those eyes had been filled with passion so deep and yearning, but as realisation had dawned on her where she was and what she was doing this look had been replaced with one of horror at her actions. Dropping her hands from around him, now fully awake, she had started to apologise in total embarrassment
“I…I don’t know…. I’m so sorry” she had stuttered.
Shaken, but quickly regaining his composure he had looked down on her
“It’s OK, I’m sorry I disturbed you. That must have been quite a dream you were having” he had chuckled.
Kelly had given an embarrassed half laugh, while still apologising. However, she didn’t dare to tell him who had occupied her dreams.
“Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes” he had said lightly, before pushing himself off the bed and leaving the room.
Kelly had thrown back her head, angry at the way she had behaved. God she thought to herself, what must he think of her, before defiantly raising her chin and deciding that she didn’t care what he thought of her, she wasn’t one of those women who literally threw herself in front of him. Groaning with an even greater sense of shame it had flashed across her mind that she had just done exactly that.
Marc had left her room more shaken than he realised. His reaction had thrown him, not so much her actions, but the burning desire that she had enflamed in him. Seeing her lain there her whole body swathed in the folds of the bath robe had caused him to feel a longing he had pushed down with difficulty and when she had reached up and pulled him towards her, he had almost crumbled. When their lips had touched, it had been all he could do to not kiss her back more deeply. He had stopped himself, because this woman was different from all others, she was the closest thing to a mother his beloved Max had. Normally he would have wooed her with gifts and flowers, but Kelly Brown was not one of the normal women he pursued, she was hands off. However, he realised grimly that he still felt that whoever she had been dreaming of was a lucky man, a very lucky man.
Fifteen minutes after Marc had woken her, and still embarrassed at what had happened Kelly had finally descended the stairs. Not sure where she was going, she was glad to hear the sound of laughter emanating from one of the room she had been shown earlier, and pushing open the door, she found herself in the kitchen. Mrs Green was placing delicious smelling food onto a large pine table on which were laid out two settings, Marc sat at one and she guessed the other was for her. Sitting in a high chair laughing and giggling with pleasure was Max, already changed and ready for bed, and from the smell of clean baby, she guessed that he had already been bathed.
He was now drinking from a bottle of milk, in between being tickled and fussed over by the two other people in the room
It had been Mrs Green who had spotted her first
“There you are, feeling better” she had asked kindly smiling over at the younger woman
Kelly had smiled back warmly nodding, but had kept her eyes averted from Marc, still embarrassed by what had happened earlier.
“Much better, thank you” she had smiled
At the sound of her voice Max had started looking around excitedly making little mamam noises, while his arms had reached out for her.
Giving a small laugh, she had moved over to the boy and lifted him from his chair. Max had hugged her, his small arms reaching round her neck, while she made joke strangled noises much to his amusement, catching a knowing look between the other two, not totally sure of its meaning.
“He has been washed, fed and played with within an inch of his life” Marc had said softly his voice full of humour, and his casual tone had helped Kelly to relax and to push the earlier incident to the back of her mind.
As if on queue Max had began to yawn, his head cuddling into her neck and his eyes starting to flutter shut, as his small hands had slowly dropped to his side his body becoming heavy. Holding him tighter to her she had smiled gently
“Has someone been having a good time” she had cood softly “and now needs his bed”
Mrs Green came over and dropping a small kiss on his hand had whispered “Dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes if you want to put him down”
As she went to leave, Marc had handed her a walkie talkie type device.
“There is a baby monitor up there, just switch it
on and you should be able to hear him on this”
Taking it with a smile she had then left with Max and as she had placed him in the cot, he had already been asleep, Kelly standing for several minutes over his bed watching him. His small mouth was so determinedly set when he slept; and with a smile to herself she had finally known where he got that from. Long eyelashes brushed against his beautiful skin and as she did every night, she wondered at how perfect he was
Reaching over and turning on the monitor positioned close to the cot, Kelly had leant over and gently dropped a kiss on his small forehead
“Good night sweetheart” she had whispered “love you” before silently leaving the room and turning on the hand held monitor.
Downstairs Marc had frowned as he had listened to her on his device.
When she returned to the kitchen it was only Marc left, Mrs Green having put the food on the table and left. Kelly was surprised that she was not joining them and if the truth be told a little uncomfortable at being left alone with him.
“Oh, where is everyone” she had asked in surprise, looking at the wonderful spread before her.
“Beth likes to eat early. Lets her watch her programs”, he had answered a note of mischief in his voice
Kelly sat down opposite him as Marc told her to help herself.
“I hope you don’t mind eating here” he had said “It’s just that when nobody is here we always eat in the kitchen, more comfortable”
Kelly had given him a small smile. So he thought she was no one, well there was nothing like letting somebody know where they stood from the word go. However, she was glad that they were eating in the kitchen, a room which was far friendlier than the large grand dining room they had viewed earlier.
