by M J Rutter
When I returned to the bed, he was lying with the light above the bed on, his hands tucked behind his head and his amazing tweaked chest, baring all. I smiled sheepishly and placed the phone back on the cabinet beside the bed.
“Saffron is quite a character, isn’t she?” he remarked.
“She is insufferable at times, be she is my best friend,” I nodded and sat on the bed beside him.
“I know, she told me that.”
“What else did she say?” I asked almost not wanting to hear.
“Things I already know, like how wonderful you are and how badly you were hurt before.” He reached over and took hold of my hand. “I want you to know that I will never hurt you, Grace. I am not Kevin and by what I have learned of the fella, I don’t ever want to be.”
“You are nothing like him, Alec.”
“Good, because right now, all I want is to be with you. I don’t know if what we have is love yet, but I do know how I feel and I honestly don’t think I have ever felt this way about anyone before. I want this to last forever and I really don’t want to return to England and never see you again. So, as I have just told your friend, I have fallen for you, Grace Matthews. You have given me more in a few days than I could have ever hoped for and to think it all started over some scrambled eggs.” He smiled and kissed the back of my hand.
“So, are you asking me out?” I asked hopeful.
“That’s so retro,” he grinned. “Yes, Grace, please be my girlfriend, my significant other, please be my everything.” I leaned toward him and kissed him tenderly.
“Okay,” I smiled as I pulled back from his lips. He pulled me closer to him and my breast, peeping out from the shirt pressed against his chest.
“You look insanely hot in that shirt,” he said between kisses. “It is a shame I have run out of condoms.”
“That is a shame,” I agreed. “But, I am a modern girl, I was also single for a while and all good, single, modern girls carry condoms in their bags these days, didn’t you know that?” I asked and climbed from his body. I lifted my bag and unzipped the inside pocket. I pulled out a whole new pack, “So,” I smiled and handed them to him, “I am not sure what the expiry date is, so we had better not waste any more time.” I pushed off my shirt and climbed onto the bed once more.
Five
I opened my eyes and smiled, what an incredible night. The sun shone in golden rays through the cracks in the curtains over the window. I turned over to find an empty pillow beside me, I thought that maybe he was in the shower, but I couldn’t hear any water running. I sat up clutching the sheet over my body and climbed out of bed. His clothes were gone and so was his shoes. I pushed the bathroom door open and nothing, he was nowhere to be seen.
Panic filtered through me as I used the loo and took a shower. if he had left then fine, I had that one night, that amazing, earth moving night that would live with me forever. I told myself not to get upset, there could be a thousand explanations as to why he left me in bed.
With a towel wrapped around my body and one wrapped around my hair, I opened the bathroom door. Alec was opening the lid to a cup of coffee, he smiled warmly.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said as he approached me. I must have looked upset, “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I thought, well, I thought you had left me, here, I mean.”
“Grace,” he frowned, “I would never do that to you. I left a note on the pillow.” He turned to the unmade bed, “I put it…” he walked towards the top of the bed and looked on the floor, bending over he lifted a piece of the motel paper and handed it to me.
‘Good morning, Grace,
I am absolutely starved, you must be too, so have gone to get us something to eat for breakfast,
I shan’t be long,
Alec xx’
“Sorry,” I muttered, I felt foolish now.
“No, Grace, I am sorry. I should have waited until you woke up. I was just so hungry, we only had that hotdog for lunch yesterday and then nothing else. I woke really early and you looked so peaceful… Do you forgive me?”
“There is nothing to forgive. I feel silly.”
“Don’t feel silly, I know you had a bad time with your ex, but I promise you I have never run out on a girl the morning after, even if she wasn’t who I thought she was. I certainly wouldn’t do that to you, especially after a night of the best sex I have ever had,” he smiled and pecked my cheek. “So, are you dressing for breakfast? I may not be able to concentrate on my bagel if you don’t.”
“In that case,” I grinned and dropped the towel, lifted my shirt from the floor and put it on, fastening only one button across my belly before sitting on the chair. He grinned admiringly as he sat opposite me.
After a breakfast of bagels smothered with cream cheese and fruit and a cup of smoky coffee, I got dressed and we headed back toward LA. I couldn’t wait to back for one thing only, a clean change of clothes. If we decided to go sightseeing again, I planned to bring a change of clothes just in case.
We arrived back at the hotel a couple of hours later, there was virtually no traffic and I guessed that was because it was Sunday. We walked into the lobby hand in hand and a man, with brown hair and dressed to play golf, approached us.
“Where have you been, Mr Richards, you dirty, little stop-out?” he asked.
“My business is my business, Landry, you know that.”
“Well, at least introduce me,” he grinned. I didn’t like him, his eyes were too small and he seemed to have too many teeth in his mouth.
“Sorry, Gerald Landry, I’d like to introduce you to my uh, well, I suppose I can say this now, my new girlfriend, Grace Matthews.” Alec beamed proudly. I smiled sweetly.
“Girlfriend eh, wow, you went out on a ‘not date’ as you put it and came back practically married,” he joked.
“Hardly married,” I frowned. “Nice to meet you though, Gerald.” I then turned to Alec, “I really need to go up to my suite.”
“Sure. I’ll see you later, Gerald,” he said.
“Okay, we’re meeting at the club after the game, please join us, bring your girlfriend too,” he smirked.
“Oh, I don’t know about that, I think we’re just going to go to bed and make the most of it,” Alec stated and walked towards the lift towing me behind.
“Sorry, but your friend is horrible,” I grumbled.
“And has a mouth bigger than the Mersey Tunnel, everyone will know within the hour, Alec has a new girlfriend and will be having sex all afternoon.” He scoffed.
“Well, I suppose he won’t be lying,” I smiled and squeezed his hand.
“Haven’t you had enough of me yet?” he asked as the doors open. We stepped inside and watched as the doors closed.
I turned to face him, “No,” I said, “never.” I added before diving into his arms and kissing him. Pushing my tongue into his mouth, moving my hands down his back and inside of his shorts where I grabbed his backside, squeezing lightly.
“God, woman,” he said between kisses, “I’ll stop this lift in a minute and ravish you right here,” he threatened.
I stopped kissing him, “Is there a camera in here?” I looked at the mirrored ceiling.
“Probably,” he smiled. I stepped back and composed myself before the doors opened on my floor. “What are we doing this afternoon?”
“If you insist we do something else, then we can go out,” I sighed playfully. “I’ll change my clothes and meet you in an hour.”
“After kissing me like that, you are just going to leave me high and dry?”
I stepped out of the lift and smiled, “Well, Mr Richards, who’s fault is that?”
I turned and smiled as the lift doors closed, he grinned just before they met in the middle.
I found my room and closed the door, leaning against it until it clicked shut. A grin crept across my face, what a night, what an amazingly, incredible night with such a wonderful man? He was gentle and kind, caring and sincere, some might s
ay too good to be true, maybe he was, but that afternoon, with the sun shining through the windows in my room, I allowed my heart to thaw out. I felt foolish for thinking what we had could last, but thinking hurt my head and I just wanted it to be real.
Why couldn’t it be real? I had heard so many stories of love at first sight and of how others had met the one, their soul mate. I don’t know why I was so open to be like this with Alec or why my heart hadn’t prevented me from falling for someone ever again. After all, Kevin had done to me, the lying and cheating, you would have thought I’d think twice, burned fingers and all of that. It just seemed as though I had no control over my heart or my head. It petrified me to feel so out of control, but it excited me too and I think I loved it.
I took a long shower, allowing the water to massage my aching body. A night of love making was something I had never done and when my muscles seemed like they couldn’t take any more, Alec had to give me one more work out. I seriously felt like I had spent hours at a gym, not in bed.
I put on a light cotton dress of turquoise and slipped my feet into my flip flops. I decided to call my mother. I felt sure she would still be up. We talked for a while, I told her about Alec and she remarked at how happy I sounded, I suppose I was happy, the happiest I had felt in a long time. I wanted her to tell me to get a grip and remember the pain I felt before. I wanted her to talk me out of falling too fast, but she didn’t she told me to enjoy myself and that should it be all I hoped, that she got to meet him soon. My mum, the hopeless romantic, as least I knew where I got it from.
As I ended the call someone knocked on my door.
“I need to ask you something,” Alec said standing in blue jeans and a light blue shirt.
“Okay,” I nodded.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure,” I smiled clumsily and stepped back. He entered and strode across the room as I closed the door. He looked nervous, it looked so cute, I almost smiled.
“I always end this visit with a trip up to Vegas. I’ll be honest, I do like to gamble a bit, not stupidly and I am not addicted or anything. I only gamble when I come to the US, my point is, it means I would leave here just before your flight home and have a week away from everything. Would you like to come with me?”
“I only have two weeks here; won’t it revoke my Visa or something?” I frowned. “Then there is my job, I am sure they wouldn’t like it if I were away another week.”
“Both are valid reasons, minor complications, but also doable.” He responded. “If it was possible and neither of those things were a slight, very slight, issue, would you come to Vegas with me?”
I smiled warmly, “Yes, but…”
“It’s settled then,” he smiled, “we’re going to Vegas.”
“Alec, I can’t just call work and say Hey, I won’t be back on the twentieth as planned because I met a man and we are going to Vegas.”
“Of course you can,” he shrugged. “I bet you hardly take time off sick, I even expect that this is the first real holiday you have booked off in years.” I flashed my eyes to him, “I am right, aren’t I?”
“Kim will kill me, she would have a stroke, honestly…”
“Kimberly Parsons, thirty-two years old and from Cambridge, the same Kimberly Parsons who used to play football for Chelsea Women’s team and has recently got married to a man called Philip Lennox, an American and former soccer player from LA Galaxy.”
“You know Kim?” I frowned.
“No, I searched the company. If she recently got married then she’s all loved up and feeling romantic, she’ll be happy for you.”
“Alec,” I sighed and sat on the arm of the couch, “Why do you have to know now?”
“I am booking us into a hotel on The Strip and need to confirm as the rooms go quickly.”
“How would we get there? My car has to go back.”
“I will get you there, just call Kim…”
“It’s Sunday.”
“Call her mobile, she’ll appreciate all the notice you can give her.” He grinned and sauntered towards me, “That dress makes you look so beautiful, your eyes look practically the same colour.” He added.
“Thank you,” I smiled slightly as he lifted my hands and pecked my fingers. Gazing at me with his warm brown eyes.
“I promise you will have an amazing time, a holiday to remember.”
“What’s the real reason you want me there; won’t you be with your friends?” I asked.
“I will have some acquaintances there, but also I cannot bear the thought of you going back to London and leaving me here. Now that I found you, I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I have already told you I will see you when we get back.” I explained.
“Yes, but a lot can happen in a week.” He frowned, pouting almost.
I thought about it for a few moments, I’ll admit, it was on my bucket list, “Okay, I’ll phone Kim tomorrow and ask her, but what do I do about my Visa?”
“You can spend three months on a visiting visa, so you will be fine. I will get you on my flight back to London.”
“It will cost a fortune,” I grumbled.
“You are so worth it,” he leaned in and kissed me tenderly. “So,” he said leaning back from my lips, “how would you like to spend the afternoon tasting wine?” I frowned slightly puzzled. “A friend of mine owns a vine yard about twenty miles north of LA, we could go to his place and taste some of the most amazing wine that ever touched my lips, if you are up for it.”
“Sounds perfect.” I smiled and kissed him again.
Daniel arrived shortly after lunch and we headed up to his friend’s vineyard. I did like wine and was looking forward to trying some. As we sat in the back I watched the hills of California pass by. He slipped his hand into mine and pulled them to rest on his lap.
Every touch or gesture he made towards me made my heart soar. The thought that he didn’t want me to leave him to go home made me smile, maybe he liked me as much as I liked him and maybe this was real and people met and fell in love within days… Oh my God! Did I just say that, was I in love with him?
If love is defined by wanting to spend every moment with someone, by wanting to touch every part of their body, wanting to make them happy, tending to their every whim, their every need and by never wanting to be apart from them, then yes, I suppose I had fallen in love with Alec. I had known him a few days, but felt I truly that I had known him a lifetime.
We turned off the highway and followed a white fenced drive towards a huge mansion. There must have been twenty windows on the front of the building alone. Daniel stopped the car and we climbed out. I gazed around at the emerald green fields at the front of the building, I couldn’t even see the road the driveway was that long.
At the side of the house I could see some stables and behind them there was a building that looked like a factory. Alec took my hand and smiled warmly,
“Jennie and Mike Hancock are from Kent and they have lived out for about twenty years now.” He said.
“I can see why,” I smiled.
“They’ll be at the vines, she likes to check the grapes before she agrees to them being harvested; let’s go and find them.” He towed me across the large driveway in front of the house towards the stables. As we passed them a young girl, upon the back of a light grey horse smiled,
“Alec?”
“Hello, Chelsea, how are you?”
“I’m cool,” she grinned. “I graduate in about six weeks and I cannot wait.”
“I’ll bet you can’t.” he smiled. “This is my girlfriend, Grace.”
“Nice to meet you, Grace,” she smiled.
“And you,” I muttered nervously.
“Well, Cotton needs a run, I’ll see you later, maybe?”
“Sure you will, enjoy your ride.” Alec smiled and waved her off. “Chelsea is their eldest daughter, they have another daughter, Holly, she’s at a prep school, extremely intelligent girl. She’ll be president one day, mark my words. The
n there is Calvin, he is nine and spoiled rotten, he has been so sick though, they almost lost him last year.”
“Oh no, what is wrong with him?”
“He has Cystic Fibrosis, poor kid, he is always in and out of hospital, no wonder they spoil him.”
“Yes, no wonder.” I agreed.
A tall man wearing a green t-shirt and navy blue shorts was holding a ladder against some vines. He turned his head as we approached and as we got closer I could see some tanned legs half way up the ladder.
“Alec,” he grinned.
“Hello, Mike, how are you?”
“All good, mate, all good.”
“Is he here?” a voice called out from within the leaves above us.
“Yes, love, he is here.” She hurried down the ladder as he held his hand to me, “So, you must be Grace.”
“Yes, it is very nice to meet you,” I said shaking his hand.
A dark haired woman with piercing blue eyes emerged from the leaves wearing a baseball cap, cut-off jean shorts and a blue plaid shirt. She removed her gardening gloves and smiled,
“I’m Jennie,” she said and shook my hand also, her accent did not have the same twang as Mike’s. “Alec has told me a lot about you.”
“He has?” I queried.
“Oh yes. I expected someone special to capture his heart one day,” she added and linked her arm with mine, “Let me show you around, Grace.” I let go of his hand and flashed my eyes across his blushing face.
I walked with her across the grass, she was younger than I imagined and had an incredible figure,
“This place is stunning,” I stated as she walked me towards the factory building.
“That’s why we bought it, we came here for our honeymoon in nineteen-ninety-six and I fell in love with the place. It was up for sale at the time and we put in an offer.”
“I don’t know if I could make a decision that life changing, on the spot.”
