§
On the first night, as they joined the boat at Nice, Elena had been staggered by the sight of the sixty metre cruiser moored in the harbour. Guy had shown her around – sumptuous staterooms panelled in rich walnut wood and fitted with pale leather sofas, expensive Turkish rugs, a bar and dining areas. There were several bedrooms, luxury bathrooms and on deck a spa pool and jacuzzi, too.
He’d introduced her to the Greek skipper, Dimitri, and his mate, Carlos. Dimitri took care of all the driving, navigation and maintenance, whilst Carlos kept the staterooms tidy and prepared meals. As Guy explained, all Elena had to do was relax, swim, sunbathe and generally enjoy herself.
She’d slowly unpacked her new clothes, lingering over the exquisite materials as she hung dresses in the wardrobes and filled the drawers of one of the dressers. She had never before been able to afford expensive clothes and took a delight in just looking at them and running the delicate fabrics softly through her fingers.
She decided freshen up with a shower, feeling so pampered in that vast, tiled, walk-in cubicle with its amazing power shower and expensive, beautifully-scented lotions. As she emerged from the bathroom, dressed only in a white towelling robe and scented with delicate perfume, Guy was waiting in the bedroom with two glasses of chilled champagne, his casual linen shirt unbuttoned enticingly at the neck, his handsome face breaking out in a smile when he saw her.
“Here's to the holiday,” he said gently. “I hope you will let yourself enjoy it, Elena.”
“It's all so fabulous,” she replied happily. “I’m finding it difficult to believe it isn't all a dream.”
Elena drank quickly, feeling her heart begin to drum as she realized what was probably about to happen next, putting down her glass on the beautiful dresser unit as Guy walked purposefully towards her. He put his arms out and, grasping her upper arms, then pulled her hungrily towards him.
“You can't keep putting me off forever,” he whispered in her ear, as he slid the robe down slightly from her shoulders.
“But it's been so long. I don't have much confidence in myself,” she murmured, shivering apprehensively but at the same time melting beneath his touch.
“You're beautiful, Elena, just believe it,” Guy said as he nuzzled her hair, “Amazing hair,” his lips moved to her neck, “creamy skin,” he kissed her shoulder, “luscious curves ...”
He took something from the dresser and placed it around her neck. It felt heavy but at the same time it quickly warmed to the temperature of her skin.
“It's a torque,” he explained, his breath hot against her cheek. “Like the one you admired in the museum. I had it made for you.”
“I suppose it's gold?” Elena asked slipping her fingers through the delicate necklace.
She took a deep breath, then let the robe fall to the ground and stood before him naked apart from the heavy circle of gold around her neck, breathing unevenly, but enjoying the deepening of desire in his eyes as his gaze travelled hungrily over her body.
“You look just like a warrior queen,” Guy said, his voice low and deep, his eyes burning, his thick sensual lips curling in a smile.
And with that, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the vast bed ...
Chapter Twelve
The sunny days passed, gliding gently one into another as the boat followed the Italian coastline. Elena and Guy spent the time swimming, sunbathing, relaxing and making love, both of them so hungry for each other.
At times the yacht would moor out to sea and Guy would take the small motor boat to an empty, sandy cove. Elena had overcome her inhibitions about her size and was no longer afraid of being seen naked, swimming in the warm sea and lying together on the sand.
Later, back on the boat, she would relax in the spa pool or jacuzzi, swept away by the sheer delight of being with Guy in such luxurious surroundings.
As the days passed her skin warmed to a pale honey colour and her tawny, curly hair became streaked by the sun with natural blonde highlights. She felt toned by all the swimming and invigorated by the salty air. And at night, after a gourmet dinner and wine, they lay on their backs on the foredeck looking up at the twinkling expanse of stars.
“They seem so much brighter out here,” Elena observed.
“That's because there is no artificial light,” Guy answered warmly.
“I think I can actually see the Milky Way.”
He slipped his hand gently over hers, his touch one more igniting that trembling flame inside her.
“Are you happy, Elena?” he asked.
“Completely.”
But how could she possibly give a totally truthful answer to a question like that? She was enjoying every moment of this new experience and would remember it forever. But still, she couldn't help the small worries that crept into the edges of her mind ...
What would happen once the holiday was over? Would Guy want to continue the relationship once they were back in London? Or was this just a holiday romance? And above all, how well did she really know this intriguing man?
He was tender and considerate and seemed to be content in her company. She knew that she was falling deeply in love with him, but still felt that he was way out of her league, with his wealth and different lifestyle which still intimidated her so. And after her previous experience she herself was nervous about any future plans, and had no idea how Guy felt about any idea of commitment after his divorce from Olivia.
“I don't think I've used this boat for pleasure enough in the past,” he said.
“Is it worth it?” she asked. “I mean, it must be so expensive to maintain if you only use it occasionally.”
“It belongs to the business, so we do bring clients on board when we want to finalise a deal. Also we charter it out to other firms, and, of course, Graham and his family love to use it whenever they can. He's got loads of cousins, uncles, aunts and so on and they’re all very close. I envy him his family life sometimes. Then, of course, Olivia liked to bring her celebrity friends ... It was a perfect playground for them.”
Elena held her breath. Part of her wanted to know more about Olivia, but at the same time she was wary of pushing for more information about Guy's difficult marriage, as it seemed to be a sensitive subject, which he would only bring up when he was ready, not to mention the huge dent in her confidence that appeared whenever Olivia’s name was mentioned. So instead, she changed tack slightly.
“Have you and Graham been partners for long?” she enquired.
Guy took a sip of his wine then turned towards her.
“When I first started to make money I just kept re-investing, looking for the next project. There was more money coming in than I knew what to do with, and it was all a bit disorganised. I was at a hotel in Chester when I got talking to Graham at the bar. He was there for some banking convention, not long out of uni with a first in Economics, working at a merchant bank and bored out of his mind. I could see the potential in him. He was totally wasted in what he was doing and I knew that I needed more professional help.”
Elena wondered what it would be like to have more money than she knew what to do with. But it just wasn't possible; she could think of hundreds of ways to spend it.
“So you offered him a job?” she asked.
“Best thing I ever did,” he replied. “He was staggered when he first saw how much investment there was. He tidied up all the money side, found offices, hired staff, and put the business on a proper footing. After two years we officially became Silverton Associates. I do the deals, I'm the front man because I'm pretty ruthless and take the risks when it comes to business deals, and he's the good guy, meaning he keeps the books straight. It's a perfect combination.”
Elena knew that it must be much more complicated than that, as this was a multi national business he was describing, after all. For a moment she considered asking him about the newspaper article and photo she’d seen online of Graham and his wife and Guy with that elegant brunette at some function, but the moment soo
n passed.
“Of course we’ve expanded since then, but any time the taxman wants to come calling I have every faith in Graham.”
The was a slight swell on the sea and Elena rolled gently across the deck towards Guy. As she reached his side she put her arms around his athletic, bronzed body and held him tightly.
“I wish this could go on forever,” she said as she snuggled close, her head spinning as she breathed in his delicious scent.
She felt a slight tension in his body and wished she could take back those words she’d just spoken; she shouldn't have presumed anything about the future and it seemed that perhaps she’d spoiled the moment.
However, Guy held her close in his arms.
“There’s something I have to tell you about my divorce,” he began hesitantly, and Elena waited nervously. It was only natural that she wanted to know as much as possible about Guy's previous life, but, at the same time, she wondered just what he was going to reveal.
“As I told you, Olivia was younger than me and intent on her modelling career. She always had eating problems and often seemed to be suffering with sickness. I suspected that it was bulimia but she always denied it.”
Guy sat up, keeping his arms around Elena, but looking away now, out into the night, over the dark sea, as though he found it hard to talk. There was a long pause before he continued speaking.
“We'd been married three years. I was going away on business to Dubai and I thought she seemed even thinner and paler than usual. I said that she should book herself into a health spa while I was away, or I could arrange for a consultant to see her. She said she was fine and would sort everything out herself, that it was nothing to worry about. Well, my trip turned out to be longer than I’d expected and I was away for nearly two weeks. When I got back she was really frail looking and I lost my temper with her, saying I was going to book her into a private clinic myself, whether she liked it or not ... But told me I was too late, the reason for the latest bouts of sickness had been that she was pregnant, and while I was away she’d had an abortion."
“Oh Guy, how terrible,” Elena said, shocked. “Why on earth did she do that?”
“Because she ‘couldn't stand the thought of getting fat,’ as she put it. She thought that having a baby would ruin her body, disfigure her somehow. She killed our child without even telling me, Elena ... I was going to be a father.”
Elena held him close, wishing she could find the right words to say.
There was so much more to this man's past than she’d ever imagined. Tonight he had obviously wanted to tell her about Olivia. At the same time she was afraid that she might blunder in with too much sympathy and make a mistake, so she kept silent, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves, wondering if he might go on with his story.
“So,” he continued, “you can see that marriage didn't work out for me. I've just concentrated on work since then, which seems to be the answer.”
“I'm glad you told me.”
Getting beneath Guy's protective shield was like peeling one layer from an onion, only to find yet more and more beneath.
I only hope it doesn't make me cry if I finally get to the heart of it, thought Elena.
There it was – marriage had been a disaster for him and he obviously wasn’t looking for any long-term involvement.
At least he was being up-front with her, and she knew a little more where she stood. If only she hadn't fallen in love with him and could be more casual.
Try to live for the moment, she thought to herself. Just enjoy what we have now, and don't think any further.
“We'll be in the Bay of Naples tomorrow,” Guy said. “Have you ever visited Sorrento?” He obviously wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood.
“No, I've never been to Italy before, full stop,” Elena replied, deliberately keeping her own voice light and enthusiastic.
“Well, we could have a few days ashore, if you like? I know a good hotel and we could do some sight-seeing. Plenty of culture and there are some nice shops, too. I want to buy you something.”
“No more presents, Guy. You've given me more than enough already. This is all so new to me. I'm bowled over by it. So just let's enjoy exploring Italy,” Elena replied.
Chapter Thirteen
With the Santa Maria moored out in the bay, Dimitri used the motor boat to drop Guy and Elena at the harbour of Marina Grande, and Carlos accompanied them to the hotel with their cases. Elena was no longer intimidated to find that the hotel was very elegant and grand, and that Guy had reserved a suite of rooms with a balcony overlooking the sea. She felt that she was becoming quickly adjusted to this luxurious lifestyle.
The manager welcomed Guy warmly, shaking his hand and ushering them to the lift with a flow of greetings. Elena was surprised to hear Guy replying in fluent Italian and wondered if he had any further connections to the area.
When will I cease to be amazed by this man's hidden talents, she thought.
Of course, she had to remind herself that she still didn't actually know him that well; the relationship had happened so quickly, maybe he could speak several languages.
“They seem to know you well,” she remarked as she began to unpack her case, but Guy only smiled and strolled out onto the balcony.
“And we must have been given the best rooms, just look at the view,” she called after him. “I don't suppose this is one of your leisure investments?” She had been partly joking, but Guy simply nodded, as he leaned against the rail.
“You could say I have interests here,” he said.
§
Elena was enchanted by Sorrento as they wandered the narrow streets and stopped for an espresso in the Piazza Tasso. They watched the cosmopolitan groups of tourists and locals drifting by as they soaked up the sun. To Elena the background noise of scooters buzzing by and the general snatches of lively conversations was all new and intriguing. She’d not travelled far before, her only holidays being with friends to the usual hot spots young people often chose: Ibiza and Majorca.
Italy felt different. The mixture of the lively Italian background and culture was appealing to Elena, and she hoped that they would be able to do some exploring while ashore.
“This is great, thanks Guy,” she said.
“If you feel like a stroll, there's a lemon and orange farm which still stands right in the middle of town,” he said. “Let me show you ...”
They walked in the orchards among the fruit trees, an unexpected rural idyll only a short walk away from the centre of town. It was so peaceful here, it was hard to believe they weren’t deep in the countryside. The whole area had probably been lemon groves in the past, Elena realised, and as the town spread, only this small oasis remained.
At a stall in the centre, Elena was invited to try the famous Limoncello drink and Guy insisted on buying her a bottle.
“Let's go back to the hotel and drink some on the balcony,” she suggested.
§
“Have you been here many times, you seem to know it so well?” Elena asked.
They were sitting on the balcony of the hotel now, looking out over the Bay of Naples. Just beyond the harbour they could see the Santa Maria, and Elena found it incredible that only this morning she’d actually woken up on that sleek, white boat.
“I try to come to Italy when I can,” Guy answered. “I find it a place that helps me relax. “Tomorrow I thought I would hire a car and we can do the drive down to Amalfi. The coastline is spectacular, as long as you aren't afraid of twisting roads with sheer drops and, of course, Italian drivers!”
“Anything you like,” she answered.
“Anything?"
Guy leaned over and spoke something gently and suggestively in her ear. Elena giggled as he guided her back into the bedroom. She’d started to overcome all her previous awkwardness and inhibitions about her body and now she delighted in their closeness, which seemed to increase, each day they were together.
Life is just about perfect, she thought
to herself, as they lay down on the bed, eagerly undressing each other. Remember this moment …
§
The car was waiting outside the hotel for them the next morning. Of course, it had to be an open top sports car in dramatic red, just the thing she would’ve expected Guy to hire for their drive.
“Have you been in a Ferrari before?” he asked as she tried to get into the low seat as gracefully as possible, wishing that she’d opted to wear casual jeans and a t-shirt instead of the pretty lemon sundress and strappy sandals. She hadn't been able to resist taking advantage of her new wardrobe of designer clothes. She still felt excited when she went through the wardrobe deciding what to wear, and took delight in changing several times a day.
Once, she’d caught a glimpse of Guy's face when she appeared on the boat for dinner and had chosen an elegant chiffon shift dress. She remembered that Olivia had been a model and wondered if, maybe, she had overdone the dressing up. She determined to dress casually in Sorrento; she wanted to please Guy, not appear to be trying to look too glamorous.
“You must know the answer to that,” Elena replied, smiling.
“Then do you want the safe drive or the exciting one?”
How could anything be less than exciting with Guy, Elena reflected as the little car negotiated the narrow streets of Sorrento heading for the coast road. In fact, she felt as though she was on a roller coaster, one new exciting adventure after another.
She looked across at Guy, dressed in navy chinos and a casual white polo shirt, with his dark hair and expensive sunglasses: he could have stepped straight from the pages of some exclusive magazine.
She was getting to know him little by little, but when she saw how easily he fitted into this lifestyle, she knew that there was a lot more to discover. What a transformation there must have been from that unhappy, poor boy from the East End of London into this assured billionaire.
A Fragile Heart (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) Page 6
