Safer Alone (The Safer Duet #1)

by Amy Rose

  He nods politely. “You can call me Andrew, if you please, Miss White.”

  I nod to show that I understood. “Okay then. Andrew it is.”

  With introductions out of the way, I turn my attention back to my host. “So, what’s next?”

  Smiling at my question he answers. “I was hoping you would let me give you the tour of my home, Angela.” Without waiting for my answer, Elliot pulls gently on my hand to indicate he meant for me to follow, so I did just that.

  The tour begins on the ground level of the home, which turns out to also be the main living level. We walk into the main foyer area which showcases large square white marble tiles with a light grey vein running through them. They are laid diagonally with a small diamond shaped, dark grey tile set in between to create a stunning pattern. They continue the entire way up the grand staircase, protected by an ornate timber railing along the edging. White wainscoting features to the bottom half of the walls, met with wood cladding that has been whitewashed more recently. The cornice is a beautiful architectural feature. The ceilings are amazing with exposed beams, and in the center of the ceiling sits a large medallion with intricate sculptures of roses, leaves and angels. Hanging from the heart is a stunning antique crystal chandelier.

  As we wander farther into the home, I find many more architectural items to look at. There were many rooms on this level. The main areas with the same marble flooring. Elliot shows me the bathroom which houses a large claw footed bath with a shower above, two pedestal vanities and a toilet. A comfortably furnished bedroom sits next to the bathroom. The laundry, although small, contains many cabinets and there is a games room, filled with old-school pinball machines and an antique slot machine along with a billiards table and a timber bar located in the corner. This is obviously where Elliot hangs out with his friends.

  The kitchen is at the rear of the home and has been modernized to allow all modern, stainless steel appliances. A standalone six burner cooktop oven combination, glass canopy range hood, microwave and dishwasher. The cabinetry was a combination of white and grey shaker style cabinets with thick marble countertops.

  The dining room is furnished with a large timber dining table with twelve matching chairs surrounding it. The living room contains two white oversized three-person sofas positioned in front of a wood burning fireplace. There are two large bay windows, with built in seating. Looking through them I have an uninterrupted view into the expansive backyard. On the rear wall a set of large French doors open up to a light-filled conservatory. The large floor tiles arre made of a substance similar to sandstone. Being in this room and looking out at the gardens, it wasn’t hard to imagine that I was in the English countryside, not thirty-five minutes out of New York.

  Heading up to the second level of the home, I find it mainly consists of the guest bedrooms, four in total, all of which are double size with large windows and timber furniture. A guest bathroom, and Elliot’s study. Well-appointed with an oversized mahogany desk, complete with a very large Apple Mac computer and a framed photograph. I sneak a look and find it is of an older couple, his grandparents maybe. There is a well-stocked library attached; at first glance I have to estimate at least a couple of hundred books on the shelves.

  The master bedroom is the last room Elliot shows me. This room is even larger than the other bedrooms. The wood wainscoting on the walls are painted white, a set of French doors lead to a private Juliette balcony, looking out on the driveway where we pulled up earlier. The windows are dressed in white sheer curtains that fall to the floor with grace.

  The king-sized bed is a work of art on its own. A light weight canopy falls from the top, pulled back to reveal intricate carvings adorning each of the four posts, similar carvings to the medallion I noticed downstairs in the foyer, roses, angels and a stunning filigree pattern. I reach out and tentatively brush my fingers along the carvings that must be at least seventy years old.

  We then make our way to the attached master bathroom. An addition during a renovation and I was even more in love with this home. An oversized large claw foot bath holds prime position in the room; there is a large walk-in shower with two shower heads and a glass enclosure and a large timber vanity topped with a marble countertop and two porcelain basins.

  I feel bad that I haven’t spoken much to Elliot during my tour of the home. I hope that he understands that it is due to my admiration of the architectural elements and soaking in every detail that I possibly can. I turn to face him and take both of his hands in my own. “Elliot, your home is truly breathtaking, totally exquisite, a rare gem.” I give him my most genuine smile which spreads across my entire face and lifts my cheeks.

  He returns my smile with one of his own, a shy smile, one that I haven’t seen before. “My great-grandfather built Sands Manor in 1902. It has been passed down for generations. My grandfather left it to me when he passed away. I have some amazing memories from my childhood.” I nod in encouragement, hoping he would continue with his story. “I have done some renovations to the property, mainly in the kitchen and the guesthouse, which I will show you later on.” He looks down at his hands for a moment and then looked back at me. “This is my home, where I spend the majority of my spare time. I want to bring some of these features with me to Nashville. This is the style I want the cottage to be. What are your thoughts, Angela?”

  He looks as though he is a little boy needing confirmation that his dream is indeed a reality. I know in my heart, that he truly wants to know what I think. This warms my heart greatly. With courage brewing inside of me, I take a step closer to him, releasing one of his hands and raising my free hand to gently grasp his chin, tilting it up from facing the ground to look at me.

  “Elliot, I think that the Nashville cottage needs you to bring it back to life, the way you have already done to your own home.” I pause for a moment. “You have an amazing talent, you know that?” I stare into the depths of his eyes for a long moment until he finally replies.

  Two small words. “Thank you,” his eyes drop ever so slightly and then raise back to my eyes again, he whispers “I want to kiss you.”

  My heart beats hard against my chest. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I simply nod. He wastes no time, leaning in and pressing his soft lips against mine gently. He lifts one of his hands to gently cup my lower back and the other intertwining with my hair. Not knowing what to do with my own I decide on wrapping my arms around his neck and just following wherever it was that Elliot was taking me. His tongue gently licks my lips and I open my mouth for him and push my tongue outward to meet his.

  I am surprised at how natural this feels, at how good it is. Our tongues dance with each other for a few more moments before his retreats and I quickly follow suit. I could tell that the kiss was wrapping up, a few more caresses with our lips, and we break apart. He leans his forehead against mine and lifts his hand from the small of my back to the side of my face. I hear his breathing is slightly more labored than usual and I feel amazing knowing that it was I who has done this to him. That my kiss has elicited this reaction. I release my grip on his neck and wrap my hands around his wrists.

  I’m not sure how long we stand there like that, foreheads against each other, not speaking. It could have been seconds, minutes or even hours. We are comfortable enough in that silence too, no pressure to fill it with conversation. I don’t want to be the one to speak first, so I keep quiet.

  “I better show you to the guest house. You must want to make that call you mentioned at the airport before it gets too late.” His voice is stronger than earlier. Is he trying to get rid of me? I noted that he hasn’t moved his position yet. I decide to move my face slightly and give him a soft brush on the lips with mine before pulling away. His eyes snap up to meet mine and the intensity in them shocks me at first, it was as though they were glistening.

  “Oh Angela, come before I never let you go.” He seizes my hand in his, and we make our way down to the conservatory and out the French doors. We cross the manicured lawn, pas
sing the large undercover entertaining area, around a large oval shaped swimming pool to another building. This one in the same style as the main house, just on a smaller scale, even the front door is the same shade of duck egg blue.

  Elliot reaches out and unlocks the door and we enter a large open area, the focal point of which is a large open fireplace, with a beautiful stone mantle. Hardwood timber flooring made homey by the comfortable furnishings throughout. “Price brought your luggage in for you when we first arrived. It should be waiting for you in the bedroom.” He waves his hand to the right toward an open door, similar in size to the master bedroom of the main home. Furnished with a king-size bed with a black wrought iron frame. Sitting on top of the gold duvet cover were my two bags.

  “I guess I’ll just leave you to it. Don’t rush, take your time. Pop back up to the main house whenever you’re ready.” He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek, before turning on his heels and leaving, closing the front door with a soft thud as he goes.

  ~ Chapter Nineteen ~

  Once I am alone in the guest house, I take a moment to snoop around. I don’t find any photographs or personal items to provide any new information on Elliot. I locate a second bedroom with an attached bathroom, a kitchen and a laundry along with the large combined open living and dining area that greets you when you first enter the home. A beautiful sized guest house triple the size of my apartment back home.

  After I have seen the remainder of the house, I return to the bedroom, deciding I should make a phone call to Mrs. Jones, the seller of Partridge Street, before it gets too late in the evening. I crossed the bedroom floor to my handbag and found my phone and searched my contact list to call the saved phone number “Good afternoon, Mrs. Jones, it’s Angela White calling. I hope I haven’t gotten you at a bad time.”

  “No, not at all Angela. What can I do for you?”

  “I am happy to inform you that the previous offer of $320,000 has been raised to $335,000 by the Thompson family. I wanted to make sure you were still okay with this amount before I accepted it on your behalf.”

  I hear Mrs. Jones inhale a breath before speaking again, “Do you think we can push them for $340,000, dear?”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t, Mrs. Jones. They have informed me that this is their best and final offer.”

  The sound of Mrs. Jones clicking her tongue comes through loud and clear. I can tell she is thinking about the offer. “Okay, then. I accept $335,00. I’ll leave settlement details up to you, no longer than six weeks please.”

  I smile into the phone when I reply. “Not a problem, Mrs. Jones, Congratulations!”

  “Thank you, Angela. Have a lovely weekend, dear.”

  “You too, Mrs. Jones. Take care.” I remove the phone from my ear and end our conversation.

  I contemplate phoning the Thompsons to give them the good news, then I remember that I had told them earlier this afternoon that I would get back to them Monday at the latest, so I could wait until later in the weekend. Not wanting to hold out for too long, just in case they have second thoughts, I decide to send them an email instead. I open my email program and compose a quick email with the subject line reading ‘Congratulations Thompson Family!’

  Dear Thompson Family,

  Congratulations, your offer of $335,000 has been accepted by the owners of 19 Partridge Street.

  I will be in contact with you on Monday to organize a time for you to sign the required paperwork.

  Have a wonderful weekend!

  Warm Regards,

  Angela White

  Licensed Real Estate Agent

  Nashville Realty

  As soon as I hit send, I throw my phone down onto the bed and then I follow it. The mattress feels like a cloud underneath my body, so soft and spongy. If I were here alone, I could quite easily curl up with my book and go to sleep, however I’m technically not alone. I am a guest at the amazing home of Mr. Elliot Sands in Greenwich Connecticut.

  I lay here on the most comfortable bed for who knows how long. Reliving each and every moment from this afternoon. Pretending to be partners at the airport to get Blondie to back off. The plane trip where Elliot held my hand the majority of the journey and distracted me so I would feel more comfortable. The car ride where he made his declaration that we may both no longer be single come the end of this weekend. Wandering through his beautiful home and finally, at the conclusion of the tour, the kiss. And what a kiss it was. I can’t even remember ever being kissed like that before. It was different than the other night, this time he was gentle yet firm, he took charge, yet let me match him.

  I must have drifted off to sleep as the sound of loud knocking on the front door makes me sit up on the bed. Immediately I notice that the room is darker than it was when I laid down, confirming my first thoughts that I indeed had fallen asleep. Darn you bed for being so comfortable.

  I jump up off the bed and make my way to the front door which I pull open. Elliot is standing there in the doorway dressed in fresh clothes. Black jeans and a green sweater. He had obviously showered and got freshened up like he had suggested I do. I see him look me up and down and a slight frown appears over his eyebrows. “You’re not ready yet?” He asks.

  For a moment it crosses my mind that I couldn’t possibly tell him that I had been sleeping, after all I had no idea how long I had been asleep for. But then I wouldn’t lie to this man either. “Sorry Elliot, I laid down for just a moment after my phone call, and I must have drifted off to sleep, this bed is just too comfortable. How long has it been?”

  Looking past his beautiful face, I could see that darkness was starting to settle in. I must have slept for an hour at least. “Two hours or so,” he shrugs as he says it. Hopefully he isn’t upset.

  “Why don’t you come in and wait for me to get ready? I was just about to take a quick shower,” I offer. I don’t really know if I feel comfortable showering with him here or not, but I had to be polite.

  “Sure, I’ll watch some television while you get ready. Take your time.” Elliot walks in, grabs the TV remote off the mantle, crosses the room to the living room, sits down and with a press of the remote, the television comes on. He begins to randomly flick through channels. Without standing around to see what he decides to watch, I turn around and head for the bedroom. I close the door behind me and then turn the lock. Not that I think Elliot would actually walk in on me. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable if he did.

  I walk into the large master bathroom and find two large white towels folded neatly over the towel rails; I also notice a large fluffy white robe hanging on a hook to the right-hand side of the towels. I open the glass enclosure of the shower and turn on both taps and wait for the water to warm and steam to fill the bathroom. I step out of my pants and pull my blouse over my head, I unclasp my bra and slip my underwear down to my ankles, then kick them off. Now completely undressed, I reopen the shower door and step in. There is enough room for four people to comfortably stand within this enclosure. I shrug that thought away as the warm water washes over my skin. It feels heavenly, washing away all of the sweat and toxins from the day. I begin to run my fingers through my hair, I remember then that I didn’t bring any shampoo and conditioner with me as I washed my hair this morning.

  My eyes automatically open and I take a look around, I notice on the large shelf opposite the glass door there were four, expensive looking bottles standing neatly in a row. I take a step closer so I can read the labels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body scrub. They appear to be completely full. I wonder if they were placed here for me. If they were, then surely, he won’t mind if I use them?

  I unscrew the top off the shampoo first and pour some into my outstretched hand. I place the bottle back on the shelf and place the top back on, screwing as tightly as I can with one hand. I place my two hands together and rub gently. I lift my hand towards my nose and inhale. It smells heavenly. A mixture of vanilla and coconut, my favorite scent in the world. I quickly massage the product into my hair, digging my
fingers into my scalp. Once there is a thick lather on top of my head I step back under the stream of warm water and rinse. I complete this process again with the shampoo then with the conditioner.

  The body scrub is also delectable. I can feel it working to remove the dead skin on my legs where I had shaved last night. Finally, the body wash. I lather it in between my hands and then work it over my entire body. My arms and legs, stomach, breasts, throat, bottom and the apex of my thighs. I rinse the suds from my body, letting the water flow over me for a few minutes more. Not really wanting to remove myself from the stream of hot water, but knowing that I had a handsome man waiting for me made the decision that it was time to hop out.

  I turn the hot tap off first, followed by the cold and then step out of the shower. I reach for one of the towels hanging on the rail and unfold it. It is almost the size of a single bed sheet. I wrap it around my body like a cocoon and begin to dry myself. I rub the towel over my hair to dry it as best I can. I wander over to the vanity and open the drawers. I am ecstatic to find a hair dryer tucked inside. I pull it out and plug it in quickly. Turning it on, I dry my hair the best I can.

  Once both my hair and body are dry, I meander back into the bedroom and dress myself. I pull out my blue jeans and pink sweater. Elliot is dressed casually tonight so I figured I would do the same. Grabbing my makeup bag and hairbrush, I return to the bathroom. I pull my brush through my hair, trying to get it under control the best I can without any products. I end up giving up and throw it up in a messy bun. I quickly apply some foundation, powder, a touch of blush on my cheeks and last, some mascara. I look at myself in the mirror and I am happy at the reflection staring back at me.

  I return to my bag, locate my perfume and spray once onto my wrist and once onto my neck. I put my perfume back in my bag and then press my wrists together to transfer the smell. I take two deep breaths and then walk over to the bedroom door and open it.