“I like sugar and additives, now you choose what you want and leave me with mine.” He put his sugary sweet cereal with free trading cards that he had nobody to trade with and a mask into the trolley.
Eve added a small box of granola with added tropical fruits while a sneering Gray looked on and made no attempt to hide his distaste. When they got to the drinks Eve added a bottle of diet cola to the orange juice she'd already selected while Gray selected a case of beer and was studying the wine selection when she wrapped her arms around him from behind.
“Red, white or rosé?” He pulled her round so that she was at his side, nestled beneath his arm.
“I'm not really an expert on wine so stick with the house wine if I'm out and rarely drink red, so rosé,” she finally decided, making him frown down at her before kissing her nose again, which was the least erotic thing anyone had ever done, yet it was one of the most loving gestures she had ever been on the receiving end of.
“You need to spend more time with Tim if you want to learn about wine. He’s a right know-it-all, but he really does know his stuff and I've picked up a few tips, so...” He grabbed three bottles of rosé, one white and a red. “Spirits?”
Shaking her head, she replied, “Not really, an occasional vodka and whatever if I go clubbing, not that I've been to a club for ages.”
“Okay. Anything else you want, need?” he asked, taking charge of the trolley again.
“Nope, all done.” She smiled, realising that this was the first time she had ever done a supermarket shop with a man. Max's shopping had always been done by Annette and he always opted out of it after they married and she took over that duty, which was something else that had upset Annette.
God, her whole existence and impact on Max's life had irritated Annette more than she’d ever realised.
“You okay?” asked Gray with a concerned expression as he watched her putting the items on the conveyor belt.
“Mmm, I was just thinking about Annette,” she replied honestly as Gray put the crate of beer down.
Tilting her head up, he gazed down towards her. Oblivious to the assistant or other shoppers he shook his head and told her, “Don't, please baby. This weekend is just you and me now and if you think about all the things she said this morning, you are going to drive yourself crazy. If you need to talk it through, we can do that later, after the weekend, but you and me, not you and her.”
“Of course. Thank you,” she replied, relieved to have him there as the voice of reason.
Their shopping was piling up when Gray squeezed through and began packing it into bags while Eve dashed back to grab a couple of final items that made Gray frown and he was so busy viewing her suspiciously that he missed the final bill being totalled up.
“That's £142.38p, please,” said the adolescent looking young man on the till.
Eve grabbed the cash she had earlier withdrawn and thrust it towards the assistant before Gray realised what was happening. Eve accepted her change and smiled smugly at Gray who was arching his brows at her with a slight shake of the head.
“I suppose you think you're clever?” he asked.
“Genius,” she replied, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat.
“We'll see,” he said mysteriously as he began to steer the trolley out of the store but as he attempted to manoeuvre the trolley in the direction of his car Eve headed towards the homeless man and once she stood before him, she crouched to offer him the final few items of her shopping; sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, water and a fleece blanket.
“There you go,” she said with a smile before retrieving a ten-pound note from her purse and gave him that too. “Have a nice day,” Eve added, straightening to return to Gray who simply stared.
“Evie, you just keep getting better and better, baby. I now need to add charitable and compassionate to your list of attributes,” Gray smiled, leading Eve back to the car as he steered the trolley across the car park.
Chapter 14
Once back in the car, neither of them said any more about money and although Eve wanted to point out that she was financially self-sufficient and had no need for him to support her, it seemed a little like overkill, especially as she would have allowed him to pay for the shopping in the supermarket without a word had he not intervened and paid for her goods earlier, the same way she hadn't objected when he'd paid for their lunch.
It was about fifteen minutes later when they pulled into a road lined with what looked like Victorian houses and designated parking on the street. As they continued along the road Eve realised it was a square, an old Victorian square with railings running around the central area enclosing it. A variety of trees and shrubs shielded the lush, green lawns. Through the gate Eve could see a selection of benches littered around the square for local residents and thinking of money again she dreaded to think how much any property would cost in this area, never mind these types of properties and facilities.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Gray placed a hand on her knee as he pulled into a parking space.
“This is nice, very posh,” she stammered, feeling slightly embarrassed now that she might appear so shallow.
“Yeah, just like me,” he joked, making her relax and laugh a little. “This is my space and the one on your side is my visitor’s space, should you ever drive here,” he explained.
“No wonder parking outside mine on the roadside worried you.” She smiled.
“Come on, let's go inside.” He leapt out of the car and rushed to the boot for the shopping.
Joining him at the rear of the car she smiled as she realised that he had left her four bags, all light ones. With his arms full, he gestured for her to cross the road before him where she stood waiting in front of one of the terraced six storey properties.
“Number eight,” he told her and ascended the short flight of half a dozen steps that led to the door that opened into what resembled a hotel foyer complete with doorman, come receptionist.
“Good afternoon, Mr Sharp, would you like a hand?” He looked at Gray's full hands.
“Afternoon Rog', we're fine thanks,” replied Gray before turning to Eve. “Lift to the right.”
“Miss,” smiled Rog' as Eve headed for the lift and hit the call button.
The doors opened immediately to reveal a fully mirrored lift and a lack of buttons.
“What floor?” asked Eve turning to Gray and all of his reflections around her.
“There's only one, but you'll need the key.” He gestured to the large button between a lock and an alarm button as he nodded down at his keys on top of the beer.
“Oh.” She was still a little perplexed by the lack of buttons and the need for a key but inserted and turned it then pressed the button anyway.
The doors seemed to open in no time at all to reveal a marbled foyer of sorts with a round white table holding a floral arrangement and one door in front of them with a gold coloured '8'. Gray placed some shopping on the table and retrieving his keys from Eve, unlocked the door to reveal a floor to ceiling window over a wooden floor leading to an open plan reception/dining area/kitchen covering the entire floor that she discovered was the fifth floor. She followed Gray to the kitchen to the right of the door to unload the shopping and tried to absorb the grandeur of his home.
“Are you okay?” asked Gray, watching her shocked expression soften slightly now.
“Yes, this is nice.” She waved her hand above her head.
“Thank you, let's put the shopping away and then I will give you the guided tour,” he smiled.
Eve nodded her agreement as she tried to take in the room again, wandering to the rest of the room on the other side of the floor. It was tastefully decorated with a huge grey corner sofa in the far corner in front of a bank of windows and patio doors with a massive footstool, bigger than her first sofa. Behind the sofa she smiled as she noticed a huge canvas of modern art that was essentially a red spiral of paint, tinted with white and tinged with black and lots of blank canvas, all favourite colours of he
rs. On the opposite wall to the painting, essentially containing the reception part of the room was another huge picture, not a painting, a photograph taken from the inside of The Louvre pyramid showing the front of the old Louvre. She liked it although it was enormous at probably three metres wide and two metres high. It leaned against the wall rather than hanging on it, although it wasn't really her thing, or maybe it was. In the corner, next to the picture, sat a huge TV screen with all necessary add-ons for modern media enjoyment.
Gray was pulling silver, gloss cupboard doors open in the kitchen when she returned, putting the shopping away in a variety of cupboards and a concealed fridge and freezer.
“I really like the high gloss finish in here,” she said, gesturing towards the kitchen.
“Sam helped me choose it,” he admitted. “The cupboards are my favourite part, and the tiles.” He smiled, pointing towards the old fashioned, rectangular, black and white, brick style tiles that covered the walls between the worktops and the wall units. “Careful of the floor though. If you're in heels or stockinged feet, the tiles get a bit slippery,” he warned, pointing down at the white shiny floor tiles he stood on as she peeped across the breakfast bar that was made from the same black granite as the rest of the kitchen’s worktops. Eve pulled herself up on to the black leather bar stool and placed her feet on the shiny chrome footrest, watching Gray putting his carriers into the recycling.
“Your taste isn't that different to mine.” She smiled, thinking they had chosen similar colour schemes.
“You haven't seen the rest of the place yet,” he teased, standing before her now and pulling her from the stool she occupied. “Come on, let's give you the tour. This is obviously the main living area with kitchen, lounge and modest dining area over there.” He pointed towards the window illuminating the eight-place smoked glass tabletop on a chrome frame with eight chrome framed chairs with black leather upholstery behind the stool she'd just vacated.
“Nice,” she said lamely making her cringe a little.
Once she returned to his side he went on, “The door over there is classified as a 'cloak room' which is estate agent code for toilet. Door next to it really is a cloakroom, for coats and over here,” he said taking her hand and leading her past the sofa towards the patio doors. “Is the balcony which leads to the roof terrace.” The terrace overlooked the gardens of the square.
“Oh wow! This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful, Grayson. I love how secluded it is up here,” she said, looking at the single wooden steamer.
“We could be secluded together up here on hot, steamy nights.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently on the lips until she began to yield. “Come on, let me show you the rest.” He smiled, leading her back indoors but left the patio doors open.
Once back inside, Gray led Eve towards a staircase to the side of the front door and held her hand as they descended the stairs together.
“What's down here?” she asked in a whisper.
Laughing, Gray asked her, “Why are you whispering?”
Joining in with his laughter, she shrugged and replied, “I haven't got a clue.”
When they reached the bottom of the stairs they stood in a small hallway. Natural light shone through from the large window halfway down the stairs. Eve looked between the doors to each side of them.
“Right or left?” Gray asked and followed Eve as she took a right turn where the door revealed a large guest bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a dressing room.
Eve queried whether it was a master suite, but the magnolia walls and a pine double bedstead made up with brown bedding and no other furniture besides pine bedside tables with lamps and a brown occasional chair, all on a stripped back natural floor suggested that it was more likely to be a spare room.
“Your guest room?”
“Yes, my guest room you don't like,” he replied.
“It's not that, but, well, it's a bit bland, but that's fine for a guest room.” She smiled, hoping not to have caused offence.
“Shall we?” He led her back towards the door and through to the other room which was obviously the third bedroom that had been turned into a home office with a desk, phone, desktop computer, printer, copier, book cases and filing cabinets, all in light maple or ash kind of colours against brown emulsion walls and the same wooden floor as the other bedroom.
Eve noticed a few photos in this room, Tim and Gray, Gray and Sam and another one of the sailing shot she'd seen at Sam's house.
“Hey, Skip.” She grinned, pointing at the photo making him laugh. “Another en-suite.” She pointed through to a shower room.
“Yes, but I don't really need three bedrooms, but an office is useful. Right, back upstairs and then up to the master suite,” he said, proudly leading her up to the fifth floor again before grabbing her shopping, overnight bag and going up to the sixth floor, the top of the building.
There was no door to go through this time as the floor was as open plan as the one below. Standing at the top of the stairs Eve kept staring and trying to take it all in. To the right of where she stood was the main bedroom while to the left was an open doorway revealing a huge walk-in wardrobe and dressing room. Heading into the bedroom she noticed that the bed occupied the centre of the room with its dark, heavy, wooden frame resting against the wall of the dressing room flanked by matching bedside tables and Tiffany lamps that she didn't doubt were genuine.
The pristine, white, Egyptian cotton bedding looked most appealing and Eve had an almost overpowering urge to climb between the sheets and lie back on the high pillows. There was a splash of teal courtesy of the throw across the bottom of the bed and an uber modern teal armchair in front of one of the two windows to the left of the bed. At the foot of was a TV. The wall across the bottom of the room was actually sliding doors, white obscured glass panels framed in brown wood that were open and revealed the most beautiful en-suite bathroom Eve had ever seen, with a bath big enough for two, a separate shower stall, twin sinks in a very open vanity unit, a wall of mirrors and unlimited space and shelves to be cluttered. Even the toilet looked out of this world, appearing to just hang on the wall. The glass sinks were the same shade of teal as the throw on the bed and the mosaic tiles were a mirage of white, blue and green with piles of towels in the same shades on one of the many shelves.
Spinning around the bathroom that she'd just entered Eve audibly gasped. “Oh, this is beyond beautiful, Gray. I like your bath, it's big.” Her statement made him laugh.
“Big enough for two, baby.” He grinned, knowing what she'd been thinking as he held her tightly and led her back to the bedroom where she noticed another big window to the right of the bed.
She walked towards the vast window that she had somehow missed when she had entered the room and gasped again as she looked down on the rear gardens below. “Bloody hell! You've got a garden and is that? It is, a tennis court,” she cried.
“Communal gardens and you can book the tennis court,” he explained, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her bare neck. “Now, you feel free to clutter up my bathroom while I get changed and think of you in a teeny, tiny tennis skirt, then we can go to the gym if you fancy it?”
“Sure,” she agreed, unsure if she had ever fancied the gym, but she'd give it a go.
Leaving the bathroom, very cluttered with her things, she returned to the bedroom to find Gray lying on the bed watching TV, dressed in grey tracksuit bottoms and a tight, white vest top, but his feet were bare. God, she found his feet sexy when they were naked, but why? Feet had never been sexy, ever. Kicking her flip flops off she climbed onto the edge of the bed and all fours began to crawl up the bed towards him.
“And just what do you think you're doing?”
“I am crawling up your bed with a view to kissing you, and maybe touching you a little,” she admitted.
“In that case, Evie, get your arse up here.” He reached for her arm and pulled her up towards him, making her squeal until he’d actually rolled her ont
o her back and was lying over. He kissed her, accepting the invitation she'd extended by opening her mouth in a gasp as she felt one of his hands make its way under her own vest and into her bra where he was gently flicking her nipple to a hard point.
Pulling back, he told her, “You really do have the best tits.”
“Grayson,” she moaned as he covered her mouth with his again and licked and tormented every inch of it until she felt light-headed and breathless.
“We should go, or we may never leave this bed,” he told her getting up.
“Would that be so bad?” She pulled herself up onto the pillows.
“No, but we were talking this weekend, weren't we?” he asked rhetorically.
Pouting she got up and began to rummage through her bag for her bikini.
“I don't have to work out, do I? I mean I can just swim and chill, right?” she asked optimistically.
“Course you can. There's a hot tub, Jacuzzi, sauna and those hot stone things,” he told her.
“Cool.” She grinned, emptying her clothes from her bag now. “Could I stick these somewhere?”
“Dressing room, walk in turn right and there are some empty drawers and hanging space.”
“Thank you.” She followed his directions with genuine gratitude. “So, is this a maisonette, flat or what?” she called from the entrance to his dressing room.
Sticking his head around the corner where she stood, he grinned. “I will have you know that this is a sensational penthouse apartment. And it is situated on the preferred northern terrace and is highly sought after with its handsome colonnaded buildings facing due south over the square.”
Laughing, Eve asked, “Where the hell has that all come from?”
“The estate agent that sold the place to me.” He smiled. “Have you checked out the dressing room?” He pointed to the end of the 'corridor' she was in.
Following the direction he pointed in, followed by Gray, she walked through a doorway where there was a decent sized room, probably a similar size to her bathroom. It had a large clear window with open blinds at one end overlooking the square and a dressing table with a mirror and a chair, as well as a large mirror hanging on the wall behind her. It was floor to ceiling and about a metre wide with a heavy gilt frame.
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