The Scent of His Woman

by Maggie Pritchard

  ‘Hi, I’m Sally and I’m here to help you make your selections today, can I get you a coffee before we begin Miss Owen?’

  ‘Hello, yes coffee would be nice.’

  Lexie smiled at the young woman who’d followed her into the shop, making an effort to come back down to earth. After all nothing had changed, not really. This might be the kind of shopping that did tempt her, but she still balked at letting a man pay for her clothes. Having said that, it was evident Geth intended for them to go cycling, he must have remembered her describing her love for it, and that consideration added to her excitement at the prospect. So she would need some kit, just what depended on exactly where they were going and what terrain they’d be covering. There was no way she could afford to shop here, so the only thing left to do was to swallow her pride and use his plastic.

  ‘Here you are Miss, help yourself to cream.’

  ‘Thank you, but please my name is Lexie, and do join me.’

  ‘Why thank you, shall we begin to plan, though Mr Mathias was quite specific about what you would need?’

  ‘Well, whatever he has in mind, I think I’ll just go for a basic set of lycra, that should be enough.’

  The next hour catapulted a bemused Lexie even further into Geth’s rarified world. Once she’d reconciled herself to letting him pay, it had been easy. All she had to do was make her choices from the fabulous selection on offer. A little voice in her head whispered something caustic about how long it would take to pay this lot off, because she would pay him back, that was a given. But she shut out the whisperer, and for the first time in her life let the pure, unadulterated heaven of self-indulgence rule. Geth had chosen a bicycle for her, at least he’d made it clear what he wanted her measured for. So it was the work of only a few minutes for the measurements to be taken and her bicycle, a top of the range Serrota mountain bike, adjusted to a perfect fit. The next task was to chose all the accessories and clothing she would need. She went for matching shorts, jersey and thermal jacket by Capoforma, in black and ‘celeste’, a soft duck egg blue. She added socks and gloves, again by Capo, and finished off with shoes and helmet by Giro. All in all it came to more than she’d spent on clothing in the last ten years, maybe longer. Again the little voice whispered, and again she squashed it, this time with the thought that these were an investment in comfort and they would last forever. They’ll have to the little voice rejoined, it’ll take forever to pay for them.

  By the time she’d been spirited back to the apartment, everything had been delivered as if by magic and Geth, who was back from his meeting, was in high spirits.

  ‘Come on, get changed, the car is ready and we need to be off. Get kitted up and throw a few overnight things in a bag. I’ll be five minutes, so you can have ten, not a second more.’

  ‘If you don’t tell me where we’re going how can I pack?’

  He just laughed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her.

  ‘It’s a surprise, but we’re only staying away one night so just essentials. Now you have a minute less.’

  Fifteen minutes later they were threading their way through the mid morning Montreal traffic. Geth handling the hired 4x4, with ease, the bicycles strapped on the back and an excited Lexie at his side.

  ‘Come on you can tell me where we’re going now, and where are we staying?’

  ‘Ok, though you’ve probably not heard of it. It’ll take us nearly three hours to drive to a lakeside cabin in Gatinaeu Park, just north west of Ottawa. We’re staying there for two nights so we can get in a whole day on the bikes, and the following morning too if we want to. It’s a great place I went skiing there once. The mountains and forests are spectacular, but we’ll be lakeside, so we can access some of the best cycle routes in the world. it can get a bit steep in places, but we can take our time. The main thing is we’ll have a complete break, no meetings, business phone calls, nothing.’

  ‘Wow, are you sure you’re up to that?’

  ‘What, letting business take care of itself? Don’t you worry about me, you just worry about how you’ll keep up.’

  That made her smile, ‘just you wait, I bet I can surprise you.’

  Geth just relaxed back into his seat and concentrated on the driving, ‘we’ll see cariad, we’ll see.’

  It was a lovely drive, once they left Montreal behind the scenery began to morph into picture book Canada. Sweeping valleys, bounded by forested mountains and crisscrossed by winding rivers and straight roads. Occasionally the blue sky would be mirrored in the still waters of a lake, more often than not bordered by quaint towns or villages. Lexie was enthralled.

  ‘It’s just as I imagined it would be, it’s so big and yet it seems friendly not brash and modern at all.’

  Eventually they reached the outskirts of Ottawa and the scenery changed back to the suburban sprawl that heralded the approach of the city. Lexie was glad however to find that they could skirt the city, without really entering it , reaching the southern edge of the park by mid afternoon.

  ‘The cabin’s beside one of largest lakes near the centre of the park, we should be there in less than an hour. Then all we have to do is unload and spend the rest of the day relaxing, so we’re fresh for an early start in the morning. Do you need to stop for a break? There’s a little town about a mile further on and then after that it’s nothing but park until we get to the cabin.’

  ‘Maybe it would be nice to stop, just to stretch our legs and we’ll need to pick up something for dinner.’

  ‘No need, all that’s taken care of, but we’ll stop anyway. You need to experience one of these little country towns, they’re great, like stepping back in time some of them, but with all mod cons.’

  They stopped at ‘Old Chelsea’ village. Little more than a single straight road bordered by traditional white wooden houses and a few shops. The one gas station really was like stepping back in time, complete with the courtesy of a gas attendant. Once they’d filled up, they wandered along the street to work the driving kinks out of their legs admiring the clean lined houses and shady trees, and wound up at a charming little cafe. Geth ordered coffee and waffles in correct, if accented french and watched as Lexie devoured hers with enthusiasm. Two days, to have her all to himself, two nights as well. Then would begin the downward trail to the end. First home to the anniversary party, where she would play the part of his fiancée, then with Mam off his back, they’d return to their respective homes as the press furore would have died down by then. They’d have to discuss the mechanics of it, but in essence all that would remain would be the fictitious split. All it would take would be a snap of him with a blonde in a nightclub, any blonde, it made no odds who. A few days of speculation and it would be done. Mam would be disappointed, she’d ring, maybe send Mared to scold him, but they’d not be surprised, not deep down. They knew he was not the settling down type.

  So why did he feel oddly as if he was about to lose something? What was the dull, flat feeling that settled low in his gut like a lump of lead? And why was it , that her smile dissolved that lump? Not comfortable with the train of thought, he pushed it away, replacing it with a bright, holiday tone, hoping she would not notice just how brittle it sounded.

  ‘Ok, lets make a move, the great Canadian outdoors awaits.’

  ‘Oh come on,’ she quipped as she rose to her feet, ‘it’s hardly the great northern wilderness complete with grizzlies, it’s a park, a big one maybe but still a park.’

  Geth caught her as she stepped through the door still laughing, her mouth tasted of maple syrup spiced with something that was pure Lexie, he felt the magic of the moment brand his heart.

  *****

  ‘Whoever called this a cabin, was hardly in touch with nature was he?’ Lexie was standing beneath a cavernous cathedral ceiling looking out of floor to

  ceiling windows, in the living room of the most palatial “cabin”. Logs crackled in the fireplace behind her further enhancing the back-to-nature but without any hardship effect. The place was incred
ible, hardwood floors throughout even in the 6 bedrooms and both bathrooms. The fully equipped kitchen was like something out of Country Living and just when she thought she’d seen it all she found the patio! She was still standing staring when Geth joined her.

  ‘That’s our bags in, how about a walk before dinner cariad?’

  ‘A walk, are you mad, look at this, why would I want a walk when I could soak in here?’

  Here, was the biggest open air hot tub she’d ever seen, it sat, bubbling an irresistible invitation Lexie was not about to ignore.

  ‘Come on, let’s change.’

  The next time Lexie climbed into the hot tub, it was with a very real need for its almost magical ability to soothe tired overworked muscles. It had been an incredible day, a day she knew she’d never forget. Despite an evening of champagne and lovemaking, they’d risen early both eager to get going. To begin with they’d taken it easy, warming up on well tended forest trails, returning the cheerful greetings of other cyclists and chatting easily as they rode. The way was well marked, and soon they were climbing steadily. Side by side in a steady, companionable rhythm. The trail had continued to climb, getting steeper and rougher with each passing kilometer, changes that were mirrored in the two of them. Geth began to push the pace, testing her she thought, out to show the “little woman” how to ride.

  ‘You ok cariad? We can slow the pace if you need to?’

  ‘Well if you need to, you slow down, I’ll see you at the top!’

  Picking up the pace she pulled ahead leaving Geth to follow and for a few minutes he rode behind, admiring the sight of her tight little bottom wrapped in lycra and the way her thighs bunched as she worked them hard. Then he increased the pressure and drew alongside laughing.

  ‘Ok, if that’s the way you want to play it, let’s see what you can do.’

  There had been times when Lexie thought her lungs would burst, or her legs just seize up, but still she kept going. Determined not to let him get the upper hand she rode like a demon. Out in front she pushed the pace over ground rough enough to demand every ounce of bike handling skill she possessed, when Geth pulled ahead, she doggedly rode his tail, not giving him an inch, waiting and watching for her chance to pull ahead again.

  Then they were there at the top, pulling side by side into a clearing with nothing to mark it as the summit other than a view of heaven. Neither spoke, for long minutes they sipped from their water bottles and fought for the breath to speak, then when they found it, there was nothing that needed saying. Laying the bikes down they moved together, Lexie nestled in the circle of his arms and they sank together onto the grass.

  When they’d had their fill of heated kisses, they unpacked lunch from the bike panniers and ate in companionable silence. Soft muffins filled with cream cheese, crispy bacon and spiced with peppery green rocket, followed by juicy red apples and crumbling blueberry muffins.

  The return ride had been every bit as demanding, the descent was rocky and steep enough in places to warrant extreme care. Lexie felt her back and arms begin to ache as she pulled the bike around obstacles fighting to keep it upright. Then thankfully they were back on the lower trails and it was an easy ride back to the cabin. Now all she could think of was how wonderful this hot tub was, how ravenous she was and how sexy the man sat opposite her was.

  Geth leant back in the tub, eyes closed letting the heat of the water soothe away the day’s exertions. Soon they’d eat and then he’d take her to bed, a perfect ending. For soon it would end, it had to, he was getting too comfortable having her around. He didn’t want to do comfortable. He’d spent a lifetime fighting comfortable, staid, respectable, all those things had been left back on the farm. Neatly labelled “family”, always there, available when he needed a dose of it, but not who or what he was about.

  He felt the wash of warm, moving water, the soft glide of her lips over his. With unerring instinct his hands moved to her waist, guiding as she slipped onto his lap and all thought was obliterated by her.

  The following morning dawned bright and clear. They spent the morning walking by the lake and enjoying a light lunch, it was the work of a few minutes to pack and get back on the road. Again the pleasant companionable silence, each relaxed, enjoying the moment, not looking too far ahead.

  ‘What time do we fly back?’

  He looked over with a smile, ‘ we’re scheduled to take off at eight tonight, so it will be best if we sleep during the flight to minimize the jet-lag. We’ll be in Cardiff around 8 am UK time, so we can freshen up at the apartment and start out for Cardigan about mid morning and get there for lunch.’

  Lexie nodded slowly, ‘what are they like, your family? I’ve only met Mared are they like her?’

  ‘No, safe to say Mared is unique. Mam and Dad still live on the farm, though Rhys, my older brother runs it now. He’s always been a farmer, never wanted anything else. Dad helps out a bit but spends more time on the golf course now. Mam on the other hand is probably busier than before they retired. She’s on a whole load of committees, and she has enough to do running the house still. Though when Rhys and Becca get married she’ll take over and Mam and Dad will move into one of the cottages.’

  ‘Is the party going to be held in the house?’

  ‘Yes, well sort of, there’s going to be a marquee on the lawn too and one of the barns has been cleared for the Twmpath, with room for a band and dancing.’

  ‘I’ve never been to a Twmpath, what’s it like, will it matter that I don’t know the dances?’

  ‘It’s great fun, and no you don’t need to know much in advance. It’s quite like a Scottish Ceilidh, most country dances are quite similar and there will be a caller too. All you need to do is listen to his instructions and follow me, don’t worry.’

  ‘I’m not worried about the dancing, well not much, I’m more concerned with lying to your family. I’ve never been a pretend fiancée before. What if they aren't convinced?’

  ‘They will be, stop worrying, we’ll be staying in a farm cottage, not in the main house, so if you need a break you can bolt there to hide, but they’ll love you, and all you ned to do is hang on my arm and be sweet. You can mange sweet if you try hard enough, I know you can.’

  His laughing tease eased the niggling worries out of her mind, and she relaxed back in her seat, and watched the Canadian vista pass by, determined to stamp every precious memory into her brain. All too soon they were taking off, as she prepared to settle down for the flight Lexie felt strangely saddened, the holiday was over, she was heading back to reality and in all probability would never make it back to this wonderful country. As soon as the party was over, Geth and she would part company, privately and publicly and her glimpse of how the other half live would be over too. She would get back to normal, working the allotment, the shop, her life would be hers again. Rolling that thought around her brain she waited for the sense of relief it should have brought with it, and when it didn’t come she found she couldn’t make any sense of the feelings that did.

  Chapter 8

  They flew into Cardiff airport and were wrapped in a damp blanket of soft warm summer rain. Lexie had slept fitfully despite the luxury and space and the short journey to Geth’s apartment felt like the last tedious straw. She was she thought afterwards, unusually grumpy and ungracious, but on reaching the apartment all she could think of was how badly she needed to sleep. As Geth dropped their bags in the hallway and headed to the kitchen and coffee, Lexie’s leaden feet seemed to head for the bedroom of their own accord. She was sitting on the edge of the bed half undressed when he found her, hair all mussed, feet and legs bare as she tugged at the buttons of her shirt, frowning as each seemed to resist being pulled open. A flood of emotion, a moment of clarity, and a shot of pure terror floored him. The emotion was love, not lust, love and he realised it was what had driven him this past week. Love at first sight, something found in romance novels with pink covers, or so he’d thought. No wonder it had taken a while to recognise it, but now that h
e had it was terrifying. It came with all the things he’s been avoiding all his adult life. Settling down, respectability, responsibility. Responsibility, the word raced around his brain increasing his heart rate as it did so. He couldn’t be responsible for her in that way. Oh he could look after her physically, keep the press at bay, keep her well looked after, showered with the luxury his money could buy, but be responsible for her happiness, open himself to let her do the same for him? He flinched as remembered pain hit him, he saw her again, Ruth, smiling at him, making his heart swell, Ruth riding towards the jump, then flying through the air as it all went wrong, and his whole world plunged into pain and sorrow. No it was beyond him, way beyond him. He wouldn’t go there again, ever.

  Lexie gave up, let the damn shirt stay where it was, she drew her legs up, rolled over into the bed and drew the duvet over with a sigh of relief. Geth moved closer to stand looking down at the tumble of copper curls which was all of her he could see. Stood there for a long moment before turning on his heel and leaving her to sleep. Coffee, he needed coffee and lots of it, that would clear his brain and help him work out what to do.

  He let her sleep well into the morning while he sat on the balcony overlooking the man-made lagoon, drinking coffee and trying to come up with a plan. For crying out loud, he ran a multi-million pound operation, made deals with some of the biggest players on the current construction scene, what was so difficult about this? Ok so he loved her, it didn’t mean she loved him, didn’t mean it was meant to be a permanent thing. People fell in and out of ‘love’ all the time, that was common knowledge. So how to fall ‘out of love’ that was what he needed to work out, simple! An hour later he gave up, the truth was he couldn’t come up with one constructive idea. He’d have to wing it, just stick to the plan and in a few days they’d part and maybe then, without her around, he’d be able to start the process of falling out of love. Making his way into the bedroom to wake her he admitted to himself that as a plan it was weak, no denying that but it might just work. Then he saw that she’d tossed and tumbled in the bed and thrown the duvet off. She lay with her back to him, shirt rucked up to reveal the curve of her waist, her round little bottom barely covered by the black silk of her panties made the breath hitch in his throat. He moved forward, sat on the edge of the bed and buried his face in her hair and breathed in her perfume, that scent that was unique to her and he was lost.