“What are you thinking about?” Charlie had snuck up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“These photos are amazing,” I muttered.
“Well, they’re nothing compared to who I am photographing today.”
“Really? Who’s coming?” I questioned, even more excited than before. Would it be a world leader? Or perhaps a Hollywood star?
“She is amazing, and no doubt the most beautiful woman on this planet.” I turned to look at him as jealousy began to overtake me. “Shannon, you do know it’s you, don’t you?” Charlie chuckled.
“What?” I replied, completely shocked.
“Shannon, I am photographing you.” I looked at him blankly. Was he serious? Why would Sir Straton want me in his book? “Come on. Liz and Sally are waiting to get you ready.” Charlie pulled me along, still chuckling to himself.
I knew that wicked smile of his from earlier meant he was up to no good. Why hadn’t I listened to myself?
Chapter Fifteen
Once I was ready, the girl reflected back at me in the mirror was barely recognizable. I had never felt more pampered in my life. My dress was a beautiful red satin that cascaded down my body flawlessly, and my hair was pulled into tight ringlets. I ran my hands down the dress in awe and then noticed a single white rose in my hair. The look was timeless; I could have been a beauty from an old 1930’s movie.
“Shannon,” Charlie stood looking at me in wonderment. “You look…stunning.”
“Thank you,” I blushed. “I still can’t believe this.”
“You really had no idea?”
“Why would Sir Straton want me in his book? I haven’t done anything even remotely interesting,” I complained, moving into place in front of the white screen.
Charlie was about to speak when someone called over him. “Miss Downing, how can you think you are not interesting?” I froze as Sir Straton came into my view. I had never spoken to him directly before, and looking at him now, I felt a little uncomfortable. “You lived your whole life not knowing who you were, and then you discover you are the lost heir to Downing International. Can you not see why people relate to you? Why they want to see the person behind the face?” Sir Straton crossed the room, taking the camera from Charlie to peer at me through the lens. “I have to say, Miss Downing, the camera never lies. You are a true beauty.” I blushed, looking down in embarrassment. I hated having my photo taken. Charlie smirked at me as he read the expression on my face. “Here, Charlie.” Straton handed the camera back to him. “I will leave you to it. I think you will know more about Miss Downing than me, having studied her more closely than I have.” Straton patted Charlie on the back. “Keep up the good work, my boy, and thank you, Miss Downing, for agreeing to be part of my life’s work.”
My mouth was still hanging open. “Shan, you can relax now. He’s gone,” Charlie smiled.
“I just spoke to a legend.”
“I speak to him all the time, and don’t let him hear you say that. His head is big enough as it is. Did you know he is having lunch with the queen tomorrow? The Queen.”
“Wow.” I wondered if I would ever have lunch with the Queen. I knew my mother had met her on a few occasions, but it just all seemed too surreal to me.
“Right. Let’s get on with this so I can take you to lunch after.”
“Lunch?” I beamed.
“Yes, but I have to get some shots first.”
“Charlie, you know I hate having my photo taken,” I moped.
“You shouldn’t. Do you realize how beautiful you are?” He strolled towards me, lifting my chin up to press his lips against mine. “No picture will compare to yours in this book now.”
“You are so biased,” I smiled.
“Maybe I am, but I don’t care.”
While Charlie snapped away, arranging me in one pose after another, I was taken aback by how sensual the experience was. Feeling his eyes on me as he studied the best position was extremely sexual, and before I knew it, my body was yearning to be touched. I had to hold it back, of course, because he was working. I couldn’t take advantage of that.
I tried to count to ten as he walked over to me again, moving a single stray hair from my face. My whole body was burning. I could feel the heat smoldering in the pit of my stomach.
“You look a little flustered, Sweetheart. Are you alright?” Charlie asked, looking down at me.
“It’s just a little hot in here,” I lied, fanning myself.
“We’re almost done now, and then we can go for lunch.” I swallowed hard as I looked into his blue-green eyes. Lunch was the farthest thing from my mind at that moment as I began to drown in my love for him.
We were alone in the studio. All the make-up artists and stylists had left before Straton turned up, and as Charlie took his last shot, my desire was really starting to fight through my barriers.
“Can you help me out of this dress?” I asked as he began to pack his things away. He looked up at me with a smile, making my heart hammer embarrassingly loud. As he stood behind me and slowly began to undo the back of my dress, my breathing became erratic.
“God, you are so beautiful,” Charlie muttered, planting kisses down my neck as my dress slowly fell to the floor. I leaned back towards him, feeling the ecstasy of his hands roaming over my body.
“Charlie, we need to stop before I lose control,” I muttered.
“I’ve already lost control,” he replied, spinning me around to face him as his lips crashed fiercely against mine.
My whole body clung to his as he pushed me back against the far wall.
“Should we be doing this? What if someone comes in?” I muttered, not really caring if anyone did walk in on us.
“It’s your own fault for looking so beautiful. I’ve had to control myself for the last four hours. I can’t hold it back any longer,” he almost roared with passion. I sighed, becoming lost in him. We both had the same desire for each other, and I hoped that would never change.
Charlie helped me into my own clothes after we regained control an hour later. I wouldn’t have known if anyone had walked in on us, anyway. I was so overtaken by the untainted passion. Charlie had totally consumed me.
I went to remove the white rose from my hair when he caught my hand.
“No, leave it in,” Charlie smiled as I looked at him in confusion. “It was my idea about the white rose. Straton wanted you all in red, including a red rose in your hair, but I managed to persuade him otherwise.”
“Why would it matter what color rose I wore?”
“It’s silly, really. I wanted a piece of me in the photo with you.” Now I was really confused. “Men will fall in love with you, Shannon, just by a single glimpse of these photos. I’ll be able to cope with that by knowing the true meaning behind this flower.” Charlie touched the single white rose before kissing me softly on the lips. I was still confused, though. “The red rose is more about passion, whereas the white rose is a symbol of a pure love—a love that will never die.”
“Charlie, you don’t have to worry about…”
“I know, Shan. I trust you with my entire life. I just have a hard time coping when I know the lengths some men will go to try and take you from me,” he smirked, interrupting me.
“You are amazing, did you know that?” I whispered, kissing his lips. “I am so in love with you.”
“Good,” he smiled, crashing his lips passionately against mine. His hands began to roam over my body again.
“I don’t think you should count out the red rose either, Charlie. We do seem to have a lot of passion between us, too,” I giggled against his lips.
“I would have to agree. Perhaps we are a white rose with a flush of red on the petals.” His smirk was full of lust as he pushed me back forcefully against the wall.
Being away from him for four weeks wasn’t so bad if this was how we made up for it. Charlie was right about our rose color. We were, without a doubt, a pure love doused in passion.
It was di
fficult having to leave Charlie behind at the airport. My mother was already on her way with Rachel to Germany for a meeting with the board of directors, so it was just Frank and me as we boarded the private plane.
“Missing him already, Miss Downing?” Frank commented as he pulled out his newspaper.
“Is it that easy to tell?” I smiled weakly, taking a seat next to him.
“You are always more relaxed when you are near Mr. Collins.”
“I know. He just has that effect on me.” I sighed, remembering our time in his studio a few hours ago. Charlie never did get to take me to lunch.
“I won’t ask,” Frank teased, going back to his paper. I laughed to myself before nestling into the seat. My eyes became heavy as we drifted back to Texas.
“Shannon, you have post,” Grace called from the living room.
I skipped down the stairs, pulling my messy long brown hair into a tight bun. “What sort of post?” I questioned, taking the steps two at a time.
“Your favorite sort,” Grace giggled, standing with a bouquet of fresh white roses. “You have a letter, too.”
I beamed, taking the roses and letter from her before settling down in front the log fire. Grace disappeared into the other room as I impatiently tore open the envelope.
Shannon,
The White Rose
The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love
O the red rose is a falcon
And the white rose is a dove
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips,
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips
By John Boyle O’Reilly
I am missing you already.
Notice Me
xxxx
I breathed in the sweet scent of the roses and noticed the slight red flush on every single petal tip. It must have taken Charlie ages to find these exact roses. Would there ever be a day that he didn’t show me just how much he loved me?
“Shannon, I have the reports you asked for. Lorna has just scanned over the last figures.”
“Great,” I smiled, looking at her over the mountain of paperwork on my desk.
“How is it all looking?”
“Really healthy.”
“Lorna will be pleased.”
“I knew she had it in her to run things while I was here.”
“Shannon?” Grace looked troubled as she sat down in front of me. “Would you hate me if I told you I can’t go back to New York with you?”
“Does this have something to do with Danny?” I smirked.
“He has asked me to marry him.”
I choked when I heard her words. Grace was younger than me. “Marriage…” I finally replied
“I love him, Shannon. I want to be with him.”
“Who am I to stand in the way of love?”
“I’m sorry,” Grace replied. “I will work my notice. I mean, you are here for another two months, so I will help you find a replacement.”
“Grace, it’s okay,” I soothed her panic attack by placing my hand on hers. “I understand, but trust me, you will be hard to replace.”
“Thank you, Shannon,” she sighed as I looked at her face. I was envious of the happiness in her eyes. Grace had made her choice and would never have to let her love go. Wasn’t it about time I made that choice? Charlie was all I would ever want, so what was I waiting for?
Chapter Sixteen
The weeks drifted by and I was slowly going insane. Rachel’s huge secret was crushing me more with each moment I spent with Charlie. How could I lie to him so easily when he loved me the way he did?
Charlie managed to visit Texas a few times in my last eight weeks, but towards the end, things got too busy for him. Each time he left, he took a tiny piece of me with him. I wasn’t sure how much of me was left anymore.
Rachel had agreed to keep to her promise and tell him once he got back to New York. Mac was apparently happy with that, and promised not to tell Charlie himself.
As for my own life, my mother was happy that I was ready to take some of the pressure off her. My doomsday was looming. I would soon be thrown into a world I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready for, but would I ever truly be ready? Would anybody be ready to take over half of a multi-billion dollar company? I had to take comfort in the fact that it was in my blood. This was my birthright—I just had to find a thirst for it. How else would I succeed and make my mother proud?
“You seem lost in your thoughts, Miss Downing,” Frank stated as he came up behind me while I was sitting on the wooden fence.
“Have you ever been married, Frank?” I asked, watching the midday sun ripple across the Black Mountains.
“I can’t say that I have, Miss Downing,” he choked, startled by my question. “I’m not sure I am the person you should be talking to about these matters, either.” As he spoke, one person entered my head and I leapt off the fence to go find her telephone number.
I hadn’t seen Mrs. Gray since that fateful day over a year and a half ago. Everything had happened so fast, and truthfully, I never got the chance to thank her. She saved me by sending my letter to Charlie, and for that, I would forever be in her debt.
“Shannon, my dear,” Mrs. Gray pulled me into a tight embrace as she stood on my doorstep a few days later, “just look at you. You are glowing.”
“It’s so good to see you!” I was actually sobbing. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed her until now.
“Oh, my dear, no tears. You got your Prince, remember?” she cooed, touching my cheek.
“I never got the chance to thank you,” I whispered. “You saved me. I will never be able to thank you enough.”
“Don’t be silly. Mr. Collins would have come without that letter. I’m sure of it.”
We sat like old friends as I explained everything that had happened so far.
“You really have some life, Shannon Downing. Downing—I’m not sure I will ever get used to that,” she laughed.
“I know. It was a shock for me, too, when Charlie first told me.”
“And here you are, ready to step into your mother’s shoes. I am so proud of you, Shannon. I can see what a strong woman you have turned into.”
“I don’t always feel so strong,” I admitted as moisture filled my eyes. “It’s been so much to take in, and I…” Unchecked, the tears began running down my cheeks. Nothing was easy for me anymore, and all I really wanted, was to just be with Charlie.
“My dear, what’s wrong?”
“I feel like my life isn’t my own anymore, and all I want is…Charlie.”
“Shannon, you have Charlie,” Mrs. Gray smiled, shaking her head. “The rest will come with time. It can’t be easy adjusting to all of this.”
“I want to marry Charlie, but I’m afraid it’s too soon,” I sobbed. I knew it wasn’t the real reason I was crying, but it felt good as Mrs. Gray comforted me.
“Oh…is that why I’m here—to plan your wedding?”
“I was hoping you would give me some advice,” I begged.
“Shannon, I think you already know the answer.” She sipped her tea while looking at me. “You didn’t need to drag me to Texas to tell you whether you should marry Mr. Collins or not. You have always known the answer to that.”
“I should marry him if it feels right,” I beamed.
“Only you know your own heart, my dear. If you feel ready for that step, take it. Life is too short sometimes,” Mrs. Gray smiled, and I couldn’t help but beam in agreement. She was right.
“Have you heard much from the Field family recently?” I asked as I gazed out of the window a while later.
“Not after I left the island. I hate that family…knowing what they did to you. I have refused to ever work for them again. I don’t care how much money they offer me.” Mrs. Gray touched my hand softly. “That last night when you ran out from your beach hut, what had Mr. Field do
ne?”
“I…I…” I was stunned as the memories came flooding back and I began to shake uncontrollably. “He tried to…force…himself on me.”
“Shannon, my dear, I am so sorry! I had my suspicions, but I never…” Mrs. Gray stroked my arm, lost for words.
“It’s alright. Will didn’t touch me. I wouldn’t have given him the satisfaction of having me.”
“William Field is an evil creature, but I cannot believe he tried to force himself on you. If I had known, I would have…” Mrs. Gray stopped suddenly, looking towards the doorway.
“He did what?!” A thunderous voice came from the doorway behind. Of all the times Charlie wanted to surprise me, of course it would be now.
“Oh…Mr. Collins. What a lovely surprise! It’s wonderful to finally meet you. I’m Mrs. Gray.” She was trying to calm the situation.
Charlie looked straight through her, glaring at me. “Shannon, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Charlie, don’t be rude. Mrs. Gray is talking to you. You remember me telling you about her, don’t you? She was the one who sent my letter to you,” I replied, a little embarrassed by his outburst.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Gray. It’s lovely to finally meet you, but I am alarmed at the words I just heard. William Field tried to force himself on Shannon.”
“I think I will just leave the two of you alone for a moment.” Mrs. Gray touched my cheek softly and smiled. “We can finish our catch up later.”
Charlie was in front of me in an instant. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me, Shannon? When did this happen? Was it while Will was blackmailing you?”
“Charlie, relax. It was the night before the wedding. I hit him in the crotch and ran—nothing happened.”
“Shannon, it isn’t okay. He could have hurt you.”
“But he didn’t,” I smiled, kissing his lips. “You saved me, remember?”
“I don’t like secrets between us,” Charlie muttered, resting his forehead against mine. “Promise me no more secrets.”
“I promise.” My heart ached from the deceit. How could I lie to him like this? I should have just told him right then, but the timing was all wrong.
Embrace Me Page 14