by Hoy, E. S
“There is nothing you can say that will stop me so take that look off your face. The other thing you should know is that yes Nathan got a girl pregnant, but she tricked him, hoping he would have to marry her. Secondly he has paid her to keep this baby so he can take care of it when it is born; she is currently in a luxury suite being cared for as she was at risk of premature labour. Nathan is paying for her to remain in hospital to protect her and the baby. The girl in question has already signed papers to give him full custody of his daughter the moment she is born that makes him a hero in my book.” Eve watched as a number of emotions flitted across Michaels face, he took a moment before he finally responded
“The baby is a girl?” Eve nodded wondering where this was headed “Then she will be like a surrogate granddaughter if you two can make this work won’t she?” Eve frowned; this was a turn around, not one she was comfortable with.
“Well then it sounds like he is perfect for you, you must make this work; that child needs a mother too and you can’t have a child of your own this may be your chance” Eve felt like he had slapped her across the face, how did he know that? Tara! She must have told him more details than Eve had. How dare he turn this round to infer Eve should be with Nathan to get her hands on a baby? Deciding not to part ways after a huge row she ushered him out of the house, before she said something she may regret and so she could pack. Michael looked apologetic as he said goodbye
“Eve, tell Nathan I am sorry; for the attack and for being so judgemental, I will make it up to you when you return. Perhaps I could cook for you both.” Eve grabbed the opportunity to answer the question in the anonymous note.
“Could we eat over at the vicarage? I take it you still stay there? Is the current vicar still poorly?” Michael definitely looked shaken at her questions
“He is bed ridden and no we would not eat there he has a nurse to tend him and the place smells of death.” He shuddered and Eve took his word at face value. As she watched him walk away she spotted the female reporter following him at a distance. Eve closed the door focusing herself on the task at hand, her ride would be here in an hour so she needed to get cracking.
Chapter 13
Eve had practically wet herself when they were taken to first class on the huge jumbo jet. They had their own little area with large leather seats that reclined into beds. An hour in to the flight and she was still fiddling with all the buttons and gadgets surrounding her. Nathan watched with amusement, she was so endearing and a pleasure to treat, everything was new and exciting and her enthusiasm was infectious. After drinking a glass of champagne Eve decided she had better grill Nathan for information about his family. She only knew the bare essentials and wanted to be fully warned in case she put her foot in anything.
“Nathan I need the low down on your sister and parents, everything I need to know please. Start with your dad his name is Grant isn’t it?” Nathan smiled and nodded
“Grant Matheson, sixty years old this year, raised in Denver Colarado, studied media and photography and went on to be an executive producer for Fox network. My father retired five years ago but still advises free-lance. He married my mother in 1983, my mother was only seventeen and my father thirty so some frowned at the age gap. They have proved the doubters to be wrong and are as far as I am aware very happy together.” Eve urged him to continue
“My mother Rachel, was an apprentice at Fox Network which is how they met. She was a runner then a camera operator. She gave up work to be a full time mother to myself when she was twenty and then three years later Victoria my sister arrived. My mother is now a professional photographer and celebrities are queuing to have her shoot them, she is amazing.
Victoria is a fashion designer working for herself, she has a boutique store in Los Feliz and is doing rather well. She dreams of being featured in Vogue or worn by stars on the red carpet, maybe she could design for your next premier? I bet she would kill to dress your body.” Eve was flattered and blushed.
“With the name Matheson I would have thought she would be an instant hit?” Nathan smiled proudly
“Vic’s considers trading on her legacy cheating; she wants to make it alone. Her brand is VCM so nobody associates it with the name Matheson. Obviously if she gets noticed it will become public knowledge but at least she will have got that far on her own merits. I am proud of her and that is why I began my acting career over in the UK. I didn’t want people to assume my father had pulled strings for me and so far it has worked.” Eve reflected on his words and felt a little proud of herself too, she had always been alone. The way Nathan described family as an obstacle took a little time to get her head around.
They ate a hot meal together; Nathan didn’t have much of an appetite but the steak and gratin potatoes went down very well with Eve. They settled themselves into a comfortable position to watch a movie and drift off to sleep. Eve couldn’t imagine travelling any other way now; this was incredible she felt like the luckiest girl alive.
The flight went smoothly and before she knew it they were both seated in a limo heading for Loz Feliz. Apparently the villa was in the hills and had a private pool; Eve had hardly any summer clothes and didn’t own any swimwear so she would have to visit a few shops while she was here. It would be a shame to have come all this way and not make use of the pool, Eve hadn’t ever learned to swim but she loved the feeling of being in water. She wondered whether Nathan would find it amusing that she couldn’t swim; she would try and cover by just dipping her feet in maybe or staying in the shallow end.
The Matheson residence looked stunning, it had a private entrance complete with a security guard. It was no wonder Nathan didn’t have any empathy for her upbringing; how could a person with all this wealth ever be able to understand what it is like to have nothing. The driveway swept around to the front elevation, the style was almost Georgian in design, Eve’s favourite period. She loved the symmetry of buildings with a door in the centre and equal numbers of windows either side. The door was opened by a woman who must be a housekeeper of some kind.
“Nathan do you have staff here?” He nodded looking suitably embaressed aware that his privileged life may offend some.
“We have Shona our housekeeper, her husband Bob is the grounds man and occasional butler when my parents are entertaining. We have a couple of maids who clean and make the beds and a resident chef.” Eve shook her head in disbelief, she was wearing her comfy travelling clothes her hair was scraped back and she was walking into a mansion. Eve felt like she should use the rear staff entrance as she certainly didn’t fit in with the family. The divide between their two lives suddenly hit her like a juggernaut, how could they possibly blend when they were so different. Eve was now shaking with nerves and Nathan could feel them as she was helping him in to the house.
“Eve stop doubting who you are, you are an actress remember, homes like this could one day be yours. Everything you see will be within your reach, embrace this chance and don’t write yourself off. My parents will love you; they both came from nothing and have all this because they deserve it. Don’t make assumptions about them before you meet them, you may find you are pleasantly surprised.” Shona greeted them warmly after staring fondly at Nathan;
“You look terrible; I have an ointment that will help with those bruises, I will have Trinity bring it up to you later.” Shona turned to Eve “It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Eve, I hope you had a pleasant trip, we have put you in adjoining bedrooms as I felt maybe with your injuries Mr Matheson you may need extra room in the bed.” Nathan smiled and thanked her whilst Eve stared at the floor mortified. Nathan shuffled into what must be the main living room; it was a huge space with an enormous fireplace. Why they need a fire in Los Angeles though she had no idea, the temperature never dropped below the sixties.
They sat in the huge sofas and Eve felt tiny in the expanse of leather, Nathan held her hand tightly and gave her a calming squeeze. It was strange because to them it was three in the morning but over here seven at night, e
ffectively two hours after they had set off. It hurt Eve’s brain trying to work it out. Nathan had advised they fit straight into US time so they would be going to bed in a few hours when at home she would be getting up. Jet lag was something Eve hadn’t experienced but she was certainly feeling disorientated now. Nathan’s family were just finishing their evening meal so would join them any minute now. Shona brought a tray with a pot of tea, Eve smiled gratefully at her, she was used to English people by the look of it. Eve almost spilt her tea when she heard footsteps and laughter coming their way. Walking assuredly into the room was the three people who Nathan cared most about in the world. Rachel gasped in horror at Nathan’s injuries; she was sitting beside him before she could blink.
“Nathan you never said it was that bad; you should have let us come over to you, that journey wouldn’t have done you any good at all” she halted herself and turned to Eve “How rude of me, what must you think.” Rachel stood up as did Eve; and the two women faced each other. Rachel was taller than Eve by a couple of inches which made her around five foot nine. She was elegant and almost ethereal in appearance, auburn hair that was choppy and shoulder length. She was slender and had the most amazing bone structure, her cheekbones were stunning. It was clear she was a creative person judging by the wonderful kaftan she was wearing.
“Eve we are honoured to have you stay here with us, thank you for taking care of my firstborn. This is my husband Grant” Eve could see a striking resemblance to Nathan, the same square jaw and thick hair. Grant was over six feet, his hair was grey but he was in amazing shape for his age, he could pass for at least ten years less. Eve wondered fleetingly whether they had both taken advantage of LA’s reasonably priced cosmetic procedures. Sue had warned her that the eyebrows of LA never rose, however they both seemed able to frown easily enough. They were probably wondering why she hadn’t yet said a word.
“Hello it’s lovely to meet you both, thanks for letting me stay here, you have a beautiful home.” Rachel beamed with pleasure then Victoria stepped forward, she was slender and tall like her father, red hair like her mum in a stunning pixie hair cut that framed her perfect face. Eve loved her dress it was a style she had never seen in any shops.
“You must be Victoria, I have heard about your fashion business, I have to say if that dress is one of yours you have made a sale already” Victoria looked thrilled
“Eve you have an amazing body I hope you let me loose on you? I saw the dress you wore to the premier it was stunning. Nathan says you are not into labels and shopping, I find it hard to imagine but I see he is probably right” Eve turned crimson at the obvious reference to her current appearance.
“Oh Eve sorry that was so tactless, I didn’t mean you look bad, well you do look scruffy but not awful. Oh dear I need to shut up don’t I?” Nathan gave her a warning glance and Rachel changed the subject. The conversations became more relaxed and Eve found herself liking the Matheson’s, they seemed very down to earth and seemed to accept her presence with grace. Eve noticed how tired Nathan was looking and he was beginning to slurr his words and Eve sensed his discomfort and spoke directly to his mum.
“We need to get some rest if that is okay with you, Nathan needs his meds. The journey was long and has taken it out of him don’t you think? He looks very pale to me.” Rachel smiled warmly at her, and agreed instructing Grant to help Nathan climb the stairs. Eve left the two men to get Nathan into bed, whilst she had a nosey around their suite with Rachel. She showed her where towels were kept and how to operate the space age uber classy shower. Eve decided to try it out as soon as she was alone. They wandered back to the huge monster bed where Nathan was now settled, Rachel kissed his forehead and hugged Eve good night. Nathan gave her a mischievous smile as soon as they were alone.
“There is plenty of room if you want to squeeze in here with me?” Eve smiled she had hoped he would say that, she was a long way from home and was feeling a bit vulnerable. After spending fifteen minutes in the bathroom showering and slipping her pyjamas on, she walked back into the bedroom, Nathan was fast asleep. Eve slid under the sumptuous covers and gently stroked the hair from his face; he was stunning despite the swelling and bruising. Eve kissed him and carefully placed her body as close to him as she could without contact and drifted happily into sleep. Dreams were quick to arrive with a bang.
She was running in the cemetery stumbling in the mist searching for something, she was chasing the woman in the baseball cap. “Hurry” she was shouting getting further away from Eve, there was a sense of fear that consumed her causing her to gasp for breath. “Tara” she shouted and then someone was grabbing her holding her down, she wrestled free then her eyes shot open and she was looking into the eyes of Nathan.
“Eve it is okay you are with me, what was happening you shouted for Tara?” Eve recalled the dream vividly
“She was in trouble, I couldn’t find her I was in the grave yard chasing the woman in the cap” Nathan looked puzzled
“What woman in the cap?” Eve told him about the woman who had found Freud and always watched the house
“It doesn’t sound like a reporter are you sure? Seems odd she hovers around in plain sight, what does she look like?” Eve frowned, she had no idea, and all she had seen was the mouth as the cap covered her face and hair. They snuggled back down together Nathan wrapped his arm around her and they lay that way until the sun began to rise. Eve was anxious after her dream, she had a very unsettling feeling that something was wrong; she picked up her mobile and sent a text to Tara. It was almost lunch time in the UK so she would be almost on her lunch break. She asked her to ring as soon as she was able then she settled down to wait.
Chapter 14
It was now eight in the morning and Eve’s stomach was rumbling, Nathan had managed to fall back to sleep. She dressed quietly and went down stairs to get some breakfast; Shona greeted her when she had finally found the kitchen.
“Good morning Miss, you can go to the dining room and I will bring you something if you like?” Eve looked around at the cabinets and top of the range utilities; she was amazed at the size of everything over here. The fridge was like a wardrobe the cooker was the size of small car. She walked over to the small table with four chairs and sat down.
“I would love to eat here if that’s okay with you? Do you have cereals at all?” Shona read out a huge list of options which made her stomach growl and her salivary glands swell.
“Mmm I will try the eggs benedict if that’s okay? It sounds lovely” Shona smiled with pleasure
“That is also Mr Matheson Juniors preferred breakfast; I trust he is resting so I will make him some to take up stairs to him.” Eve decided that was an excellent idea, in fact she would eat up there with him. So twenty minutes later she was carrying two mugs of steaming coffee while Shona held a tray of food and they entered the bedroom together. Nathan had woken and was sitting up
“Wow room service, cool thanks ladies, I hope you are joining me Eve?” Shona left the tray on the dressing table and left the room smiling. Eve carried the drinks over and placed them on the bedside cabinets. They sat side by side and tucked into their restaurant quality breakfasts, Eve was in heaven as the runny yoke dripped off her fork. Nathan was staring at her with a familiar look on his face;
“Cool it lover boy that is off the menu until your ribs heal!” she finished her breakfast smiling at his sulky expression. Noticing the time Eve wondered why Tara hadn’t rang so got her phone out again. Her lunch break would be almost over so she dialled her number and waited, the phone went straight to answer machine. Leaving a stern message to call her urgently Eve tried to stop worrying about her friend, she texted Sue and got an immediate reply. Tara was fine her credit was low on her phone that was all; Tara had arranged to go to Sue’s the day after tomorrow. Tara had known Eve would try her sister so sent her a message not to worry. Happy again Eve turned back to Nathan
“Sorry Nathan I just couldn’t relax after my dream until I knew she was okay, I
have my answer now so I am all yours again.” Nathan pulled her onto his lap and awaiting erection for a kiss that left her breathless, Eve could see how turned on Nathan was. Knowing he may harm his recovery if he got carried away she wriggled down under the covers, Nathan gasped his approval as her tongue flicked across his cock. Fisting him with her hand she took his length to the back of her throat using her lips to cocoon him.
Nathan reached down to her and grasped her hair holding her in place as his penis thickened with desire, she heard him curse loudly and knew he was almost there. The fact that they had been a part from each other had increased his desire enormously, taking him even deeper she felt him tremble. Eve stroked his scrotum and suddenly felt his cum spurt down her throat; she swallowed quickly and found herself dragged upwards and lying flat on her back. Nathan’s mouth closed over hers and he took no prisoners, the kiss was almost painful with its intensity. His hands found her wetness and before she could protest he had inserted two fingers inside her. His thumb pressed against her clit with enough pressure to send her spiralling into a climax sending her pulse racing.
Eve lay back on the pillow panting; Nathan still leant over her with an expression that stopped her heart. She blinked hard registering the depth of emotion in his eyes, he was about to speak but Eve couldn’t allow him to. She sat upright and turned away from him
“We should show our faces really, Shona will have told the others we have had breakfast so they know we are awake. I will jump in the shower, do you need a hand or can you dress alone?” Eve wouldn’t make eye contact and headed straight for the shower. Standing under the powerful jets she sobbed quietly to herself, she felt like a coward. Nathan had been about to profess his love of that she was certain, why didn’t she let him? Eve didn’t want him to say it to her ever, it would mean the end. Always when they loved her they destroyed her, she would never let that happen ever again.