‘Come with me.’
Before I had chance to ask him where, he’d scooped me off my feet and into his arms, carrying me across the overgrown area where he’d been working. He took me behind a large shed that housed the mowers and tools. Putting me down on my feet again, he pushed me against the wooden structure, his arms spread wide either side of me, pinning me beneath his embrace. Not that I had any intention of escaping. My lips reached out for his, wanting more of his kisses, to feel the firm hardness of his body up against mine. I felt light-headed with the heat or desire, I wasn’t sure which. All I knew was that I wanted Max with a desperate longing that surprised me with its earthy intensity.
‘Should we go back to the house?’ I asked, my voice low and breathy, even though I wasn't certain my legs would carry me there.
‘No,’ he answered forcefully. His hand swept up inside my dress, stroking the top of my thigh, his fingers teasing me as they stroked and massaged my skin, my body buckling to his touch. My hand reached out for the button of his jeans, releasing its hold on his fullness, my hand grasping his erection, his eyes locking with mine before they fluttered closed with desire.
Max was a master of foreplay, but not today, there wasn’t time. Both of us were lost to the moment, hungry for each other. He fingers moved beneath the elastic of my knickers, finding the warm soft moistness waiting for him there. I gasped as he pushed his way inside me, my body accepting and longing for him. I moved my hips, lifting my pelvis up against his, to accommodate his body as he drove deeper and faster inside me, every movement of his taking me to a higher peak of pleasure, my arousal fuelling Max’s own desire, until I could hold on no longer, my release coming in a heartfelt gasp of pleasure, with Max shuddering to his own release at the same time.
After a tender moment held tight in his arms, he pulled away from me smiling, his gaze devouring me just as greedily as his body had done a moment ago.
‘You are a very bad influence, Max Golding.’
‘No, you’re mistaken. I’m a very good influence, I think you’ll find.’ He ran his hands through my hair, wrapping strands around his fingers. ‘Just think if you were to move in here with me we could have moments like this all the time.’
It was the first time we'd spoken about it since our discussion at the pub, although I’d spent many hours mulling it over in my own mind.
‘Oh my goodness, but can you imagine? I’d never get any work done.’
‘Oh, sweetheart,’ he said whispering in my ear. ‘I imagine it all the time.’
Rearranging my dress and tidying my hair back up on top of my head, I laughed his comment away. It was flattering to think that Max was still keen on me moving in with him, but despite how much I adored him, how much I loved his company and the positive effect he had upon my well-being, it still scared me to the very core of my being. Maybe six months down the line I’d feel differently about the situation. Who knew, maybe six months down the life Max would be feeling differently too.
‘There’s so much going on at the moment; it’s such a busy time for us at the pub and then there’s Katy to consider, and we’ve got Stella’s christening and the summer fair coming up. It’s not the right time, Max.’
He chewed on his lip, smiling, as though he was just humouring me . ‘There’s no better time,’ he replied, ‘but look, I’m not going to put any pressure on you. It’s up to you. I want you to come and live with me because you want to not because you’ve been persuaded into it. I’m a patient man. I can wait.’
I allowed myself a wry smile. Max was the least patient person I knew. He went full speed at everything he applied himself to, grabbing anything he wanted there and then with a determined urgency and I had no reason to expect that he was any different in his personal relationships.
‘Fancy some lemonade?’ he asked me now, turning away and wandering off towards the shed.
‘Ooh, yes please.’ I went after him, expecting to follow him up to the house to grab a drink but instead he delved around in a cool box in the shed and pulled out a bottle of lemonade, pouring it into two plastic cups. ‘How very civilised,’ I said, laughing.
I drank the whole lot in one fell swoop, the cold bubbles welcoming and refreshing, revitalising me against the oppressive heat, and I immediately held my cup out to Max so that he could pour me another.
‘Come on, let’s go and sit down.’ Max pulled a tartan check blanket out from a box in the shed and handed it to me, while he carried out the cool box and cups. Leading me through another cutaway, we came to a smaller secluded garden, this one with a round lawn with a bird water fountain at is centre.
‘Oh my goodness, the grounds just go on and on. I didn’t even know this place existed.’
Max chuckled. ‘I call it the secret garden for that very reason. You’re honoured, not everyone gets to sample the delights of this little place.’
‘I should hope not either,’ I said, giggling.
Max shook out the blanket and laid it on the ground, placing the cool box on top, and I sat down beside it on the grass, falling backwards, stretching my arms out to the side, revelling in the sun’s warmth.
‘Cheese sandwich?’
‘What?’ I turned to look up at Max, laughing.
‘You can have half of my sandwich if you like. If I’d known we'd be having lunch together, I would have prepared a proper picnic. I’m afraid this is all I can offer you.’
‘No, don’t worry. I’m not even hungry.’ My limbs felt heavy and tired from all the earlier exertions, and my head dizzy, from the effects of the sun and Max, I suspected. I would grab something to eat later back at the pub. Now I just wanted to savour the moment. If I closed my eyes, I felt sure I’d be fast asleep in a matter of minutes. ‘Where is everyone today then? It’s so quiet down here.’
‘The guys have gone off to the cottages to do some work there. Gives me a chance to come down here and get my hands dirty.’
He flashed me a smile as he said it and I had to wonder if he was talking about gardening or something else entirely. He’d lost his shirt altogether now, his strong broad chest glistening under the sun’s rays, his long legs stretched out on the grass in front of him with his body supported on one elbow as he looked down at me. I ran my hands over the grass, to take my mind off Max, the short stubbly blades tickling the palms of my hand.
‘How’s Katy doing?’ I asked him.
‘Better. She’s seems a lot happier in herself these days. I think she’s relieved to get everything out in the open. I’m going to see if I can get Mum over for a few days in the summer. Maybe on neutral ground, they can start to rebuild their relationship.’
‘Yeah, I guess it will take time.’
‘At least she’s looking forward now. Thanks to you for the job at the pub. It’s been a godsend to her, it’s given her a real focus to her week. And then she’s got her college course to look forward to in the autumn. You know, I’m really quite pleased that she's sticking around.'
‘Oh, me too,’ I said smiling. Funny how in such a relatively short space of time and despite all the difficulties, she'd warmed her way into our hearts.
‘Things are finally coming right for Katy,’ said Max. ‘I just hope she doesn’t do anything silly in the meantime.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Well, she’s spending an awful lot of time with that lad, Ryan.’ Max grimaced and shook his head. ‘I suspect he has something to do with her improved mood too. She’s only seventeen. I do hope she’s being sensible.’
I laughed. ‘Oh, Max, you’re sounding like a Victorian father. Katy’s very sensible, she’s shown us that. Okay, she’s had her moments, but then she wouldn’t be a normal teenager if she didn’t let her hair down occasionally. What is it you’re worried about exactly?’
‘Well, I know what young men are like, they’ve only got one thing on their minds and Katy doesn’t need any extra challenges right now.’
‘Ah right! So you don’t fancy being an uncle then?’
‘No I most certainly don’t,’ he said, shuddering. ‘I’d definitely be sending her back to Spain if that happened.’
‘Have you spoken to her about it?’
‘What? Are you kidding? Can you imagine how that conversation would go down?’
‘Well look, I can have a word with her if you’d like me to. Nothing too heavy. Just point her in the direction of the Health Centre, so if she does need any help or advice, she knows where to go. But do you know, I expect Katy has it all sussed anyway.’
‘That would be perfect.’ He rolled over on top of me, grasping my face in his hands. ‘You see, this is why I need you in my life, Ellie. You make everything so much easier, so much more manageable.’
‘Oh, stop it, you old flatterer you,’ I said, pushing him away.
He rolled over onto his back and pulled me over on top of him, laughing. My hands couldn’t help themselves from rolling over the contours of his chest, as he reached up to me and caressed my breasts through the thin fabric of my dress.
‘I mean it. It’s one of the things I love about you, Ellie. The way you bring people together. I suspect you don’t even know you’re doing it half the time, but you do it at work, at the pub. And you do it here with me and Katy and my mum. If it wasn’t for you, we’d probably all still be at each other’s throats.’
‘Aw, that’s such a sweet thing to say’ I said, delighting in the lovely things he was telling me while desperately trying to ignore the tingling sensations his hands were inflicting on my body.
‘It’s true.’ A smile lifted up the corners of his lips. ‘And there’s something else I love about you, Ellie.’
‘Really, what’s that?’ Him telling me he loved me twice in the last minute or so had probably done more to send me into my current state of meltdown than the magic his touch was weaving.
‘Your freckles.’
‘Ugh. No,’ I said, trying to swipe them away from my face with my hands. The first sign of any sun and my face was covered in those pesky tell-tale sun spots.
‘Yeah, they’re so cute.’
He pulled my face down to kiss me, and when I came up for breath again, he hooked me with a gaze that drew me into the depths of his soul. Hmm, I couldn’t deny the strength of my feelings for him even if I wanted to.
‘I love you too, Max.’
Twenty-Four
Later, when I arrived back at the pub, I found the place pretty much deserted. Apart from a small huddle of guys sat on stools at the bar, it was empty. With all the windows open, the cool stone floors and the dark nooks of the centuries old building, it made a welcome retreat from the heat outside. Although it wasn’t long before I heard chatter and laughter filtering through from the beer garden.
Our cider festival, a new and what I hoped would become a regular event, had definitely brought the crowds in. The barn in the garden had been transformed with colourful bunting, a makeshift bar had been erected and bales of hay had been dotted around doubling up as tables and chairs and giving a suitably country feel. One morning a couple of weeks ago, Dan and I had sat down in the garden and drawn up our menu for the event and we had sourced over twenty different ciders from local makers and artisan producers from around the country. Judging by the way, Dan and Andy were working flat out in there, pouring cider, with people queuing up to try out the different selections, they were going down a treat.
I picked up a tray and went round the tables collecting the empty glasses, chatting to people on my way. Paul and Caroline were sat with Josie, Ethan and baby Stella who was in a little cute romper suit and a sun hat, and I couldn’t resist stopping for a cuddle. Ethan shuffled up so that I could sit down next to him and gladly handed Stella over to me.
‘Now you must promise me you’ll be a good girl for your christening next week,’ I said, whispering in her ear.
‘Ha, I bet she’ll scream the place down when Trish pours water over her head,’ Ethan joked.
‘Well wouldn’t you?’ said Paul.
‘When’s your dad getting back, Josie?’ I asked.
‘Thursday apparently. I can’t wait to see him,’ she grinned. ‘He’s going to notice such a big change in Stella.’
He absolutely would. I held Stella up above my head and she gurgled happily at me, her chuckling infectious. She was a proper little girl now, full of joy and mischief. When Eric left, Stella had still been a babe in arms and now she was crawling all over the place, pulling herself up on the furniture and trying out all sorts of sounds, making herself and everyone else laugh in the process.
I wondered too what Eric would think about the other changes that had taken place in Little Leyton, particularly here at the pub. Would he approve of the beers I was serving, the changes we’d made to the beer garden and the events we were running? Never mind the pub guide inspector, the person whose opinion meant the most to me as far as running the pub was concerned was definitely, Eric. Hopefully he wouldn't be disappointed in any way.
‘Well, as much as I’d like to spend all afternoon cuddling you, young lady, I need to get on.’ I kissed Stella lightly on the forehead and handed her back to her dad, her little legs kicking in approval. I picked up my tray and went on my way.
‘Hello lovely, how are you?’ Betty Masters greeted me from another table. ‘Come and sit down for a moment.’
I duly obliged, allowing myself a small smile. This little job was going to take me some time at this rate. Not that it was a problem. I’d arranged for extra bar staff to be on this afternoon anticipating how busy we would be. They were working flat out; Dan and Andy were manning the barn, Gemma and Rich were running the bar indoors, and Katy had just turned up and was doing a grand job of clearing the empties away. Besides, it was part of my role as landlady to give my time to my friends and customers, and I loved to catch up with them all and to hear all their news.
‘I don’t know if you’ve seen, but I’ve left you a little something in the kitchen.’
‘Ooh, not my favourite Bakewell tarts?’
‘Yes, just a few. Well, I know how much you love them. I was only popping in to drop them off on my way home but seem to have got stuck here,’ she said, lifting her head to the sun before taking a sip from her drink. I liked to go across to Betty’s Tea Room at least once a week, for my regular fix of coffee and cake, but if I didn’t show up for any reason, then Betty would always go out of her way to bring her lovely homemade goodies to me.
‘Thank you, Betty. I will definitely slip off later, put my feet up and enjoy one of your special cakes. How are things with you then?’
‘Ooh, busy,’ she laughed. ‘Although I wouldn’t have it any other way. The baking for the summer fair has started in earnest. I’ve already done several batches of scones for the freezer and I shall be baking all of this coming week too in preparation.’
Every year, as well as opening the tea shop on the day of the summer fair, Betty would serve her lovely scones with clotted cream and jam from a stall on the lawn. The day wasn’t complete without one of Betty’s special cream teas.
‘What about you? Are you all ready for the big day?’
‘Pretty much. I’ve organised the staff rotas and ordered my stock in.’ This was the first year I was handling the responsibility all on my own and I didn’t want to mess up. I had to make sure we wouldn’t run out of beer or ice or anything else come to that. As well as our usual selection of beverages, we would be serving jugs of ice-cold Pimms, summer fruit punches and champagne cocktails. It would be one of our busiest days of the year and I wanted to ensure that everything was in place so that there wouldn’t be any last-minute hitches. ‘I’ve been down to the manor today and run through the arrangements there, so everything’s looking good. I just hope I haven’t forgotten anything.’
‘Oh, I’m sure you haven’t, Ellie. I’m so looking forward to it. And the ball in the evening will be a lovely chance for us to all get together and have a good old knees-up. I think we’ll deserve it after all our hard work, d
on’t you?’
‘Definitely.’
Betty narrowed her eyes and peered across the bench at me, taking hold of my hand. ‘I hope you’re not working too hard lovely. You’re looking a bit weary. You’re not overdoing things, are you?’
Great. The second time today that someone had pointed out how rough I was looking. This morning I’d been in such a rush I’d only had time for a quick coating of eyeliner and a light brush of mascara, and I suspected that had all been wiped clean now after my close encounter with Max. Note to self: I really needed to take more time with my make-up routine. I longed to be one of those glamorous landladies who always looked perfectly put-together; just done hair, fully made up eyes and vibrant red lipstick, but somehow I never quite managed it. Jeans, T-shirt, barely-there make-up and wild hair was more my style. Thinking about all things perfectly put-together, a picture of Sasha’s lovely face flittered into my mind and I wondered how she was doing. I felt a tad guilty realising that I hadn't given her the warmest welcome to the village. When I next had a free moment I'd definitely pop in to see her to say a proper hello.
‘No,’ I said brightly now to Betty. ‘I’m fine. It’s nothing that one of your Bakewell tarts won’t put right anyway.’ I glanced around the garden, feeling inordinately proud that all these people had chosen to come and spend their afternoon in my pub, enjoying my hospitality. It was a feeling you really couldn’t beat. ‘Well, it’s lovely to see you, Betty. I suppose I should get on. I’ll catch up with you later,’ I said, patting her on hand.
I picked up my tray again, and went on my way, actually managing to fill it up with empties this time, and returned it indoors to the kitchen, where I put the dirty glasses into some hot soapy water for washing.
‘Thought I spotted you out in the garden.’
‘Ooh hello darling, how are you?’ I’d just come out of the kitchen and walked straight into Polly who gave me a big hug.
‘Yes, good,’ she nodded, a big smile on her face. Already the sun had given her a light golden tan and with her highlighted blonde hair, she looked the absolute picture of health. Much healthier than I did, that was for sure.
Summer at the Dog & Duck Page 21