“And how bad are things?” I’m concerned.
“As bad as they can get Alex. There’s final demands all over the place. The credit rating of the place is through the floor. It’s a limited company so to some extent you’re protected if it goes under, but he owes, you owe a lot. Alex from what we can tell there’s suppliers chasing bills that are over five months old!” He tells me what he’s discovered.
“Oh, I see. What do we do then Gerald?”
I hear another deep breath, very deep like he’s thinking before he starts talking. “Well, that’s up to you. I know you can afford to clear all the debts and really and truly it won’t dent your worth because although the club owes a lot, it’s not that much in the grand scheme of things, just enough for the suppliers to be jumping up and down and to do something radical, if they’re pushed enough. But that said, from what we’ve found out it looks like one or two of them are at the end of their tethers. If they issue final demands, start proceedings and the place goes under you could suffer, loss of reputation and such. If it were me, and let’s not forget it isn’t me, I would buy him out, get rid of him Alex. From what I’ve seen today he’s a liability! Clear the debts and put a manager in, run it yourself. It’s highly profitable, there’s no two ways about it, the place makes money, hell it’s a money factory! But I have no idea, and I mean no idea what he’s doing with it!” I hear him huff.
My doorbell rings, “Thanks Gerald, look I have to go, someone’s at the door. Nothing will happen before Monday, will it?”
“No, you’ve got a couple of weeks I reckon, but looking at the accounts I’ve got here, unless he settles some of the bills in the next few days the creditors will do something, and that will be drastic I’m pretty sure.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll talk to you on Monday.”
“Have a good weekend Alex and I hope you’re okay? Call me if you need anything.”
“I’m fine, really Gerald. Thank you.”
I cut the call. Shit, James said that Nial was bad news.
I check the front door through the spy hole before opening, it’s Benito. “Benito, thank you for coming round.” He steps inside, his exceptionally well cut silver grey suit and white open necked shirt look stunning, especially when being supported from the inside by the amazing frame that he has.
“You’re welcome Alex.” He holds my shoulders and kisses each of my cheeks, the right one first, in quick succession.
“Where’s the package?” He asks, all serious now.
“Kitchen.” I point towards it.
He pulls out his black gloves from his suit jacket and dons them on before handling the Jiffy bag. “So presumably only you and your house keeper have handled this, as far as you know?”
“Yes, I suppose so, and the postman.” I watch him as he picks the package up.
“Yeah, of course.” He flicks through the pictures. “They’re all very amateurish again Alex, these are not the work of any kind of detective, private or otherwise. Someone’s used a box standard point and click for these, really and truly they’re rubbish, as far as photographs go, but they’re having the desired effect as far as you’re concerned.” He looks at me knowingly.
“James mentioned underwear missing as well!” He mouth turns up so lightly, curving into the gentlest of smiles. Why do all these blokes think it’s so funny that my underwear is missing, I bet if I converted it into cash they wouldn’t think it so funny.
“Ummm,” I feel myself flush, “all of it, apart from some of the old stuff I had when I lived with Lewis. All my new things have gone. Some of it hadn’t even been worn. I’ve replaced most of it this morning.”
“And the house keeper hasn’t had it?” He double checks what presumably James has told him, wandering around the kitchen, his eyes everywhere.
“She says not, I’ve looked everywhere. It was there yesterday morning when I got dressed, when I came home I went to get changed and it was all gone, all of it.”
He stands looking through the photographs again, “Can I get you a drink Benito?” I offer.
“Coffee would be great, thanks. Black, no sugar.” His head’s down, looking at the photographs again.
“You don’t like strawberries as well do you?” I half laugh.
“No, why do you ask?” There’s a puzzled look on his face he probably thinks I’m strange, muttering about strawberries, surely he knows about James’ strawberry obsession?
“No reason.” I shut my mouth before I say anymore!
He looks confused even more confused.
I’m just pouring boiling water into the cafetière when James arrives. I hear his key in the front door and then him powering down the hallway, straight into the kitchen.
“Benito mate.” The two men back slap, hug and shake hands. It’s like some sort of animalistic ritual watching them.
“Can you show me where you keep your underwear?” Benito turns towards me, that little grin on his face again. I am not totally convinced that even the sexiest, toughest of men have a touch of the dirty old man inside them, he can’t wait to root through my underwear, it’s so obvious.
“I’ll do it,” James says before I’ve chance to answer, “this way.”
The two go off upstairs.I hear them chat about this and that as they go. I don’t know if I like the thought of two red blooded males, both clearly with high sex drives, looking through my underwear drawer!
I stay sat on a stool at the island and glance at the images at the top of the pile, I resist flicking through them as Benito has already asked about whose handled them. Why is Lewis doing this?
After just a few minutes I hear James and his friend talking as they return downstairs, the conversation not about my missing underwear and the photographs but of who someone they both know getting off with some model last night.
“Has your room been cleaned today?” Benito’s all business again as the comes through to the kitchen, picking up his coffee and taking a long drink.
“I don’t think so, it didn’t need doing anyway. Muriel cleaned Anna’s room, I know that, because she’s Anna’s home tomorrow and I asked for it to be cleaned especially.” My gaze flicks between James and Benito, what are they both thinking, they both look so deep in thought.
Eventually, Benito breaks the silence, “I’m going to get one of my guys to come over and see if there are any prints on the drawers. I’ll need a print of Muriel’s, to rule her out but I don’t want to ask her for one. Is there anything definite that you know she’s touched?”
“Furniture polish – a spray can?” I think of her cleaning, she used the plastic carry box with the cleaning materials.
“Great. I’ll call it in now and I’ll wait with you until we’ve checked for prints. I don’t suppose you’ve got anything that Lewis will have touched?” Benito pulls a stool out, as he continues to look around my kitchen.
“No, not here. Why?” I walk towards James, passing him a coffee that I’ve poured.
“Because, I’m with you Alex. I think it’s him behind all this, we know he’s not at his house anymore but I doubt he’ll be up and around on his own, I just want to be sure, you know.” Benito puts his coffee down as he reaches for his phone to call, presumably, his office.
Within half an hour another big guy arrives with a pilot case, he dusts the can of furniture polish and then goes to our room. He returns a few minutes later. “Nothing mate.”
“Can you look at some of these,” Benito indicates towards the photographs. “See if there are any prints on them, the ones on the inside of the pile haven’t been touched by anyone in the household. The Jiffy bag has been handled by the postman, Alex and her housekeeper. While you’ve got them, see if you can work out where the photographer was standing, Ian may be able to help with that.” The instructions are clear. Benito appears to know his stuff, I just wish I knew a bit more of his background.
“Right you are.” The fingerprint guy mutters as he jiggles the Jiffy bag into a clear plastic bag before
leaving.
“Look Alex, James.” Benito looks at me, “It’s clear that this Lewis bloke, your ex, is hell bent on making your life a misery. We know it’s him behind all this, it doesn’t take a genius to work that out but proving it, well I think it’s just going to take time. But, we’ll do it – we will, I promise you.” He looks at me sincerely as he makes the promise, and even though he’s said all this I don’t know if anyone will ever get rid of him, hell he assaulted me in public and still appears to have got away with it!
“I just want rid of him. Come early October I want my Decree Absolute to be granted and I want him out of my life, for good, forever.” I wring my hands, feeling flushed. He still gets under my skin, no matter how long it’s been since I’ve left him, he’s still there, lurking in the background, making me feel so terribly uneasy and frankly frightened.
Benito stands, “I’m going, but if anything else happens, let me know. I’ll see you James, Alex.” He starts to walk towards the front door.
“Will do mate.” James follows him to the door, there’s more hand shaking and backslapping as Benito leaves.
Chapter 15
Once Benito has gone we both move to the living room, I plonk myself down on the sofa and James joins me. We cuddle, nothing more, he holds a reassuring arm around my shoulder.
“Not long Alex, what is it another four weeks?” His lips brush the top of my head.
“It’s a little longer because of the weekend. But, hey it’s only an extra couple of days.” I laugh. Although the feeling in the pit of my stomach is that it will never happen, Lewis will make this as protracted and nasty as possible.
“It’ll pass quickly,” he’s trying to be positive, “Anna’s home tomorrow, we’re out tomorrow night and then you need to go flat hunting.” There’s a little squeeze on my shoulder, he knows how much I miss my daughter, how much I’m looking forward to seeing her again. “Will you be okay on your own? I don’t think I’ll be able to spare the time to come with you if I’m to hand over to Robbie as quickly as you want me to.”
I look up at him, my head on his shoulder, “I think so, I know Birmingham just a little better than London, although I still used to get lost driving around the place. I do miss the countryside!”
“Do you? Really?”
“I do. You’ve never seen my old house, it’s in a village, not totally rural but quiet enough, one or two small housing developments but a fair bit of farm land and open fields before you go to the nearest town.” I describe where I grew up, where I lived with Lewis. “Relatively quick pace of life, but not like here where everyone goes at 100 miles an hour, back there it was more like sixty!”
He grins, “I’d like to see where you come from.”
“You know where I come from James. I was born here, in London, I only grew up in Staffordshire.” I shuffle around so that I’ve facing him, my legs tucked under me so that I’m side onto him. “You know the very first time I saw you, the time when you were really awkward I thought you were stunning. I thought to myself no wonder Maggie never came home with you and Roger being around the place. She must have missed home though, the countryside, it’s where she came from, at least I think she did? My mum never led me to believe any different.”
“Did you! Really think that?” There’s a surprised look on his beautiful face.
“Yeah, I fell for you hook-line and bloody sinker, there and then, and me, little old Alex Drake was never, ever going to have another man ever again, or at least that’s what I told myself.”
“You’re joking?” He shakes his head, laughing.
“No. Definitely not joking!” I frown at him, I’m deadly serious. “The day I walked out of my home, escaped should I say, I vowed never again. I promised myself that I would never get involved with anyone from the opposite sex, nothing with any commitment anyway. Let’s face it, intimacy didn’t feature in my life for so long and whilst it wasn’t there I didn’t really miss it. But, there were times when I would have given anything for just one night with someone special, I did miss being loved. But you, when I saw you, it was a light bulb moment, you know?”
“I suppose,” he reaches his arm out and I wriggle back around into his shoulder, “fancy a take away?” He whispers.
“Umm. You sort it, I’m going to have a bath.” Standing up from the sofa I head off to the bathroom.
I run the water deep and add my coconut bubbles, once the bath is full and warm I step in and slide down, closing my eyes I relax in the warm water, let the heat soothe me and the scent take me to my far away place. I’m daydreaming about the countryside, the quietness of it. No hassle, hustle or bustle but am drawn from my thoughts as James walks into the bathroom.
“You okay in there?” There’s that wicked grin again.
“I’m fine, relaxed – a bit sleepy.” I’d be even better with you in here.
Kneeling down by the side of the bath he leans forward, his lips brush my against my cheek “Can I help?” I feel his hand on my waist, his fingers moving lightly towards my breast, he squeezes gently rubbing his thumb over my nipple, I gasp. “You like that?” He says.
“Umm.”
He kisses me again. I reach up and run my fingers through his curls, pulling him closer. His fingers trail between my breasts and over my stomach and over my mound, he stops, “You said you’d wax.”
“I know – no guts!” I shrug my shoulders.
“But you had a tattoo?”
“I’ll organise it!” I huff, brushing the comment aside willing him to carry on down my body.
He looks directly at me, it’s that look that makes me feel like he’s looking into me, into my very soul.
His fingers stroke my sex, I quiver throwing my head back, “Alex, I fucking love you!”
Kissing me deeply again he slips a finger inside me, his thumb brushing against my clit, he thrusts his fingers deep into my core his thumb working its magic causing me to cry out, “Hell, James, that is so good!”
“Baby, it’s all about pleasure.” He rumbles.
The warm water gently caresses every inch of me as the Bossman withdraws his fingers. I look at him and pout, “Not fair!”
Laughing he signals for me to get out of the bath, “Out!” He reaches for a bath sheet and holds it out as I walk into the fluffy towel, I look at him, I’m confused but still, he wraps me so gently patting me dry.
“You’re not supposed to soak the ink for too long baby, not yet anyway.” He mumbles as he continues to pat me dry so gently before dropping the towel and slapping my arse. “Bed, now!” He orders, with a smile.
I look at him longingly and scurry off to our bed. I lie back, my head on the soft pillows. I don’t know quite what I’m trying to look like, Cleopatra maybe? Anyway, I assume what I perceive to be a sort of sexy pose and wait for him to come through from the en-suite
I hear him let the water out from the bath tub and then I watch in awe as he walks across the bedroom like a large cat stalking its prey, he’s stripped naked and showing those abs off, they are truly glorious as is the rest of his amazing body. My God, how in the hell did I ever manage to pull a bloke like this, in all the years of being married to Lewis and seeing the flab every time he was home it never crossed my mind that one day I would be living with a man like James. And, no matter how many times I see it, I still cannot get over the size! The size of that thing with the I’m coming to get you look about it.
He climbs on the bed and nudges my legs apart with his knee, sliding between my legs he leans into me, kissing one of my nipples, nipping and lapping. He moves his hand away and I feel his cock at my opening, nudging slowly teasing me and filling me gradually. He makes the most beautiful, slow love holding me tightly, caressing me, caring for me, and paying so much attention – to me.
His rhythm gradually picks up until he’s slamming into me, “Hold on baby.” He growls, I move my hands from his curls to his shoulders and hold on tightly as he continues to pound into me, over and over again. I feel my
impending climax I’m literally teetering on the edge “James,” I gasp “I’m…”
“Wait Alex, wait for me baby!” He demands, “Wait!”
He continues to thrust, “I can’t, I!” I let go, shuddering as he too releases I feel him pulse inside me over and over.
Cocooning me in his big arms, we lie for a while, him still inside me. I’m done in, shattered not wanting to move.
He eventually rolls to my side and I lie in his arms looking up at the ceiling, “What time is it?” I ask.
“It’s only eight. The night is young!” It’s that sexy grin again.
“Did you order a takeaway?” I look at him. He shakes his head.
“Do you know what I really, really fancy?” I say as I’m gripped by a craving.
“What?”
“Fish and chips out of the paper. Proper fish and chips with proper batter. Is there anywhere around here that does them?” I enthuse about fish and chips and paper and vinegar and salt.
“I’m sure we could find somewhere. I could eat that too! Lots of vinegar and bit of salt, and how about some mushy peas on the side?” He licks his lips at the thought of a classic fast food.
“You can hold the peas for me, but yes. We can find a bench somewhere and eat them.” I think back to my childhood and recount my love of the seaside. “When I was a little girl we use to go down to Devon for our holidays. We’d always have one night sitting on the harbour wall with fish and chips out of the paper. I used to love it.”
“Shall we go to the coast now?” He asks.
“Now, it’s eight on a Friday evening James, the motorway will be packed, everyone will be heading that way!” I shake my head, I’m not spending all night on the motorway.
Loving Alex (The Alexandra Drake Series) Page 15