Loving Alex (The Alexandra Drake Series)

by Sarah Elizabeth Ashley

  “Oi!” He snaps, turning around, glaring at me and placing the bowl of ripe fruit by my side, “Naughty girls have to be taught a lesson!” He growls as he picks out a fair sized berry.

  Reaching for the can of cream he mumbles, “I think we’ll have this first.” His voice is husky, deep and so very sexy. Flicking off the ice-cream cone top of the can he squirts a circle of cream over each of my nipples, I wriggle “Stay still lady.” His tone is firm, commanding.

  “That looks good.” He smiles. I can feel my insides quiver as he reaches for a strawberry, plucks the hull out of it and places it fat side down on top of one of the blobs of cream.

  “Umm – very nice!”

  I can feel myself becoming wetter, aroused, “James, oh, bloody hell James!”

  “Nice?” He asks.

  “Umm.”

  He leans forward and picks up the strawberry between his teeth and leans towards me pressing the fruit to my lips. I open and take it, chewing it carefully – making sure I don’t choke myself, the juice runs down my cheeks as I lie on my back but it’s expertly cleaned away by his delicious tongue.

  He licks the cream off each of my nipples before reaching for his chocolate sauce which he drizzles around my breasts, between them making a trail down towards my mound, “Shall I stop here?” He murmurs.

  “Umm, hell!” I groan, writhing as the chocolate sauce runs in all directions over my skin.

  “You like?”

  I moan in response as he licks away the chocolate away, I am so turned on, out of control, out of my head. I feel like I could erupt now, without any stimulation at all. He continues on his trail, licking the chocolate away, down over my mound, where he stops and grumbles about the re-growth. His fingers gently part my lips as his tongue brushes against my clit, enhancing my arousal to a higher state.

  I writhe as he works the little nub, my arms thrown back above my head, my neck stretched back as I gasp, I cry out loud, “Oh Fuck! James, hell! Aaargh!”

  As he moves away, I see his manhood jutting towards my entrance, he nudges in slowly, his rhythm slow, controlled and exquisite. He rests his forearms level with my shoulders and looks directly at me, his dark eyes full of want and passion, full soft lips brush mine nipping at my bottom lip so gently as his rhythm picks up pace. “Look at me!” He says as I close my eyes. I open my eyes and focus on him, on his eyes.

  “Wrap your legs around me Alex.” I lift my legs up and hook my ankles around each other, I hold onto his big shoulders, gripping tightly, feeling every thrust, the feeling of fullness is one of extreme pleasure, pleasure beyond anything imaginable. I cry out again, as he groans his pace quickens slamming into me, driving forward.

  “You ready baby?” He rumbles to my neck.

  I moan in response, looking up at him and see his face contort, his mouth opens and he gasps pounding into me over and over again, his balls slapping against me, he thrusts hard, really hard and I feel him judder, my own release causing me to shake uncontrollably beneath him. I hold on, tightly not wanting to let go, my legs holding firmly as he slows to a stop. He shifts his arms, cocooning me completely, entirely.

  “I fucking love you Alex, totally and completely. When are we going to get married?” He whispers.

  “Where did that come from?” I ask, the question posed by him totally out of the blue.

  I shrug, I’ve given it no thought, none what so ever. “I can’t think about it now.” I gasp, my climax continuing to send shivers through me.

  Moving away he lies by my side, I lie in the crook of his arm, my head on his well built chest, his heart racing. I glance at the clock it’s still today, we haven’t moved into tomorrow yet, I don’t feel sleepy, not one bit.

  “You want to come downstairs with me James? I feel wide awake. I need to have a look through the paperwork for Henry’s, I need to know what to propose to Nial on Monday when I table my offer to buy him out.” I sit up feeling so alive.

  “Just after amazing sex – you want to start talking work?” There’s a look of total confusion on his beautiful face.

  “It’s not sex, not with you James. Its love making and with you it wakes me, makes me feel alive!” I smile at him.

  “Well, that’s okay then.” He grins, I think really pleased with himself.

  I use the bathroom and walk back to the bedroom naked reaching for my robe.

  “You know Alex, when you stand there like that you don’t look forty-two, you look about thirty, thirty-five at the most.”

  “Thank you,” I smile. “I’m forty-three soon!”

  “Next month.” He says.

  “Yes, you’ve got it. I’m a Virgo. My mum, not Maggie, used to say I was a true Virgo, you know helping people, attention to detail and things like that.”

  “Umm, I can see the helping people, definitely.” He pulls on some boxer shorts and we both walk down to the kitchen.

  “Have you got everything you need for dinner tomorrow, with Gia and Roberto coming?” He asks as he roots through the fridge.

  “Yes, everything. There’s a huge beef rib in there, plenty for five of us.”

  “Great. Where’s the paperwork?” He asks as he starts to make tea and coffee.

  Chapter 21

  We sit at the island pawing over the limited paperwork that was passed to me about Henry’s. There’s the initial agreement that Nial signed when Maggie agreed to give him fifty per cent of the funds he needed to launch the club, effectively the partnership agreement. She advanced a fair whack five years ago, much more cash than, until recently, I would ever have dreamed of.

  James sits with his hand around my waist as we flick through the sparse documentation.

  “Where did Maggie get the money from, to start off with?” I ask James, although I don’t know why I think he would know.

  “I have no idea. I’d thought that myself, especially when you turned up!”

  “Oi, cheeky,” I smile, “what do you mean by that?”

  “Well, you explained your roots, where you came from, that Maggie was your aunt and so on, and I remember thinking to myself then that Maggie didn’t come from a wealthy family, so where did it all come from?” He looks at me, intently.

  “Exactly. We’re not wealthy, in fact pretty average. My mum and dad had a typical semi-detached home, I didn’t know my Grandparents, Maggie and mum’s parents, but from what I’ve been told they were just Mr. and Mrs. Average, my Grandfather was a coal miner!” I tell him a little more of my family history.

  “Maybe Ramiro knows?” He adds, thinking out loud.

  “Maybe. I’d like to know, you know just out of interest.” I thumb through the agreement. “Tell me about Nial, you said he was a playboy. What else do you know?”

  “I know he has, or used to have, a different girl every night.” He smiles, must be thinking about his past, the nights spent at Henry’s, being collected by Roberto in the early hours of the morning.

  “They were generally a young wide-eyed blondes from the club, punters,” he continues, “they were always goo-goo eyed when he’d throw a few moves and then introduce himself as the owner. I used to see them go into his office and come out a few hours later dishevelled and heartbroken after discovering he was only after one thing! Night after night and a different one every time!”

  “You used to go there a lot then?” I question, of course I know the answer, Gia told me.

  “You know I did Blossom. But, well I grew up I suppose, but I still like to go out for the odd night and I never behaved like Nial, I’ve too much respect for ladies!” He lifts his mug and takes a deep drink of his coffee.

  “I think I’m going to offer Nial his money back and twenty-five percent for his share, possibly rising to fifty per cent if he says no. What do you think? I think it’s fair, because he gets his investment back and some extra for making it what it is.”

  “It’s very generous Alex, and if what you say about the clubs finances is correct, he’d be a fool not to take it. What’s the a
lternative?” James flicks through the sparse documentation, checking all the details.

  “He has nothing because if the creditors issue final demands, start proceedings, the club will close and he’ll lose the lot, but then I’ll also lose the club. This way he’s getting his cash back plus some extra and he’s saving face. I’ll clear all the bills as well but then I want to put a manager in the place and we’ll just keep it. What do you say?” I look up from the paperwork taking a drink of my tea.

  He raises his hand and we high five, “It’s a plan!”

  We both head back to bed after another drink and sleep wrapped in each other.

  Chapter 22

  We both wake early’ish, about eight but lie in until a little after nine, just holding onto each other, kissing, cuddling, playing. We’ve invited Gia and Ramiro for Sunday lunch and I need to be in the kitchen pretty quickly to get this organised. James offers to help and after a wonderful shower, in which James joins me for some more fun we go downstairs. Anna is still fast asleep, I’m pleased, she needs to get her body back in time with the UK.

  We eat a breakfast of Weetabix and strawberries and I watch as James picks through the red berries pulling out the biggest, best ones and putting them aside for me, not himself. “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “I’m picking out the very best ones for you, because you deserve them. Only the best for Blossom.” He smiles.

  I look down at my ring, “It really is beautiful James, I can’t believe they let you change it?”

  “It was no problem really. I told them who you were and that we may be able to send some business their way if they helped me out. They agreed and the swap was made.” He dismisses the issue as trivial, when it’s certainly not, that initial ring cost a small fortune, this I am sure was a hell of a lot more.

  We eat in silence, so comfortable in each other’s company. I think back to yesterday, I could still kick myself for what I did, I was stupid, a stupid, stupid, silly woman. I have to move on. I’ve spent the last three or four months telling myself that I have to start a new life, move on from Lewis and what do I do? The very moment something happens I’m straight back there, it can’t happen, not again.

  Once we’ve finished our breakfast and tidied away I set about preparing lunch. I turn the oven on and sort the large rib of beef out, seasoning it and searing the edges. I make a trivet in the roasting tin with some vegetables and pop the meat into the oven for the next three hours. James washes and prepares the fresh vegetables for me including the potatoes for roasting, he’s really handy around the kitchen it’s great working with him. He moves away from the sink with a saucepan full of broccoli which he places on the hob ready to cook nearer lunchtime. As he turns around he grabs me from behind, “I do love you,” he whispers as he nips my ear, “so very much. Please don’t send me away again. Please don’t doubt me again.”

  I turn to look at the deep brown eyes, the curls and that handsome face. I hold my palm against his day old stubble, “I won’t, I’m sorry. But you’re going to have to bear with me, for a little while, you know that.”

  “I do, but please don’t send me away, not again!” He’s almost begging.

  We hug as Anna appears at the kitchen door, “Morning.” she says sleepily.

  “Good morning you. Feeling better?” I ask.

  “Much. Can I get some breakfast, if I’m not interrupting?” She yawns giving us a filthy look.

  “Help yourself, there’s plenty of cereal, bagels, toast – whatever you want.” I wave my arm to the island where the remnants of breakfast are laid out.

  “I’ll get a bagel.” She pops a sesame seeded bagel into the toaster whilst pouring a large glass of orange juice.

  “Your ring’s lovely mum, good choice James. When’s the big day?” She laughs, knowing that I can’t make any arrangements just yet.

  “Don’t know. Haven’t given it any thought,” I say flippantly “You know I can’t do anything until I’m divorced from your dad.”

  She takes her bagel and juice to her room as I whisk up some batter for my Yorkshire puddings. I send James out for an extra apple crumble or pie because I think with two men and a hungry daughter we’ll need it, another readymade one will do and sit down with a magazine and relax whilst the meat cooks, waiting for the pre-dinner rush that will mean vegetables being boiled and potatoes being roasted, not to mention getting the Yorkies just right!

  At twelve Gia and Roberto arrive. “Alex, let me look at that ring again.” Gia gushes as she makes herself comfortable in the kitchen. James and Roberto take a Peroni into the living room and Anna sits with us just listening to the conversation the main topic being last night and how wonderful it was. I’m not brazen enough to recount how James continued to be wonderful after we returned home and got into bed, but let’s just say, between you and me, that he can do one or two things I never imagined possible – with a strawberry!

  The conversation turns to Gia’s home country with Anna asking so many questions about Italy, she’s clearly interested in what Gia has to say and appears to be taking every little detail in, about growing up there, the way of life, the food. She tells Anna how she met Roberto and about my birth father. Anna sits, her elbows on the island her hands cupping her chin, wide-eyed and just listening. I can see that Gia is enjoying having this young lady take such an interest in her history and where she comes from.

  It’s soon one and I call through to my guests to make their way to the dining room, which is at the end of the living room. Anna has set the table for five and goes through with our guests. I tip all of the vegetables and new potatoes into serving dishes which James carries through, he returns for the rib of beef and gravy which he takes to the table. I follow with my Yorkshire puddings.

  “Alex, how did you get them to be that big?” Gia exclaims, “They’re huge! Mine never rise that much, never!”

  James looks at Gia, me and coughs, covering a laugh, his dirty mind working overtime it would seem! But, I have to admit, today’s batch of Yorkies are excellent they’re tall, light and crisp.

  “How do you make them like that?” She enthuses over the highly risen crispy batter.

  “Aah, the secret is to add the flour to the egg and milk, not the other way around! And I use skimmed milk, full cream makes them too heavy.” I share my secret.

  Gia smiles as everyone tucks into a delicious roast beef dinner. As Roberto and James reach for second helpings my doorbell chimes. “I’ll get it.” James stands up from the table.

  I hear talking at the door but can’t make out who it is, then he appears in the dining room with Benito, looking dapper as usual in his dark suit and white shirt, no tie.

  “Gia, Roberto.” Benito says as he approaches the table, he nods an acknowledgement to Anna.

  “Have you eaten?” I ask, standing. “Would you like to join us?”

  “No, I’m fine, but I have some news for you. May I sit?” He indicates towards the sixth chair around the table which is unoccupied.

  “Of course, please.” I look to Benito and then at James slightly concerned that whatever news he has can’t wait until tomorrow.

  He sits, reaches inside his jacket and products a single A4 sheet of paper which he unfolds, lays out on the table and smoothes over with his large palms. He takes a deep breath and looks at James and me directly, glancing at the others before he opens his mouth and delivers what feels like a blow to the stomach.

  “We found prints on the photographs and on the package, the last one you received. We also found some odd prints, which we assume were the postman’s, yours which we expected to find, we also found other odd prints that were on the Jiffy bag and on the photographs inside, which we must assume belong to the person that put the photographs into the Jiffy bag.” He explains calmly and clearly.

  “What’s this? What are we talking about?” Roberto butts in.

  “What photographs?” Anna asks.

  He looks confused, so do Gia and Anna. “Alex has received
two packages of photographs, of her, her and Anna and also with you Gia, random pictures taken by someone clearly following her, her and you.” James tells them. I wait for the balloon to go up. Roberto’s face hardens, “Whoever took these pictures took photographs of my Gia with Alex?”

  “Yes,” Benito stands, “but that’s all, just photos.” His tone is calm, he’s trying to cool the situation.

  Benito continues, “What is quite alarming is that the prints we found on the photographs and Jiffy bag, the ones that are the same, match the prints we took from the can of furniture polish – they’re Muriel’s!” He looks deadly serious at James, “You need to get rid of her James, now. You need to call her now and tell her not to come back! She’s your link to her ex-husband.” He takes a deep breath, folding the paper and putting it back into his inside pocket. “How did you find her?”

  “An a..a..agency,” I stammer, “the same one we use for the hotel staff, the same one that Archie came from.”

  “Was she new to them?” Benito asks.

  “Yes, I had to wait for her references. Archie had already worked for them so they had his. She was wonderful at the interview, knew exactly what I would want her to do, she reminded me of my mum, in lots of ways.”

  “There you have it. Lewis would have told her what you would be looking for, the sort of person he knew you would warm to. But I have no idea how they knew you were looking for a housekeeper, unless someone overheard you talking about it?”

  “We’ve spoken at the hotel and lots of people could have overheard us, but I don’t know who?” I stand and walk around the dining room feeling as though my personal space has been violated, intruded upon. I feel so angry, cheated. “I let that woman into my house, she knew my secrets, what happened a few weeks ago. She knows so much. You know, now I think about it the last few times I’ve been out she’s quizzed me before I’ve gone. And, I told you Gia that I thought I saw her by Harrods – Do you remember?” I look directly at Gia.