A Safe Pair of Hands (16 page)

“
I won't come in tonight, Sadie,” he told her regretfully.
“It's very late, and we are both shattered, and I don't want our
time together to be overshadowed by something a petty as
fatigue.”

Sadie opened her mouth to protest, but instead a tired yawn
and a shiver came out instead.

She covered her mouth hurriedly, and as Nick's smug 'see I
told you so' smile flashed, she gave a little giggle.

“
I suppose that you are right,” she said instead.

He smiled again as he bent to gently kiss her on the lips. “I
will come and see you tomorrow, and maybe we can go out for a drive
or something,” he told her lightly. “Go inside now though, Sadie, I
want to hear you lock up before I leave.”

She meekly did as she was told, and dropped the catch before
walking through to switch off her downstairs lights.

She walked up the stairs and over to the window, expecting
Nick to have already left.

He hadn't.

He was standing by his car, and looking up at her
window.

Sadie leaned closer to the glass, and waved to him, and only
after he had waved back, did he climb into his car and drive
away.

It was the little things like that, which made Sadie love and
trust Nick, the little things like his being concerned for her well
being – rather than just seeing to his own needs and
wants.

*

The snow had all melted away – for the time being, and so they
had a lovely weekend together. Nick turned up on her doorstep at
just after nine o'clock the next morning and told her to put
something warm on, and to wear comfortable shoes – and to pack her
overnight bag.

“
And make sure you put something pretty in there as well, for
when we go out to dinner tonight,” he told her in his best boss's
tone.

She ran up the stairs to change and pack, whilst he put the
kettle on, and made them a cup of coffee.

Whilst they drank it, he told her of his plans.

“
I thought we could go drive across to Blackpool, and walk
along the pleasure beach... if you are agreeable we could spend the
night – I have made a provisional booking – if you would like to
stay, but I can easily cancel it – without being out of pocket, if
you would rather not.”

“
Oh to see the lights, and the grotto, to walk along the
beach!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Absolutely yes I would love
to!”

Nick grinned as he enjoyed her excitement.

“
It should take us about two and a half hours to get there,
longer if we stop for lunch, but we are not in a great rush – are
we?”

“
No,” she smiled. “We have the whole weekend to enjoy – and so
let's enjoy it.”

*

Nick drove at a steady speed on the motorway, and he pulled
off at dinner time so that they could enjoy a leisurely
lunch.

The afternoon was almost gone by the time they got to
Blackpool, and it took a little while to get to the rather grand
looking hotel, where Nick had phoned earlier to confirm their
reservation.

The room which they were shown to was actually a suite, with a
small living area, and a separate bedroom, complete with king-size
bed.

They dropped their bags in their room, and then Nick went back
to the door.

“
How about a nice little walk, before changing for dinner; just
to stretch our legs?” he asked as he held his hand out to
her.

“
Yes, that does sound nice.”

They walked along as the afternoon slowly gave way to evening,
and as the light faded the famous illuminations slowly flickered
into life.

The bustle of people was everywhere, and the smell of the sea
air hung over everything and mixed with the aromas of cooking
foods; of hotdogs and fried onions.

It was cold, but not biting, and as they walked along they
were jostled occasionally by happy people going on their
way.

There was an air of excitement around them, and as Nick took
Sadie's hand and slipped it into his pocket, Sadie thought that
life could never get any better than this.

They walked the length, and then stood looking across at the
darkened sea, the sand brightened things up a bit, and you could
hear the sound of the sea, over the general hub of the
people.

It soothed Sadie and she smiled across at Nick.

“
Thank you for bringing me here,” she said softly.

“
I cannot imagine doing this with anyone else.” He smiled into
her eyes and for a moment the rest of the world just shrank
away.

“
Photograph folks? To remember your visit?” the chirpy male
voice broke into their moment, and Sadie blinked as she looked at
the thickset man with laughing brown eyes; and a heavy duty looking
camera hanging around his neck. “Five pounds a picture, but they
are of the highest quality.”

Nick paused for a moment and then grinned. “We would like that
very much!”

For the first couple of photographs, Sadie felt self conscious
as she looked up shyly at Nick, but as he leaned down to kiss her
he smiled warmly, and they spent the next five minutes looking and
touching and kissing, and Sadie was only half aware of the clicking
of the camera, and the people walking by.

“
Right then folks... if you would just come over here, you can
take a look through the proofs and pick one or two out.”

The little pictures that he showed on his computer screen
looked lovely, and Sadie found it almost impossible to choose one
from another. Finally she chose one of Nick standing behind her,
with his arms around her waist, and she was looking up at him as
they shared the humour of something that he had just said to
her.

It sealed a moment in time for her that she never wanted to
forget, and with the help of this picture, she knew that she
wouldn’t.

There were a couple of others that she liked as well, and so
in the end – between the two of them they picked out ten
photographs.

“
That’s great!” the photographer said handing Nick a little
business card. “I’ll get these printed up, and delivered to your
hotel – where are you staying by the way?”

Nick told him and their room number and name, and the man
nodded.

“
Yes, I deliver to them quite a lot, so they know me there... I
will drop them off at reception by...” he glanced at his watch.
“Seven o’clock, and so if you ask them they will show them to you,
and any that you want to keep, just pay reception and they will see
that I get the money.”

“
That’s great, thanks very much.”

Sadie shook the man’s hand and also thanked him, and then the
two of them began to walk back to the hotel.

*

They had a delightful dinner in the hotel restaurant, but
decided to retire early.

The photographs were everything that the little proofs had
promised, and having paid reception they took the folder back up to
their room, to look through them more leisurely.

Nick gently pushed them back into the folder, and looked up to
see Sadie watching him.

The look in her eyes was enough to set his heart a racing, as
she slowly stood up and allowed her dress to drop from her
shoulders...

Chapter Seventeen

Sadie had packed a little black dress in response to Nick’s
instruction to put something in her bag for the evening.

It had a zip running down the back, and whilst Nick had been
admiring the photographs, she had been surreptitiously working it
down her spine.

Nick had given her a wonderful day today, and she wanted to do
something special for him too, and when their eyes met, she just
knew that this was it.

As she removed her dress in front of him, taking her time and
giving him the opportunity to look her over, she knew that he
understood what this meant to her.

He knew that she was trusting him completely – handing herself
over to him, to cherish her.

He smiled as she stood with just a lacy bra and matching
briefs, and waited for him to make the next move.

For a moment though all he could do was to sit and admire her.
She was just so beautiful – so lovely.

The tininess of her waist; and the soft swell of her breast –
covered now only by the lace trimmed fabric of her bra.

She was every inch the perfect woman to him, and he loved her.
He had always, and would always love her.

He could feel the blood pumping through his veins as he stood
suddenly and swept her up into his arms, and carried her through to
the bedroom, where he laid her gently on the bed.

“
You are everything that I have ever dreamt of in a woman,” he
murmured huskily, before showing her exactly what she meant to him
– several times.

*

They enjoyed a leisurely breakfast the next morning, before
taking one last walk along the promenade, and then returning to the
hotel, for their bags, and to check out.

“
Would you like to stop somewhere for dinner, or go straight
home?” Nick asked as he put their bags in the boot of the
car.

Sadie shrugged her shoulders uncertainly. “I've nothing to
rush home for, but I wouldn't want to keep you from
something?”

Nick helped her into the car and walked around to the driver's
side.

He drove out of the hotel's car park, and only when they were
out of the traffic, did he speak again.

“
I have nothing to rush back for either, and I would very much
like to eat a proper meal before I get home.”

“
Well... I could always cook us something at my
place?”

He smiled as he kept his attention firmly on the road. “I
wanted to give you a treat this weekend, not create work for
you.”

“
Oh but you have! You have given me a wonderful treat!” Sadie
cut in anxiously.

“
Good, I am glad... But I would still like to stop somewhere
for a proper meal, if you can bear my company for a little while
longer?”

He sounded so unsure of himself that Sadie was speechless for
a moment, until she saw the little tilt of his lips.

“
You fraud!”

His chuckle was a low rumble, which made Sadie feel warm all
the way down to her toes.

“
I would really enjoy having a meal with you before we get
home, Nick... but it doesn't have to be anything fancy, or
anything.”

He gave her a quick glance. Sadie was frowning down at her
faded blue jeans, and although he thought that she looked
absolutely stunning, he could see that she did not feel comfortable
enough to go to a restaurant with a proper sit down
meal.

“
We could stop at a roadside cafe or a pub again?”

“
That would be nice.” She smiled and he could hear the relief
in her tone.

They sat in amicable silence for quite a while after that, and
although it was pleasant, Nick had the urge to know what she was
thinking about.

He cast another glance at her to see that she was still
frowning, as her gaze fixed vacantly on the rushing
landscape.

“
What's wrong?” he demanded gently.

She gave a little sigh, and shook her head. “Oh, I was just
wondering something...”

“
What?”

“
Was it very awful... when your parents died?” she asked
hesitantly.

Nick paused before answering.

“
It was a very long time ago now, Sadie... more than ten years
ago.”

“
I realise that... but still, it must have been lonely?” her
voice was thick with emotion, and although he did not like for her
to be sad; he felt warmed by her concern.

“
It was difficult, I was of course shocked and devastated by
their deaths... but I knew that life had to go on... and it was not
like I was a homeless orphan or something.” He tried to laugh it
off – to lighten the situation, but Sadie it seemed, wanted to know
the truth of it all.

“
Your uncles though...”

Nick gave a little shrug as he indicated with his car lights,
and then pulled off the motorway to a small shopping
centre.

He parked the car in the car park, and then turned to
Sadie.

“
My uncles had lives of their own. Two of them had wives and
family – obligations and they had no time for me at all. And the
other was working abroad, and only came back long enough for the
funerals.”

He smiled at her a little sadly. “He did invite me to go back
with him for a while, but I got the feeling that I was expected to
say no. He knew that I was thinking of starting my own company, and
that mum and dad had left me a small inheritance. He put me in
touch with a business advisor friend of his, and then went on his
way again.”

“
So you started up your company, 'Hargreaves Business Branding
and Consultations'?” she sounded almost proud of him.

“
Well not straight away, no... I started out in printing –
business cards, and letterheads, and so on, but then I moved into
designing them for some of the companies, especially new and young
businesses, they heard about me, by word of mouth to start with,
and found that I could advise them as well, I was a fellow business
man – and I could help them with the promoting of their own
business. The whole thing kind of evolved.”