Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (18 page)

“I swear if we weren't in a museum Evan!” He moaned in frustration as his hips brushed tantalizingly against mine.

I pushed my hips against his in protest that he'd stopped. “You’re a very impatient man!” I giggled.

“Oh you’re killing me!” He stepped back, his eyes wide. “I come undone when I'm around you, but in the most glorious way!” He ran his hand though his hair.

“I'll get my jacket on!” I smiled at him sweetly as I walked over to the peg.

He picked up his own jacket and did it up. He looked dark and dangerous in his jacket and jeans, it suited him.

“You look really good in jeans!” I remarked as I picked up my converse and placed them at the top of the backpack and did it up pulling it over one shoulder.

He blushed ever so slightly. “You've been on a bike before?!” His eyes studied me.

I nodded. “Well, Sean rides! He tried to teach me too, but I spent 5 hours in the ER getting my head stitched so that never happened again!” I grinned.

He looked horrified. “I can assure you won't end up in the hospital with me riding but at least you have some basic knowledge of how to be a pillion!” He smiled and held his hand out for mine. “The bike is just around the corner, Jones was good enough to drop it there! Our helmets are at the information desk! I guessed your head would be a little bigger than the helmet my sister used so I brought you a new one too! Should fit fine!”

I placed my hand in his. He was so well organized. His guessing about my size was spot on, the jacket fitted like a glove, but still left me room to move. I did feel bad for Jones though. All this extra work just because of me.

“It's okay, I'll make sure he's paid extra at the end of the month! He's worked for me since I was 20! He and his wife live in a self-contained flat under mine!”

“Aww, he's married!” I don't know why, but I really liked the fact he had a wife, someone to do stuff for him when he wasn't running around after Cameron.

“Yea Mrs Jones is my housekeeper!” We walked over to the desk. “Two motorbike helmets should have been left here under the name of Ballard!” He tapped his fingers on the edge of the desk.

“Oh yes, here they are. It was a little unusual, but the donation was very generous thank you!” The older lady handed over the two helmets with a smile.

“You’re welcome and thank you!” He handed me a black and white helmet with a push front visor. His was the same but, just less new looking. I felt the excitement build as he turned around and led me away back towards the way we'd come in.

“Oh, I see, so she's your house keeper?! As her husband is your right hand man, at least she understands about what he does I guess!” I could understand why he'd need a house keeper he was a busy man after all.

He chuckled. “Well, she reminds me frequently that I need looking after!” He shook his head. “I just let her get on with it.”

We took the steps back down and walked around the corner. We walked for a few minutes until we rounded the side of the building. Stood proudly in what I assumed was normally a private parking bay was a stunning vintage motorbike. I fell in love with it straight away. As we got closer I broke away from him to go investigate it close up. It was a BSA v twin. The black was slick against the sparkle of the chrome.

“This is immense! Is she from the 60s?!” I glanced up to find Cameron grinning from ear to ear.

“She?! It is yes! I restored it! I've got a collection of vintage cars and bikes at my weekend place! I keep a bike here, though.”

I stood back up. “You have a weekend place?!” I wondered where it was.

He grinned. “Sometimes it's nice to get out of the city for a few days! It's also a good investment!”

I nodded. “Fair enough.” If he wanted to tell me where it was he would.

“I'll explain all about it later! Let's get going! You get on first!” He grinned as he put his helmet on, visor up.

I pulled the pair of gloves that were stowed in the helmet out and pulled them on and then sorted my helmet out by adjusting the tension of the straps under my chin and then with one foot on the foot peg, I swung myself up and sat myself down. The pillion seat was a little higher than the rider’s one, but I liked that meant I was able to see more.

I smirked at how long his legs were as he swung himself easily into his seat, taking the keys from his pocket and putting them in the ignition.

I felt around for somewhere to hold onto but there was no bar or leather strip.

“You'll need to hold on to me!” He called over his shoulder as the bike roared into life. The engine sounded wonderful.

“Okay!” I called back and placed my left around the lower part of his waist and my right hand just above that and got a good grip on his jacket.

“You good to go Evan?!” He pushed his visitor down.

“Hell yes!” I shouted as I pushed my own visor down.

“Don't let go! Hold on nice and tight and have fun!” His voice was full of excitement.

“Okay, noted!” We took off as I said it. I slimed widely as I gripped him tighter as he weaved in and out of traffic. The streets of London whizzed by. Cafés, shops, hospitals and schools all just a blur as Cameron navigated us back to his. I didn't know London well enough to know where we were heading. We stopped at a set of traffic lights near a hospital.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. So we were in one or the other.

“You okay back there?!” He sounded concerned.

“I am better than good! I forgot how much of an adrenaline rush this was!” I gave him a squeeze.

He laughed. “Glad you like it! Not long now!”

“Okay!” I glanced around and loved that nobody knew who we were. They were admiring the bike sure, but we were pretty much anonymous.

The traffic lights flashed, Amber and then green and we were off again.

CHAPTER 13

After another 10 minutes we were driving around a large complex of apartments that over looked Hyde Park. I looked up at the slick glass buildings as we rode around the complexes one way system.

One Hyde Park, was a gated complex that consisted of four separated but linked pavilions, it had an expanse of glass and bronze fins on the outside, it towered 11 floors above the ground level. The gate opened and we headed into an underground car park. The sound of the bike echoed around the walls as we rode around until I recognized the SUV parked up. Cameron drove the bike into the space next to it and cut the engine.

“Now that blew some cobwebs away! How was it for you?!” He climbed off the bike and pulled his helmet off. His hair even now just sprang back to how it normally looked.

I undid my helmet and climbed down. “I loved every second of it! It's so freeing.” I shook my hair out.

He sighed happily. “You look perfect! Your cheeks are all flushed and your eyes are so bright! I think it suits you! Come on, I'll take you in! The lift is a key card access and takes us right up to the penthouse!” He caught up my hand lacing his fingers through mine.

“Ooh fancy!” I grinned.

He chuckled. “It had its advantages being accessible by key card only!”

I smiled. “Well, that's fair enough I guess! You get what you pay for!”

The lift was pretty normal considering it was swiped access, it had all the normal floor buttons on it. Cameron swiped a card downwards on the lift button panel then hit the button for floor 11. He was quiet on the journey up. It made me feel nervous when he didn't speak. The lift travelled up to the 11th floor. Cameron placed his hand on my lower back and guided me out of the doors as the lift opened. We stepped out into a foyer, the walls were a cracked gold and black glass with up lighting. The floor was marbled. It was stunning. I turned around in a full circle checking it out. There was a door next to the lift.

“That's the stairwell next to the lift, and right ahead is the main door to my apartment.

He placed his helmet and gloves on the table in the foyer.

I did the same and undid my jacket a little.

“This way.” He took hold of my hand and walked over to the door. It was a slick imposing black double door with chrome handles, it looked heavy.

He pushed the door open and held it open. “Welcome Miss Watson!”

He let me pass him. I walked out into a corridor. I wasn't sure what way to turn it seemed to run the whole length of the apartment. “Whoa.”

“Yes whoa indeed! The hallway is 65 meters at its full length and takes you right through to all parts of the apartment! I'll give you a tour of both wings!”

He took hold of my hand again and turned right into the hallway, the walls where all muted tones of grey with lights set into the ceiling. We walked down past various closed doors, I wondered what they led to but he didn't stop until we reached an open expanse, dark leather furniture sat around the room, several coffee tables sat with various magazines on them. His taste in decor was so him! The lamps caught my attention, they were concrete skulls with coil light bulbs set in the top, and they were all sat on various old leather bound books. I glanced around the room, the two walls that were separated by the hallway had beautiful flocked dark pink wallpaper with large black Fleur De Lis style patterns. I walked into the centre of the room and looked back at the wallpaper, the pink shimmered and changed shades of pink depending on where the light hit it.

“That wallpaper is amazing. This whole room is immense.”

“This is the reception room, it faces towards the road, and you can see Knightsbridge from here!” He let go of my hand leaving me free to explore.

I wandered around the room, the floor to ceiling glass was spectacular. I could see a steady stream of cars down on the main road but couldn't hear them.

“It's an odd set up.” I looked up the corridor and could see right to the other end.

“This was originally the bedroom, but I preferred to sleep overlooking the tree tops also changing things up a little meant I didn't have to worry about bumping into family when they stay!”

I stood and stared at all the open space and glass. I was used to floor to ceiling glass, but he had so much open space. My whole apartment would have fitted in his three if not four times over.

“Yeah, I like the open plan feel of it!”

He moved further in, encouraging me to do the same.

“I don't use this room very often! It's more for if I have to entertain anyone! I'll show you my office! It's back down the corridor.

“It’s a huge amount of space” I had never known anyone that actually had a reception room and I wondered if he had a lounge at all.

He smirked proudly as he looked around. “Its 15 square feet in total with outside balcony’s etc.”

“Oh wow that is big.” I wondered how many times over I could fit my apartment into his?!

Halfway back down the corridor, he stopped. “The door on our left is Jones's CCTV monitoring room and office, to the right is my home office! Go ahead, don't be shy!” He grinned as he indicated I should open the door.

I smiled as I pushed open the door, as I walked in, I grinned.

It was ultra-modern, a large desk sat in the middle of the room, with a laptop set up on it. Along the walls various filing cabinets sat neatly.

I wandered in studying the room, there was a large leather couch and coffee table near the window and access to a balcony.

“Very nice!” I actually liked the muted grey on the walls, it suited him.

“Go and look at my desk!” He grinned playfully at me.

“Okay!” I laughed as I walked around his desk and studied it. I didn't catch on right away but as I turned my head, I caught sight of the frame I had gotten him. The smile spread across my face, he had actually used it. “Aww, you put our photo in it!” I smiled at him feeling my heart beat a little funny. My picture was on his desk!

“I told you I had! So you like what you see so far?!” He seemed keen to impress me.

I nodded. “I do, yeah, I like the layout a lot! So how many bedrooms are there cause I counted like four doors in this part of the apartment.” I was being nosey but I was intrigued.

He lent against his filing cabinets, one leg slightly crossed over the other, relaxed. “It's a five bed apartment! I moved my room to the other end, when you see it you'll understand why!”

I walked back out from behind his desk. “You like various tones of grey don't you! It's quite dark, but oddly feels warm!” I pulled a face. “It's very masculine.”

He smirked. “Maybe it needs the female touch?!”

I walked back over to where he was standing. “I dunno, it's your taste, so why change it! I actually like it, it's very you!”

He smiled broadly. “Thank you! That's good to hear, so do you want a drink?!”

I nodded. “Oh yes please! I'm quite thirsty now!” I was actually interested to see what his kitchen was like.

“Ah, good! So I'll show you the kitchen and my bedroom for now! I don't want to bombard you with a whole whistle stop tour!” He squeezed my hand a little.

“Oh, I get to see your room! Now this I'm looking forward to!” I grinned.

“I can safely say I've never shown anyone my room before! Aside from family!” He was just as nervous as me only he was better at hiding it.

“Kitchen first though, are you hungry at all?!” He smirked as he led me out of his office.

We turned right and crossed the threshold into the second wing, the kitchen was the first room on the right hand side. It was huge. The counters were all slick black marble with wooden doors. The window let vast amounts of natural light in, but there were several hanging industrial style lamp shades. I stared in awe. It was fitted with a breakfast bar at one end and fridge freezer and oven with work tops at the other. It was still minimal, but it was lived in. He had mugs lined up along the wall and a row of glass tumblers nearest the tap.

“I'm digging the fridge! I wish mine had an ice machine!” I traced my fingers over it as I studied the magnets on it. “Diggin the collection too!” I smiled.

“Yeah Georgia buys me one each time she goes anywhere new!” He smiled, pulling open the fridge.

“Water, soda, iced tea, iced coffee or hot drink?!” He waited for my answer.