Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) (3 page)

“Yes but honestly Daniel. This is the first time I have asked a man I don’t know to stay with me.  I’m not that kind of woman, OK?” 

She tried to look seriously at him but couldn’t help smiling as
rain dripped down onto his face, she hoped he knew what she meant, and they both ran into the hotel foyer.  The hotel receptionist looked up surprised as Nicole explained her late night arrival and the addition of an extra guest.  Daniel stood sheepishly behind her, rain dripped off his hair and his suit was saturated, they walked in silence to the lift as Nicole pressed the button to the second floor with her unexpected guest. 

The
junior suite was spacious, the queen size bed dominated the room, its cream sheets perfectly smooth, a small box of chocolates lay in a little box on the pillow. Enough space to share a bed with a person you don’t know, Nicole thought fleetingly and was relieved to see that the sofa was large enough to accommodate Daniel. She left him in the room while she went to the bathroom.  Nicole looked at herself in the mirror and was horrified to see her mascara had run, her hair was so frizzy from the rain and it had escaped from its restraints. The warm water washed away the grit of the day and as she took a look at herself in the mirror she traced the scar on her forehead with her finger. A constant reminder of who she was and Andrews abuse.

What are you doing?
  She asked her reflection, feeling shy again at the thought of Daniel at the other side of the wall, she didn’t even know this man.
Are you mad?
It was so out of character for Nicole and she smiled guiltily.
W
hat
would my friends think of me tonight?
  Anna and Libby were much more confident than Nicole and they would have already seduced him on the train. She laughed silently to herself as she walked out of the bathroom.

Daniel had already made himself comfortable on the sofa
.  His jacket was hanging over a chair, wet with rain.  His shirt felt damp and he resisted the urge to take it off just yet especially while Nicole was still in the bathroom. He was intrigued by this attractive woman.  She wasn’t his usual type, she was intelligent and easy to talk to and he remembered how he had felt as he watched her on the train. She had a melancholy look about her, when he stared into her eyes he wondered what her story was. 

He thought she was like a delicate flower but as they talked he
glimpsed a steely resolve and he wanted to get to know her. Every part of her. He needed to see her again, they had only just met and despite his track history he wasn’t going to make a move on her, he wanted to wait as long as he could. She didn’t know who he was and he enjoyed this new found anonymity.  He had resisted giving her his business card when he was stood out in the rain; he wanted to see where this could lead without his name or reputation standing in the way.  Just a normal person for a change, a stranger on a train. 

There was
definitely something between them, he had felt that on the train. He had purposely chosen that seductive track “I Still Believe” on his iPod, and he was playing with her, unable to resist. Her body had given itself away, he smiled at the memory and he wanted to take it further, see where it would lead. But not tonight. When he had looked in her eyes and played the music he had felt a rush he had never experienced before. Then she had gone cold on him, he had never had that reaction before and he was confused. Curious and confused.

A few minutes later Nicole opened the door and Daniel looked round at her, she had
on an old, loose grey t-shirt and shorts, her face was blotchy and she looked tired.  He stood up to use the bathroom, unable to take his eyes off her, even in her old outfit she was gorgeous and he looked into her eyes as she stood and stared back at him. A rabbit caught in the headlights, he thought. He saw the same flicker of doubt from earlier and she looked away, he could tell she was uncomfortable being so close to him and he took a step back.

“Nicole
thanks for this, but look, you don’t have to be worried” he spoke, breaking the tension, “I’ve sorted out the sleeping arrangements” and she smiled as she saw he had found the spare bedding.

Nicole got into
bed, she turned her light off and tried to get comfy, but she knew she wouldn’t sleep knowing he was so close on the sofa.  He returned from the bathroom with his shirt unbuttoned and she could see his smooth tanned skin underneath the light fabric.  Her heart was thumping in her chest, she was certain she wouldn’t sleep now with that lasting image in her head, Andrew had been the only man she had ever shared bed with and she slept as far away from him as she could; they could fit three pillows between them. Andrew, he would kill them both if he walked in now, she didn’t know what he was capable of anymore with his temper and she shuddered at the thought of him.  She shut her eyes as he turned the light off as they lay in the dark. Nicole was wide awake and the minutes ticked by, adrenaline rushed through her veins.

“Daniel?
Are you awake?” 

“
Yes”

“This is weird, I meant it when I don’t invite strange men
to sleep in my hotel room, it’s a complete first for me”

“So you think I’m strange”

“No, but you could be a psychopath” 

“Don’t you think if I was I would have already had killed you and be dragging your body down the hall in a bin bag?” 

“Oh thanks, I’m scared now. That was too much information. Is that what you would do?  I am never going to go to sleep now” she couldn’t stop the laughter in her voice.

“No of course it isn’t, well don’t go to sleep then, we can talk about something
. I don’t think I can sleep either”

“
What do you want to talk about”

“I don’t know anything
about you, what you watch on TV and what do you read? Where do you go on holiday?  Just talk about anything”  

A few hours later she woke with a start, her mouth was incredibly dry and she reached for her phone. 8.40am, she had three hours sleep.  The events from the night before came flooding back to her and she looked over to find Daniel but he had
gone. The only trace of him was a neatly folded sheet and a pillow, he must have got up and fled
. Thank God I didn’t end up actually sleeping with him
.  He must be an expert at leaving before his partner woke up as she hadn’t heard a thing.  She stepped out of bed and tried to clear her head, her mind was fixed on the night before and she knew she would be analysing every conversation and reliving the night with different scenarios. 

She felt disappointed, he hadn’t left a card or a note with his number and she would
probably never see him again, she remembered the conversations they had in the dark. Inane chat about music and travel. Politics and religion. They argued about the euro crisis and she giggled at him when he got opinionated,
you can’t win debating against a solicitor Daniel
. She was comfortable when she didn’t have to look at his piercing eyes and she wasn’t so shy under his gaze. When he was just a voice in the dark, he had been someone she really connected with. She had said nothing about Andrew, she had just blocked him from her mind for one night and it had felt like she had been born again, away from Manchester.  She wished she could just stay in Edinburgh forever. 

Nicole let the hot water rush over her she wished it would clean her inside as well as outside and vowe
d never to drink red wine again, the lethal combination of little sleep and too much wine would mean she wouldn’t see the day out. She looked at the bags under her eyes and her grey skin in the mirror and tried to apply make up best she could, 30 minutes to get breakfast and be down in the conference room for a day of team building and legal debate. She suddenly thought of her mum and dad and wanted to be sat in their cosy terraced house in Manchester, settling down on the sofa to watch a good romantic comedy not living her own version which was more romantic tragedy. Well if she was honest it wasn’t even a story, just something which would stay in her head, just two strangers meeting on a train and spending all night talking in a hotel room. Was that normal? No it wasn’t but she smiled at the memory, there had been something between them, not just that he was the most attractive person she had ever seen but someone she could be herself with and really talk to. A glimmer of how her life could be if only things were different and the disappointment of his disappearance lurked in the back of her mind. 

She made her way down to the breakfast buffet and was seated at her table for one while the waitress took her order, strong coffee and a full
cooked breakfast.   The hot dark liquid burned her lips and she couldn’t help but notice that the staff were glancing over to look at her. 
I must be imagining this
surely they are used to lone business travellers?
She thought, and felt irritated by the glances as she pushed away her breakfast after a couple of bites, opting to smother some wholemeal toast with butter and jam instead.  Her insides were churning and she felt part of her would never be the same again after only a few hours with Daniel, her phone buzzed again and she glanced at it, why couldn’t Andrew just leave her alone what was wrong with him?  She distracted herself as she relived the moment before bed when Daniel was standing so close, she was so sure he was going to kiss her right there while she was in her defiantly unsexy bedtime clothes with no makeup on.  She fantasised where this would have led.
It’s 9am in the morning get a grip
.

The conference room was full and she was one of the last to arrive as she met her colleagues from across the
UK.  As predicted, the morning consisted of building walls from Lego bricks in order to team build and it was almost good fun.  She recognised a couple of the girls from the year before when they drank in the bar after an afternoon of consultancy with a jug of cheap cocktails.  Stacy, the paralegal from their Scottish office smiled knowingly at Nicole.

“We have a date with Mr. Mojito at 5pm Nicole” Stacey
whispered during the session “You’ve got to join us” 

Nicole felt sick at the thought of alcohol again s
o soon but smiled and nodded, “Yes I will be there I need it after the night I’ve had!”

Stacey looked bemused “S
ounds interesting, tell me over drinks” and Nicole smiled warmly at her despite how she felt, making an otherwise boring day bearable.   The afternoon was legal litigation and they had to run through five documents in preparation for a presentation she would need to give by the same time the following day. 

By 5pm Nicole
was sat in the hotel bar nursing a Mojito and she struggled to drink it, the smell was making her feel so sick she felt like she needed to have some sleep.  Relieved that the main dinner was the night after, she couldn’t network tonight not with her dry mouth and pounding head. The ibuprofen was wearing off again and she needed another tablet, aware that it wasn’t a good idea mixing the drugs with the cocktails.  Daniel was pushed to the back of her mind as she resigned herself to not seeing him again and Andrew was texting her constantly

WHO ARE YOU HAVING DINNER WITH?
 

More than
an irritation and she knew she had to face up to her life.  The fear had gone, he was miles away he couldn’t hurt her now she thought as she didn’t reply to his latest message.

“Girls I’m sorry
, I guess I’m not as young as I used to be, I think I need to lie down for a while” she made her excuses and left for her room, the door made a reassuring click as she lay down on the bed.  No one would bother her; she loved the anonymity of lone business travelling and envied her friend Libby who worked in travel.  The bed was soft, it had been freshly made and all traces of Daniel had gone from the room, her heart ached for the stranger on the train and she hugged the spare pillow and closed her eyes for a second while she rested. 

Chapter 2

Nicole
woke with a start in her hotel room,
what time was it?
  Gone 8pm. She felt disorientated as she jumped up and had a glass of water, glad to feel the sleep had rejuvenated her but she needed to wake up and she splashed her face with water from the sink.  Andrew had texted her. 

WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU INGORING ME?

It was like he knew she had met Daniel, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, the scar looked out of place on her forehead. Like a new face staring back, she knew she would get more marks from Andrew and wondered where it would end.  Would he kill her one day?  She longed to leave him, could she actually do it?  It seemed impossible, she just didn’t have the money to buy him out and he would never just let her walk away.  She sighed, needing to get out of the hotel room, see if she could find any of her work colleagues and get some food. At least she could grab a snack in the bar. A nice rib eye and her stomach rumbled in agreement. 

The black dress she had picked out hung in the wardrobe and she
slipped it on and looked at herself in the mirror.  She let her dark hair hang softly round her shoulders, clipping it back from her eyes, leaving a few tendrils framing her face. Smoothing the dress with her hands, she checked its plunging neckline in the mirror. 
Bit too much for a lone dinner in a hotel bar?
  She grabbed a shimmering black shawl and wrapped it loosely round her neck, now she looked like she was in mourning she smiled and headed off to the bar to see if anyone was still milling about. 

The bar was darkly lit with candles on the tables and a pianist playing Frank
Sinatra classics. The hotel was built at the turn of the century with no expense spared at the time; the woodwork was highly polished and carved, and the long bar was a slab of polished marble.
A perfect film set bar
she thought as she sat on the bar stool, ordered a glass of Prosecco and decided what to order. The cool sweet liquid rejuvenated her tired mind; the bubbles sparkled in her mouth, and as she pondered her usual sea bass or steak dilemma she could sense someone looking at her. 

She knew it was Daniel before she looked up, his cool confident manner immediately made her feel giddy and she was sure the
Prosecco hadn’t gone to her head so quickly.  He stood at the other end of the bar, his light blue shirt was loosely undone at the collar underneath his well fitted charcoal jacket and he quietly watched her. A small smile played on his lips as he raised his glass in a salute. 
Why is he here?  Oh shit what should I do now
?  Should she go over and say hello? She smiled back and returned to her menu, the words meant nothing now she knew he was in the same room.
God he was even more attractive than she remembered from last night. How is it possible?  

She clutched the menu and felt his presence behind her, she could smell his aftershave and the freshness of his
clothes and she turned round.  He took a long look at her, a smile playing on his lips and this time he bent down to give her a brief kiss. Nicole felt his lips burn her cheek as she resisted turning her head towards him.  His fingers lingered a moment longer on her arm and her body responded as she flinched at his touch.

“You look amazing” he glanced
at her dress and he meant it. Whilst yesterday he thought she was attractive even with no make up and her choice of bed clothes on, she blew him away with her hair loose and a well fitted dress.

“Did you sleep well? You’re quite a snorer you know”
his eyes danced in amusement as he watched her reaction.

“S
top it, that’s really embarrassing” Nicole felt embarrassed.  The flush of red rose in her face, she couldn’t help but laugh and she felt more at ease at the icebreaker.

“What are you doing here anyway?”
she enquired.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders “I
t seemed like a nice place to be so I decided to book a room and stay for a while” he was unable to keep the laughter from his voice and she shook her head, smiling at his ridiculousness.

“So you would rather eat alone than dine with me after all then?” Daniel indicated to t
he bar menu she was holding. Nicole remembered she told him she couldn’t have dinner with him because she had to work, she explained she had slept through and had a free evening after all. 

“It’s not
too late then?”  Daniel asked “As I was going to get a bite to eat myself, care to join me?” 

Her heart leapt as she agreed and she quickly finished her glass of
Prosecco.  As he escorted her through the reception with his arm lightly round her waist the hotel staff looked round and whispered to each other. Nicole giggled to herself, she must be the talk of the hotel bringing this gorgeous man back for what looked like another one night stand. Daniel found a taxi outside the hotel which struck her as lucky but she didn’t question it as they jumped in the back, the driver actually got out to open the door Nicole mused.  It didn’t dawn on her until later that this was his private car and driver but by that time it was far too late to change the events of what would happen. 

She sank her head into the luxurious leather head rest and watched the city going by as the car sped through the streets of
Edinburgh, catching glimpses of the castle between the New Town buildings. She glanced over at Daniel, he was deep in thought with his Blackberry, typing a message and he looked up and smiled apologetically.

“
I’m sorry, I just have to write this email” he explained “It’s work”

“You don’t have to explain to me” she showed him her own
Blackberry, flashing red with unread messages, although at this hour she knew most of them were from Andrew. “Where are we going anyway?” she asked with genuine curiosity but Daniel just smiled and told her it was a surprise. 

Nicole had nervous butterflies in her
stomach again in anticipation for what might happen and her emotions annoyed her. Believing she would never see him again she vowed she would go with the flow and enjoy this night. Whatever might happen.  Anna was always telling her it was about time she started to live a little, be less prudish about life for a change and she decided to take the plunge. Nicole had always been the quiet one at school and university, men had walked all over her and she was tiring of being the wallflower. 

She felt alive tonight, the thought of what could happen
later made her fizzle with excitement and she glanced down at his leg, she wished she could touch him.  Shocked at herself, she turned away vowing to keep some dignity but there was just something so raw about her feelings for him. She had never enjoyed sex if she thought about it, overrated in her opinion but now it was like she had too much energy and her feelings were unfamiliar. It was too late to turn back now, even if she had wanted to. 

Daniel put his
Blackberry away to watch Nicole as she looked out of the window, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her profile against the dark window was alluring and he felt a shiver of excitement, he was pleased he managed not to kiss her last night in the hotel room but he wasn’t sure how long his resolve would last.  

Never had he felt so on the brink of losing contro
l of himself and his emotions. He had been with many women and always had the upper hand, but now with this woman he felt different.  He hardly knew her, this was just ridiculous. It was the anonymity of the situation, nothing more than that, he told himself he was just playing a game. He had never been with anyone who didn’t know who he was and how much he was worth. It was refreshing to be with someone who was with him from choice.  Remembering how they had laid in the dark and talked, he loved to hear her voice and he felt connected to her in a way he couldn’t understand. They had only just met and yet he felt as though he had spent a lifetime with her before, it was a stupid thought and he tried to push it away. 

He had chosen a small French bi
stro for dinner, most of his dates expected Michelin restaurants and bottles of Cristal but he felt Nicole was different. They pulled up outside the small discreet restaurant, greeted by an over eager waiter on this quiet Wednesday night. The restaurant was quaintly French rustic and intimate, it was dark and the speakers played French accordion music gently in the background. The waiter led them to a tiny table where they sat so close together there was hardly any room for cutlery.

“This place is a hidden gem
apparently, I have always wanted to eat here” Daniel explained “I haven’t had the chance yet” his eyes lit up and she smiled back at him warmly, she noticed the dimples when he smiled which gave him a softer boyish appearance. She felt more at ease with him than ever, especially as they discussed her favourite subject of food and she was hungry enough to eat anything. 

Nicole enthused over the menu and Daniel was again taken aback, his experience of women and restaurants involved s
alads and things on the side. Never had he taken a woman out who loved good food as much as he did. Nicole had the shellfish stew to start with while Daniel opted for a carpaccio of smoked salmon and they decided to share a chateaubriand, rare with a béarnaise sauce and goose fat potatoes.

“More re
d wine Nicole?” Daniel teased, remembering she had complained of a headache in the early morning “Or shall we order some champagne?” his eyes danced in the candlelight.

“Actually I prefer
Prosecco” she laughed “It’s probably ill educated of me but I love everything Italian, it’s my friend Anna she brainwashed me when we were at uni together and I guess it’s just part of me now” The waiter brought over a bottle and opened it, the bubbles filled their glasses and he picked his up.

“Salute Nicole” he laughed as he spoke in Italian.

“Cheers” She matched his stare as her body reacted, willing her to get closer to him “What shall we toast to?” This beautiful man sat in front of her? She watched him in blatant appreciation and he raised his eyebrows at her.
God
he can read my mind
she thought fleetingly.

“To good food and good company?”
his eyes never left hers as he spoke, and she smiled and looked away, she couldn’t hold his gaze for too long.  She wanted him but she wasn’t sure she could go through with it if the situation arose, she couldn’t even think about touching him, the softness of his lips and the feel of his hair. The bubbles went to her head as she took a sip, she was grateful for a drink to keep her nerves at bay.  They looked at each other over the candlelight, their knees almost touching under the table and they talked easily. As the night moved on they discovered more about each other and their shared love of food and horses.  

Daniel told her about his Arab he had imported from
Spain, “His bloodlines are original” his face glowed in pride as he showed her a photo of the grey gelding on his phone, standing proud in a field with his tail held high.

“My father
bought him for polo, we were warned a pure bred Arab wouldn’t make a polo pony. We were going to sell him he was so wild but he likes me.  His name is Monty and he is crazy but I love him”

Nicole laughed, she knew horses. She had ridden since she was a child but couldn’t afford the time for her own
anymore. Andrew hated the smell and complained when she came back to the flat.

“Oh Daniel, the hairy cob I ride for my friend is far from wild, we just plod around the fields near the
stables.  He is lovely though, my perfect male companion” She laughed. 

“So come
on, tell me more about your perfect companion Nicole” “Male of course” Daniel took a drink from his glass and sat back, eyes twinkling with amusement as she flustered her reply.

“That’s a bit personal” she alm
ost choked on her drink, they had kept the conversation light since they had met. Even last night they had talked like friends, nothing had really been said between them to suggest otherwise. She felt the atmosphere shift between them and she couldn’t look at him as she composed herself. 
He could be interested in me.

“I live with someone Daniel”
She couldn’t lie to him and felt sick as she told him but his expression was neutral “He’s called Andrew and he’s a barrister, we live in a converted mews in the centre of Manchester.” she spoke coldly, no emotion in her voice. “And I hate him”. 

“Tell me how you got that mark on your head, Nicole”.  He took a sip of his drink, watching her.

“
You know I told them at work I had walked into a tree” Nicole looked down at the table, she hadn’t spoken to anyone about the truth and she told him about the night he had slammed her into the mirror. Daniel clenched his jaw, he hated this Andrew already but he let her talk. “I can’t leave him, I can’t buy him out of the mortgage, we are in negative equity on the flat, and I don’t have that sort of money. I’m trapped Daniel” tears pricked to her eyes “I’m sorry I don’t know why I’m telling you all this”.

“I’m sorry Nicole, I really am”
He reached over and held her hand across the table. “How much would it cost to buy him out?” She told him the rough figure and he nearly burst out laughing.  It was nothing, he could write her a cheque right now and it would all go away.