Sexy Hart (Sexy Series) (42 page)

“Um, about ten minutes. Do you need any more help with anything?”

“Nope, you go and finish off; I’ll make my way down the stairs and wait.”

“Okay, be careful.”

“Will do, worry wart,” he says with a grin and I head back into the bathroom to finish my face.

Tonight we’re out to celebrate Bea and Daniel’s Birthdays and it’s Oliver’s first evening out since the accident. We’re taking it very slowly and will probably leave early, but we both want to attend and I think it’s quite a milestone for Oliver.

He’s done so well over the last couple of months, his recovery has really exceeded the doctors’ and neurosurgeons’ expectations. He was moved very shortly after he woke from the coma to the rehabilitation unit at the hospital and from there he came on leaps and bounds and he was able to come home with me, provided I could care for him properly, which I have been.

He regained control of his body miraculously quickly, his walking was a little wobbly so he has been having physiotherapy to help with it and it is coming along so well, he’s a little slow on his feet, but it’s getting better with each and every day. His headaches are frequent, but he’s getting used to them and they are also depleting somewhat, too.

As the doctors predicted, he has absolutely no recollection of the accident, whatsoever, and I think I prefer things that way. He doesn’t even have nightmares. He hasn’t been back to work, and they’ve carried on fantastically without him, but hopefully returning to work and experiencing that environment won’t bring anything back for him except his love of what he does.

A few days after his first few words, he had progressed to being fully awake, although rather tired. It was so wonderful to have him back and be able to converse with him the way we always have. We were all able to go home and get washed and changed regularly, knowing he was on the mend, without having to worry, which meant I got quite a bit of time on my own with him.

I remember so clearly those first few conversations we had, and the one in which he told everyone in the room how in love with me he was. It was so emotional, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house,
I was a total mess! We had a long talk with his parents about everything, giving our reasons for keeping quiet, and luckily, they were fully on board.

Once Oliver was out of the hospital, I invited my parents over and told them everything, too. It was as I had expected, they were happy for me but it was almost as if I’d told them I had won £10 on the lottery, “Oh really, dear? That’s nice, good for you.” They stayed for tea and cake but had to leave to get back so that they had enough time to do today’s crossword before dinner. Uh huh.

We decided to exchange rings when everyone was there, we removed our old bands and slid the rings on each other’s fingers, expressing our love for one another as we did. Again, a hugely emotional moment, one that had Tilly sobbing like a baby, so uncharacteristically! I think love and motherhood has softened her tremendously, whilst still keeping that gorgeous, fun girl that we know and love, ever so present.

I told him that his surprise inscription had tipped me over the edge when I saw it, and he simply smiled and
apologised… apologised! Apparently he arranged an appointment at that specific jeweller because he had done research to find one that could do the fingerprint inside. He wanted to keep it a surprise and had gone back over to the shop to arrange it on another day, while I was at work, which is why they took so long to get to us. I can’t get over how thoughtful that was of him. I really have the most wonderful husband in the world.

I leave the bathroom and slip my black heels on, ready to leave for the party. I find my clutch and put all of the necessary things inside, ready to head downstairs. I’m suddenly taken by surprise by two gorgeous, strong arms, wrapping around me, hands resting on my tummy.

“You look beautiful,” he says, nuzzling his nose and lips into my neck, swaying with me.

I grin and close my eyes, holding my free hand against his. “Mmm, thank you. So do you. I thought you were downstairs.”

“No, I decided to stay up here with you. I’m looking forward to our first official evening outing as husband and wife.”

“Oh, me too! And I’m looking forward to our first trip out since the accident. This means you’re back. We’re together and I don’t need to worry about you. Though I always will, of course.”

“As I will about you. It’s natural when you love someone. So, shall we make a move? You sure you’re happy to drive?”

“Yeah of course, why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like I can drink…” I say with a huge, elated grin.

He squeezes me that little bit tighter and chuckles into my neck. “That’s right, I still can’t believe it happened so quickly.”

“Me neither,” I say, turning in his arms and wrapping mine around his neck, kissing his lips. “I feel like the luckiest girl alive. I have my Oliver and now I have a very tiny, very new, little baby growing in there. Thirty five weeks to go until we get to meet our own little Wriggler.”

“You’re not as lucky as me, I get to look at you every day and watch you bloom.”

“Aw. Thank you. I love you so much, Oliver. You’re my world, you know that don’t you?”

“I do. And you are mine. My life would never have been so whole, had we not done what we did in Las Vegas. There’s no way I would have left you, darling, I would have come out of that coma kicking and screaming if I could have, just to be able to love you the way you deserve to be loved. I will never be able to look after you as amazingly as you have for me, but I swear on anything that I hold dear, that I will protect you from harm, shelter our baby, and love you with all of my being, until we’re old, wrinkly and grey. My sexy wife… my gorgeous girl.”

TWO MONTHS LATER

WEDNESDAY 18TH DECEMBER

ALEXIA

Aspen. It’s such a beautiful place to spend Christmas, and this year, we’re here again with a very large and extremely fun crowd, much like last year.

Sadly, Clare and Oliver weren’
t able to make it over, understandably so; they’re nervous about Oliver flying only a few months after his brain injury, and what with Clare only fourteen weeks pregnant with twins, she just wanted to stay in her home and rest over the Christmas period, worried about being so far away with such precious cargo, and who can blame her after the trauma she went through, thinking she might lose her husband.

That was a very unusual vacation for me; the start was wonderful but of course when Oliver had his accident, it was so horribly disturbing. I can only hope I did for Clare, what she needed at the time. I felt pretty useless to be honest.

When I found out that they had gotten married, I was absolutely shocked! Along with everyone else, it seems. We were right there in Vegas with them and nobody noticed anything! Good for them, they clearly love each other dearly; I think it was obvious, it was just a matter of time before they found each other properly.

The rest of my UK vacation I spent working in the London office. Daniel was obviously taking care of his fiancée and her family, and the only way I could help them was by helping Daniel, making sure I was overseeing everything that he is in control of, there.

It really didn’t bother me, I was glad to help out and they had something just awful to deal with. I love my job, I love work, so going there everyday isn’t a chore, it was just a shame to have missed out on spending time with my friends. Hopefully, although Clare and Oliver can’t be here, I’ll get to enjoy some more time with those other, new, good friends here. I’ll really miss Clare, she’s become a very dear friend to me and I can see us remaining friends for a very long time to come, especially as she is my sister-in-law-to-be’s sister-in-law. Yes, it’s confusing, I know.

When I heard that our associate and friend, Sebastian Love, had flown Tilly and Luke over from LA, I wasn’t surprised at
all, he’s a great guy like that. Very helpful. He’s crazy, a little outlandish and sometimes quite the filthy-mouthed reprobate that I detest, however, he does have a very decent side to him, which one usually sees in business or when he’s serious about something.

As he was in London for a few days, we met for dinner a couple of times, at his request, which would have been very pleasant, had he not continuously tried to flirt with me; not something I’m interested in, in the slightest. He is very pleasant company when he wants to be, but the other side of him that can’t seem to help rearing its ugly head really just detracts from any decorum he may initially express.
A shame, really.

I’m trying to forget that a few glasses of wine during one of those meetings in London caused me to slip into a bizarre and very uncharacteristic ‘jerk-tolerating’ state, and I began to actually enjoy his awfulness. My stomach churns every time I remember that kiss… it’s difficult to even say that word.

Why didn’t I simply hop into the awaiting car and leave him to it? Why did I have to offer him a ride and then succumb to his lecherous ways in the back of the vehicle? Why I was so turned on by it, I’ve no idea. I can only put it down to the wine, he’ll never make the cut when it comes to the type of man I’d be interested in, and no matter what the spasms of excitement in my gut try to tell me, I’ll never forget that act.

No doubt, as we’re in Aspen, we’ll bump into Sebastian and his partner-in-crime, Cole, again, as we did last year and most every year that we’re here, but I shall certainly not be partaking in any of those ridiculous drinking games that had me so mortifyingly inebriated last time. Something I make a habit of never doing. And after what happened when I’d only had just a few glasses of wine in London, I will certainly be staying away from any of that type of thing.

That occasion last Christmas was an exception, I was having way too much fun and got carried away with the festivities. A few drinks and a dance, some laughs with my friends - all that is wonderful when one has the time to do it, but the other business is just not ‘me’ and I am absolutely confident that that will never happen again.

Sebastian has called me a few times since we met in London, trying to convince me to let him take me out for dinner again in LA, telling me I’ve got him all wrong,
yada yada yada. After that passionate kiss, I appreciate that I probably did give off the wrong vibe in London, I do enjoy his company, but I certainly wouldn’t wish to encourage him to think that I might be interested in anything more than friendship.

He is most certainly not my type, no; I like my men to be serious, work-focused gentlemen with a high level of intellect and charisma; light drinkers if interested in it at all, excellent conversationalists and all-round pillars of the community. Although I appreciate a good-looking guy, I’m definitely not solely interested in looks, and should the areas previously mentioned be covered, I can overlook a face and body.

Sebastian is devastatingly good-looking, but that doesn’t do anything for me because he’s a jackass half the time. Yes, when focused on work, he’s extremely professional, but when they say ‘work hard, play hard’, Sebastian takes it to another level. He works hard and plays like an absolute idiot, and that, for me, is the biggest turn-off a man could ever present me with.

But that’s enough about him, I’m sure I’ll get to meet up with him soon and watch on, cringe-worthily as his mouth gets him into some more trouble.

Right now, I’m on my way to my parents’ place, here in Aspen for dinner; Daniel, Bea, Luke, Tilly and Emily, and Bea’s parents will all be joining us for our first meal together, before most of us go out to a bar to celebrate the festive period with a couple of glasses of champagne.

Pam, my housekeeper who formed a wonderful connection with Tilly last year, is very excited to be looking after little Emily. Luke and Pam have always been close, so naturally she fell in love with Tilly, too.

Climbing the steps to the door, I take a deep breath and smile, adoring this relaxing part of the year in one of my most favourite places in the world. Coming home to my parents place here reminds me so much of visiting as we were growing up. It’s wonderful.

When my reminiscing moment is over, I lift my hand to ring the doorbell and am thoroughly surprised when the door is flung open, and standing before me, cocksure and merry, is Sebastian Love.

“Good evening, beautiful, looking stunning as always,” he says, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me against him with a thud to lay a kiss on my cheek.

“Oh… uh,” I stutter, totally taken aback, “I didn’t realise you were here.”

“Your folks didn’t tell you I was coming? Aw, and there’s me thinking you’re getting all excited to see me.”

Ugh. Would an exaggerated roll of the eyes be too obvious?
What a douche.

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