Stranger at the beach house (11 page)

“No, it was three,” he smiled
“but I missed you,” and I was grinning uncontrollably as he embraced me,
tucking me under his arm and guiding me back out of the house and all the way
to his bathroom.

He had left the bath running,
steaming water mixed with the delicious sweet smell of his bath oils. Taking my
things from my arms he placed them gently on the floor, moving to undo the tie
of my robe and kissing me gently. “You are so beautiful, Rose,” he smiled,
turning to pick up the small remote control from the bathroom shelf. “In you
get,” he grinned and all my earlier self consciousness was gone as I eased my
body into the divine heat and turned to face him as he removed his jeans and
slid in behind me, wrapping his legs protectively at either side as the bubbles
from the whirlpool burst into life.

Resting my head on his chest I
moaned appreciatively as his hand roamed, touching and washing my chest and
breasts in circular motions with a lovely soft cloth. “Nice?” he questioned.

“
Mmmmm
,”
I could only purr my response. His touch was heavenly in and out of the
bedroom, my body responding instinctively to every movement. This was tender,
gentle Sam and I
was loving
every second of it.

“Can I wash your hair, Rose?” he
asked and I made no sound, nodding gently as I relaxed into him, enveloped in
the feeling of intimacy, lost in this special moment.

I had never shared a bath with
anyone before and I was treasuring the closeness, comfort and warmth as he
washed and rinsed my long blonde curls, coating them in slick conditioner and
repeating the process. “So beautiful,” he whispered, pouring the clear balmy
liquid over my scalp, massaging out the last of the lather as I stroked his
strong muscular thighs. I was so relaxed I had almost nodded off for the second
time today as he nudged me gently. “Time to get out,” he smiled and I rose from
the bath, wrapping my suddenly shivering skin in the fresh warm towel he’d laid
out for me.

“I’ll let you get ready while I
fix us a sandwich. Do you want me to surprise you?” he smiled.

“Sure, why not? You’re full of
surprises and so far I’ve liked all of them,” I laughed. He winked, hitting me
full on with his remarkable smile as I got myself dressed, brushing my damp
hair and applying some make-up. I can’t remember feeling as totally relaxed and
utterly happy as I did now in a long time, if ever. I dried my hair quickly,
letting it fall into natural soft curls against my shoulders and Sam was
dressed and waiting for me as I walked into the kitchen, with lunch ready on
the table.

God I was starving, devouring the
tuna sandwich and barely taking a breath as he watched me intently, the slight
trace of a smile touching his sumptuous mouth. I averted my gaze as a familiar
lust stirred in me when I absorbed his beautiful features. “That was lovely
Sam,” I smiled and he moved towards me, kissing my forehead.

 
“Do you want some of my cake now Sweetheart?”
he grinned, proud of his creation and my mind flashed back to the image of his
head between my legs, smeared in chocolate mix and my arousal and I flushed.
From the look on his face, he was thinking exactly the same thing.

“It needs cream and I think
you’re going to have to help me with that,” he laughed.

“Grab the whisk then and pop it
in that bowl and keep going. Just like you did before, I said, licking my lips
and trying uselessly to push the erotic flashbacks from my mind. Jesus, he had
already given me plenty of orgasms today, what was the matter with me? I was
afraid that I would never get enough of this man.

 
“This looks good,” he said, pulling me tight and
putting a cream laden finger into my mouth.

 
“Yes it is,” I replied, running my tongue over
my lips as he stooped to kiss off the remains of the cream and my heart melted.

“So now just spread it over the
top of one, sandwich them together and voila, you’ve made your first cake,” I
smiled. He was concentrating hard, following my instructions and cut two large
slices of cake, lifting the first for me to take a bite.

 
“What do you think?” he asked excitedly as I
swallowed the moist chocolate sponge and thick, rich cream.

 
“Extraordinary and absolutely wonderful,” I
said as he beamed. I wasn’t just talking about the cake.

Dart bounded up as Sam called
him, eager for his walk on the beach and as we made our way outside my mood
shifted slightly. Sam ran ahead, throwing sticks and balls to the excited
Labrador as I walked behind silently; suddenly slightly fearful of the growing
feelings I already had for him. It hadn’t been like this, even with Daniel. It
had been lustful and passionate but I wasn’t sure I had ever cared for him as
deeply as I already cared for Sam. I had been addicted to the drama of life
with Daniel, the highs and lows, the rows and the making up, but never like
this. This was something else entirely and the thought of losing it made me
incredibly nervous. He already knew so much about me, about Alice and about my
whole history and it was as if we had bypassed that whole getting to know you
stage. Well one of us had, I still knew next to bugger all about him.

 
This wasn’t like me, I didn’t normally think
this way. Perhaps losing so many things recently had made me more reticent,
more pessimistic and more frightened. I was enjoying the feeling but I had to
protect my heart. It had been hard when Sam disappeared God knows where for two
days after we had kissed. What if he did it now? I ached at the thought. And
then there was his ‘situation’. I knew nothing about it and it could be
anything. It could turn my life upside down. I knew I was over thinking things
but as I watched his glorious form racing Dart across the beach towards me, I
wondered how long I could keep this gorgeous man.

“Hey,” he whispered, cupping my
face and frowning as Dart shook himself violently, sprinkling sand and salt
water across our legs. “What’s the matter?” he asked as I shook my head.

 
“Nothing,” I said quietly, unable to smile. He
stopped abruptly, grabbing me tightly and piercing my gaze.

“Sweetheart, tell me what you’re
thinking,” he demanded as I shook my head again. I couldn’t tell him what I was
thinking. He would consider me an absolute bloody lunatic and all of a sudden
it was all I could do to hold back the tears. What the hell was wrong with me?

 
He held my face gently, tipping it to meet
his. “Let me guess. Feeling too much, too quickly and it’s frightening you a
bit,” he said softly. I just stared, gulping back the threatening tears and
unable to respond. He’d pretty much nailed it. “Well, if it is that,” he
continued, “I just want you to know that you can trust me, I promise you that.
I think you already know I’m a man who keeps my promises, Rose,” he smiled and
remembering the delicious promise he had kept this morning I couldn’t help but
smile back.

Chapter 10

We walked back to the house in
silence and I was glad he wasn’t pushing the subject. His words had been
reassuring. Trust was a major issue for me and I did feel that he could be
trusted. I had felt that since the first night when he found me on the beach.
He had quickly turned from a stranger to a friend, from a friend to a lover and
I had never once doubted my instincts, despite my lack of knowledge, despite
his ‘situation’, despite the secrets and all the things which would normally
have me running a mile in the opposite direction. I did trust him I thought,
grabbing his hand as we made our way up the steps and he turned to me flashing
his devastating smile.
 

“Come here,” he said, as we
reached the soft leather sofa, pulling me onto his lap and holding me tightly.
“Don’t go quiet on me, Sweetheart. You need to tell me how you feel. If you
don’t I might just guess and I’ll probably get it all wrong. I might think
you’ve gone off me and need reminding of why I’m extraordinary. Think about
it,” he raised his eyebrows at me, a small laugh escaping my lips. He lifted me
from his lap, walking to the hearth to create a fire and stopping occasionally
to study my face. As the fire took hold he stood, gazing at me. “So are you
going to talk to me or am I to assume that you need that reminder?” he smiled
and I bit my lip in an effort to suppress my giggle. I said nothing. Surely a
little reminder couldn’t hurt.

“Come here,” he demanded, the
deepness in his voice causing my stomach to somersault and my heart to stop in
my throat as I walked slowly towards him meeting his stare. Holding my
shoulders tightly he turned me away from him, peeling my top quickly over my
head and unclasping my bra to leave me naked and exposed from the waist up as
he turned me back to face him. He didn’t speak as he raked his darkening gaze
over my breasts and moved down my body, removing my boots, socks and finally my
jeans, leaving me standing in front of the blazing fire with only a small
triangle of white lace to cover me. My body shivered, my skin tingling in
anticipation as he started to caress my shoulders, back and ribs with his expert
hands, sending nerve signals firing across my body as I ached for more. When I
moved to kiss him he pulled away, shaking his head.

“So you’ve gone off me then?” he
said firmly, raising his eyebrows and moving the contact down to my thighs,
stroking the tender skin that ignited under his touch.

 
“No,” I said quickly shaking my head, my
breathing harsh and erratic, his fingers triggering arousal to pool between my
legs, my nipples hard as I pushed my breasts forward, desperate for the relief
of his chest pressed against me.

 
“Are you sure?” he challenged and I moaned as
his fingers slipped under the lace to touch my aching clit.

“Yes,” I whimpered. “So you just
wanted the reminder anyway?” he smiled, increasing the pressure and causing my
legs to buckle slightly, but he moved no closer.

 
“Yes,” I moaned, waves of pleasure mounting
inside me, my nipples still craving the touch of his chest and I gasped in
ecstasy as he removed his top and pulled me hard into him.

I could feel his erection
grinding into me as I rubbed my aching breasts against him and grazing my ear
with his soft stubble, he whispered gently “Was what I said on the beach right
Baby?”

 
“Yes,” I breathed, too lost in lust to care
about hiding my feelings. He tipped my chin with one hand, eyes blazing, the
other moving over my swollen lips, circling my clitoris and making me gasp
loudly.

“Promise me you’ll talk to me,
Rose,” he said firmly and I wouldn’t argue. Right now I was so heady with
desire I would have promised him anything. “Promise me,” he growled again as I
reached to undo the button fly of his jeans.

 
“I promise, Sam,” I murmured as he kicked off
the denim that had fallen at his ankles, increasing the delicious pressure of
his fingers on my clit and pulling me into a deep, passionate, demanding kiss
that sent me over the edge. “I promise,” I cried out. He held me closely as my
body bucked, absorbing the pleasurable shockwaves that engulfed me entirely.

He eased me onto the rug, pushing
his weight into me, kissing me hard, thrusting his rigid cock against me and I
was desperate for him to be inside me. “I want to fuck you really hard and
really deep, Rose so you never forget this promise”. Oh God.

 
“Yes,” I moaned as he flipped me over onto all
fours, grabbing my waist to pull my arse into the air, massaging my breasts
with one hand and kneading my buttocks hard with the other as he nudged his
huge penis against the ridge of my backside, teasing me with what was to come
and I was whimpering, desperate for his touch. He was enormous and I knew this
would be deep. He had filled every inch of me this morning and I stilled,
holding my breath, bracing myself as he expertly moved the beautiful head of
his cock over my soaking entrance. His first thrust was gentle and I cried out
in ecstasy as his gorgeous shaft pushed its way into me.

 
He all but withdrew before thrusting again,
powerfully and deep, hitting the end of me until there was nowhere left for him
to go. I cried out again, pleasure tinged with pain and a deep sense of
absolute fulfilment. God this man was incredible. “OK Baby?” he stilled as I
pushed back, desperate for his cock.

 
“Yes,” I shrieked, and it was all the
encouragement he needed as he pounded, dominant, formidable thrusts that forced
the air from my lungs and all thought from my brain. All I could concentrate on
was the overwhelming force that was punishing me with its delectable onslaught
on my body, so deep and unlike anything I had felt before.

 
His breathing was heavy as I met each thrust
with my own, pushing his cock as far and deep as it could go, an exquisite pain
that touched every cell in my being, setting me alight with pleasure as he
pounded me again and again, crying out his name as my muscles clenched around
his raging cock, flooding it as an almighty orgasm shook my core. It was enough
to send him over the edge, pleasure merging as I felt him pulsate, hitting my
womb with hot cum and emptying
himself
inside me. I
was panting, ragged as I dropped to the floor and I had never felt so sexually
overwhelmed.
 

Without warning, silent tears
began to fall. It wasn’t an emotional response but a release, my physical
reaction to the force and power of what had just happened, purely hormonal I
guessed, trying to stem the tide as Sam turned me over. God, he really would
think me an absolute lunatic.

“What’s wrong beautiful girl?” he
asked, gently wiping away my tears, his face etched with genuine concern.

“Nothing.
I don’t know,” I laughed quietly. “I’m not
upset, Sam, honestly, I promise”. His face softened into a caring smile as he
kissed me gently. “I’m quite the opposite in fact. A bit overwhelmed maybe but
definitely not upset,” I laughed through the tears. He smiled at my response,
pulling me alongside him into a warm embrace as we lay together on the soft
rug, basking in the glow of the fire, the understanding expression on his face
suggesting it wasn’t the first time he had come across post coital crying.

That was not a welcome thought
and I pushed it quickly from my mind, turning to face him. “You’re so
beautiful,” he smiled warmly, stroking my hair away from my face.

 
“So are you,” I gazed back at him, struck by
his magnificence. I had definitely been overwhelmed.

 
“Well, I’m glad I reminded you, Baby,” he laughed.
I had never forgotten.

We lay there until the sun went
down, stroking and touching, exploring one another gently and slowly with a new
found wonder. “I think you’ve been slacking on our deal, Rose,” he said
eventually, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

 
“What do you mean?” I asked in mock horror,
guessing what he was referring to.

“Well so far you’ve only made me
a steak and as delicious as it was, Sweetheart, I have made you pasta, a
McDonalds, a sandwich and a cake. I am also taking you out tomorrow for a
Chinese, so I think the balance in this agreement is pretty uneven at the
moment, don’t you?” he smiled.

 
“You can’t make someone a McDonalds,” I
laughed, “so that doesn’t count and I’m more than happy to pay for my own
Chinese”.

 
“Like hell you will,” he said, wrestling me to
the ground and pinning me beneath him “and neither will your friends. That’s
not up for discussion, Rose and whichever way you cut it, Lady, it’s still
three to one, at least,” he said, tickling my ribs as I screamed and writhed
beneath him.

“Oh dear, it looks like I’ve
found your Achilles heel. Now get in that kitchen before I do it again,” he
said and I couldn’t stop laughing as I squirmed beneath him.

 
“OK, OK what do you fancy?” I giggled as he
licked his lips.

 
“Something traditional, I’ll leave the details
up to you”. Well, we were in Yorkshire so there was only really one option,
although a roast beef dinner would be far too much trouble. “Toad in the hole
it is then,” I smiled, getting up to dress myself as he pulled me into a tight
hug.

 
“My gorgeous girl, you have no idea how much I
was hoping this dinner would include Yorkshire pudding. It’s my favourite,” he
laughed, placing a soft warm kiss on my mouth. “But you don’t need to get
dressed, I like you at least semi nude in the kitchen,” he winked, pulling me
tighter.

“This recipe involves steaming
hot fat, Mister, you’ve got no chance,” I laughed, pulling out of his embrace,
retrieving my underwear, jeans and sweater, hastily putting them on and running
to the kitchen as he lay there sulking.

By the time he came to join me I
was halfway through whisking the mix and had browned the sausages as the oven
heated the fat for the batter. “Do you want a drink?” he smiled, walking to the
fridge and pulling out a crisp bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

 
“I’ll be staying off the alcohol after last
night thanks,” I said and he laughed, pouring himself a glass and me some
juice. The pans were boiling the water for vegetables and after I popped in the
carrots, noting he had bought the pre peeled variety, I strode over to join
him, his hands circling my waist as he kissed the top of my head
affectionately.

 
“You have no idea how much I love seeing you
cooking in my kitchen,” he smiled as I stood on my tiptoes, reaching to kiss
his perfect mouth.

“I love it too. Your home is a
dream, Sam,” I smiled.

 
“Just my home?” he challenged, raising his
eyebrows and I laughed, moving away and opening the oven to check the fat was
hot enough, pouring the batter and sausages into the sizzling, steaming tin and
placing it back in the oven. He had heard quite enough of my inner thoughts for
one day. He wasn’t the only one who could be secretive.

“So apart from missing me, Rose,
and getting ridiculously drunk with your friend in town, what else did you
spend your time doing while I was away?” Sam smiled. Oh right, so he wanted to
know what I’d been doing but I couldn’t know what he’d been up to. Well two
could play that game.

 
“Stuff,” I smirked, turning to meet his
twinkling eyes.

 
“What sort of stuff?” he asked, pulling a
serious face.

 
“Just stuff, you know, Sam,” I said, matching
his expression but struggling to stifle my smile.

 
“No, Rose, I don’t know” he replied and my
grin burst.

 
“Well you bloody well should, you get up to
enough ‘stuff’ yourself” I laughed as he walked towards me, placing his hands
on my ribs.

 
“I’ll tickle it out of you,” he smiled, and I
caved.

 
“OK, OK. Mainly I walked on the beach and I
read the letters,” I said, remembering the pained words of the young William
and the response from Grace he had never received.

“It’s pretty powerful stuff huh?”
Sam smiled pulling me close.

“Yes, very. It’s changed every
thought I ever had about my father, Sam, and reading those letters made me
think I really want to find him. Even if he doesn’t want to know me, I want him
to understand that my mother loved him. I’d like him to have the answers he so
desperately craved, even though I know it’s way too late,” I sighed.

“I thought the same thing when I
read them. I figured you might feel like that,” he said softly.

“It just seemed so cruel, Sam. I
know we aren’t wealthy or anything, but my family is respectable. It seems like
something out of the Bronte era, not the 1980’s. I can’t believe his parents
were so against them.”

 
“I know, Rose, but it’s still surprisingly
common in ‘old money’ families, even now. They just don’t have the freedom that
you or I have. It’s to do with protecting their capital, reputation and
respectability. They are encouraged to marry someone of a similar class, a
similar stature. Even the pre-
nup
hasn’t changed the
traditionalists. They don’t like divorce. I don’t know, maybe his family were
trying to increase their social standing and had other plans for him. Either
way, it seems he had a lot to lose and Grace couldn’t allow that to happen.
That takes a strong person and a particularly special kind of love if you ask
me. I’m not sure I could ever walk away,” he explained as I nuzzled against
him.

 
“When I read those letters, Sam, I wished she
hadn’t. I’m going to talk to Lizzie about it at the weekend. She might know
where I can start looking,” I smiled.