The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (22 page)

Grace, Leah and I enjoyed the cakes with coffee and I took the remainder home for my last night with the kids after my appointment.

I was going to miss Erin and Matt enormously but I also knew that they always enjoyed their holidays with my mother so I was thrilled for them as well.

The three of us slobbed on the couch in front of the television and made pigs of ourselves for the whole night.

The locksmith had turned up before I left for my therapy and I was now relaxed and secure in my home once again.

Everything was for once going well in my life but there was a niggle somewhere in me that things just seemed
too
good.

Chapter Sixteen

THE NEXT MORNING I stood on my doorstep hugging and kissing Erin and Matt goodbye as the taxi containing my mother came to pick them up for the airport. “Have lots of fun and I love you,” I told them both as they fiercely hugged me back and said their goodbyes.

I blew my mum a kiss and packed up a few belongings; my laptop, other important bits such as clothes and underwear, and secretly stashed my red dress and my favourite red shoes, which I needed for Saturday nights award ceremony.

Work dragged by and at 5 O’clock Nate text me to say he’d meet me in the foyer. I was to follow him in Betty, as I needed my car for the next day and Nate had decided to go into work as I was busy all day.

After saying goodbye to Grace and Leah, I rode the elevator down in excitement, my enthusiasm to see Nate had my foot tapping the lift floor and urging it to move faster.

As I walked into the foyer, he had his back to me and his head thrown back, laughing at something somebody stood in front of him was saying, his hand rested on an arm of someone that I couldn’t see properly . . . until she reached up and whispered something into his ear. He nodded and laughed again.

Fucking Eleanor!
What the hell was she doing here?

Plastering a smile on my face I walked over to them. I saw Bert peering at them through the main glass doors, he raised his hand to me in a greeting and I waved back, glad that my friend had been keeping his eye on my boyfriend and his ex-lover.

“Hi.” I smiled widely and reached up, kissing Nate fully on the lips, lingering for a moment. I felt his arm slip round my waist. Pulling back I turned to Eleanor. “Eleanor,” I nodded sternly. I felt Nate tense beside me as if sensing my hostility towards the bitch.

“Olivia, how are you?” She smiled so tightly I thought her lips were going to split.

“Well as you can see,” I smirked, gesturing to Nate, “I am still with Nate.”

Her face paled as if she was surprised that I was going to mention our little altercation in the pub toilets in front of Nate.

“Yes. That’s lovely. I’m really pleased for you both,” she faked. “Nate and I were just catching up, weren’t we Darling?” She turned to Nate, trying to fight for his attention. “He was just inviting me to the Awards Saturday night.” She grinned slyly, a wicked gleam in her eye.

I stiffened. “Oh?” I questioned, confused. “I didn’t know you worked here Eleanor?” Nate’s hand rested in mine and I felt him give a slight squeeze.

“Oh Olivia, there’s lots you don’t know about me,
love.
”

My temper rose. “Oh, I don’t know, Eleanor. Your types are usually all the same.” I curled my lips at her obvious surprise and shock. I turned to Nate and gave him a stiff smile. “Ready,
Darling?
” I pulled him from the foyer, giving Bert a smile and wave as I stormed towards my car.

“What the hell was that all about, Liv?” he asked when he caught up with me. I was fuming and it was evident as Nate grabbed my arm and pulled me to a halt. “Liv?” he probed.

“I don’t like her, Nate!” I stated. “She’s a bitch.”

He frowned at me and dropped his hand into mine. “Baby, you don’t need to be jealous. It’s over between me and Eleanor, we’re just friends,” he said softly, running his thumb over my chin.

“Well would you like to tell Eleanor that then?” I huffed. He frowned again, no idea what I was going on about. “She cornered me in the toilets at Bob’s retirement and told me it was only a matter of time before you went running back to her!”

His eyes widened. “What the fuck! It was always just sex with me and Eleanor, Liv. Nothing more and I definitely mean nothing else. She’s just trying to wind you up, baby,” he soothed and kissed my lips but I kept them firmly closed. He continued to plant little kisses along my mouth. “Open up, baby,” he pouted. “My lips are lonely.” His lips turned down and he wore huge sad eyes.

I gave in when my lips twitched and he gave me a huge grin. “That’s better. I don’t wanna fight, it’s our first day together.” He smiled and kissed me again, this time I kissed him back passionately. I didn’t want to fight either, I wanted to enjoy the time we had alone.

“You ready to go home, baby?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Cos’ I fucking am. I haven’t been inside you for two fucking days,” he moaned, pouting again.

I swung my hips provocatively as I walked towards my car, knowing he would be watching and groaning to himself. “Come on, Mr Carter, I wanna see where you live,” I shouted over my shoulder.

“You only need to see the bedroom, baby,” he shouted back with a smirk as he slid into Virgil.

Twenty minutes later I pulled up behind him in front of a fucking mansion. He rolled down his window and punched a code into a little box outside some huge metal gates before they opened wide. I followed him up a long driveway and came to rest in a huge semi-circle of gravel situated in front of the biggest house I’d ever seen. I sat motionless in Betty, my eyes wide and my stomach lurching as I took in the vast building.

Jesus!
It was like something out of a movie
.
Massive white walls spanned the house, while there must have been over twenty windows situated on the front. Circular steps led up to double front doors that were flanked by enormous pillars.

My door opened and Nate leaned in. “Okay, Liv?” he asked shyly as though he was embarrassed by his wealth.

I turned to look at him and opened my mouth to say something but shut them again; I really didn’t know what to say.

“Come on, baby.” He gave me a soft tug, encouraging me. I climbed out of Betty still staring at him. He gave me a nervous chuckle and led me up the steps and opened the door, still pulling me gently behind him. We passed the threshold into a massive entranceway; two grand stairways bordered the room and joined onto another huge entranceway on the next level. It was all light wood and the furnishings were pastel and soft, not what I was expecting for the interior of a mansion. I had been anticipating big chandeliers, dark wood and musty antiques but I was pleasantly surprised to see it was quite homely and warm.

“Okay?” Nate asked, even more nervous than me. I managed to nod and smile at him. “Don’t let it overwhelm you Liv, it’s just my home. I want you to treat it as yours too.” I nodded and smiled again. “Come through to the kitchen and I’ll cook us something.” I nodded and smiled, not quite capable of any other movement.

The kitchen was as I expected; a huge room with black and white fittings, a centre island and expensive kitchenware, but what caught my breath was the view from the immense French windows.

Walking over to them I pushed them open and stepped onto a huge patio, gaping at the vista that opened up.

It was utterly breath-taking; a colossal landscaped lawn opened up into a meadow of colour, a rainbow of florae bordered by woodland and an actual babbling brook. The whole scene was enclosed privately by towering trees and high lush green hedges, an utterly secluded Garden of Eden.

I gasped as I felt Nate’s arm encircle me, “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he whispered in my ear.

“Stunning,” I breathed, unable to remove my view from the scene.

“This is the reason I bought the house.” He smiled into my neck, “When I came to the viewing, I stood right here looking at the landscape like we are now and I thought ‘Liv would love it here.’”

He sighed and I turned into him. My arms slipped around him as I reached up to his mouth. “I Love you, Nate,” I murmured before I kissed him with a tenderness that actually hurt. The thought of him craving me for twenty years, looking for me and missing me just as I had done, ached at my heart. A tear slipped down my cheek as I tried with all my inner strength to show him how I felt in this one kiss.

He pulled back and rested his chin on my head, breathing hard. “I know, Angel,” he whispered in my hair; he understood everything I was trying to convey.

We stood looking at the view for a while before he pulled me back into the kitchen. He prepared salad and steak while I sat at the island, watching him relaxed and happy as he worked and talked.

My phone rang and I reached in my bag. “Hey Mum.” I heard her distant voice through the line.

“We got here okay Olivia,” she shouted loudly as though she was on the bloody moon.

“You don’t have to shout Mum, I can hear you fine.”

Nate chuckled and went to the fridge to retrieve the wine. “Oh, okay.” She continued to shout. “Just letting you know that we got here okay.”

Rolling my eyes, I shouted back at full capacity, “THAT’S GREAT MUM!”

Nate laughed loud as she shouted to me, “You don’t have to bloody shout Olivia, I can hear you.”

Watching Nate in hysterics had me creased up. “Are you having an attack, Olivia?” she shrieked worriedly. Nate doubled over, holding his stomach in agony.

“No Mum, I’m just laughing at something on the telly.”

I tired to calm down but laughed even more when she shouted, “Anything good on, love? The telly’s crap over here, I’m missing Corrie.” Nate snorted and dropped the wine.

Jumping off my stool, I shouted to my Mother, “Gotta go Mum.” I threw my phone on the worktop and went over to pick up the broken glass before Nate cut himself . . . just a maternal instinct.

“My God, I forgot how classic your mother is,” he laughed as we scooped up the poor, poor wasted bottle.

“Mmm, she’s a classic alright. She owes us a bottle of wine.” I pouted, giving the bottle a withered look.

“Don’t worry, baby, there’s more in the fridge,” he chuckled as he checked on the steak. “Nearly ready.”

“I need the bathroom,” I told him, a little worried about finding the way in the excess of rooms.

“There’s one in the hallway, just to the side of the left staircase. I’d show you but I’ve gotta keep an eye on the steak.”

“It’s fine. I’ll find it” I smiled and went in search of the loo.

I was rather proud when I found it without any problems and made it back to the kitchen just as Nate was serving up. He smiled sheepishly and had a guilty look on his face.
Strange.

“Find it?” he asked a tad too dramatically.

I nodded and sat at the island. “You okay, Nate?”

“Yeah, why?” He smiled, giving me a quick flick of his eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders. “No reason.”

I beamed when he placed my plate down in front of me. It looked delicious. “Wow, this looks good. I’m famished.” I tucked in, groaning when the steak melted in my mouth. “Babe you can cook,” I complimented as I chewed slowly on another piece of steak.

“Did you say ‘
cook’
or ‘
fuck’?
” he asked, a wicked twinkle in his eyes. “Watching you eat turns me on, Liv.” He methodically put his knife and fork down, stood and walked round to me.

Gulping, I placed my cutlery on my plate and rotated my body round the stool. He opened my thighs and positioned himself between them then propped my head back with a finger on my chin. “In fact just watching you turns me on, Angel.” He put his arms under me, hitched up my skirt and lifted me onto a clear part of the island as he positioned his body back between my legs.

Running his finger over my breast and down my stomach, his lips parted and he pulled in a deep breath. “You are so fucking beautiful, Liv” he muttered as he started to unbutton my shirt, slowly popping each button open, his gaze never leaving his own actions.

He hitched a breath as I clamped my legs round his waist and pulled him closer, grinding my hips against him. His pupils fired as he ripped my shirt open. He observed my erect nipples beneath my bra, trailing his finger around the curve. “So fucking beautiful,” he sighed.

I placed my hands behind me, bracing myself on the worktop. The action pushed my breasts towards him, inviting him closer. He bent and took my nipple between his teeth, grazing them over the delicate material of my bra. I whimpered and pushed further into his mouth.

“Hush baby,” he whispered into my chest as he continued his adoration of my sensitive nipple. He reached behind me and unhooked my bra, slowly pulling it away from my body and tossing it aside as he unzipped my skirt. “Lift your delightful arse, Angel.” I elevated my hips for him to slide off my skirt, pulling my knickers along with it.

He stood up and growled softly as his eyes roamed my body. “Now you are even more beautiful, Angel,” he stated as I sat naked on his kitchen worktop.

“You’ve got too many clothes on,” I scolded.

His lips twitched. “You want me naked, baby?”

I licked my lips. “I need to see you, Nate. Your body makes me hot.”

I braced the counter even harder when he slowly slipped off his shirt, giving me the full glorious view of his abs. My breathing sped up as he slipped out of his trousers, tossing them on top of my bra and when he removed his shorts I nearly passed out. “Jesus, Nate. You’re gorgeous,” I groaned, skimming his body with a lustful look.

He smiled and stalked back to me, braced my thighs and pulled them apart, dropping to his knees in front of me. He kissed the inside of my thigh gently. “You smell amazing, Liv.” He groaned. “Always, for me.”

I placed my hands on his head as he kissed a path up my thigh. “Always for you, Nate” I hissed as he reached my groin and lapped his tongue along me.

A low growl rumbled in his throat, his fingers digging firmly into my thighs, opening me wider. “You’re so hot, baby.” His thumbs separated my labia and he sucked my clit, making my hips jump off the island with a growl. “Shush, Angel,” he soothed, gently stroking his tongue over the length of me.