Loving Alex (The Alexandra Drake Series) Read online

  “I want you so badly Alex.” He shifts himself between my legs, resting on his elbows, placing little kisses across my jaw, down my neck and across my collar bone. I look into those dark eyes and he smiles at me, “Alex…you drive me insane!” He grumbles as I feel the tip of his erection at my core. “You are so ready! You’re always ready, you’re fucking amazing.” I feel him push gently into me, filling me, he thrusts over and over. “Wrap your legs around me Alex!” His voice is husky, I bring my legs up and clasp my ankles around his back as he thrusts over and over.

  “Oh Hell.” I gasp.

  “I know baby, hang on.” He grumbles.

  He thrusts again and again, harder and harder, I cry out as I cling onto him my nails surely leaving indentations on his back as I hold on so tightly. “Alex” He growls against my neck, I feel him shudder over and over as he finds his release. I stay, locked to him not wanting the moment to end turning my head I glance at the clock “James, James darling. It’s seven.” I whisper.

  He rolls to my side, “They’ll hold the table, call the bistro, let them know we’re on our way.” He mutters as he climbs off the bed and strides over to the bathroom. I hear him turn the shower on.

  I follow him through. I’ll need to shower again after that amazing encounter. As I walk through to the bathroom he’s cleaning his teeth, I sneak into the shower, with the intention of being really quick but my plans are soon scuppered as he joins me, holding me around my waist and pulling my back to his stomach.

  “Don’t get my hair wet!” I shout, as he turns me towards him.

  “Oh…it’s not your wet hair I’m worried about Blossom!” He purrs in my ear.

  I look up into that beautiful face and with both hands slap his chest playfully, “Get off, we’ve no time!” I laugh, even though nothing would give me greater pleasure than to cancel the damn table and stay here, in the shower, with The Bossman!

  “Okay, okay – you win!” He lets me go letting me step out of the shower and dry off, quickly check my hair and freshen my makeup. By the time I’ve dressed and sorted myself out he’s out of the shower and towel dried his curls.

  He dresses really quickly, it’s so much easier being a bloke!

  We leave the house and are soon in his Audi, he drives to the little bistro the roads, although still busy are much quieter than during the day, Simple Minds are singing about not “forgetting me”. I feel so relaxed as I sit back in the quilted leather. "I'm glad you went shopping with Gia," he says, "I'm pleased you have another friend - even though she's really your aunt!"

  I smile, "I'm pleased too, I like Gia very much." I gaze out of the window. “I had a letter from Lewis today – practically begging me to not divorce him.”

  He takes a hand off the steering wheel and slams it back down again, making me jump. I watch the road for me as his anger swells. “Why can’t the bastard just leave you alone?” He spits, “I hope you binned it?” He looks at me and frowns, his face is harsh.

  “I have – he’s delusional. I wish he’d leave me alone too!” I look down at my hands in my lap, part of me wishing I’d never told him that I’d received that letter.

  “You’re telling me! I won’t allow you to be hurt any more by that fucking moron, you understand me? I will not allow it!” His tone is brittle, so harsh, he means it and I certainly would not like to be Lewis if ever he came face to face with James, or worse still James and Benito together. Hell, it’s not worth thinking about, it would surely be carnage!

  We sit in silence listening to the music when our peace is interrupted by my phone ringing. I reach for my new bag and find my phone easily, I already love this bag, nothing falls into its depths or becomes consumed. Looking at the screen I don't recognise the number I answer formally, "Alex Drake."

  James turns towards me and mouths “who’s that?” I shrug my shoulders; I have no idea and don’t recognise the number.

  "Hi Alex its David Deykin, sorry to bother you in the evening but I was ringing to see how Lewis is now? I’ve tried your home but there’s no answer." I look at James and cover the mouth piece of my phone, I whisper, “Lewis’s business partner.” I shrug my shoulders again.

  The call takes me very much by surprise, I haven't spoken with David or his wife, Carol, for months and months, in fact I think the last time I spoke to them was at the Christmas dinner, eight months ago!

  "I'm sorry David, Lewis clearly hasn't told you." I state, hoping that David has some idea of where I am and why.

  "Told me what Alex?" He sounds curious.

  "That I left him in early July, during the first week to be exact!”

  "Oh. I'm sorry, and no he didn't say a word. Only that he'd come into lot of money and well, he said how wealthy he was going to be!" David recounts what Lewis has clearly told him, a pack of lies!

  "Did he? Well that doesn't surprise me one bit. You should probably know that I’m divorcing him, the decree nisi is through and with any luck the absolute will be in around six weeks time, but the inheritance is mine, absolutely nothing to do with Lewis. My mother's will is very clear. Lewis is not mentioned in it at all, only in a negative sense." I explain, trying to sound calm and keep the conversation professional.

  "Oh, I see,” David pauses a little, I hear him huff. “Well he’s been making all sorts of plans, on a personal level and with the business, hell Alex he’s spending like it’s going out of fashion, one of the reasons I wanted to see how he was doing. He’s supposedly been working from home dishing jobs out left right and centre the problem is we’ve no cash to pay the contractors!" He sighs again, giving me the impression that all is not well with the business that my fucked up husband is a partner in.

  "Well David, I would strongly suggest that you rein him in, and quickly. He’s accepted a handsome settlement and of course I’ll be paying the mortgage off. What I will say is that I think he has some…some significant mental issues, in fact I'm sure. But the inheritance is absolutely nothing to do with him. I assume you know about his other women as well?" I like David and Carol and I’m so sorry that Lewis is clearly dragging the business down to his miserable level.

  I hear David sigh loudly again. "I had an idea Alex. I could never understand why he stayed away in the week. I always came home to Carol, the hotel bills alone must have been crippling to you both. Anyway, where are you living?" He tries to lighten the conversation.

  "I'm in London with my new partner, James and I’m very happy, happier than I've been for the last twenty-two years." I smile as I speak.

  "That’s good. Well I'm sorry to have bothered you, if I'd have known I wouldn't have called, if it's of any comfort I'm not surprised, in fact I thought you would have gone before now. Lewis was, is always very open about your relationship and Carol and I always felt so sorry for you, I know he can be short tempered, your mum used to talk Carol when they met in town about him, about you. She felt helpless, you know that don’t you?" He drops the bombshell, is that how my mum knew about Lewis, was it her and Carol gossiping in the town that gave her the missing information she needed? Is that what she told Maggie? My mum never said she knew Carol, but if it was Carol, as the information source, I don’t think my mum would have given her up easily, wouldn’t have told me.

  "David, you don't know most of what went on behind the scenes, even Anna didn't know, but, well most of it is in the open now, Lewis showed his true colours only a few weeks ago in public and ended up in Police custody – but if you haven’t seen him, well you wouldn’t know that would you?" I sigh.

  "I didn’t know, and I haven’t seen him since the day before he was assaulted. I know he was meeting someone, and it was a woman I think, he left the office early and then we got the phone call the next day." He explains.

  "I knew he wouldn’t have said anything, like I said, he’s delusional, it’s like he’s living in a parallel universe where none of this is happening and he totally disbelieves that the inheritance is mine and not his. David, he’s not even mentioned in the will
only to say that he mustn’t have anything!” I feel so sorry for David being lumbered with Lewis, the miserable excuse for a man. I take a deep breath. "Look David, I have to go. We've just arrived at a restaurant and we’re already late. Give my regards to Carol and maybe I might see you again if I'm up that way. Or if ever you’re in London give me a ring and we can meet for coffee or something?" I suggest.

  "That would be great Alex. I'm really, really pleased that things are working out well for you anyway. You are so much better off without him, if what he’s told me over the years is true you deserve a bloody medal, you really do!" His voice is soft and kind. How the hell did Lewis and David ever become business partners, they’re just so different from each other.

  “Thanks David, I appreciate it. Maybe I’ll talk to you or Carol soon, take care and if you can back out of the partnership I think it would be best, for you anyway! I really do have to go now. Bye.”

  I cut the call as James pulls up outside of the bistro. I fill him in really quickly about the call, what Lewis has been doing and saying and what David has said about my mum and his wife talking.

  We walk into the bistro forty minutes late, Gia and Roberto don’t seem to mind, the place doesn’t look too busy this evening anyway. Gia shows us to the same table we’ve sat at before, “I’ll fetch some wine.” She says as she disappears to the back.

  James smiles at me and reaches for my hand across the table, “So I’m your new partner am I?” He says, referring to the conversation I had with David on the way here.

  “Umm, well you are – aren’t you? I thought you were a fling, but maybe a bit more now, I hope. It is more than a fling, isn’t it?” I frown.

  “I hope it’s more, a lot, lot more Blossom.” He rubs his thumb across my knuckles.

  “So do I.” I whisper.

  “Yeah, I want to be your lover, your best friend, your soul-mate. I’ve found the love of my life. I look at you and I smile for no reason. I want to spend the rest of my life worshipping you. I want to marry you Alex, I want to spend every possible minute and second with you, I want to be a father and if I can’t, then I want to support Anna as best as I can,” he pauses, looking directly at me, “Alex, marry me?” He lifts his other hand and holds mine completely between his two, his thumb continually rubbing gently over my knuckles.

  “Marry me…..please?” He says so softly. I look into those beautiful eyes, surrounded by that tatty-head of his, my lover is truly stunning and despite my daily pinches to reassure myself that it is all real I cannot fully comprehend why he fell for me. Me falling for him, now that’s different and quite reasonable, I mean what girl wouldn’t fall for him!

  “James.” Is about all I can manage. I’m totally taken back by his announcement, his proclamation, his question! “James…I, well, I….” I’m flummoxed!

  “Please say yes!” He begs whispering, pleading quietly all the time holding onto my hand for dear life, he frowns, a painful expression on his face, willing me to give the answer he wants.

  I look away from him, around the bistro, it’s still quiet I half expected to see an audience as I looked away but no, there’s just one or two tables occupied and a couple of waiting staff keeping themselves busy. I look back at him as Gia returns with a bottle of Chianti.

  “You two look very cosy.” She says as she ruffles James’ locks.

  “We are,” James says “Do you know Gia? Do you know how much I love this woman?” He says to the lady he claims to have adopted.

  “She’s very difficult not to love, she’s a heart of gold!” Gia smiles fondly at him and then at me.

  I look at James and then at Gia again. I take my other hand and place it on top of his, “Yes” I whisper.

  James stands up so quickly his long legs bash the underside of the table sending cutlery and a glass flying, smashing onto the floor. He steps over the destruction and moves around to me, Gia steps out of the way to avoid being knocked to the ground, her hands fly up as she protects the bottle of wine, her face absolutely stunned by the lightening speed at which James has moved, of course she has no idea why he is moving at warp speed.

  He grabs me around the waist and pulls me so close, planting a thoroughly deep and intense kiss upon my lips, his lips soft, firm and persistent. He pulls away and looks at me with that “into my soul look”. “You have made me the happiest man on the planet Alex Drake!” He kisses me again, I’m stunned into silence and for a moment I feel like an outsider looking on, detached as he clings onto me as if his life depends on it.

  Poor Gia’s bewildered, she still has no idea of what’s just happened she just stands there with the bottle of wine in one hand and the other held up in question, she looks totally perplexed.

  Eventually James comes down from the metaphorical ceiling, his smile is broad, his face is lit he looks so very happy, me? What have I done? I’ve just agreed to marry him and I’m still married to Lewis and the way things are going I reckon I’ll still be married to Lewis in 20 years time, if I’ve not worried myself into an early grave before then! My heart is pounding, my stomach feels in knots yet I’m happy, happier than I’ve been for years. A lifetime!

  James let’s lose of me slightly and moves his arms to my shoulders, he pushes me back a little, but doesn’t lose his grip. He looks at Gia the smile lights the room, she looks as confused as I feel.

  “She said yes Gia!” He laughs, “She said yes!”

  Gia still looks very confused, “That’s very nice James. What did she say yes to?” She says calmly as she puts the bottle of wine down on the table and produces a bottle opener having no idea what has just happened.

  “Don’t open that.” James says quickly. “Can we have some fizz, whatever you’ve got!”

  “What did she say yes to James?” She asks, very firmly.

  “She’s going to marry me!” He almost sings it as he lets go of me and throws his arms around the rotund little Gia.

  “Really?” She laughs.

  “Really Gia, she said yes!” He says very loudly.

  We are now the centre of attention, thank God the place is quiet this evening.

  “Roberto, Roberto!” Gia shouts into the kitchen, “Come here, now!”

  Whilst we wait for Roberto to appear Gia pulls me close, “I’m so happy for you Alex.”

  I’m still speechless, I just don’t have the words, I must look like a goldfish, my mouth opening and closing as I start to speak, my mind recalling the words I had started to form, my heart still racing the knots in my stomach refusing to go.

  Roberto appears from the back of the bistro, responding to Gia’s calls but also following the noise, the cheer that has erupted from James in the main dining area.

  “What’s going on?” He asks in all seriousness.

  “Oh Roberto,” Gia walks towards her husband, her arms outstretched, “our James has asked Alex to marry him…she said yes!”

  He smiles, looks at Gia, James and me –“Wonderful, absolutely bloody wonderful son and about time too!” He pulls me into a hug, which affords him a scowl from James and then he takes James’ hand shaking it hard and coupling it with a firm slap on the other arm.

  “Well done son. Now you have to look after her!” He warns waving his finger in James’ face.

  “Oh, I will Roberto, don’t you worry – I will look after her in every way.” He winks at Roberto who shakes his head.

  “I mean protect James, I know you know how to look after a woman in that respect, but I’m talking about the proper looking after!” He passes on his words of advice.

  I’m still overwhelmed and can’t believe what I’ve done. Yes, I love James, very much, he’s kind and caring and totally different to Lewis. But this is all too soon, much too soon! I feel like I’m in a whirlwind, I feel out of control.

  Someone brings a bottle of Prosecco, I’m unsure who. Glasses of the golden bubbles are given out.

  The few diners that are in the restaurant start to leave as they finish their meals. One or
two offer words of congratulations. Despite my confusion and astonishment at the turn of events, although deep down I think I knew it would happen at some point, the place feels warm, such a warm and homely atmosphere, and I feel a comforting feeling – a happy feeling, a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’ve not felt for so long, much too long.

  “We’ve no more bookings tonight.” Roberto adds as he returns from the kitchen with a variety of nibbles, there’s crudities, calamari, some cured meats and crusty bread, to be honest I’m no longer hungry. Did James plan this or was it impromptu?

  I spend the remainder of the evening in a sort of daze. I smile and accept compliments graciously. Gia asks me when we plan to marry – hell I didn’t even know anything about it until a few hours ago, I can’t do anything at all until I’m divorced, the soonest that will be is at least six weeks from now! I said yes, what have I done? What the hell have I agreed to?

  It’s soon nearly twelve and James decides it’s time for us to leave. Gia and Roberto look shattered and most definitely ready for their beds. A taxi is called as James has had one too many glasses of fizz to consider driving. The Audi is locked and left outside the bistro to be collected first thing in the morning.

  Chapter 7

  I can’t sleep, tossing and turning, mithering about what I’ve done, what I’ve agreed to. There’s no doubt about it I love him, deeply, he makes me feel so, well so good about myself. He’s helped me through my lowest times where others would have legged it so fast you wouldn’t have seen them for dust. But marriage! What the hell have I done? I’m not even free to marry anyone! Do I want to marry again? Has he latched onto me for the money? No, surely James wouldn’t do that – Would he? I don’t think so! I hope not. The emotions, the thoughts tumble and spiral through my mind.