31 Days of Winter (8 page)

‘Remove the key?’ I asked surprised.

‘Well if you were to break both legs attempting
the fireman’s pole again, I’d need to open it from the outside to come in and
help you.’ A faint smile crossed his lips again.

‘But how would you know if I’d broken both my
legs, I wouldn’t be able to get to the phone.’ He just smiled again, turned and
started walking down the stairs. I quickly followed him down and across to the
front door.

‘Is there anything else I can help you with
tonight, Miss Baxter?’ he asked. I longed to cry out
‘Yes, the unbearable
throbbing between my legs.’
I’d never wanted to leap into bed with anyone
I’d just met before, but for some inexplicable reason I wanted to with him. I
bit my lips and shook my head and watched as he placed his hand on the door handle.

‘Actually there is one thing.’

‘What?’ he asked as he looked back at me and I
felt myself flailing in the oceans of his eyes as they looked down at me.

‘You can stop calling me Miss Baxter, you make me
sound like an old spinster.’ I smiled when that earned me a laugh.

‘You’re far from an old spinster,
Miss Baxter
,’
he teased. ‘What would you like me to call you?’ he asked with a raised
eyebrow.
How about Mrs. whatever your name is?
O my God, I was swooning
over a guy I’d spent a good part of three hours with, who’d flirted, groped my
arse, carried me on his shoulder, and I didn’t even know his name.

‘You can call me Ellie, or El as some do,’ I
shrugged.

‘Then I’d prefer Ellie, Miss Baxter, it’s too nice
a name to cut short.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Well goodnight, Miss … Ellie. I hope you sleep
well and you know where I am if you need me.’ He turned, opened the door and
made to pull it shut behind him.

‘And what do I call you if I do need you?’ I asked
and he looked up and smiled.

‘Dan.’

‘Do you have a second name?’

‘Just Dan is fine.’

‘Then thank you for being so accommodating and for
the various and interesting modes of transportation,’ I smiled.

‘Goodnight, Ellie,’ he said, and this time the
full smile was back and to hear him say Ellie in that tone made me clench my
thighs together as a virtual tsunami of moisture completely ruined my knickers.

‘Goodnight, Dan,’ I replied softly and gasped as I
saw his whole body stiffen and his eyes blaze with a surge of testosterone as
he heard his name roll off my own tongue. The look was only there for a second,
but I saw it and he seemed to sense that I had. Immediately I saw that wall go
up again and he quickly shut the door and strode away. I watched until his tall,
large, muscular body merged with the darkness and looked down at the key in my
hand and locked the door. I put the key on a console table near the pool table
and let out a huge sigh. ‘Damn it Ellie, what the hell have you gone and gotten
yourself into now?’ I asked myself out loud.

I looked around for my case and realised he must
have carried it up earlier when he showed me upstairs, so I went up and
unpacked, and hung up items and folded jumpers and stacked them in the ready-made
shelves, along with my shoes and boots in the custom rack. I looked at the
owners side of the wardrobe and was tempted to sneak a peek. I mean this guy
had to be fairly loaded if he owned this place, which was packed full of
designer touches and on a whole island, no less. I shook off my curiosity and
filled the bathroom cabinet over the twin sinks with all my toiletries and
started running a bath. That thing was going to take forever to fill, so I ran
downstairs, avoiding the pole, and made myself a thick doorstep cheese sandwich
loaded with butter and a hot chocolate from the fancy machine, then slurped and
munched as I sat at the desk and set up my new laptop and checked my mobile.
Damn it, he was right, there was no signal. I picked up my iPad mini and logged
into the Wi-Fi using the password he’d left on a note on the desk and sent
Brooke an email to tell her I’d arrived safely. I looked out of the window and
my eyes were immediately drawn to a couple of bright lights to my left, and I
realised it was the light shining through the windows of Dan’s boathouse. He
really was quite close, which comforted me more than it should have.

I suddenly realised I was still wearing his
jumper. I clutched the neck line, lifted it to my nose and breathed deeply,
closing my eyes with pleasure as the scent brought me a picture of his gorgeous
face. I headed back to the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub as I finished
my sandwich and drink, then moved a small cabinet next to the one end of the
bath settling my iPad on it, stripped off and removed my locket. I hopped into
the deep water and groaned as it wrapped itself around my aching muscles. The
Land Rover ride had been a killer, I’d be feeling that in the morning. I heard
my iPad signal an email coming in and picked it up and smiled to see it was
from Brooke.

Hi, babe. Glad you’re ok, was starting to get
worried I’d not heard from you. Is the boathouse as nice as it looked? Are you
all warm and snuggly? Hope you’re not having any regrets. I’m not, Christ Maisie
goes like shit off a shovel when you floor it. You may not get her back ;-) xx

You dare get even so much as a scratch on her
and I’ll make your life unbearable, Brooke Hanson. No regrets at the moment,
but I’m not convinced it’s totally hit me yet. Captain Crank morphed into a
caring human this morning and even gave me a £10K bonus and he’s emailing me a
contract offering me Junior Partner with a pay rise if I want to go back after
my month off. Zac was waiting for me so I asked him to give me space. I’ve got
a new iPhone, I’ll get it all set up properly tomorrow and let you know the
number, but it doesn’t look like there’s a signal here. I’m warm and snuggly in
the most enormous polished stone bath, you won’t believe what’s happened. xx

Don’t leave me hanging like that!! Was it
chocolate tonsils? Is he like Jabba the Hut and you’re imprisoned as his sex
slave for another twenty-seven days of winter? ;-) xx

Yes, chocolate tonsils is definitely one of the
bonuses and he’s certainly not Jabba, more Harrison Ford from his ‘Raiders of
the Lost Ark’ days. His name’s Dan and he’s swoon worthy hot and ALL man.
Brooke, I nearly came when he threw me over his shoulder and carried me up to
the house. xx

Single? Hair and eye colour? Height? Weight?
Build? Cock? Action? And why was he carrying you? Answers, and fast please! xx

I burst out laughing and sank a little lower in
the water.

No wedding ring, short messy black hair with
very sexy grey flecks, sparkling green eyes that I could swim in. He’s well
over six foot and no idea with weight but I don’t think there’s any fat on him
at all. He’s seriously ripped in the stomach and bicep areas and well built
without being all Mr. Universe muscle man, I hate that look. Cock I haven’t had
the pleasure, other than seeing the outline of an erection in his jeans, but he
looks a lot wider than Zac and a bit longer. Sadly no action, and I’m not sure
there will be any :-( He carried me up the rocky path to the house over his
shoulder and I managed to cop a feel of a very tight full arse, and he caught
me as I slid down the fireman’s pole.

Fireman’s pole? I thought you said no action,
sounds hot enough to me! He sounds yummy, you lucky bugger, but you deserve
some luck after the last few days. So why don’t you think there will be any
action? Sounds like he’s up for it, and when did that little boathouse get a
pole installed and why??? Me confused! Xx

There was some mix up and the owner decided to
leave and rent out his super modern and stylish open plan glass, stone and wood
house and have Dan, who’s his best friend, live in the boathouse to “tend to my
needs” ;-) He’s let me have the house and the man servant for the price of the
boathouse. Win all around! I don’t know, I just can’t read him, Brooke.
Everything he says sounds like a sexual invitation, then he touches me, carries
me and when our eyes meet I can see he feels the pull as well, but then it’s
like the shutters suddenly come down. Like there’s something stopping him
crossing that line. Maybe it’s in his contract that he’d lose his job if he
went that far with a paying guest, I don’t know. SIGH. Xx

Tend to your needs? You dirty bitch! I bet
he’ll soon forget his reasons for pulling away and be tending to your needs
sooner than you can get that new iPhone set up. You’re gorgeous and single, why
wouldn’t he want to go there?? And you still haven’t explained the pole?

It leads down from the bedroom to the ground
floor, so the owner could zoom down faster if he needed a snack, apparently :-)

Sounds fun, neat idea. Well you get some sleep,
you haven’t had much these last few nights and if you start crying again over
that loser, I’ll come up there and slap you! I want twice daily updates,
morning and night please, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you get to slide
down Dan’s pole sooner than later. Love you babe xx

You too Brooke, and thanks again. xx

I put my iPad to the side and took a deep breath
and sank down under the water. I loved the feeling of weightlessness and the
warmth cradling me. It was like all sounds were shut off under here and I could
just forget about the world, but tonight there was one thing I couldn’t forget,
that look in his eyes as he’d caught me. I came up for air gasping and pushed
my hair out of my eyes, grabbed the luxurious looking combined body wash and
shampoo thoughtfully provided, and cleaned myself up. After quickly blasting my
hair I suddenly felt exhausted and was looking forward to hunkering down in
that bed. I pulled on a t-shit and skipped down the stairs and winced as my
bottom murmured its protest. I got a glass of water and turned off all the
downstairs lights and made sure the embers of the fire were well covered by the
grate so they couldn’t spit out.

I turned off all the lights upstairs, and by the
glow of the log burner I found my way to the end of the bed and stood looking
out at the stars, it was a magnificent view of them, totally unspoilt by street
light. I found my gaze drawn down to the boathouse and took in a deep breath as
I saw the outline of Dan’s frame, illuminated by his open doorway. Was he
looking up at me as I looked down at him? Just as quickly as I thought it, he
stepped inside and closed the door and the lights went out. I sighed and
climbed into the middle of the bed and pulled down a pillow to hug and fell
asleep, dreaming of being carried in Dan’s arms as he brought me up to the
bedroom and lay down with me.

Ellie

I woke up as the
sunlight’s rays reached my eyes and blinked repeatedly as I tried to open them.
When I checked my watch it was just after eight-thirty, I’d slept well. I
pulled the duvet over my head, hoping for a bit longer, but was suddenly very
aware of how swollen I was between the legs and my curiosity peaked. I ran a
hand down my stomach and slid a finger down, opening myself up and let out a
groan, I was absolutely soaking. Desire bloomed inside me like a summer born
rose and I swept my finger across my clit. I’d never masturbated to the thought
of anyone but Zac, I’d been a late starter losing my virginity to Matt when I
was nineteen, but Zac had coaxed a mild vixen out of me and had gotten me to
explore my own body in front of him. This time however, it wasn’t Zac whose
face I pictured, Dan’s green eyes were watching me intently as I gently started
circling my clit. Sparks of pleasure started flying, I bent my knees and parted
my thighs as the sensation started to spread up by body. Before long I was panting
and writhing with a pair of seriously painful nipples, one of which I tweaked
with a yelp. One thought of his lush lips suckling on one was enough to have me
whimpering his name out loud as my body exploded into a joyful powerful orgasm.

I shoved the duvet down from my face as I took in
gulps of cool air. Damn, I hadn’t even got to the good fantasising bits of his
hands running over my skin or his thick cock nudging its way into me. I was
going to need a bit more self-control to go all the way with him in my dreams,
if that was as close as I could get to the real thing. I decided I needed to
shake him off, I was here to focus on my writing, not to fall in lust with the
help. I decided a brisk run would blow away the cobwebs and leave me fresh for
the day. I got up, stretched and gasped as I looked out of the window and
stepped up to the glass, palming it as I looked out across the calm waters of
the loch to the acres of fir trees around the shore line. They climbed up the mountains
behind, with rocky outcrops breaking up the expanse of green. There was snow on
the mountain peaks and the sky was filled with birds soaring in formation and
swerving as one back and forth, seemingly unsure of which direction they should
be going in. It was a breath-taking view and I fell in love with it
straightaway. God, if this didn’t inspire me to write, nothing would. We really
seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, decided
against mascara, pulled on my running leggings and trainers, sports bra and top
and a sweatshirt and headed out with a small plastic bottle of water from the
fridge, pocketing the key as I locked up. The rocky gravel path that we’d come
up last night continued to the right, so I decided to see how far it led and
made a start and winced. Christ, that Land Rover had worked me over big time,
it wasn’t just my bum, my thighs were feeling it too. I leaned against a fir
tree, of which there seemed to be many on the island, then went through some
stretches and headed off. It was really cold, but there was no dampness in the
air and the sun shone brightly through the smattering of white billowing clouds
above. The path seemed to stick quite closely to the shore line and I had to stop
now and again to look at the changing views around me. Well not that they
changed much, the loch seemed to be set into a deep valley, surrounded on all
sides by the mountains, it seemed that you really couldn’t get more isolated
than this island if you tried, unless I went to write in Antarctica. This was
definitely a get away from everything retreat.
What the hell was the owner
running from to come and hide away up here? And why wasn’t it enough for him to
re-evaluate here? What was wrong with here?
I idly wondered.

I bent over and dipped my hand into the crystal
clear water and yelped, it was freezing, I’d never felt water so cold that
wasn’t actually physically frozen. I decided to stick to my bottled water and
took a swig before heading off again. The island was larger than I’d imagined
and I’d finished my water before I’d completed my circuit and realised what a
stupid idea this had been. I was tired, I had nothing left to drink and had no
idea whether turning back and retracing my steps would be quicker than carrying
on or going up through the forest and over the hill. One look at the dense
trees made up my mind that the forest was not an option, so I figured I’d
chance it and keep going. I had to tie my sweatshirt around my waist as I was
starting to get hot and about twenty minutes later, panting and with a mild
sheen of sweat covering my bare arms and trickling down my back, I saw the
jetty up ahead. Thank God, I’d pretty much reached my limit and whilst my body
burned, my cheeks and fingers were stinging from the cold. As I approached the
boathouse I veered over to the shoreline again, bent over with my hands on my
knees and looked at my reflection in the water as I caught my breath. Damn it,
I was all hot and sweaty with no makeup on and about to jog, well crawl or limp
at this particular moment in time, right past Dan’s door to get home. I
sincerely hoped that either he was out or I could make it without being seen. I
risked dipping my hand in the water again, my fingers were so cold that this
time I didn’t notice the chill of the water. I lifted my hand and sucked each
finger, enjoying the coolness as I tested if it were drinkable.

‘Good morning, Ellie,’ came his insanely sexy
voice and I groaned inwardly, partially through embarrassment that I was going
to be seen, partially through lust. I turned feeling mortified, index finger
still in my mouth, to see him sitting on his little terrace, feet up on a
folding chair with his ankles crossed. He seriously took my breath away he was
that good looking.

‘Good morning,’ I stammered as he looked me up and
down intently.

‘If you need a drink, the loch’s fresh but I’d
prefer you fill your bottle from my tap just in case.’

‘Ok. I’m afraid I’m quite a sight this morning,
the run around the island took longer than I expected.’

‘You
are
quite a sight,’ he smiled. I bit
my lip confused, he was back to flirtatious again this morning and I wondered
what his deal was? He was really well spoken and came across as intelligent and
articulate, why was he here doing a job that anyone with a driving licence and
knowledge of a motor boat could do? ‘Are you going to come and fill your bottle
or have your legs given out on you?’

‘Nearly given out,’ I smiled as I moved over to
the steps leading onto the jetty and then up to his front door. ‘Owwww,’ I
groaned as I grabbed my hip and he laughed, that toe curling
I want you
between my legs
laugh. He indicated to the other solid wood chair and I
flopped into it and winced again and rubbed my calf.

‘That was quite a run to attempt on your first
day.’ He held out his hand and for a second I wondered if he was asking me to
give him my leg to massage, but disappointingly realised it was the bottle he
was after.

‘Yes, I don’t get out as often as I’d like with my
job.’

‘Your job?’ he called over his shoulder as he
headed into his house.

‘Editor at a publishing firm, or rather I was. I
quit yesterday morning.’

‘You quit?’ I heard him call and he sounded
surprised.

‘Yes, new start and all that.’ I smiled as he came
out and handed me my bottle, without the lid, so I swigged some down straight
away as he sat back down next to me.

‘So you’re looking for a new boyfriend and a new
job?’

‘I’m not sure I’m ready to rush headlong into new
boyfriend territory again,’ I blushed. ‘Job wise, I have an offer open to me
when I get home of Junior Partner at my current firm, but I came here to try my
dream.’

‘Your dream being?’

‘A novelist, I know it sounds corny. Dreaming of
coming out to “find myself” and write and become such a success that I can live
off the proceeds.’

‘I don’t think it sounds corny at all, what’s the
point in living if you don’t follow your heart?’ he asked as he held my gaze,
then broke it. ‘Where ever it may want to take you.’

‘Thank you, well I’m trying to do just that.’ I
set the bottle of water down on the table and rubbed my hands together.

‘Then you’re a very brave woman, Ellie Baxter.
Would you like a coffee to warm you up?’

‘I’m fine, thanks,’ I smiled with a quick look
down to make sure my nipples weren’t showing through my top and jumped as I
felt his warm hands wrap around mine in my lap sending sparks radiating
throughout my body.

‘You’re not fine, your hands are like ice. Come
with me.’ He stood up, clasping one of my hands in his and pulled me up as I
cursed him silently for using that damn expression again. He led me into the
boathouse, closing the door behind us and I let out a delighted sigh as I
looked around. The pictures hadn’t done it justice, it was adorable and so
cosy. ‘Are you ok?’ he asked as he looked at me puzzled and let go of my hand.

‘It’s just so lovely in here, your friend has
amazing taste.’

‘You don’t like the main house?’ Dan asked as he
reached over and took an old fashioned percolator off the top of the wood
burner and went to the kitchen and poured some delicious smelling coffee into a
mug and gestured for me to sit on the very sofa I’d been dreaming about.

‘God yes, what’s not to love? It’s like something
out of Home & Gardens magazine it’s so modern, it’s perfect for a family, well
a couple at least, but this …’ I broke off as I looked around again. ‘It’s so
romantic.’

‘Romantic?’ he laughed. ‘It’s tiny. Milk and
sugar?’

‘Straight up black please, and yes romantic, it’s
the perfect romantic getaway break, snuggled up in front of the fire drinking
hot chocolate and making out.’ He laughed again and as he put the coffee pot
back on the burner.

‘We do get a lot of honeymooners coming to stay,
especially ones having their weddings at the luxury hotel further up the loch,’
he nodded. I looked up at the small mezzanine bedroom that was reached by the tiny
ladder, how the hell did Dan climb that thing and fit up there? ‘It’s a king sized
bed, it’s just the ladder and low roof that gives me trouble,’ he confirmed,
making me wonder if I’d just said my thoughts out loud.

‘Sorry, you must think me really nosey, after all
this is your home and I’m a stranger. Thank you,’ I smiled as he passed me the
mug of coffee. I cradled the cup in my hands, enjoying the heat bringing them
back to life.

‘You’re hardly a stranger. We’re on first name
terms, I know the reason for your break up, that you’re beautiful and
intelligent and underestimate your worth, you’ve shared your dream with me,
shown me that you have a childish fun side, which I find adorable, and we’ve touched
each other’s bottoms. Does that sound like strangers to you, Ellie?’ he asked
with a smirk on his face and I burst out laughing.

‘Well when you put it like that Dan, no. But it’s
all rather one sided, arse touching and first names aside. You’re also
amazingly beautiful, or rather handsome and come across as very intelligent,
but I don’t know your relationship status or dreams, or whether you have a fun
childish side too,’ I teased, but regretted it when I saw him close off again.

‘I’m just the guy who’s here to make sure you’re
looked after, Miss Baxter,’ he sighed. ‘You don’t need to hear my life story.’

‘When did we revert to Miss Baxter instead of
Ellie?’ I asked, feeling slightly hurt.

‘When I just realised that last night you were
right. I did behave inappropriately throwing you over my shoulder and calling
your fiancé an arsehole, and I’ve just overstepped my bounds again. Please
accept my apologies and I’ll make sure that I only act professionally around
you from now on.’ He quickly stood up and his eyes went to his front door. He
was signalling that he wanted me to go, which left me feeling really confused.
I put down my barely touched coffee and stood up.

‘No, I was wrong and you were right. In my heels
I’d have broken something, and my fiancé
is
an arsehole. Thanks for the
coffee, I’m sorry I got in your way.’ I grabbed my bottle and stalked past him
to his door and felt his hand tug at my arm. I looked up at him and he went to
say something, then stopped himself and his hand dropped. I opened the door and
started running back to the house, ignoring my aching muscles. My hands were
shaking as I turned the key in the lock and I ran upstairs and threw myself on
the bed, and surprised myself with a stream of tears that seemed to come from
nowhere. Damn Zac and his philandering ways. I was a blubbering idiot at the
moment.

I woke myself up with a start and looked at my
watch, it was nearly midday and I was still in my sticky running gear and
starving. I went and had a shower, washed and carefully dried my hair and
looked at my makeup box and wondered why I’d even brought it with me. I decided
not to bother, I needed to forget about Zac, as well as gorgeous Dan whose
moods seemed to change like the wind, and focus on myself. I dressed in some
thick wool tights and a pair of denim shorts and a thick black polo neck and
headed down and shoved my running gear in the washing machine. I went to the
kitchen and realised I still only had the basic rations.
O crap.
That
meant I’d have to ring him to ask him to take me shopping. I wasn’t sure I
wanted to sit in the Land Rover with him after his coldness this morning, and I
was equally sure that my bottom wouldn’t mind skipping another bruising. I made
myself some bacon and scrambled eggs on toast and a hot coffee, wolfing them
down, then picked up the phone and pressed speed dial one.