Natasha's Awakening (50 page)

To the right it opened up into a massive kitchen, it was the biggest kitchen Natasha had ever seen and off that was a large dining room. She could see another room off to the left where a baby grand piano took pride of place by the floor to ceiling windows and a large, heavy pool table sat in the middle of the room. Eric’s furniture throughout out was modern and comfortable looking. Natasha walked past another room which was dominated by the biggest flat screen TV she’d ever seen with large soft leather lounge chairs positioned to face it. As she wandered around looking at everything, her feet sank down into the thick plush beige carpeting through the rooms.

Back near the entry there was a staircase leading up to the next level. There were also stairs leading downstairs and when she gave Eric a questioning look he told her it was the cellar down there and a gym. There was another door leading into a powder room and coats room next to it. It was all quite overwhelming. “Are you going to go upstairs baby and see the bedrooms?” Eric asked her and Natasha nodded heading for the staircase. Eric grabbed her before she could start climbing up them and swung her into his arms, carrying her to the top of the staircase before lowering her to her feet.

“I could have walked you know.” Natasha told him.

“I don’t care baby. You need to preserve your strength and you’re only just out of hospital. From now on, you don’t use the stairs, you take the lift.” He told her and Natasha’s eyes widened.

“You have a lift?” She said shocked.

“Yes baby,” Eric grinned at her. “I don’t use it but while you’re pregnant, you use it ok?” He looked across to make sure she was listening to him.

Natasha sighed. There was no point arguing with him. “Yes Eric.” She smiled sweetly at him, then poked her tongue out at him, suddenly feeling like a petulant child and Eric bent to drop a hard kiss on her mouth, nipping at her full bottom lip.

“You and that sassy mouth baby. Just do as I ask ok?”

Natasha turned away from him, trying to ignore the way her heart rate had kicked up a notch when his lips were on hers. She was standing in a large upstairs foyer with lounges positioned around a huge wooden coffee table. There was a flat screen TV mounted in one corner of the room and Natasha loved the area. It was obviously a nice comfortable room to just sit and relax. French doors opened out onto a small verandah that had a little outdoor setting to one end and the rest was covered with an assortment of potted plants.

After wandering around looking out at the view from the verandah she headed into the room that was at one end. When she stepped inside, she gasped. It was the biggest bedroom she’d ever seen in her life. It was decorated in various shades of cream and green. The room was dominated by a king size four post bed and all the furniture in the room was chunky and heavy looking. There was yet another TV mounted on the way and double doors led out to another balcony. What amazed her the most though was the fireplace in the bedroom. It was around six foot long and stood a couple of feet off the floor with a seating area made from stone. “Does that work?” She asked Eric and he nodded.

“It’s not wood burning baby although it looks like it when it’s going. It’s run on gas.” Natasha walked past it and the bed, heading for a door into a massive ensuite bathroom with a spa bath and a shower that had four shower heads positioned around it. Everything was elegant and luxurious, leaving her in awe.

When she’d seen all there was to see there, she walked through into what she knew would be a walk in robe, but it wasn’t like any other walk in robe. It was a room with mirrors and rows and rows of hanging space, shelves and drawers everywhere. It was every woman’s dream to have a robe like that. Natasha headed back out and walked back across the room that was probably like a parent’s retreat and found two other beautiful bedrooms. Not as big as the master bedroom, but still big rooms. Both were fully decorated and each had their own ensuites. Eric’s home was amazing and she loved it.

Eric had been following her around, watching her reaction as she explored each room. Finally she turned to him a huge smile on her face. “Your home is beautiful Eric and not what I would have expected, that’s for sure.”

He gave her that slow sexy smile that always made her melt and asked. “So what did you expect baby?”

Natasha looked around. “Certainly not this.” She said. “I just thought Eric Rothman, CEO, that you’d have one of those ultra modern homes, very sterile, very clinical and probably quite bare inside.”

“How could you think that baby? You saw my Tasmanian home. I don’t do ultra modern, clinical and sterile. That’s not me. I designed the renovations for this place myself, but I didn’t do the actual work. I got trades in on this one.”

Natasha’s Mother suddenly turned up at the top of the stairs. “Ah there you two are. I’ve just been nosing around downstairs Have you seen the views from the terrace and Eric, you have your own jetty? It’s a stunning home. Baby girl if you don’t want to stay here, I will.” Kathryn joked.

“Thank you Kathryn.” Eric said. “How about you come to the terrace baby and see the views your Mother is talking about.” He suggested and Natasha nodded, heading for the stairs. She was just about to start down them when his voice stopped her. “Natasha, what did I tell you.” His voice was firm and she looked back at him, surprised at his tone. He stood, arms folded, one eye brow raised watching her. Realisation dawned and she rolled her eyes at him.

“Oh for crying out loud Eric. I’m sure I’ll be fine to walk down the damned stairs.” She told him.

“No baby, you might slip and fall on them, take the lift like I told you. It’s not open to debate.” She groaned to herself. Ok, it was nice to have him so attentive and maybe he did mean it, that he wasn’t going anywhere but if this was how he was going to be for the next six months, she was going to end up wanting to push him down his own damned stairs. His behaviour was going to drive her crazy.

With a loud sigh of frustration she stomped over to the lift, knowing she was probably being a bit childish and hit the button. The door opened and she stepped in, closing the door on Eric who had just arrived at it. She just got a glimpse of the steely glint in his eyes before the door closed and the lift started moving down. “You’re not pregnant so you can take the stairs Mr Rothman.” She muttered to herself sarcastically.

When the lift stopped on the ground floor she stepped off and Eric was leaning against the wall waiting for her a crooked smile on his face. The bastard knew, Natasha thought to herself. He knew she was frustrated with him. He leaned in and kissed her. “My home, my rules baby.” He whispered against her ear and she couldn’t control the shiver through her body when his breath fanned her sensitive skin.

“Come on baby, stop sulking.” He said, taking her hand and with Natasha’s Mother following, Eric took them out onto the terrace and to the edge of the stairs that led to the lower level with a path right to the water and Eric’s own jetty.

“No boat?” Natasha asked and Eric shook his head.

“I have a yacht baby, but she’s too big to moor here.” He said.

“So you do have a boat then?” She said, smirking at him.

“No baby, I don’t have a boat. The Bella Rose would be greatly insulted if you referred to her as a boat.” He grinned.

Natasha noticed a cottage to one side of the large parcel of land Eric’s home stood on. It was painted white like his home, but had timber trims in a deep blue. The gardens around it were filled with pretty flowers and a stone path led from it to the terrace where they all stood. When she asked what it was he explained that it was his housekeeper Alice’s home. “I told you she lives here baby.” He reminded her.

“So where is Alice?” Natasha asked.

“She’s out shopping sweetheart. I gave her instructions that I wanted the house well stocked with food for you.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Seriously Eric? You don’t have the poor woman running around for me do you? I’m sure whatever she would normally prepare for you will be fine for me.”

Eric sighed. “Baby you heard what the doctor said. You need to build yourself back up. You lost weight, a lot of weight.” He pointed out, his eyes moving over her body. She knew she’d lost weight as her clothes hung off her more than they’d ever done before. Her cheek bones more prominent. She was more fragile looking, she knew but that didn’t stop her finding Eric’s overbearing, bossy behaviour annoying. “You’re pregnant and you need plenty of good food baby. Not just for you but for our babies.” Natasha couldn’t help but gulp when Eric said ‘babies’. It was still a terrifying thought that they were going to become parents to two babies.

Kathryn cleared her throat, reminding them that she was still with them and Natasha jumped. She’d forgotten her Mother was there since she’d been so busy sparring with Eric. It was fun doing that with him. He was an intelligent man and quick witted and as they got closer she felt more comfortable teasing him whenever she got the opportunity to do so. She suspected that Eric enjoyed their battles as much as she did.

“I think it’s time for me to leave you two alone.” Kathryn said.

“You don’t have to go Mum.” Natasha told her, suddenly conscious of the fact she hadn’t paid much attention to her Mother since they’d arrived at Eric’s.

“I do baby girl. I just wanted to get a look at Eric’s place, see where you were staying and I’ve done that. Now I need to go and give you a chance to get yourself sorted and settle in.”

They all walked back indoors and after exchanging hugs and kisses, Natasha’s Mother left, leaving her and Eric alone in his home. They waved her off in the limo as Eric had instructed the driver to take her back to the hospital where she’d left her car.

Suddenly Natasha felt nervous standing alone with him. “Can I get you something to drink baby?” He asked her and she nodded. “Come and see what we have.” He led her into the vast kitchen.

“Wow.” Was all she could manage. “I bet Alice loves this kitchen.” She said as she wandered around, running her fingers over the gleaming granite benchtops. The fridge was huge with large double doors and next to it stood an upright freezer. They were stainless steel as was the large stove and oven. There was a central long island bench and overhead cupboards running everywhere. Storage certainly wasn’t an issue with this kitchen.

Natasha noticed a door off the kitchen and when she questioned Eric about it, he told her it was the pantry. She went over to have a look and stared at it, completely stunned by what she was seeing. This was no ordinary pantry. It was an entire room lined from floor to ceiling with shelves. “Do you do anything on a small scale?” She asked and Eric just grinned at her.

“I have the money and I have the space for the best baby. Why wouldn’t I make the most of that?”

Natasha had to concede that he had a point and at least, although his home was decorated with furniture that was obviously expensive, nothing was tacky or overdone.

“So what would you like to drink?” Eric asked.

“Do you have any kind of juice?” Natasha peered over his shoulder as he looked in the fridge.

“There’s orange, apple, pineapple, tropical blend, take your pick baby.” He said.

“Pineapple please.” She said and Eric poured her a glass. He watched as she drank her juice, his eyes never leaving her face and Natasha squirmed a bit under his intense gaze.

“Ok, do I have something on my face?” She finally asked.

Eric grinned at her. “No baby. I just like having you standing in my kitchen.” He told her.

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” She joked, although the thought of all his girlfriends having been in his home, possibly leaning against the same benchtop that she was leaning against now, made her feel slightly sick.

“None of my girlfriends ever came here baby. This place is like my home in Tasmania, my sanctuary.” He told her and Natasha couldn’t contain her surprise.

“Well, if they never came here and they never went to Tassie, where on earth were they? Did you do some sleazy hotel thing with them did you?”

Eric grinned at her. “I did the hotel thing with you baby and trust me, nothing about our time in that hotel felt sleazy.” He said and Natasha blushed. “I have an apartment near work. If I’ve had a long day and I can’t be bothered coming back to here, I’ll stay at the apartment, plus it has a conference room for after hours meetings and that’s where I took my girlfriends.” Eric walked over to Natasha cupping her face in his hands. “You’re not like them, you’re more important to me, that’s why you’re here.” He told her and bent his head to kiss her.

Natasha’s arms rose to slide around his neck and she parted her lips. Eric groaned and deepened the kiss, his tongue tracing her lips before plunging into her mouth to tangle with hers. He stepped closer pinning her back against the benchtop, his hands roaming over her body and Natasha gasped, tunneling her hands through his hair as she pulled him closer. She could feel his erection pressing against her stomach and she moaned, arching her back to get nearer to him.

Vaguely Natasha heard the sound of a door banging but she was too caught up in her increasing arousal to pay attention until Eric abruptly pulled away from her, moving around the island bench just as a woman walked into the kitchen, her arms loaded with plastic shopping bags. Her knowing eyes moved from one of them to the other and a hint of a smile touched her lips. Natasha knew that the woman was aware of what she’d interrupted. This must be Alice she thought and what a way to meet the woman, panting like a bitch on heat for Eric.

“Mr Rothman, you’re home and this must be Miss Barrington.” Alice smiled.

“Please call me Natasha.” She said. At least Alice seemed nice. She had a kind face, her blonde hair was starting to go grey and her face had the lines of a person who smiled and laughed a lot. Natasha guessed she was about 50 years old.

“I hear from Mr Rothman that congratulations are in order.” Alice said and Natasha blushed.

“Yes, twins it seems.” She replied.

“Has Mr Rothman showed you where your things are? I put your clothes in the blue room. Of course if you want to change bedrooms or you’re to be sharing with Mr Rothman, then let me know and I’ll move your clothes.” Alice said. Natasha couldn’t stop the colour from rising in her cheeks again at Alice’s mention of her sharing a bed with Eric. She didn’t know whether she was sleeping in Eric’s room or not.