Obsessed (BBW Billionaire Light Romance) (10 page)

Incredibly the sun continued to shine through August. Sam and Lucy had decided to take two weeks holiday at the wonderful villa in the South of France, and Lucy had been beside herself with excitement.

"Two whole weeks together," she gushed. "No work, just relaxing, swimming, sunbathing. It’ll be great!"

"Don't forget the sun cream," Emma warned.

"We don't even have to shop or cook, there's a
housekeeper
there for that, and her husband looks after the pool and the gardens ..."

Leah and Emma were really pleased for Lucy. After all, she needed a holiday, and afterwards they would have to try and see as much as possible of her before she left for Canada.

Leah busied herself at the shop, serving, setting out the flowers and vases, decorating the window, and delivering the orders in the new van. She was happy when Simon came back for the rest of August and there were three of them again in the tiny house in Clapham.

The warm days passed peacefully and too quickly. Emma and Simon decided to go to Brighton for a few days while the weather was still good and asked Leah to go with them, but she was far too busy at the Flower Garden. Later, after work, she would sit outside contentedly, in the warmth of the evenings, in one of the old, striped deck chairs, with a glass of wine.

She had worked until late on Saturday and let herself have a lie-in on Sunday morning. The day was warm again, and Leah decided to sunbathe in the garden. There was a large tree against the neighbour's area and a wall on the other side. She moved the two deck chairs at angle, so that she was sheltered from view, and put out a towel on the grass between them. Then she took off her blouse and bra and stretched out topless in the sun.

Just half-an-hour each side
, she decided.

It felt good to relax; the garden was quiet and she lay there face down. Half an hour later, looking at her watch, she sat up, rubbed sun cream all over her and lay down on her back.

It was heaven, but she must keep track of the time and not overdo things. She was nearly drifting off to sleep, when she heard an insistent knocking at the front door.

Quickly, she grabbed the flimsy blouse and put it back on, buttoning it up as she answered the door.

It was annoying to be disturbed and she guessed it would probably be some salesperson, even on a Sunday.

But instead, it was
James
, standing there in dark jeans and a white t-shirt.

Leah’s heart began to race and she held the front of her blouse together tightly.

"Yes?" she said, standing her ground, holding the door, unwilling to step any nearer.

"Sorry to disturb you," James said. He sounded rather cold. "I know this may be awkward, but I have a message from Lucy."

"But Lucy's in France," Leah stated.

"I know, I've just got back from there myself. She asked me to give you or Emma a message."

"Why couldn't she ring? And why have you come yourself?" Leah was totally confused.

"Right, can you just listen for a moment,” he cut in. “Lucy has misplaced her mobile and didn't want to use Sam's. I offered her mine to ring you but she said no. Anyway, she thinks that she's left something in her fridge back at home that will go off, meat I think. The fridge is apparently very old and what with the hot weather, she's worried that when they get back the place will smell terrible and Sam will go ballistic. So, can you or Emma please go round to their flat and sort it out before they come home next week?"

James stood in front of her, fished a key out of his back pocket and held it out to her.

"She asked me to give you this, her spare key."

"Oh," Leah said, as she took the key from him, unsure what to say, how to reply.

"Do you think you could let me have a glass of water?" James asked. “It's so hot today ... And I see that
you've
obviously been taking advantage of the weather."

Leah realised James was looking at her front. She glanced down and saw that the shape of her nipples was clearly visible through the thin material.

"Look, just come in for a moment and I'll get you a drink," she said, shuffling slowly backwards into the tiny hall. Then she turned and James followed her into the kitchen.

"Is Emma around?" he asked. "I can give her the message, too."

"No, Simon came back and they've gone to Brighton for a few days."

There was a pause.

"So," James said in a low voice. "You're here on your own."

Leah could have bitten off her tongue. She nodded and turned to get a glass from the counter, running the tap until the water felt cool, then filling the glass and passing it to James.

They faced each other, standing either side of the kitchen table; the only sound in the room was the steady drip of the cold water tap.

"Sunday afternoon ..." James said.

"Stop there!" Leah said.

She felt herself flush. He was so unpredictable, she just never knew how to behave around him.

"If I promise not to try and seduce you, or drag you off to bed by force, could we perhaps talk at least?" James asked.

"What is there left that we could possibly
talk
about?" Leah said, as she tried to stop her voice shaking.

"I seem to upset you, which I don't want to do," James replied, looking at her steadily, "and I feel I've made a few mistakes."

"A
few mistakes
!" Leah felt herself becoming annoyed. "Knowing you is like being on a roller coaster. My life is all ups and downs."

"In what way?" James raised his eyebrows; it was so sexy.

"First, the downs. I felt really dreadful about getting drunk at the wedding, and somehow you made me feel worse.  Then the highs. Your loan, the day in Oxford, I honestly couldn't have expected either of those things to happen. Then down again, when you unexpectedly check up on me at the shop, and ask me to spend a night with you, then
turn me away
! How do you think I feel. You seem to move my world around, James, and it confuses me."

Leah finished there. She was out of breath, but still wasn't sure if it was because of what she had said or because James had leaned over the table, even further towards her and was gazing at her intently now.

"We both wanted what happened in Oxford," he stated calmly.

"True, admit that, but what do you want with me now, if anything?" Leah felt she had to try and get it all out of the way. She simply wouldn't be messed around any longer.

"Okay then,” he continued. “About the loan, I won't come and check up on you anymore, unless I need to put things straight from a business angle. Just send a financial report every three months, and don't miss one." He sounded hard, very business-like. "But what I would
really
like is to buy you a house, something with character by the river, let you furnish it any way you want, pay all the bills. Buy you your own shop to keep you amused, give you a large monthly allowance, and take you away occasionally on exotic holidays."

"Are you
serious
?" Leah could hardly breathe.

"I know you won't go along with the idea, but you
did
ask what I wanted," James stated, just as calmly as before.

"And what would
you
get out of all this?" Leah enquired, her head still spinning.

"Simple. Access to you, once or twice a week."

"Access? Access!" Leah choked on the word. "Uou're the most unbelievable person I've ever met."

"You're not going to call me pompous again are you?"

"And what about Elizabeth, where does she come in all this?" Leah asked.

"I don't know,” he sighed, brushing something from his forehead. “We have a casual relationship, but we're drifting at the moment, although I sense she may want to get serious at some point."

"And, of course, Elizabeth is marriage material, isn't she? Upper class, wealthy background, good education, her own business, while all you want to do with me is
shag
me on a Sunday afternoon!"

Leah shook her head. The ground felt as if it was shifting beneath her feet.

"That’s not a very ladylike expression," James remarked, his voice edgy.

"Well, it's how you described what you'd like to do to
me
at your house, just before you threw me out!" Leah had raised her voice. She wished she had something to throw at him, too, standing just a few feet away, so arrogant, so contained, but so ... hot.

"So, it's a no to being my mistress, then, is it?” James asked, in a deep, low voice. “Apart from all that, did you enjoy Oxford?"

"Yes," Leah replied softy.

"And it's Sunday again," James said.

The silence in the small kitchen stretched between them now, just the dripping of the tap and the faint background noise coming through the open door, the sound of someone, a few gardens away, mowing the grass.

James held his hand out towards her, over the small table and after a few seconds hesitation, Leah took it, holding on tightly.

He led her to bed.

It was night and James had gone. Leah lay on the tangled sheets, on her tiny single bed. Exhausted, sated, happy and in a total state of confusion. It had been even better than the heady excitement of Oxford. James had been tender, coaxing her towards a totally new level of desire. He delighted in her curves and actually made her forget about her weight and feel beautiful.

The afternoon had passed into evening, and the room grew dark around them. Leah had felt that she was, incredibly, falling in love with the overwhelming man beside her, his arms around her, his legs wrapped around hers. And now the room felt empty without him.

She knew that she’d gone against all her own intentions of being restrained around James; she recognised that her body shook and her common sense deserted her as soon as she saw him. He’d only come just to deliver a message and a key, and they had ended up in bed together. Again. It was no use pretending that she could keep away from him in future; he was just too magnetic.

Before he left, he’d written down his mobile number on a scrap of paper in the bedroom.

"What time do you finish work on Saturdays?" he asked.

"Pretty late, I always tidy up after the shop closes," Leah replied.

"Get someone else to do it next weekend, I could pick you up around six. And bring an overnight bag."

"What are you thinking of ..." Leah asked, hesitating. After all, it was all a bit unclear, and still so sudden.

"I just want to take you away for the weekend, to Norfolk, show you my family home," James said.

"Really?" Leah was surprised; she just never knew what to expect next.

"We don't really know each other, apart from the sex. I thought perhaps we could spend time together."

It was so unexpected, yet so definite,
and
so exciting.

"In the country? You're not going to be shooting small animals or anything?" Leah asked.

James was getting dressed. He stopped and looked down at her with a smile.

"That wasn't what I had in mind," he said. "Ring me if it's okay."

§

As asked, Leah called in at Sam and Lucy's flat while they were still on holiday. There
was
a definite smell in the kitchen and she opened the windows while she cleaned out the fridge. Lucy didn't really have a clue about housekeeping, but she was pleased that she’d actually managed to sort it out before they came home from France.

For the next few days she worked extra hard at the Flower Garden, too, trying not to think too much about the coming weekend and what it might hold.

She asked Charlie if he could stay later on the Saturday evening and he agreed. Then she rang James. His phone was on voice mail, so she left a message, then sent a text, just to be sure, saying that she would be fine for six on Saturday.

For a moment she wondered if it would actually happen, or would he phone saying he had changed his mind, or that he had urgent business and had to go abroad?

Norfolk, the Jacobean manor house in hundreds of acres; the thought was intimidating.

§

At the end of the week Emma and Simon returned from Brighton and Lucy called round to collect her key, all of them arriving at once.  Simon went to unpack and Emma and Leah admired Lucy's fabulous golden tan.

"Thanks for clearing the fridge," she said to Leah. "I was really relieved when James agreed to call round and ask you to sort it out."

"That's okay," Leah replied, catching Emma's surprised glance.

Lucy explained what had happened, and how helpful James had been.

"When did he call?" Emma asked.

"Last Sunday afternoon," Leah replied, then tried to change the subject by asking to hear all about the villa in France and the holiday.

"Oh, it was just
fantastic
!" Lucy exclaimed. "Totally out of this world. I didn't want to come back. James and Elizabeth joined us for a few days, but that was okay, actually. I've sort of got used to him now ..."

§

As soon as they were on their own, Emma looked at Leah, raising her eyebrows.

"Last Sunday, you were here on your own and ... ?"

"Yes, James came with the message from Lucy and her spare key.  And then ... well ... we spent the rest of the day in bed." It was just no use trying to hide the truth from Emma.

"I thought you were going to avoid him, and get yourself together!" Emma said.

"I've tried. And I've also tried not to think about him. But I just can't. I have images of him: his hands, his voice, even his hair. When he's there, in the room, I don't know why, but I just can't resist him." Leah was simply being honest.

"And are you seeing him again?" Emma wouldn’t let it go; she was like a dog with a bone.

"This weekend. He's taking me to visit his home in Norfolk, to get to know each other a bit."

"Oh, really! Well, that's something, I suppose."

Emma went to the fridge and poured out two glasses of cool white wine. She handed one to Leah and they smiled at each other, glad there were no secrets.

"Lucy seems to be comfortable with James at least, asking him to help,” Emma stated. “She seemed a little shy of him when we all went out."

"Oh, she's so pretty and charming, any man melts around her," Leah answered.

"Apart from
Sam
, apparently. If you were on holiday in the South of France in a luxurious villa, would you be worrying about what you'd left in the fridge?"

"No, I guess not," Leah replied, considering Emma's remarks. "You don't think she's trying too hard to please Sam?"

"I think she's crazy about him, but she's also wary of him," Emma said.

Leah shivered. She still felt so confused about her
own
situation. What did she feel exactly for James? Love? Desire? It was certainly a growing obsession, and what could he possibly see in
her
, she wondered. He was wealthy, devastatingly good looking, he had a beautiful, talented girlfriend and could take his pick of any number of dazzling young girls.

She didn't know why he was taking her to Norfolk, but she had to go, she knew she was going to go; she was totally unable to stop herself.