Prosecco & Paparazzi (The Passport Series Book 1) (17 page)

“Um, Charlotte, could you help? This is really your thing,” Taylor asked, inviting me to join them. I rose to my wobbly legs and made eye contact with Liam long enough to see a look of concern.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Taylor berated Thomas as soon as we passed through the door to the wine cellar. She helped me to a chair, then took a clean cloth used to dust wine bottles off a shelf and soaked it in cold water in a nearby sink.

“What did I do?” he asked, defensively.

“Okay, Thomas, we’ll go through it slowly… At the holidays, who was on the cover of every tabloid magazine with Des Bannerman? Who has a restraining ordered filed against her? Who is a guest in our home this weekend? Who has a boyfriend sitting in the dining room at present wondering what the hell is going on?” Taylor blasted Thomas with question after question.

During her tirade, she’d handed me the cold, wet cloth, and I pressed it to my face. To his credit, Thomas immediately looked horrified. By the last question, he was looking at me with genuine remorse. “Charlotte! I’m such an idiot. I just completely forgot all about
it
.”

I was beginning to feel normal. “Thank you, Thomas… It actually makes me feel better that you’d forgotten. Perhaps there’s hope for the rest of the world.” I smiled at him.

“How can I help?” Thomas asked.

“Well, other than dropping the subject for now and always, nothing!” I suggested we take some wine back to the dining room.

As we took our seats, Liam searched my eyes to see if all was well, and, seeing that it was, he gave me a lovely smile. “I was just telling Mr. and Ms. Clarkson about having met Des Bannerman. We have a mutual friend, John Chapman. They were at university together. John arranged a few friendly games of football. Good fun! He seemed quite nice. I’ve always thought it would be interesting to talk to him now, you know, see if he’s at all the same bloke.”

I took small sips of wine, hoping to relax. Meanwhile, Thomas politely asked a few questions and then adroitly guided the conversation to other topics.

Pleading the need for fresh air, I soon vacated my chair again and found my way to the back veranda. I perched on the boards at the end of the wooden walkway and let the sound of thundering waves soothe my mind and body. The fresh air had a wondrous effect, as well. My thoughts, initially focused on my travails with Des Bannerman, wandered down a more pleasant path. Liam’s words this afternoon drifted through my head,
I think that after we get to know each other a bit better. I could more than really like you. I want to hold your hand, have long talks with you, and see if we want the same things out of life...

“Penny for your thoughts,” came Liam’s voice from behind me.

“Oh, I was just daydreaming about this afternoon,” I admitted.

“Well, I’m glad that’s the cause for the smile on your face. Aren’t you cold?”

“I was feeling a bit over-heated, I’m fine.”

“You did seem to go a bit quiet. Are you well enough now for a cup of tea and some dessert? Or shall I get our coats and we can sit outside a bit longer?”

“We should probably go back in. Maybe we could disappear a bit early, though.”

He gave me a lascivious smile. “That sounds like the perfect evening.”

Returning to the living room, we ensconced ourselves on a heavenly daybed made of dark, heavy wood, ornately carved. The fabrics for the cushions were various shades and patterns in a dense linen weave. It was slightly in the shadows of the room, leaving me feel quite indulged and very relaxed.

Fortunately, the conversation was light and happy. Liam surveyed everyone to find out what a real American Easter was like. “My god, it’s true. For the most part, it’s all eggs, chocolate bunnies, egg hunts, and food!” he decried.

“Well, don’t forget the bonnets. Bonnets are an important component,” I added.

“For a country founded on religious freedom, you’re a bunch of heathens! In Ireland, at least we throw in going to church!”

At some point, the elder Clarksons rose to depart to their wing of the house. “Thank you so much for the lovely wines served with dinner, Charlotte,” said Mr. Clarkson as they left the room. Not even a glance from Ms. Clarkson.

No sooner had the clicking of Faith Clarkson’s heels muffled into silence than Liam grabbed my hand, bade everyone good-night, and guided me from the room. “Was that subtle enough?” he asked me with a grin as we wandered down the hall toward the staircase.

“Oh, I’m sure they have no idea what we’re up to,” I said, mockingly.

I’d climbed a few stairs when Liam pulled me into his embrace and rested his head near my right ear. “All through dinner, the only thing I could think of was you. The way your body feels wrapped around mine, and the sounds you make.”

I took his hand and led him up the stairs to our room. Inside, I pushed him down on the bed and hiked my dress up so that I could straddle him. Resting my weight on my elbows, we were nose to nose. Taking advantage of the situation, I kissed him as fully as I knew how. His response left me dizzy and dazed. At some point, he’d pulled the clips from my hair, which formed a curtain around our heads. He grabbed a handful of hair and took a deep breath. “Amazing,” he murmured against my lips.

A few minutes later, we came up for air again, and I threw caution to the wind. In a somewhat timid, breathless voice, I said, “I’ve always been uncomfortable expressing what I want in bed. It’s really important to me that our relationship is different. Tell me what you want.” He heaved himself up and held me on his lap. His right hand cupped my chin, as his thumb rhythmically stroked my bottom lip. His eyes bore into me, and I knew it was a look that I would remember all my life. It was soul-piercing; a look that conveyed tenderness and passion.

He burned a kiss on my mouth and then crushed me to him. “I love your honesty and your passion. Thank you for trusting me.” His body trembled. “There is one thing that I would like to do right this minute.” He pulled away from me as he said this and looked me hesitantly in the eye. “And that is to go to the toilet,” came his romantic request as he threw me off his lap and dashed to the bathroom.

“So much for grand declarations,” I tittered in mild embarrassment. When he emerged from the bathroom, he reached for me, but I ducked under his arm and said, “My turn.”

A few minutes later, hair combed, teeth brushed, I emerged from the bathroom in my finery. Liam was sitting fully-clothed on the side of the bed, reading a text message on his phone. “Do you like it?” I asked, displaying my purchases of the day.

His eyes skipped up to look at me and his expression changing dramatically. He let out a quiet wolf-whistle. “Wow!” was all he said as he tossed his phone aside and reached for me.

“I bought it at Bonne Nuit this afternoon,” I explained as he lowered us to the bed, me lying on top of him. I brushed my breasts across his chest as I nuzzled his neck and nipped his ear with my teeth.

“I hope there’s a bonjour, aussi!” he growled.

“I’m certain there is.” I gasped as his hands danced around the silky fabric, dragging up the bottom of my very short nightgown.

Moments later, as I was helping him out of his clothes and pulling him completely free, he muttered, “Merci.”

***

The first thing I saw the next morning was my new La Perla ensemble dangling from one of the four posts of the bed. Upon further inspection, I realized it was a post of the footboard. I lifted my head to get oriented and found the beach scene outside our window reflected in the glass of the painting above our headboard. I threw my arm over my eyes to block out the sun and spent an entertaining few minutes reflecting on last night.

I felt an arm snake around me to pull me close, and a voice whispered in my ear, “Are you covering your face in shame? Or does the sight of me make you weak with lust?”

I stretched my body to its full length and let out a sigh deep of contentment. The world was a far, far better place than I had ever known it to be. “Well, considering that we’re at the wrong end of the bed, I suppose the answer should be shame. I’ve been lying here torn between the absolute desire to kiss your birthmark and the need to go to the bathroom,” I muttered from the crook of my arm.

“I’ll race you!” came the reply as the bed bounced, and I heard him dash to the bathroom. He called from behind the door, “You’re no fun.”

“That isn’t what you said last night,” I called back.

When I heard the door reopen, I removed my arm from across my eyes and stared at him as he crossed the room. I gave my best lecherous stare.

“That’s a mighty provocative look. Well, at least it would be if you didn’t have a giant crease across the middle of your face.”

I died a thousand deaths then sat up to look in the glass. There was no crease, and when I looked to meet his gaze, his eyes were full of laughter. Then he shifted his focus to the pile of sheets at my waist. “Give me a minute,” I said.

WE MADE IT
to the dining room in time for brunch. It was an elegant affair, presided over by Jeff. He handed me a white plate with a silver rabbit embossed in the center. I would have never thought it possible to make a rabbit on a plate look elegant, but it did. Jeff then led us to the buffet, where he pointed out his favorites among the spectacular array of food. I piled my plate high with tasty morsels. At each of the table’s place settings was a replica of a different Faberge egg made of colored sugar that must have taken hours to create.

I complimented the Clarksons on their lovely décor. Liam seconded it and asked the crowd, “Where are all the eggs, chocolate bunnies, and bonnets?”

“Oh, we save that for after brunch,” said Faith, completely serious. One could only wonder what the afternoon would bring.

After a rather filling meal, Marcus suggested a stroll on the beach to work off some of the calories. Thomas declined, as he was waiting for his girlfriend to arrive, while the Clarksons sat themselves in brightly painted lawn chairs and waved us on.

It was a gorgeous day, brisk enough to require a heavy sweater, but still bright and sunny. We wandered along, very much like we had the day before, only this walk was peaceful. I kept looking at Liam and wondering to what god I owed my eternal thanks. I was studying a piece of aquamarine-colored sea glass when I found myself being swooped up in his arms and twirled about. I felt like a little girl and laughed. “I feel like we ought to be a laundry detergent ad!” I giggled.

He set me back down on my feet, snaked his hands up my sweater, and gave me another kiss that left me feeling dazed and dizzy. “Well, we could make a movie, if you like,” he teased.

“Not yet!” I teased back.

His response was just a wide grin.

Breaking apart, we wandered along the water’s edge and talked about past Easters, Liam’s having been predominantly about food and football and mine about dresses and egg hunts. At some point we perched on a large piece of driftwood and enjoyed its warmth beneath us.

“Can I ask you a question?” Liam asked quietly.

“That sounds ominous, but yes, you may,” I replied.

His head was tilted so that he was looking up at me through his eyelashes. “I can hardly believe I’m about to ask, but who were you talking to on the phone yesterday?” he asked with some hesitation.

“Long story, which I’ll tell you, but can you tell me why you’re asking first?”

“After you had disappeared for quite a while, I thought I would check on you to make sure you were all right. When I found you, you were on the phone in the sunroom. You looked happy and relieved, much happier than I had seen before. After your comment in town, I thought perhaps you were talking to someone significant, perhaps someone from the past…” His final words were almost a whisper, and his eyes carefully focused on the sand between his feet.

I brushed the sand off my hands and reached over to hold his in mine, pulling them onto my lap. Looking up at him, I said reproachfully, “For the record, I’m not in the habit of sleeping around!” I received an apologetic look. Continuing but with my gaze on our clasped hands, I said, “It’s a very long story, so I’ll try to give you the abridged version. What you know is that I went to Oxford. It was there that I met my gaggle of friends, the four women who to this day know me better than anyone. Until the holidays, we used to talk all the time. Then… life got a bit complicated. I didn’t speak for a long while with my best friend of the lot, Tiziana. Yesterday, my moodiness was the result of missing her, realizing that I’d been a terrible friend. She recently became engaged, and I was the last one to find out.”

I could feel Liam’s eyes boring into the top of my head. Looking up into his beautiful eyes full of questions, I continued, “It’s a long story that I’d very much like to save for another time. For now, let’s say that our falling out was mostly my fault. She was trying to protect me. Instead of being a grateful friend, I was a real bitch. So, I called her yesterday to talk, to apologize, and to let her know that I’m happy for her. I also wanted to tell her about you.” Finally, from him came a smile.

I was trying to decide if that was the time to tell him about Des when he admitted ruefully, “I was miserable yesterday afternoon. If I’d been trying to sell caskets or burial plots, I would have made a fortune! Charlotte, if you ever want to tell the really long version of the story, I’m here. I’m both relieved that you worked things out with your best friend and that your best friend is not another man. While I really liked you before, I like you so much more today.” He gave me a lingering kiss that tasted of salt. “Would you like to sit here a bit longer, or go back?” My silent answer was to curl myself up against him, tuck my feet between his thighs, and settle my head against his shoulder.

“Good choice,” he said. We sat in companionable silence for quite a while, listening to the gulls and waves. If asked, I couldn’t have found the words to describe the sense of peace I felt.

I broke out of a light doze after being splashed by water. Liam’s eyes were still closed. Gently, I nudged his shoulder, whispering in his ear with mirth, “
Um
, Liam, the tide is coming in!”