Stranger at the beach house (33 page)

Chapter 26

The
press never bothered us at the beach house, even as the case came to court and
through all the financial hearings. As long as Sam was in London making the
press conferences that were scheduled they were not too intrusive, even in the
capital. I wasn’t sure whether that was because they had exhausted their column
inches with the playboy bachelor story, or because my father and my boyfriend were
extremely influential and well connected.

Sam
and I had been to William’s home many times, alone and to parties that were
attended by some of the biggest newspaper editors and movers and shakers in the
city, and it never ceased to amaze me just how small the community of the mega
rich really was. Lizzie and Dave often came too, as friends of mine and because
they were moving in those circles now anyway.

Sam
had come to a deal with Salisbury to prosecute Daniel as an individual and
leave the firm alone providing Lizzie was made partner. She would earn her
share going forward and Salisbury & Scott was riding high on the success of
Sam’s manuscript that was being released as a series to coincide with the high
profile events unfolding in the public eye.

 
Lizzie was proving incredible in the role and
‘Whistleblower’ was a best-selling title all across the Western world. The
picture of Sam on the front cover looking brooding and beautiful in a three
piece suit didn’t hurt any either, and even to the uninitiated the story read
like a soap opera of his life, which was much more interesting to the public
than a lot of what was going on in court. He could no longer go to the
supermarket, but he’d never done that anyway and week after week we’d get our
Waitrose delivery for Harry Thomas, despite the curious looks from the driver.

They
were all visiting today and I couldn’t hide my excitement as I woke. I was
joyous and grateful for the wonderful things that had happened in my life, but
I was thirty and as every woman knows, that particular birthday is a major
milestone. It was just turning from spring to summer and the sky was orange and
beautiful and even my age wouldn’t dampen my spirits today.

“
Mmmm
you’re an older woman now,” Sam said as soon as he
noticed I was awake, flipping me over for a familiar morning wake-up call that
I never ceased to enjoy. I giggled, wriggling myself back against him as he
entered me in one swift stroke, still wet from the umpteen times he’d had me
before midnight so he could make the most of having a woman in her twenties.
Fool!

Three
orgasms later and I’d dozed off again. He never got over that and said I was
like a man who turned over and went to sleep after sex. What did he expect, he
was bloody exhausting. Normally he’d drag me up anyway, but this was my
birthday so he’d left me alone and the delicious smell of chocolate woke me as
I made my way to the kitchen. “I made you a cake,” he said, showing me his
creation proudly as I went to kiss him. “It won’t be as good as that first one we
made, Baby, but I hope it will be good enough,” he laughed, kissing my neck as
I giggled uncontrollably, remembering that night and everything that went with
it.

 
“I love it, Sam,” I smiled, kissing him and
leaving to get showered and ready before our guests arrived.

He
was waiting with another surprise as I left the bedroom. A huge long box
wrapped in spotty pink paper and finished with a bow as I giggled at him. “What
is it?” I asked, taking it from his hands amazed at how lightweight it was and
ripping off the paper. I was still none the wiser as I looked up at him. “I
love it,” I said without a clue what it actually was. It certainly looked high
tech and not something I would ever have any need for.

 
“You don’t know what it is, do you, Rose?” he
laughed and I had to admit he was right.

“You
said once that you loved metal detectors,” he said and I nodded. I did, but
this was unlike any metal detector I’d ever seen. “This is one. It’s state of
the art army intelligence equipment, still in development. It will find any
metal under that sand left by the Normans, the Vikings, the Romans or whoever
the hell you said left what you were looking for,” he laughed, firing the
strange gadget to life as I looked on absolutely amazed. It was incredible and
he was probably right. “Come on, let’s take it for a spin,” he said, handing me
a latte in one hand as I held the lightweight aluminium gadget in the other.

I
soon got the hang of it. The radar would indicate and beep whenever an object
was detected underground to a range of ten feet. It showed the shape and the
depth and I absolutely loved it, getting totally into my stride and looking
around occasionally to see Sam throwing the ball to Dart behind me as they
played on the beach.

The
machine suddenly went mental, indicating a small metal object, one foot below
the surface and my heart was racing. Maybe this was it, the find that I could
donate to the British Museum that would secure my place in the hallowed
archives, and make me the coolest history teacher that ever lived. Beep, beep
beep
it went as I knelt down, using my hands to dig through
the dry sand and recover my prize. It took an age and I was deep in
concentration as my fingers hit the ancient looking metal box.

Oh.My.God
. I had really found something. I opened it gently
and my heart was pounding until it stopped beating altogether. Sat there,
nestled in black velvet was the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen. I
took a second to process what was happening. I stood with my eyes wet and my
jaw open and turned to look for Sam who was a hundred yards away, stood
grinning with Dart bouncing around him as he nodded down to the message in the
sand he had drawn with a giant stick

Happy
Birthday Baby.
Will you marry
me?

I
made my way towards him, smiling and laughing as I bent beneath his message to
write my answer in the sand underneath it.

Yes

We
stood for a few seconds just staring and smiling, unable to quite believe what
was happening before I ran to him, jumping up and flinging my legs around his
waist. I was gripping the box in my hand as he devoured me in the most
spectacular kiss that was as gentle as it was possessive and demanding, freeing
me after an age to slip the ring on my finger before kissing me again. “I love
you, Baby,” he said as my heart sang and my stomach flipped.

 
“I love you too, Sam,” I replied, tears
springing from my eyes as we made our way back up to the house. My phone was
ringing as I reached the kitchen. It was Joy and I couldn’t wait to tell her my
news.

“Happy
Birthday, Rose, but listen to this, you are not going to fucking believe it,”
she said angrily without giving me a chance to speak. I sniggered in disbelief,
watching the door open as Harry came bounding inside, whispering to Sam before
grinning at me broadly.

I
turned my attention back to Joy. “One month, Rose. One fucking month and I had
the deposit and it was sold yesterday on my day off. Cash buyer, moving in
immediately, no chain and I am absolutely devastated,” she said, sounding
utterly forlorn as I decided now was not the time to share my news after all. I
kept quiet. I knew she hadn’t finished her rant. “I wouldn’t mind but I have to
go and give them the keys. They are picking them up at the apartment in half an
hour. I’m taking a bottle of wine and one glass and I will sit on my balcony
and drink as much as I can before I have to say goodbye to my dream place
forever. I’ll be at your party, but I just wanted to warn you, I’ll be in a
shitty mood and more than likely pissed,” she said glumly as I put down the
phone, shaking my head and quite unable to believe the verbal battering I’d
just taken.

“Congratulations,”
Harry came over, kissing me on the cheek and checking out my rock. “Nice. Who
was on the phone?” he laughed as I rolled my eyes.

 
“Joy. Someone’s bought the apartment and she’s
spitting feathers. She’d just about got the deposit together,” I said, noticing
the look that passed between Harry and Sam.

“I
promised I’d pick her up,” Harry said and I couldn’t help but voice my warning.

 
“Well, just to let you know, she’s gone to
meet the client to drop off the keys and she’s on her way to the balcony to
drown herself in wine. She’s been trying to put prospective clients off that
place for almost twelve months now,” I smiled as Harry and Sam burst out
laughing. This time I was certain something was going on, but I didn’t get
chance to voice it before Harry was out of the door.

“What’s
going on?” I asked Sam as he laughed heartily and spun me around.

 
“Harry bought it for Joy. He’s been dealing
with her boss and they finalised yesterday. She hasn’t got a clue,” he laughed
as I stared at him gobsmacked.

 
“What?” I screeched as he pulled me close.

“He’s
here all the time now and he wanted to do it, but he didn’t know how she’d
react. It’s all in her name, she’s going to sign the papers when he turns up
apparently and it means they don’t have to stay here,” he grinned as I stared
at him astonished.

 
“He asked your advice?” I asked, still stunned
as Sam nodded.

“Of
course he did and I told him that when you know, you know,” he smiled and I
hugged him tight, knowing that she may well be pissed when she got here but at
least she’d be happy.

The
guests started to filter in not long after Harry left, Sam’s mum, dad and
sister who I made sure we saw every time we were down South and not just at
Christmas. Dave, Lizzie and baby
Alfie
who thought it
was his birthday when I passed him a sack full of presents I’d wrapped for him.
Lizzie glared at me. “What? I rarely see him, so he gets all his presents in one,”
I laughed, feeling that it was my prerogative to spoil him, and knowing that it
would keep him occupied for most of the afternoon so I could speak to his
mother. Finally came my father and my sister and this was news I needed to
break privately.

“Sam’s
proposed,” I smiled as they both hugged me, uttering their congratulations as
Victoria went in search of Sam, squealing her delight and muttering how he was
the luckiest man alive to be marrying her sister. My father stayed with me.

 
“Are you happy, Rose?” he asked as I nodded.

 
“He’s the love of my life. Would you walk me
down the aisle, Dad?” I asked, and it was the first time I had ever said the
word out loud. It felt strange, but it felt right and I swallowed hard as he
looked at me trying to stave off the tears.

 
“I’d be honoured, thank you, Rose,” he said,
pulling me into the biggest hug imaginable as Sam walked out to join us and
they embraced as friends.

“When
I blow out the candles on that beautiful cake you made I know what my wish will
be,” I said, smiling up between my future husband and my new dad. “To be as
happy forever as I am right now,” I smiled, listening to the laughter floating
out from inside and looking up at the smiles that enveloped me with their
warmth before we went back to join the party.

Being
thirty was pretty damn good.

***

If you enjoyed ‘Stranger at the beach house’ or have any
comments, please leave a review on Amazon and check out these other titles by
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King is a full length standalone novel with adult scenes
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