The First Touch (Templer Series) (12 page)

We head towards the stairs and he sweeps me up into his arms, over his shoulder, fireman’s lift. I squeal and try to mock wriggle free. Jenny is in the kitchen and laughing she gestures
to Drew to take us out onto the veranda. “Breakfast coming right up. Jake and the lady are out there already eating. You fancy a bit of bacon this morning?”

“I want the works, Jenny!” Drew
beams at her.

“Me too, please!”
I raise my head and smile shyly at her.

Jake and Mia are sat opposite each other, eating in silence.
I admit I’m in my own zone so don’t initially feel the tension hanging in the air. They are so engrossed, heads down, they don’t even hear us enter the garden. They both jump in unison as Drew shouts;

“I found this woman in my bed and don’t know who she belongs to. If somebody doesn’t claim her soon, then I’ll have to keep her for myself!”

I’m squealing like a child. I don’t know why he was apprehensive about this very moment.
He’s a natural.
Mia jumps to her feet, squealing now too, as he slides me down to stand. She grabs me in a hug, kisses me, and makes towards Drew but stops when she sees him stiffen. “Is this allowed?” He grins at me, holding her at arm’s length, away from him.

“Only with Mia! And Family” I mock warn him, pointing a finger.

And with that he stuns her by grabbing her tight and swinging her high off her feet, planting a kiss on her cheek. She squeals again in delight. Jake watches over them, shaking his head.

Drew
grabs my hand and pulls me onto his lap as he sits down. He swipes a slice of toast off Jake’s plate. A bite for me, a bite for him. Finally, Jake lifts his head, beams at me and winks. He bows his head down to continuing eating. Mid forkful, still looking down, he suddenly reaches across and places a hand on his elder brother’s forearm, squeezes it gently, and releases. There is no eye contact or words said between them. And in that gesture, I witness a very tender and moving moment between two brothers who love and respect each other deeply. I feel a tremble in my bottom lip and look at Drew. He is staring at his brother, his bottom lip trembling as mine. We turn to each and share a watery, quivering smile.

Jenny enters the garden with plates of bacon, eggs and grilled tomatoes. The smell hits my nostrils and I realise I’m absolutely starving. I slide off Drew’s lap, ignoring his pout, and begin eating almost as soon as the
plate touches the table. Drew laughs and pokes me in the ribs. I grin, closed mouth, a face-full of food. There is silence as we’re eating. It is then that I notice the heavy tension in the air. I glance at Drew, and he nods, gesturing a raised eyebrow in the direction of Jake and Mia. He feels it too. Someone needs to speak.

“So did you guys get a taxi alright last night?” I
ask, anything to break the silence.

“Yes,
hun, no problem. We came back about an hour after you too.” Mia is faking brightness now. I frown my brows at her questioningly and she shakes her head with a scowl. Drew spots it. So he tries.

“So, you have much more to drink after we left? We were all pretty wasted
when Tilly and I left. I don’t know you guys lasted another hour!”

“Yeah, we had another couple of drinks…did a bit more dancing” Jake laughs, even brighter and faker than Mia. Drew and I exchange raised eyebrows. We leave a few minutes to pass by as silence falls again. But I can’t stand it. Something has happened between them and it doesn’t seem good.

“Enough! I can’t stand it. There’s tension the thickness of soup in here. What’s happened? What’s going on?” I throw my hands up in exasperation. Silence.

“Well? Did you guys sleep together or have a row or something?!” Now Drew joins me in throwing his hands up in frustration.

“Nothing happened. Ok? Nothing happened!” Mia bites at him.

Before either of us have a chance to challenge or respond, Jakes flies out of his chair, sending it crashing to the floor. He makes to storm out reaching the French doors, something changes his mind, and in two large strikes, he’s back, his eyes glaring, scowling at Mia.
He doesn’t utter a word, just standing scowling at her.

Drew and I exchange shocked glances. I need to know Mia is ok. I don’t know what’s happened, and I know she can handle herself, but still. I need to know she’s ok. “Mia, are you….”

She turns to me, smiling, and bats away my concern. She stands up and walks around the edge of the table, turning to face Jake head on.

“You got something you want to say Jake? “

“Fuck off, Mia!” He growls at her.

“JAKE!” Drew bellows.

“Don’t worry you’re head, Drew. I can handle your brother just fine.” Mia grins widely, this time, a genuine smile. “Can’t I Jake?”

“Don’t FUCKING push me, Mia….I swear to God!” He roars a growl at her.

“That’s enough you too! You’re freaking us out!” Drew shouts, standing now.

I make to stand too but decide against it. Drew takes a deep breath in. I watch him open his mouth to speak
but before any words come out, Jake launches at Mia, grabbing her to him and kissing her greedily. His mouth pressed hard against hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She makes one attempt only to push him off before reaching up and fisting her hands in his hair, pulling him in deeper into her mouth, her tongue finding his, tangling and duelling.

He breaks away from her, holding her away from him at arm’s length. A broad smirk spreads across his face. She is scowling now, shaking.

“Two can play at that game, sweetheart!” Jake laughs at her.

Drew slumps back into his chair, open mouthed, running his hand through his hair. I can tell he doesn’t know what just happened or what to do….if anything. He shoots me a look and reels back in shock as he sees my wide grin, eyes dancing. A sound of a sharp crack breaks his shock a
nd we both snap our heads in the direction of the noise.

Mia’s hand is still recoiling from her slap across Jakes face. Instantly, she throws herself at him, k
issing and licking the redness, her hands wrapped around the nape of his neck. She seeks his mouth, biting at his bottom lip, sucking on it, her tongue plunging into his warmth. He groans, pulling her tighter, pressing his body hard against hers, his hands twisting in her hair, as their mouths thrash together. She moans against his mouth.

They break apart, panting, eyes dancing, wide, staring at each other,
not breaking eye contact.  Suddenly Mia makes a bolt for the beach steps, throwing off her shoes. She flies past Jake, laughing.

“Oh no you don’t, lady!”
Jake roars out a laugh and lunges after her, and misses. She’s made the steps and running down them, him fast behind her. We both leap up to watch them. Drew is open mouthed again, motionless, watching in disbelief.

They are nearing the bottom. Jake is about three steps behind her. He launches himself into
mid air, rugby tackle style, throwing her the ground. They become a mass of tangled limbs, rolling and wrestling, licking, biting and sucking. They stay locked in this passionate tangle, each mouth hungry for more. As suddenly as they tangled, they suddenly begin to unravel. Mia stands up brushes the sand of herself. Jake remains flat spread eagled on the sand. She makes her way back up to the steps and on to the veranda. She strides towards us and plants a kiss on both our cheeks, and begins to walk towards the French door. She stops and turns addressing Drew.

“Drew, darling, is Thomson ready?” He simply nods a yes. “No need to see me to the airport,
hun, I’m good. You stay and enjoy your man. Love you.”

“Love you”

And the whirlwind that is Mia exits the building.

Drew slumps back into his chair, and I climb into his lap. He smiles widely at me, pulling me in for a kiss. After a couple of minutes, Jake appears.

“Don’t stop on my account, folks!” We glance up. He is flushed, his eyes wide and dancing, the smile on his face almost splitting his face in two. “I’m out of here. Catch you later.”

And with that, Jake exits the building.

Drew runs a hand through his hair and scrapes it down his face. He smiles up at me. “What just happened here?”

“Your brother just met Mia.”

And I say no more, leaning down to continue where we left off.

Chapter Sixteen

Three days have passed since Mia was here. I spoke to her on the phone when she arrived safely back in London later that day desperate to hear what had happened between her and Jake. I mean it was obvious they
have slept together. I know that part. That was obvious. What I wanted to
know
was what happens between them now.

“Hun, it’s really no big deal and there won’t be a repeat performance! So stop looking for something that’s not there” She brushed me off.

“But why the reaction? Why were you guys so tense with each other the next morning? I mean, you know I love you….but you’re both
players
…so one night of sex wouldn’t mean anything…or did it?”

“I’ve no idea. It meant nothing to me. And it meant nothing to him. Now can we drop it? I’m far more interested in you and Drew…so tell me about your night…and the morning….and
don’t skimp on any details?”

And so I dropped it. I knew better. And I told her every skimpy detail of my night…and morning and how Drew and I finally got together. Well, I did skimp on some detail.

So I’m lying here in Drew’s huge bed day-dreaming, doing childlike star fishes across the mattress, watching him through the gap in the on-suite bathroom door. He’s having a shave meticulously pulling the razor through the foam, stroke by stroke. Thinking to myself how funny it is that even mundane routine acts like shaving, and watching your man, make you sigh…that first flush of love. I want to bottle each of these moments and keep them forever.

“DREW!”

“Jesus Christ!” He bounds out of the bathroom, eyes wide. “What? What’s wrong?!!”

“My tan has gone!”

“What?”

“My tan has gone….not that I had much of one, of course….but you’ve kept me trapped in this bed for so long….it’s gone…” I pout playfully at him.

He roars with laughter, crawls across the bed at me, rubbing shaving foam on my neck. I squirm, mock fighting him off. “You mean to tell me I nearly cut my throat because you’ve lost your tan, woman?”

“These things are important to a woman” I point my chin up at him. “You have
soooo
much to learn about woman and relationships!” I pout again, giving him come hither eyes.

“Oh yes, I do” He raises an eyebrow, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. “I think I need to explore that further…..starting now”

How does he do that to me? One smile, one playful smile and I’m gone. We made love less than two hours ago and one smile, I want him again. He wipes his face with the towel in his hand and I see the bits of stubble where he’s not finished shaving yet, but I don’t care. I need him again. Now.

“Come with me” He stands and holds out his hand. I’m intrigued. I thought we were about to start making love again but he wants to leave the bedroom? He leads me out the door and through the landing. We pass the guest bedrooms and head up another flight of stairs, and as we reach the top, a small gasp escapes my mouth.

I am standing in an outdoor roof garden. How had I never spotted this from the veranda below, or driving up to the house? And he’s certainly never mentioned it. It is truly magical. There are large containers with small palm trees and other tropical plants around the border of the rooftop, all with low lighting and Moroccan style tiling. There are low padded benches scattered with colourful embroidered cushions. He walks me around the corner of the roof and there is a sunken Jacuzzi, and next to it a small dining table with three chairs, covered over by a pergola covered with primrose coloured roses. I’m still trying to take it all in when he leads me on again around the last corner. And another gasp escapes my mouth. There swaying in the sea breeze are soft pale yellow muslin canopy curtains and through them I can see a gigantic low bed.

He pulls me inside and closes the curtains so we are cocooned inside, bathed in soft yellow glows, the morning sunshine casting shadows all around us. I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of it all and instinctively I clasp a hand over my mouth. My eyes feel watery. This place was built with love and I can feel it so strongly.

“Oh, Drew. It’s magical….I don’t know what to say….did you create all this?”

He cups my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly. Taking my hand, he walks me over to the bed and lays me down with him, holding me in his arms. After a few moments of us just holding each other in silence, he speaks.

“My father had a dream of creating this for my mother. He had plans drawn up, everything down to that last detail…well, apart from the Jacuzzi. But it never even got started as she left us not long after he had finished designing it. About a year after he died, and I had inherited the house, Jake, Amber and I wanted to have somewhere we could visit in the anniversary of his death every year. He was cremated at Penmount, and wanted his ashes scattered out to sea, and somehow meeting up here at the house was just too painful….you know, the three of us just sat at the kitchen table or something. One day, Jake and I were going through some family papers and we found the plans again. It was Jake, not me who had the idea of creating this in his memory.” He smiles at the memory.