This Man Part 32

'No more bruised b.u.t.ts, please.'

No! He wouldn't have, surely? I think back to his fierce reaction to my battered bottom.

'Have you spoken to Sam?' I ask.

'Yep, he said I should speak to Jesse.'

'Why would he say that?' I ask shortly.

'Well, obviously, because he thinks Jesse is the mystery van buyer.' She rolls her eyes. 'If the Lord has brought me a van so you don't bruise your a.r.s.e again, then I'll...well, I'll love the fact that you bruise like a peach!'

This can't be right. 'Kate, you can't accept it.'

She looks at me in disgust, and I know that there's not a hope in h.e.l.l of her returning the van. I can see it in her delighted eyes.

'No f.u.c.king way! Don't you dare make me give it back, I've already christened her.'

'What?' My tone is seriously lacking patience.

She spreads her long, pale fingers over the bonnet. 'Meet, Margo Junior.' She lays her torso down on the bonnet of Margo Junior, caressing the pink metal.

I shake my head in exasperation, stomping up the path to the house. No doubt she loves the impossible prat even more now. What's his game, with flowers for Sally and a van for Kate? Oh, and tossing the Queen's currency on the kitchen table like it's a tea towel?

'I'm taking her for a spin!' Kate yells up the path to me.

I don't reply. Instead, I take myself up the stairs and straight into the kitchen to put my flowers in a vase and crack open my bottle of wine. I finish my first gla.s.s and go for a shower. He brought Kate a van?

I take my time washing the day away and leaving my conditioner in for five minutes while I shave. As I turn the water off, I hear the Stone Roses track I've been desperate to hear all day and nearly break my neck scrambling out of the shower to sprint across the landing. The phone rings off, the screen clearing to reveal eight missed calls.

Oh, no. He'll be ripping his hair out again. I dial him as I walk across the landing and into the lounge, looking out of the window to see if Kate's back.

She's not, but Jesse is pacing up and down the garden path, looking his usual G.o.dly self, in jeans and a thin knitted, navy jumper. I smile, tingling from top to toe at the sight of him. He's frantically punching b.u.t.tons on his phone and, just like I knew it would, my mobile lights up in my hand.

Ah! 'h.e.l.lo?' I say, all cool and casual.

'Where the h.e.l.l are you?' he barks down the phone. I ignore his tone.

'Where are you?' I counter. Of course, I know d.a.m.n well where he is. I stand at the window, watching him rake his hand through his hair, but then he disappears from view into the recess of the front door.

'I'm outside Kate's kicking the door down,' he snaps, 'Is it too much to ask that you answer your phone the first time I call you?'

'I was otherwise engaged. Why haven't you called all day?' I ask, making my way down to the front door.

'Because, Ava, I don't want you to feel hounded!' He's completed exasperated, making me smile. I love every crazy element of him.

'But you're still shouting at me.' I remind him. I look out of the viewer, dissolving on the spot when I see him leaning against the wall in the open porch way.

'I am,' he says softly. 'You make me crazy. Where are you?'

I watch him slide down the wall until his a.r.s.e hits the floor, knees bent, head dropped. Oh, I can't see him like that.

I open the door. 'Here,'

He looks up and drops his phone from his ear, but makes no attempt to get up. He just looks at me, relief flooding his handsome face. I step out and slide down the wall opposite him so we're sat across from each other, knee to knee. I half expect him to throw me inside because of my half naked state, but he doesn't. Instead, he reaches forward and places his big hand on my exposed knee. I'm less than surprised when it sends hot sparks of fire flying off all over me.

'I was in the shower.'

'Well, take your phone next time.' he orders.

'Okay.' I salute him.

'Where are your clothes?' He runs his green eyes over my towel clad body.

Ha! I wouldn't have dared kept him waiting while I got dressed. I probably would've found him dead of a seizure. 'In my wardrobe,' I answer dryly.

His hand disappears under my towel, clasping me above my hip bone, prompting a jerk and the loosening of my towel.

'My man!'

I look down the path and see Sam walking up. When I return my eyes to Jesse, he looks like he may, very well, have a seizure now. His eyes are wide as he jumps to his feet and yanks me up, doing a spectacular job of keeping me covered by the towel.

'Sam, don't f.u.c.king move!' he yells. I'm scooped up and bundled through the door at breakneck speed, hearing Sam laughing as Jesse jogs up the stairs with me in his arms, muttering about ripping prying eyes out. I'm tossed on the bed. 'Get dressed, we're going out.'

I snap my head up. I'm not going to The Manor. I get up from the bed, minus one towel, and go to my dressing table. 'Where?'

His gaze travels down my naked form. 'Well, it occurred to me when I was out running that I've not taken you for dinner yet. You have the most incredible legs. Get dressed.' He nods at my wardrobe.

If he means dinner at The Manor, then I'm not game. I'll avoid that place at all costs if she's there. And the chances are a now I've established that she works for him a she will be.

'Where?' I ask again as I start rubbing coco b.u.t.ter into my legs.

'A little Italian place I know. Now, get dressed before I collect on my debt.'

I stand, slowly ma.s.saging my cream in. 'Debt?'

His eyebrows rise. 'You owe me.'

'I do?' I frown, but I know exactly what he's talking about.

'Oh, you do. I'll wait outside at the risk of cashing in sooner,' He gives me his roguish grin. 'I wouldn't want you to think this was all about s.e.x.' He leaves me with that little comment before stalking out.

Oh, it's not all about the s.e.x? Those few words have just made my day. Maybe tonight I'll find out what goes on in that beautiful, complex mind of his. I'm suddenly filled of hope.

After much deliberation on what to wear a I'm shocked the decision hasn't been made for me a I settle on my beige capri pants, a nude, silk shirt and cream ballet pumps. I make sure I put my coral lace underwear on a he loves me in lace. I rough my hair up and smoke my eyes out. Nude gloss finishes me off.

I walk onto the landing, finding an irritable Jesse pacing up and down. I frown. 'I didn't take that long.'

He looks up, giving me his glorious smile, reserved only for women, and I'm rea.s.sured again. As I approach him, he looks me up and down with satisfaction, and as soon as I'm close enough, he yanks me into his muscled body.

'You're impossibly beautiful.' he breathes in my hair.

'So are you. Where's Sam?'

'Kate's giving him a tour of the van.'

Oh, I almost forgot about Margo Junior. I pull back, giving him a suspicious glare. 'You brought Kate a van?'

He smirks. 'Are you jealous?'

What? 'No!'

His face straightens. 'Yes, I brought the van.'

'Why?' Doesn't he think it's a bit weird? Is he trying to buy my friend so she overlooks his unreasonable behavior?

'Because, Ava, I don't want you being tossed about in that shed on wheels, that's why. And I don't have to explain myself to you.' he huffs, standing back from me with his arms folded across his chest.

I actually laugh. 'You brought my best friend a van so I won't get injured holding a cake up?' Oh, this is laughable.

He scowls at me good and proper. 'Like I said, I don't have to explain myself to you. Let's go.' He grabs my hand, leading me down to the car.

'You made Sally's day today.' I say, virtually jogging to keep up with his long strides.

'Who's Sally?'

'The waif like creature in my office,' I remind him, while considering if his lack of memory is an indication of his age too.

'Oh, has she forgiven me?'

'Undoubtedly,' I mutter.

Kate spots us and launches herself at Jesse. 'Thank you!' She sings it repeatedly in his face.

Jesse holds on to her with his one free arm as she continues to screech excitedly in his ear. I roll my eyes at her, spotting Sam shaking his head. I'm comforted by the fact that Sam seems to find this all a bit over the top too.

'It's for my benefit, Kate, not yours.' he says.

She releases him. 'I know!' She grins, turning her bright blues onto me and mouthing, 'I love him!'

'Hey! Where's the love?' Sam calls. She skips off to throw her arms around Sam.

I roll my eyes. I'm surrounded by crazy people.

We pull up outside a small Italian restaurant in the West End. I get out of the car, and Jesse comes to collect me, grabbing my hand and pulling me into, what can only be described as, a sitting room. Dimly lit and with Italian paraphernalia in every nook and cranny, it's like I've stepped back in time to the eighties in Italy.

'Sir Jesse, how very good it is to see you.' A small Italian man approaches. He has a naturally happy face.

Jesse clasps his hand. 'Luigi, good to see you too,'

'Come, come.' Luigi gestures us further into the room.

He settles us at a little table in the corner. The table cloth is cream and embroidered with the Italia Turrita. It's very pretty.

'Luigi, this is Ava.' Jesse introduces us.

Luigi bows at me. 'Ah, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady, yes?' I'm a bit embarra.s.sed by his forwardness. 'What would Sir Jesse like?'

'May I?' Jesse asks, nodding at the menu.

He's asking me? 'You usually do.' I mutter. His eyebrow arches as he puffs his lips slightly, in a don't-push-it gesture. I let him get on with it. He obviously knows what's good on the menu.

'Okay, Luigi. We'll have two of the fettuccine, with yellow squash, parmesan and lemon cream sauce, a bottle of the Famiglia Anselma Barolo 2000, and some water. You got that?'

Luigi scribbles frantically on his pad, backing away. 'Yes, yes, Sir Jesse. I go now.'

Jesse smiles fondly. 'Thank you, Luigi.'

I gaze around the cluttered restaurant. 'Now, this is what you call Italian s.h.i.t.' I murmur thoughtfully. I find a smiling face around a chewed lip when my eyes reach Jesse. 'You come here often?' I ask.

His smile broadens into knee trembling territory. 'Are you trying to chat me up?'

'Of course,' I smile as he shifts in his chair.

'Mario, the head barman at The Manor, insisted I try it, so I did. Luigi's his brother.'

'Luigi and Mario?' I snort, rather rudely. Jesse raises his eyebrows at me. 'I'm sorry, that's really tickled me!'

'I can see that.' He frowns as Luigi returns with the drinks. Jesse pours me some wine and himself some water.

'You didn't get a whole bottle for me?' I blurt. 'Are you not having any?' Christ, I'll be on my back.

'No, I'm driving.'

'And I'm allowed?'

His lips press into a straight line, but I can see he's trying to suppress a smile at my cheekiness. 'You may.'

I grin, picking up my gla.s.s and sipping carefully as he watches me. It's lovely.

As I look over the table at the beautiful, neurotic man, who has f.u.c.ked my plans right up, my brain is suddenly bombarded with questions.

'I want to know how old you are.' I state confidently. This whole age thing is really quite stupid.

He circles the rim of his gla.s.s with the tip of his finger as he watches me. 'Twenty eight. Tell me about your family.'

Huh? Oh, no, no, no! 'I asked first.'

'And I answered. Tell me about your family.'