Besotted (12 page)

‘I’m going to church tomorrow.’

‘OK, what time would you like us to go?’

I stare at him, astonished. ‘You mean you’ll come to church with me?’

He shrugs. ‘Sure why not?’

‘But what about the brotherhood?’

‘The cloak of respectability the brotherhood wears is organized religion.’

And I remember that his father’s funeral had been held in a church. ‘But if you come with me, wouldn’t that be a sham?’

He looks me in the eye. ‘No, it wouldn’t.’

‘I’m going to love you like I’ll never be hurt.’

He lays his head on the pillow beside me and looks deep into my eyes. ‘Often I look at you and I can’t believe my luck,’ he whispers.

Two days later I am pushing Sorab on High Street Kensington when time suddenly suspends. The blood stills in my veins. For a moment it is as if I am in a movie frame that suddenly freezes.

Victoria is standing only a few yards away. We stare at each other. Her eyes are translucent with a strange mixture of bewilderment and hatred. She reminds me of a wild animal that is caught in a mangle. It is dangerous because it is so desperate. I know I am safe—Brian is only a shout away—but I still feel the icy claw of fear squeeze at my heart.

She takes a step towards me and my internal organs lurch as if I am in a fast-moving lift that suddenly stops. My mind instantly starts making plans to protect Sorab. A voice in my brain says, ‘She wouldn’t dare,’ but I stand ready.

She begins to walk towards me, her head held straight, but her eyes unblinking and deadly are trained on me, the eyeballs moving to the sides of her eyes as she passes by me. So close to me, almost her shoulder brushing mine. The malice and madness I see in her eyes chill me to the bone. And yet, she has done nothing. I turn around and watch her walk away without once turning back.

I clamp my hand over my mouth, as if to cover the horror of the knowledge that she has fooled Blake. She will be trouble. But how will I convince him otherwise? She has done nothing to me.

That night Blake’s lips crash against mine, and afterwards he tells me we are going to Dubai—a romantic weekend. I lose myself in the moment and forget the maniacal hatred in Victoria’s eyes…momentarily.

Seventeen

W
hen we arrive at the airport I am surprised to note that we are not getting into Blake’s Gulfstream jet, but a Boeing 767. We walk through the doors and I gawp in awed silence. It looks like no plane I’ve ever been in. Brand new and customized to look like the interior of an apartment it is luxurious and stunningly elegant.

I turn to Blake. ‘Do you own this?’

‘It’s registered to the Bank of Utah.’

‘But really it’s yours?’

He shrugs. ‘Own nothing, control everything.’

Smiling staff come forth with smiles and hot towels.

After take-off I turn to Blake. ‘Can I explore?’

‘Want me to show you?’

‘Nope. Want to take it all in on my own.’

He smiles and reaches for his briefcase. ‘Knock yourself out.’

I touch my lips to his. ‘I will.’

I take Sorab from Jerry and we start exploring the three floors. It is truly amazing. All the spaces have no hard edges, everything curves and swirls around to meet the next environment. There is a dining table that seats twenty, three guest bedroom suites, lifts, a kitchen, an office, a boardroom, two sumptuous lounges with cream couches, a concert hall, a TV room, a gym and a sauna.

We end up in the master bedroom, which is on two levels. I playfully throw Sorab on the massive white bed and he bounces and squeals with startled laughter. He lifts his hands up to me. I pick him up and throw him back down on the bed. He laughs happily and lifts his hands again.

‘One last time,’ I say, and fling him on the bed again. He bounces, sits up and crawls towards me. I lay on the bed.

He arrives beside me and climbs on my body. I hold him up in the air, his body horizontal to mine.

‘Mummy and Daddy will be christening this bed soon,’ I tell him.

He cackles loudly.

‘I know. Wouldn’t that be nice, huh?’

My mobile rings.

‘Where are you?’

‘In the master bedroom.’

‘Don’t move.’

We spend an hour together, playing, just as an ordinary family would. When Sorab nods off, we lay for a while with him between us, just looking into each other’s eyes.

‘We are so lucky, aren’t we?’ I whisper.

‘I can hardly believe I have both of you.’

I grin. ‘Wanna have sex?’

His answering grin is wolfish. ‘Obviously.’

‘What about His Highness?’ I jerk my head in the direction of the sleeping child.

‘He can have the bed,’ he says, and grabbing my hand he slides me off the round bed. And there on the soft white carpet we have quiet sex. It is unfamiliar and in a funny way taboo, and so incredibly exciting.

When we finish I am giggling breathlessly. ‘My knees,’ I complain.

‘We’ll use the bed on the return trip,’ Blake promises.

I stare at him in wonder. His hair is falling down his forehead, his eyes are sparkling and he looks so young and carefree.

We are flown by helicopter to the roof of the iconic and awesomely beautiful Burj Al Arab, considered the best of the three seven star hotels in the world. As soon as we step out on to the green felt landing pad, waiters in tails and white gloves stand in a line to greet us with champagne and flowers.

There is no check-in and we are immediately charmed into the royal suite. Inside the opulence is shocking. Its luxury and excess are such that it is almost intimidating. There is a butler outside the door who knows us all by name which I frankly find unnerving! I feel as if I am an impostor. Surely only kings and emperors live with gold and gilt on every surface and leopard skin-covered empire chairs.

The royal suite has red silk walls. The entrance hall leads to a grand staircase that has elaborately patterned and carved gold and black banisters. It has a faux leopard skin runner carpet. Even Jerry raises her eyebrows and goes silent on me. When she disappears into her bedroom with Sorab I turn to Blake.

‘Well, what do you think?’ he asks.

‘It’s all rather…heroic.’

He grins. ‘I’m glad it was you who said it and not me.’

We laugh. At that moment I am the happiest person on earth.

‘Shall we check out the bedroom?’

‘Shall we wait until it’s dark?’

‘Chicken,’ he teases and taking my hand pulls me towards the bedroom.

We stand at the doorway.

The room is huge with a brightly patterned carpet, gilded furniture, patterned wallpaper and gilded mirrors. The four-poster bed is massive and set on a purple pedestal, with curtains around it. Over it is a domed canopy with a pleated silk interior. There is the impression of a tent, but also the wild excess of Versace.

We turn to look at each other.

‘Heroic,’ we blurt out at precisely the same time and laugh.

‘How much does it cost?’

‘More than a hero’s ransom.’

I chuckle. ‘Come on, let’s check out the bathroom.

There: gold marble walls, cream marble columns, and blue-veined chocolate marble floors, gilded mirrors, polished bronze tiles, gold taps and fittings, and Hermes toiletries.

‘Looks like fun times ahead for you and me,’ Blake says looking meaningfully at the round Jacuzzi bath.

I grin. ‘A midnight bath?’

‘Who am I to turn down such a beautiful woman?’

‘I’ve never been in a Jacuzzi.’

‘Eyes tell a story. Yours tell me to open your legs and devour you.’ His voice is low and throbbing with passion.

I watch the heat come into his eyes, the dark hunger, and my stomach twists with excitement. ‘I like the word excess. It has sex inside it,’ I whisper.

We use the hotel’s Ferrari. It is scarlet and roars like some great beast when Blake guns it. Dubai, it turns out, is littered with speed cameras and Blake makes everyone of them flash.

We eat at At.mosphere, the highest restaurant in the world, one hundred and twenty-three floors away from the ground. The views are breathtaking. 

‘I fancy getting legless,’ I announce.

Blake raises his eyebrows, but does not say anything while I knock the cocktails back.

‘You don’t mind, do you?’ I ask, already tipsy.

‘No, not at all. I’m actually rather curious. I’ve never seen you drunk.’

I giggle like a schoolgirl and look at him from beneath my eyelashes.

‘What?’ he asks.

‘It feels as if I’ve always known you, perhaps even in other lifetimes.’

‘You know what you’re like?’ His voice is but a whisper.

I lean forward. ‘Tell me.’

‘You’re like a force that swept into my life, cast me into the winds, and set me ablaze. Afterwards you made me rise from the ashes, like a phoenix reborn.’

‘Wow! That’s deep.’ I wave a finger towards the glass walls at the sky. ‘And there you are flying in the skies.’

‘I like drunk Lana.’

‘Ooo… Is it already time for dessert?’

What looks like a chocolate ball arrives. I lift my eyes towards Blake.

‘Want to taste?’

He shakes his head. ‘Enjoy yourself.’

I tuck in. Delicious.

At the ‘floating’ staircase, going down, I become suddenly nervous. Blake kneels at my feet and takes my shoes off for me. Holding me tight we go down it. In the high-speed lift I start to feel a bit sick, but outside with cool breezes blowing on the fountain terrace, I recover very quickly and start to look forward to the Jacuzzi.

Blake looks at his watch, ‘Come on,’ he says and takes me closer to the water’s edge. Suddenly music fills the air. I look around surprised. It is Pink and Nat Ruess.

‘They’re playing our song, Lana.’

I gaze up at him. ‘You remembered.’

‘How could I forget? The night is branded in my mind forever. You were so, so innocent and so very beautiful.’ He puts his hands on either side of my cheeks and turns my face towards the fountains. ‘Watch the fountains dance,’ he says, and stands so close behind me.

I lean back and stare with amazement. All around me people are taking their phones out to record the stupendous spectacle. Indeed, they are dancing fountains. Soaring, leaning, bending, running like fire upon the surface of the water, all in tempo with the music. It is very beautiful and I am so overcome with joy that tears gather in my eyes and streak down my face.

When the last fountain dies down, he turns me around to face him.

‘Why are you crying?’

I sniff loudly. ‘These are happy tears. Just ignore me.’

‘Until I met you I never wanted a woman’s tears, but I want yours. I want your sighs, I want your laughter, I want your joy, your smell, your smile. I want it all.’

Behind me I hear fireworks. I turn my face up to the skies and watch the beautiful display. They are still exploding around us when Blake takes a ring out of his jacket and slips it on my finger.

I gaze down at it. It is the biggest pink diamond I have ever seen. It would have been gaudy if not for the plain setting and the astonishing intensity of its color. The light from the fireworks makes it glitter like a pink fire. It is also a perfect fit. It is too big and beautiful to not be… Is it? Could it really be? I look up at him with shocked eyes. The flare from the fireworks streak across his face.

‘Are you asking me to marry you?’

‘Nope.’

‘Oh.’ The wind changes. A fine mist of water from the fountain reaches us, lands on my skin. It is deliciously cool on my flushed skin.

‘If you ask you might get a no and I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m telling you: we’re getting married.’

For a moment I take in the beautiful, beautiful eyes, that tough, unyielding jaw, the straight mouth, the aristocratic nose, then I fling my arms around his neck and our lips meet in the most beautiful kiss. It is deep and lusty and romantic and just perfect. I forget the fireworks, the people, the fountain.

All I know is when he first kissed me a lifetime ago, he didn’t kiss my lips, he kissed my soul.

Hey Beautiful,

Thank you! You’ve kept me this company this far into Blake and Lana’s journey, and it will be my greatest pleasure to have you around until the series is complete.

The next part, Seduce Me, is told through the point of view of Lana’s bridesmaid, Julie Sugar. It will be the conclusion of the Lana and Blake saga, but it is also the story of Julie’s search for true love.

See you between the sheets of Seduce Me…

xx
Georgia

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