Eternity (19 page)

“Let me show you upstairs, nothing has been changed there yet, so you’ll see why I’m changing it” he grabs my hand excitedly and leads me through a glass door on the left, to the stairs. It's the first time I notice it, but the left wall is all glass; from about halfway along, to where the kitchen starts at the back is glass, so you can see the stairs. It's another odd design choice, but I guess I don't know what the end product will look like, so maybe it will make more sense once it's finished.

At the top of the stairs there is a large window with views out over fields as far as you can see, the hall then leads down to the left of the stairs with three closed doors; the first door leads to the main bedroom, it’s a good sized double room, the floor tiled the same as downstairs, but the walls in here are a burnt orange colour. There is a large but simple timber framed bed against the far wall with a standard matching wardrobe, a small bedside table on the right and another door to the left. The right wall is taken up with French doors which open up onto the impressive balcony; it runs the length of the room, but stretches about 3 meters wide with a beautiful stone wall around the edge. The views are stunning, uninterrupted countryside in every direction.

“I could spend the rest of my holiday just sitting here staring at the views”

“I guess I’m used to it, I hardly ever come out here” Carlos admits, “but if that’s where you will be, then that’s where I will be.” He states giving me a squeeze.

Walking back into the room, I notice my suitcase in the corner behind the door, nodding towards it “you weren’t kidding about it being here already” I laugh.

“Nope, my house is your house Ms. Mavers.” He replies leading me to the door next to the wardrobe, it opens up into the bathroom, which separates the two bedrooms. Inside there is what looks like a Jacuzzi bath in one corner and a power shower in the other, with a sink carved from stone. “Untouched upstairs huh?” I ask, questioning the obvious lack of simple Mexican style that was apparent in the bedroom. “well almost untouched” he relents. There is not another door on the otherside into the other bedroom, so we leave by the door which opens onto the hall; I have a quick peak into the other bedroom, it’s a shade of bright red and has two single beds, but no other furniture. “Love the colour” I joke.

“I was wondering what colour to paint my room, so maybe I will do it like this and start calling it ‘the boudoir’” he says it with a heavy French accent, “And maybe mount a mirror on the ceiling and invest in some silk sheets?”

“Oh yes, that’s just my kind of bedroom” I giggle.

“On that note, Mari came across a little bag of goodies you’ve been keeping from me” he says cryptically, I have no idea what he means, a bag of goodies?

“Now where did she say she put it?” he says returning to the main bedroom and scanning the area, “Ah yes!” he walks to the wardrobe, flinging open the doors and retrieves a bag from the top shelf, turning towards me I recognise it instantly. “She gave me a rough idea of what was in here, but lets see” he says, grinning from ear to ear. My face heats, turning the same colour as the second bedroom as I scoot across the tiled floor, almost knocking him over, “No, no, no” I screech, grabbing it off him, leaving him with a look of utter despair.

“It’s a surprise! I bought it for you when I went to town, but then with everything that happened since I’d completely forgotten!” he seems suitably happy with this answer, but tries his luck all the same, “Aw, come on, give us a sneak preview” he says, fingering the top of the bag, I whip it behind my back, “No! You can see it later tonight” I promise, but his face drops, “what’s wrong?” I ask concerned.

“If it’s what I think it is” he begins, looking me up and down suggestively, “then I’m afraid I have bad news. The doctor said that you are not to partake in any…. ‘strenuous activity’ for the next couple of days.” He puts it diplomatically.

I look at him quizzically, surely that can’t be right. But his somber nod confirms it.

“Well that sucks” I proclaim.

“That it does” 

We spend the rest of the day lazing about at his place, he called his parents, they are due back early evening so can take over the running of the resort then; by all accounts they completely understand why he will be out of action, work wise, for the next few days, to look after me.

I spend a lot of time insisting it is unnecessary, but he still won’t let me out of his sight.

If I’m completely honest, I love the attention and it’s a great excuse to spend every second with Carlos. We lay out in the sun, on the patio, kissing. We float about in the swimming pool he has, kissing. We put together an early dinner, with a miss match of bits he has in, kissing every time we pass in the kitchen.

A couple of times I have let myself get caught up in the moment, pushing deeper into the kiss and running my hands through his hair, just baiting him to take advantage; but he holds firm, pulling away, shaking his head tutting and giving me a smack on the bottom as he walks away, leaving me to sulk.

If I stand up too fast, or turn my head quickly, it throbs badly for a couple of minutes, but past that I feel ok. Most of the bruises from the bike crash three days ago are starting to fade, the grazes healing up nicely too, all things considered, I’m not in too bad a state.

Even if I don’t manage to break him tonight, I’m sure I will by tomorrow, every time I try it on, it’s a fraction longer before he pushes me away, it’s cruel to tease him like that, but it’s cruel of him to withhold sex from me, when I have insisted I’m feeling fine.

At 19.00 I suggest going to the bar, Carlos gives me an entirely unimpressed look, “Oh come on grandpa! No Dancing, or drinking I swear, it will just be a quiet evening, listening to music, please?” I want to prove to him that I’m not made of glass.

“Fine, but just an hour alright?”

“Alright” I say rolling my eyes at him, but skipping off towards ‘our’ bedroom to get changed.

I go for a smart, casual look, with skinny jeans, killer heels and a black jumper with a little sequin details on the shoulder. I brush my hair and tie it back, leaving some strands loose at the front that I smooth across my forehead, hoping to cover the plaster there.

I finish the look with a little mascara, drawing attention to my eyes and away from the corner of white plaster still clearly visible and I’m good to go.

Standing up I’m hit with a wave of nausea, the room sways around me, I reach out and steady myself on the wall and wait for it to subside.

“Kate? Are you ready?” Carlos shouts from downstairs.

“Yeah, I’m just coming”

I manage to get to the top of the stairs, my legs are shaking, but with my hand on the wall I’m balanced enough to make it down them.

As I reach the bottom it’s like the whole house is spinning around me and my legs go to jelly, collapsing from under me. Carlos leaps in and catches me before I hit the floor. “Kate!” for a moment I loose my vision, but it returns gradually, “I’m OK” I manage to say back.

“Will you stop saying that! You are clearly not
'
OK'
!
”

I try to stand, but my legs have other ideas, dropping me straight back down, “alright, I’m not OK” I admit.

Carlos bends down scooping me into his arms and deposits me on the black couch, “I’ll get you some water. Stay there!” he is irritated by my stubborn nature.

“Thanks, I’m sorry” I say sheepishly, handing me the water he softens slightly, “You don’t have to be sorry, just admit you’re not 100% better and stop making things worse for yourself” he pleads placing his hand on my head to check my temperature; I reach up and wrap my fingers around his, bringing them to my lips, “I will, I’m sorry, shall we just stay in and watch a movie tonight?” I compromise with a safer option.

“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day” he smiles, leaving the room; he returns ten minutes later, with a thick fleece blanket and a selection of DVD’s, mostly action films, but a couple of soppy ROM-COM’s he claims are his sisters.

While he was out of the room he called through for some room service and just as the opening credits start we are delivered a selection of ice cream and amaretto biscuits.

“I wouldn’t have thought you get room service if you live here?” I ask skeptically.

“I don’t, I called in a favour” he winks at me, “but I am the boss’s son, so I could, but I work with these people so I try not to, unless it’s an emergency” he explains.

“Oh yes, a real emergency” I say sarcastically, poking fun at his blatant abuse of power.

“Shh! It’s about to start” he shuts me up with a biscuit covered in mint ice cream. “Mmmmm”

“Shh!” he repeats cockily, earning him a poke in the side.

Snuggling under the covers, he puts one arm around my shoulders as I slip mine round his waist and we take it in turns to feed each other sweet mouthfuls with our free hands as the movie begins.

The next morning we wake, still curled on the sofa, I think I dropped off somewhere in the middle of the second film; I chose a girly film to start, so on his turn to pick he went for some action thriller, which promptly bored me to sleep, he would never admit it, but clearly it had the same affect on him, else we’d be waking up in bed right now.

“I love waking up next to you sweetness” he murmurs to me, still half asleep.

“Right back at ya, sexy” the word slips from my half asleep lips before I can stop it, his eyes open fully, an amused look on his face, “Sexy huh?” he drools back at me.

“Yeah” I say nonchalantly, “I’m going to jump in the shower, so how’s about you get that sexy ass in the kitchen and make me some breakfast?” well I’ve started now, so I may as well take full advantage; I hear him scoff, clearly shocked by my new show of confidence, as I trott up the stairs, but seconds later I hear him clattering about in there so it obviously had the desired affect.

Stepping out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, I find him in the bedroom, “Your breakfast is downstairs, would it please Madam if I was to take a shower now?” he asks giving me a little bow.

Now it’s my turn to scoff, “You are clearly well trained, I think I will speak to you like that more often, sexy” I say biting my lip as he pulls his t-shirt off, exposing his sculpted torso. He gives me a little shrug and a cheeky grin, “whatever turns you on sweet” he chirps closing the bathroom door behind him.

Knowing he will be in the shower for at least the next ten minutes I discard the towel and hunt around for my strapless beach dress; I know I had it yesterday, but I can’t find it anywhere. I pull on some pants and keep checking, it has built in support so you can go bra-less and has got to be the comfiest item of clothing I have.

“Carlos, do you know where my dress is from yesterday?” I shout through to him.

“I think it’s still downstairs, you took it off when we got in the pool”

Oh yes, he’s right. I scamper downstairs, I’m so relieved Carlos lives on his own, it means as long as I know where he is, I can get away with prancing round naked, should I feel the need to.

I’m halfway across the cold tiled floor when I see it, draped over the back of the chair next to the front door. As my finger tips come into contact with the material, I hear the scream; jumping back away from the sound I now see a middle aged couple stood just inside the front door, mouths agape, I instantly scream back, grabbing the dress and holding it to my front.

My screech jolts them out of their frozen stances and they fluster about looking in every direction but mine, the woman is first to speak, “We’re sorry, we came to see Carlos, we had not idea he was…entertaining guests, or we wouldn’t have just come in, is he in, Carlos?” she’s been caught off guard as much as I have, she has a faint hint of an American accent, and that’s when it hits me, they must be Carlos’s parents. Oh ground swallow me now, of all the ways to meet the parents, why does it have to happen in a state of undress that not even Carlos has seen me in yet! That’s got to be irony?

“I’ll just get him” I squeak, turning and running back upstairs, my promise to take it easy thrown with force out of the nearest window.

Bursting back into the room Carlos is just pulling on his trousers, “what the…”

“Your parents!” I pant, he bursts out laughing, “They saw you like that?” he asks.

“They saw me without the dress!” I cry dismayed, causing him to fall into hysterics, “It’s not funny!” I warn.

“No, of course not, I’ll go see to them” he says, struggling to keep a straight face.

“Just go” I push him towards the door as he coughs to cover another giggle.

Once he leaves I struggle into my dress, but I can’t bare going downstairs to face his parents again, so I wait, straining to hear what’s being said in my absence.

Carlos comes back in fifteen minutes later, considerably more composed than when he left, “they’ve gone” he assures me.

“I’m mortified” I complain.

“Its fine, they understand. If it helps I think they were more mortified than you, my dad was dumbstruck” the smile creeps back across his lips and I throw a pillow at him, now starting to giggle myself.

“I can’t believe your dad has seen me more naked than you have” I laugh.

“I hadn’t thought of it like that, I best have words with him” he says sweeping me into his arms, “so, other than flashing my parents, what do you want to do today?”