Love LockDown (7 page)

I hesitate in taking the outstretched palm, still feeling a slight anxiety around men, it has already eased somewhat since last night, but it is still there, still niggling at my insides. I do feel more sated with him than any other man since David, but he doesn’t have my one hundred per cent trust. Maybe one day I can learn to trust again, but today is not that day.

I place my trembling hand into his much larger one and follow his lead through the narrow dark street, the walls of the surrounding buildings blocking the morning sun from entering. We arrive at a small private car park, only one car parked there.

I swallow the huge lump formed within my throat. I had a hint he had a little money from owning Angelo’s, and by the beautiful clothes framing his even more beautiful body, but how much, I wasn’t certain of.

Now, looking at the vehicle parked in its lonely space, all I can say is I was clearly mistaken. He is swimming in money and I fear this car isn’t going to be the last sign of that.

A pristine gleaming red Ferrari sits in the space. I can’t tell you the model because I’m not a car person, but this car, well let’s just say, I will certainly make the effort to learn some more about cars.

The sheer size of the beast intimidates me but beckons me to step closer. The black alloys sparkle in the sunlight, the black soft material roof demanding to be lowered.

“Wow. That’s yours?” I ask Leighton. Don’t ask me why I need confirmation. Not like being the only car in the car park could be the answer.

“It certainly is little lady. You like her
?” like her? I think I may have just cum in my new knickers for the first time in God knows how many years
.

“Uh-ha” I reply with a gulp that led to me leaving my jaw to hang loose, practically hitting the paved floor.

“Come on; don’t be afraid she doesn’t bite.” He grips my hand again; the electric spark I feel this second triggers a sensation deep in my body that was confusing, but so fucking welcomed.

He drags me even closer to the Ferrari.

He presses a button on the keys clasped in his hand; florescent orange lights illuminate the tiny car park, even in the bright sunlight the LED hazard lights flash visibly. He walks to the passenger door on the left of the car and opens it to let me in.

As the door opens, I am able to see the plush black leather seats, bucketing in their places. The black console donning a black wheel with a yellow Ferrari badge on.

I force another gulp.

The technology makes the mechanical beauty seem like a space craft. All touch screen Sat Nav/Stereo/Bluetooth phone/IPod Playlist.

Jesus, this guy has too much money.

“Get in Abbi, the seat will get cold if you don’t.” the cheeky grin he gives me as he helps me into the car makes my insides warm up and tingle.

I hear the door close on me somewhere in the background, my mind still struggling to absorb the reality of the sudden change in circumstances in my life.

How my life went from one day living on the streets, one set of underwear and clothes, no food, begging for scraps, being raped and attacked, to sleeping in soft cloud like beds, more food than someone could imagine, new clothes, driving in over a hundred thousand pounds worth of automobile. It was bonkers to say the least.

“So Abbi, are you ready to start your new life?” his voice distracts me from my day dream, my head shaking to clear the thoughts, a cloud like fog building in my eyes.

“Sorry. Yeah I’m ready, but I’m also scared and very nervous. I am so grateful for everything you have done; I just hope I don’t disappoint you.” I shyly reply, my nerves kicking up a notch as I hear him start the engine. He switches the heater on full to clear the ice that has coated the screen as the freezing conditions took affect overnight.

JESUS!

I let my eyes roll back in their sockets as the deep roar sounds from under the bonnet. The vibrations thrumming through the car simmer deep and low in my gut making it hard not to loudly moan!

“You could never disappoint me sweetheart, now please stop thinking all these negative thoughts, we’re going to spend some time talking and helping you get in a new frame of mind, okay? Let’s get going.”

He speeds out of the alley towards the main street. I relax back into the plush leather, the material cooling my overheating skin. It was in the minus degrees outside, the winter frost visible on the ground, the tiny puddles turned to ice.

We drive for what feels like an hour, neither one of us talking or making a sound other than our quiet breaths, sighs and sometimes the odd yawn.

“You tired Abbi?” Leighton asks me out of the blue.

“Not at all, just relaxed is all.” I turned and smile at him before returning my head to look out of the window.

After the hour passes, I see a sign telling me I am in Surrey, the green countryside rolling by, hill after hill and lush green trees after one another.

“It’s beautiful” I verbally express my thoughts, having never seen the countryside. Growing up in London didn’t offer much chance to see it. Other than St James’ or Hyde Park, but I never had the chance to visit them.

“That it is. Sometimes I just look out to this landscape and feel so calm and at peace. It is truly breath-taking.” His calming sigh relaxes me further into the bucket seat.

After another ten minutes, that seem to go on for forever, we pull up to an enormous set of iron gates, automatically opening as the Ferrari nears.

We make our way down a winding driveway lined with trees and flowers to a house. No sorry, scrap that, that is not the appropriate word for what I see.

A mansion stands tall and proud at the end of the driveway, the size of the place was breath-taking. At least twenty windows frame the width, another four vertical. That’s a lot of fucking rooms. Ivy climbs the walls, framing the double dark wooded doors.

“Wow.” I hadn’t realised I had said it out loud until I heard Leighton chuckle beside me.

“Come on.” he pulls open the handle to his door, manoeuvring his large body from the bucket seat. He appears at the passenger side, opening the door and placing his hand inside for me to take. I place my palm in his as I continue to gawp at the building in complete and utter amazement. I manage to get my feet firmly planted on solid ground as he places his hand on my lower back, guiding me from the car towards the steps leading to those doors. My own little stairway to heaven.

“Sure why not?” I say sarcastically laughing to myself.

Guiding me through the double doors he had already opened without any acknowledgment from me, I take in the lobby area. There was a sweeping staircase against both of the walls leading to the upper two floors, with gold fixtures and railings. Beautiful art work framed the entire length of both walls. I mentally ask myself why there were four vertical windows if only three floors.

“Basement.” Leighton tells me randomly, clearly seeing me struggle with my calculation of room.

“Oh, okay.” I reply looking in every direction from my fixed position in the entrance hall.

As I look ahead, between the staircase, I see a huge open ballroom type area, the sparkling chandelier seen gleaming from where I stood.

I feel myself already drawn to the beauty of it. My body follows my eyes to the crystals hanging from the centre of the open space.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Leighton.” An easy ten thousand square feet of space appears before me, gleaming wood floors blinding me at a first glance.

The chandelier takes my eyes again. The multitude of colour that was being propelled onto the walls and ceiling like a rainbow prism, its colours being projected onto any available surface including me, made me smile wide. Belle and the Beast was the first thing that came to my mind.

The floor to ceiling wooden framed windows catch my eyes, they surround the whole perimeter of the room. Looking out of the closest one, the golden curtains pulled back, I see the view. There is a breath-taking array of greenery and woodland in the distance. The rolling hills filled with beautiful delicate flowers. The odd pond was scattered throughout the land.

I turn around fast to look around the remainder of the room. It’s all so overwhelming. The wealth of this man is ridiculous.

“Leighton, this, this is spectacular, reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. How can you live here and not spend every day looking out of those windows. It’s mesmerizing. Thank you for letting me experience that.” I sigh and try to stop tears falling from my already filling eyes.

I fail miserably, salty droplets falling onto my new hoodie, staining the material darker. The repeated patter of the water as it hit the wooden floor and the tiny sobs I tried to hide echoed through the grand room.

“Abbi, sweetheart, Come here.” Leighton pulls me into his broad frame, pressing my head into his chest with his firm hand as I cry for the millionth time on him.

After a few minutes of him holding me and letting me cry I pull away wiping my eyes and nose with my sleeve. “I’m sorry I keep crying. It’s just, my life, it’s been really shit to put it plain, even from childhood. I hope I can tell you about it one day. But just know this, the food and a roof over my head, Leighton you’ve saved me. I owe you my God damn life.” I wipe the last tear that tried to fall.

“It’s okay. You cry all you need to. One day I hope to have earned your trust and that you’ll feel safe and comfortable enough to tell me everything about you, from the start until now. But for now, you take your time, you need to heal.” He lifted my face in his hands to look into my eyes. His thumbs reached out and dried the watery smears under my sore eyes. “Come on, I’ll show you to your room and then I’ll give a proper tour of the house and grounds.” I laugh at his analogy of his mansion.

“What’s so funny?” he mocks his hurt at my offensive gesture, and it’s so sweet I can’t stop the smile from framing my face.

“Calling this a house, Leighton it’s a fricking mansion.”

“No Abigail, it’s a home, nothing more nothing less and I hope you’ll consider it your home.”

“Do you make it habit taking in stray women and mending them?” I had to ask, I don’t want to be another charity case on his long list.

“Not particularly Abbi, but when I saw you outside my restaurant, so scared and alone, I couldn’t not do something to help you. And to be quite honest I’m pretty lonely here. Other than business associates that visit daily and the housekeeping staff, I have no one here with me, selfish as it sounds I probably need you as much as you need me.”

“I can imagine you’re lonely. It’s so big.” Once again he takes my hand, pulling me through the ballroom back to the hallway.

“Let’s see your room.” He leads me up the right staircase and down a very long corridor. He opens a door towards the end of the hallway. Turning the shiny posh handle he pushes the door open and then ushers me inside.

I feel myself falling.

Chapter Four

“Shit! Fuck.” I hear the deep voice shout.

I feel his arms around me in an instant, catching me as I crash to the ground below my unstable feet. His long fingers brush the hair fallen across my forehead, smoothing the wild locks away.

“You okay, what happened?” he questions me, oblivious to my utter shock.

I look around the room again to take in my surroundings; yep it’s definitely how I had seen it the first time. “This.” I say waving my arms all around me, “All of it. It’s too much, excuse my language.” I shake my head in disbelief.

“You’re excused,” he smiles cheekily, dimples appearing on his cheeks again, “and it’s nothing honestly, and it’s just stuff.” It’s easy for someone who clearly bathes in luxury to feel this to just be stuff. But to me this is the life of royalty, utterly ridiculous glamour.

“Stuff, really? Who died and made me Queen?” I sarcastically say!

He laughs back at me. “Come on let’s get you off the floor so you can take a proper look around.”

I take a walk around and the first thing I see, well I couldn’t miss it really, is the huge, bigger than a queen-size four poster bed with silk drapes falling around it. The head of the bed laden with huge fluffy pillows, cream and ivory silk sheets lay atop the mattress.

On the wall is a fifty inch television which is fitted into the plaster, a TiVo box sits on a shelf underneath.

I walk through and see the huge floor to ceiling windows, leading onto a beautiful balcony with a magnificent view of the land. There is reclining sunbeds and a beautiful wooden table sitting on the terrace.

“Wow, this view, its breath-taking. I could die happy just having seen this.” I can hardly breath, this is heaven. I can see the stunning countryside from every angle.

“I’m glad. Now if I know women like I think I do, then you’re going to want to see your bathroom. Go on and take a look.”

Bathroom, I have my own bathroom. I gulp down the built up saliva in my throat.

I walk back into the room following Leighton to one of the doors on the other side of the room, a beautiful dark oak wood with a golden nob that just calls for me to open.

I slip my fist around the nob and turn it. Pushing the wood open to reveal for the first time, the room I would relax in. I almost pass out for the second time in twenty minutes.

Every surface is a beautiful soft cream or white. The tiles are sparkling and very luxurious. If I had thought the bathroom at the club was luxury I was clearly fooled.

An enormous bath, big enough for at least three to lie down in comfortably, is slap bang in the middle of the room, fitted into the floor on a mounted platform. I walk over to look inside the miniature pool. I can see the multitude of jets attached to the sides of the bath. “Is this a spa bath?” I ask Leighton, utterly gobsmacked.

“It is, can’t have my guests living in anything other than the best, can I?” I smile at him, those beautiful green eyes smiling back at me.

A separate walk in shower, similar to that in the club, with various heads to spray water, is against the opposite wall. Two separate wash basins fix into the marble countertops, with waterfall taps, sit to the left of the room, next to a matching toilet.