Just Tell Me (The Justice Series) (23 page)

“Nicole you don’t know what you are doing to me, if we were alone I would make love to you right now” his voice was quiet and she could tell the effec
t she was having on him.

“You know I could just unzip your trousers” she whispered and moved his hands away as she smiled at him in the half light
of dawn “Except we are in a public park and I’m definitely not that kind of woman” 

“Where have I heard that somewhere before?” he teased, it was getting lighter now and they heard a cough in the distance.

“Oh my God you’re not actually?  In the park?”  She turned round and saw Alex and Libby.

“Shut up Libby, of course not”
Nicole felt herself blush with embarrassment and they started laughing.

“Y
ou two are like a couple of teenagers” Libby laughed “And we have something to say” Nicole looked up at her friend, her eyes were sparkling and she could see she was giddy “We think you should spend the rest of the weekend together, seeing you both tonight there is no way I want to spend a night with you Nicole when you know you could be with Daniel, you will be unbearable”

Alex looked at Libby and smiled “I’m taking Libby out” she
said and they exchanged a look. Daniel stood up and pulled Nicole up with him, he gave his friend a hug “That” he said “Is the best news I’ve heard all night, thank you” he turned to Nicole and kissed her on the head “Now we need to all get some sleep, I’m knackered come on”.

It was
fully light as the day started. Nicole said goodbye to Daniel and followed Libby into the reception, it had been an amazing night and she wanted to be with him so much her heart ached.  She felt guilt rush through her, she hadn’t thought about George or Manchester, her life seemed like a memory and apart from her son she wished she never had to go back.  Breakfast was being served and the two girls wandered into the hotel restaurant still in their clothes from the night before.

“Oh
God” Libby whispered “it’s like the walk of shame” they looked at each other and giggled, the waitress sat them at a table for two and they ordered breakfast. 

Nicole looked at
her friend and took her hand, “Look I just want to say thank you so much for letting me see him again Libby, I feel really bad though, are you sure you are OK with it?”

Libby smiled “S
eeing you two together, honestly I’ve never seen anyone so in love, you are a lucky woman Nicole”

Nicole looked at her friend
“He’s amazing, the most perfect man I have ever met, I can’t even put it into words how he makes me feel.  Are you sure you think he loves me, you said it yourself he’s a womanising flirt Libby, what if I’m just another one to add to his list.  Oh God I’ve got to tell him about George now but what if he hates me”

Libby took a sip of her tea and the waitress brought their toast over, “Nicole I will be honest, after everything I’ve said before, you two need to be together,
God the connection was mind blowing just to watch, like you said you are soul mates. Just tell him, I bet he will be over the moon, I really wish I could feel that with a man” she sighed and went quiet and their breakfast arrived.  

They ate and made their way back
to the hotel room, Nicole put the “do not disturb sign” on the door and was grateful for the blackout blinds.

“
So then Libby, what went on tonight with you and Alex?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh come on we saw you two”

“I’m as confused as you are right now Nicole, I’ve no idea what happened tonight” huge tears fell down her cheeks and Nicole climbed into the single bed with her best friend. The light was starting to filter through a gap in the curtains and she hugged her friend,

“
We are a right pair” Nicole’s tears were silently flowing as she looked at the window. She had no idea what she was doing with her life either she thought as she finally went to sleep. 

Chapter 21

It was gone midday when they woke up, Libby looked at Nicole who was laid out in the bed and mascara was marked across her face. “It was some night”

Nicole put the pillow over her head
“I’m fucked!” The two girls looked at each other and started laughing “Come on, let’s get dressed and find something to soak up the hangover”.

Nicole checked her phone, she r
ang home and her mum answered “Hello how’s George?”  Nicole asked automatically she could hear her son gurgling in the background and felt a pang of sadness, she missed her baby.  She told her mum about what happened last night, and looked at Libby with excitement in her eyes while described the club.  When she put the phone down and saw and she had 3 missed calls and a text, all from Daniel, she read the message

GOOD MORNING.  HOPE YOU SLEPT.  I HAD NONE.  CAN’T WAIT FOR TONIGHT, IS 5 TOO EARLY?

It was all so real, her heart soared but her head pounded. 

She groa
ned “Oh Libby I’ve got to get my head together, lets get a spa treatment or something, oh God you’re meeting Alex, Libby do you think you’re a lesbian too?”

Libby burst out laughing at Nicole’s
quick fire summary of the day “Hey it’s fine, Alex is very attractive but I’m just going with the flow” she looked at her “And you mustn’t ever tell anyone, you promise”

Nicole promised wondering what was going on
with her friend.  She replied to Daniel’s message telling him 5 was perfect and he replied.

FANTASTIC!  CAR WILL PICK YOU UP AT 5 THEN.  WILL YOU WEAR THAT DRESS YOU HAD ON LAST NIGHT?  YOUR BOYFRIEND DANIEL X

S
he laughed out loud.
My boyfriend. Was he?
  She replied.

THAT’S FAR TOO SUGGESTIVE FOR SOMEONE YOU HAVE JUST MET

The girls went to the hotel restaurant for lunch.  They booked a spa treatment each and Nicole laid in the hot tub for a while. She closed her eyes and thought about last night, she had hardly thought about George. She felt guilty about loosing herself in the night, she felt so free and could only think about Daniel when she was with him and her heart grew heavy. What would he say when she told him?  She knew she needed to pick the right time. 

Nicole felt the best she had in a long time, she had aired the dress and pulled it over her head and she had been pol
ished by the skills of the spa. She had even had a bikini wax and it was more painful than being in labour. The lace thong was invisible under the dress and she ran her hands over the smooth fabric. She had washed her hair and let it dry naturally, the curls fell in soft waves over her shoulders.

Libby watched her friend get ready, she was laid on her bed, she got up and hugged her “
It’s going to be alright you know” she said and Nicole looked at her.

“You know, no one has said that to me since the day I met him”

Libby sighed “I was too hard on him, I believed what I read in the papers but like I said, seeing you two last night, well you are meant to be together, he loves you” she smiled “I wish I could meet someone who looked at me the way he looks at you, good luck” she squeezed her hand.

“He wants to come to Anna’s weddi
ng” she glanced over at Libby “He wants a proper relationship Libby, I can’t give him any answers until he knows about George”.

“Just go with the flow Nicole seriousl
y. He will be gutted if you walked away from this, just tell him, it will be fine I promise”

“Hey thanks, and good luck with Alex?” they both giggled again as Nicole left the hotel and waited for
Daniel’s driver. 

The black car pulled up outside the hotel and she walked towards it, the driver opened her door and she could feel people looking at her as she got in.
How the other half live
,
I feel like a celebrity
. She watched the city go by through tinted windows as it gave way to rolling green hills. 

The car pulled up outside
Daniel’s house and Nicole stepped out, she could smell the fresh air and she took a deep breath as she took in the view. The matching gatehouses and the old gravel track leading to the wood,
this place is perfect,
and not what she expected. She felt nervous seeing him again, and she couldn’t believe she was here at his house. Her heart was beating too quickly as she saw him stood in the door way, he had a light blue shirt and dark jeans on and he watched her as she walked towards him.

“
Hello” he breathed as he reached for her and kissed her softly on the lips, he looked her up and down appreciatory “Come inside” and he led her into the kitchen.  She looked around his kitchen, not knowing the true misery Daniel had spent alone in this room pining for her. He had laid his little table by the window for dinner, the patio door was open into the garden and the smell of clematis and rhododendron was in the air.

Nicole walked to the door and looked across the garden,
she felt so nervous being alone with him “It’s so pretty Daniel, I love it here, it’s just as you described it to me”

Daniel
opened a bottle of Prosecco, she smiled as she recognised the label. He poured a couple of glasses and handed her one and he stood behind her as she took a sip, his hand was around her waist and he moved her hair away as he kissed her neck, just below her ear. She moaned in pleasure at his touch.

“
Do you remember when we were on that balcony in the penthouse suite?” she nodded unable to speak at his caress “You’re so beautiful and I can’t believe you are finally here” His hand ran up her thigh underneath the black fabric and she moaned as his fingers slipped between her legs.  He found the lace of her thong and slipped his fingers inside her, he could tell she was aroused.

“Daniel” she barely spoke his name, she turned around to face him, he took her glass and kissed her as she wrapped her arms round his neck com
pletely lost in the moment.  Hs fingers moved inside her as his other hand moved to her breast, teasing her nipples as she moaned in pleasure, he watched her as she became lost in his touch.  She reached down for him but he shook his head “Wait, I want to feel you come”.

She lost control as his fingers
touched her and he felt her body ripple with an intense orgasm “Oh God” she moaned, collapsing into him and he kissed her gently, smiling at her.

“
You know I haven’t been with another woman since you, I want to make love to you Nicole but first we need to talk” he said as he took a sip of his drink and sat down at the table, his eyes on her, every part of him wanted to take her upstairs and make love to her but he kept his self control. They had to talk first. 

Nicole sat down her legs felt like jelly.
Well I wasn’t expecting that.
She looked over at him, she wasn’t in control of herself anymore “Really? That’s ages! Although I haven’t been with anyone else either” she looked at him levelly.
Just tell him now
. Her subconscious screamed at her but she repressed it.

He toppe
d her glass up “That’s good to hear” his eyes sparkled as he looked at her “So what do you want to do tonight?  I’ve got some turbot in the fridge ready to cook”

Nicole loved turbot and she went
to the fridge and looked in it, “Well we have tomatoes, herbs and olives we could make a marinade and cook it in foil” she suggested, regaining some composure after what had just happened. He had such a sexual aura about him she just wanted to jump into bed with him and forget about the turbot. 

Daniel sat and watched her move around his kitchen a smile playing on his lips, she looked at ho
me he wanted her to stay with him forever. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, that he had to touch her and feel her, he couldn’t stop himself. He thought back to the moment that had passed,
God I just want to take her to bed right now.
But first they had to talk. 

“Nicole sit down, we need to talk, there’s something you were going to tell me that’s the reason you’re here, right?”  His face was serious as he looked at her and her face fell
.

“I know we do Daniel” she sat down opposite him and before she had chance to speak there was an urgent knock at the door.
He apologised as he answered it, it was his gamekeeper. 

She could hear hushed voices
and she waited in the kitchen taking in Daniel’s taste in interiors as she looked at the open plan room. 
Imagine if I brought George here?
She could see him sat on the rug, dribbling on the furniture and being sick on his sofa.  She smiled sadly and doubted that would ever happen. 

Daniel broke her thoughts “I have to go out, there are poachers in the wood” she stood up
, she could sense the concern in his voice.

“
Can I come?” she didn’t want to be left on her own, the time was too precious. 

“Y
eah I guess, if anything happens you phone the police, poachers can be evil bastards” he said with a steely tone and she followed him to the car. She quickly grabbed her flat black ballet pumps from her bag and felt inappropriately dressed now. Daniel had a shotgun, she noticed as she climbed in the back of the gamekeeper’s land rover.  

The worn seat had a rip in
it and the aroma was foul in the back of the old vehicle, Nicole glanced at the dirty collection of baler band, old metal bits and feathers. She could feel something behind her and she looked over the seat, there were two old shooting dogs sat in the back, eagerly staring at her. Their hot breath filled the back of the car and Nicole tried to open the window but it was jammed.

Daniel looked round at her
“You ok in the back?”  His eyes teased her as she pulled a face and he laughed. The gamekeeper drove out on the road and then took a turn into the woods. The road was bumpy and Nicole held onto the back of the seat in front. He pulled up and they all got out, the dogs left in the back. A pile of blood, guts and a dead fawn was all that was left.

“B
astards” the game keeper growled and Nicole realised the deer they had killed had been pregnant.  She felt tears prick in her eyes and Daniel walked over and put his arm round her.

“W
e work so hard to preserve the deer population on the estate” he explained “And yes we do stalk and cull them to keep them under control, but deer stalking is an art and a necessary part of game management, as much about appreciating the animal than the actual shot” he was every inch the landowner now as he spoke about the management of the estate. He was so passionate about it and she had a new appreciation of the work that went into it. 

The game keeper spoke, his accent was thick and she had trouble understanding all of what he said “
Aye poachers don’t give a care what they shoot, this deer would have had her fawn by next week” he prodded the dead animal with his stick “They will sell the carcass to some pub, it will have been badly shot too by the looks of this mess”. 

They
walked silently back to the Land Rover and the gamekeeper drove them back. As they got nearer his house Daniel motioned for him to stop and he got out “Nicole we can walk from here, I’ve got something to show you” she jumped out of the Land Rover, happy to be out of the stench of hot dog breath and he held her hand as they walked back into the wood. 

When
Nicole saw the stables her eyes widened “Wow Daniel this is amazing, is it all yours?” she couldn’t take in the scale of what he owned and he laughed at her response.

“C
ome and meet Monty” he lead her into the stable, the horse was eating hay and came over to nuzzle his owner. Nicole touched his neck and lent into his mane to breathe in the smell of horse, the smell so familiar to her.

“So this is Monty?  Oh he’s gorgeous Daniel” said Nicole and he could see she was comfortable around horses.

Joanna appeared “Oh hello” she said “I didn’t recognise your voice” she looked at Nicole and walked away in shock.  She had never known Daniel bring anyone to the stables before especially not a woman, she thought he was gay. 

“M
mm I miss this smell” Nicole stroked Monty’s neck.

“
Do you want to ride?” 

Nicole looked at her dress and her pumps “I don’t think I’m suitably dressed
” but he wrapped his arms around her.

“Y
ou look suitable to me Miss Shaw” he said as he kissed her “We have spare clothes here for polo I’m sure we can find you something, come on” They went to find Joanna and ten minutes late Nicole had a pair of cream jodhpurs under her black dress. 

“
Oh God I’m nervous now” she said to Daniel who was tacking up Monty, and her heart was in her mouth as she watched the horse Joanne was leading towards her.  It was chestnut with a white blaze and was prancing around her, Nicole’s face fell. 

“
Stop messing ya silly bugger” She shouted at the horse and he settled down as she introduced him to Nicole “This is Chester, he’s as right as rain this one, you have to show him who’s boss though, ride him in the menage for five minutes lets see you can handle him” She handed Nicole a whip and said “Now hurry up and get on, he doesn’t like dawdling”