Target (An erotic romantic novella) (4 page)

Stopping at a
lingerie shop to start with, she perused the knickers first.  Rick watched her, he was not embarrassed, and in fact, he was itching to pick some out for her.  She glanced at him, and then lifted a pair.

“What about these?” she asked, as if he were her boyfriend.  He shook his head.

“No, what about these?” he suggested, pulling out some silky knickers.  She nodded, they were nice, and she looked at the price.

“Jesus, ten quid a pair Rick, not likely,”
she said putting them back and moving along to the sale rail.  Rick wandered behind her, looking, no, gawping at the sexy outfits hanging up.  It was the first time he had been into one of these shops.  He had spent so long obsessing with trying to prove his parents murders, and establishing his businesses, that he had never had time for a serious relationship, he had had a few casual ones, but nothing that would have brought him shopping to a lingerie shop.

Sarah grabbed ten pairs, reduced to £2.00 a pair.  She could live with that
, they were not exactly crying out sex appeal, but they were all she could afford.  She rummaged through the sale rail of bras.  It had been weeks since she had worn one and she was not sure what size to get now she had lost weight.

“Excuse me, can I be measured?” she asked a young assistant.

“Of course madam, this way,” she replied, gesturing with her hand to a cubicle.

“
I will not be long Rick,” she said, handing him the basket of knickers.  Rick raked through them, and then shook his head.  Nasty, he thought and he took them out.  Noting the size, he dumped them back in the sale basket.  Going back to the silky ones, he grabbed ten pairs in her size and in various colours and put them in her basket.

An assistant smiled at him. 

“A much better choice Sir,” she said.  He gave a chuckle, not realising he had been watched.  “May I suggest something?” she asked, glancing to the cubicle.

“Sure
. What?” Rick asked, following her to another rail.

“These are expensive but they do have twenty per cent off today, but if you like silk?”  She pulled out a silky black
chemise; low cut at the front, it was edged in black lace, Rick ran his fingers down it; it felt good, sexy.

“Can she sleep in it?” he asked.  This assistant nodded,
as she pushed her blonde hair back behind her shoulder flirtatiously.  He was wealthy, she could tell.  Handsome and wealthy, what a lucky woman, she thought, as she glanced back over to the cubicle.

“Okay, I do
not know what size though?” he said.

“One moment,” she replied
. Walking over to the cubicle, she stuck her head through the curtain. Rick’s eyes followed her, and as the curtain pulled back briefly he saw Sarah, the young assistant was helping her on with a bra.  He took a breath and spun around, he could not look at her, not out in public.  A minute later, the assistant, returned to him.

“What colour sir?” she asked.

“Erm, black and red,” he said, watching as she pulled out two chemises.

“Do you want me to wrap them, as a surprise?”  Rick shook his head.

“No just pop them in the basket, I’ll pay for them when she has finished.”  Folding them carefully, she put them in his basket.

“Can I help you with anything else?” she asked.

“No thank you,” he replied, and then his eyes spotted something.  “Actually,” he said, giving her a smile.  “What size would she need in one of those?”  The assistant lifted her eyes to him, and she knew one thing for certain, if he had asked her, she would have worn it for him.

“Black or red?” she asked.  Rick thought for a moment, imagining Sarah wearing it.

“Red,” he replied quickly as he felt his cock stirring in his pants at the mere thought of Sarah wearing it. The assistant moved through the rail of Basques.

“There you are Sir,” she said, pulling one out for him.

“Thank you,” he said, offering her the basket.  The assistant folded it and placed it into the basket.

“Anything else?” she asked.  He nodded.

“Stockings, black.”

Sarah came out of the cubicle with two bras in her hand.  They were expensive, and she cringed at the thought of asking Rick to loan
her a little more money, but if she did not, she would not have enough to get a couple of pairs of shorts and t-shirts as well.  She went to take the basket, but he held onto it.

“I
’ll carry it, I am paying with my card,” he said, taking the two bras off her.

“Thanks Rick,” she said, touching his arm.

“No problem,” he replied, touching her hand back.  She felt her heart tremble.  No, no, she said to herself, looking away from him, she could not allow herself to fall for him.

“Anything else?” he asked
, drawing her eyes back to his.  For a moment, she held his gaze.

“No not in here.  I need to get some shorts, and t-shirts, if that’s okay?” she asked
, giving a little nervous smile.

“Of course it is.  Do you want to get a coffee first?”  She nodded,
watching as he put the basket on the counter.  He did not want her to see how much it came too, so he turned his back on her, covering the till.

“Three
hundred and thirty five pounds please, sir,” the assistant said.  Rick slipped his gold card into the machine and quickly tapped in the pin.

“Can you take the price tags off please,” he asked, taking his card back out. 
“And put the Basque and the stockings in a separate bag,” he requested.  The assistant quickly removed all the tags, and then handed him the receipt.

“Thank you,” he said.  T
aking the bags, he slipped one bag inside the other and walked over to Sarah.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Shall I take the bag?”

“No,
it’s fine, I’ll carry it.”  They headed into a coffee shop.

“What will you have?” he asked, pulling a twenty from his wallet.

“Frappuccino please,” she replied.  “Urm, chocolate.”

“Latte and a chocolate
Frappuccino please,” he said to the young lad behind the counter.  His phone rang.  Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his phone.

“Rick Hemmingway,” he answered.  Sarah watched him, he sounded so professional
.  A little frown suddenly creased his brow.

“Well keep searching,” he said angrily.

“Seven fifty,” the young lad said, holding out his hand.

“Hang on a sec,” he pulled his mouth away from the phone.  “Sorry Sarah, do you mind?”  He passed her the twenty; Sarah took it as he wandered further inside the coffee shop.  She paid for the drinks and took his change.

“Mark I don’t care how much it costs, I want you to find her, or at least her body, do you understand.  For fucks sake I have three hotels on that island, they must have been staying at one of them, someone must know something.  Dig deeper, find out who chartered the plane, and who’s company it is, this is the biggest lead we have had in years, do not fuck it up.  Ring me when you have something to tell me.”  He hung up.  Sarah carried the tray towards him.

“Sorry about that, work stuff, can never get away totally.”

“That’s okay, where do you want to sit,” she asked and he led her to a table at the back of the shop.

She sipped the
Frapp, and sighed, she had not had one of these for weeks. 

“Are you okay?” she asked him, he looked a little stressed.  He smiled
, picking up his change of the tray and sticking it in his pocket.

“Sure, work always stresses me out, forget it.”

“So, how many kids are coming on Saturday?” she asked.

“About
thirty,” he said quickly.

“Good, I need to be
busy.”  She sipped her Frapp again, as she did her eyes lifted to him.  “Rick,” she whispered.

“Yes?”

“Thank you, for everything - I really can’t tell you how glad I am not to be dead.”  Rick shuddered at her words.  He lifted a hand and gently ran the back of his fingers down her cheek; her skin was so soft.

“So am I S
arah, it would have been an unbearable tragedy.”  She felt her body tremble again at his touch.  Stop being so nice, please, she begged to herself. 

“So, apart from toiletries, shorts and t-shirts, what else do we need to shop for?”
he asked, he could feel the beat of his heart rise as she looked at him. She pursed her lips as his dark eyes gazed at her; she wanted to kiss him so much.  Stop in Sarah, she screamed in her head do not fall for him.

“Erm, well if there is enough left I might get a mascara, and a pair of trainers.”

“Sarah, just get what you need,” he offered.

“I will pay you back,” she insisted.

“Sure,” he replied, sipping his latte.

Two hours later Rick loaded the bags into the Landrover.  She had a pair of trainers, a pair of red killer heels, brought by his instance just because he liked them, a dress, two pairs of shorts, and jeans, four t-shirts, a hoodie, a bikini, a pair of sunglasses, toiletries and some make-up.  Rick has also brought her a bottle of perfume, and hid it with her shopping.  She had spent well over her budget, and insisted that she would pay him back at fifty pounds a week until she was clear.

Rick brought himself a couple of t-shirts, some aftershave Sarah had thought smelt amazing
, new shorts, and a CD.  He also took the bag from the lingerie shop containing the Basque and the stockings and put them into his shopping.  He opened the CD case and stuck the CD in the multi-changer.  They both put on their sunglasses simultaneously, and then laughed as he opened the windows and cranked the music up, both sung along as they wound back down the country lanes.

“You know the air smells sweet here,” she remarked,
as she leant out the window.  He glanced to her; her long dark hair was lifting in the breeze and her smile shone.  Still not wearing a bra, he could not help staring at the fullness of her breasts, at the pertness of her nipples.  He swerved hitting the bank, grabbing the wheel sharply he pulled the Landrover back onto the road.

“Sorry,” he gasped.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes fine,” she said with a giggle.  “Rick, do you think we would have time to go to the beach today,” she asked, she would love to see the sea.  She had not been to the beach for ages, and she had never been to Devon.  “It’s so hot it would great to have a swim.”

“Sure, we
could grab a picnic if you like, and take it down onto the private beach.  I doubt there will be anyone else down there today.”

“We could do that?” she asked.  He nodded.

“Sure, I will sort it when we get back.”  She smiled at him, and leant back out of the window.

Rick helped her with her bags, dumped his own in his room, and then left her to go and sort out a picnic.  Sarah rummaged through her bags; this was more stuff than she had had for weeks.  She pulled off her old t-shirt and jeans, screwed them up, shoved them in a carrier bag, and stuck them in the bin.  She was glad to see the back of those.   Grabbing a boots bag, she went into the bathroom and took out the bikini wax; oh, this was going to hurt!  She did not do a full wax, as that would have to wait for a salon, just a quick tidy so she could wear the bikini.   Rummaging in another bag, she pulled out the knickers and frowned, they were not the knickers she had picked; she shook her head.  Rick!

She put on
a pair, and they felt nice and silky against her smooth skin.  She pulled out the two chemises, and smiled, he had put those in without her seeing, and he had removed the price label so she did not know how much they were.  She pulled one against herself, she had not thought about nightwear, but he obviously had and they looked expensive.

She took out some
navy shorts and a white thin-strapped t-shirt, and put them on.  She did not bother with a new bra as she was going to put her bikini on later.  Taking the labels off the trainers, she put them on and stuck her old ones in the bin.  Grabbing the bikini, she wrapped it in towel ready to take to the beach.  Then she noticed the perfume, and she smiled.  Opening the bottle she applied some to her wrists and neck, and inhaled, it was a lovely smell, she gave a chuckle, he really was naughty she had not seen him buy that either!  Going back into the bathroom, she opened the bag full of toiletries.  Taking out her new waterproof mascara, she applied it, lengthening her already long dark eyelashes.  Spraying her hair with a leave in conditioner, she smiled at her reflection.  It felt so good to be clean, and to smell nice, in fact, she thought, she looked pretty damn hot herself.

There was a knock at the door.

She opened it, to see Rick smiling at her, in his hand, he held a basket, and a rucksack hung over is back.

“Ready,” he asked.  He inhaled
her scent and swallowed as her beauty overwhelmed him.  She held up her towel.

“Certainly,” she replied.  Heading down the staircase, they walked out of the building and head
ed towards a path that led into the woodland.