Stranger at the beach house (22 page)

My
body was on fire for him and from the length pressing heavily against my
stomach I knew he was feeling the same way. “Christ, Rose, we’re in the middle
of a fucking dinner party,” he panted, pulling away, straightening the hem of
my dress as I swallowed hard. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through tonight,”
he smiled, possessing my mouth and fisting his hands through my hair as the
door opened to reveal a stunned Sarah, gaping open mouthed and looking utterly
crestfallen as we looked up.

“Err
sorry, I just came to tell you dinner is ready,” she stuttered.

 
“Rose and I will be out in a second,” he said
calmly and from the look on her face it was clear that I wasn’t the only one
behaving out of character this evening. “This is going to be torture, Baby, and
I can’t believe you’re wearing fucking stockings,” he said, shaking his head
and trying to conceal his huge erection as my stomach fluttered. I had one more
thing to say before we joined everyone else.

“Just
be mindful how unusual all this is for me, Sam. Any more abandoning me for the
ex’s tonight and I ‘
ll
be inviting Daniel Bowman for
brunch tomorrow, understood?” I said firmly as he nodded and I was sure he was
trying to suppress a grin.

The
other guests were only just beginning to file through into the beautiful dining
room as we made our way down the hall to join them and I gasped as I walked in,
turning to find Sophia smiling behind me. “Your home is exquisite,” I said and
it truly was. The soft duck egg walls and traditional features were mixed with
clean fresh fabrics which glimmered under dozens and dozens of twinkling
candles.

The
table was set with name cards to mark the places as Sam scanned them, turning
to our host and grabbing my hand. “Where do you want us
Soph
?”
he asked. I could see Sam’s name next to Sarah’s but not my own.

 
“I put you two there,” she pointed to the seat
in front and the one next to it that the model was already occupying, a smug
smile etched on her face. “It looks like the caterers have messed up the place
settings,” Sophia laughed, glancing wryly at Sam.

“Sarah,
Darling, would you mind sitting next to Lucas?” she smiled.

 
“Of course not,” Sarah purred, rising
reluctantly from her prime position next to Sam, the polite smile that was
glued to her face, failing to conceal her annoyance. There was only one person
who had altered the seating plan and we all knew it.

Sam
smiled and held the chair out for me, kissing my head as I sat. “I couldn’t
bear to be that far away all night, Baby,” he whispered as he took his seat
next to me. Good, I smiled inwardly. It seemed he had learnt his lesson. As
everyone sat down, the waiters poured each of us a fresh glass of champagne.
Not lifting a finger seemed to be Sophia’s preferred hosting style and I had to
admit, I admired it. It was certainly a lot more fun than sweating your make-up
off in the kitchen, wondering whether the soufflé would rise.

 
“Cheers everyone,” said Robert raising his
glass as we all joined him. “I think we all know each other pretty well, but
I’m not sure we’ve all had the pleasure of being introduced to Rose yet. Would
you do the honours, Sam?” our host grinned broadly as Sam put his arm around
me, smiling.

 
“Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Rose”.
 
I couldn’t help but notice the raised
eyebrows and small gasps from around the table as he rolled his velvet tongue
over the last word, finishing the sentence with his devastating killer smile.
Harry, Carla and Sophia were grinning while he seemed to have shocked everyone
else into silence. Jesus, had he really
never
had an actual girlfriend. “Rose, you’ve met Sophia and this is Robert,” he said
raising his glass. “As you’ve probably established from their wonderful home
and gracious hospitality, they do pretty well in the advertising game,” he
chuckled.

“Alex
and Morgan,” he gestured to the young, beautifully turned out couple who had
their arms around each other, clearly in love. “They work with Harry,” he said
as he turned to grin at his friend. “This is Rupert, a bloody computer genius
who floated his internet Casino business last year and now does who knows what
with his time,” he smiled, as everyone including Rupert burst into laughter.

“I’m
working on a new project, Sam,” he grinned broadly. “It just so happens that I
do most of my work on a Caribbean beach. God bless Wi-Fi,” Rupert laughed,
raising his glass. It would certainly explain the tan and natural highlights in
his dark blonde hair, hanging long and loose around his face. He looked like he
enjoyed the surf, younger and entirely less well groomed than the rest of the
party as I smiled back at him.

“This
is Sarah, she’s a fashion model,” he said swiftly as she plastered on a huge
fake smile, “and Lucas, who you’ve already met,” he said firmly, his smile
fading as his nemesis raised his glass to me, grinning and winking. Lucas had
definitely known what I was up to earlier and I couldn’t help but giggle back
at him. Sam firmly squeezed my knee underneath the table. Ouch, shit.

“Harry
you know very well, Sweetheart, and Carla you’ve met,” he said as I followed
his gaze around the table. “This is Cheryl, she also works in finance,” he
said. As I met her gaze, I noticed there was something not quite right with her
outwardly polite mask and my feminine intuition kicked into full gear, my
stomach lurched and I knew immediately that he had screwed her too.

“Patrick
and Zane,” he continued as the flamboyant pair grinned and waved at me in
unison as I giggled, “and last but by no means least, this is Candice”. I
smiled at the girl sat to my left with soft brown curls and kind eyes. She
smiled warmly back at me and I relaxed. At least she didn’t appear to have
fucked my boyfriend. “Candice works in publishing,” he smiled at her and then
at me, moving in to kiss my cheek gently as the thrum of chatter started up
again around the table.

 
I leaned into him.
“Cheryl as
well?”
I whispered. “I wouldn’t have come if I’d known you’d had your
dick inside half the fucking table”. He frowned as he turned an angry glance to
Sophia. From the apologetic smile she threw back, it seemed that she had
guessed my issue.

 
“They’re my friends, Sweetheart,” he whispered
back, stroking my hair reassuringly as the volume of the chatter around us rose
and the waiters entered with the first course.
Oysters.
Sam turned to me smiling, raising his eyebrows suggestively as he eyed up the
silver feast, set simply on a bed of ice. I turned away. Recent revelations had
definitely dampened my libido and it was probably just as well. But he wasn’t
letting me off the hook that easily, sliding his hand underneath the table
cloth and large cotton napkin to run his strong hands over the tops of my
stockings. Ignoring this would require a herculean effort I thought, taking a
deep breath and turning to Candice for distraction.

“So
you work in publishing Candice. Do you know Lizzie Scott?” I asked.

“Yes,
I know her really well. She’s great. Her clients love her. Are you a friend of
hers, Rose?” she chirped as I smiled broadly, happy to engage in a conversation
that didn’t revolve around me and Sam.

“We
grew up together and moved down here at the same time for University and
stayed. We lived together for a while before she got married. We don’t get out
as much now because of baby
Alfie
, but she’s great
fun. We used to be joined at the hip,” I laughed.

“That’s
where I recognise you from,” Cheryl piped up. “Don’t you remember Candice? I
knew I’d seen you before, but I couldn’t place you. You were at the spring
publishing ball with Lizzie and Daniel Bowman”. Shit, I didn’t like where this
was going and neither would Sam.

 
“I don’t remember but I was pretty drunk that
night,” said Candice brightly, clearly oblivious to the implications her friend
was making.
 

“It
was
you with Daniel, wasn’t it?” Cheryl
persisted as I put my hand over Sam’s and squeezed it tightly. He could take
control of this conversation and end it before it started I thought, but he
ignored my pleas and continued to rabbit on to Morgan and Robert about the
strength of the Yen. I noticed Sarah had ended her conversation with Lucas and
was smirking at Cheryl, revelling in my humiliation and unable to resist the
opportunity to twist the knife. I couldn’t stall any longer.

 
“Yes, but I don’t remember meeting you Cheryl,
I’m sorry,” I said, squeezing Sam’s hand harder.
Nothing.

 
“God girl, you are doing well in the
hottie
stakes,” laughed Zane as Patrick smacked his arm
playfully. I was really not enjoying the way this conversation was playing out.
With my own friends I’d have simply told them to shut up, but I could hardly do
that here. I was new to the group and this was Sam’s night, so I had no choice
but to remain polite and calm.

“So
you dated Daniel Bowman?” purred Sarah, gloating at my discomfort and eyeing
Sam carefully as he turned a cool glance towards her and then Cheryl.

“Yes
ladies she did. But she is now with me,” he said firmly, lifting my hand above
the table to kiss it and returning to his conversation about foreign markets.
Cheryl and Sarah were exchanging looks and raised eyebrows as Candice glanced
at me apologetically. It was Lucas who eventually came to my social rescue.

 
“So do you work in publishing too, Rose?” he
asked kindly.

 
“No, I’m sort of between jobs at the moment,”
I smiled, my face flushing.

 
I had never been out of work in my adult life
and it still felt uncomfortable to say it. Sarah smirked. “I don’t suppose you
need to worry when your boyfriends that rich,” she spat, as Sam turned from his
own conversation to throw her another icy glare. He needn’t have bothered I
thought, this one I could handle on my own.

“Actually,
I’ve been in pharmaceuticals for the last eight years, I’ve just been made
redundant,” I stated calmly, managing a fake smile for the benefit of the rest
of the guests.

“I’ve
got some contacts in Biotech. I could put a word in for you if you like,” Lucas
smiled as I smiled back at him.

“That’s
really kind of you, but I’m taking some time to re-evaluate things. I’d really
like to do something I love for a living in the future,” I smiled back, not
ignorant of the fact that Sam’s hand had returned to my thigh. Would he do this
every time I spoke to Lucas? Maybe I should test the theory.

“There’s
no rush to get back to work. Besides, you’re on my payroll at the moment aren’t
you, Sweetheart,” Sam smiled, rejoining the conversation as I turned to him,
wide eyed and swallowing an oyster.

 
“Oh yeah, he told me what a great job you did
updating his wardrobe today,” Harry laughed as Sarah and Cheryl looked on
aghast.

 
“Meet my new, favourite personal shopper,” Sam
grinned, putting his arm around my shoulders and I couldn’t help but giggle.

 
“I wondered where the trademark black Armani
had gone. That would explain it. You’re a lucky girl, Rose. Me and Zane would
love to style him,” Patrick said as he smiled at his partner and then at me.
“He’s never let us though, maybe you can persuade him,” Zane laughed, raising
his eyebrows at me as I looked at Sam.

“You
pair haven’t got a hope in hell of that happening,” Sam laughed before turning
to me. “They’ve been trying to get me and Harry to feature in their annual
Charity Calendar for years now, Rose. I don’t know about him,” he nodded
towards Harry, “but I’m not parading in a cowboy hat and leopard skin thong,
smothered in oil for anyone,” he grimaced as Harry shook his head laughing.

“So
what would you do with him for his calendar shot, Rose?” Patrick laughed.
Taking another oyster I turned to look at Sam, raking my gaze slowly up and
down his entire body and grinning broadly.

 
“I know exactly what I’d do,” I stated firmly,
turning to the two eager faces anticipating my response. “Lose
everything....except the oil”, I said smiling as their jaws dropped open. Sam
grabbed my face, kissing me hard on the lips as everyone looked on slightly
shocked.

“You,
my Darling, wouldn’t have to ask twice,” he grinned as he pulled away, secretly
running his hand further up my thighs.

“Jesus,”
chirped Carla “
get
a room,” and I flushed, smiling
inwardly as I noticed that Cheryl and Sarah suddenly looked like they’d been
sucking lemons.

 
“Having a girlfriend suits him doesn’t it?”
laughed Harry, glancing around the gobsmacked faces.

 
“It sure does,” smiled Sophia from the other
end of the table.

 
“Yes,”
quipped
Carla
who was clearly in teasing mode. “There’s certainly a lot less of this...” and
the table broke into laughter as the pretty redhead pulled a dramatic frown and
disturbingly accurate impression of a very serious looking Sam as he raised his
eyebrows at her in mock offence. “You seem really happy, Sam. I swear, it’s
like you’ve had a lobotomy or something,” she laughed.