“Of course, you don't need it, nobody truly needs it, but you do deserve it. I want to give it to you.”
“Oh really?” she asked. Our meal was delicious. While alone, I had been taking a stab at preparing my own meals when I didn’t want to go downstairs and have something from the tavern. I was no chef. The last two and a half decades of having meals prepared for me showed in my lack of skill in the kitchen. The chef was there to make sure my best offering tonight had been better than cold ham sandwiches. We were having duck with polenta and spring vegetables. Everything was fresh and the wine was the best choice I could have made as an accompaniment. Short of our surroundings, we could have been in a London restaurant. One of the lower-ranking ones but a restaurant all the same.
“Yes, really.”
“How would you plan on doing that?”
“Well, I'm so glad you asked.” I had put a lot of thought into this. Eddy's problems led back to one thing and that was money. Her problems, therefore, were very easy to solve since I had a lot of it and my favorite thing was spending it, especially if I could spend it on someone who deserved it. “First things first, I'll pay off the house.”
“The house?” she asked.
“Your house. The estate. I'll pay off the mortgage, so you don't have to worry about it being seized. I don’t know if your lands are intact but anything you’ve sold off, I’ll buy back. Even grow the property by buying neighboring plots if you want. That would be the first step. Second, refill it so that it's not empty anymore. I’d buy back all the furniture or buy all new furniture, whatever you feel like at the time. You can actually have those renovations you talked about.”
“You're talking about my house like it's a little Barbie Dream House that you're filling with a little plastic chairs and tables.”
“While all that is happening,” I said, undeterred, “we can stay here in Belshire or we can stay somewhere else. Whatever you prefer. I don’t have a permanent residence here in the UK outside of my family home but that can be easily taken care of; wherever you want to live. Two homes if you want. A city home and a countryside dwelling. After that is when we can really have fun. Wardrobe. Anything you want. Italian, French, American, pick your favorite designer and I'll have you in their atelier before the next weekend.”
“Niall, you sound absolutely mad. I don't need a new wardrobe of clothes, there's nothing wrong with the way I look now.”
“Of course, you don’t need it but I want to give it to you. I want to spoil you. Over the winter we can get out of here. What do you like? Southeast Asia maybe? The Caribbean? Safari in South Africa?”
“Niall, honestly.”
“Oh, of course, you'll need a new car.”
“Niall, really. Stop. This is all too much. It sounds amazing, but it's simply not realistic.”
“There's no such thing as too much Eddy. I want to give you everything. Money will not now or ever be a problem.” I stood up and pulled her up out of her chair. “I want to be part of your life. I just want to make things better, make them easier.”
“What happened to taking it slow?” she asked in a whisper.
“I'm trying to show you that what's mine is yours. I'm in it for the long haul. There’s no rush but I have to admit, taking it slow is not my forte.”
“You don't know what you're getting yourself into.”
“Dear God, I'm trying to tell you that I love you.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. I tied to search her face for what she was feeling. I wanted her to say it back because I knew it was how she felt but we were taking it slow.
For Christ’s sake, fuck taking it slow. I kissed her.
28
Edwina
I melted into him. I was so weak when it came to this. I knew that he loved me but telling me took it somewhere else. Somewhere dangerous. We went to the bedroom, tumbling over each other to the bed. He tried to cover my body with his, but I pushed him down onto the mattress.
“What are you doing?” he asked, grinning up at me.
“Just relax.” He watched me wrestle with the button on his jeans and pull them down. He sunk into the mattress when I got my lips around him. He grabbed my hair in his fist, holding me back from bobbing as fast as I wanted. “That feels so good, babe,” he said. I used a hand cupping his balls as I sucked on the head. I loved to see the way he unraveled when I did this to him. He pushed me away gently after a couple of minutes.
“No good?” I asked.
“No, it’s great but I want to fuck you.”
Our clothes came off piece by piece. The mattress wasn’t at all as uncomfortable as I thought it was. Time stopped when he slid into me. I was on top of him, grinding my hips as he hit every spot inside me. He felt so good. So stiff and long and he knew how to use it. He held my hips and returned my thrusts. I bit my lip knowing I wouldn’t last very long. He rolled us over and pinned me to the bed, sinking into me deeper than before.
I cried out because I didn’t want it to end but I wanted my release. My orgasm rattled through me and I thought I had ascended. Niall came seconds later, settling next to me on the bed and gathering me into his arms.