31 Days of Winter (21 page)

‘O yes, I gave you the idea didn’t I? I want a
mention in the acknowledgements, and a signed personalised first edition for
when you’re rich and famous and I can sell it and buy myself my own Pied-à-Terre.’

‘If I was that rich and famous I’d buy you a house,
Brooke.’

‘Ah babe, you’re so sweet. So what’s your plan for
the rest of the night?’

‘Well this wine’s going down rather well, so I’m
thinking hammered dance and karaoke party, then bed to masturbate.’

‘Let’s karaoke together,’ she squealed with a clap
of her hands.

‘How much have you had?’ I asked as I looked at
her.

‘Bottle and a half slacker, neck some down and
I’ll pick the first tune.’

I collapsed on the sofa an hour later with a
hoarse throat and sore feet from dancing around as we belted out some of our
favourites together, and we had a tearful goodbye with a promise to do it again
at the next opportunity. I lay there with the room spinning and watched the
fire dying. I’d managed to keep it going with a few hefty logs, but figured
fire and copious amounts of alcohol didn’t mix well so hadn’t touched it since.
I squinted at my watch to see it was half past twelve and unsteadily stood up
giggling and saw the lights in the boathouse were still on. I made my way over
to the kitchen and drunk dialled him.

‘What’s wrong?’ he answered immediately.

‘It’s a new day, Mister. … Mister …. I don’t even know
your last name,
Mr. Dan,
’ I giggled. ‘New day, new question.’

‘Ellie, are you drunk?’ he asked sternly.

‘Damn, you sound
so
sexy on the phone,’ I
slurred. ‘I have a question for you.’

‘How much have you had, Ellie?’

‘About two bottles of wine.’

‘That’s a bottle and a half too many.’ I could
hear the annoyance in his voice.

‘Ooooo, are you going to “
Miss Baxter
” me,
Dan? Tell me off for being a naughty girl?’

‘I’m worried about you falling over and hurting
yourself, or choking in your sleep.’

‘You’re worried about me?’

‘Always,’ he sighed.

‘All part of the service?’

‘Of course.’

‘When you said that you hadn’t had sex for three
years, had you kissed anyone? Proper kissing,
amazing
kissing, like when
you kissed me?’

‘No, no kissing, let alone amazing kissing.’

‘Thank you, Mr. … Complex.
That’s
your
name, Dan
Complex
. You’re an enema.’

‘An enema?’ he chuckled. ‘I think you mean an
enigma, at least I hope so.’

‘Enigema, that’s what you are, Mr. Complex. A
riddle to be solved. I’m going to Poirot your sexy arse if it kills me.’

‘Ellie, you sound very drunk.’

‘Hmmm,’ I sighed as I slouched over the island,
suddenly very tired.

‘I’m coming over. Make sure the key’s out of the
door.’

I heard the phone click and just let it rest in my
hand as I stared at it. Damn it, he was coming over when I was drunk and unsexy?
Why had I rung him?
I remembered hearing the door open and feeling a
hand stroking my hair, then I heard him sigh my name as I blacked out.

Ellie

I woke up in bed, the room
was still slightly spinning and I wondered how the hell I’d made it up here.
The last I remembered was collapsing face down on the kitchen island. I put my
hands over my eyes and suddenly sat up, ignoring the tumbling of spanners in my
head and groaned as I remembered I’d drunk dialled him. Damn it, what had I
done? What had I said?

‘You’re finally awake,’ came his deep voice.

‘O shit,’ I groaned and opened my fingers and
looked around to find him sitting on top of the duvet next to me, leaning back
against the headboard with a cup of coffee in his hand. I suddenly looked down
and realised I had no top on and was braless, and quickly grabbed the duvet and
covered up my chest.

‘Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything. I just
thought you’d sleep better without it on,’ he shrugged as he looked at me. I
reached down under the duvet and sighed with relief to find my knickers were
still in place. ‘You think I’d take advantage while you’re unconscious?’

‘I’d like to think not, but I don’t know you very
well, now do I?’

‘You know me better than most people. You need
something to eat.’

‘No thanks,’ I replied with a shake of my head,
then groaned and clutched it again with one hand as the other still gripped the
duvet covering my bare breasts.

‘You emptied your stomach last night, a couple of
times, you need to eat something,’ he sighed as he rose with an unexpected
elegance from the bed. I noticed he was barefoot, wearing his jeans and a cream
fitted long sleeve t-shirt which clung to his body. Hung-over or not, I didn’t
need any recovery time to react favourably to that.

‘I was sick?’

‘Yes.’

‘Not in the bed?’

‘No.’

‘O God, not on you?’

‘Nearly. I carried you to the toilet and held your
hair back while you cried, waited until you finished, then I undressed you and
carried you to bed.’

‘O God, I’m
so
sorry. That’s way beyond
your job description.’

‘I wasn’t doing my job. I care about you, and you
could have choked to death on your own vomit if I hadn’t been here. Less to
drink in future, please. You need a cold shower to wake you up.’

‘No way,’ I shook my head again and slapped my
forehead as he marched around to my side of the bed.

‘Yes way. Get up and get in there, or I’ll carry
you myself.’

‘Yeah, like you’d dare. I’m half naked under here
and I …’ I screamed as he yanked the duvet back and swung me up into his arms
and carried me to the bathroom as I kicked my legs and slapped his chest with
my hands. I was only wearing a tiny pair of knickers and he was handling me
like a bloody cave man. As my stomach rolled again I slapped one of my palms
over my mouth and thanked God he hadn’t tossed me over his shoulder this time.

‘Nice locket,’ he smiled as his eyes dropped down
to my bare chest, but I couldn’t answer other than to give him a glare. ‘Shower,’
he ordered as he dropped me in it, propping me up in the corner of the tiled
area. He stepped back and turned it on full blast, freezing cold full blast that
I couldn’t escape from, and I screamed as he marched out. I had to walk through
the full downpour of arctic water to get to the dials and turn them to warm,
and shivered as I came back to life. He was right though, it
had
woken
me up properly and made me feel a bit more human, but I was as confused as
ever. He’d looked after me all night, when he didn’t have to, and he hadn’t made
me feel as if he were trying to touch me up by carrying me in here half naked. He
was going to drive me insane. I stepped out, dried off and pulled on some fresh
underwear, my jeans and a jumper. I tied up my squeeze dried hair into a pony
tail and stepped out of the bathroom to the smell of bacon sizzling and headed
downstairs.

‘You’re cooking?’

‘I can do breakfasts, that’s about the extent of
my culinary prowess.’

‘Don’t forget your sandwiches and soup and the
ping meals.’

‘Ping meals?’ he asked as he looked at me
confused.

‘Ready meals that ping in the microwave,’ I smiled.

‘Sit,’ he ordered, gesturing to the island with
the spatula. I gulped as I pictured the last time we’d been at this island,
when he’d been eating me. ‘Feeling better?’

‘O, ermmm yes, a little. Though I don’t appreciate
the way you did it,’ I scowled as I sat facing his back as he stood at the hob.

‘I don’t care, as long as it worked. It’s a
beautiful day and you’re going to come for a walk with me in the snow to clear
the cobwebs, and see the amazing view from the top of the hill behind us.’

‘But it’s nearly lunch time, don’t you have to go
out?’

‘I can’t. The loch’s freezing up and my boat’s not
equipped to deal with that.’

‘What if there was an emergency?’

‘I’d call the air ambulance, or Pete, Pete the pub
as he’s affectionately known by the locals, has a boat that can cut through the
ice. Here, eat.’ He turned and handed me a plate of sausage, bacon, eggs, and
some buttered toast.

‘I’m not sure,’ I sighed as I looked at it and my
stomach churned.

‘It will do you good. Trust me.’

‘You speak from experience?’

‘That’s another personal question, and you’ve had
yours for today.’

‘Responding to my question as to whether you were
going out in inclement weather is hardly revealing something personal,’ I sighed
with a roll of my eyes as he leaned back on the counter and watched me, with a
smile on his face.

‘No, but the one you asked me last night when you
rang me was.’

‘O shit. That wasn’t a dream? I really rang you while
I was drunk?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you answered a personal question?’

‘Yes.’

‘What was it?’

‘No deal. Not my fault you can’t remember the
question or answer. Eat.’

‘Aren’t you having any?’

‘I will once you start.’

‘Then I better start.’ I tentatively put some
bacon in my mouth and nodded as I chewed  and realised it tasted good and I was
ok. He smiled and turned around and starting plating up his own.

‘It’s good,’ he nodded as he turned to see me
clearing my plate.

‘Yes,’ I mumbled through a mouthful. ‘O my God,
you have nearly a whole pack of bacon and sausage on there,’ I exclaimed as I
looked at his plate.

‘I’m a big boy. I have big things to fill,’ he
shrugged with a faint smile.

‘You’re very chilled today,’ I observed. This was
the Dan I really liked, the playful mischievous Dan. I also liked the holding
my hair back while I puked, undressing me, putting me to bed and watching over
me Dan. Not to mention the kissing me, multiple orgasm giving Dan. He wasn’t a
lost cause yet.

‘Am I not normally chilled?’ he asked as he tucked
in.

‘No,’ I laughed. ‘Some days you could be related
to Captain Cranky.’

‘Your boss?’ he looked up at me slightly offended.

‘Well, you could. You can go all snappy and then
you turn off your human side. I like this version of you better.’

‘I turn off my human side?’ he repeated with a
frown on his face.

‘Sorry, a bit extreme, but yes. Sometimes you seem
so alive and full of happiness and then suddenly it’s like you have the weight
of the world on your shoulders, not that they’re not broad enough shoulders to
bear the weight, but you’re more fun to be around like this.’

‘Then I’ll try harder. Just for you, Miss Baxter.’
This time he gave me a sarcastic smile and we both laughed. ‘Thank you for my
dinner last night. It was very good.’

‘You ate that in one sitting as well didn’t you?’
I asked as I got up and grabbed my plate and headed over to the sink.

‘Yes.’

‘Then I really hope I purchased enough food to see
us through until we can get out, what if we run out altogether?’

‘I’d just eat you,’ he replied and I dropped my
plate with a clatter into the sink at the sexual innuendo. ‘You seem nervous
this morning.’

‘No, just a little out of sorts,’ I advised as I
rinsed my plate with trembling fingers and put it in the dishwasher.

‘Are you up for a walk?’

‘I can give it a try. I’d like to charge up my
iPad first so I can take some pictures.’

‘I’ll go and get some more walk appropriate
clothes on and come back for you in an hour. Dress warmly.’ He stood up, headed
to the door and left.

I looked at his empty plate and coffee mug just
sitting on the island, what did he think I was? Some personal assistant,
someone to cook most of the meals and clear up after him? I set the dishwasher
on and grabbed myself a well overdue coffee and went upstairs, put the iPad on
charge then got changed. I put my thermals on under my outfit and some thick
socks, then went over to my laptop and made a list to go through with Dan of
what I thought the owner needed to sort, to make this place even more perfect
for guests. I printed it out, left it on the side and headed downstairs with my
iPad and boots when I heard him knock. I gestured for him to come in as I sat
on the bottom step and laced up my boots. He stood on the inside mat waiting
for me, holding his ski jacket for me again.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ I nodded as I stood up and walked over.

‘Turn around,’ he ordered as he held the coat out.

‘No hair sniffing please, that got you in a whole
world of trouble last time.’

‘But you smell so good,’ he smiled before I
turned.

‘Of what?’

‘Ellie,’ he replied as he pulled it on for me,
careful not to stand as close this time.

‘And that’s a good smell?’ I asked as I zipped it
up.

‘It is to me.’

‘Well you smell good, too.’

‘Of what?’

‘Laundry, spice, wood smoke and s ….’ I cut myself
off as the word “sex” was about to roll off my tongue. ‘Dan,’ I shrugged as I
turned around feeling myself go a bit pink.

‘S … Dan?’ He arched an eyebrow as he looked down
at me.

‘I thought I’d start calling you Stan, it’s
appropriate for your old grumpy side.’

‘So if you call me Stan, it’s my cue to lighten
up?’

‘Yes. Let’s go. I’m too hot wearing all this in
here.’

‘You’d be hot anywhere,’ he replied as he put a
hand in the small of my back and ushered me out.
Wow, what a difference a
day really makes
, I thought. He indicated for us to walk to the right of
the house, following the trail I’d been running until it became too cold and
treacherous.

‘Wow, it’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen such a
stunning view,’ I sighed as I looked out over the half frozen water.

‘Me neither,’ he replied in almost a whisper, and
when I looked up at him he was looking at me again, then quickly looked away.
‘You’ll be even more amazed with the view at the top,’ he added as he walked
ahead. I smiled, he was really attracted to me, maybe as much as I was to him.

‘You’ll have to slow down, you have really long
legs,’ I huffed as I ran to catch up with him.

‘Would you like me to carry you, Miss Baxter?’

‘All part of the service?’ I giggled.

‘Of course.’

‘No thank you, I think I need the exercise to wear
off all that alcohol.’

‘Do you normally drink alone?’ he asked as he
slowed his pace to mine.

‘I wasn’t alone.’

‘I’m sorry, what?’ he turned to look at me with a shocked
frown.

‘Facetime,’ I advised. ‘With my best friend,
Brooke.’

‘All night until you rang me?’ he asked, amazement
laced through his voice.

‘Most of it, yes.’

‘What do women talk about for that long?’

‘All sorts. We talked about her latest conquest, then
sex, how I was getting on up here and about y … we had a karaoke party for the
last part of the evening. That’s the last I remember.’ I wasn’t about to say
we’d spent an hour discussing him.

‘You sing?’

‘No,’ I laughed. ‘I try, it’s fun. You don’t do
karaoke?’

‘No,’ he replied looking at me horrified.

‘So what do you do for fun?’

‘Keeping fit.’ He guided me to the right, up a
steep incline through a gap in the trees.

‘That’s not fun, that’s work.’

‘Not for me, I enjoy it. So Brooke has conquests
rather than relationships?’

‘She likes a certain amount of freedom, she’s not
ready to settle down.’

‘But you are?’

‘I was engaged to be married and planning on kids,
what do you think?’

‘That you’re ready, you just haven’t met the right
man. So Brooke and her conquests, tell me more.’

‘Why are you so interested in Brooke?’ I enquired,
surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy.

‘I like hearing you talk, and your face lights up
when you talk about her.’

‘It does,’ I panted as we carried on upwards.

‘Yes, your dimples come out. So Brooke has lots of
partners?’

‘Yes, she’s always been more adventurous than me,
plus she’s bi, so she has a bigger pool of opportunity to pick from.’