Intrigued and Enchanted (5 page)

“I thought we were only here for the day?” I think my heart is about to burst straight out of my chest, it’s beating so fast.

“We are Lily. Don’t worry. I said he gave me the keys for the weekend, not that we had to stay for the weekend. Although...I could be persuaded if you asked nicely.” A sinfully sexy, cocky grin on his face. Oh. My. God. I am not equipped for this. I’m a fucking virgin for crying out loud. Starting to panic slightly, I divert my attention to our beautiful surroundings and try to let my mind clear for a while.

Not long after my almost panic attack, we pull up in front of a gorgeous house, right on the beach, with a wrap-around porch and windows everywhere to take advantage of the view.

It’s a picture perfect dream house.

Brandon switches off the engine and jumps out of the car to come and open my door for me. He takes my hand, helping me out, and laces his fingers with mine, leading me past the house, down to the beach. I’m speechless when I see what is waiting for us.

There’s a beautiful white tent, like a mini marquee, set up on the sand; a table set for two with the same arrangement of roses he sent me in the centre. It’s absolutely stunning. There’s a waiter ready with a bottle of champagne on ice, waiting to serve us our lunch.

“Brandon, this is…oh my God…I’m lost for words.” Brandon pulls me towards the table and holds out my chair for me. I hear him asking the waiter if everything has been arranged as requested. He’s assured that everything will be to his liking. I figure he’s talking about the lunch and don’t give it a second thought.

Lunch is delicious. We have a wonderful seafood chowder with freshly baked bread and a wonderful, fruity champagne. The view is beyond amazing and the conversation flows easily. Dessert is my favourite, vanilla cheesecake. I wash it down with another glass of champagne and I think the bubbles are starting to go to my head a little. Mental note, keep the drinking under control, I need to keep my wits about me.

“How did you know that vanilla cheesecake is my favourite?”

“I have my ways Miss Pritchard.” Raising his eyebrows, a wicked grin touching the corners of his mouth.

“What else do you know about me?”

“Definitely not enough Lily, I want to know everything about you.” Wow.

“You don’t want to unleash the crazy mister. There’s no putting it back in!” The sexy look he’s giving me right now is
really
turning me on.

“Trust me when I say this Lily, I will take
anything
you want to unleash on me. I welcome it actually.” I’m nervous and excited as butterflies take flight in my belly.

How can he make anything sound dirty? And hot?

“Would you like to take a walk along the beach with me Lily? We can stretch our legs and walk off our lunch?”

“Yes, I’d like that.”

I can’t take my eyes off him. He stands from the table and holds his hand out to me. As I take it, the now familiar buzz returns and I relish the feel of his skin against mine. We leave our shoes behind and walk along the waterfront, taking in the view, listening to the waves.

Brandon points out some of the nice restaurants and tells me some funny stories about his antics with Simon when they’ve spent time up here. It’s lovely to hear him talking about his friends, he doesn’t seem so intimidating - not so much the business mogul, just a really beautiful man, young, and fun to be around.

He takes me to a secluded cove that is overwhelmingly breath-taking. I just stand letting the waves splash my feet, closing my eyes and soaking up the sun. It is so peaceful here, I feel truly content standing, holding Brandon’s hand and taking in my surroundings, not feeling the need to fill the silence with conversation. It’s like being back in our own little bubble.

“This place is stunning Brandon. Thank you for bringing me here. The view is exquisite.”

He pulls me round to face him, lets go of my hands, and brings them up to cup my face.

“You’re right Lily, the view from where I’m standing is truly exquisite.”

He leans in close to me, searching my eyes for permission. I can feel his breath on my lips and I can’t take my eyes off him. My eyes flash down to his lips and back up to his eyes. I bite my bottom lip, wetting it and trying to control the storm raging in my chest. My breath is shallow and getting faster by the second. He takes me wetting my lips as a sign of consent and closes the remaining distance between us.

When his lips meet mine it is an incredible feeling. I feel like my soul is trying to break free and fly out my chest. His kiss is gentle but firm, his lips soft and full. As he slowly kisses me, he runs his tongue over my bottom lip, seeking entry. As I part my lips, he darts his tongue in to meet mine.

There’s an explosion of sensation coursing through my entire body. The butterflies are back, and swarming in my stomach, an ache developing lower forcing me to clench my muscles to curb the desire I feel. His tongue tangles with mine, stroking it, exploring my mouth with his expert touch. His hands moving into my hair, holding my head in place as he deepens the kiss, sending shivers down my spine.

I start to move my hands up and down his back, exploring his strong muscles under my fingertips, pulling him closer to me so our bodies are flush from chest to hip. As my breasts press against his chest I can feel him harden against me, his kiss becoming more urgent. I have never felt this way before from a kiss, he tastes so sweet, I want more, no matter how close he is to me it isn’t enough.

As our tongues dance together, my hands start to roam down his back to. When I feel his firm, sculpted, perfect ass in my hands, Brandon breaks the kiss.

“Sweetheart, you need to keep those little hands of yours in check. I’m sure you can feel that I’m struggling with my control already.” He says pressing his hard-on against me.

“If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to take you right here in this cove and I won’t be able to stop myself once I've started.” My breath is laboured, like I’ve just run a marathon. My lips are swollen from the passion of our kiss, and my cheeks are flushed with arousal.

“You’re right. We should get back.” I remove Brandon’s hands from my face and turn to walk back to the house.

I feel strange - I feel embarrassed that he stopped kissing me because I grabbed his ass. Why did I do that? The first time we kiss and I grab his ass like a horny teenager. I feel like a horny teenager, but that’s beside the point. I don’t realise while I’m mentally berating myself that I’ve picked up the pace and am almost running back in the direction we came. A strong hand wraps around my arm and spins me round, stopping me in my tracks.

“What’s wrong Lily? Why are you running away from me? What did I do wrong?” I can’t even look at him.

“I’m so sorry Brandon.” I whisper; my embarrassment choking me from the inside.

“I shouldn’t have grabbed your ass like that. It was just a kiss. I’m such an idiot.” Brandon puts his finger under my chin and lifts my head until I’m staring into his ice blue eyes that are filled with warmth and tenderness.

“Lily, don’t ever apologise for grabbing my ass. If that was just a kiss I don’t think we experienced the same thing back there. That was not just a kiss, not for me. Didn’t you feel it Lily? Tell me you felt it too?” His eyes are searching mine, he looks…worried?

“I felt it Brandon. I feel it every time you touch me. Every time you’re near me.” He gives me the softest, sweetest kiss and pulls me into his arms. I snuggle against his chest for a moment before he pulls me back, his face serious.

“No more running away from me Lily. Promise me.” I nod.

“Say the words Lily.”

“I promise Brandon. No more running away.” I barely manage a whisper.

He feels the same? We make our way back to the beach house in companionable silence, our fingers intertwined.

When we arrive back at the beach house the table where we had lunch is gone. Brandon pulls me over to the tent I saw earlier, the front drapes swept back to reveal the most romantic setting. There are two daybeds set up with loads of plush cushions, there’s a table with lots of books to choose from, a selection of sunglasses and as I look around I see a rail of swimwear and sun dresses in the corner.

“I thought you might like to relax and read for a while, or we can lie out in the sun. I took the liberty of arranging some swimwear and outfits for you to choose from in case you wanted a dip in the sea, or the house has a pool if you prefer. Obviously, you don’t need to change if you don’t want to. You look fantastic.”

“This is amazing Brandon. Thank you for being so thoughtful. It would be great to get changed and go for a swim, I am feeling pretty warm in my jeans actually.”

I pick out a bikini and a sundress and Brandon takes me up to the house to get changed. The house is spectacular. So open and airy, the décor perfectly complimenting the sea view. Brandon shows me to the master bathroom and leaves me to get changed.

Wow. This room is awesome. There’s a sunken bathtub big enough for at least 4 adults, and a walk in shower that is like a room in itself. I’m definitely trying that out before we go home later.

I quickly change into the bikini I picked - a simple white one. It doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I’m feeling pretty self-conscious taking in the sight of myself in the mirror. The bikini is the perfect fit…of course. How does he do that? I just wish there was more of it! I cover up with a pretty white sundress, floaty and lacy, and head out to see Brandon.

When I enter the tent, Brandon is nowhere to be seen. I turn around when I hear him shouting my name. I can see him swimming in the sea. I give him a small wave and he starts making his way back to shore. When he stands up in the water, I think my brain goes into meltdown at the sight of him. If this was a movie, everything would be in slow motion right now.

His black hair dripping wet, water running down his toned body, wearing nothing but low slung blue board shorts, showing that phenomenal V and his happy trail disappearing below his shorts. Perfection. There should be a new word for how good he looks.

“You look gorgeous Lily.” His ice-blue eyes, rake up and down the length of my body, drinking me in, my body heating under his gaze. There is almost a look of wonder on his face as he stares at me. I visibly see him shake it off and compose himself before he continues.

“Do you want to come for a swim or would you like to read for a while?”

“A swim sounds like fun.” I walk into the tent and remove my dress, leaving it on the daybed. I pick a pair of oversized sunglasses and head out, trying to hide my insecurity behind a smile.

“Wow. Lily. You have an amazing body baby, just flawless.” I quickly make my way into the water splashing Brandon as I go, eager to move away from any further conversation about my body.

We have a great time, laughing, playing, swimming and just goofing around in the water for at least an hour. After that we spend the rest of the afternoon chilling, switching between reading in the tent (Brandon has all the literary classics waiting for me), and lying out on the sand chatting. So relaxing, and a lot of fun. This is by far the best first date ever.

Sitting reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Brandon tips my book down to tell me he’s going to make dinner for us tonight. I offer to help, but he tells me to enjoy reading, and just to come in when I feel like it.

I stay outside for another half hour maybe before I head into the house to get cleaned up for dinner. I choose a different sundress for dinner, purple and strappy, showing my curves nicely. I tie my hair up into a messy bun letting some of the curls fall down, and apply a small amount of make-up that I brought in my handbag. I have definitely caught some sun today and it suits me.

7

I follow the delicious smells down the hallway to the top of the range kitchen. The house really is gorgeous, with a large open plan living area and a full wall of windows showcasing the view to perfection. Brandon’s standing in the kitchen area, his back to me. I take the opportunity to study him.

He’s changed into a crisp white tailored shirt, sleeves rolled up, classic blue jeans hugging his firm ass, and he’s barefoot. It’s such a sexy look on him, I could stand here for hours looking at him.

“Like what you see Miss Pritchard?” I didn’t think he knew I was here. Damn.

“Yes actually, this kitchen is really awesome, I was just admiring it.” Brandon turns to face me, a smirk pulling at the corners of his attractive lips.

There are a few buttons open at the top of his shirt, showing just a hint of black chest hair. Oh Lord help me. That is hot. He stalks towards me, his bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floors. He circles his arms around my waist and nuzzles at my neck, nipping and biting me softly.

“You look edible in this dress Lily. I’m starving. What about you?” See what I mean, everything has a double meaning with this man.

“Yes, I’m starving.” My breath falters as he continues his sensual assault on my neck, up towards my ear. I can feel myself starting to panic. He’s obviously experienced and I don’t want to be a disappointment to him.

“What are you cooking for me Mr Redgrave?” He stops kissing me, and takes a moment to just breathe in my scent. Chanel Chance. I’m sure he can sense my discomfort because he pulls away from me and goes back to cooking the dinner.

“I’m making you a tagliatelle carbonara. Is that ok?”

“That sounds delicious. It smells amazing. Can I help with anything?”

“I‘ve got the table set up over there by the windows. If you could grab a bottle of Prosecco from the fridge and take it over I’ll plate this up and be with you in a minute. Thanks sweetheart.”

I do as he asks. The table is lovely, set with loads of floating candles in a crystal dish in the centre. As I look outside I notice there are glass lanterns set up all over the porch creating the most romantic mood. Brandon arrives with our dinner and pours us each a glass of Prosecco.

“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble Brandon. This is stunning. The meal, the setting, the company. I feel really spoiled today.”