Tripping on Love (19 page)

I was lost in a daydream of a long luscious walk along the Dublin countryside with Edward and a Jack Russell we'd rescued along the way, when he strode swiftly back to the booth and sat himself down. He smiled and waved a flight ticket in my face. 

'There you go' he said
, handing me the paper triumphantly. 'One Dublin bound flight ticket for you. I've also rang the hotel and made another reservation for a room as I wasn’t sure if you'd prefer your own privacy' he said delicately. 

Picking up the ticket, I noticed he had booked me into business class. I stifled an excited giggle.
 

'Thank you for arranging for the flight' I said appreciatively leaning forward and kissing him on the lips.

His arrangement for the hotel was still hanging between us. I lowered my eyes, avoiding his stare. Would he be comfortable with my reassurance that I didn’t need my own privacy? I wanted nothing more than to hop into his bed with him, but I had learnt that being too open wasn't always the best policy. Perhaps it was best to take things slow.

'About the room, that’s very gentlemanly of you' I said
, slowly looking at him. 'Except I'm happy to share a room if you'd like?' The words had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. 

I bit my tongue. I could not be trusted to say another sentence. I inwardly groaned; face flushing with heat and mortification. A small voice in my head telepathically pleading with Edward not to reject my unabashedness.
 

I looked up. Edward was smirking at me.

 'I’m happy to share too. I’ll cancel the other room' and he pulled out his phone and immediately called the hotel in front of me, his lustful gaze never leaving mine. 

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

The flight was short and smooth. As soon as we had boarded the small plane, I was overtaken by fear of suffering from a bout of travel sickness. I had spent many a flight a puce shade of green, head bowed low between my legs. I didn’t relish the thought of heaving into a sick bag in front of Edward. There were some things women avoided and regurgitating stomach contents in front of a new boyfriend was one of them.

Edward had noticed my tension as the plane took flight, reassuringly holding my hand whilst explaining various breathing exercises for me to try.  I'd felt more than silly, taking deep breaths and exhaling extra slowly, but I didn’t want him to know that he'd wasted fifteen minutes on calming my flight 'nerves' when all I had was plain old travel sickness. 

Thankfully the flight was over in less time than it had taken me to mentally plan what underwear I’d be wearing that evening.

We were now standing in Dublin airport, luggage already collected and both of us feeling the effects of two trips within one day. Although I was sure we made an attractive looking couple, it was fair to accept this was neither of our finest moments. I looked at Edward's tired, pale face. He'd been rather quiet since we landed.

'It will be nice to get to the hotel and have a shower before dinner' I said wearily.
I was so tired myself, all I wanted to do was shower and go to sleep. Was that normal?  I was finally going to be alone with Edward with multiple opportunities on how we could spend our time. The shower fantasy didn’t even include him in it. Perhaps I was overtired and my brain wasn’t functioning properly.

'Yes
, I was thinking along the same lines' he said, wheeling our cases towards the glass exit doors. Following beside him, I stifled a yawn.

The early evening air hit us with a cool blast. Looking out past the Taxi rank and buildings, the distant green valleys just were visible in the fading light. Excitement surged through me, giving me new found energy. We were in a truly romantic setting and aside from the two business meetings Edward had, the rest of the time could be used in any way we pleased. I was already imagining hiking trips into grassy mountains. Perhaps we'd find a cave where we could spend the night together by candlelight.
 

I'd never been hiking but it looked so much fun. It had also been years since
I’d owned a backpack and had any sort of nature driven adventure. Granted, sleeping in a tent, wearing ugly hiking boots and eating tinned food wasn't ideal, but it was part of the experience. 

Edward walked across to the nearest Taxi and signalled for me to be getting in the car, whilst he helped the elderly Irish driver to load up the boot with our luggage.

I listened to the driver's strong Irish accent muttering about the size of my suitcase. After a few manoeuvring attempts by Edward, the boot of the car finally clicked shut. Our hotel was centrally located and the driver immediately knew our destination. 

'Tis a nice hotel you've chosen yourselves' he said approvingly.
 

'Yes
, I've stayed there before and found it to be more than comfortable' Edward agreed.

Looking out of the window, we rode past old style taverns and quaint local shops with pretty window displays. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to lull into a deeply relaxed state, the conversation between Edward and our driver gradually fading out.

We arrived at the hotel in less than twenty minutes. Opening my eyes, the car came to a halt and I heard the driver’s door slam. The large Victorian building stood magnificently proud on the parade of shops. The bell porter, dressed in a top hat and long, red velvet tails immediately came to meet the car and our luggage. Edward truly had good taste.

Settling the Taxi fare, he joined me at the hotel entrance. A ruddy faced doorman appeared from nowhere and discreetly opened the large, gold framed glass doors. The huge open lobby area stood before us, decadent and elaborate.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, large paintings and antique mirrors adorned walls, and rich cream granite covered every surface, creating a soft, welcoming ambience. 

Edward strolled purposefully towards the reception desk, leaving me to follow him. The pretty, young brunette on reception smiled warmly as Edward approached and I couldn’t help but feel irked by this. I made a note of her name badge, Lucinda.
 

'Welcome back
, Mr Wainwright' Lucinda said professionally to Edward. She'd remembered his name? 

'Thank you.' Edward responded nodding slightly. 'I have a reservation for myself and Ms Saunders here' he said taking hold of my arm and pulling me closer.
 

I smiled pleasantly at Lucinda and was disappointed
to see her warm reaction to me. She clearly liked Edward; it was obvious from her body language.

'Welcome to the Connor Hotel
, Ms Saunders' Lucinda said, presenting a card key across the counter. 'You'll be staying in the Grand Suite on the Upper Level’. I tried to suppress my smile at the mention of grand suite.

'Thank you' Edward said warmly, picking up the card key and smiling at me. 'Follow me' he said confidently striding across to the gold elevator doors to the right of us.
 

Following him into the elevator, I felt a nervous flutter in my stomac
h as we began to ascend. This was it, the beginning of my weekend with Edward. Digging my nails into the palm of my hand to steady my nerves, the doors opened to reveal a long corridor with only three doors. Edward headed towards the nearest door and secured his card in the lock.    

'My usual suite' he said
, turning to me and winking. The door clicked open and Edward walked into the large open room, immediately kicking off his shoes. 

I followed hesitantly, lingering in the doorway as I took in the overly large sofas arranged around an ornate fireplace. A dining table and study area was to the back of the room, and open double doors led to a spacious bedroom, housing a large four poster bed, big enough for six people. It was almost as big as the entire flat I shared with Mel.

So this was how the wealthy lived - a far cry from my usual standard double hotel room with a coffee making facility and one foot wide wardrobe. Not to mention the irremovable plastic hangers that hung in the closets of budget hotels. I suspected that the only plastic in site within this hotel room was the fifty inch plasma television screen.

A gentle knock at the door ensued as the Porter made his entrance with our luggage. I felt slightly sorry for the small man as he struggled to heave my heavy luminous case into the room. Edward walked forward to help him.

'Thank you' he said, discreetly pushing a note into the Porters hand. The small man nodded his head in gratitude before wishing us a good evening and making his exit. I stood awkwardly by the sofa, unsure what to say or do. 

'Well' I said
, smiling shyly and leaning against the cushioned arm of the chair. 'It's a lovely room.' I looked around distractedly, hoping to hide my anxiety. We were alone and Edward's head was cocked slightly to one side, a mischievous smile on his lips.

He slowly walked towards me, eyes twinkling. Deep inside a rivet of energy coursed through me. He really was handsome. And oh
, so sexy. Even in his dishevelled state of tiredness. My body began to respond to his suggestive gaze, a sudden desire and longing sweeping so strongly within and around me that I almost couldn’t stand. 

Grabbing my hand, a jolt of electricity shot through me at his touch and I allowed him to slowly lead me to the bed. With each step closer, I could feel the intensity building, as incredible lust and wantonness overtook me.

It no longer mattered that I was wearing mismatched underwear or that I hadn’t had time to freshen up. My mind was only filled with wanting Edward.  

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

I woke up in Edward's embrace slowly stretching my arms above my head, conscious not to wake him. A glimmer of sunshine beamed through a gap in the drawn curtains. A perfect day for a leisurely stroll around
Dublin. Edward stirred next to me as I gently sat up against the pillows.

'Morning' I smiled happily at him.

Even at this early hour he looked ruggedly handsome. A fleeting thought of whether I had crease marks on my face, or a dribble patch on my pillow breezed across my mind, disappearing as fast as it came. Edward made me feel so comfortable in myself, he wouldn’t take any notice.

'Good morning' he said tiredly rubbing his face. I got out of the large bed and walked across to the curtains, drawing them back to allow the sunshine to flood the room.

'Gorgeous day outside, perhaps we can go and have breakfast at a café?' I said, enthusiastically peering at the view of the busy road. Edward walked up behind me and placed his arms around me hugging me loosely, his naked skin against mine.

'Or perhaps we can stay in bed all day?' he suggested, tiredly groping my breasts and kissing the top of my head.
 

I laughed, pushing him away. As tempting as the thought was, we had an entire weekend ahead of us to explore one another. I headed towards the bathroom to get showered, Edward following closely behind me.

We decided to eat in a small café on the corner of O'Connell Street. The city buzzed around us as we watched employees rushing to their workplaces, and shops beginning to open as the first drove of shoppers appeared on the streets, armed and ready for a day of spending.

I had chosen to wear a pair of jeans and a loose top, keeping make-up to a minimum. Edward looked relaxed in his cream chinos and a polo top. Humour and ease flowed between us as we enjoyed each other's company.

I caught the glance of a woman passing by, attractive, well dressed and such envy within her gaze. It was a look that was easy to recognise, as I too had spent many occasion observing happy couples, wishing I could be as lucky. Yet now I was one of those couples.

Edward took a large bite of his egg muffin and turned to me.

'I have my business meeting at two o’clock; it shouldn’t last any longer than a couple of hours so I thought we could perhaps go for a stroll before I head off. Once I’m gone it gives you a couple of hours to yourself' he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

On the stroll to the café I had spotted at least five shops I wanted to explore. A couple of hours would just about be sufficient.

'OK, well I may check out one or two shops and have a wander around' I said casually, mentally picturing which clothing I'd be trying from the department store adjacent to the café. The window display had enough tantalising creations to fill a whole day's shopping.

Edward reached into his back-pocket, taking out his wallet. Removing a large amount of notes, he pushed them into my open messenger bag, propped beside me.
 

'Treat yourself to something nice.'
 

Astonished, I almost dropped my coffee cup from my grasp. Without checking my bag I couldn’t be sure of the exact amount he had stuffed inside, but I had watched him remove at least six fifty Euro notes. Three hundred Euros to treat myself?
 

'Thank you, I’ll see what treasures I can find.' Leaning a little towards him to kiss his cheek, I grinned excitedly.

No man had ever presented me with such a significant amount of money. Will had once given me an envelope of notes which I had naïvely thought was for me; until he'd told me it was our backdated council tax money. It wasn't quite the same thing. Three hundred was enough to buy a complete new outfit including shoes and a bag. I couldn’t wait to get started. 

Breakfast finished, Edward suggested we take a walk to the famous
Trinity College. I would have happily walked to the moon if he had suggested it, so I nodded encouragingly, letting him lead me through narrow alleyways and past pretty buildings on a long tour of the city.

'My father used to bring me here when I was a small boy' he said as we stood facing the magnificent college admiring its history and presence.

'We lived here in Dublin for a short period of our lives, after my mother passed away. My father did his best to keep me entertained' he said nostalgically.  'His business was struggling at the time and what with my mother gone, and me to care for, I think he felt a bit lost.' I squeezed his hand supportively.

Other than briefly telling me he'd been orphaned, I'd not heard him mention anything of his childhood. Now I understood why. His emotions were raw, painful even.
 

'It wasn’t until we moved back to the
UK and I went away to boarding school that our relationship started to break down. I hardly saw him' he said looking deep in thought. 'I blamed him for a lot, even though it wasn't his fault’ he smiled down at me sadly and his fingers stroked mine.

'I would have loved to have known him better.'

I moved my hand soothingly across his back, not saying anything. His mother had evidently died before his father. And then to lose his father also? What loss for a young man to suffer. I felt emotionally moved that he'd opened up to me. Wrapping both of my arms around his ribcage and resting my head against his shoulder, I was unsure what to say.

He turned suddenly towards me, unexpectedly excited.

'Hey, I just had an idea what we can do later' he said grinning. I looked suspiciously at him, not sure I was going to like what he was about to suggest.

 
'And what might that be?' I asked hesitantly.

He tried to contain a smile. 'A ghost hunt. There's this old castle nearby and they do an organised tour every evening.'
 

I laughed, patting him gently on the back, thinking that he was joking. I noticed his smile was still fixed and he was waiting expectantly.
 

'You're actually serious you want to go ghost hunting?' I asked astounded.

'Oh come on Lizzie, it'll be fun. Dare to live!' he said humorously. 

'OK, OK. Let's do it then. Let's go ghost hunting' I replied with a smile.

It was hard to comprehend that this successful business man, who was used to fine places, would want to walk around a dark castle searching for things that go bump in the dark. It was also very attractive; he surely wasn't one to be bored around. Whatever the reason, it was a welcome distraction from the emotional conversation about his parents. Plus it would provide extra opportunity to snuggle up close to him.

Edward showed me some further points of interest before we began the long stroll back to the hotel, my hand in his. I had always thought it was a little strange seeing couples holding hands; I had never been comfortable with publicly displaying affection. However
, with Edward I couldn’t think of anything more natural. I didn’t feel silly; I felt proud.

Back in the suite I made us hot drinks and checked my emails whilst Edward prepared for his meeting.

Ronnie was urging me to get the final press release version across to him and I had yet to discuss with Sam the arrangements for the luxury weekend prize winner. I sighed to myself; the next couple of weeks were going to be busy. All the more reason to enjoy the weekend ahead of me.

Hearing the shower facet turn off, moments later Edward stepped into the bedroom still wet, with a small towel wrapped around his waist. I felt myself flush as I looked at him, lustful adrenaline coursing deep within. He looked at me, catching my expression.

'I hope you're not having naughty thoughts' he said smirking. I felt my face heat up even more, as I desperately tried to maintain my composure and concentrate on my emails.

'Don’t be so ridiculous; I'm just thinking about work.' I drummed my fingers on the table and bit my bottom lip, narrowing my eyes as if in deep business thought.
 

Edward removed his towel and walked past me to the wardrobe. Unable to avert my eyes from his perfectly formed body, my head turned in his direction. He spun around quickly, catching me off-guard.

'Ha! Caught you' he joked walking towards me.

I gave in to him as he gently took my hands from my laptop keybo
ard, stood me up and kissed me, leading me towards the bed.

An hour later I set off towards
Grafton Street, Edward's money burning a hole in my purse, waiting to be spent. 

I headed directly to the large department store that had caught my eye earlier with its window display. Passing through the revolving door into the cool store with its lightly fragranced ambience, a frisson of excitement and contentment buzzed through me. I hadn't been this happy in a long time. Not only was I on a weekend break with an amazing man, but I had money in my pocket and a store full of exquisite treasures to explore.

Allowing myself a leisurely stroll amongst the various sections, I lingered at the bag display picking up a small suede holdall perfect for travelling. I could benefit from a new holdall, especially now that I might be making more impromptu trips with Edward. I dared to allow myself to imagine Edward and I taking another trip together, suede holdall on my arm. No large yellow suitcase in site. Edward would be impressed.

My eye was drawn to a dusky pink, shiny rucksack in the shape of an elephant. It was adorable. A perfect little girl's rucksack. My breath caught in my throat. Maddie. She'd be the ideal recipient for such a gift.
  

Chastising myself, I let the thought slip away as quickly as it came. Edward
had only just discovered Maddie; it certainly wasn't my place to be buying her gifts, especially as I hadn’t even met her…

Picking up the bag, I quickly walked towards the cashier before I had a chance to change my mind. It was Edward's money I
was spending - surely he'd be happy I put it to good use on his daughter?

Moments later and with one pink elephant
rucksack purchased and wrapped, I headed out of the store, drawn towards a neighbouring shoe shop. My heart fluttered with anticipation as I surveyed the window display. Was it normal to experience such a rush of excitement when seeing row upon row of divine styles? 

I'd once read that shopping was better than sex. The feeling that flowed through me as I walked into Zuldo left me wondering if the article may have been accurate.
 

The layout inside was far smaller than the grandeur impression of the exterior.
  Brushing past an elegantly dressed woman trying a delicate cream leather stiletto, I watched as she slipped the shoe onto her foot; the perfect fit, her legs appearing more defined and elongated. She smiled triumphantly into the mirror at herself. The young assistant beside her caught my gaze.

'Would you like any help madam?' she said in a strong Irish accent, well matched to her fiery red hair.

She'd called me madam? I was twenty eight, not forty eight years of age.

'Just browsing
, thank you' I said, politely hiding my distaste at being aged twenty years. The woman was slipping off the cream stiletto and handing it back to the assistant.

'I'll take them please' she instructed kindly.

Collecting the display shoe from the shelf, the assistant placed it in the box and walked towards the counter. I continued browsing the store, slightly disappointed to find that nothing was catching my attention in a must-have way. The cream shoe had been by far the best in the shop, both versatile and flattering. I would have to try them for myself.

'Excuse me' I said
, grabbing the attention of the attendant as she passed. 'Do you have those shoes in a size four?' I asked, indicating the box she was holding.

'I’m terribly sorry madam.' Wincing, I tried not to roll my eyes at her comment. 'These are the last size four and they've already been taken.' She smiled apologetically and continued towards the till.
 

My heart sank. The shoes would have been the perfect footwear for my recently purchased brown silk dress. Why could I never be the person to get the last pair.

I looked towards the elegant woman, watching as she rifled in her expensive designer handbag for her purse. She probably didn’t even need those shoes. Undoubtedly she had enough money to buy the entire store if she so wished. 

'I’m terribly sorry, I seem to have misplaced my purse' the elegant woman was saying, a look of embarrassment sweeping across her face. 'Would you be so kind as to put these shoes to one side for me and I’ll return later to pay for them' she asked pleadingly.
 

Ha! She didn’t even have her purse in order to buy the shoes. Surely it was store policy that they couldn’t preferenciate customers, especially if I was willing to buy the shoes instead.

The assistant smiled, causing me to frown.

 
'Of course, that's not a problem' she said kindly. 'Let me pop your name on a note and we'll set those aside. I'm off duty soon but my colleague will be able to assist you' she said, offering the lady a pen and paper to write her name.

Watching in mild shock at my ill fortune, the elegant lady scribbled something and handed it back to the assistant. Pinning the note to the box, the assistant looked up.