Chapter 9

The first day to her working week was busy with several bookkeeping and analysis assignments, taking her concentration to its limit, but she was good at her job, thorough and conscientious.

She finished the day and hurried home, not to be with anyone but to shower and eat her dinner and then wait for Dean to call, which he did from his hotel room, at dead on seven o’clock – just as he had promised he would.

“This place is a bit of dump,” he moaned good naturedly when she asked him.

“Perhaps you should complain to your boss,” she suggested archly. “I mean he sends you off to all sorts places, on these important assignments; the least he could do is provide comfortable accommodation.”

“I might mention it the next time I talk to him,” he mumbled, and she clearly heard his smile. “Now enough about me, how was your day?”

“Oh, my day was much the same as I was expecting. I enjoyed it though.”

She curled up on the sofa and they talked for an hour or more, and it was only when her phone buzzed to indicate the low battery that they said their good nights.

It was the same every night. Working in the day and living for evenings when they could make contact with each other and shut out the rest of the world.

Friday came and Shelly thought the day would never end.

But it did.

She did what she had done every other evening, but tonight when they said their goodnights, she knew that she would be seeing him tomorrow.

Their talk was of nothing important but simply about making contact and hearing each other’s voice.

“What time will I see you tomorrow?” she asked softly as she prepared to say goodnight to him.

“About ... eleven-ish I think, be ready to go out with me.”

“Out?” she tried to hide her disappointment, but his knowing chuckle tickled her ear.

“I want you too,” he murmured huskily. “Which is why I don’t want to come inside; I want us to spend some time together, before we conclude ... what we both want.”

She swallowed down the brief disappointment, and then smiled at the idea of spending time with Dean.

“I’ll be ready and waiting for you,” she promised.

Shelly spent the morning cleaning her mum’s house, going from room to room with the vacuum cleaner, and then finishing with the small box room across from her own bedroom. The room was too small to hold little more than a bed, but the carpet was deep and soft, and at the moment it was empty barring the curtains a wall lamp and the said carpet.

She quickly ran the vacuum cleaner across it and then as she stood admiring the deep red colour, she began to make plans.

She did not know where they were going, and so she opted for black jeans with a creamy coloured cashmere jumper, and low-heeled ankle boots.

She heard his car pull up outside and so after grabbing her bag, and slipping into her jacket, she stepped outside to lock up.

“Wait,” he instructed as he strode down the path.

She turned to him in surprise but obediently stood waiting.

“You look lovely, Shelly – as you always do.” he muttered huskily.

It was true that she did always look lovely when he saw her, but this morning there was a soft rosy glow about her, that just made him want to hold her.

He bent to kiss her lips and Shelly moved closer eagerly.

“I knew there was a reason why I did not want to come inside.” Dean finally said with a rueful twist to his lips.

She felt so soft and her smoky blue eyes were almost begging him to finish what he started.

He laughed lightly and stepped back. “Come on – I have made some plans for the afternoon and I intend to see them through.”

A little thrill of excitement shot through her, at the prospect of a mystery adventure with Dean, and she returned his laugh with one of her own, as he led her to the car and helped her into it.

The day was so full of promise and she was determined to enjoy and savour every little bit of it.

He drove with an easy carelessness that had her relaxing against the leather of the seat, and enjoying the light conversation that meant he could keep his concentration on the road but be sociable at the same time. The first part of his plan was not too far away she soon discovered as less than hour later, he drove the car through the wide, open gates, and then down the driveway, where he parked in the visitor’s car park.

“You know something,” she murmured staring up at the stately home. “I always planned to visit this place – but until today I never managed to get around to it.”

“Me neither, so when I saw this article in the local paper about them reopening after major refurbishments and doing afternoon teas – I just thought I wanted to share this with you.”

She grinned at him and her eyes sparkled with happiness. “I am so glad that you read that article – and thought of me.”

Dean laughed lightly, as he took her hand in his. “The article was pure chance ... thinking of you is becoming a way of life!”

He led her through the main door and across the tiled floors to the lady standing there.

“Good afternoon,” Dean said. “I booked a reservation for Hamilton – for two,”

The woman touched her tablet and then smiled. “Ah yes, Mr Hamilton – if the two of you would like to follow me; I have a table ready for you out on the balcony.”

Shelly thought it might be a little chilly sitting out on the balcony, but there were several patio heaters situated strategically and she actually found it quite pleasant.

The afternoon tea, consisted of delicate triangle sandwiches, and bite sized little cakes, both of various varieties. The tea was poured from a china pot and the fragile plates and silver cutlery added to the romance of the experience.

They enjoyed the whole thing together and chatted lightly between bites and sips, and when they were finished Shelly felt pleasantly satisfied if not overly full.

“Shall we walk off our tea through the gardens and then take a stroll around the ground floor of the house?” Dean asked as he stood to help her out of her chair.

“That sounds lovely,” she smiled up at him.

Dean seemed to be in no hurry and they toured the grounds and the accessible areas of the house, but in the end, they made their way back to the car.

She sighed as she looked back at the old place.

“I have had a wonderful afternoon tea, Dean,” she told him softly. “But the most wonderful part of it is that I got to share it with you.”

Dean had been about to open the car door for her, but instead he turned and took her in his arms for a long slow kiss.

He released her with a sigh.

“Where to now,” she asked huskily. “Home?”

Dean was sorely tempted to throw away the rest of his plans and simply take her home and spend the rest of the day making long slow love to her.