Page 59 of Where She Is
“Well,” I say with a smirk, “as much as I want that for youtoo, we shouldn’t hide away. I’m ready for her, Daniel. She won’t stop us from visiting your parent’s at the farm.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“I’ve never been more certain.”
I hope my puppy dog eyes work, plus he knows he has to agree, not just for me, but for his mum too.
“All right, we’ll give it a go.”
“Thank you.” I get up from the table and head to his outstretched arms which wrap me in warmth before he holds me tight and kisses me deeply. My appetite shifts from food to him when he lifts my legs to encircle his waist. We move to the kitchen worktop where he places me gently. His lips run from my jaw and down my neck, leaving a trail of electricity. I breathe out his name, “Daniel…”
His mouth leaves my skin and takes my earlobe. He whispers, “This bench needs to be christened.”
His teeth now graze my lobe as my entire body is on fire with anticipation of what is to come. I’ve been to a few christenings before, but I doubt I’ll ever go to one quite like this again.
I love the normality I have with Daniel. No awkward pauses while I wait for an overnight invitation, no panic or mad dashes for a change of clothes from the flat. It’s only been a few weeks, but we have a routine already. We always shower together then eat breakfast before Jack arrives to pick me up. I could easily hop on the bus. It’s only a forty-five-minute ride from home, but Daniel insists I’m delivered safely and picked up at the end of each working day. Meanwhile, he uses the home office almost full-time. I use the title ‘home office’ loosely. It’s actually every man’s dream cave with all the boy’s toys you could wish for as well as weights, a rowing machine, and cross trainer. It would besocially a lot healthier for him to be in the office and I hope I can persuade him one day. For now, it works.
However hard we work during the day, the evenings are ours. We love the local restaurants and often grab a bite before heading to see a film. We just enjoy our time together, although I still get my city fix when I go out with my girlfriends.
Richard wasn’t too thrilled about me moving in with Daniel at first, but even he can see how happy I am right now. He does his best to be positive about it. He went out of his way to ask us over for dinner one evening. It was probably Alison’s idea, although the fact Richard was willing to go along with it was a breakthrough. Daniel is aware how my boss feels, but at the end of the day, he has the upper hand. He outranks Richard, and this was very much displayed in the way he informed my boss of our living status. I think Daniel’s exact words were, ‘Get used to it. It’s permanent.’ Is it wrong I was slightly turned on by that?
The weeks fly by, and we soon mentally prepare to visit the farm. I walk through the revolving doors of our building at the end of a busy week. With my weekend bag already packed and in the boot of the car, I just need to swing by home to pick up my man. Jack is normally out on the pavement with the car door open by now. Today he’s not. He’s sitting in the driver’s seat, his focus towards the rear-view mirror. He’s talking to someone, although I can’t see who it is because of the blacked-out windows. Jack spots me and is about to step out of the car before I rush forward shouting, “It’s okay, I can manage.” I nearly topple over as I climb in the back and find Daniel’s wide hazel eyes. This is a real breakthrough and I’m so excited he’s here.
“Quick, get in,” he growls. I pull the door shut and almost immediately, he kisses me hard.Is this his way of coping?I wouldn’t say he was nervous, just eager to get away. I’ll do all I can to distract him until we are safely out of the city. Thankfully, the screen goes up between Jack and the back seat so I’m notembarrassed. Daniel’s kisses are ravenous and I can’t deny I love every minute of their hunger.
Our snogging session has made us both a little more relaxed. If I had the choice, I’d prefer to spend the entire weekend in the car like this. Eventually, reality will bite and as Daniel draws endless circles on the palm of my hand, his slanted smile gives way to his concerns. “Look, whatever happens, we’re stronger than Freya. We can handle it. Agreed?”
“Agreed, I understand how tough I have to be,” I reassure him.
His index finger runs a line under my chin and raises my face to meet his eyes. They lock instantly. “I hope so because being with me is not always an easy ride.”
“So you say, but if you’re sure that you and me,” I indicate with my finger between us, “is what you really want, then I’m prepared to fight for you. If she plays hardball, I’ve got to play harder.”
His enormous smile says it all and compels me to devour his lips with mine.
We are lost in that kiss for a while and when it ends, my train of thought leads me to Joe. “I wish your brother would come to his senses and realise she will break his heart.”
“It’s not as simple as that. He stands by her because he has to, not because he wants to.”
DANIEL
Why the hell did I agree to this? I don’t want to take my girl home.She doesn’t realise she’s about to walk into a shit storm and has no clue how bad things already are. Fuck it! Fuck, fuck, fuck it! How the fucking fuck do I tell her that the day she calledto tell me she was moving in with me, Freya lost it and that’s why I couldn’t get back to her. How do I explain how absolutely fucking wild she went? When Joe and I tried to calm her, she spat, she screamed bloody murder and was so out of control and vicious to Joe; we had to call the doctor. It was the worst I’d seen her, and I was the cause.
My brother talked to me for hours after that. He’s trapped and has no choice but to stay married because if he doesn’t, it’ll break the family apart. Mum and dad feel trapped by her too, but they won’t let her see that side of them. They’ve got to show Freya that they are in control and not the other way around. If she wanted to, Freya could finish us all.
HANNAH
“What is going on in that head of yours?”
Daniel jolts back to the here and now, his eyelids heavy. A half-smile appears as he pulls me in towards him and I nuzzle against his chest. His arms wrap around me as if he’s just realised I’m there and his hold is tight. Very, very tight.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for you? Any idea at all?” I shake my head against him. “Too long. There’s no way I’ll let anyone fuck this up for us.”
I realise the depth of his frustration as I sink against his chest and think; you have absolutely no idea how much I’m in love with you, Mr Grant. I’mjust not brave enough to say it. Not yet.
Apart from a few noisy horses, the farm seems quiet. Daniel gets out of the car and stretches his hands towards the sky. Jack is quickly at the back collecting our bags from the boot while Daniel comes to my aid, steadying my step out of the back by taking my hand.
“Why, thank you, kind sir,” I say, dipping to a low curtsy.
