Chapter Twenty Nine

Sunday passed in a relaxing haze of sunbathing by the pool and dozing in the sunshine, both of them enjoying what was left of the weekend’s good weather. By the time Monday morning rolled around and it was time for Jon to leave for the Hamptons, Rachel found herself missing him before he’d even gone.

“I’ll see you Thursday baby……..”

With one final lingering kiss, he was gone on his way – Rachel feeling despondently empty standing alone in the great hallway of the house she was beginning to think of as home. She was fast coming to the realisation though that when Jon was gone, it was no more than a house – bricks and mortar.

Unbeknownst to Rachel, Jon was feeling the same odd, lingering attachment as he hit the road upstate. While he was excited as hell to be spending some time with his kids that still didn’t stop him wishing that the blonde California woman he had been spending so much time with was sitting in the seat beside him instead of his holdall. Thursday just couldn’t come quick enough – for either of them.

Apart from a text here or there Rachel spent much of Monday and Tuesday incommunicado from Jon, his time spent busy catching up with his kids and hers on getting the finishing touches finalised on the tennis courts new surface. The exterior of the house amazingly enough in the space of a few short weeks had been transformed into a modern and well finished family landscape that she was proud of – it was going to look great when it was finally listed for sale.

When Wednesday morning finally rolled round, Rachel was up early adding the finishing touches to her packing for the few days in the Hamptons, excitement and nervousness mingled together at the prospect of spending a few days away with Jon. She hadn’t spent a weekend away with another man since Nick and throw in the prospect of attending some social functions with one of the most famous men on the planet and well – to say she was feeling a little rattled was putting it mildly.

The helicopter touched down on Jon’s lawn promptly at seven am as promised and Rachel found herself setting up in her office within the hour. She had to admit there was a lot to be said for beating the rush hour rat race.

“Knock Knock!”

The sound of a familiar voice made Rachel glance to the door where she saw James poke his head in. She hadn’t seen him in person since that afternoon at the Country Club and a flash of guilt ran through the broad smile she gave him. He was the reason after all that she was in this part of the country at all, let alone the vast improvement it had brought to her personal life thus far.

“Hey James – good to see you!”

“You too stranger! How are you? All settled in?”

Smartly dressed in an expensive looking suit, James wandered in to the office to give her a warm hug, a waft of over powering cologne stinging the back of her throat as he brushed her cheek with a quick kiss.

“Yes, everything is going great thank you!” Discretely extricating herself from his embrace she moved back to her desk and continued sorting her files out while he perched himself casually on the side of her desk. “The Navesink house is really coming along.”

“Good, I knew you were the right girl for the job!”

Shaking back the cuff of his jacket, James glanced down at the shiny Gold Cartier watch that dangled from his wrist. Grimacing at the time he stood up and flicked an imaginary fleck of dust off his immaculately pressed trousers.

“Listen I’m sorry I haven’t been out to see you, life’s been kinda crazy.”

Rachel busily stacked her files in order for the meetings ahead and shook her head good naturedly.

“Don’t be silly I don’t expect you to be my chaperone James, besides I’ve been pretty busy myself.”

James raised his brows, “You have?”

A wave of heat surged to Rachel’s cheeks, she couldn’t exactly tell him why she’d been so busy – well other than business matters of course. Snapping the lock shut on her briefcase she smiled brightly at him and began to move to the door.

“Well yes, there are quite a few properties in my portfolio at the moment – they’re keeping me plenty busy!”

“Ah of course! Well if you can find the time I’d like to buy you dinner some evening – you know…”

James gestured grandly out the enormous windows to the Manhattan skyline. “Show you the sights and sounds of this wonderful city!”

“Um……sure…….that would be lovely – sometime.” Blushing Rachel agreed to his proposal, more out of politeness than desire. James was a great guy and he’d given her a fantastic opportunity but something about his demeanour ever since she’d arrived unsettled her in a way she couldn’t put her finger on. “I’m really sorry James but I need to get going, I’m meeting with Nigel Hawkins in five minutes……”

“No need to apologise, I’m running late myself – so I’ll give you a call then? About dinner?”

Ushering her out the door in front of him, James flashed a gleaming white smile at her when she nodded.

“Great, have a good day!”

“You too James.”

Blowing out a sigh of relief, Rachel escaped down the hallway to the boardroom where a day full of meetings awaited her – a welcome distraction in her view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time the clocks around the city were striking six pm, Rachel was gratefully easing herself into the back seat of the car Jon had thoughtfully arranged to ferry her about the city until she left for the Hamptons. After a long day meeting with various representatives of servicing companies she was dealing with and going through the legalities of foreclosure expeditions her brain was just about fried. 

A quiet dinner at Harry Cipriani’s helped banish the hunger pangs from having worked through lunch but she couldn’t quite stop the yawns that stretched her tired body when the driver finally delivered her back to Jon’s apartment. The chopper had dropped her there that morning but with her bags already been taken care of she’d had no more than a mere glance at the building as she’d dashed off to the office.

Now though she was able to appreciate the fine architecture of the property as the polite doorman escorted her up the floors in the smooth glass-sided elevator. After showing her right the way through to the master suite of the penthouse apartment, the doorman bid her a good night and departed with the generous tip Rachel had bestowed upon him. Left alone she took a moment to breathe in the finer details of her surroundings, from the floor to ceiling windows that offered a tantalising view of the city right the way to where her suitcase was laid waiting for her on a mahogany island in the centre of an enormous walk in closet. As with Jon’s house in New Jersey, the sheer magnitude and exquisite finishing of the apartment made her realtor’s nerve ends tingle – this was a very expensive piece of property.

Sinking onto the vast expanse of the king sized bed she smiled at the crisp, obviously freshly pressed lines of the sheets beneath her – Jon was a man of his word if anything. A large box sitting on an ornate blanket chest at the foot of the bed caught her attention, a card folded in two with her name scribbled in Jon’s hand lying on top. Reaching across to open it out she giggled at the message inside.

Make yourself comfortable and get a good night’s sleep – it will be your last for a while.

Tomorrow – you’re all mine! J xx

Grinning at his cheeky words she set the card aside to examine the contents of the wooden box. An assortment of bubble bath, lotion, salts and exfoliates along with a selection of aromatherapy oils all in exquisite silver topped decanters nestled on top of a champagne silk robe from La Perla made her gasp in pleasure. This was luxury at its finest.

Resisting the urge to call Jon straight away instead Rachel took her time unwinding in the colossal sized bath tub, the aromatic infused steam seeping into her tired muscles as she lay soaking in the satin water. Only when she done soothing the lotion into her skin and enjoying the silky comforts of the robe she had slipped on after her bath did she take a picture of herself curled up against the pillows that adorned Jon’s bed. Tapping out a caption for the photo she smirked and sent it on its way.

21.30 Having a great time……wish you were here……

Thirty seconds later her phone began vibrating with the incoming call, Rachel’s lips curving into an amused smile when she lifted it to her ear and answered it with a casual hello.

Jon’s voice growled with a huskiness that made the fine hairs on the back of her neck crackle in anticipation and her toes curl against the smooth cotton of the sheets.

“You’re killin’ me here!”

Innocently she giggled down the phone at him, stretching luxuriously into the bed.

“You liked my picture then I take it?”

“You have no damn idea!”

“Good! I want you as miserable tonight as I am!”

 A soft snicker accompanied his voice down the line, “You’re miserable huh?”

“Extremely miserable!” Lying on her back she gazed up appreciatively at the chic chandelier that adorned the high ceiling of the suite. “Nice place you got here buddy!”

“Glad you like – I see you got my gift?”

Nodding Rachel sighed happily into the phone; “I did thank you – it was thoughtful as it was beautiful…….but completely unnecessary.”

A pause travelled across the line before Jon’s lowered voice reached her ear again.

“I’m glad you’re there – I kinda like knowing you’re sprawled out in my bed…..”

Blushing Rachel bit her bottom lip and dropped her voice to match his lust filled tone;

“I’d prefer if I was sprawled out here under you……..”

He emitted a soft chortle, amusement at her obvious insinuation evident in his almost murmured response. “Careful baby……it almost sounds like you miss me.”

Rachel could feel a wet heat spreading from between her legs, a heightening desire to be close to him almost scaring her in its intensity. She was falling hard, so very hard. Laughing to shake off the sexual tension that was threatening to suffocate her, she joked down the phone.

“Nope! I mean….I kinda like you and all but I’m holding out for somebody a little better looking……you know – a little more successful! In reality I’m really looking for more of a white collar kind of guy….” 

Her voice was light and playful as her fingers traced a crease line in the sheets. 

“…in fact I’m not sure I could settle for a mere guitar player!”

Jon’s voice matched her playful banter, his retort as silky and smooth as the robe that was wrapped around her.

“But I’m good in bed and I’m willing to let you do all sorts of wicked things to my body– that should count for something right?”

“Well there is that I suppose.” Giggling Rachel stifled another incoming yawn, her eyes growing heavy with tiredness. “On that note I guess I better get some sleep – from the sounds of it this might be my last opportunity for a few days.”

“Alright baby – all the arrangements have been made so you shouldn’t have any problems getting out here……”

A sultry tone dropped into Jon’s voice as he breathed into her ear through the phone line; “….and in case I haven’t made it clear already – I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too…….”

“C’mon baby – you can say it.”

Confused and a little flustered, Rachel’s eyes snapped open; “Say what?”

“That you can’t wait to see me….”

Clearing her throat, she attempted to joke her discomfort away.

“That’s what I just said Einstein!”

Undeterred Jon’s response was soft but firm, he wasn’t going to let her out of this one easily.

“You know it isn’t….tell me baby……”

His murmured command sent another shiver of desire rippling through her senses, her voice this time undeniable shaky and whispered.

“I can’t wait to see you either…….”

Closing her eyes, she could almost imagine the little triumphant smirk that she had come to find always played across Jon’s face when he got his way.

“I like the way that sounded - until tomorrow baby – sweet dreams……”

Almost inaudible, her whispered words were hoarse as the fingers of her free hand drifted to between her legs to seek a release only she could provide tonight.

“Night Jon…….see you tomorrow…….”

When the soft click signalled the line had been disconnected, Rachel let the phone slip from her grasp onto the pillow and with a low groan she let her body’s natural tempo take over, tremors of ecstasy zinging through her nerve endings. The sheer intimacy of his words ran through her brain, the memory of his dulcet voice and what it invoked in her emotions terrifying her just a little.

She hadn’t felt this…….alive……..ever.