Amelia washed her tears away and turned the TV off. Her stomach was rumbling, and it seemed a really long time ago since she had been in the cafe that morning. Perhaps a walk along the front, and find a place to eat. She slipped her shoes back on and grabbing her bag and her coat she picked up the key to her room and went out into the hallway.
She was locking the door when she heard a noise behind her.
"Good evening."
Amelia looked up and up. "Oh," this man was huge, his dark chocolate coloured skin gleamed in the in lights. "Good evening."
The man smiled his teeth blindingly white, "Walter Bear, but you can call me Smokey" he said, holding his hand out for her to shake. "I'm in the next room to you, so I must apologise for any noise that I make. I wouldn't want to disturb you."
"Amelia Ashton pleased to meet you" She shook his enormous hand. He was so gentle in shaking it. "Please don't worry
Amelia sat in the back of the car, she was so shocked that they would greet her by kissing her like that, not that it wasn't lovely, but it led to so many questions that she hadn't got a clue how to answer.Thinking about Nick kissing her, just the way he had held her, and not given her any choice in the matter made her heartbeat as if it was going to burst through her chest. Her whole body felt alive, as it had never felt that way before. But that was only the start, the soft, gentle kiss from G
From where Amelia was sitting, she could see Gabriel's hands on the steering wheel. His fingers were long, and his palms were huge. Amelia couldn't stop staring at them. His forearms were bare; his shirt sleeves rolled up. Those arms had held her tonight; he was gentle with her, but she got the impression of an underlying force that was the real Gabriel. Nick was a forceful man, dominant, and he made his feelings known immediately., Gabriel was more gentle on the outside, but she knew he had meant it when he whispered in her ear. It sent tingles up her spine, and she got goosebumps.Turning her attention to where they were going, she noticed lights far away on the horizon, that must be a ship, meaning the sea was on one side of the car and fields on the other side. She closed her eyes and listened to the classical piano music rolling through the car. It wasn't long before Gabriel turned into a village, he drove straight down the high street, and then
When Amelia finally awoke on Tuesday morning, she felt utterly rested. Though when she swallowed, her throat was a little sore, she knew that she had slept deeply, which was most unusual. Opening her eyes, the room was still quite dark, no point getting up yet, so she closed her eyes again and stretched her legs to the cool part of the bed and turned over.After breakfast she would take a walk on the front, she hoped Eric cooked as good a breakfast as the man in the cafe. Then, she would buy a local newspaper and look for a job and somewhere more permanent to live. She could also go and find the h
Rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, she finally opened them. It was light now, and the first thing she saw was the light fitting hanging from the ceiling. She blinked, why had she never noticed that before? It was different, that wasn't the same light fitting she saw when Eric showed her to her room, that was a pretty little chandelier, this one was brass coloured, a large ring with two other rings wrapped around it with little LED lights embedded into the metal.Amelia turned her head towards the window, or where the window was supposed to be. She never managed to look more than a foot above the pillow. Sparkling blue eyes and a sweet smile considered her confusion.Gasping in shock and horror, Amelia shot her head to the right to see Nick resting his head on his crooked elbow and showing a broad smile.Amelia turned scarlet, she looked again from one man to the other, and if she were standing up, her jaw would have hit the floor.
Nick left the room, and Gabriel stroked his hand over her back. He gentlyeased some of the quilt from her grasp, but she still clung on to some. She wasn't ready to face him yet. Huh, maybe in fifty years she might be able to look at a picture of them!"Amelia, it's okay, please don't cry, you will make your throat hurt again."
"Amelia?""Yes, I'm in the bath.""Are you alright?" Nick asked."Yes, thanks, I'll be out in a few minutes.""Okay," there was silence for a few seconds. "Have you got lots of bubbles, darling?"What? Darling? Was he waiting for her? What did he want? "Er yes, lots of bubbles.""Oh, that's good," he said as he stuck his head around the door, wearing an irrepressible grin.Amelia gasped and covered her breasts with her hands, crossing her legs and crouching lower in the water. "Out! she yelled."Don't be silly love I can't see anything," more's the pity, he thought. You're all covered in bubbles. Shall I wash your hair?" Nick smiled at her and reached for the showerhead."I, I, I can do it," she stuttered."Much nicer if someone else does it though, don't you think?' he sat on the edge of the bath and turned the water on, "Tell me if it's too hot."&nb
Jessica Elwood looked around her bedroom at all the posters of Nick Henderson, she would be sorry to leave them all, but she knew which one she had to take with her. His smile was so familiar to her. It felt like it had been part of her all her life. His was the last face she saw when she closed her eyes at night and the first face she saw when she opened them the next morning. She listened to Nick singing all the time, especially on the way to her Saturday job. She had lied to Mr Bashir, who owned the local corner shop and newsagent about how old she was. She'd told him she was fourteen, well it wasn't a lie anymore, today was her birthday. Her mum had forgotten, but that was nothing new, half the time she couldn't remember her name. Tonight, she would cook something nice for them both she just hoped that none of her 'uncles' would be at the house. Still, if one of them were at home, she would, nip out and get a Chinese.She kept the house as clean as she could, but it was difficult
As it turned out, Amelia had a couple of days relaxing at Cawlin before chaos broke out. On Wednesday it rained all day, and they sat in the cinema room watching films, and Netflix and scoffing popcorn. On Thursday the weather was fine, and she explored the garden with Nick and Gabriel."Oh, is that a maze? Can I go in it?" Amelia looked up at Gabriel. almost jumping up and down like a five-year-old"Of course you can," he laughed, he looked at Nick. "What do you think, Nick?"Nick grinned, and his eyes narrowed at Amelia, "I think there should be kisses if we find you."Gabriel laughed, "When we find you." He turned to Amelia, "Okay Millie, You have got two minutes to lose yourself. It's a huge maze, so you should have plenty of time.They watched her run to the entrance and disappear into the hedges, admiring her plump, wiggling arse."We'd better start thinking about that letter you got the other day. What
Christmas Eve"You disgusting little horror, I've never known anyone smell like you, Not even your handsome big brother." Nick held Aria Henderson-Swan at arm's length and took the stairs two at a time. "You gorgeous beautiful stinkpot, what are we going to do with you?""Shh, I've just got Arlo to sleep," Gabriel whispered, he sat in one of the two rocking chairs with his tiny son over his shoulder gently patting his back. "You'd better be quick, one of her legs has turned a strange mustard colour."Bloody hell what has your mother been feeding you?"Same as she has been feeding this one, Google says breastfed babies have mustard pooh.""Great." Nick sighed, "Oh my
"What do you think?" Millie twisted around to look over the back of the wedding dress in the full-length mirror. The twins shook their heads, "Looks great at the front, you can hardly see the bump, but the back is a mess, far too many frills. I'll go and have a look, see what I can find. Pearl and Ruby wandered off. "What do you think, Mum? Rene shook her head, "No the girls are right, it's too much,""It looks as if you have a crumpled bed sheet attached to your bum," Lucy said. "Lucy!" said Claire, try not to upset the bride.""We are not having our gorgeous step-mum, looking like a complete clown, she can hardly see her feet, nevermind her bum. She needs us to tell the truth."Millie went back to the changing room and waited for the next dress, Pearl and Ruby came barging in."Try this Millie, I know its not the right colour, but the style is perfect."Millie wasn't going to argue, right now she was so fed up with trying frocks on, she w
Millie lay on the bed, as the ultrasound technician covered her tummy with gloop. The room was in semi-darkness, and Nick and Gabriel stood at the bed's side, Nick holding her hand and Gabriel's hand lay on her thigh."Just let me do my measurements, and then I'll show you the baby," Said the sonographer wielding the ultrasound wand over Millie's lower tummy.It only took a few minutes to get her measurements."Well, this is interesting," she said, "Which one of you is the father?" the sonographer asked."We don't know yet," Millie said, "and we don't mind all our family will love the baby.""I apologise, I thought you were a surrogate for these two gentlemen."Millie laughed, "No, we're just a very unusual family, and there is plenty of love for our children.""Do any of you have twins in the family?" The men shook their heads, "I have twin sisters" Millie said."Well, you're having twins, let me
It was so wonderful to be home, and Millie revelled in Nick and Gabriel taking care of her. Nick could hardly bear to let her out of his sight. He followed her around like a lost puppy, especially on that first evening.Claire brought Katie home after work. Katie glanced into the sitting room and realised Millie was there, "Mama"! she yelled running into the room and throwing herself onto Millie's lap.Millie breathed a sigh of contentment, how could she have abandoned this sweet little girl because of her hurt feelings. How ridiculous she was.Katie held tight to Millie's neck, "I'm sorry for leaving you, Katie," she whispered in her ear, "I'll never leave you again."Millie put Katie to bed after dinner, and they all sat and talked about the things they had been doing."So How are you doing Millie?" asked Claire.Millie glanced up at Nick and Gabriel. They were smiling at her like Cheshire cats.&
Jess and Lucy stared wide-eyed at Amelia's message, they both let out a sigh, "Thank god for that, so, shall we call Smokey?""No, let's ask Gabe if he will take us, Millie will need someone to be with her. Someone who loves her."Lucy said, "Not like we love her.""Okay, what about Dad?"
"Tell me what Angus said again?" Nick could hardly believe what Gabriel had told him, that he was suffering morning sickness, it was unbelievable, he'd never heard of this before, he didn't have this when Jess's mum was pregnant."He doesn't think there is anything wrong with you, he said to look up Couvade Syndrome, you read it yourself, Nick." Gabriel was holding on to his patience,
Three Weeks Later.Millie lay in her bed. She had left the curtains open, and from her position, she could see the trees across the river. The birds were tweeting and doing aerobatics among the branches, and the sun was shining. For the first time in weeks, everything was peaceful. Millie sighed, a feeling of contentment rose within her, and all she needed now was... No! She could not think of them. The lump in her throat stopped her breath, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. Jumping out of bed, she marched to the bathroom, determined that she would carry on with her new life. She leaned over the bath and turned the shower on, no massive shower with a million jet streams here. She would be lucky if the hot water lasted until she had washed her hair. The agent had promised they would repair the thermostat as soon as, but she hadn't heard from him for two weeks. God another Monday morning on the phone to him, She had never had any trouble in London with repairs t
The cottage was idyllic, it was a fairytale cottage, with a drystone wall at the front and garden full of flowers. If the inside were as pretty as the garden, Millie would take it. The Derbyshire hills surrounding the picturesque village were beautiful to look at, and just across the road, the river Derwent rolled peacefully along.The peace that Millie felt was incredible, and no one would bother her here. All she could hear was singing of the birds. The cottage was on a back road in the village, the only people who would come down this road were the people who lived in the other four ho
Gabriel watched the girls cook tea. He enjoyed being with them. They were funny, and they both explained many things to him about his life."Gabe, would you like to go and tell Nick dinner's ready please?""Do you know where he'll be?" he said, standing and stretching."Up two flights of stairs, first door on the left. That's your bedroom. He's probably sulking."Gabriel sighed, "Does he often do this, sulk, I mean?"Lucy rolled her eyes, "What you have to remember Gabe, is that although my brother is the outwardly dominant member of this family, you are usually in charge. Nothing happens in this household without you saying so and giving it your approval."Gabriel's navy blue eyes opened wide, "Are you sure?"Both the girls nodded their heads. "He just talks and shouts a lot," Lucy said. "But you are the one we all go to, and especially Nick. If you didn't realise it, Nick has said something to Millie, not meaning to hurt