The concierge watched, as Nick Henderson and Gabriel Swann escorted their delightful lady friend across the foyer of the hotel. She was beautiful and had an innocent charm that would have his countrymen giving very long second glances.
"Mademoiselle Ashton," he bowed over her hand. "Enchante," he murmured.
He turned to Nick, "I have ordered the best limousine for you, Sir," he raised his hand
Millie looked around the jet. The cream leather seats looked like they could swallow you up. They were so big and squashy. They had red silk and gold scatter cushions arranged neatly on each chair and across the sofa. The sofa faced the plasma television screen, and there were fresh flowers on the tables. Millie looked around in awe. This plane was far superior to the one she had flown on to Paris. She truly felt she had entered into a luxurious place. Millie was glad, and it would make their last hour together very comfortable.She was glad they had rented a villa, Nick said it was only two miles from the Castle de Costa so that they wouldn't be far away, and they would come and collect her each evening. There was no way she was staying the night there, she was coming home to her men, her mother could scream blue murder, but she was not staying the night there.Once they were airborne, Nick moved to sit on the sofa. He patted the seat next to him, wanting Millie and G
The car pulled up in the forecourt of the castle, Millie looked around, and she was quite entranced, it looked so ancient. She was dying to find out the history of it. Italians of the Medici period had this urge to kill and then ask questions later, and with a smile, she wondered if Nick had any Italian ancestry. The gate, wooden and massive, was attached to the stone walls with three-foot iron hinges, and the door, decorated with iron studs was the first sight to repel visitors. Millie couldn't see a bell or a chain to pull so she took hold of one of the twisted iron handles and pushed the door open.The door creaked but swung open quickly, presenting Millie with a courtyard full of greenery, and stone archways, giant ornate stone planters and Millie could see lanterns for when the sun went down. It would look like an enchanted forest. She could imagine playing here as a child, and there were so many places to hide. She walked through the greenery and under the archway looki
Millie's feet hurt. There was a blister from the straps on her sandals. It hurt, and she had nothing to stop it happening. She sat at the side of the road and found a tissue in her bag she wrapped it around the strap on her sandal and gently put her foot back in it. She didn't think the tissue would last very long, but it did feel better for now. She had to hurry, if they discovered that she was missing, then they would send that huge man out to look for her, and there is no way she could escape from him. Fortunately, she hadn't seen any cars on the road, she had no idea what she would do if she had, there was hardly anywhere to hide—no woods at the side of the road like they had at home, just flat, scrubby grass. Well no point worrying about that now, she just had to get back to the villa.Nick and Gabriel sat on the lounger they had shared that afternoon. They were both in shock. Giuseppe had come back and told them what the security man had told him. That Millie had
"What the hell? Did you hear that?" Nick looked at Gabriel, "Millie?"Gabriel shouted, "Millie!"There came a wavering cry. "Gabe, Nick?"They ran down the hill skidding as the stones under their feet flew in the air. She was sitting on the track, waiting for them. Gabriel reached her first, and he gathered her up in his arms."Oh Millie." he breathed, "Oh baby, we thought we'd lost you."Millie burst into tears of relief she clung to Gabriel's neck. Nick put his arms around them and held them both tightly. He'd never felt quite so emotional over a woman, and this was all he'd ever wanted to have these two people in his life, Millie and Gabe and to love them forever.They carried her up the steep hill between them, taking it in turns to hold her. They were soon at the top, and Nick brought Millie into the bathroom so they could attend to her injuries. Nick sat her on the bathroom counter and examined her bruised and swollen knees and the bla
Nick and Gabriel bathed Millie between them caressing and stroking her. Slowly relaxing her until the tension of that dreadful afternoon left her face and shoulders.The thick, large towels Gabriel wrapped around her were warm, soft, and fluffy, and her hair gently dried, and then she was carried to their bed. Her last thought before her eyes closed was that someone else bathing you was the most relaxing thing ever.She never moved all night even when Nick and Gabe had slipped into bed on either side of her a few hours later.The next morning Millie was feeling her aches and pains, her knees were stiff when she tried to stretch her legs, and it was agony if she tried to move her elbow. She lay with her head on Gabriel's shoulder his arm around her, between her and Nick. She smiled at the thought that Gabriel was touching her and Nick at the same time. He liked everyone happy.She could feel Nick behind her spooning up to her. His head resting against Gabr
"Sweetheart, we have to talk about what happened yesterday and what we are going to do about it," Gabriel said, he reached for her hand his thumb stroking over the back of it. Gabriel was about to say something, but Millie stopped him."I want revenge, and I know what to take away from her, I just don't know how."Nick and Gabriel looked at her and each other. Her statement was surprising neither of them thought that she would implement anything like this."Tell us what you want us to do." Nick ran his palm along her leg. "What will make her suffer?"Millie laughed, "Oh, that's easy, a complete lack of money, if she has no money, she can't do a thing. She will suffer, she will think people will be talking about her, she will lose her friends, such as they are." She looked at Gabriel, "I'm going to make her suffer, the way she made me suffer, the way she made you two suffer. She won't know what's hit her. Not by the time I've finished with her and Pe
"Looks pretty solid," Nick said as they both stood outside the Castle home to the Costa family for the last five hundred years. Giuseppe had driven them down from the villa after Sophia and Millie had gone to see Sophia's granddaughter and her new baby.Millie loved babies, and she was delighted that Sophia had asked if she would like to go and see her new great-granddaughter. Nick and Gabe were going off to see some music producer, and she was quite happy that they had gone without her. She could have a sunny afternoon cuddling a baby and practising her Italian.Down at the castle, Nick and Gabe walked up to the main door "Millie said she just pushed it open, there doesn't seem to be a bell or anything." Gabe said.Nick shrugged and pushed the enormous wooden door. They ended up in the pretty leafy courtyard where Millie had hidden from her sisters and mother."Millie said it was pretty. I'll give her that, it's about the only thing in this place t
Gabriel had taken his eyes off the man on the sofa and was watching Nick, but suddenly he caught the Count's movement from the corner of his eye and his hand reached out to stop him from going anywhere, but all he could grab was the greasy pony-tail. There was a sound of ripping sticky tape and Gabriel was left holding the pony-tail and nothing else!"Fuck! I knew I should have thumped him!" Gabriel shook his hand to get rid of the disgusting greasy mess clinging to his fingers and chased after the little man"Come back here, you little bastard!" Gabriel yelled as he chased after him down the darkened corridor.Gabriel was lucky that he caught sight of the weapon moving on a suit of armour at the corner of the corridor. Just as he was about to go past, the halberd suddenly moved towards his head. Gabriel jumped back as the sharp weapon slammed into the wall opposite."Come here you cocksucking little motherfucker!" Gabriel yelled, shoving the armour out o
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