From Paris to Forever Read online

It took him a few seconds to realise he hadn’t completed his call. He raised his mobile and hastily concluded the arrangements, never taking his eyes off her for a second. “You look stunning Chloe. Picture perfect, in fact.” She appeared to glide towards him. He lifted her hand to his lips, and looked into her eyes as he pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

  “I’m pleased you think so.”

  “I‘m torn now.” Todd said.

  Chloe looked concerned. “Torn. Why? I don’t understand?”

  “On one hand, I am anxious to take you out to dinner to show you off. And on the other, I am anxious to be home again to take you to bed.”

  “After all the time Samantha and I rummaged through my wardrobe to choose an appropriate dress for this dinner, and the time I spent in the beauty salon having my hair cut and styled, I think you had better take me out. But … I’m not opposed to coming home early.”

  “Let me get your walking stick,” Todd looked around the room for the errant stick.

  “Perhaps I won’t take it. I was hoping I could lean on you tonight.”

  “It’s not for you, it’s for me. I’m going to be beating the men off with a stick when they lay their eyes on you tonight.” He held up her hand, and twirled her in a slow circle to better enjoy the 360-degree view. He let out a low wolf whistle.

  His old-fashioned compliment made Chloe blush. “It makes a change to dress up tonight. I wasn’t sure what to wear.”

  “You look and smell delicious. Good enough to eat.” Todd leaned in and tugged gently on the lobe of her ear with his lips, and kissed the patch of soft skin underneath. She shivered involuntarily, and he witnessed goosebumps prickling her skin. He tucked Chloe’s hand in the crook of his arm and strolled to the door.

  “Ditto Todd. You look very handsome in that suit. It’s Armani, right? And is that Bvlgari cologne you’re wearing? You smell divine. I have a powerful urge to nuzzle your neck right now. But if I did that, we wouldn’t get out the door, would we?” Chloe picked up her clutch purse and a light wrap from the chair.

  She obviously intended to be prepared when the sun went down. Although he could guarantee being cold would be the last thing she would be worrying about later. He could almost reach out and touch the sizzle in the air between them.

  As they made their way down in the lift and through the foyer to the chauffer-driven car parked by the kerb, Todd noticed all eyes swivelling towards them. He wasn’t at all opposed to the envious glances he received. He felt extremely honoured to be accompanying such an elegant and beautiful woman to dinner.

  The maître de at Silk Restaurant in Crown Complex had reserved a table for them by the window. Once seated, a gregarious waiter appeared, opening leather-bound menus with a flourish, and announcing the chef’s recommendations. The descriptions of the various dishes had her salivating. Opting to sample a few entre plates, Chloe made her choice. She sat back to peruse her surroundings, and allowed Todd to place their order. She recognised a few TV celebrities sitting at the table next to her, and noted the well-dressed women accompanying them. So glad she had taken the time to find something special today, she glanced in Todd’s direction. He finished reading the menu and looked up, catching her eye and grinning at her. Judging by the way his eyes softened when he looked at her, he appeared equally pleased with her efforts.

  Todd had ordered champagne, which he sampled before accepting the bottle. The sommelier poured for them both. He raised his glass. “I would like to make a toast. To the most beautiful woman in the room, and I am thrilled to say she’s sitting at my table.” Todd lightly touched his glass to Chloe’s. He slid a small black box across the table towards her.

  “Thank you, kind sir. Flattery will get you everywhere.” She sipped the pale pink champagne, the bubbles tickling her nose.

  “And even more thrilling, she’s coming home with me.”

  “Yes I am.”

  “Aren’t you going to open your gift?”

  Chloe pried open the black velvet case. A slim gold chain bracelet nestled in the cream satin lining.

  “Oh, my goodness. It’s beautiful.” Chloe said, unbelievably touched with the gesture. “I know it’s expected of me to say you shouldn’t have, but I am thrilled you did! Thank You.”

  Todd reached over, removed the bracelet from its cushion of silk, and fastened the clasp. He held her hand across the table. “It’s a small token, but a meaningful one. I wanted to give you something to mark our first real date as a couple. Something to make you smile and think of me when you wear it.”

  She grinned back at him, with obviously delight. She admired the way the gold caught the light when she moved her wrist.

  “I guess we are a couple now, aren’t we? I can hardly believe it.” Chloe squeezed Todd’s hand, marvelling at the irony of the situation. A few short months ago she would never have imagined she would be sitting across the table from this man, holding his hand and sharing a wonderful intimate moment, let alone anything else. This gorgeous man pushed all the wrong buttons the day they met. This same gorgeous man pushed all the right buttons now and she had to admit she was enjoying this change of fortune.

  Exiting the elevator, a little after 10 pm, they moved apart, acutely aware of each other’s proximity but not touching for fear of setting off the fire alarm. They didn’t get any further into the apartment than the foyer before passion overtook them.

  Chloe was drawn into Todd’s arms as ardour battled and won. He pushed her up against the door. Wedging her between the solid wooden surface and his hard torso, his mouth devoured hers, hardly giving her time to take a breath.

  Chloe’s body had kicked into gear a fraction of a second before her brain had begun to process what was happening. She welcomed his strong hands running over her shoulders and down her arms, then stroking her lower back before he cupped her bottom. She could not get enough of him, could not get close enough. Then she lost herself in the kiss.

  Her tongue danced over his. He tasted of red wine and lust. Her hands swept up over his chest, revelling in the rock-hard muscles under her palms, before they travelled down to grab his belt buckle. Flipping the clasp open, she tugged on the leather belt and brought his hips in tight against hers. Chloe experienced his excitement growing between them as their kisses became more fervent. She cupped him with her right hand and heard his quick intake of breath. She delighted in increasing the passion to see where it took them. Sliding her hands up and inside the lapels, she eased his jacket off his shoulders. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck without breaking the kiss. He eased his arms down and the jacket slid to the floor.

  Todd’s hand slid in between the side split in her dress. He watched her intently, watched the change in her eyes as he ran his fingers over her soft skin, watched as she arched her back when he found her. Her panties were the only barrier now as he teasingly danced his fingertips over the satin and lace. A sigh escaped her lips. Todd’s teeth gripped and gently pulled at Chloe’s bottom lip as she quivered beneath him. Then his mouth covered hers, kissing her deeply, hungrily. His lips sought a question only she could answer.

  His fingers slipped beneath the edge of her panties. He stilled his progress just inside the lace as he waited for her response. Chloe’s heart hammered in her chest so hard he could feel the beat in her throat.

  “Don’t stop.” Chloe said, breathlessly. “I need you, Todd.”

  Todd wanted Chloe so badly all reason had deserted him. Pushing the fabric of the dress to one side and gripping the edge of the lace, he tore the flimsy lingerie from her with one hand as he hoisted her leg up and over his hip with the other. It took but a second to unzip, a second more to plunge inside her. She cried out and tightly gripped his shoulders.

  It took all of her willpower not to swoon as Todd stilled, his body hard and firm against her own, his lips soft and nuzzling, his teeth nipping and exploring the tender flesh of her earlobe. He lowered his head to kiss the soft skin at the base of her neck, and began to slide slowly in an
d out of her, drawing out the pleasure, heightening the tension. The tenderness brought her undone, the orgasm building within her demanded more friction. Torn between two powerful emotions, her body trembled. He picked up the pace. Although surprised that they were actually having heart pumping, up against the door, knee trembling, down and dirty sex, she revelled in the undeniable thrill of knowing he couldn’t wait another second to have her. She clung to him, marvelling at the way her hips responded to his every thrust, in the way this man had entered her deepest darkest fantasies as well as her body.

  The urgency, the abandonment of decorum, his obvious need for her, turned her on as she had never been turned on before. She heard Todd’s whispered endearments in her ear, and it drove her nearer to the cliff edge. Her body liquefied as his teeth nipped her neck, and his moist tongue circled her lobe. Her leg gripped him tighter, pulling him into her as wave after wave of absolute pleasure undulated over and through her.

  Todd had never known a time where he had harboured such physical and emotional need, or such primal desire. Making love, still wearing his suit, up against a door, with a desperation bordering on madness, was something he had never experienced before. The exhilaration lifted him to heights of pleasure which had until now, remained dormant. Chloe’s body pulsed and tightened around him, and he finally succumbed to the pleasure. He buried himself deep inside her, marvelling at the exquisite softness of her skin, her tantalising perfume and the emotions she evoked in him. If this was drowning in pleasure, he did not want to be pulled from the murky depths.

  Hearts pounding, legs trembling they held each other for a moment, unable to move, each waiting to catch their breath. Exhausted, but happily sated, their mouths met in a tender and grateful kiss. When they finally made their way towards the bedroom hand in hand, they were more connected than at any time before.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Reality beckoned. Chloe couldn’t put it off any longer. She had a house to renovate and nothing would happen if she didn’t pick up the reins again. In all honesty, the inactivity had begun to niggle at her and would eventually drive her to despair. Since Todd had returned to normal hours at the office over a week ago, her days dragged on long and lonely. Time to move forwards and finish what I started.

  An image of Todd popped into her mind, and she sighed, her body automatically responding with a delicious little shiver. However, fantasising about her lover didn’t help her finish her house. She gave herself a mental shake.

  The wound on her scalp had healed remarkably well, and the headache was just that. A dull ache, no sharp pains. She wondered how Truffle had settled into the cattery. He was her dad’s cat, not accustomed to anyone other than Joe being around over the last few years. Better to leave him there for now. Time with other cats had to be a good thing. It would be a very well-run establishment if Todd had arranged it.

  She rang Samantha’s office phone again. She had tried to reach her all morning without success, as the calls reverted to voicemail. Eager to start, she called Patrick to ask for their sub-contractor’s phone number, and made appointments to meet them at the house at noon. All heavy work would be left to the contractors. She looked forward to putting on her supervisors’ hat.

  The taxi dropped Chloe off at her house at midday. The first day out of Todd’s apartment on her own. She paused at the gate and took a deep, cleansing breath. Lifting her face to the sun, she allowed the warmth to soak into her bones to steady her nerves.. My first few hours of freedom. She hadn’t informed him of her plans. She wanted to surprise him with her progress.

  Her head started to throb as she searched for her house keys, deep in the bowels of her voluminous handbag. Breathe, just breathe. A familiar HiLux ute pulled up at the kerb. Patrick got out and sauntered towards her. She hugged him enthusiastically, relieved she wouldn’t have to go inside on her own. She dropped her arms, and took a step back, a little embarrassed.

  “Hey. Good to see you out and about. How are you Chloe? I don’t think you need to answer though, you look great.” He pulled back another step to look her up and down.

  “Hey Patrick. I’m fine thanks. More than fine, actually.”

  “Yes. I heard on the grapevine that love is in the air. Congratulations.”

  “I’m sorry, Patrick. I know you and I … went out … but with Todd … well, it kind of snuck up on me.”

  “You’re happy, Chloe, don’t stress. And I’m happy for both of you. Todd is a different guy. More relaxed. Not looking over my shoulder every day, so it works for me.”

  She could tell that he meant every word, and he appeared to be trying to reassure her. Relaxing a little more in his company, she gave him a shy smile. The contractor’s truck pulled up at the kerb, effectively ending their conversation. Anxious to get started, they all headed inside to scope out the work required to renovate the ground floor.

  At five o’clock Patrick left Beach Road to return to the office. The contractors packed up their tools and Chloe closed the door gratefully behind them. The afternoon had been tiring, but totally worthwhile. When she retrieved her handbag from the sitting room and dug out her phone, she noticed several missed calls from Todd. She returned a call.

  “Hi Todd, I’m sorry, it was noisy in here and I only just saw the missed calls …”

  “Where the hell are you?” Todd demanded.

  “I’m at the house. I came down here to meet the contractors. We started the work on the kitchen relocation.” Chloe said excitedly.

  “Why? What’s the rush?”

  “It’s not about the rush. I need to get back into renovating my house. I want to have something to do instead of sitting twiddling my thumbs every day.” Chloe’s excitement faded as Todd’s angry tone escalated.

  “You’re kidding me, right? Why would you want to bother with the house renovations now? Surely that can be left to someone else. It can be your little hobby, now that you are living with me

  “I’m what? It was supposed to be temporary until I got back on my feet. Why has this never come up in conversation? Did you think I was just going to forget about finishing the renovations on my home.”

  “I presumed you were happy living with me.”

  . “You always have to be in control. You always make the decisions. But I should have been prepared for that, if the past is anything to go by, instead of thinking you would be pleased to see me working again.”

  Chloe couldn’t keep the sarcastic tone out of her voice. Telling her what she could and could not do had done wonders for her determination.

  However, Todd ploughed on, unaware he was digging a deeper hole for himself.

  “I’m coming to get you.” Todd disconnected the call.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Chloe yelled … but no one was listening.

  Her hand shook as she stared at the phone. Unbelievable! How rude! Arrogant bastard. It was happening again. A man dictating her life. This time things would be different. She had learned from the past. No one would be allowed to put her needs and opinions last ever again.

  Chloe sat rigidly on her front step, waiting for Todd. As he got out of the car, she stood up but did not make a move towards him. The few seconds it took for him to pass through the gate and stride down the path seemed like forever. He launched straight into his tirade before he had even reached the steps.

  “Have you any idea how worried I was when I couldn’t find any signs of you? Not even a note to say where you had gone.” Todd fired the angry words like a spear, the hurt lodging in her chest.

  “Hello to you too, Todd. I see we are back to you telling me how you feel. Would you like to know how I feel? Or is that something that doesn’t interest you?”

  “Of course it interests me. But that’s hardly the point right now.”

  “Oh. What is the point? Please enlighten me.” Chloe crossed her arms.

  “You could have left a note. But the point is you are recovering from an accident. You should be resting. I don’t know why you would wa
nt to come back here. Haven’t you been happy with me? You don’t have to work. I am perfectly capable of taking care of you. Giving you what you need. You only have to ask.”

  “I want to come back here because I need to finish my house. I also need to have something to fill in my days. I can’t sit with my sketchpad planning out ideas all day long without putting them into practice. But there is one important fact you are missing here. You didn’t ask me to stay. You haven’t discussed anything with me since the accident. You have made all the decisions. To my understanding, it was going to be a temporary situation until I could get back on my feet and finish my house.”

  “Of course I want you to stay with me. I love you, Goddamn it.” Todd’s body language was anything but loving.

  “You sure have a nice way of showing it. Yelling down the phone like I’m your dog or your servant.”

  “You’re exaggerating things. I don’t think of you that way. Sure, I may have sounded angry, but that was because I was worried, and annoyed, and …”

  “… and I copped it, because I did not follow the Todd Baker rules.”

  “Look, Chloe, I don’t know why we are arguing, just get in the car and let’s go home and we can discuss it over dinner.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?”

  “I mean I am not going back to your apartment. It’s your home, not mine, Todd. I am staying here.”

  “You can’t stay here tonight, it’s a mess.” Todd moved towards her to take hold of her upper arm. “Be reasonable, you don’t have your things, it’s cold and dirty. It’s a building site for God’s sake. Come home.”

  “Kindly let go of my arm,” she said through clenched teeth.

  He dropped her arm as instructed and took a step back.