From Paris to Forever Read online

  “That was my ex-boyfriend Paul. I don’t know who would have given him my address. I didn’t know he was in Australia. The last I heard he had left Paris after his contract ended to dance in Vegas.”

  “Come on. Let’s get you a brandy. You’re shaking like a leaf.” Todd kept his arm around her as they made their way back to the kitchen. “Sit down, and I’ll get you a drink.”

  “Do you think he’s really gone? I didn’t see a car. Did you?”

  “No, I didn’t see a car. If you’re worried he’ll be back, I’ll stay. Sleep on the couch, okay?” He handed her a generous nip of brandy. He poured one for himself and sat beside her.

  “I think I’ll be okay. You don’t have to stay. Sorry to have spoiled the evening.” The room had become chilly suddenly. She sipped the alcohol, enjoying the warmth it created, and pulled a throw rug from the back of the couch to place over her legs.

  “Why don’t you fill me in on Paul? He doesn’t seem like a guy you would go for.”

  “He hasn’t aged well. I presume life hasn’t been kind to him since he went overseas. I was young, just nineteen when I met Paul. He’s originally from London. He was new at the Lido. All the girls flirted with him; he could have had any one of them. I was thrilled when he eventually picked me. We were together for a few years, then we lived together, and in that time he managed to alienate me from all my friends. In the end the relationship was a train wreck.”

  “I can see why women would find him attractive, based on his height and his physique. But he comes across as a bully. I don’t want to frighten you, but the way he looked at you concerns me. There’s something else going on, you can see it in his eyes. He has serious issues. I’ve no doubt about that.” He reached out and stroked her upper arm.

  “Yes, I know. He can be charming … well, he could be charming in the past. He changed when we moved in together and I didn’t know it to begin with. But he is a control freak. If I hadn’t had help to get away from him in Paris … I don’t know what would have happened to me.” Chloe closed her eyes for a second. The unpleasant memories rushed in, threatening to swamp her, pull her under.

  “Did he hit you?” The question hung in the air between them for a beat or two. His heart hammered in his chest, anticipating the worst.

  “No. He liked a more insidious form of abuse. He demanded absolute control in all things. No one crosses Paul and gets away with it. He won’t like what happened tonight. He’ll be back. I’m sure of it.” She shuddered.

  Todd sat closer and pulled her gently towards him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to a friend on the force tomorrow. We’ll see what we can dig up on him.”

  Chloe cradled the glass with the remaining dregs of brandy in her hand. She kicked off her shoes, raised her legs onto the couch and snuggled into Todd’s arms, safe against his chest, safe listening to his heartbeat. He kissed the top of her head and when she finished her drink, he removed the glass from her grasp to place on the coffee table. She closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness again. I’ve been idiot, I’ve missed this so, so much.

  Chloe woke up with a start, surprised to see Todd asleep on the couch beside her, surprised to be still within his comforting embrace. They had fallen asleep and left the table lamp on. The clock on the wall displayed the early hour. She pushed off the throw rug and tried to ease out from under his arm without waking him, but failed, as he instinctively pulled her tighter and opened his eyes.

  “What’s going on?”

  “I’m just going to the bathroom. I was trying not to wake you.” She moved to the edge of the couch, and turned to face him. Her hair had come undone, and flowed around her shoulders in messy waves. She pulled it back into a ponytail.

  Todd pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and scraped his hands through his hair as he sat up, yawning. He observed her closely. “Are you okay? You look a little better, you’ve got some colour back in your cheeks.”

  “I feel better. Thank you for staying. I probably overreacted last night.”

  “It was obviously a shock to find him standing on your doorstep. And I’ve seen for myself that he didn’t like rejection one little bit. I don’t blame you for being concerned.“

  Chloe folded the throw rug and pushed the cushions back into place.

  “Regardless, I appreciated you being here.”

  “It wasn’t a hardship, Chloe.”

  Warmth flowed over her, a trickle of a memory, and the familiar pleasure of being in his company. A feeling of belonging, of someone looking out for her. Why am I fighting this? Tell him you’ve missed him. Todd is not like Paul. He’s a caring individual, not a controlling one.

  “I’ll be right back. How about some coffee? It’ll be dawn soon.” She stood up. The floor was cold. She slipped on her shoes.

  “Yeah, coffee sounds good. How about a walk to the Pier for an early breakfast?”

  “Will it be open?”

  “I’ve had early morning breakfast meetings with the builders at the Pier. If it’s not open we can walk back along the beach. Stretch our muscles. Get some fresh air.” Todd stood and stretched his back.

  “Okay, give me five minutes.” Chloe headed upstairs.

  “Ditto. I’ll use the bathroom downstairs.”

  When she reappeared in the kitchen, pulling on a fleecy jacket, the sun had begun to filter through the lemon trees speckling the deck with watery grey light. Birds used to nesting in the large James Stirling trees at the bottom of the garden tuned up for their morning song.

  They left the house and strolled companionably through the gate and over the beach road to walk along the sand. Chloe drew a plastic bag from her jacket pocket, pulled off her shoes and dropped them in the bag. She dug her feet into the grainy dampness, enjoying the texture of the sand squishing in between her toes. The air had a chill about it, and it started to drizzle slightly, but she filled her lungs and raised her face to the sky in celebration of the new day. The wonders of the ocean and its rejuvenating abilities surrounded her and lifted her spirits. Not even drizzle could dampen her mood.

  Todd removed his shoes and socks, picked up the bag and dropped them inside. It swung between them as they strolled along the water’s edge. It began to rain harder.

  Chloe hummed to herself.

  Chloe reached over and took the bag from Todd, and slid her hand in his. Neither broke their stride, neither acknowledged this small step for mankind, this big step for Chloe. The genuine smiles on both their faces the only indication that anything significant had occurred.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  If having breakfast with a handsome knight in shining armour counted as the best way to start the day, then ticking multiple items of your “To Do List” by lunch must surely be counted as a close second. Only good things can be said about having breakfast at literally the crack of dawn.

  Chloe sat at the dining room table with a pile of gardening brochures spread out in front of her, and perused the quote to landscape her garden. She sipped a cup of herbal tea, and jotted down some notes, trying hard to concentrate on matters at hand. However she kept returning to being excited and a little thrilled by the turn of events over the last twenty-four hours. When she held up her experience with Paul all those years ago, and her recent experience with Todd, she could finally admit they could not be compared. Paul wanted to cut her off from friends and keeping her to himself. Todd was controlling, but he would never hurt her or stop her from seeing her friends. He needs to learn to tone it down, that’s all. The phone rang on the table beside her. She grinned like a child when she saw Todd’s image appear on the screen.

  “Hi, I was just thinking about you. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

  “I meant to ask you if you’d like to spend Sunday with me on a boat out on the bay. A business colleague invited me the other day. He suggested I bring a plus one. It slipped my mind last night. So would you like to be my plus one?

  “Not surprising afte
r the drama. Yeah, sure, why not. I heard tomorrow’s going to be a beautiful day.” Chloe’s mind had sped ahead, considering what to wear.

  “Great, I’ll pick you up about 8.30 am. We have to be at the Elwood marina by 9 am.” He couldn’t stop the surge of happiness in his voice. “I’m looking forward to finding out what kind of sailor you are.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry. I have my sea legs alright. I won’t embarrass you in front of your friend.”

  “You could never embarrass me. Better get back to my paperwork. See you tomorrow.”

  When she hung up the phone, she did a little seated happy dance. The phone rang again, and she snatched it up quickly. “Did you forget something?”

  “I haven’t forgotten how you felt under me in bed. Maybe we should revisit that scenario?” Paul spoke softly into the receiver.

  “If you don’t stop bothering me, I’ll …”

  “You’ll what? Get your boyfriend to protect you? Don’t fool yourself, honey. If I want you, you’re mine.”

  Chloe cut off the call. She shook from nerves and anger. She longed to call Todd, but she stopped herself in time. No, I’ll handle this. I have to be strong, stand up for myself.

  She searched the phone, but the number had been blocked. It rang in her hand, and she dropped the phone on the table in fright. She turned it over. Todd’s face appeared on the screen. She snatched it up.

  “Hel … hello.” She sounded nervous, even to her ears.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Why would you think anything’s wrong?” Chloe forced a smile.

  “Just a feeling. Call it intuition. Now, for the second time, what’s wrong?”

  “Paul called, and I hung up on him. I thought that was him calling back.”

  “What did he say? Did he threaten you?”

  “More of a warning really. I’m not sure what he wants, or why he has decided to contact me. I need to stand up to him. Make him see he has no control over me now, that I’m not afraid of him any more.”

  “I’m coming over.”

  “It’s not necessary, you’re working.”

  “It’s only paperwork, I can work from yours … if that’s okay with you?” Todd waited for her approval.

  “Sure it’s okay … if you want to. I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “I would be happier knowing you are not staying at that house, now he knows where you live. Since he does, I think a little moral support from me wouldn’t hurt. If he comes back … well … let’s say, I’ll try and persuade him to … find other entertainment.” As an afterthought, Todd said, “Of course, you could come and stay at my apartment.”

  “I think I’ll stay here, but thanks for the offer. I can’t keep running to hide at your apartment. I have to live my life. If he succeeds in scaring me he wins.”

  “Okay. But the offer is there if you change your mind.”

  “Thank you. You’ve come to my rescue on more than one occasion in the last year, and … I wanted to say … I was wrong.”

  “Wrong?”

  “Yes, wrong to run away the last time, and wrong not to talk to you. To explain what had scared me that day.”

  “I have a bit of an understanding now. But I’m not Paul, Chloe. I would never bully or hurt you. Ever.” Todd said, emphatically. “I’ve had to be the head of the family since my parents died. I only want to make sure everyone is looked after. Everyone is taken care of. That includes you.”

  “I can see that now. I’m an idiot. I had a man who loved me and I ruined it.”

  “You still have a man who loves you, Chloe. That hasn’t changed.” Todd paused to let that information sink in. “There is still a chance for us, if you let it happen and stop running from your past. I will be here to help you. All the way.”

  Chloe had no witty comeback, or indeed any comeback for that matter, so she ended the conversation with the promise that lunch would be waiting when he arrived. His words kept going round and around in her head while she had a shower to freshen up, and while she tidied up the kitchen and family room.

  She cleared a space on the dining room table for Todd’s laptop and whatever else he decided to bring over. The cold meat, cheese and salad platter she prepared looked very appetising, if she did say so herself. She pulled wholemeal rolls from the freezer to complete the lunch preparations. Her fingers shook slightly as she stored the platter in the fridge. It’s nerves. Why did I say yes to him coming over today?

  No doubt a heart-to-heart talk would be on the menu. She didn’t know if she could ever allow anyone to get as close again without feeling as if she were giving up control of her life.

  Todd pulled open the passenger door, swung his laptop bag over his shoulder, and picked up the box of files from the front seat. He scanned the road but the cars parked along the kerb looked unoccupied. Not that an unoccupied car meant Chloe’s ex had decided to back off. His friend in the Melbourne Police Force was currently making discreet inquiries about a certain male entertainer working at the casino. Hopefully they would have a little more information on his whereabouts by the end of the day. Then a visit from Melbourne’s finest might be in order. I’ll be damned if he’s going to get away with scaring Chloe.

  Before she unlocked her front door, she checked the porch through the spy hole.

  “Good girl.” He bent to kiss her cheek as she closed the door quickly behind him. “I’m glad you’re taking precautions and keeping the door locked.”

  “I’m a little nervous. He’s made me afraid of my own shadow, and I hate that.”

  “I almost hope he does show up this afternoon, so I can make him afraid of my shadow.” Todd followed her down the hall to the kitchen.

  Chloe called over her shoulder. “I just want him gone. Back to the States, if that’s where he came from. I don’t care where, just not here.” Chloe pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge, poured two glasses and arranged them on the bench next to the platters of food. “Pull up a stool and please help yourself. I’m not that hungry.”

  “Come on. You don’t expect me to eat all this by myself, do you? Come sit by me and I’ll prepare you a roll that will make your mouth water.” He picked up a glass and handed one to her. “Cheers.” He sampled the chilled chablis.

  “Cheers. Alright, you can make me a roll, but only a small one.” Chloe sat alongside him but facing the garden, with her back against the kitchen bench, and sipped her wine. Her sad gaze lingered on the green oasis outside.

  Todd reached out, cupped her cheek and pulled her over to him, placing a very gentle kiss on her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed and she kissed him back, just as gently. He revelled in the fragrance of spring flowers which now suffused his senses. The lack of resistance and the softness of her lips against his pleased and surprised him. He didn’t deepen the kiss, but enjoyed the tender moment which passed between them.

  She opened her eyes and gazed into his. “That was unexpected.”

  “I’ve waited so long to kiss you again, and you looked so sad. There was nothing else I could do, nothing else I wanted to do but kiss you.”

  “I’ve missed you. Missed your company, missed this … this closeness, this tenderness.” Chloe reached out and placed her palm against his cheek, cupping it lovingly.

  She slid off the stool to stand between his legs, wrapping her arms around him, her head cradled in the crook of his neck. She pulled back and placed her hands on his chest, to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry, Todd. Sorry for not explaining. Sorry for running away to Paris, and not facing up to my fear of losing control of my life again.”

  “I won’t lie and tell you it doesn’t matter, because it does. It shook me more than you can possibly imagine when the woman I loved would have nothing to do with me. Then acted as if having an argument was the worst thing in the world. But what it did was make me even more determined to prove to you how much I love you, and how much we belong together.”

  “You really do believe that, don’t you?

  “I b
elieve that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Now I’ll do my best to make you believe it.”

  He lowered his lips to hers and this time did not hold back. His arms encircled her and he poured all of his pent-up longing and desire into that kiss. She returned the kiss with equal passion, and happiness soared through him. He slid from the stool, hooked his hand behind her knees and lifted her into his arms. She continued to kiss his face, dotting his cheeks with soft kisses, nibbling on his ear until he sat on the couch and eased her back into the cushions.

  “You are so beautiful, and I have missed you so much,” he whispered into her ear.

  He kissed her neck and along her chin before he finally covered her mouth with his. Heat surged through him, and all the blood in his system seem to head south, as his hands reacquainted themselves with the familiar hills and valleys of her reclining figure.

  Her eager response only fuelled the fire within him. All restraint he had built up over the past few weeks threatened to disappear when she moved closer. Now there was no doubt in his mind that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, which made this moment so much sweeter. He peeled away her layers of clothing, kissing each portion of exposed skin as he unbuttoned and eased the shirt from her shoulders. She moaned softly as his lips found the delicate flesh on the underside of her breast, working their way up to the rosy tip of her protruding nipple. She arched her back as he lathed her nipple, and it took all of his willpower not to forge ahead, to enjoy this moment, enjoy this rediscovery.

  Take your time, enjoy the journey, not only the destination. Sane words, but not words of a man nearly driven to the brink by a half-naked woman lying beneath him.

  She pushed her skirt down her hips and wiggled free of the confines of cotton and lace. Then sat up, reaching for the buttons of his shirt to help him remove it. He unzipped and quickly discarded his clothing, eager to return to her. Her nipples brushed against his chest as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down with her into the soft cushions of the couch.