Page 86 of A Seaside Escape
Chapter Seventeen
The next couple of weeks were mainly focused on rehabilitation. Greg was healing quickly and Mallory was relieved to discover that the bruising was subsiding rapidly.
The people in the village had figured out that they were an item on account of the number of times they had been caught having a sneaky kiss when they thought no one was looking. The villagers smiled and chatted about it together. When people thought she wasn’t really listening she heard murmurs of, ‘Isn’t it lovely that they finally sorted themselves out?’ and ‘Don’t they make a handsome couple?’
Feeling relieved at her decision to stay, Mallory began to relish her surroundings. She decided she loved Clachan Seil and all it meant to her and moving away simply wasn’t an option any longer. She stopped seeing the negative about the place and began to really make it her own home.
Greg stayed over a lot whilst he was in the throes of the healing process. It was beginning to feel liketheirhouse.
Mallory phoned Renee at the end of November to inform her of what had happened. Renee had cried and Mallory thought at first that this was due to anger or upset at the betrayal of her son’s memory.
But eventually she had sighed and said, ‘Oh Mallory, Ryan, Cara and I said as soon as we met Greg that he was the one for you. It was so clear how much he thought of you. It was so obvious to us, sweetheart. I’m so very happy for you. We all are. But promise me the two of you will come out and visit? And please don’t lose touch because you’re worried about how awkward things will be. They won’t be at all awkward, darling. You are and always will be a part of this family. We all love you dearly.’
Mallory had cried and cried at hearing such kind and heartfelt words from Renee. She was relieved to have got it out in the open with Sam’s family and she felt that she and Greg had everyone’s blessing.
*
December 2015
Early December was an exciting time.
Plans to open her new shop in the new year were coming along well and she was looking forward to getting it up and running. In addition to this, the joy of Christmas lay around the corner and how wonderful it was to be spending it with Greg, in her lovely home, near the beautiful bridge over the Atlantic; her favourite place in the whole world.
Saturday December third and Greg was almost back to his former self apart from a scar on his head, one on his lip and slight shadows under his eyes.
He had been with Mallory to buy a Christmas tree and it was standing in the corner of the lounge ready to be decorated with a combination of their respective ornaments.
Greg had brought over a bottle of sherry and Mallory had put on her Spotify Christmas playlist that she would happily listen to in June – she loved Christmas songs so much. Greg poured them a wee dram and they began to go through their boxes of tree ornaments. They squabbled jokily over whose were better, but Greg knew that Mallory’s were much more tasteful, although he wouldn’t openly concede. His were bright, garish and mostly, if they were both honest, ugly.
The battle didn’t end there, however. Greg was placing his ornaments on the tree in prominent positions with a wry, playful grin and Mallory, using her womanly powers of subterfuge, was removing them and placing them at the back of the tree, hidden out of sight. Greg caught on to this fact quickly and decided to make a tactical move himself, which involved grabbing Mallory around the waist and wrestling her to the ground to tickle her until she relented and allowed him to place the gaudy ornaments where he chose. Once finished they sat back on the sofa to admire their handiwork.
‘This Christmas is going to be so special, gorgeous,’ Greg announced to Mallory as they snuggled together on the sofa. ‘Are Josie and Brad coming up?’
‘I think they may come up for Hogmanay. I can’t wait for my first real Hogmanay.’ Mallory was filled with excitement just thinking about it. Greg turned to Mallory, his melted chocolate eyes filled with desire. ‘Do you know what I’m looking forward to?’ He stroked a finger down her cheek and brought his face close to hers until they were almost touching. Their relationship had remained – albeit reluctantly on both sides – in the realms of celibacy since their first kiss in the hospital after the accident. Greg’s wounds had been healing and neither had been prepared to rush things and ruin what they potentially had; but in that moment things changed.
Her breath caught as she was willingly trapped by his gaze. ‘What?’ She felt her temperature begin to rise and her heart rate increased.
His breath was warm on her lips and she noticed his breathing had changed. ‘I’m looking forward to unwrapping you on Christmas morning and kissing you all over.’ His voice was a deep, low whisper as he leaned closer still and rested his forehead on hers.
Desire clenched deep within her and she placed her hand on his chest where she could feel his pounding heart. She kissed him deeply, her tongue dipping into his mouth. ‘Why wait until Christmas morning?’ Their eyes remained locked. She wanted him…now.
His wonderful full mouth turned up at one side and he stood as he took her hand, pulling her to her feet to meet him. ‘Come with me,’ he whispered.
This time her temperature soared as the need for him coursed through her body. He led her to the stairs and, still holding her hand, made his way up to the bedroom.
Once inside the room he pulled her into his arms and gazed down at her, his eyes hooded with avidity. He cupped her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to almost touch hers again. ‘I’ve waited for this moment since the day I met you.’ His throaty voice still no more than a whisper, his sweet breath danced over her lips.
His hands slid down her back to her bottom, turning her insides to liquid. ‘I want to savour this. I want to savour you, Mallory. I love you with all my heart, but I want you with every inch of my being.’ One hand travelled up her body and into her hair, but his lips still didn’t touch hers. There was only an electric current running from his words down her body and into her soul. She brought her hands up to touch him, his chest was firm underneath his T-shirt. She smoothed her hands over his torso and he closed his eyes just for a second, breathing deeply as if struggling with self-control.
When he opened them again his eyes locked on hers. She wanted desperately to kiss him but she, too, was enjoying the spark between them; the anticipation. Slowly he let his lips connect with hers and he inhaled sharply and deeply. This first kiss was the promise of what was to come.
Her hands slowly slid up over his shoulders, around his neck and into his hair. His kiss became more urgent and his tongue sought entry into her mouth. She opened for him and welcomed his tongue with her own, caressing and tasting him.
He groaned as he ran his hands down her back to squeeze her bottom, pulling her closer. She could feel how much he wanted her through the fabric of her jeans. Her hands fell to the hem of his T-shirt, where she began to lift it up over his taught body, sliding her hands over him as she did so. He raised his arms and stooped for her to remove it and cast it aside. She lowered her face to his chest where she kissed his tattoo and he breathed out a rush of air and stroked her back as his head rolled backwards in sheer pleasure.
As they undressed each other, their eyes remained locked on one another. He traced the line of her collarbone with his fingertips and bent to place kisses where he had touched her. His kisses moved to her neck and she gasped and grabbed onto him, desperate to be closer.
They stood in just their underwear devouring each other with their mouths and eyes.
