HOPE

 

"GOOD MORNING, SIR, MADAM."

The driver of the car had paused ever so slightly between the Sir and the Madam as he took in the sight of me emerging from the house. If he had questions, he clearly thought better about asking them.

"Good morning, Louis," Rob said. "You're late."

"And you're in a shack that doesn't appear on any maps, digital or otherwise."

"I left you directions."

"I followed them and ended up almost driving into a lake. In the circumstances, I feel that arriving two minutes after the specified time is acceptable. Of course if you no longer feel I am up to the job, allow me to tender my resignation at once."

"You can't resign. Who else would put up with me?"

"I couldn't possibly say, Sir."

"Because you know as well as I do that no one would. Now get us to my car, if you think you can manage it, that is."

I caught the exchanged look between them. This was clearly how they always spoke to each other. Louis held the door open for me and I climbed into the back of the sleek black vehicle, sinking into the seats as Rob climbed in beside me. "What do you mean get you to your car?" I asked. "Isn't this your car?"

"This is for work," he replied as the engine purred into life and we headed along the rutted track that led away from the house. "I have my own car for fun."

"Where is your car?"

"Just in the next town."

"The next town?" I asked, tensing up. "I'd rather not go there."

"Don't worry," he said, seeing my concern and reading me in under a second. "It's in a car park on the outskirts. No one will see you."

"Thank you," I said, relaxing a little.

There was a panel of glass that blocked the driver from hearing us and I was glad of it, not wanting any more people than necessary to know that I was running. Running from my past. Running from a life I was determined to leave behind.

His arm went around my shoulder and I found myself nestling in beside him, enjoying the warmth of his body against mine as my eyes half closed. "Do they hurt?" he asked, looking down at me.

"Do what hurt?"

"Those cuts. They look nasty."

"I'm okay. Just a couple of grazes."

"I'll get my guy to look at them."

"Your guy?"

"My guy. I want to make sure you're okay."

"Honestly, I'm fine."

"Listen," he said, his voice becoming stern. "Don't do that. Don't pretend you're fine when you're not. You don't want to talk about last night and I won't ask you but I'm not just going to ignore the fact you're injured, all right?"

"But what does it matter to you? I don't get why you care."

"Because I want you to be all right. I want to look after you."

He said more words but I'd stopped listening. He wanted to look after me. That sentence was echoing too loudly around my head for me to hear anything else. No one had ever wanted to look after me. Not since my mother had died. And here was this God of a man, his arms made of oak, his chest of steel, swooping in like a Goddamn superhero. I didn't deserve it.

A tear fell down my cheek and I wiped it away, nestling away from him so he wouldn't see. "Thank you," I managed to mutter, afraid of saying anything else in case I started crying in earnest.

By then, we'd reached the end of the rutted track and we were on the road, retracing the steps I'd taken the night before. I was going back towards the place I'd run so fast from the previous evening. With each second, I felt worse but this was different to how I'd felt when I ran.

For even as I dreaded returning, I felt safe in his arms. I somehow knew he'd protect me from whatever might be waiting there for me.

In the end I had nothing to be worried about. We got to the car park without any trouble. His car was waiting in the corner and he told me to wait inside while he checked everything was all right.

He stood talking to his driver, occasionally glancing my way, his voice too quiet to make out. I found myself staring at him, feeling butterflies deep inside me. I didn't know what they meant at the time but I knew one thing. I was not looking forward to the moment when he would send me on my way and go back to his life.

Whatever business he ran, it was clearly a successful one. This was an expensive car, the sports car he was stood next to looked expensive too. He had a driver. He looked like he'd been poured into that black suit. There was no room in the life of a man like that for someone like me.

He was being polite enough, gentlemanly even. Making sure I was all right before heading back to his empire. He probably had a dozen women lined up waiting for his return. Why would he even want to spend time with me? What could I offer him compared to them?

I wasn't beautiful, I wasn't rich. I also had a very big reason why he would soon want nothing to do with me. It was probably better that I go.

I climbed out of the car, ready to tell him that. I had just opened my mouth when he opened the door to the sports car. "Hop in," he said. "I won't be a second."

I did as he said without hesitating, amazed at how easy it was to obey him. He slid into the driver's seat a moment later as Louis headed off in the other car.

Rob reached past me for the glove box and opened it. "Still here," he said, pulling out his phone. "Give me two minutes." He tapped at the screen before sticking the phone to his ear. "Annie? Rob. I need you to do something for me."

"Would you mind if we set off?" I asked, glancing around the car park and hoping not to notice anyone who might recognise me.

"Of course," he said, looking at me before starting the engine.

We started moving, the sound of ringing coming through the car speakers. "Good morning, Rob," a woman's voice said when the phone connected. "You survived the night in murder mansion then? Or did those pesky kids pull your face off to reveal you're the funfair owner in disguise after all?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied.

"Are you going to tell me you've never seen Scooby Doo?" She paused and then I heard a sigh. "It's a cartoon."

"Listen, Annie, much as I'd like to talk about my lack of cartoon knowledge, I need you to do a few things for me."

"Fire away, Shaggy."

I smiled. I doubted I'd ever meet the woman on the other end of the phone but I got the feeling that if I did, we'd probably get on.

"Arrange for someone to pick this car up from the airport. I'm going to fly back. Get Terrance to meet me there, I need him to have a look at something for me."

"STD from a ghost? It's all right, I don't judge."

"Just do it, Annie." There was that firmness in his voice again. It said that he didn't mind banter as long as the job got done. She knew what it meant as well as I did.

"All right, just relax. I'm on it."

"Good. I'll see you later on."

The phone went dead and he glanced across at me. "How are you with flying?"

"I've never tried it."

"You've never flown?"

"Nope. Lack of wings makes it an issue."

"You're infuriating, do you know that?" But he was smiling at me as he said it and I smiled back.

We drove out of town, heading into the countryside. I found myself drifting off to sleep, not waking up until we bumped over a hump on the road. I opened my eyes to find a huge hangar looming in front of the car. "I'm pretty sure you're not meant to be in this bit," I said as I sat upright. "Isn't that where the planes go?"

"You mean the runway?"

"That's it. What are you doing, Rob? We're going to get arrested."

Then I saw the plane in front of the hangar. It was a squat white thing. Along the side of it was a logo in black letters. Davies Inc.

A lightbulb went on above my head. "You're Rob Davies, of Davies Inc?"

He nodded, bringing the car to a stop at the edge of the hangar. "What gave it away?"

"You...you're a billionaire."

"So they tell me."

"You're rich." The sentence was stupid but it was out before I could take it back.

“Most billionaires are. What? Why are you looking at me like that?

"I can't believe you only bet a pound.”

“How much would you have bet if you were in my shoes?”

“At least one pound fifty."

"Come on," he said, climbing out of the car. "Or I'll go without you."

I was out like a shot, scurrying after him as he headed into the hangar. Inside was quiet, just a couple of men over by the back door, muttering about something on a clipboard. They saw Rob and immediately started looking busy.

"This way." I found my hand clasped in his as he took me over to a row of lockers. "What size are you?" he asked, pulling open the nearest locker. "Here, try this one."

He pulled out a uniform in blue, the kind of thing cabin crew would wear. "Am I working for you now?" I asked, looking down at it.

"Your dress is torn," he replied. "And covered in mud. You can keep it on if you prefer but I thought you might prefer something that doesn't flash your right nipple every time you move your arms."

I looked down, seeing he was right. There was a cut just in the wrong place. How had I not noticed that? I blushed, my cheeks burning as I stepped behind a curtain into a tiny little cubicle.

The uniform consisted of a skirt, blouse, and jacket. I set them down on the chair next to me and began pulling off my dress. As it slid over my shoulders, I glanced at the curtain, seeing a gap large enough for him to look in and see me.

He was looking out at the plane and I felt strangely disappointed. I stood naked, my skin chilling rapidly, willing him to look my way, wanting to see if last night had been a fluke, if he would be repulsed by me in the cold light of day.

"Hey," he said, marching over and pulling the curtain back. "Are you done?"

His voice dropped at the end as his eyes widened. He looked at my naked body and for a moment, I thought he was going to apologise and walk away. But then he stepped in, closing the curtain behind him. "You look good," he said, his hands wrapping around my back, pulling me towards him. "You look very good."

His hands cupped my buttocks and I felt his cock digging into me, already hard.

He pressed his lips to mine, his tongue sliding into my mouth as he continued to play with my ass, stroking a line between my cheeks, finding the tiny little hidden hole and expertly teasing it, stroking around it, his hips making tiny thrusts towards me as if he was already inside me.

Our tongues entwined, my hands on his back, feeling the raw strength of him. I let out a shriek as he lifted me up, holding me effortlessly in the air as I wrapped my legs around his back. "We haven't got long," he said, shoving me against the wall behind me. My feet slid to the floor as his hand moved from my ass, stroking a line around my hips to suddenly grope between my legs, finding my clit, rubbing it softly, in contrast to the pressure of his rough kiss.

I moaned into his mouth, shifting in place, willing him to continue. "Don't make a sound," he growled, sinking to his knees, kissing his way down until his face was level with my pussy. Then he stuck out his tongue and I nearly screamed with delight.

"Not a sound," he ordered, glaring up at me.