Eduardo was pleased to be safely back at the hotel. He hadn’t entirely liked what he’d seen of Sam. He did though have a grudging admiration for her determination and ruthlessness. Although they were characteristics that would not be out of place in his business, he wasn’t really very keen on finding them in a lover. He preferred to go to sleep next to someone of a less dangerous nature. And that she could be dangerous he had no doubt. When the time came to walk away, he wasn’t quite sure how she would react.
Sam wasted no time in climbing on top of Eduardo. As soon as they came through the door she pushed him back on to the bed and started tearing at his belt buckle. Their sex was frantic and born of a hunger for each other’s bodies that had to be urgently sated.
“I needed that,” she smiled.
“I noticed!”
Eduardo smiled to himself at the thought Sam would have tried to rape him if he had said no to her advances. He lay quiet for a minute while his breathing returned to normal.
She propped herself on one elbow and looked at him while stroking the hair on his chest. “That was real good,” she said.
“I thought so too.” This woman beside him was far more complex than he had anticipated. Eduardo found that revelation both exciting and somewhat of a worry.
“Eduardo, I need to ask another favour.” She continued lightly caressing his chest. “I want to kill Ashdown.”
Eduardo jumped up quickly into a sitting position. “That is madness. We need to get well away from here.”
Sam pouted. “I have a plan. And then I promise I will make it up to you.”
Eduardo couldn’t help but smile. He now knew this woman would do anything to revenge her brother and whatever he said would be irrelevant. He also knew how she would make it up to him. Better to help her and perhaps keep her out of trouble. Otherwise she would simply ignore him.
Tom had enjoyed his quietest day in almost a week. For once, there had been no one trying to kill him or his family and he had even shown his face in the shop, for a second consecutive day. Only a handful of people had been in the shop the previous evening when he arrived with Melanie but the news had spread of the famous guest. Young Ben had been particularly overawed and hardly said anything to Melanie but now was keen to speak about nothing else.
Tom detected a noticeable increase in customers despite the bad weather. It was a trend he was informed by Ben, which had been on a sharp upwards curve since details of his story appeared on the front page of the newspapers. Whether the new customers were actually spending money or just enjoying his free coffee, he wasn’t certain. Tom dutifully spent an hour chatting to regulars and newcomers, handing out coffee, taking bets and accepting congratulations from everyone. Yes it was true Melanie Adams had been in the shop the previous night. He had to admit to once again quite enjoying his new found celebrity status.
Melanie had returned to London for a meeting with her Agent. Their early morning love making meant she was going to be late for that meeting and had left Tom feeling the luckiest man on the planet. They had had what was really their first serious discussion about the future. It was a subject he had always chosen to avoid but as she lay in his arms, she had said simply that despite the terrible events of the previous few days, she was so pleased she had met him. He had muttered something similar and then she had come right out and said it, “I don’t want this to end. I don’t want to live on a different continent to you.”
He’d thought about this moment several times. What he was going to say when the subject arose. He had thought she would be announcing her return home to work and they would agree to stay in touch. Maybe even he would go out for a visit but this was quite different. Melanie was hinting at a future together. This wasn’t in Tom’s script but it was exciting. In the short term she had to return home for Carol’s funeral but was suggesting he accompany her and stay for Christmas. The break would do him good. She could show him her home and life. For a moment he was carried away with the enthusiasm of the moment but he couldn’t leave now, not while Colin was still in hospital. She had forgotten Colin for an instant and apologized profusely. Of course he couldn’t leave. But when Colin improved then she expected Tom to pay a visit. He smiled and promised he would.
Tom dared to believe for the first time that they might actually have a future. Then in the same moment the voice in his head warned him not to get too carried away. He was punching well above his weight. He was sure nobody who knew him would understand how he was with Melanie Adams or more importantly why she was with him. Everywhere she went she turned heads. When he was with her Tom felt the proudest and luckiest man alive. He was concerned about the many practical details but she dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
One issue that particularly concerned Tom was finances. A subject that always seemed to follow him around. While most couples would worry about whether they had enough money to
