Chapter Twenty-One
Hayley
‘ T his is so great.’ Genevieve took Hayley by the hand at the end of the dance class. ‘Thank you so much for organising it all.’ She hugged her. ‘I’ve not properly seen you for ages. Wedding mania has taken over. We have to do something soon. Just the two of us.’
‘Of course we can.’ She patted Genevieve’s back. ‘I just hope this is what you wanted.’
‘Oh, more than.’ She pulled back. ‘This place is so beautiful, and everything has been so much fun. I’m glad we’ve got time to rest before dinner though. It’s been so full on.’
‘Totally.’ Hayley was pretty certain Genevieve and Finlay wouldn’t be resting the whole time, but she didn’t want to imagine what her brother was getting up to in his bedroom. She’d much rather imagine what she might be getting up to with Oliver later.
Once Finlay and Genevieve had gone off up the stairs, Hayley hovered about, waiting for Oliver to catch up.
‘Hey,’ she said. ‘My room has the most amazing views. Fancy having a look?’
‘Is that code?’
She waggled her eyebrows. ‘You betcha.’
‘Then give me five. Which room is it?’
‘The Snowy Owl Suite.’
‘The room names are so weird,’ he said. ‘But I’ll be there.’
Hayley refrained from clapping her hands together.
‘Hey.’ Someone tapped her on the shoulder, just as Oliver headed upstairs and she spun around.
‘Willow.’ Hayley beamed. ‘Did you enjoy the dancing?’
‘Yeah, it was good. I’m so knackered now.’
‘You should be carrying her up,’ Hayley said to Marcus.
‘I offered.’
Willow giggled. ‘I wouldn’t mind, but not with everyone watching.’
‘Feel free to carry me ,’ Hayley said.
Marcus laughed. ‘This is a great place. How did you find it?’
‘Fluke.’ She gave a little shrug.
‘I agree, it’s fantastic.’ Her cousin, Aidan, moved in beside her on the stairs with Lilah, keeping to one side to let others pass. Why did everyone suddenly want to talk? She didn’t want to be rude, but she really wanted to get to Oliver. They kept talking though and Hayley smiled, nodded, and tried to inch up the stairs. More than ten minutes passed before she finally got away. Dammit. Oliver wasn’t at her door. Well, she wasn’t really surprised. It would have been pretty silly to hang about outside, but where was he? He probably thought she’d changed her mind and gone off in a huff.
With a sigh, she shoved open the door. She’d have to message him. But before she could get near her phone, arms wrapped around her and pulled her inside.
‘I thought you’d never get here.’ Oliver took her face in his hands and kissed her. And, oh god, what a kiss. ‘I need this. I need you .’ His words were husky and punctured by deep breathing.
‘Then don’t bloody stop.’ Hayley dragged her sweater off, revealing her lacy black bra.
‘Oh fuck,’ Oliver muttered. ‘You are so perfect and beautiful. I…’
‘Shh. Just kiss me.’
The touch of his warm palms circling her back and the soft groans coming from his lips ignited fireworks inside her. She relaxed into him, needing him ever closer, and gasping as he kissed her harder. His fingers wove into her hair and he nuzzled it.
‘You’re just too good and your hair… It’s just stunning.’ He stepped back and untucked his shirt. Without unbuttoning it properly, he heaved it up over his head and tossed it away. His eyes darkened and Hayley’s heart leapt several beats. His upper body was glorious, sculpted, and honed to perfection.
‘Come back,’ she said, and he moved closer, placing his hands on her waist. She threaded her fingers into his hair, and he slipped his hands under her bottom, lifting her body onto his. She went with it, wrapping her legs around him. He turned her around and held her against the wall. The heat of his bare skin against hers was electrifying. Their tongues played and Hayley’s insides ached for more, so much more.
She gripped his bare back, moaning as he kissed down her neck, then found her mouth again. Her heart raced. This was so hot, so passionate and intimate. Her trust in Oliver was implicit. She wouldn’t normally want someone lifting her like this, but she knew he wouldn’t drop her. His muscly arms were too strong for that.
He carried her, and she held on, looking him in the eye and he gazed back. The intensity was overwhelming. He lowered her to the bed, and she relaxed into the soft bedding. She didn’t want to let go of his beautiful body, so she kept her arms around his neck.
‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He gave her a little smile. ‘I just want to take off my jeans. You can release me.’
She laughed and let go. ‘A girl can’t be too careful.’
Oliver eased off his jeans and Hayley lay back with a contented sigh and unfastened her own.
‘I’ll do that.’ He returned to her and pulled them over her hips. She raised her legs and gasped as he took her knickers too. ‘All’s fair,’ he said.
‘In what? Love and war? So which one’s this?’
‘I’ll let you decide that.’ He lowered his body over hers and kissed her on the lips. He took it steady and slow, making his way over her collarbone and further down towards her stomach, before stopping to meet her eyes. She took in a sharp breath as his mouth connected softly with the inside of her thigh. Control, Hayley, control. But Christ, it was too late for that. He paused for a moment to take off his boxer briefs and used the moment to gaze down at her face. She held her breath. What a look. What did it mean? Did he look at all the girls like that, or was she just very, very lucky? Something deep inside her stirred, making her want to both laugh and cry.
‘Are you ok?’ he whispered.
‘Very… Yes. You?’
‘Never better.’ He lowered his face and kissed her cheek. ‘And you’re sure you want to do this.’
‘Sure.’ She ran her fingers through his thick hair and waited for his mouth to return to hers.
‘Ok then.’ He kissed her cheek again, then her earlobe, then her neck, winding her hair around his hand and twisting it gently. He held it like it was a lifeline, then brought it to his lips, kissed it and dropped it so it landed in a thick coil over her breast. ‘One sec,’ he muttered and leaned over to the floor, lifting his jeans and fishing in the pockets.
‘I assume that’s why you went back to your room.’
‘Better safe than sorry.’ He smiled as he ripped a condom wrapper open.
Hayley rested her head back and flicked her hair out, so it spread across the white sheets. Oliver’s expression was sexy as hell. When he looked back at her, his eyes were full of desire.
‘Come here,’ Hayley said, and he leaned over her. She brushed her lips over his, pulling him closer. The heat of his body on hers was like a furnace. She gasped as his kisses intensified. He popped her bra and slipped it off, then found her breasts with his warm hands. They pushed up to meet his palms, and he soothed them and caressed them. His mouth was on her neck, her nipples, her tummy, lower and lower, until she barely remembered her own name. Being kissed down there was not normal on dates, and this was so good. Oliver’s groans were like music to her ears. His enjoyment pushed her over the edge and she climaxed on his lips more powerfully than she’d ever done before.
‘Oh god,’ she moaned as she caught her breath.
‘I’m not sure I can hold on much longer.’ He lowered his forehead to hers.
‘Then don’t. I want you.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Hell yes. Let’s make the magic happen again. That was just the starter, right?’
He smiled, and she melted, tracing the curve of his lips.
‘You should smile more often. It suits you.’
‘I’m not normally this happy.’ He lifted her hips onto his and she relaxed for him. Gently, he nudged into her, groaning, and closing his eyes. ‘Oh Christ. Oh god.’ He seemed to have lost the power of speech as he leaned over her, bracing himself on the headboard.
She glided her palms over his shoulders, then down towards his tight bum. That seemed to jolt him into action, and he thrust slowly but deep. Her turn to moan. This was off-the-scale good. His thrusts intensified, and she dragged him in for a kiss.
‘Kiss me. More.’ She needed his lips, his kisses, all of him.
He broke away, panting, and his eyes caught hers and didn’t leave. ‘Hayley, oh god, Hayley,’ he whispered her name repeatedly, moving faster and more urgently.
Hayley dug her nails into his back. The bedroom burst into bright lights around her and she held on for dear life.
‘Hayley, oh god, Hayley. I love you, god, Hayley.’ Oliver’s words came out barely more than a breath as he jolted inside her. Hayley, so saturated with dopamine, wasn’t in a fit state to process them immediately. They just fit the moment so well.
As Oliver lay on top of her, his back rising and falling under her hands, she slowly floated back down to earth. The warmth and softness of the bedding cocooned her. The slight roughness of his cheek against hers reminded her of the time she’d shaved him. And the wonderful weight of his body on hers covered her like a soothing blanket. She closed her eyes and smiled. But a slight frown crept in. Had he said… Love? Surely not? He wouldn’t have. If he had, it was just the heat of the moment, right? But that had to be a big slip from Mr Wright! It would be a shock if he’d said it to anyone before, ever. But she still wasn’t entirely sure that was what he’d said. Maybe it was a case of hear what you want to hear. And that had been a pretty seriously charged encounter. Talk about intense. But soooo satisfying. She let out another moan.
‘Sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘Am I squashing you?’
‘No. I like you just where you are.’
He shifted, withdrawing from her but not letting go.
‘I didn’t have you down as a cuddler,’ she said.
‘I’m not, but I’m indulging you as I kind of figured you were.’ His arms pulled closer, holding her tighter.
This is the best feeling ever… almost.
‘Oh, I’m a cuddler, alright. And look, if you just put your hand there.’ She moved his hand to her hip, nudged him gently, then rolled, so they were facing each other. ‘And I put this one over you, then, tada. We’re cuddling and it’s really not too bad, is it?’
‘Not bad at all.’ He intensified his grip and moved his other hand to her cheek to stroke it, then placed a long lingering kiss on her lips. ‘Nothing about you is bad. That was the best.’
She smiled. ‘It was, wasn’t it?’
‘Easily.’
‘Can we do it again?’
‘After dinner,’ he said. ‘We haven’t got that much time.’
‘Your room next.’
‘Ok.’ He continued stroking her face until her eyes closed. She could quite happily fall into a drowsy sleep, but they had a meal and a dance to get through and she had to get ready.
‘Oh no.’ Her eyes pinged open, and she sat up. ‘I need to get dressed for the party. I don’t want a just-tumbled-out-of-bed look.’
Oliver smiled. ‘No worries. I’ll go and you can get ready.’
‘Make sure no one sees you.’
‘I’ll put my clothes on before I leave, then it won’t matter if anyone sees me. We can just say I was talking to you.’
‘Ok.’ She got up and grabbed a blanket from the bottom of the bed to put around herself. It was cold now Oliver had left her.
He took his clothes into the en suite and emerged a few minutes later, looking almost normal. Only she would see the slight telltale flush on his cheeks.
‘See you later.’ He glanced at the door, back at her, then came over and gave her a brief peck on the cheek.
When the door shut, Hayley turned to the mirror, stared at her reflection, and touched her cheek. Oh my god. Who would have thought Oliver could be so sweet? She’d fancied a hot physical encounter, but she’d not dreamed it would be that intense and… loving? It had been. Or was she just crazy and imagining things because she wanted to? Who wouldn’t want to be the woman to crack the iceman? Oliver wasn’t demonstrative and always claimed to hate relationships and even the thought of them, yet here he was behaving like a man in love.
‘Oh fuck it, I’m deluded,’ she muttered, grabbing her clothes. ‘How was that any different from anything else?’ But it was. Even if she couldn’t pinpoint what was different, she knew it.
The dining room at Thistle Lodge was decorated with winter flower displays and the dishes they’d prepared earlier all featured on the set menus. Hayley raised her eyebrow at the list. Would anyone pick the winter vegetable soup? If they did, would it taste ok, or had the chef perhaps made a new batch just in case?
Hayley sat next to her mum, who appeared a lot happier than before as she was beside her sister, Lorna – Willow’s mum – and engrossed in chat with her. Thank goodness, because Hayley’s brain couldn’t focus on any of it. Her spirit was still upstairs, cuddling with Oliver.
Once everyone was settled and the air was alive with clinking glasses and the murmur of laughter, Oliver got to his feet and pinged a glass. Hayley gaped at him. She’d never imagined him doing anything so showy or drawing attention to himself like that, but she supposed he spoke in court, and this probably wasn’t any worse. Sitting back, she watched with a little smile as he called for order. Dressed in his kilt suit, he looked edible. Slowly the noise died down and he replaced the spoon and the empty glass.
‘Please forgive my interruption,’ he said. Hayley raked her eyes over him. Less than an hour ago, that hot bod had been in bed with her. Just my guilty little secret. ‘Now, this is just the sten and not the actual wedding, so I’ll save my proper speech until then,’ he continued. ‘However, I can’t let this moment slip by without saying a few words. Of course, I’d like to toast the bride and groom, but before we do that, I’d like you all to know that this event was made possible by Finlay’s lovely little sister, Hayley. Most of you know her and know how feisty she is when she gets the bit between her teeth.’ He cast her a look, and she wondered what he was going to say. She hadn’t been the only feisty one this afternoon. ‘Ever since Genevieve and Finlay asked us to be best man and chief bridesmaid, Hayley has bullied me mercilessly into making sure we did something special for this event. Now, I’m sorry to say, I’ve done next to nothing compared to her, but in fairness, I simply bowed to her superior organisation skills as I’m sure most of you would have.’ He glanced up and smiled as a few people tittered in agreement. ‘So, please, join me in a heartfelt thank you to Hayley for bringing this event about.’
Heat rushed into her cheeks as people applauded and cheered. She had not expected this.
‘Thank you.’ She held up her hands, smiling, and the clapping died down.
‘And now,’ Oliver said, ‘to Genevieve and Finlay. I’m sure you’ll all agree there couldn’t be a couple more made for each other. Everyone in this room knows their story and if that’s not one for the grandkids, I don’t know what is. I’m possibly the most sceptical person in the room, and at first, I didn’t believe the engagement would last, but I’d like to publicly eat my words. I’m sorry I ever doubted. Genevieve and Finlay.’ He picked up his glass. ‘I raise a toast to you and wish you a long and happy marriage.’
Everyone murmured the toast, and someone whistled.
Finlay laughed. ‘Coming from a divorce lawyer, I won’t take it lightly.’
Oliver resumed his seat and waiters started moving around.
‘He is adorable,’ her mum said. ‘He’s come through so much. Such a brave man.’
On Hayley’s other side was Genevieve, then came Finlay and then Oliver. Probably best that she wasn’t next to him. Her control was at an all-time low and that was saying something because she wasn’t usually one for holding back.
‘That was quite a speech.’ Genevieve leaned towards Hayley, away from Finlay. ‘He gave us a bit of the courtroom presence there, which is funny because I’ve hardly even heard him speak before. He’s so quiet.’
‘Yeah. He is.’
‘And it was nice that he thanked you.’ She squeezed Hayley’s knee. ‘Good too, because Finlay was really worried he’d be horrible to you.’
‘Why?’
‘Because the two of you don’t get on, do you?’
‘Oh well.’
Genevieve smiled. ‘I appreciate you putting the war aside for us.’
Hayley took a sip of her drink. Oliver had told her she could choose between love and war and she definitely hadn’t picked war. ‘No problem,’ she said. ‘Did your brother not come today?’ Hayley turned around. She’d spotted Genevieve’s sister earlier but hadn’t seen Rafe.
‘No, he’s really busy. He’s promised to come to the wedding though. Why?’ She looked intrigued. ‘Because he is a very eligible single man, if you’re interested.’
‘No, of course I’m not.’ Even though Hayley knew Rafe Harrington was very well-respected and rich. Perfect marriage material really, but he had a fault. He wasn’t Oliver.
‘Shame. That would have been funny if I’d married your brother and you’d married mine.’
‘I don’t think that would ever happen. I like my quiet life here and he lives in Edinburgh, doesn’t he?’
‘Glasgow. But I’m with you. Glenbriar is my happy place.’
‘Me too.’ She swallowed a gulp of champagne. Shame Oliver wouldn’t say the same. His departure to London was going to hit like a tonne weight. Worse than ever now. How could she part with him? She’d been happy to have a fling with him. Jeez, she’d invited it. But how much bigger had it got already? She wanted to see him again later. And what then? Oh god, how messy.
Her ears tuned into the conversation between Finlay and Oliver. Finlay’s voice carried. ‘I’ll miss having you around. Who am I going to share my cycling adventures with?’
‘The same people I would have done if you’d gone to Dubai.’
‘Never going to forgive me for that, are you?’
‘Nope.’ Oliver fake punched him. ‘Just think, you can visit me in London. We can explore the urban cycle routes together.’
‘Oh god, yeah. You won’t be able to keep me away. Gen’s already desperate to go.’
‘Oh my god, yes,’ Genevieve said. ‘I’m definitely coming. You two can go cycling and I’ll…’ She sneaked a peek at Hayley and grinned. ‘I’ll take Hayley and we can go shopping.’
Hayley laughed, but her insides squirmed. If she went to London to see Oliver, shopping would be way down her list. She glanced at her food. But it wasn’t like she could just dot up and down to see Oliver anyway. Why would she do that? She wasn’t going to be some hanger on who waited six months just to have sex with a guy she thought was hot. That wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted so much more. Each second with Oliver gave her nothing but false hope. If only she could stop caring and go back to disliking him, it would be so much easier.