Chapter 22
The hysteria that followed the press announcement was phenomenal.
His phone had been ringing off the hook for days.
The first few he’d answered had been reporters desperate for an exclusive but he had stuck to his guns.
No interviews. He and Grace had been through enough in the last three days; he didn’t want what had happened to her getting out.
So now his phone was switched off and it would stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Anyone important in his life had Grace’s number; if they needed him they would ring her.
Telling his parents had been easier than he thought.
They were always supportive no matter what he did in his life.
They hadn’t batted an eyelid when he announced after college that he was concentrating on a music career instead of finding a job.
They knew he was in a good position and had told him to take his time making any plans for the future.
Grace had finally calmed down after she witnessed the discussion with his parents, realising that he had indeed been thinking about leaving for a while.
He had convinced her to take a short break away with him.
Spending a week in the sun, lazing on a private beach had been the perfect medicine for both of them.
He still refused point blank to discuss exactly what he planned on doing now that he no longer had a career.
He wanted to enjoy the freedom first. He wanted to make sure that he and Grace were back on track.
He needed to prove to her that she hadn’t destroyed his future.
They flew back into Scotland. The lease on the lighthouse was up at the end of the following week and he had wanted to make the most of it before then.
Besides, Scotland was where Grace lived and he had no intention of being separated from her anytime soon.
As the driver drove up the headland towards the lighthouse Grace became immediately aware of the amount of vehicles parked on the road.
There was never any traffic on this road usually; it didn’t lead anywhere but the lighthouse.
Nudging him, she indicated that he should check out the window.
“Ah shit! Are you kidding me? How the hell did the press find out I was here? I mean nobody knows I rented this place. I can’t stay here now.” He ran his hand over his face in exasperation.
“Hey, we’ll just go to my place. It’s fine.
You can stay there, at least until they disappear.
” Reaching out she squeezed his hand tightly, offering him the sweetest of smiles as she did.
If truth be known she was desperate for him not to head back to London.
They had spent every day together for the past two, almost three weeks and if she was honest, she kind of liked it.
Knowing that he would be staying with her was the best feeling.
As they drove into the courtyard surrounding the lighthouse the camera flashes almost blinded them.
Alex threw a protective arm around her shoulders.
Using his hand he nestled her head against his neck, shielding her face from the intrusion, wanting to protect her anonymity for as long as possible.
As soon as they found out she was a permanent fixture in his life she wouldn’t be able to move without being photographed or followed.
When the paparazzi realised they weren’t staying and the car turned around they began chasing alongside them, banging on the windows, shouting his name.
As soon as it was safe the driver put his foot down, speeding them away from the volatile situation towards the safety of Grace’s flat.
That had been three months ago and Alex was still staying in the flat with Grace.
As the days drifted by she had become gradually more and more comfortable with him being there.
The early niggles of sharing her tiny flat had vanished only to be replaced with the excitement of coming home to him every day.
She went to work knowing that when she got home at night he would be waiting for her.
He had become quite the domestic god – he had come a long way since the fish finger sandwiches!
Grace couldn’t remember the last time she had to cook a meal or clean the flat; he took care of everything.
He had even replaced the tiny little television she had been given years ago with a huge flat screen thing that now dominated her lounge.
“How can you watch anything on that thing? I can barely even see it!” he had stated one evening.
She had opened the door three days later to a delivery guy standing on her doorstep with the massive box precariously balanced in his arms.
She wasn’t sure what he did to fill his days whilst she was working but, honestly, she didn’t care as long as he stayed.
Opening the front door the now familiar smell of a home cooked meal wafted down the hallway to greet her.
It was a revelation how easily she had adjusted to this cohabiting lark.
Disappointment hit her when he didn’t rush out to meet her.
It was his way of welcoming her home everyday – hug, kiss and a glass of wine while he finished dishing out their meal.
Wandering further into the flat she peeked around the lounge door.
She was rewarded with the sight of her man sprawled out on the sofa, a bottle of beer in the hand that was resting on the floor.
Sneaking over to surprise him she hadn’t realised he was asleep until she heard the gentle snoring.
Kneeling beside him she took in every inch of his face before she gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.
“Hey, babe.” Smiling against her mouth he spoke through the kiss.
“Hey, lightweight! So this is what you do all day whilst I slave to keep a roof over our heads!” Teasing him she giggled while he tickled her ribs. “So what’re you feeding me tonight? I am starving.”
“Lemon chicken. Not sleeping, I was just resting my eyes. You did keep me up most of last night making unreasonable demands on my body.” He dragged her from the floor, laying her on top of him on the couch, somewhere she was more than happy to be.
“Well, you know what they say; practise makes perfect!” Although he was damned near perfect already.
Alex roared with laughter at her comment. “I love practising with you.” He sniggered.
Grace sat on the kitchen counter top as Alex finished cooking dinner; she loved to watch him in the kitchen.
“So what’s this surprise you have planned for me tomorrow? You know I hate surprises, it makes me tetchy.” She nibbled on raw veggies as he busied himself with pots and pans.
“You will love this one, I promise. But no clues so stop asking me.” Leaning into her he bit the end of the carrot stick she held in her hands before nipping the end of her nose gently with his teeth.
They spent the rest of the evening playing Guitar Hero on the new games console he’d had delivered earlier in the day. Alex was very competitive as he tried to make sure he won every round.
As the sun broke through the crack in the curtains Grace’s eyes fluttered open to find Alex propped up on one elbow with a smile on his face. “Are you watching me sleep? That’s a bit freaky.” She yawned as she spoke.
“I like to watch you sleep, and snore, of course. Are you ready for your big surprise?” Reaching out he dragged her across the bed and into his chest, holding her close.
“It had better be a good one, Carter. It’s too early to be awake on my day off if it isn’t!”
“Quit your whinging. Get dressed and I’ll get us some breakfast.” He dragged her out of bed with him.
He refused to leave the room until she was in the en suite and he could hear the shower running.
A huge grin cracked across his face as he reached into his jacket pocket, making sure the small black leather box was safely still ensconced inside.
He lifted the lid taking one last peek at its contents before stashing it away again.
Alex lifted the helmet onto her head fastening the chin strap snugly for her before he zipped up her jacket the rest of the way.
Her leathers had been another recent purchase after he had complained she didn’t take her safety seriously enough when riding the bikes.
According to his standards she had to have one with level 3 Kevlar for better protection, not to mention the gloves he was now holding out for her to slide her hands into.
It didn’t matter that she had been riding for years and had not come off once in that time.
When he was sure she was well zipped and covered he slid his own helmet on and mounted the bike.
Knocking it off the kick stand he waited for Grace to take her position behind him as he pulled back on the throttle, feeling the full power of the bike.
He loved to ride; the anonymity that the helmet provided was also a huge draw for him. It made him feel free.
Sitting behind him Grace had to admit that she loved to ride pillion with him.
Snuggling in behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, was another kind of heaven.
As he pulled the bike out into the stream of traffic she relaxed around him, feeling the thrill of racing through the streets with him.