Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
LEAH
W hether it’s my pregnancy or I’m just horny, I can’t seem to get enough of Gabriel. Not just in the bedroom, either. Over the past three weeks we have spent more and more time together, either gaming, watching TV shows, or chatting.
I straighten my skirt as he zips up his trousers, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling my back against his chest. We barely made it in the door before he had me bent over the back of the sofa and was sinking into me, my body a hot mess from his dirty talk all the way home in the car.
“Hum,” he says, dropping a kiss on my neck. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”
I snake my arm up and around his head, holding him in place. “Me too.” I don’t remember ever feeling as wanton as I do with Gabriel.
But Gabriel and I have an agreement. This is just us letting off steam, enjoying each other for the moment. When the lust fades, we will return to the status quo we agreed on, and raise the child we’ve created in a stress free and loving environment. Our child will want for nothing .
It would be very easy to fall in love with Gabriel Frazer and that’s not a good thing. My job, my happiness, and that of our child will rely heavily on the relationship we build going forward.
He steps back after one final kiss before making his way over to the kitchen. “Are you ready for the weekend?”
“I am,” I say, following behind him. “I saw Chloe. My outfits are sorted. The fundraiser has been finalised. We have some amazing items to auction off.”
Gabriel turns and drops a kiss on my nose, his arms encircling my waist.
“Mum is singing your praises. You’ve made quite an impression. Beware, I think she has high hopes in roping you in on future events.”
I stare at him, unsure he’s thought this through. When the baby arrives, we’ll return to our separate lives. I’m not sure Francesca will want me then.
Oblivious, he adds, “Together we can survive what is known as my family .”
“They can’t be that bad,” I reply, only to have him roll his eyes. I pat his chest and let my fears dissipate. I need to learn to live for the moment.
“You have no idea,” he says. And I begin to wonder what I’ve let myself in for.
We turn off the road, passing through two ornate brick pillars supporting equally large metal gates.
“Welcome to Frazer Manor,” Gabriel says, as I take in our surroundings. There’s no house in sight, just a vast green, open space, and trees that line the road we’re travelling on.
“This used to be part of the working farmland. Now it’s purely decorative,” he explains .
“Is it still a working farm?” I ask, taking in the beautiful surroundings, an air of tranquillity washing over me the further in we drive. This is the opposite of the city. I didn’t realise how in need of a green fix I was.
“It is, although the family doesn’t run it. We rent out the land and it’s managed by some of the local farmers,” he says, as we meet a high stone wall with brick buildings behind it.
He turns right and pauses, waiting for another set of gates to open. This time solid wooden ones.
The gates open, framing another tree-lined driveway, although this one is shorter. At the end of the driveway, I can see a fountain set in front of shallow, wide stone steps that lead up to an enormous house.
He drives forward. A far cry from the council house and estate on which I was raised. Not that I’m embarrassed. Our home was always welcoming and well-maintained. Both of my parents worked hard for what we had. It’s where I developed my work ethic.
The stone building is imposing. The steps lead up to a double height and width wooden doorway, surrounded by clematis. Two stone urns sit either side of the door, their contents offering a vibrant splash of multi-colour against the grey. Enormous sash windows, pepper the walls and must offer spectacular views of the grounds.
I try to keep my mouth from dropping open.
Gabriel turns to me and grins. “Welcome to my childhood home,” he says.
“Wow, oh wow,” I stutter. “Not what I was expecting.”
He jumps out, coming around to my side of the car. I take his hand, still having issues unfolding myself from the car seat, and I know it’s only going to get worse when my stomach grows. I wonder if Gabriel realises his car will not cut it with a child and baby seat .
“We had a lot of fun here as children,” he says. “It’s not as stuffy as it looks from the outside.”
I watch a weight lift from his shoulders.
“So many places to hide. Your mother must have had a nervous breakdown trying to keep tabs on you all.”
He winks, taking me by surprise. “I’ll show you some of the best places.”
He keeps hold of my hand as we walk to the front door, which opens instantly.
“You’ve made it,” Francesca says, descending the stairs in record time and throwing her arms around us both.
“Welcome Leah, please make yourself at home. This may be a large house, but there’s no standing on ceremony. That’s not how this house runs, not around the family anyway,” she says, linking her arm through mine and pulling me away from Gabriel.
He drops his chin and shakes his head.
“I’ve put you in your old room,” Francesca tells Gabriel, who is now being accosted by a middle-aged man.
“I’ll take care of your luggage, Mr Gabriel,” the man says.
“Thank you, Henry,” Gabriel replies before catching up to his mother and me as we walk through the large double doors and into the house.
The entrance hall is breathtaking. With a gigantic stone fireplace on one wall. Along with an ornate chandelier and a large curving staircase. I feel like I’ve been transported back in time.
I turn and face Francesca.
“You have a beautiful home,” I say, watching a smile form on her lips.
“Thank you. It’s a lot quieter now it doesn’t have five children running around. But one day, I hope my grandchildren will fill it.”
Oh boy, not too much pressure. I clench my hand against my side, preventing it from touching my stomach and the tiny life that’s growing.
“I’m still waiting for the others to arrive. Elijah and Lottie will be down after Lottie finishes school. Kat has a late meeting but has promised she’ll be here for dinner. Caleb is en route, and Harper is around somewhere, recovering from last night.”
It’s three thirty in the afternoon. It must have been a good night if she’s still recovering. But then the press is all over Gabriel’s little sister. Influencer and IT Girl. There isn’t a week that goes by without her doing something that splashes her over the tabloid newspapers.
“Gabriel, take Leah up to your room, and then you can join me in the drawing room for afternoon tea. Betsy’s been baking all morning. Her scones were due out of the oven. So they should still be warm.”
Taking my hand he leads me up the impressive staircase. In the centre, it diverts, either left or right.
“West wing, east wing, although a mezzanine balcony connects both sides,” he explains as we head right
The walls are wood panelled halfway up, the rest covered with artwork or photographs of the family. Gabriel has four brothers and sisters, and there are lots of photographs of them at varying times in their lives; celebrations, achievements, holidays. Alongside those are pictures of his extended family, which is even greater. We stop by what looks to be a family portrait. An older couple sitting centre stage. There must be thirty people of varying ages. I spot the twins. They look to be in their late teens.
“Cousins, uncles, aunts,” Gabriel says as if reading my mind. “My grandparents had five children, my dad being the eldest. The Frazer clan is quite extensive.”
“Do you still see them all?” I ask.
“Some more than others,” he says .
I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have that many relatives. On my father’s side, I have two cousins, but as an only child, my friends were the ones who provided me with companionship. It likely explains my close friendship with Stella and Nat.
“Quite a few will come on Sunday, but they’re spread out all over the world.” He stops in front of a large door. “This is us,” he says, pushing it open and motioning for me to step inside.
The room is remarkably light and airy. Two sash windows let in the afternoon light. I move towards the windows, heavy curtains framing them. The view looks over the back garden, where a hive of activity is happening on the lawn.
Gabriel comes to stand next to me, his posture more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him.
“Over there is the sunken garden and a maze of pathways. We used to love exploring as children. It leads to the vegetable garden, which also wraps around the side of the house, next to the kitchen. There’s a greenhouse there too. Mum is very into her organic vegetables and herbs. She’s also hands-on. My father used to laugh, telling everyone how she spent a fortune on manicures to get the mud out from under her fingernails.”
The affection in his voice is clear. His parents mean the world to him. That’s something we have in common.
“It kept her sane after Dad died. She spent hours tending her vegetables and fruit plants. That and the time she dedicates to the Frazer Foundation.”
I rest my hand on his arm. He turns his head, looking down at me. There’s pain in his eyes, but also something else.
“There’s a swimming pool on the opposite side, and the land stretches to the tree line.” He points to somewhere on the distant horizon .
Oh boy, I’m not in Kansas anymore.
Gabriel and my life are polar opposites in every way. Our child will undeniably be a child of two very different worlds. My family and I can never compete with all that Gabriel and his family can give it. My heart sinks at the thought.
“This was my room growing up.”
I plaster on a smile as we turn away from the window. It’s then I notice the large, wooden four-poster bed.
“That’s some bed for a child,” I say.
Far removed from my tiny single bed at my parents’ house. Something Vince would always complain about when we went to stay hence, I often went alone.
Gabriel surprises me by laughing. “This is an upgrade,” he says. “When I hit six feet, with no sign of slowing down, my parents realised my feet were hanging off my old bed. This, however, is another upgrade. This might be my old bedroom, but it’s also a guest room.”
“Were you an untidy teenager?” I ask. “There’s a lot of space to make a lot of mess.”
“My mum would tell you I had a floordrobe. I never remember it being that bad,” he says sheepishly, making me smile.
“I think most teenagers have their own floordrobe. When we have to buy our own clothes, we just learn that throwing them on the floor is not such a good idea.”
Once again, my mind returns to Vince, and the fact he never tidied up after himself, despite having come from a similar background to my own. Maybe it’s not so much about what or where you come from but about how we behave. I think about Gabriel’s bedroom, everything has a place. His clothes are neatly organised. Not that it matters. Gabriel and I are not a couple and never will be. We are enjoying a sexual relationship and having a child together. Whatever the girls want to think, our relationship has no long term future, and it will never have a fairy tale ending. Gabriel made that clear in the beginning. It’s not something he believes in and I have to remember that. Instead, I’m going with a happy for now, at least until our child is born, then I’ll have something else to concentrate on, something to look forward to.
“Come on, we better get downstairs before my mother sends out a search party, although maybe she won’t,” Gabriel says, pulling me into his arms, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that turns my legs to jelly as he walks me back towards the bed.
I root my feet into the carpet, my hands pressing against his shoulders. “We’re not keeping your mother waiting,” I say, knowing the colour in my cheeks is high.
“You’re no fun,” Gabriel says, stepping back.
“I’ll remind you of that later,” I say, spinning towards the door, my hips sashaying away from him.
“Tease,” he says, happily following.