Bound by Love (10 page)

Always full of surprises, Tanner left her to secure a room in the hotel, choosing the English Edwardian décor, over the art deco rooms. He preferred the classic British style. Fortunately, the Royal Suite, complete with personal butler, was available, which he felt was perfect for the night.

The hotel’s sta
ted goal was to make sure anything a guest wanted was there at their fingertips. Definitely, The Savoy suited Tanner’s style.

Service at The Savoy was not lacking in personal attention. Items the lovely couple would need for the evening were delivered to the room, including clothing items that, if not a perfect fit, were classy and ele
gant. Their belongings at the Athenaeum would be brought over by Tanner’s security, per his request. He’d decided he preferred to stay at The Savory beyond the one night.

Tanner returned, and fresh tea was provided. Natalie had been perfectly happy, listening to the music and relaxing. She gave him a languorous grin.
The smile on Tanner’s face was far from that.

She’d come to recognize that look. The dark look in his blue eyes conveyed his desire, and Natalie’s body responded.
A heavy heat flowed to her belly. She thought of the experiences they’d had in London, and how much closer they’d become. Love swelled in her heart. If only, he could feel the same.

Natalie stood and excused herself to go the ladies room. It was quiet and empty. She looked in the ornate mirror to check her appearance, never expecting to see Tanner leaning against the doorframe
behind her, with a smug look on his face.

“You’re in the ladies’ room,” she laughed.

“Exactly,” he laughed back. He stepped closer, and wrapped his arms around her. “You look delicious. You don’t need to look in mirrors.”

Natalie laughed again. “Someone could come in.”

“Let them,“ he said, and kissed her on the neck. “I don’t need to hide the heat I feel for you.” He undid the front of her pants, and slid his hand inside. Natalie put her head back against his shoulder. His fingers found her wet slit, and he teased a bit, before touching her tensed clit.

“I know you. I saw the look on your face. You can’t
pretend,” he whispered. Expertly, his finger tapped and rubbed her clit. Natalie’s breathing became heavy, and she spread her legs a little more. Another customer could walk in at any moment. Yet, the idea that they might be discovered only added to the thrill.

Tanner held her
, firmly, and continued to finger her clit. Her orgasm came fast and hard. She tried to muffle her moan, not wanting anyone to hear what they were doing. Her climax left her weak. Tanner picked her up and sat her on the countertop. He kissed her, sweetly.

“Never say I l
et you suffer,” he grinned, satisfied with himself. He rubbed his thumb along her lower lip, and left. Natalie didn’t fail to notice the bulge in his pants. He was hot, so hot.

Not long after, upstairs in
their room in The Savoy, Tanner ordered champagne and caviar. He was in a celebratory mood. He didn’t need a reason. He just was.

T
he classy room was all gold and linen with classic English touches. Outside the window, the river Thames, and the London Eye, appeared close enough to touch. Dusk had crept up, and the lights of the city highlighted the beauty of the structures. Natalie sighed and wrapped her arms around her chest. It was a sight she wouldn’t soon forget.

Tanner came up behind her, offering her a glass of champagne. He put his arm around her
waist, and together, they gazed at the lights of London. They stood in a sweet embrace, content to be together, sipping champagne. Tanner kept a light-hearted attitude, and delighted Natalie with his frivolous mood. They looked out the window like any lovers, admiring London, during a romantic getaway.

Only they weren’t just any lovers. Tanner put forth his carefree façade, not wanting to face any inner demons. Not now. Not tonight. Natalie had an effect on him that he couldn’t reconcile.
It was more than just a sexual obsession. A new feeling swelled in his breast, one he didn’t recognize, and one he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with.

He held the stunning, beautiful woman who’d dared to love him. She’d bravely stayed by his side, despite any evidence that it wasn’t g
ood for her, despite his clear warnings. And now, he wouldn’t be able to let her leave if she wanted to. He knew that. And that scared him.

She wanted him to…what? Love her? Was that so much to ask? But could he?

That was what drove a sharp arrow of fear into his heart. He doubted his ability to do so. Yet, he was terrified of losing her.

Later that evening,
wasn’t the reassuring scene of Tanner dominating, and Natalie submitting. It wasn’t just satisfying his urges, and giving her sexual pleasure. It was a touching, romantic scene.

Tanner undressed N
atalie in front of the big window, the drapes still opened wide. With their naked bodies framed in the large window, and the city lights in the background, it was beautifully romantic, if not slightly exhibitionistic. Sweetly, they made love in the open.

On display, in
front of the wall-to-wall window of their room overlooking the Thames, they kissed and fondled and fucked with tender feeling. He made an effort to be in tune with Natalie’s emotions, and to the best of his ability….intimate.

Before sleep, Natalie snuggled against his chest, and he stroked her hair. Tanner, so competent, so rich, so successful, had found the one thing that he feared might be his undoing. And she slept peacefully by his side, while he tortured the night away,
with no ready solution to hand.

The
Shakespeare Globe, a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse, sat on the banks of the Thames. Tanner and Natalie walked along the embankment from London Bridge. One of Natalie’s favorite Shakespeare plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was playing. Seeing the performance, in the original venue, was like stepping back in time to see how plays were performed in the days of the first Queen Elizabeth.

For her night out to the theater, Natalie wore her grey, mink coat with fox collar
and the purple-pink diamond ring Tanner had given her. She felt decadent, knowing that in Shakespeare’s day, fashionable clothes were only worn by wealthy nobles. There were strict laws about what the populace could wear. Thus, among other things, the plays became a fashion show, since the actors were allowed to wear the fashions appropriate to their role.

Tanner wore a black, wool Burberry jacket with dark, slim pants under his dark, Chesterfield coat. The gray and black cashmere scarf wrapped around his neck gave him a loveable look. Natalie smiled to herself.
He’s mine.

Tanner enjoyed the play. He’d been to them before. He kept looking over at Natalie, seeing how enthralled she was with the performance. He was glad they’d come, but
couldn’t suppress his desire to be alone – really alone with her. His sudden urge to get away from the city, and be alone with Natalie, pressed into his consciousness and refused to go away.

After the play, they flowed out of the playhouse w
ith the audience, who chatted about the performance. Tanner was quiet, just held Natalie close as if he thought she might get swept away in the crowds. He was relieved when they slid into the back of his limo.

“I want to go away with you,” he said, without preamble.

“We are away, aren’t we?”

“
I mean, really away…away from the city, from everyone else…just alone, the two of us. We can go to the cottage. I told you my father owned a cottage in the countryside. I haven’t been there often. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve been there since my father passed away.

But, I want to go…with you.”

Natalie felt the urgency in his tone. She was having a good time in London. But, there would be plenty of opportunities to see more of it. An emotion flowed between them that she couldn’t put a name to.

“Yes, sure…I’ll go with you. You know I’d go anywhere with you,” Natalie replied.

Natalie took the chance to make a call to New York that night, ensuring her mother was still doing well, and getting the latest update from Jazzy on the wedding planning. Jazzy had been getting help from Cheryl, who was only too glad to participate in planning a romantic wedding, and assisting with travel questions for the honeymoon. More news was that Dani, fitting comfortably in a father role, had agreed to give away the bride, much to Jazzy’s delight.

Tanner and Natalie left early the next morning, leaving both the bodyguards and the limo service behind.
Tanner’s Bentley coupe was delivered to the hotel, just after dawn. It was a metallic, magenta color. He kept it garaged in London for drives through the English countryside. It was delivered in pristine condition, the expensive sports car gleaming in the pale lights of the city.

Natalie slid into the left, passenger side of the vehicle. In London, all vehicles drove on the left side o
f the road, so the steering wheel was on the right. It still disoriented her. She was glad she didn’t have to do the driving. The sculpted seats in black quilted-leather were soft as a glove, and she settled in, comfortably.

Tanner enjoyed the searing power
, and the precise handling, as he negotiated the winding curves of the country. But, he was preoccupied. The powerful car, flying over the narrow roads wasn’t enough to distract him from his obsession with Natalie, his obsession to have her all to himself. It was an obsession, he was sure.

If that’s all it was, then why did he want to tell her the details of his
life? It was important to him for her to know and to understand him. He couldn’t imagine why he cared. Never before had he confided in a woman.
What was the point?

Yet, he proceeded to do just that. He slowed to a manageable speed
, and glanced at Natalie, who was already studying him.

Natalie was so in tune with him. She knew there was something he needed to say. They’d taken off for the country like Tanner was on a mission.

“Talk to me,” she said. “Please, Tanner. Whatever it is, I want to know. I want to know you, and I want to be with you. You don’t have to live out these things alone. We’re together now….on your terms, yes… but, still together.”

Tanner kept his eyes ahead, but started to talk. Slowly, he began to pour out his heart. Life started with a father who drank and became violent, a father who’d abused his mother, and even Tanner, himself, if he got in the way.

He admitted – his voice choking in his throat with the effort of getting the words out – that he’d loved his mother, dearly. She had always been good to him, and loved him as much as any mother ever loved a son. Tanner had failed to protect her. He’d tried, even as a small boy, to intervene. He recalled shouting at his father to leave her alone.

Natalie watched as Tanner spoke. She dared not interrupt. She was honored that he trusted her enough to talk about his painful past. She could envision Tanner as an adorable little boy, standing tough in front of his
violent father, towering over him in an alcoholic rage.

“Stop it! Don’t hurt mommy.” How many times had he faced that scene, and felt the failure, as only a child can, the failure to protect his mother?

Tanner continued, as if he knew if he stopped now, he might never again find the motivation to tell her. “William had a good heart. My mother, Caitlyn, had been on his service staff for years. He was aware of the situation with Kenneth, my abusive father. In my teens, when William thought I could understand, he told me some of the details.

He
told me he feared for Caitlyn’s safety, but was powerless to save her from the dangerous situation. He didn’t understand domestic abuse at that time, but looked into it later, considering how much it had impacted his life, and mine.

The easy solution would have been for Caitlyn to leave, but she couldn’t. Part of it was her fear of Ken. She knew he’d come after her. Plus, her only means of support was her employment as a member of William’s household staff. Where could she go? What could she do?

She didn’t have the funds to make a clean break and start a new life. William had offered any help she needed, but she couldn’t accept charity.

So, they went along, with Caitlyn bringing me to work with her every day, for safety. William was torn apart thinking about what happened each night when she went home. He offered her accommodations in the servant’s quarters, so she would have a safe haven when Ken came home drunk.

Ironically, the last fight my mother had with Ken had to do with her staying on premises at William’s estate. Ken accused her of infidelity. She denied the accusation, but Ken was out of his mind with the alcohol. He had a bad temper, anyway. And, when drunk he became threatening.

My mother barely survived the physical abuse that time. She came to William, and he assisted her. It was only her fear for my safety that finally pushed her to press charges. Her love for me was greater than her fear of Ken.

Ken was hauled off to jail for the domestic abuse, and doctor’s records provided evidence that it was an ongoing situation. William was determined that Ken would not have access to Caitlyn, ever again.