Page 16 of Mayfair Madame (Mayfair Heights #1)

Chapter Fourteen

Naomi

I watched as she slept, her rhythmic breathing soft in the room’s quiet. We might have been in the centre of London, but up here in the penthouse suite, the noise was muffled, if not silent.

What was it about her that drew me in? Yes, she was beautiful; her curves sensual, but it was more her nature. How she’d cared for me with such tenderness, and her tenacity and courage saving someone she didn’t know.

Someone she could have easily lost her life saving. I hadn’t even noticed her removing the life vest, so swift was her response, but I was seeing how selfless she could be. If only she could see how important she was to others and now to me.

It had been a long time since I’d shared my bed, but lying here with Ellie seemed the perfect place to be.

I drifted off to sleep, content for the first time in a long time, my head calm.

I woke in a panic, my heart racing, skin damp, and Ellie down looking at me, terror in her eyes.

“What the fuck, Naomi. Are you okay?” I flinched as she touched my shoulder, momentarily unaware of my surroundings.

Was I okay? It’d been a while since I’d gone down that path. Remembering the room in all its detail.

“I’m good.” I took her hand, although I couldn’t be sure. Why now? Why did these memories come flooding back when I was in a good place?

“Do you want to tell me about it?” Ellie rubbed my back, easing the tension.

“I’m not sure what happened. One minute I was asleep. The next I woke up in a sweat.”

“You were shouting. That’s what woke me.”

“Fuck. What did I say?” I had an idea. This wouldn’t be the first time it’d happened.

“Something like ‘you can’t keep me locked in here’. I didn’t catch all of it. You were thrashing around too.”

“Did I hit you?” That also wouldn’t be the first time.

“No, you didn’t. Let me get you some water.”

She hopped off the bed, throwing a concerned look over her shoulder.

The room was in semi-darkness. The clock on the nightstand said seven thirty-two. We’d slept for a long time.

Still naked, she walked back in with two glasses of water, completely at ease with her nudity.

“Here, drink this.” She sat on the edge of the bed and handed me the water. “Do you feel okay?”

“Much better.” I smiled and tried to put her worry to bed, but in truth, I was shaken by the nightmare. I always was.

She glanced over at the clock. “I should really make a move. I have work tomorrow.”

“Can’t you stay a little longer? I could order in some food.” We’d barely eaten anything today, except for our breakfast earlier. My stomach growled at the thought. “Please, Ellie.”

She worried her lip, and for a moment, I thought she’d say no.

“I can stay for a while longer, and I could eat. I am quite hungry.”

Where the hell had I left my phone?

“What do you fancy? There’s a great Chinese nearby that delivers, or we could get pizza. Better than the chain restaurants. This has an amazing crust, and the tomato sauce is to die for.”

“Pizza sounds good.”

“Are you sure? We can order anything you want.” I walked into the bathroom and found my phone lying on a pile of clothes. Ellie’s still-damp clothes lay crumpled on the floor.

“It’s good, honestly.”

“We need to sort you something to go home in. You can’t wear those.” The clothes would need a good wash. I’d probably throw them away.

She came up behind me and placed her warm hand on my waist. “Damnit, they were my favourite Converse.”

“They’ll dry out.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure I want them anymore.” She picked them up. Dirt covered them. “I might throw them out.”

“What do you want on your pizza?” I scrolled through the app and ordered my usual: Italian sausage, peppers, and mushrooms.

“I’ll have a small pepperoni.” She gathered up her clothes and wrinkled her nose.

“They only do large. Anything else on it?”

“You’ll probably hate me for this, but could I have pineapple?”

I eyed her open-mouthed. “Pineapple. On pizza.”

She shrugged. “I like what I like.”

I shook my head and ordered her food. I didn’t care what she wanted as long as she ate something.

“Here, let’s find you some clothes while we wait. Can I get you a drink? Hot? Cold?”

I strolled into the bedroom, not caring that I was still naked. It was my house. I could do whatever the hell I pleased. Ellie didn’t seem to mind either, as she followed me.

I opened the door to my walk-in wardrobe and ran my hands along the clothes hanging on either side. Row upon row of dresses, shirts, trousers, and skirts. There must have been over one hundred and fifty pairs of shoes on racks, and at least a hundred handbags, all different colours and styles.

Ellie stood at the entrance, her eyes wide.

“I’ve never seen so many clothes and shoes. I have a half-filled, small wardrobe at my flat with room to spare.”

I grabbed a robe from one hanger and handed it to her. I took another for myself.

“The only problem is, things might be a little long for you. Fuck it, let’s get a drink first. Pizza won’t be long.”

Remnants of the nightmare lingered, and I needed something a little stronger than water to drive the rest of it away. Having Ellie here helped tremendously. Usually, I was alone, and I’d lie in bed terrified, paralysed with fear.

Other times, I’d scream and cry, fucked off that it could still affect me all these years later.

“What can I get you?” I pulled a bottle of whisky from the cupboard in the lounge. “I have this, or I’ve got soft drinks. Coke or lemonade?”

“I’ll have a whisky.”

“Excellent choice. Rupert got me this for my birthday last year. It’s a ten-year-old Macallan single malt, and knowing him, it wouldn’t have been cheap. I only drink it on special occasions.”

“What’s the occasion today?” She sniffed the drink I’d handed to her.

“You’re here. What better occasion than that? We had a good day, and I’ll admit, the sex was pretty amazing too. So, a good day all around.”

We sat on the sofa. She held my gaze as we clinked glasses. “Cheers.”

With any other whisky, I’d have knocked it back, but this was a drink that required savouring. I rolled the liquid in my mouth. It was smooth as it went down, not harsh like many. Rupert knew what I liked.

“Tell me about Rupert. Who is he?” She sipped her drink, not shuddering once.

“Another long story, but I think I’ve been saying that a lot. My life has been full of ups and downs, good things and bad, but Rupert is definitely an up.”

“How did you meet him?” She swirled the amber liquid in the glass, watching it with interest.

“I was working for another escort agency, hating the job but not knowing what else I could do. I’d been in the business for years and was looking to get out. The money was good enough, and I probably had enough to live on.”

“It’s a lucrative business, although prostitutes on the street might argue differently.”

“Oh, I’m well aware I have it good. Better than them. I know what happens on the streets. Stories of rape, assault, heavy drug use, pimps. I get it, Ellie. I really do. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Hell, I’ve lost some good friends over the years.”

“So, how did you get into the business?”

“One thing at a time. That’s a really long story for another day. Probably a weekend, but first, let me tell you about Rupert.”

I smiled, remembering the old man. He was a shrewd businessman but a lonely person. His companion died some years before.

“I met him, let me think, about seven years ago? I was working for the other agency then, a little farther north.”

“Not in London, then.”

“No, I’ve only been here five years. Again, thanks to Rupert.

We met at a restaurant. He had an important client and his wife to entertain.

He’d asked for someone intelligent and classy, beautiful and not likely to embarrass him.

I fit the bill in most areas, although ply me with enough alcohol and I might just break into the Macarena. ”

She giggled. “I’d like to see that.”

“A couple more whiskeys, and I might do that. Why Rupert didn’t ask one of his friends, I didn’t know.

Surely, a man like him had many friends, women who would be more than happy to be on his arm, but he later told me he thought they were vacuous and only wanted him for his money.

He was a very cynical man, but then it served him well in business. ”

“But he owns this building, doesn’t he?”

“Yes, and many others in London. Not quite as many as the Duke of Westminster, but not far off. I live here because of him and his generosity.”

“So, he’s your sugar daddy?” If I hadn’t seen the small smile flit across her face, I might have thought she was serious, but there was truth in the statement.

I laughed. I’d never thought of him in that sense of the word at first, but it was true. He no longer paid for my company. I gave it freely, and in return, he gave me all this.

“I guess so, but not in the true sense of the word. We have no sexual relationship. We’re good friends, and he looks after me. He knows my background, knows where I came from. I’m lucky he agreed to take me under his wing. He didn’t have to do that.

“As for my agency, I could have done anything when I moved to London, but it irked me that escort workers were looked down on as cheap hookers. You’d be surprised by the number of men and women happy to pay, and where there’s a need, you will always get people like us.

Most of us are intelligent people who actually enjoy the job we do. ”

“I guess I’ve always wondered how you’d get into a job like this and why you’d stay doing it. I mean, surely there are other options available.”

“Like working in an office eight hours or more a day. Working in a shop, on your feet for hours. I’m not saying those are poor jobs to do, but they don’t suit everyone.

I do this job because I enjoy it, and I make a lot of money doing it, but also, I’m helping people like Rupert, and to a certain extent, Clement, who, for whatever reason, don’t have a partner, don’t have the confidence to find one, so they pay. ”

She nodded, a pensive look on her face. “I never thought about it like that, and someone has to do it.”

I observed her face as she assimilated the information I’d given her. Sure, I’d still not really explained how I ended up here, but it was enough for now.

“Prostitution in any form has been around since the dawn of time. Some say it’s the oldest profession, and I agree with that.”

Before we could talk further, the buzzer sounded.

“That’ll be the food.”

I hopped off the sofa and wrapped the robe tighter around me. I gave the pizza guy a hefty tip and set the boxes on the table.

“Let’s eat.” We couldn’t drink whisky all night, as much as I wanted to lose myself in my feelings tonight.

Water seemed more apt, and I grabbed us both a chilled bottle from the fridge.

She opened the box and inhaled. “Fuck, Naomi. This smells and looks amazing.”

“They are good. I don’t have pizza often but then wonder why I don’t when I buy it. Does that make any sense? I feel like I’m rambling.”

“It makes perfect sense.” I watched enraptured as she fed a piece into her mouth. Her shoulders sagged, and an obscene groan left her mouth. “Good?”

“Fuck, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

She almost had today, but I said nothing. We’d had enough upset for the day. I didn’t need to bring it up again.

We ate in silence. I hadn’t realised how hungry I was. When I looked over at Ellie, she’d almost finished hers.

Was it weird to think we could do this every day? I’d known her a week, yet here I was planning a future for us together. Stranger things had happened, and my life had been anything but scripted, always taking a turn.

“So, when can we meet up again?” I took a large bite of pizza, and a drizzle of oil dripped down my chin.

“Here, you’ve got a little something just here.” She reached across the table and swiped at it with her thumb. She pressed it to my lips. I flicked out my tongue and licked the oily liquid.

“Sometimes, I don’t think you know what you’re doing to me. Then at other times, like now, you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” But the look on her face was one of mischief, a sly smile gracing her beautiful face.

“You will be the death of me.” And wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to go, wrapped in her arms or, even better, between her legs?

She continued to eat, every once in a while looking my way and smiling.

What was going on in that head of hers? Yesterday, she’d been so unsure of herself, but today, a totally different person had emerged, and while I liked shy and reserved Ellie, self-assured Ellie was interesting. A riddle wrapped up in an enigma.

With a couple of slices left, she finally pushed away the pizza box. “I’m stuffed. I couldn’t possibly eat another slice.”

She’d done better than I thought she would, but said nothing, not wishing to bring any attention to her eating.

“I’m done too.” I sat back in my chair and rested my hands on my stomach. I had enough left for breakfast tomorrow.

“I should go.” She checked her watch and stretched. “I have work tomorrow.”

“You could stay.”

“Thank you, but if I don’t go now, I’ll not want to leave.”

“Is that so bad? You could take a sick day. I mean, you risked your life today.”

“True, but maybe another night? I really should go.”

I found her some clothes: a T-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of sandals. Who knew we had the same size feet? Well, close enough anyway.

“I’ll call you in the week.” Reluctantly, I pulled away from the soft lips pressed to mine. “Call me when you get home.”

“I will.” With her red Converse dangling from her hand, she walked away, but I felt happier than I had last night.

Despite what had happened, today had been a good day. I closed the door and leant against it, a smile on my face.

Maybe things were finally looking up. I sincerely hoped so.