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“You don’t need fixing, you’re not broken. I’m going to find out more about that bastard, I’ll get him, and he will never hurt you again. I promise that.” He’s looking me dead in the eye and I believe every word he says.
Just hearing those words makes me soften a little. He actually still wants me, loves me, in fact.
He pulls me up off the bed, so I’m standing in front of him, his hands resting on my waist. Lowering his head, he presses his nose to mine, his intoxicating scent filling my nostrils. I inhale deeply, letting it wash over me; just his smell alone is doing wondrous things to my body.
“May I kiss you Millie?” He whispers against me, his soft lips gently touching mine.
I nod, feeling breathless. “I need your words Millie, I will never do anything to you without your permission.” His hand slowly moves up my back toward my neck; his fingers tangle in my hair.
“Yes...” my voice comes out in a soft whisper.
His lips caress mine the second he hears me say it. He kisses me softly, with so much feeling behind each touch and caress it melts my insides. Gently sucking on my lower lip, I let out a whimper when he pulls away, resting his forehead against mine.
“Will you come with me? Just come back to the suite tonight, then tomorrow I will show you your new place, and if you don’t want it, I will understand.” He looks almost remorseful for the actions he’s taken; it’s nice, although there is no need for it.
“I’ll come back, just for tonight, I need time to process what’s happened to me Jack, and be just me for a while.” I sink my head down but he lifts it back up with a finger.
“That’s okay, I said I would wait for you and I mean it, I will.”
Chapter eighteen
A New Beginning
Millie
“It’s a cottage!” I’m stating the obvious right now, I know that, but when he said he found me a place to live, I thought it was, or would be, another apartment, somewhere safer perhaps, but this is…
“Way too much, I can’t afford this. It’s beautiful. I can’t take it, how much is it? I bet you it’s more than what I was paying a month for the apartment.” I know I’m rambling. But my mind can’t process what I’m seeing right now.
Jack laughs at me; we’ve not even made it to the cottage yet, he has only pointed it out from across the field. From here, all you can see is the front and a walled area to the left-hand side of the property. But it’s so beautiful. A stone cottage with a red tile roof, with what looks like an annex on the side and a sloping red roof to match. All the windows and doors are a pale sage green; picture-perfect comes to mind.
“Everything is more expensive than what you were paying for that apartment, but this is free.”Oh my god this man, he is going to kill me with kindness, but this I can’t accept, it’s way too much.
“No…just no, I can’t live in this stunning cottage for free! Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?” Spinning around to look at him, I almost trip over but he catches me before I fall; he shakes his head.
“Be careful. And wait until you see the inside before you turn it down, it needs some work.”
I stayed the night as his last night, we stayed in separate rooms, but during that night, I had some crazy, scary dream that left me screaming, and he came running. He burst into the room looking like…wow, he only had boxers on! His tattoo was showing, and he looked like the magnificent man he is. He calmed me down and took care of me, but when he went to leave, I could feel the panic rising, so I asked him to stay. Nothing happened, other than my own vivid imagination taking over. I just feel safer with him around. And after his confession last night about how he loves me, I am seeing things a little differently today. I know he is not Glen, I know Jack will never hurt me, but those feelings of hurt and betrayal are still there. I’m not sure they will ever truly leave me. Even so, we seem to have a better connection today, like we are both on the same page.
It’s amazing what a bit of communication can do. Smiling to myself, I walk a little faster to see the cottage he wants me to have. He keeps pace with me and when we get to the front door, we step inside, and my eyes well up at just how perfect this is. There has been some work done but I think it’s just decorating, from what I can see that needs to be finished. It’s stunning! I can feel Jack close behind me. Walking in through the door, you enter the living room; there is a huge fireplace that covers the longer wall on the right-hand side, with a log burner bang in the centre, and huge wooden mantel over the top. It is perfect, all the walls are plastered and ready to be decorated. Moving through to what I think should be the kitchen, I see that it’s empty exceptfor the walls and doors. That then leads out to the walled garden, which is currently so overgrown it’s taller than me. I open what I think is a cupboard and find it’s a set of stairs leading up to two rooms and a small bathroom that needs work, but the other rooms are good to go. Heading back downstairs, I open another door in the kitchen to find a small toilet/utility room. This place is unbelievable.
“Why did you have to show me this?” I laugh, knowing it is well out of my price range. “I want it, and now nothing else will compare, I love the location, I love the space, I love the feel, why would you do this to me?” I would sit down but the place has no furniture, so I lean against the wall, running my hands down my face.
Jack just laughs at me, which I don’t really find funny, but I’ll humour him for now.
“So tell me what the rent is on this place?” I say, giving him the evil eye.
“Like I said, it’s free.”
“I’m not having you pay for my living accommodation Jack, that’s ridiculous.”
“I’m not paying for it, I promise. It came with The Manor; there are a few of these dotted about the estate, all being renovated.”
“So how much is it? I am not staying here for free, no way. I will pay what it costs because I’m going to live here, I love it!” Jack gives me a stern look and moves a little closer. I can also see the relief in his eyes.
“I’m not going to win this one, am I?” I ask him, and he shakes his head, the corner of his mouth twitching like he’s trying to hide a smile.
“Ok, what if I continue renovating it? I pay for the stuff that’s needed?”
