more intimate at his home with just the two of them. and would give them a chance to really get to know each
other well.
'Hungry?'
he asked, risking a sidelong smile.
'Ravenous.'
'Good,' he
announced, accelerating the car and slipping into fourth gear to pass and
overtake a line of trucks. 'I've got it all laid on.'
After a ten
minute drive, they pulled up in the secluded car park of a large building. A
man appeared from a back entrance as Connie rose from the car, and she couldn't
help being impressed when Philip flung him the car keys saying, 'Garage it for
me, Saunders.'
The man
touched his cap respectfully. 'Yes sir.'
They made
their way to the front of the building which could hardly be seen from the road
as it was set way back and surrounded by trees. Philip led her through a marble
entrance attended by a uniformed doorman, and said good evening to a second man
seated behind a desk in the spacious hallway.
Philip put
his arm around Connie's shoulders as he pressed for the lift and, inside,
turned her to him and moved his arms around her.
'You're
looking exceptionally lovely tonight,' he said huskily, and bent his head, his
lips seeking hers.
Laughing,
Connie pulled away. 'Not here, Philip,' she said lightly.
He made a
face but didn't attempt to try to kiss her again. The lift doors opened
noiselessly and they stepped out. Less than a minute later, he had unlocked a
door and she found her self in his apartment. It was beautiful, and Connie
turned to him, her eyes shining.
'Do you
mean to say you live here alone?'
'My mother
stays with me occasionally.'
'Ah, that
would account for the feminine touches,' she said as she moved around,
examining things. She crossed over to a sideboard on which she noticed a framed
photograph. She picked it up and Philip answered the unspoken question in her
eyes.
'Mother and
I,' Philip said. 'Taken aboard the QE2 on her maiden voyage.'
'You don't
look much like her,' Connie observed, head to one side.
'Take after
my dear old pa. Don't worry about her, she won't be back tonight.' He helped
Connie off with her coat. 'Do sit down,' he invited. 'Make yourself
comfortable.'
She seated
herself on a white leather swivel chair. Not purposely choosing a single- seater , it just happened to be conveniently near.
'It's
really super,' she repeated, eyes wandering around the plush room.
'I hope
you'll see more of it,' he said meaningfully.
Connie blushed a little and fiddled with the strap of her handbag.
He sat opposite her on a couch and leaned towards an ivory cigarette box on a
coffee table, flipping up the lid.
'Want one?'
'Thanks.'
She took
one and waited while he lit it for her.
'A drink?'
he suggested, his eyes on her cleavage as he applied the flame to his own
cigarette.
She thought
doubtfully of her empty stomach. 'Not right now, thanks.'
'You want
to eat,' Philip stated, understanding.
'Please. Do
you want some help getting it ready?'
'Baby, you
just stay where you are and look pretty for me.'
She waited
while he loped off into what she supposed was the kitchen, and he emerged less
than five minutes later pushing a trolley laden with food and bottles. Her
mouth dropped open as she stared at it.
'All that, just for us?'
'All for
us,' he replied solemnly.
'Did you
cook it yourself?'
He grinned.
'I cannot tell a lie. There's a restaurant round the corner, does take-away
meals. Now,' he lifted the lid off a tureen. 'There's pate and hot toast,
followed by bird's nest soup ... '
'I don't
know if I could eat all that,' Connie interrupted, quailing at the name of the
soup.
' ... Or escargots ?'
She
wondered which tasted worse.
'There's
Duck a !'orange , with sauteed potatoes and haricots verts .'
Connie
licked her lips hungrily. The sight and smell of the steaming dishes were
affecting her taste-buds and she was so hungry, she didn't really care what she
ate.
'Ending up
with trifle and cream, or zabaglione ... I wasn't sure which you'd like.'
'It looks
gorgeous,
other well.
'Hungry?'
he asked, risking a sidelong smile.
'Ravenous.'
'Good,' he
announced, accelerating the car and slipping into fourth gear to pass and
overtake a line of trucks. 'I've got it all laid on.'
After a ten
minute drive, they pulled up in the secluded car park of a large building. A
man appeared from a back entrance as Connie rose from the car, and she couldn't
help being impressed when Philip flung him the car keys saying, 'Garage it for
me, Saunders.'
The man
touched his cap respectfully. 'Yes sir.'
They made
their way to the front of the building which could hardly be seen from the road
as it was set way back and surrounded by trees. Philip led her through a marble
entrance attended by a uniformed doorman, and said good evening to a second man
seated behind a desk in the spacious hallway.
Philip put
his arm around Connie's shoulders as he pressed for the lift and, inside,
turned her to him and moved his arms around her.
'You're
looking exceptionally lovely tonight,' he said huskily, and bent his head, his
lips seeking hers.
Laughing,
Connie pulled away. 'Not here, Philip,' she said lightly.
He made a
face but didn't attempt to try to kiss her again. The lift doors opened
noiselessly and they stepped out. Less than a minute later, he had unlocked a
door and she found her self in his apartment. It was beautiful, and Connie
turned to him, her eyes shining.
'Do you
mean to say you live here alone?'
'My mother
stays with me occasionally.'
'Ah, that
would account for the feminine touches,' she said as she moved around,
examining things. She crossed over to a sideboard on which she noticed a framed
photograph. She picked it up and Philip answered the unspoken question in her
eyes.
'Mother and
I,' Philip said. 'Taken aboard the QE2 on her maiden voyage.'
'You don't
look much like her,' Connie observed, head to one side.
'Take after
my dear old pa. Don't worry about her, she won't be back tonight.' He helped
Connie off with her coat. 'Do sit down,' he invited. 'Make yourself
comfortable.'
She seated
herself on a white leather swivel chair. Not purposely choosing a single- seater , it just happened to be conveniently near.
'It's
really super,' she repeated, eyes wandering around the plush room.
'I hope
you'll see more of it,' he said meaningfully.
Connie blushed a little and fiddled with the strap of her handbag.
He sat opposite her on a couch and leaned towards an ivory cigarette box on a
coffee table, flipping up the lid.
'Want one?'
'Thanks.'
She took
one and waited while he lit it for her.
'A drink?'
he suggested, his eyes on her cleavage as he applied the flame to his own
cigarette.
She thought
doubtfully of her empty stomach. 'Not right now, thanks.'
'You want
to eat,' Philip stated, understanding.
'Please. Do
you want some help getting it ready?'
'Baby, you
just stay where you are and look pretty for me.'
She waited
while he loped off into what she supposed was the kitchen, and he emerged less
than five minutes later pushing a trolley laden with food and bottles. Her
mouth dropped open as she stared at it.
'All that, just for us?'
'All for
us,' he replied solemnly.
'Did you
cook it yourself?'
He grinned.
'I cannot tell a lie. There's a restaurant round the corner, does take-away
meals. Now,' he lifted the lid off a tureen. 'There's pate and hot toast,
followed by bird's nest soup ... '
'I don't
know if I could eat all that,' Connie interrupted, quailing at the name of the
soup.
' ... Or escargots ?'
She
wondered which tasted worse.
'There's
Duck a !'orange , with sauteed potatoes and haricots verts .'
Connie
licked her lips hungrily. The sight and smell of the steaming dishes were
affecting her taste-buds and she was so hungry, she didn't really care what she
ate.
'Ending up
with trifle and cream, or zabaglione ... I wasn't sure which you'd like.'
'It looks
gorgeous,
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