Read Online The Holiday From Hell by Demelza Carlton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Demelza Carlton
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find him being very gallant and carrying me up the stairs. So sweet of him. I didn't want to spoil it by making him put me down, so I let him continue without opening my eyes. He's surprisingly romantic when he wants to be, though I'd never tell him that. It'd completely ruin his tough-guy image."
Greg didn't look entirely convinced. "Look, if you need anything, or help with anything, or just need someone to talk to…come downstairs. Or up to the house, we're just on the other side of that paddock, hidden behind the trees. Tell him you want to try some nougat or something."
"Thank you, but I'm sure it won't be necessary. You must get some very strange guests here if you're worried about Luce and me."
Greg shook his head. "You have no idea. Couples on their honeymoon seem to want to experiment. We had one couple buy the whole range of chocolate body products from the chocolate factory up the road. The sheets were streaked with it and there was chocolate all over the furniture, up the walls…even some handprints on the ceiling, from where we think they must have been jumping on the bed. The cleaning bill was astronomical. And then there was the couple who insisted on naked aerobics on the balcony every morning, finishing up with…well, they were on their honeymoon. Problem was, they didn't get up until ten and it's pretty hard to conduct wine tastings when you can hear the moans and groans on the balcony….not to mention the free show they gave everyone who drove up. You could see them from the car park."
Mel burst out laughing. "Oh my. We'll be well-behaved, I promise. No food in bed and none on the walls, either. I might take you up on the offer of nougat, though. I didn't get a chance to taste any yesterday. I might wait until Luce is in a better mood, though." She turned a beaming smile on the grumpy man framed in the open doorway. "Thank you, my love."
Luce ripped a cup out of the cardboard holder and held it out to Mel. "Your morning macchiato. I hope it's still hot – I had to drive for ages to find anywhere that was open. I got this from a coffee shop with cows everywhere, inside and out." He wrenched the lid off his own coffee and gulped half of the steaming liquid.
Only the Lord of Hell could do that without burning himself, Mel mused, sipping her own coffee carefully.
Greg grinned "So you got coffee in Cowaramup? That's why all the cows."
Luce glowered. "I wouldn't have had to if we had the coffee machine we were supposed to."
"We do now," Mel said smoothly. "Greg brought it up and was showing me how to use it. Apparently, the last guests broke the previous one so it's brand new. He was telling me about your romantic heroism last night – carrying your sleeping sweetheart up two flights of stairs to bed. Good thing you don't look dark and evil, or he'd have thought you were the villain instead, carrying me to your lair to ravish me." She struggled not to laugh when Luce looked down at his black shirt and her words started to sink in.
"I better get back to the cellar door. We're open for tastings," Greg said hurriedly, heading down the stairs at a trot.
Mel carefully closed the door behind him.
"He came up to check I hadn't murdered you, didn't he?" Luce crushed the empty coffee cup in his first and lobbed it at the rubbish bin.
Mel couldn't hold back her laughter any more. She nodded, unable to speak.
"I'm going down there now to tell him to keep his nose out of our business. He shouldn't be bothering you with his crazy ideas. I'll find somewhere else for us to stay and to Hell with this place."
"No. I like it here and he was only trying to help. Besides, I have a better idea." Mel couldn't resist a mischievous smile. "I think we should take a walk up to the chocolate factory we saw yesterday. He recommended some of their products that I'd dearly love to try with you."
At this rate, Mel's recovery would take years, Luce fumed, his fingers tightening around Mel's hand as they walked the familiar
Greg didn't look entirely convinced. "Look, if you need anything, or help with anything, or just need someone to talk to…come downstairs. Or up to the house, we're just on the other side of that paddock, hidden behind the trees. Tell him you want to try some nougat or something."
"Thank you, but I'm sure it won't be necessary. You must get some very strange guests here if you're worried about Luce and me."
Greg shook his head. "You have no idea. Couples on their honeymoon seem to want to experiment. We had one couple buy the whole range of chocolate body products from the chocolate factory up the road. The sheets were streaked with it and there was chocolate all over the furniture, up the walls…even some handprints on the ceiling, from where we think they must have been jumping on the bed. The cleaning bill was astronomical. And then there was the couple who insisted on naked aerobics on the balcony every morning, finishing up with…well, they were on their honeymoon. Problem was, they didn't get up until ten and it's pretty hard to conduct wine tastings when you can hear the moans and groans on the balcony….not to mention the free show they gave everyone who drove up. You could see them from the car park."
Mel burst out laughing. "Oh my. We'll be well-behaved, I promise. No food in bed and none on the walls, either. I might take you up on the offer of nougat, though. I didn't get a chance to taste any yesterday. I might wait until Luce is in a better mood, though." She turned a beaming smile on the grumpy man framed in the open doorway. "Thank you, my love."
Luce ripped a cup out of the cardboard holder and held it out to Mel. "Your morning macchiato. I hope it's still hot – I had to drive for ages to find anywhere that was open. I got this from a coffee shop with cows everywhere, inside and out." He wrenched the lid off his own coffee and gulped half of the steaming liquid.
Only the Lord of Hell could do that without burning himself, Mel mused, sipping her own coffee carefully.
Greg grinned "So you got coffee in Cowaramup? That's why all the cows."
Luce glowered. "I wouldn't have had to if we had the coffee machine we were supposed to."
"We do now," Mel said smoothly. "Greg brought it up and was showing me how to use it. Apparently, the last guests broke the previous one so it's brand new. He was telling me about your romantic heroism last night – carrying your sleeping sweetheart up two flights of stairs to bed. Good thing you don't look dark and evil, or he'd have thought you were the villain instead, carrying me to your lair to ravish me." She struggled not to laugh when Luce looked down at his black shirt and her words started to sink in.
"I better get back to the cellar door. We're open for tastings," Greg said hurriedly, heading down the stairs at a trot.
Mel carefully closed the door behind him.
"He came up to check I hadn't murdered you, didn't he?" Luce crushed the empty coffee cup in his first and lobbed it at the rubbish bin.
Mel couldn't hold back her laughter any more. She nodded, unable to speak.
"I'm going down there now to tell him to keep his nose out of our business. He shouldn't be bothering you with his crazy ideas. I'll find somewhere else for us to stay and to Hell with this place."
"No. I like it here and he was only trying to help. Besides, I have a better idea." Mel couldn't resist a mischievous smile. "I think we should take a walk up to the chocolate factory we saw yesterday. He recommended some of their products that I'd dearly love to try with you."
At this rate, Mel's recovery would take years, Luce fumed, his fingers tightening around Mel's hand as they walked the familiar