Read Online The Love Resort by Faith Bleasdale - Free Book Online Page A

felt a little sad, as he’d never had that with Anne-Marie, but then he banished that thought, because he had Lily now. He just hoped the movie stars’ marriage would work out better than his had.
    They arrived at the resort and were driven to their luxury accommodation. Anne-Marie gave them a tour.
    ‘It’s lovely, really lovely,’ Todd said.
    ‘Now I want to introduce you to your helpers for the duration of your stay. Erik is your personal chef, Marcus your butler and Mary your maid. They are all on call for you twenty-four hours a day for your entire stay.’
    ‘Isn’t that a bit much for them?’ Todd asked.
    ‘No, of course not. I mean, when you sleep they sleep. And, of course, you will want plenty of privacy. You have a special telephone in your bungalow which is directly connected to their pagers. You press, they come. Very easy. Now, Erik, Marcus, Mary, here, please.’ She snapped her fingers and three faces appeared from behind a wall, the way Anne-Marie had choreographed the whole thing.
    Katie stepped forward to greet her staff, Todd standing slightly behind her.
    ‘Hello.’ Katie held her hand out to Erik, who took it but looked unsure what to do with it, while Marcus held his hand out to Todd. Todd looked at him in surprise as he shook hands. His arm began to tingle. He was sure he had seen something in his eyes, and it wasn’t just that he was starstruck. He barely heard Katie asking irritating questions and listing her food intolerances as he stared at him. If his butler wasn’t the best-looking gay man in the world then Todd would have sex with Katie.
    *
    ‘This is so romantic,’ Katie said, as she and Todd were finally alone. He looked at her. Was she squinting at him, or was it a wink?
    ‘I’m really tired, Katie; it’s late. I need to sleep.’
    ‘Oh, you poor darling, of course you do. Shall we order something first?’
    ‘I wouldn’t mind a brandy. There’s a stocked bar on the terrace.’
    ‘I know, let me get you one, and then maybe a bath?’ She raised an eyebrow suggestively.
    ‘No, I think I’ll just have a quick shower.’
    She was inching towards him in that way again. He backed himself into one of the two bathrooms. As he closed the door he saw her shrug and then go to fix them drinks. He locked the door, undressed and stood under the shower, enjoying the warm water and the luxury of being alone. He could see what she was doing; he just didn’t understand it. She knew he was gay, so why was she acting otherwise? Was she so paranoid about their cover being blown? God, he hoped that was it, although he doubted it. It was as if she was trying to be the perfect wife. This would be great if it wasn’t a fact that he didn’t want a wife. He tried to think of the positive aspects. He’d met Anne-Marie, who was fascinating, if not a bit weird, and it was true, he did love her novels. And the resort might be a bit over the top, but the stilt bungalow they were in was lovely. The terrace housed a large bar, two sun-loungers, their own pool, Jacuzzi and a table and chairs. It was private, surrounded by trees and foliage, but it afforded a wonderful view of the sea. The bedroom was large, with a bed the size of a tennis court, which was a great comfort to him. The living area was cosy and homely, and there was a fridge filled to the brim with Cristal, Katie’s favourite champagne, as per her request. (He hoped that she’d drink enough of it to pass out rather than make a pass at him.) The bathrooms were also more than adequate—dark marble surfaces, shiny gold taps and the softest towels.
    After his shower, Todd changed into full pyjamas in the bathroom. Although he knew he’d be far too hot, he couldn’t risk any degree of nudity. He walked tentatively into the bedroom and saw Katie through the slightly open door, in the living room. She was draped across the sofa, wearing a negligee. Almost too scared to breathe, he climbed into bed and shut his eyes tightly. He was so