Beneath This Man (This Man Trilogy)(66)

I’m suddenly attacked with a very worrying thought. Bloody hell, will Kate be disappearing upstairs later? I look at her with wide eyes, but damn her, she won’t look at me. She knows what I’m thinking – I can tell by the way she’s turning her body further away from me, hiding her face.

‘Ten thirty.’ Jesse says sternly. He pulls me off the stool and sits there himself before pulling me down onto his lap and burying his face into my neck. Sam and Drew throw each other disapproving looks and Kate still refuses to look at me.

‘I want to lay you on that bar and take my time peeling all of this lace off.’ he whispers in my ear. I stiffen over him and silently wish for him to shut up immediately before I oblige and climb up onto the bar for him. He pushes his groin up into my backside. ‘What’s under the dress?’

‘More lace.’ I say quietly on a smile, and he groans in my ear. Why did I say that? I need to curb the sex talk, not encourage it.

‘You’re fucking killing me.’ He nips my ear, causing shivers to bolt through me.

‘You have to stop.’ I warn, rather unconvincingly. It will take him a week to get me out of this dress and back in it again. Actually, it probably wouldn’t take him that long at all. He’ll lose his patience and rip it off, in which case, I won’t be putting it back on.

‘Never.’ His tongue dips into my ear, and I close my eyes on a sigh.

‘You guys!’ Kate playfully slaps Jesse’s shoulder. ‘Put her down!’

‘Yeah, you’re restraining our sexual needs, but it’s okay for you to sit there and fondle your girl.’ Sam complains.

Jesse lands Sam with a reproachful glare. ‘Try and stop me. I’ll shut up shop now and take her home.’

‘You’re trampling your mates now.’ I laugh, and they all start laughing with me. I feel Jesse resume nibbling at my nape. ‘Who’s that?’ I ask.

‘Who’s who?’ His head comes up from my neck, and I nod towards a woman stood in the entrance of the bar with a cream shift dress on. She’s probably early thirties, with black bobbed hair and pretty features. I wouldn’t have paid much attention, but she is staring straight at us and she’s alone.

She starts walking towards us, and I feel Jesse tense under me. Sam and Drew shut up immediately, which only serves to make me even more wary. Who the hell is she?

When she reaches our group, she stops, keeping her eyes on Jesse. The tension is tangible and I glance at Kate to find a heavy frown on her forehead as she looks at the woman stood silently in front of us. Then I’m suddenly standing and being positioned back on the stool, minus one Jesse beneath me.

‘Coral, do you want to come to my office?’ Jesse asks, way too soft and gently for my liking. She nods, and I can see her eyes brimming with tears. ‘Come on.’ He turns to me, offering an apologetic smile before leading her away with his hand placed at the bottom of her back, leaving me sat wondering what the hell is going on and mentally demanding him to remove his hand from her.

John gives him a nod as they pass at the bar entrance, and then proceeds to notify everyone that dinner will be served imminently. There is a bustle of bodies’ that make for the summer room, the women flicking me curious stares as they pass. I ignore them; I’m too busy wondering what Jesse is doing with the mystery woman.

The silence that has fallen in our little group is broken by Kate. ‘Who was that?’ She helps me down from my stool.

I glance at Drew and Sam, who both shrug denial of any knowledge, but I can tell by their sudden discomfort that they know exactly who Coral is. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never seen her before.’ I say on a frown, following the mass of people into the summer room. ‘Jesse seems to know her, though.’ I add dryly.

We find our table, and I’m beyond relieved to find myself sat with Kate, Sam, Drew and John. I’m not so pleased that Sarah is also with us, though. Another man, who I’ve not met, joins us. He’s introduced as Niles – a cute, floppy haired public schoolboy type, not the kind of man I would expect to find at The Manor at all. But what is The Manor’s type?

The summer room has been completely emptied of sofas and occasional tables, and in their place are masses of round tables, seating between eight and ten people. I can’t even count them, I lose track at table thirty. The colour scheme is black and gold. I wonder if that’s an accident.

Candles are burning everywhere, enhancing the key ingredient; sensual. It was on Jesse’s specification for the extension and at the time, when I was oblivious to The Manor’s activities, it was a weird request, but now the descriptor it cropping up everywhere I look.

A band is set up in the corner, but it’s the four men with saxophones who are providing the music throughout dinner. The chair next to me is still empty and the one next to that has Sarah perched neatly on it. I’m guessing she arranged the seating plan and was most pissed off when she had no choice but to sit me on the other side of Jesse.

Where is he?

Kate picks up a gold, structured, satin bag and waves it in the air at me. They must be the gift bags. I decide that I’m not even going to look inside mine, and my decision is only reinforced when Kate shoves her nose in and then snaps the bag shut with wide blue eyes. Sam tries to snatch it from her, but she bats him away and he grumbles, grabbing the men’s black equivalent that’s positioned at his place setting. He does the same little rendition as Kate, but instead of a wide eyed, stunned look, he looks at Kate and grins from ear to ear, prompting her to make a grab for his bag. He pushes her away.

A starter of scallops is served, and I’m momentarily distracted from my speculating by the divine dish. The Manor really does do food very well.

‘So, Ava, I’m told you carried out the works at Lusso.’ Niles says across the table. ‘Quite a feat.’ He smiles, raising his glass to me.

‘It didn’t hurt the portfolio.’ I reply casually.

‘You’re modest.’ He laughs.

‘She’s good,’ Kate pipes up. ‘She’s working on the extension upstairs.’ Kate points her fork towards the ceiling of the summer room in the most unladylike manner.

‘I see. Is that how you met Jesse?’ Niles asks, a little surprised.

‘It is.’ I confirm politely but elaborate no further. I’m not comfortable talking about me and Jesse, especially with a stone faced Sarah within touching distance. Niles has also just reminded me that he is still nowhere to be seen. ‘What do you do?’ I ask to steer the conversation away from Jesse and my curious mind.

He puts his fork down and wipes his mouth with his napkin. ‘I supply Jesse’s stock.’ he says on a small smile.

I just about manage to stop myself from asking the most stupid question I ever would. He doesn’t supply food or drink to The Manor. No, Niles supplies other essentials – essentials for the top floors of The Manor. I nod my acknowledgment, not wanting to push that line of chat any further.

Sarah jumps into the gap of conversation, asking Niles how his recent trip to Amsterdam went. I’m thankful, even though I quickly turn my attention away from where that discussion is heading too.

I look over at Kate, who tosses me a filthy look and then nods towards Sarah while cupping her breasts on a grin. I try not to smile, but I can’t help the corners of my mouth tweaking at her brashness. She is so unaffected by everything. I love her.

I finish my Most Marvelous and accept the glass of white that the waiter offers, taking an immediate sip and laughing when Drew stabs at his last scallop with his fork and it flies into the middle of the table. He gets rather mad with the slippery culprit as he tries to retrieve it, grumbling sulkily as he stabs at it, eventually giving up and grabbing it with his hand. He throws it on his plate in a mood, then glances up at the rest of the table who, with the exception of Sarah, are all delighting in his little performance. He relents and stands to bow, restoring his refined character. His fun, lighthearted performance is a mile away from the stand-offish Drew I know.

Starters are swiftly removed from the table and replaced with salmon and an array of colourful vegetables. I’m thankful dinner is relatively light. I couldn’t stomach much more and with Sarah sat next to me, my appetite is not improving. She hasn’t said one word to me during dinner and has not enquired as to Jesse’s whereabouts, so I assume that she knows. She advises the waiter to remove Jesse’s untouched starter and hold off on his main for the meantime. If Kate wasn’t here, I would be getting really cranky now.

‘You didn’t bring Victoria?’ Kate tosses the question at Drew and he catches it without an ounce of shock or surprise.

‘No, she’s sweet but hard work.’ He takes a swig of wine and sits back in his chair. ‘I’m happy exactly where I am at the moment.’ He raises his glass and everyone joins him, including me, even though I’m not particularly happy about where I am at the moment. Drew continues, ‘Anyway, she wouldn’t let me lay a hand on her without the lights off.’

I nearly spit my wine all over the table, then proceed to laugh – really hard.

‘I told you!’ Kate screeches, throwing a napkin over the table at me.