Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Rella stretched purring like a cat, she couldn't remember the last time she felt so happy and so full of life looking forward to a new day with Stefan. A ghost of a smile touched her lips before it morphed into a full blown grin.

Turning to her side, she found it empty with her husband not in sight but she wasn't worried though because she knew he was somewhere in the house the absence of a note was one of the telltale signs.

Flinging back the covers, her legs landed silently on the fluffy rug then she padded to the en suite bathroom to wash her face and mouth after which she took a quick shower.

Twenty minutes later she went down the stairs to the kitchen and was assaulted with the smell of coffee as well as eggs and bacon but what had her feeling like mash mallow was the man poised in front of the stove looking extremely comfortable in his blue and white striped pyjama pants and blue T-shirt like he'd done this a countless number of times. He looked so hot standing there that she wanted to go up to him and kiss him senseless.

"If you keep staring at me like that there won't be any breakfast at the moment."

When her gaze met his, the intense desire she saw in his eyes mirrored hers and she could wish for nothing more than to have a repeat of the night before but then nature could not be ignored as her stomach growled at that moment Rella smiled sheepishly. "I guess we should replenish you for later darling." He drawled with a smirk.

"Are you some kind of hot shot chef I didn't know about?" Rella teased as Stefan rounded the counter and deposited her on the stool.

"I guess it comes with being CEO of a chain of restaurants." He poured her freshly brewed coffee first then he scooped eggs from the pan onto her plate.

"I've never been pampered like this before." She said honestly.

"Well you're in luck, because I intend to spoil you rotten."

"I'm looking forward to it boss." He kissed her once, twice and they both couldn't pull back.

They were one step away from ripping each other's clothes off when Stefan broke the kiss but didn't pull away; they both looked flushed and breathless. Stefan couldn't take his eyes off her lips that looked plump from being thoroughly kissed by him. "If we don't stop I'll be carrying you in my arms and straight to the bedroom where I can make thorough love with you and we'll never get out of here as I intended." Rella’s pulse throbbed.

"Where are we going?" She managed to ask amid the fog of cloud in her head.

"We're going for a drive so eat up."

"That sounds interesting."

There's this peculiar sense to the feeling of exhilaration when going for a drive. It was refreshing. The weather was warm so they drove with the top off.

They toured the island and had lunch in an upscale restaurant at the heart of the city, after which they visited the site of another of Stefan’s restaurants which was still in construction.

Rella felt him go rigid beside her as they suddenly came face to face with a couple. The man was tall and lean and the woman was a voluptuous brunette.

"Stefan?" The woman said.

"Hello Lucille." Stefan sounded cool and detached and Rella saw at that moment a change in Lucille's eyes as they glance from her to Stefan.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"This is my wife Rella, darling this is Lucille Carpenter an old acquaintance of mine.’’

As he said so, Stefan placed his hand at the small of his wife's back to emphasise his point.

"Oh, I didn't know you got married what happened with Jenny and James?"

Rella was confused now and the tension in Stefan was slowly starting to transfer to her as well, she didn't miss the glint of satisfaction in Lucille's eyes and the muscle that ticked in Stefan’s jaw. The two of them seemed to be in some kind of duel that only they knew about and Rella's curiosity was piqued.

"I don't know and I don't care. It's nice to see you again Lucille." Stefan said as a note of finality and when Lucille's gaze found Rella again she threw her a look that implied she knew something Rella didn't.

Stefan's silence was wearing on her nerves and Rella was itching to know the truth. What was he keeping from her and why does Lucille Carpenter discomfit him so? When she glanced at him, he was staring straight at the road ahead and she decided it was now or never.

"Who's Jenny?"

"Jenny's just an ex girlfriend."

"Oh." Was all she could manage and Rella found herself suddenly jealous of this woman who had no face but was once in her husband's life and from the look of things she could tell he cared for her.

When they got back to the house he pounced on her, kissing her so fervently like the thought of not having her was killing him. He couldn't get enough of her. He made passionate love with her and as they both came she whispered breathlessly, "I love you." the words had been at the tip of her tongue for so long but she hadn't had the courage to say it. An unusual sense of euphoria enveloped her and the feeling that nothing could ever go wrong was at the forefront of her mind.

Stefan said nothing, not even a sound except for his ragged breathing. He rolled unto his side with her still in his arms and held her tightly until they both fell asleep.