In His Hands
A Short Story
By
Tara Thompson.
© 2018 by Tara Devaney-Thompson. All Rights Reserved.
WARNING:
This story has no chapter breaks. It is simply one long chapter.
This novels story and
characters are fictitious.
Any similarity to
real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the
author.
Dedication
To my family and my
best friend, I dedicate this short story to you.
Watching him from
across the room she wondered how any man could be so beautiful and still be
human. Surely heaven must be missing one of their angels. She had read that
somewhere and thought that, at this moment, it was a perfect description of this
vision of a man. She could not take her eyes off him. The way he looked, moved, and talked all seemed too perfect, almost. No living
breathing man had a right to be so very beautiful.
He must have sensed
her watching him because he turned, slowly, to look in her direction. At any
other time, she would have turned away to hide her embarrassment but, not this
time. She returned his stare unabashedly. His eyes held hers and with those
eyes he said so much. Her heart began to race. Her hands shook. Soon her body
began to rise as though drawn upwards by invisible strings. She felt as though
she had lost all control. Without a coherent thought she walked slowly towards
him.
He held out his hand
to her and she went to him. Never before had she ever felt this pull towards a
complete stranger. She gave no thought to the dangers it may pose, in fact; she
had lost all power to think. She simply knew that she had to follow him
wherever he led her.
He could feel eyes
upon him. Not the kind that you felt as a matter of course when you are a
well-known actor but ones that made his spine tingle. Slowly he turned to find
the source of this feeling. He spotted her almost instantly. She stood out in a
room of beautiful women. She shone like a solitary candle in the darkest night.
Her gaze held his as she kept her eyes on his without flinching.
He was used to women
staring at him but usually they looked away when he caught them. This woman did
not. She returned his gaze steadily and with seemingly no embarrassment at
being caught. He watched her rise from her table and walk towards him. He was
mesmerized by her. As she neared him all sound from the room disappeared and
the lights seemed to dim. All he could see was her. His arm rose of its own volition, and he held out his hand to her. She took it and he felt
the warmth of her.
His heart skipped a
beat as she leaned in towards him and he could smell her perfume. No expensive
aroma but one of strawberry cheesecake. He fell in love with her at that
moment.
Isabella took in all
of him as she stood there so close that she could feel his heartbeat. Tall with
shoulders built to lean on. His hair was black as night contrasting with the
blue of his beautiful long-lashed eyes. She could feel his strength as he held
her hand and yet she also felt great tenderness and gentleness about him. She
knew in her bones that this moment was going to change her life forever. She
could have turned and run away from him and all that he would bring to her, but
she stayed. She was simply unable to let go of his hand and save herself from
all that was to come.
She knew in her heart
that this was going to be a forever love of the timeless and ageless kind. She
was not a silly young thing with stars in her eyes. No, she had been around the
block more than once and knew what this could do to her, but she simply did not
care. Here, in this moment, he could do whatever he would with her, and she
would simply love him.
Together and wordlessly,
they left the hotel. Outside, in the cold winter night, with their breaths like
steam in the air, they turned to face each other. Moving closer together they
leaned into each other, and he placed his hands carefully and gently cupping
her face, he looked deeply into her eyes. Then, still having not uttered a word
he placed his perfectly formed lips upon hers.
Her heart stopped as
she felt his soft mouth join hers in a kiss she had only ever dreamed of. She
could never have imagined a mouth made so perfectly to fit hers nor a kiss so
extraordinarily beautiful.
As snowflakes fell
around them, they merged into one being. It was as though they had been created
solely for each other. Neither wanted the kiss to end but knew that it must.
When they finally broke, unwillingly, apart he gestured to the doorman for his
car. They waited silently wrapped in each other’s arms. Both were desperate for
the moment not to end and were afraid that if they spoke it would break the
spell. So, they waited.
A long black limousine
pulled up at the curb and he helped her into the depths of the back seat.
Joining her there after he had given the driver details of where to take them.
She had not questioned where they were going. She did not care as long as she
was with him. Finally, alone in the car he spoke:
"My name is Cole
Hampton and I think I am in love with you. And, in time I will convince you
that you love me."
Isabella simply
looked at him. In his eyes she could see the truth of what he said and,
strangely, knew that he was right.
“My name is Isabella
Gregory and I believe you” she replied.
The car pulled away
and they began the ride that was to become their life together. Neither knew
what this trip held in store for them but, at this point, neither cared. They
both happily gave in to the urge that had compelled them to be together.
Again, they had
fallen into a silence so comfortable it was as though they had been together a
lifetime and not mere minutes. Isabelle moved her hand across the seat, and he
clasped it in his. It felt so right, so perfect. Eventually, the ride ended,
and they arrived at the destination he had given the driver. It was the hotel
Cole had been staying at during his visit. She did not question the fact that
he had assumed she would accompany him there. She simply followed him into the
lobby and waited for him to get his key.
Once upstairs he took
her coat and she moved into the living area. It was a very luxurious room as
befitted Hollywood royalty. A fire had been lit and she moved closer to the
heat. She felt, rather than heard, him join her. Though she knew she should
feel wary since he was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger she found she
was completely at ease. She could smell his after-shave and he smelled
wonderful. Leaning back, she rested her head on his chest and felt his heart
race. Her own heart responded to his closeness and sped up.
Cole stood behind her
with his eyes closed. He wanted so much to wrap his arms around her but didn’t
want to scare her. He could feel her warmth and, unconsciously, his body leaned
forward. He was surprised when he felt her head rest on his chest. How he had
hoped she would trust him, and she seemed to be doing so. He wanted nothing
more than to hold her forever. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the
top of her head.
Isabelle felt the
lightest touch of his kiss. Her body turned of its own volition, and she lifted
her mouth to his. Again, it felt as though their mouths had been formed by
nature to be perfectly matched. Their mouths moved in unison with no need for
exploration because they already knew each-other. And, when the kiss ended,
their faces held that recognition and the surprise that it generated.
“I feel as though I
have kissed you a million times” Cole said.
“I feel the same. I
don’t know why but you are as familiar to me as the smell of cinnamon in this
room. It is as though we have done this many times before though I know this is
not possible”.
“Not possible at all
and yet here we are basking in the glow of a love that cannot exist yet” he
replied. “This makes no sense at all, but it does feel so right”.
“I am not going to
question this but simply go with it and see where it takes us. I have a feeling
that this Christmas we are both to receive the best gift we could ever hope
for…each other” Isabelle had tears forming in her eyes and Cole reached out to
tenderly wipe them away.
“My darling girl, why
do you cry?”
“I don’t know. I just
felt so very lucky all of a sudden. As though I had wished for this for a very
long time and suddenly it is a wish granted”.
Cole looked deeply
into her eyes and saw that she was being quite truthful. She returned his look
with no trace of guile or fakery. He had a feeling that this woman was going to
be the very reason for his existence. And, in his heart, he knew that she would
bring him such happiness as he had never known.
“I am sorry to
disturb you Mr. Hampton but you ordered room service”.
“Yes, I did, you can
bring it in and leave it in front of the fire” Cole told him.
“Very well, sir” the
manager ushered the waiter forward to wheel the trolley over to the fire. Once
the trolley was in place, he indicated for the young man to leave and, with a
nod in Cole’s direction, followed him from the room. Just before closing the
door Cole offered him a tip but the Manager refused so Cole gave it to the
young man who had remained standing outside the door. The young man was
suitably impressed by the amount and gave Cole a big smile and a little nod of
thanks.
“Here’s to what I
feel will be a beautiful future for us. I know that it will be one filled with
joy and love”.
She clinked her glass
with his and said,
“A future also filled
with respect and honesty the two most important ingredients in keeping love
alive”.
“I agree” He
answered.
Toast made they ate
what turned out to be a delicious dinner in perfect company.
When they had
finished Cole wheeled the table out into the hall and returned to find Isabella
standing in front of the window. Snow was falling again and the city looked
just like a Christmas card.
“It looks so peaceful,
doesn’t it?” Isabella said.
“Yes, it does. I love
the city in the winter. The snow always seems to make the streets look so
clean”.
“It is hard to
believe that the city is full of crime and sadness when you look at it right
now” Isabella sighed as she spoke.
Cole placed his arms
around her as though to comfort and protect her. She felt so at peace in his
embrace and so safe in his strength. Isabella couldn’t help but be surprised at
how fast this was happening. Never before had she felt so safe and secure in
the presence of a man she barely, literally, known. Yet here she stood in the
room of a man whose name she had learned barely an hour before. Why she felt
she could trust him she didn’t know but, trust him she did. It had been a long
time since she had trusted anyone but here, she was placing her trust in a
stranger. She was either desperate or mad she couldn’t decide which at the
moment. And, truth be told, didn’t care.
“Cole, I don’t know
what you expect of me tonight, but I will not be staying”.
“I was not expecting
anything Isabella. I am quite happy to wait for our love to develop in its own
time. Tonight, I will take you home and tomorrow, if you will allow me, I will
show you my city the way I see it. I know from your accent that you are not
from here so, I assumed, you have not seen a lot of it. Have I assumed
incorrectly?”
“No, you are right. I
have only been here a few days and have mostly seen the inside of offices and
the view from the windows. I would love for you to show me the city”.
“Good, I will pick
you up at ten if that is okay”.
“That is perfect. I
will be ready promptly at ten” she agreed.
“Dress for walking in
the snow” Cole told her,” We will be doing a lot of walking”.
“It’s a good thing I
brought warm winter clothing then” she laughed.
He discovered that he
loved the sound of her laughter and wanted to hear it a lot. He leaned down and
kissed her. He also discovered he loved kissing her and wanted to do it a lot
also. So many happy discoveries he was making and hoped she was too. As much as
he wanted to take things much further, he wanted to earn her respect more so,
with great reluctance, he ended the kiss and stepped back.
“Isabella, if we
don’t stop now, I will not be able to keep my word and will be tearing your
clothes off. I very much want to make love to you right here and now but, and I
am being very sincere, I want to wait until the time is perfect. With this in
mind I think it is time for me to take you back to your hotel”
“I have to be honest
with you too Cole” Isabella said “I would so very much like to make passionate
love to you also, but I do not want to have it seem like it is just sex between
us if that makes sense. I want it to be so much more. I know that sounds old
fashioned but, it is how I need it to be> So, I am happy for you to take me
back to the hotel”.
He reached out and softly
ran his fingers down her cheek.
“It sounds just how I
feel. We will have plenty of time to make love but making friends is more
important to begin with too. I will get your coat and order the car”.
She watched him walk
away and took a deep breath. He was so very beautiful that it was taking a
supreme act of self-control for her not to rip his clothes off and ravish him
here on the carpet in front of the fire. But she wanted it to be so much more
than a quickie enjoyed and then over. She wanted this man to be in her life for
the rest of her life. So, no matter how intoxicating his presence was she would
refrain from sexually assaulting him until she could be sure he wanted to share
his life with her.
Cole returned and
helped her into her coat. His hand brushed the nape of her neck, and she almost
lost all her resolve. Then, to make it even more difficult he brushed her neck
with his lips in a deliciously slow kiss. She ducked away and turned to see him
grinning like a schoolboy who had just stolen apples from the orchard.
“I can see that life
with you is going to be quite difficult in some ways” she laughed.
“Oh, I can promise
you that I will make it very difficult in some ways…difficult to imagine it
without me, that is” he laughed.
He took her by the arm
and led her out the door. They kissed again in the lift, and she almost begged
him to take her back and bed her.
Once outside they
found the car waiting and got in. The trip back to her hotel took only a little
while and when they arrived, he offered to escort her to her room. She declined
because she wasn’t sure she could control herself much longer. He took her in
his arms again and, kissed her deeply once more in the falling snow before
wishing her a good night’s sleep and reminding her to be ready by ten a.m.
She waved him off
and, after watching his car disappear from sight, walked slowly into the hotel.
Tomorrow seemed a long way off.
Before she went to
sleep Isabelle arranged for an early morning wake-up call and checked her diary
for any appointments. Luckily, she only had one and that one could be deferred
until the following day. After leaving a message for her aide to change the
appointment she made herself a coffee and stood at the window while she drank
it. Looking out at the city she thought how beautiful it looked swathed in snow
and Christmas lights. She had never expected that her visit to this magnificent
city would result in such a life altering encounter.
Her life, she knew,
would never be the same and though she should feel somewhat scared she was not.
This, in itself, was surprising. She had always been fearful of great changes
in her life and this man was going to be a very great change to everything.
This she knew for a fact yet, she felt calm and secure in this knowledge. She
should be questioning her feelings but for once she was just going to trust her
instincts.
Isabelle finished her
coffee and, after putting her mug back on the trolley, made her way to the
bathroom to shower before bed. As the warm water flowed over her, she closed
her eyes and was unsurprised when Cole’s face appeared in her mind. She again
marveled at his beauty. She truly had never seen a man about whom she could use
the word beautiful until now. His black as night hair contrasted so startlingly
with his bright blue eyes, one of which had a curious brown fleck, Eyes that
were edged with lashes that any woman would kill to possess. She knew the
softness of his full lips and the tender way he held her face in his hands
would never be matched by those of any other.
With these images
still in her mind she finished showering and made her way to bed. As she laid
her head upon her pillow, she knew that he would dominate her dreams tonight
and, she predicted, all her nights from now until her death. Sleep was not long
in claiming her as she was completely exhausted from this night of emotional
surprises. As she drifted off, she wondered what Cole had planned for tomorrow.
Then realized that no matter what they did she would be happy that they were
doing it together. This Christmas was turning out to be the one that would see
all her dreams come true.
As Cole’s car pulled away,
he couldn’t resist looking out of the back window. He saw her wave and almost
waved back until he remembered that she couldn’t see him through the tinted
window. He watched her walk into the hotel and turned back around thinking that
she had looked so beautiful in the light from the streetlamp. The snow had
reflected the light up to her face and she had looked luminescent in its glow.
He could not believe that such a short time before he had been utterly fed-up
with this whole Christmas thing.
She was going to make
this Holiday the best he could ever have hoped for. Before he knew it they had
arrived back at his hotel. It occurred to him suddenly that it might be a good
idea if he arranged for Isabella to have a room here rather than the one, she
was currently staying in. Of course, it would depend on whether she agreed to
this plan but, it would make things so much easier, and his hotel was much more
comfortable too. He would broach the subject with her the next day and
hopefully she would agree.
Thinking of the next
day he had better plan where he was going to take her. He didn’t want to show
her the usual tourist haunts but rather the places he had loved hanging out. He
was now quite familiar with this city and it’s out of the way places. But
before he sat down top plan the day, he wanted to see the Manager regarding a
suite for her. Hopefully there was one close to his own. Although, thinking
about that he wasn’t sure having her too close was such a good idea. It would
make it incredibly hard to keep his word about letting their physical
relationship take its time. Oh, well, he would just have to deal with it like a
man.
The driver pulled up
in front of the hotel and came around to open the door. Cole climbed out,
thanked him, and went into the foyer. The manager, as luck would have it, was
standing at the desk. Cole promptly asked about a suite for Isabella and was
told that there was indeed a suite available on his floor. Making tentative
arrangements to hold it open for her he thanked the Manager and went up to his
own suite. He had work to do to organize the tour with Isabelle. Hanging his
coat and scarf on the stand inside the door and dropping his keys on the table
he crossed to the bar and poured himself a scotch.
What an incredible
night it had been. He had only gone to the restaurant because it had been his
friend’s birthday but had not really wanted to go. He had almost cancelled at
the last minute but felt too guilty. Standing here in front of the roaring fire
he breathed a sigh of relief that he had decided to attend after all. If he had
not, he would have failed to meet the most fascinating woman he had ever known.
This would have been a tragedy of Homerian proportions. At least to him it
would have been. Now he stood here thinking of her and how she was going to change
his life forever.
He moved to the
bedroom and after showering got under the covers. As he closed his eyes and
waited for sleep to claim him, he played back the kisses they had shared
earlier. Her lips had been soft and pliable and made, it seemed, to fit his to
perfection. Never before had he felt so much emotion tied to the kiss of a
woman. But then she was no ordinary woman. She had looked at him across the
restaurant and, in the moment their eyes met, she had captured his heart and
soul. There would, no, could be no other for him. She was the part of him he
had not known was missing. She was his past, present and future, his perfect
partner, his greatest love.
As he drifted off, he
had one last thought. This Christmas fate has given me the greatest gift of
all….my forever love.
In the morning Isabelle was ready well before Cole was due to pick her up. Dressed and ready to go an hour before needed she was busy killing time looking around the gift shop in the foyer. While browsing in the jewelry section she overheard two women talking. One was saying to the other,
“Did you hear about
Cole Hampton?”
“No, what is it this
time”.
“Apparently, he was
seen leaving this very hotel last night with a mystery woman and a very
beautiful woman at that. I dare say there will be some noses out of joint this
morning” she said laughing.
“Oh yes there will
be” the other woman replied,” Some very out of joint noses indeed”.
“I can’t wait to read
the gossip columns and find out who she is. I dare say they will have all her
details by now”.
“I feel sorry for
anyone who falls for Cole Hampton. She will have to live with all the paparazzi
following them everywhere. Not to mention the women saying awful things in the
press”
“I know. Some women
will be so hateful because they are not in her place. Cole is a very desirable
man. Not that I am interested in that way of course. I just hope she is a
strong woman and can handle being the center of all that attention. I know I
couldn’t!”
“No! I couldn’t
either dear. I have known Cole’s family for years and he is a very nice young
man. I really hope this one is stronger than the last one. Such a shame that
she left him because she couldn’t handle the life”.
“Those awful
reporters and photographers follow Cole everywhere. They are no better than
rabid dogs. Oh, Lord I hope she is a strong girl. Cole deserves to find love”.
“Yes, he does dear! Yes,
he does”.
Isabella didn’t mean
to listen in on a private conversation, but she was caught behind a display
case and simply decided to stay put. Now that she had heard them talking, she
was glad she had stayed there. So, people had described her as beautiful! She
blushed at the thought but, in a way, felt flattered. She knew Cole was very
popular with the ladies because she had seen them fawning all over him at the
party. He had seemed decidedly uncomfortable in that situation, and she had
felt sorry for him. That was when he had turned and seen her watching him and,
well, here she was killing time waiting for him.
Just as that thought
came to her, she spotted him through the window of the shop. Feeling like she
was walking to the love of her life she made her way over to where he was
waiting. He looked so very handsome in his winter coat and scarf. She saw
flakes of snow caught in his beautiful black curls and couldn’t help smiling. He
spotted her and walked towards her with a cat-like grace that almost made her
swoon. How could she have caught the eye of such a man as he? This would remain
a mystery to her for as long as she lived. As too would the feeling of utter
gratitude to the fates, for bringing this perfect being into her life.
Cole turned and saw
Isabella walking towards him and, for a second, forgot how to breathe. She was
stunning. Her long black coat and fur hat were the perfect foil to her golden
hair and green eyes. He wanted to kiss those full red lips, so he did. Right
there in the foyer of the most popular hotel in the city. The fact that prying
eyes were everywhere bothered him not at all. She tasted of cinnamon coffee and
was delicious. He could have stood there all day kissing her, but he lifted his
lips reluctantly from hers and stepped back.
“I could go on
kissing you forever”.
“And I you” Isabelle
replied breathlessly.
“I don’t think that
this is the right place to do so though” Cole said.
“No”
“Then we had better leave
and begin the tour of the city that I promised you. I have so much to show you
so many places that I love and hope you will come to love too”.
“I am sure I will
Cole”.
Neither of them
questioned the idea that she was going to stay in the city. She, in particular,
had not imagined that her business trip would end in her beginning a new life
in a new city with a man she had met only the night before. Many would think
her quite mad but, and this amazed even her, she knew deep in her soul that
this was the right thing to do. She felt, beyond any doubt that Cole would
never hurt her or give her reason to doubt him. There was no logic to what
either of them felt. But, then again, when has love ever been logical?
This was, and of this
she was sure, the beginning of something so rare, so precious that she could
not, no would not, risk losing it. She felt her heart skip a beat as she looked
at him and he smiled that devastating smile that was for her alone. She smiled
back and, to those around them, it seemed as though they were sharing a
wordless secret known only to them. She made a promise to herself that she
would never give him any reason to stop loving her. This was her once in a
lifetime love and she was going to make it last forever.
Cole reached out and
she placed her tiny hands in his big, strong ones and looked deep into her
eyes. He knew that she was placing more than her hands there she was placing
her trust in his hands. He vowed to himself that he would never break that
trust in any way. She was far too precious to him to ever risk her love. She
stepped to his side and together they walked out into the falling snow. More
than this they stepped out into their future life together. As they walked
along the sidewalk arm in arm a street choir began to sing, Looking Through the
Eyes of Love. It seemed the perfect song for the beginning of what was perhaps
the perfect day.
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