Paradise Read Online Free Page A

Jez
adored
Madonna; had worshipped her since her ‘Like A Virgin’ days.
    ‘Our paths have crossed a fair few times on the pitch,’ Ethan replied, ‘and I’ve met Madonna as well.’
    Jez looked as if he might take off into orbit. ‘What is she like?’ he asked in awed tones.
    Ethan shrugged. He was used to mixing with A-listers –hell, he was an A-lister himself – but he humoured Jez. ‘Charming, tiny, lovely skin.’
    ‘Charming, tiny, lovely skin,’ Jez echoed back, as if he had discovered the meaning of the universe. ‘And what was she wearing?’
    Another shrug from Ethan. ‘Some kinda black dress, I think, the first time. And the second time, a red dress . . . I really can’t remember.’
    But that was not sufficient for Jez who proceeded to bombard him with questions. Could he guess the designer of the dress? What about the shoes? And what was her hair like? And her lipstick? And so on and so on, until Angel had to rescue Ethan by putting her hand over Jez’s mouth and exclaiming, ‘What are you like, Jez!’
    They stayed chatting by the pool until the sun set. It was as if it was putting on a spectacular show just for them as the sky turned from blue to deep pink to vibrant orange. Angel felt incredibly happy to have her friends with her. She had made a few out here but none were as close to her as Jez and Gemma and she never felt she could quite let her guard down with them, whereas Jez and Gemma knew her through and through and she never had to pretend with them.
    Jez and Gemma were jetlagged after their flight and crashed out pretty much at the same time as Angel got Honey ready for bed, both exclaiming about their luxurious guest rooms with en suite bathrooms filled with gorgeous Moulton Brown bath products.
    Angel gave Honey her bath and then read to her until she fell asleep. ‘Night-night,’ she whispered, kissing her daughter on her soft baby cheek. ‘Mummy loves you and so does Daddy and so does Ethan.’ It was what she said to Honey every night.
    She paused for a few minutes in the doorway, looking back at her daughter curled up so snug under herTinkerbell duvet cover, then found her gaze drawn to the photograph of Cal with Honey on his knee which stood on the beside table. It was the only photograph of Cal in the house and Angel knew that Ethan didn’t like having it there, even though he hadn’t said as much. Cal was smiling in the picture, making him look even more handsome. He was half-Italian, with olive skin and jet black hair which he always wore short. His deep brown eyes could appear distant at times, and at others full of passion. The small scar just below his right eyebrow, a souvenir from a collision on the football pitch, only made him sexier. Oh, Cal, where are you now? Angel wondered. She was sure she had made the right decision leaving him but that didn’t mean that it didn’t still hurt sometimes.
    She tried to shrug off the feeling and wandered downstairs to the living room, intending to thank Ethan for the wonderful surprise he’d arranged, but he was on the phone, pacing the room, sounding furious.
    ‘Well, I don’t fucking know what to do about it. You’re my fucking agent,
you
sort it out. Jesus Christ, Benny, that’s what I pay you to do.’ He paused when he caught sight of Angel standing barefoot in the doorway. ‘Look, Benny, I gotta go, let’s speak in the morning.’ He clicked his phone off. ‘Hey, sorry about that, just some business with Benny.’
    ‘It sounded serious, is everything okay?’
    ‘Everything’s cool, baby.’ Ethan didn’t seem to want to discuss it. ‘Now why don’t we go outside in the hot tub and have a glass of champagne? It’s still our anniversary. And I reckon it’s time for the third surprise.’
    ‘Oh, no, you haven’t bought me something else!’ Angel exclaimed.
    ‘Nope, this one is free.’ Ethan murmured, putting his arm round her. ‘Let’s see if a thirty-year-old man whois very much in love and in lust