Have you met ... Alex?

Earlier this month, I asked you to tell me what you wanted for Alex. Here is the short but not sweet holiday romance you asked for!

Don't want to read it in the blog? No problems, download it and get a bonus sneak peak from The Uni Student.

Enjoy!

Have you met ... Alex

Alex MacFarlane pulled into the dusty carpark noticing there were more cars with surfboards on the roof than utes with work equipment in the back trays. Even though there was little chance of running into anyone from back home, he breathed a sigh of relief. Beers tonight and surfing tomorrow, hangover permitting.

Two months of being the town schmuck, Alex was sick of avoiding the gauntlet of sympathetic, “I told you so,” to the less subtle, “she was leaving you anyway for university, what did you expect?” Luckily his boss had understood his desperate need to get the hell out of town for a while. After all, it was his daughter that had decided that four years together meant nothing, dragging out their breakup until she couldn’t avoid the final conversation.

Dumping him because she’d “fallen in love” with someone else. What a bloody joke, Alex would have raged if anyone had been there to listen. You don’t wake up one day and, “fall in love”! Not unless you are already out there on the singles market looking for an alternative to the love you professed would last forever.

How could he have been so clueless, not to expect her to do exactly that, leaving him to face the judgement and questions of the small country town where everyone seemed to have an opinion.

Taunts dressed up as friendly banter as his mates made endless jokes about his inability to keep his woman satisfied long distance. Pretending to feel sorry for him by going up to random girls at the local pub and asking if they would take pity on him. Most of them didn’t remember a time he had been single and it was if they had spent the past four years waiting for the opportunity to mock him.

“I need to get away before I do or say something that can’t be taken back,” Alex couldn’t bring himself to trash her at work, not with her dad in his office fielding his own regrets. “Clear my head and get my shit together because right now, it’s not pretty.”

“How long do you want off?” Elliot Martin closed his office door. “We’ve been worried about you and it’s such a fine line between treating you like the son you’ve always been to me, and then respecting your privacy.”

“It hasn’t been easy, and I’m sick of pretending that things are okay. They aren’t and I need to go out, smash some waves and down some beers without feeling like everyone’s walking on egg shells around me. I need to yell, scream and do some crazy shit that you don’t need to know about.” Getting laid would be a start, not that he could tell her father, hell he’d spent the last four years proving that he wouldn’t look at another woman!

“I’m more worried that once you leave, you won’t come back.”

“Unlikely, don’t you think if I was going to leave town it would have been with your daughter? Nah, we broke up because I wanted to raise a family here and she had itchy feet.”

“Well,” Elliott flicked through the order book. “You’ve got a stack of leave but we are fully booked and you’re still my best panel beater. I didn’t hire you because of my daughter and I don’t want to lose you because of her either.”

“Give me a couple of weeks, maybe I can come back via the Auburn shop. Seriously, I just need to get away, clear my head and come back with a new attitude.” As prospective father and son-in-law, they had expanded the panel beating business so Alex could move closer to the Sydney university that claimed his now ex-girlfriend.

“Whatever you need, just don’t do anything stupid, and don’t hate her too much,” Elliot asked, surprising him in a hug. “It wastes too much energy that could be used being happy.”

“Hard to hate her when I still love her. I wish I didn’t, but it’s bloody hard to stop just because she could.”

“Go, have fun and we’ll hold down the fort. When do you want to leave?”

“I don’t even want to go home to pack. End of my shift okay with you?”

Alex ended up leaving the south coast town at four, driving north along the coast and only stopping after three hours at the Wollongong pub because his hunger for food and beer was greater than his need to keep driving.

A beach to the right, bar to the left and if he opened his blinkered eyes, he’d probably find a babe or two willing to scream out his name. What he hadn’t told Elliot was that he already had his camping gear in the back of his car. If he hadn’t gotten the time off, he’d have resigned and dealt with the consequences later. New town, fresh faces and no one knew his name. Perfect.

As Alex opened the old wooden door to the pub, he immediately felt at home amongst the waft of smoke, stale beer and pub food delicacies of steak and chips. No judgement here, and if he played his cards right by the time he stumbled across the road to his pitched tent, he’d be feeling a woman instead of pain.

Her name was optional.

“Schooner of whatever’s cold and on tap,” he ordered, taking the time to look around the half full bar. Groups of guys straight from building sites enjoying darts and a couple of cold drinks before heading home to families, while the younger guys seemed to be heading out to the beer garden or pool room. His kind of place.

“Surfin’ or workin’?” the blonde waitress asked, leaning in just a little further than she had to, showing off the tanned crevice between her barely covered breasts.

“Bit of one and a lot of the other,” Alex shrugged, interested but not really interested. “How much do I owe you?”

“First one’s on the house,” not letting go of the glass until she got his full attention. “Second one’s on me, if you play your cards right.”

Fuck, the last thing he needed was to piss off the woman who stood between him and feeling nothing at all. “Honey, I’m here for beer and a game of pool but if I change my mind, you’ll be the first to know.”

Once she seemed to accept his wink and excuse, he escaped to the back room where the sound of pool balls clashing together called his name. He didn’t need conversation, he didn’t need anything at all other than to be left with his own thoughts and drink until life stopped hurting. As his dollar on the table claimed the next game, Alex tried to relax into the chilled vibe.

Getting away was the smartest thing he’d done in weeks and from the conversation around him, the surf conditions for tomorrow seemed good enough to wake up for.

“Good game, but do you want to make it more interesting?” the young electrical apprentice asked after their third game of pool.

“Nah, mate, I’m happy to be bored tonight,” Alex didn’t want to break the guys spirit by saying he was playing down to the standard of the locals. Only doing enough to hold his own and while ever there was no money on the table there were no players being dicks. He could leave his “A” game hidden away and relax amongst strangers within the comforting banter of surf conditions and football.

“No probs,” the young guy went off to find a target with deep pockets and Alex hoped he could at least read when he was being suckered in. Then again after the mess of his last relationship, Alex wasn’t the person to come to for advice on being a sucker.

“Up for a game?” a crusty old guy had been watching from the back of the room but Alex was the first one he approached. Ignoring the other five tables filled with locals, Alex was either his target or he was an amateur not wanting to embarrass himself in front of young guys he probably watched grow up.

“Sure, want to break?”

The old guy set up the balls as if he knew what he was doing but Alex could tell by the way he held the cue stick, nothing about this was familiar.

“You play a lot?” Alex might as well talk to somebody and old people always had at least one interesting story in them.

“Used to, back in the day.”

“Been a while, then?”

The opening break didn’t have the power or technique to push more than one ball to the side of the table. Alex looked around, normally that would be a foul, but he appreciated pub rules and moved to take his own shot.

“Spent the last dozen years working or caring for my wife,” the old guy’s eyes glistened. Alex didn’t need to ask more, the look was the same that he saw in his own mirror each day.

Pretending to take more time than necessary, Alex sunk the 10 ball, an easy shot that anyone could have taken and would have been insulting if he didn’t. The best he could do was make sure the 7 was set up for the guy.

“Cancer’s a mean bitch,” instead of finishing off the 7, the white ended up in the pocket.

“I’m sorry,” Alex didn’t expect this sort of conversation, what else could he say. The guy wanted to talk and it cost nothing to listen.

“Can’t complain, we had ten good years before the bad ones and if I had to do it all again I’d rather have ten good years with my missus then a lifetime with the wrong woman.”

“Cheers to you and your missus,” Alex offered a toast.

“Thanks, mate. The name’s Garry.”

“Alex, good to meet you.”

They went back to the game, all Alex could do was play his game and set up as many balls for Garry to sink as possible while trying not to make the game insulting. It took all of his skill to time it so they were both on the black at the same time.

Garry must have been a local fav because the hardest fucking shot of the night had all the other tables empty with the crowd around them cheering Garry on. No malice in their sledging towards Alex, it was all in support of the guy who deserved to win something after life had dealt him such a shitty hand of cards.

Alex leaned over, lining up the ball. Garry should have sunk the black on the last go, he’d done everything to set it up for him, but now the white had been left in such a position that he could almost sink the black left-handed. Luckily, no one in the room knew how good he was, so he made a slight adjustment to cue stick to the right, deciding to hit the black slightly too hard from the top of the ball. That way, even if he accidentally sunk the black, the white would follow it into the pocket and he’d lose the game over a foul shot.

“Oh!” he made sure his cry of anguish was believable as the crowd erupted.

Not one person watching would have believed he threw the shot on purpose. The white was set up and Garry made his own best shot of the night winning the game.

“Bad luck and thanks for the game,” they shook hands.

“I think I’d better go back to drinking,” Alex put the cue stick back in the rack, eager for a fresh drink and fresh air. He’d been mourning a fucked up relationship while this guy was mourning a real loss. Time to pull his big girl pants up and get over himself. Shit happened and it was time to start living life and not waste one more minute over her. She wasn’t coming back and for the first time Alex was confident that even if she did, he’d turn her away. He’d never wanted the flashy lights of the city or to work around the world. He wanted his own business, finish renovating his house and settle down with someone who wanted a basketball team of kids and Sunday afternoon bar-b-ques with friends. They wanted completely different things out of life and better that she pull the pin and dump him, than waste more years fighting and compromising.

Alex flexed his neck, ready to turn around and face the world again when he heard a vaguely familiar voice, “I’ve seen you sink that shot with your eyes shut!”

Spinning around, he couldn’t believe the timing, the place and the coincidence.

“What on earth are you doing here?” Simone Drucker seemed as amazed to see him as he was of her. If he’d asked for a sign to move on with his life, she was the perfect prize. Brunette, bubbly and had moved to town six months ago, becoming the female star of their mixed touch football team in the process.

“I could ask you the same,” as they started to weave their way out of the crowded pool room, Alex automatically put his arm around her waist to clear the way to the beer garden. “I mean, not that it isn’t great to see you but what the hell are you doing here.”

“My parents live a couple of streets away. This is why I couldn’t play in the weekend team, I usually come back once a month to see them. Dad hasn’t been well and I can’t believe Mum when she says everything’s okay.”

Simone pulled her long curly hair back into a ponytail, not looking unhappy to see him, “What about you, what are you up to?”

“Needed to get away for a bit,” how the fuck was he supposed to explain that he couldn’t bear to walk down the street knowing the whole town was laughing at him for being such a Fool For Love. Or that it had taken one game of pool for him to want to get his life sorted.

“Yeah, I heard about that,” Simone gave him a sympathetic grimace. “I’m sorry about you and …”

“Don’t even say her name,” he interrupted more harshly than either he expected or Simone deserved. “I mean, I don’t want to talk about her, don’t want to think about her and believe me when I say that there is nothing that could make me want anything more to do with her, ever.”

Words he couldn’t have truthfully said yesterday or even this morning.

“So, you came here?” Simone’s hazel eyes and dark hair were nothing like his ex’s.

“Where else could I meet hot babes and drink cold beer?” he teased.

“Really? Seems to me that you were trapped in a small room with a bunch of guys who didn’t know what to do with small balls and big sticks.”

“I’ll have you know,” he had an incredible urge to lean over and kiss the smirk off her face, “that I was in complete control of my balls and stick.”

“Didn’t look like it to me,” her eyes twinkled before getting serious. “Garry and Doris were like second parents to a lot of us always volunteering down at the surf club before she got sick. It was a nice thing you did back there.”

“I wanted to play pool more than I wanted to win. There was a young apprentice electrician who’s worked almost three weeks straight. I could have smashed him in the first game, but what was the point? It’s just as much fun making the game interesting and everyone walks away feeling like they played well.”

“Mr Nice Guy?”

“Not that it ever got me anywhere.”

“The night is still young,” her intension was clear.

Crap, he couldn’t treat this like a one night random and go back home and pretend like it didn’t happen. But there was definitely something about Simone that had always caught his eye, the natural and unpretentious way she became part of their football team, friendly with the girls and joking with the guys. Her ass was made for the tiny shorts and her natural tan was the only make up she needed.

No! Yes! No! He didn’t even know what question he was trying to answer.

“Well, it was good to see you,” Alex didn’t want Simone to see his confusion, getting up to leave.

“If you walk back in there, I promise that it will be the biggest mistake you make tonight,” she called after him.

“What makes you say that,” she had him intrigued.

“You’re a new guy in town, with the blonde hair and cheek bones, the girls don’t even need to see the rest of your body and they’ll want to get their hands all over you.”

“What’s your point?” because what she described sounded good to him.

“If you end up with any of them, then you don’t end up with me,” her raised eyebrow was enough to tell him all he needed to know.

“What are you trying to tell me?” he wanted no misunderstandings.

Simone stood closer than just friends, “How about we go inside, you buy me a drink, we play some pool.” His whole body came alive at her light touch against his shirt. “Then you’ll see what I can do with small balls.”

To hell with the consequences, “I’m actually more interested in how you use a long stick.”

This time when they walked inside, Alex’s hand started at the small of her back but with every step it fell lower along her summer dress until he found the perfect softness of her cheek. He couldn’t remember his last first date, if that’s what this ended up being.

As he opened the door to the pool room for her, Simone turned. “One night, no regrets?”

“I came here to do some forgetting,” Alex brushed a dark strand out of her eyes, not quite touching her face, at least not yet.

“Gee,” she twirled in his arms, almost waltzing into the room. “Here I was, hoping you’d give me a night to remember!” This time, her hand brushed his chest as lightly as her lips brushed his cheek. Within minutes, Simone had introduced him to half the pub and instead of being the lonely outsider, Alex felt he was among friends.

No one seemed to care how he ended up in their town or how he seemed to know Simone. Taking over one of the spare tables, he had to find his “A” game to hold off a determined challenge, Simone spending as much of her skill blocking him as sinking her balls.

“Wanna play doubles?” he asked after sinking the black from a near impossible position.

“Do you really think anyone would take us on after that?” she found a place between his arms and the table. Oh, how he wanted to do far more than kiss her!

“You always were good for a hustle but I didn’t know you knew my nemesis?” the young electrician he played earlier pushed him aside to hug Simone.

“Alex, meet my brother Teddy Bear,” Simone smiled, returning to his arms.

“Only my big sister calls me that, everyone else calls me Eddie.”

“Nice to be formally introduced.”

“So, how do you know my sister?”

“We played touch football together,” Simone shrugged easily. “Let’s go and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Eddie refused to budge, “Did you follow her here?”

“No mate,” Alex didn’t want to get involved in family drama. “I needed to get away and she followed me.”

“Are you staying with this guy or at Mum and Dad’s?” Eddie continued the interrogation, but Alex got the feeling there was a conversation happening between brother and sister without words.

“I’m still trying to work out which one I’ll regret the least.”

Simone looked up at him and for the first time in months, Alex had a genuine need to explore another woman beneath him, feel her touch and make her purr. All his “no’s” had become “absolutely yes’” and he couldn’t wait to start. Baby brother permitting, of course.

Ignoring her brother, he whispered, “All I have to offer you is a single sleeping bag inside a tent built for two. Do you think you’d be able to sleep in that?”

“Let’s shoot some more pool,” she pressed against him. “If I want to sleep, I’ll go home and if I don’t …” Simone wasn’t the only one ignoring her brother.

“Tent or hotel room?”

“Depends on how loudly you’re gonna scream my name,” she teased.

Alex didn’t mean to hesitate, “I want to, but …”

“How about we take over that pool table while you think about it. I’m not the one who’ll be waking up with regrets tomorrow.”

From underplaying his game, to putting it all out there with Simone to now not being able to bloody well sink the easiest shot if it was handed to him on a platter! The only thing on his mind was Simone, with her sexy curves, standing bent over the table with her legs spread apart as if to invite him there and then.

Rolling against the table, challenging him to far more than pool with her eyes.

“Fuuuuuck,” he moaned as she played with the cue the way he wished was him.

“Careful, that’s my sister you are checking out,” Eddie only half joked while his partner took a shot.

“I think the lady can take care of herself.”

“She deserves better than you.”

“Probably, but it usually takes someone at least a day or two to figure it out.”

“Don’t fuckin’ hurt her or you’ll have half this town on your case.”

A scenario he didn’t need, especially when he didn’t have a clue why it seemed every guy in the bar was checking him out. Not one of them seemed the jealous type, so there had to be something else.

“What’s her story, I mean, I know her socially from back home, but …”

“Her story to tell, not mine.”

“Is everything okay?” Alex and Eddie broke apart when Simone checked in on them.

“Your brother was just about to recommend somewhere for me to take you to dinner,” Alex didn’t expect to say it anymore than Eddie was ready for the question.

“Actually, I can’t think of anything better than eating fresh fish and chips on the beach, that is if you can handle a little sand with your salt,” again with that cheeky tease. How long had it been, Alex thought, since he wanted to laugh and joke with a woman instead of fight and sulk!

“I think I can handle it, wanna join us?” he threw out the question hoping Eddie would take the hint.

“Nah, I suppose I’m telling mum that you ran into an old friend and we’ll see you tomorrow?”

“How about you mind your own business, for now.” Simone grabbed a handful of crushed ice from her drink and flicked it at her brother. To Alex, “Ready to clean up this table with me?”

“I haven’t been able to sink a bloody thing this game, what makes you think I can start now?”

“Perhaps you just need something to get you in the mood.”

If he’d been given any warning, Alex would have stepped back, at least thought about what the hell it would mean to kiss another girl. After all, he’d been with his ex since the beginning of high school.

Instead, Simone’s kiss caught him completely off guard, unexpected but definitely not unwanted and taking his lips went where his head didn’t dare lead. Oh, she felt different, her mouth around his, tongue penetrating in ways so unfamiliar.

Yet very, very welcome.

Barely conscious of the cat calls, “Get a room.”

Only when they broke away did he realize this was exactly what he needed, but with all of his baggage, did she? Like her brother said, she deserved better.

“No regrets?” He needed her to be sure.

“Not if you kiss as well as that all the time,” she snuggled into his chest.

“Shall we find those fish and chips?”

“Only if you can clean the table …” they looked to where their opponents were waiting.

Three shots later, the black was sunk and Eddie was the first to shake hands.

“I mean it,” Eddie might be small and wiry, but his gaze had Alex’ measure. “Hurt her and you’ll suffer.”

“So, where is this famous tent and single sleeping bag you have on offer,” Simone asked, snuggled against him on the sand and flicking away chip crumbs. He didn’t think twice before offering his jacket to sit on, not even caring about wet sand against the leather. This woman, this night seemed too perfect to complicate with concerns about an old jacket that represented his past.

“Back up at the caravan park,” he broke off a piece of fish to feed her. “Your brother seems over the top protective.”

“I guess,” she shrugged.

“Those guys back at the bar, seemed far more interested in me when I walked back in with you.”

“They’re old friends, that’s all.”

Alex gave her a few minutes to decide whether or not to offer the information without encouragement.

“Look, Simone, it’s none of my business, unless you want it to be.”

“I don’t talk about it.”

“Don’t or don’t want to?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me, especially if you want to follow up from that kiss. I mean, I came here thinking that a holiday fling would be good for the ego and maybe help me get over my shit.”

“Is that what we’re calling her, now?” Simone laughed, pushing him back onto the sand and teasing him with salty kisses. “If you ever refer to me as ‘your shit’, I promise that my brother will be the least of your problems.”

This time, he pulled her on top, unable to hide his desire and unwilling to hide his interest. “I always expected that if I ever kissed another woman, I’d feel strange or guilty.”

“And?”

“I wanted a hell of a lot more than kisses, until your brother scared me off.”

“He’s not here now.”

His lips welcomed Simone as his hands worked their way up her legs and underneath her skirt, his body stirring in a way he didn’t want to stop if either of them changed their mind. But there was no use pretending that Simone could become a one night or even one weekend fling and try to ignore their chemistry in a week’s time.

“It’d be kind of impossible to get all crazy here, then go back home and pretend it didn’t happen.”

“What are you saying … that you’d prefer to go back to the bar and pick up some random to fuck?”

“Not at all, but if we’re going to do this, I feel at a complete disadvantage. You’ve probably heard all about what an idiot I was and how I got dumped. At least you could tell me how you ended up in my town and why you haven’t accepted any of the charming offers from my mates. I know they’ve tried. Why me and not them?”

“Has anyone told you, you talk too much,” he moaned as she ground against him, all he needed was her hands beneath his shorts and he’d be at risk of exploding right here and now.

“I’m begging you, don’t start something you don’t want to finish.”

She answered with a kiss that could drive a sane man wild, and Alex had stopped being that months ago.

“Where’s that tent of yours?” As she stood and brushed down her skirt, it did nothing to stop him visualising her legs wrapped around him, making it impossible to quickly get to his feet.

Waiting for Alex to get up, Simone wanted to stop talking and start the kissing again before she changed her mind. Of all the men she’d met in the last year, Alex was the only one who held her interest for more than a conversation, she’d always had a soft spot for a man who was good with his hands, and when the guys stripped off to their shorts on the football field, his was the only body she wanted to tackle.

Not just touch, but full on body slam to the ground.

Respecting his relationship had given her a reason to keep her distance and focus on her own healing. But now …

Her phone bleeped and of course it was Eddie acting all brotherly and concerned.

“You ok?”

Tracing Alex’ lips with her eyes, Simone didn’t know how to respond. After all she hadn’t been okay in twelve months and tonight she had every intention of hanging out with old friends who would never remember the date before escaping to the unwavering love of her parents.

“Y” and a single thumbs up emoji had to do.

The quicker she got Alex into bed and felt something for somebody, the closer she would feel to healing. Going through the motions back at the pub, she laughed and joked and flirted up a storm, surprised at how easily it all came back to her. The softening of the eyes the curling of her hair, the compliments, yes, they were real in a way but at the same time it was as if her body was doing things that her mind and heart didn’t understand.

The impromptu dinner on the beach had almost been her undoing. She’d already had a crush on the guy, but did he have to be so damn gentlemanly and perfect? Lying on top of him, all she wanted was his arms to squeeze the clothes from her body and not stop until tomorrow! Falling in love had never been her intention, but with every kiss she was losing a little part of any resistance.

Each kiss meant she was leaving a little part of herself behind.

“Are you kidding me?” she laughed when Alex stopped at possibly the smallest tent she had ever seen. Spinning into his arms, feeling him against her cheeks, she leaned back and teased, “You want me to sleep in that?”

“I thought the whole plan was we wouldn’t sleep,” this time it was Alex who turned her towards him his kisses starting at her neck, working their way around her face but each time they got close to her lips, he pulled away.

“Is there a problem?” If so, she had the perfect solution with her hands around his ass pulling him towards her, feeling him grow as she moved her hips into position. Simone wanted to want him, needed him to be the one to take control out of her hands, “Are we really going to stay out here all night not kissing?”

“You’re the one who laughed at the tent,” his nails scratched up her legs. “Are you sure about this, I mean we’ve played some pool, flirted and kissed but nothing that we can’t explain away as friends caught up in the moment.” Suddenly the voice of calm and reason, Alex’s hands weren’t listening to his words, “If you’re not ready for this, we can go back to the pub if you want.”

It would have been so much easier if they had come straight to the tent in a drunken haze so Simone could have pretended that they hadn’t been time to think. Instead she’d had all the time in the world to wonder if it was still too soon or the wrong day.

No. Perfect man, perfect timing and if he was as good as his kisses promised, all she needed to do was get inside the tent and it would be a perfect night.

“Undo the zip, take me inside your castle and kiss me like you mean it.” Still, as she looked for him to take control, she saw the same wary desire in Alex as she felt within her own heart. Taking this step was huge for both of them, the only difference being she knew why he was hesitating, but he didn’t have a clue about her.

“If you insist,” Alex unzipped the tent with one hand, running his other hand up her leg in sync.

“Seems like you want to undo more than the tent,” Simone tried to quell her nerves as she crawled inside the small tent, Alex’ hands moving from her legs to cup her ass as he followed.

They almost fell over each other on the sleeping bag and mat, not that there was room in the tent for much else.

“It’s not much, but these days I’ll call it home,” he joked. “Next time I can always get you a bed of roses if you prefer.”

“I thought I told you to kiss me like you mean it,” Simone desperately needed Alex to get things started.

Without room to stand, Simone had no choice but to lean back on the mat, hoping the ground didn’t get harder during the night. Wanting him to lie between her legs, instead Alex lay next to her, his hands at least had no intention of slowing down. Working their way up her legs in well travelled strokes, her mouth found his with small bites until his moans filled the tent. Pulling him closer, she encouraged his kisses to go harder, deeper and when his fingers made their way between her legs, her moans joined his.

“You are so freaking gorgeous,” he moaned.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” pushing him to lie flat, Simone straddled him in the middle of the tent, barely enough room for her to make a display of removing her dress. Distracting his hands as they left her groin to cup her black lace bra, his fingers edging around until his thumbs teased her nipples into position.

“This,” she moaned, giving way to his touch. It’d been so long since she felt a man want her and this day of all days, she needed to give a man pleasure and be pleasured in return. Wanted, desired and needed in return.

“I think you’re still over-dressed for the occasion,” needing this to happen before she started over-thinking again, Simone leaned back enough for him to take off his shirt but as his hands went for the elastic around his waist, she pushed them away. “Allow me.”

Laying him back down she needed to be in control, suppressing thoughts of doubt with kisses down his chest, taking time to feel his muscles, admire how tanned and gorgeous he was. Remember that the fantasies she’d had were now coming true if only she could stop thinking and focus on feeling. Simone knew every kiss had her crossing a boundary morally and within her heart.

“Come here,” he commanded, pulling her up to lie on top of him. “You told me to kiss you like I mean it.”

She was confused when he stopped kissing her but at least his hands grabbed her ass beneath her lace panties and there was no hiding the hardness wanting to escape his boxer shorts.

“Is it because of me, I mean it’s the first time for me with someone new and I can’t promise you a tomorrow …”

“I don’t understand,” she did but was shocked he had noticed.

“If you don’t want to do this, I understand. I told you before we haven’t really crossed any boundary that would stop us going back to the way we were.”

“You could tell?”

“Babe, there are kisses and then there was lips on autopilot. I don’t want this to be a charity thing where you think you are doing me a favour. What do you want?”

Simone sighed, “If you had just kept kissing me, we would have done it and I’m sure it would have been great.” For all her words, Simone didn’t move. Wanting to capture the randomness of desire they kept almost grabbed before stupid thinking got in the way.

“Talk to me,” his hands still said desire, but his eyes were full of concern.

“Asking me what I want, that was never part of the deal,” she tried kissing him back to where they were before.

“Talk to me, you have me in the perfect position of helplessness. I’m seriously not going anywhere so you might as well talk to me. How about you start with why you’re in town this weekend.”

“I told you, I came home to see my family.”

“Then why does your brother keep texting you, at least I assume it’s your brother. Why is he so worried about you?”

“What makes you think it’s Teddy?”

“Easy,” she didn’t react quickly enough to catch his lips so his gentle kiss found her nose. “If it was another guy you wouldn’t be here with me and if it was a girlfriend, you would have walked in with them.”

Simone needed to tell someone and damn it Alex was pushing hard to be her person, “Today is kind of an anniversary, not that my friends remember or understand but Teddy remembers and is just looking out for me so I don’t do anything stupid.”

“Talk to me,” Alex repeated over again, his hands massaging rather than caressing.

Decision made, yes she could actually talk to him and maybe it would make up her mind whether this would be another awful mistake in a lifetime of mistakes or … No! She needed one more kiss while he didn’t understand and didn’t know.

“I told you to kiss me,” this time her lips found their target with purpose and he didn’t have a chance to resist before her hands reached between them. Lifting her hips so slightly, she removed his boxer shorts, sliding down she couldn’t help her crying out while adjusting to him inside.

Slowly, she moved her hips until they found their rhythm, rocking together until out of nowhere she felt the long-forgotten tightness build. It took all her restraint not to scare the wildlife with her cries as she succumb to the magic, resting only for a moment before she helped Alex do the same.

“That was,” Alex started, still holding her in place, “Totally random.”

“Random good or random bad?” she lent over not knowing if his kisses would feel the same now that her frustration had been relieved.

“Random that I didn’t expect this, or you, or for it to feel so fucking right,” his kisses hungry for more. “You have no idea what it’s like to feel again, to actually think that the world might not be such a bad place after all. You did this,” he kissed her nose her cheeks and then back down to her breasts. “You need to know that isn’t going to end here. We might have some explaining to do back home, but this does not end here.”

His words were everything she wanted to here, but still he didn’t know all of her truths.

“Are we really going to ‘not sleep’ in this tent,” she climbed off trying to find space on the mat and hoping to distract him again.

“That depends on whether you’re going to talk to me or not,” lying down in his arms Simone tried to silence him with kisses. “Okay, you have a choice. We can do that again, or you can talk to me.”

Simone stretched out with her Cheshire cat smile, “Well, if you’re up for it, I could do that all night!”

“Just remember, you asked for it!” This time, while his kisses sought to quell his hunger, Alex’ fingers went to work, finding her still so sensitive to the touch that Simone didn’t expect to come again so soon. But once she started, wave after wave enthralled her and Alex didn’t stop until she trapped his hand between her legs.

“Wow!” There could be no collapsing when she was already on the ground.

“Talk, or I’ll have to do it all again,” he teased her nipple.

“Promises, promises, sounds good to me.”

“Really?” His fingers danced back towards her until she giggled.

“Okay, okay, I give in! Kiss me just once more and then I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

This time the kiss wasn’t the hungry exploration of new lovers, or the random passion of almost strangers giving into carnal urges. This time, each kiss held a promise for tomorrow and Simone knew that even if Alex didn’t feel the same when they woke up, that this man and this night would always be special to her.

She moaned when Alex pulled away, the absence of his lips against her skin almost painful.

“Simone, you don’t have to talk to me,” he cupped her face. “I’m not going to force you to do anything that you don’t want to do, but something tells me that you didn’t end up here this weekend by accident. Talk to me, cry on my shoulder, whatever you need. I’ll hold you until you don’t want to be held anymore.”

Lightening the mood, his legs wrapped around hers and he flashed the smile that had already won her heart, “But, if I hold you I reserve the right to want to do a hell of a lot more if you’ll let me!”

Now or never. If this thing was going to be for more than one night, he’d find out eventually and it might as well be now.

“Twelve months ago today,” she started nervously. Alex was never going to look at her the same after all, she’d left town to avoid the people who would always consider her an awful monster.

“I …,” she tried again. “I used to have this boyfriend, we grew up together and I guess we were a lot like you and your ex. You know, perfect couple, perfect first love, perfect everything.”

When she stopped, wanting to talk but not cry over another man, Alex waited patiently with fingers gently intertwined around hers. Alone in her thoughts, but no longer alone in person, this man might just understand.

“Twelve months ago today, my fiancé broke up with me by text and I didn’t take it well. I bad mouthed him all over town, did some things I’m not proud of out of spite.” She looked to Alex for some sort of sign he understood, didn’t judge and didn’t want to know the details of her revenge.

Instead, silence and blank face.

“Nothing to say?” she asked.

“What do you want me to say, you’re naked in my tent talking about another man!” He squeezed her hand, “I figured the safest play is to shut the fuck up and listen.”

“We’d never been closer before he left to go deep sea fishing. I truly thought we would be together forever until he sent the text. A text! He couldn’t be bothered waiting until getting back to dump me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“That’s not the worse part, the next day his boat got into trouble and he dived in to try and fix it, but ended up drowning. He was trying to save his mates, drowned and I’m the bitch who was home bad mouthing him, telling anyone who’d listen that I wished he was dead because I didn’t know.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t understand,” she couldn’t hide her bitterness. “One minute he loves me and never wants to live without me, the next minute he’s breaking up and before I can see him to yell at or ask why, get some answers, he bloody well dies. I didn’t get to ask why, or say ‘good bye’.”

“I’m so sorry,” this time he pulled her closer to his chest and she felt the rapid beat of her heart against his calm.

“His family didn’t want me at the funeral because they were concerned I would take all of the attention away from their son. I wasn’t allowed to view his body I wasn’t allowed at the funeral I wasn’t allowed to do anything. I’d lost my fiancé and then I lost the man I loved. Nobody knew how to talk to me or how to listen.”

“Babe, I’m so sorry and when I tell you I understand, it’s only half the story. I understand being dumped when you don’t have a clue what you did wrong, and I understand having to try pick up the pieces when everyone’s looking at you.”

“I guess that’s why I left town. I did some things and said some awful shit that apparently was unforgivable because even when the bastard dumps you, nice girls don’t speak ill of the dead.” At least Alex chuckled at her black humor, knowing it came from pain.

“No wonder you are hard ass out on the football field, you had most of us scared.”

“Let’s call it ‘repressed hurt’ or rage, at least playing footy kept me slightly sane.”

“You said this weekend was about you coming back to your family?”

“They were going to come to me because they didn’t want me to be alone, but they have a business and dad hasn’t been well. I figured it was time to come back and show my face in town again. Everyone else has moved on with their life and I have still been in this holding pattern thinking that there’d be a sign or something would happen to either make everything alright or tell me why. Why wasn’t I good enough for him? I didn’t get a chance to be angry with him or get answers.”

“Oh, babe,” he smothered her in loving kisses. “Oh, babe, oh, babe.”

This time when they came together it wasn’t the physicality of sex that she’d been craving. Each of Alex’ kisses penetrated more than her lips, etching deeper into her heart as they both gave into each other. This time, when they came together, the ghosts of past loves lost all power over their future.

As the nightlife serenaded and possums scampered for food scraps outside the tent, Simone knew that she had found her soulmate and for once, they were both ready to take the next step.

One perfect night of talking, napping and then making love again on repeat all night until no one knew her better than Alex. They had more in common than they could possibly have hoped for, and wanted the same things out of life. One night with one perfect man, no one else could have given her a better welcome back to the world.

Alex carefully unwrapped himself from around the sleeping Simone, brushing the long strands from her face, again. The sun had barely started showing itself from beyond the ocean and he could hear the surf calling his name.

After all, that’s why he’d come here. To surf, not to actually start a new life with a woman so wonderful he couldn’t believe that in a world of possibilities, they’d found each other by accident.

A woman he knew so well, but not her number to send a text to thank her for last night and to let her know he’d be out on the waves for a couple of hours. Inviting her to continue their “conversation” for the rest of the day! Rummaging through his back pack and truck, not a damn piece of paper to write on, not even an old petrol receipt.

Surely even without him leaving a message, she had to know that after last night whatever they had was worth exploring further. Over a late and leisurely breakfast, lunch and definitely more of what they had last night.

The connection went far more than physical, although he found himself wanting to do things with Simone that he’d never wanted to try before. It wasn’t even that they shared a painful relationship implosion played out in public.

He had liked and respected her before last night, but now all his feelings were exposed to a new depth.

Fuck, he came here to clear his head and now this woman had invaded more than his body.

Surf, that’s what he needed. Alex gave up on the hunt for paper, the softest kiss “good bye” didn’t even stir his sleeping princess before he zipped up the tent and headed down to the beach.

His muscles reminded him how long since he’d taken his board out for a good surf! Obviously, the surf wasn’t good enough for the locals who could grace their waves at any time, but for Alex and a couple of other tourists, there were enough carriage in the surf to keep him hoping that the next set would perform better.

In the meantime, he had fresh air to clear his head without the naked beauty of Simone distracting him. He needed to be sure.

Okay, he started. His first love had shattered his ego and shredded his heart by deciding that a life with him would have been intolerable. Staid and boring, she’d said as much. The thought of living with him in the same town they’d grown up in had been oppressive.

From where Alex tried to look objectively, she didn’t want to be the bad person breaking his heart because they weren’t right for each other anymore. No, she needed to be cruel and compare him to the first guy who offered her a shiny future before throwing her new happiness in his face and humiliating him in front of her family and their friends.

Still, the whole point of this time away was to press a reset on his life. Start again with fresh eyes and a new outlook on life.

Simone, wow, he didn’t see that coming! He hadn’t laughed so much in months, if not years. Joking, teasing, flirting until they had no option but to take it all the way.

Again, and again. Her body felt like silk, and the little cries she made when coming made him explode!

So engrossed in thinking about the night before, Alex completely missed the next set of waves.

What the hell was he doing out here, he thought, when a wonderful woman awaited.

The sexy Simone who believed in commitment, love and wanted a family. They had so much in common, even down to wanting the freedom of owning their own small business!

Alex gave up on the waves, allowing the next small set to take him into the shore.

Hopefully, Simone was ready to be awaken with kisses and coffee, although they’d have to leave the tent for the coffee. Hell, he’d keep kissing her on the way into town to get it.

Except she wasn’t in the tent.

Her clothes, bag, phone were all gone. Alex didn’t dare leave the tent, waiting in hope that she had gone up to the shower block and would return. Then he waited in case she also had the need for coffee and had gone to get them breakfast.

By mid morning, Alex had to face the bitter realization that the woman who had walked into his life, turned it upside down and made him at least think that he could deserve a happily ever after, had walked out as quickly as she had appeared.

All the reasons for running away to a strange town where he knew nobody were coming back to bite him on the ass. Other than trying to run into Simone or Eddie again at the pub tonight, he didn’t even know how to start to look and waiting until chance helped him tonight wasn’t even an option. He couldn’t wait all day to find out if she felt the same about him, and if she didn’t, well he’d find another town with better surf.

“Stu, it’s Alex …” his friend was the registrar for the football competition Simone had played in. “Look, I’m trying to track down one of the girls who played with us last season, Simone.”

“Strange way to find a date!”

“Nah, mate. I’m trying to track down her brother.” Alex tried to keep it light. If things didn’t work out, the last thing either of them needed was to be the subject of gossip. “We lost touch a while ago but I know he lives in Wollongong, I’m in town and thought he might want to hit the waves.”

“What’s this brother’s name,” Stu challenged.

“Eddie, but she calls him Teddy Bear. He hates it, but what’s he gonna do.”

“Didn’t even realize you knew her that well.”

“I don’t, and I didn’t even know he was her brother until it came up in conversation one time. I’d have asked her myself before I left town, but didn’t have time. Do you have contact info for her or not?”

“Give me half an hour. If I’ve got it, I’ll text you.”

“Thanks, mate.”

“You realize that she’s been waiting for you to notice her?” Stu threw out.

“Unlikely,” Alex needed to close down the rumour mill before it started.

“Believe what you want, but I think surfing with this Eddie will end up being coffee with the sweet Simone.”

“Just get me her number.”

True to his word, within half an hour, Alex had Simone’s number and her parent’s address. “Thought you’d appreciate her next of kin details – just in case you need to get her emergency care,” Stu messaged. Funny fellow, then again, Alex didn’t care how he got the information as long as he got it.

None of the clothes he’d packed were suitable for impressing a family who would be protective of their daughter and sister, let alone convincing Simone that last night didn’t need to be their only.

Going into town, his indecision tested the patience of three shop assistants before he found a fresh white shirt that gave his shorts a new lease on life.

“Can I help you?” the florist caught him in two minds whether to get Simone something or just turn up. Then again, what woman turned away a man holding flowers?

“I need all the help you can give,” he joked, grateful that at least now he looked presentable enough to help. “I’m trying to win over the heart of a girl, and also her family.”

“That’s a tall order,” the older woman laughed. “What does she like?”

“Who … the girl or her mother?”

“Let’s start with the girl, what does she like?”

Alex floundered, what did he actually know about Simone other than he wanted to know more? “She had her heartbroken by another guy twelve months ago, but I’m hoping that she’s ready to look towards the future.”

“Oh,” the woman’s face slightly darkened.

“It wasn’t me, I’m trying to cross the friends-zone. I think she’s interested, but I think we had a misunderstanding. Step one, find her and then I can focus on winning her over.”

“What were you thinking of?” the florist had turned from warm and helpful to disinterested. Alex didn’t know what he’d said or done to change her attitude and didn’t have the time or inclination to care. Flowers or a small gift was a great idea and either he’d get something here or find another shop willing to take his money.

He felt the woman’s eyes study him as he wandered around the small shop, coming back a third time to the same spot.

“I’ll take this,” he held up a scruffy stuffed bear, so ugly it had to be adorable.

“Are you sure this is what you want to win her over with?” she asked, taking it from him by the pale brown ears. “I mean, if you want a stuffed bear, then there are toy shops in the shopping centre that would sell much nicer looking ones but you might need to pay what they’re worth.”

“You don’t understand, she calls her brother ‘Teddy Bear’ and he hates it. If I give her a bear called Teddy Bear, hopefully it will at least win her brother over.”

“I see,” at least now she cradled the bear. “How will she know what to call it.”

“I’m sure a store in the shopping centre would sell vanity pins or bracelets with common names. If I can find one with ‘Ed’ or ‘Ted’, then it will go with the embroidered ‘Bear’ on his paws.”

The more he thought about it, the better the idea felt, “I don’t want to scare her off, but at least she’ll always remember me.”

“I’m sure she will, I didn’t catch your name,” finally the florist seemed to approve of him as she held out her hand, “I’m Ann, and I hope we can win back your girl.”

“She was never mine to win back, but I’m working on it. Alex. Alex MacFarlane.”

“So, Alex MacFarlane, what makes you think she wants to be won?”

“Fate, luck and hope.”

It was easy explaining to a stranger how he knew Simone, why he’d needed to leave town, and how he didn’t expect to run into her last night, glossing over their night together. “There’s something about her that I need to know more about, not just physical, even though she’s bloody gorgeous,” he blushed at sharing too much. “It’s like we went from friends to potentially something more but when I turned around, she was gone.”

“Just like that?”

“Yeah, well now I feel like she’s playing Cinderella on me. At least I have her number and her parents’ address so I figure my only move is to turn up baring gifts. Either she thinks we’re worth a chance or she doesn’t. Either way, we get it sorted before both of us go back home and things get awkward.”

“What if she’s not interested?”

Alex smiled, “I’ve learnt that you can’t force love. I hope that she felt the connection, but if she didn’t then we go back to being friends and either it happens later, or it doesn’t.”

“What makes you think the two of you will work?”

“Here,” he changed the subject. “What do you think of these?” Alex selected an arrangement of deep burgundy snapdragons and white carnations from one of the display barrels.

“They’re lovely and a little old fashioned, but you’ve already gotten her the bear.”

“No, these are for her mother. After how the fiancé broke up by text, I figure her mother is going to be even more protective than Eddie.”

“Still, you don’t even know her.”

“I’m about to turn up unannounced to ask her daughter out on a date, are you a mother?”

“Yes, but …”

“I want her family to at least give me a chance. I know that the next woman I take home to my mother is going to get one hell of a time because she’ll never want to see me get my heart crushed again. I figure, Simone’s family will be the same.”

“Why did she end it, I mean you seem like a nice enough person?”

“I wanted marriage, babies and to settle down and enjoy life. That wasn’t good enough for her and she moved to Sydney for university and then moved on.”

“So the flowers are for her mother?”

“Yes, what do you think? Do you think she’ll give me a chance?”

Instead of answering him and trying to close the sale, Ann fiddled with her phone. At least he had time to wander around the shop some more.

“Sorry, about that, I needed to check on something. Where were we?”

“This bouquet, do you think her mother will like it?”

“I’m sure she will, but I’d like to freshen it up a little. How about you go and get the bracelet while I get it ready. Come back in half an hour and I might even have some spare roses for you to give this Simone. After all, I need to encourage the romance!”

Alex shrugged, he just wanted to get the gifts and go and find Simone, but the idea of the bracelet couldn’t be ignored. If nothing else, Eddie would have every excuse to insist on his name change.

Half an hour later, he had a cheap vanity bracelet and box of chocolate covered ginger. If Simone didn’t want them, then he’d have a party for one back at his campsite before heading out of town.

He kept looking at her number now programmed into his phone. How on earth was he supposed to start the conversation?

“Hi, it’s Alex … why’d you leave?” Nah, too needy.

“Hi, didn’t think last night was that bad?” Even worse.

“What does a guy have to do to get a second date?”

By the time he approached the florist again, he’d almost decided to pay for the stuff, drop it off at Simone’s house and then do a runner. After all, she’d obviously changed her mind and last night meant more to him than it did to her.

The door bell chimed again, announcing his arrival.

“Darling, this is the young man I was telling you about,” Ann began as the most beautiful brunette came out from the cool room.

“Alex!”

“Simone? What? How …” he looked to Ann for answers.

“Darling, do you mind looking after the shop for me, I need to go out for a while.”

“Mum?”

If this was a set up, it was clear Simone had nothing to do with it.

“The young man is determined to win over a particular young lady, perhaps you might like to help him.”

Before he knew what happened, Simone’s mother had left them alone in the shop, turning the sign as she locked them inside.

“How did you end up in my mother’s shop?”

“I came looking for a gift for you,” he wanted to grab her in his arms and prove that last night wasn’t an illusion, but she kept pacing around the shop, keeping barrels of floral arrangements between them.

“You left. I woke up and you were gone.”

“I went for a surf, I didn’t have your number to leave you a message or anything, but when I got back you were gone.”

“I thought you had decided …” she stroked the green foliage from an arrangement. “I don’t know what I thought.”

“Can you help me with the bear?”

“That scruffy thing?” she asked, almost insulted.

“I’ll have you know, he has a name!” Alex fastened the bracelet around the bear’s neck. “Ted E Bear.”

“Why?”

To hell with waiting for Simone to come to either him or her senses. She had every chance to walk out with her mother or send him packing.

“The way I see it, when you go back home you have two choices,” Alex approached with his hands, finding the hips that had bought him so much joy only hours ago.

“What would that be?” Simone asked softly as he blew kisses around her neck. Damn it, she’d already driven him mad, now it was his turn to do the same.

“A woman like you shouldn’t ever sleep alone.”

“Really? So, what are my choices?”

“The bear or me.”

“The bear doesn’t snore and probably doesn’t steal the doona.” At least she let his lips find hers. “I’m pretty sure the bear won’t leave me for the surf.”

“I promise, I’ll do things to you that would make the bear blush.”

“So, I guess you won my brother over last night and my mother this morning.”

“What will it take to win you over?” Alex held her close, feeling her heart beat in time with his own.

“Kiss me like you mean it.”

So he did.

THE END

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Alex MacFarlane is not new to my readers, he was also one of your choices in my choose your own romance, The Uni Student where you got to choose which of Ava’s loves would last forever.

What happens to the men you don't choose? I can't bare for any of them to be left without love so the older Professor Geoffrey Swains fought for his own happily ever after in Trusting his Heart and now Alex has gotten the love he deserves.

If you want to try a choose your own romance for free, download The Bad Kitty today.