Best Friend to Royal Bride

by Annie Claydon

  Zack nodded, his face suddenly thoughtful.

  ‘What, Zack?’ Alex leaned back on the bench, ready to listen to whatever Zack had to say.

  ‘It’s nothing really. I just...’ Zack turned the corners of his mouth down. ‘I didn’t know what to do.’

  ‘Your sister’s a doctor. She’s been trained to know what to do.’

  Zack nodded. ‘Yeah, I know. But... I was afraid. I said we should phone someone to come and let us in. If we’d done that Charlie might have bled to death. She was so brave the whole time, and nothing stopped her. I didn’t know she knew about breaking and entering.’

  ‘The coat hanger trick?’ Alex grinned again. Marie hadn’t actually used a coat hanger, but she’d found a piece of wire that had done just as well. ‘I taught her that years ago.’

  ‘Really?’ Zack gave him a searching look. ‘It was you that led her astray, then?’

  Not really. Getting Marie into her student flat—when he could have asked her back to his place for the night—could be construed as not leading either of them astray. But Zack didn’t need to know that.

  ‘You did well, Zack. You did what we needed you to do and let us work.’ Alex held out his hand, reckoning that Zack needed something a little more definite than words. ‘I’m proud of you.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Zack brightened suddenly, shaking Alex’s hand. ‘You know, Marie’s always looked after me... Mum too. A bit too much sometimes.’

  That was Alex’s opinion, too. But he had no business saying it.

  ‘I’m going to take more responsibility for things. I’ll pay her back every penny of the money I took. I want to make a difference, the way she does.’

  Alex laid his hand on Zack’s shoulder. ‘You made me proud today, Zack, and I’m sure your sister feels the same way. And, yes, you are going to keep working until you pay her back.’

  Zack nodded, getting to his feet. ‘She’ll be wondering where we are. I’ll drive.’

  * * *

  Marie’s jeans were still spattered with blood, but she’d washed the grime from her face and hair, and cheered up considerably when Alex gave her the exact details of Charlie’s condition.

  ‘He was lucky. How on earth do you think it happened? Everything coming down on top of him like that?’

  ‘Jim told me that he caught him climbing up those shelves the other day, to get something at the top. He gave him a dressing down—told him it was dangerous and said he should use the stepladder. But I guess Charlie didn’t listen.’

  Marie quirked her lips. She knew as well as Alex did that there was no saving people from themselves. ‘What about the mess? Should we go and clear up a bit?’

  ‘That’s okay. Jim’s been on the phone to a couple of his guys and they’ll take care of it. I think we’re done for today.’

  Neither Marie nor Zack argued. Alex claimed the car keys from Zack, saying that they’d drop him home, and Marie directed him to a neat two-up, two-down terraced house with a riot of colourful plants in the front garden.

  ‘I’ll come in with you...’ Marie went to get out of the car but Zack reached forward from the back seat, grabbing her.

  ‘I’ll deal with Mum.’

  Marie frowned. ‘Are you sure? You can’t just tell her about it and then disappear up into your bedroom. You know she worries.’

  ‘I’ll make her a cup of tea and talk to her. You’re not the only one who knows how to do that, you know.’

  ‘No, I know.’ Marie grinned suddenly. ‘Okay, then, Zack. See you tomorrow?’

  ‘Yep. Bright and early.’

  Zack shot Alex a grin and then got out of the car, loping up the front path and turning to give them his characteristically ebullient wave.

  Alex put the car into Drive and accelerated away before Marie could change her mind.

  ‘He did well today.’

  Marie didn’t ask where they were going, and Alex decided to head for his flat. Maybe he could make her lunch.

  ‘Yes. He told me he wanted to make the kind of difference that you make.’

  ‘That’s nice.’ She smiled. ‘Mum tells me that he’s got a severe case of hero-worship. “Dr King says this...” “Dr King did that...”’

  She was twisting her fingers in her lap, clearly thinking about something. Alex wondered if it was the kiss, and hoped not. In between dealing with Charlie, he’d been thinking about it enough for both of them.

  ‘I was wrong.’

  ‘Were you?’ In his view Marie was perfect. ‘What about?’

  ‘I thought that if I worked hard enough then I could fix things. I could pay Mum back myself and persuade Zack to buck his ideas up. But I couldn’t. I had to stand back.’

  ‘That’s the most difficult thing sometimes. Not that I’d know—I don’t have a great deal of experience with families...’

  Marie was so involved with her family. That might have its difficulties, but she felt a part of them. Indissolubly linked. Alex had worked for most of his life to distance himself from his family.

  ‘You know people, though.’ She reached forward, pulling her phone out of her handbag. ‘Mum hasn’t called me yet. I suppose that’s a good sign...’

  ‘Put it away, Marie. Give Zack a chance to deal with things. I know you’ve always been there for him, ever since he was little, but maybe it’s time to let go now.’ Alex ventured it as a suggestion.

  ‘What? And have a life of my own?’

  She made it sound like a joke, but Alex knew she’d got his point, and that she was thinking about it.

  He shrugged. ‘Funnier things have happened.’

  ‘Yes, they have.’ She gave a little sigh. ‘I couldn’t do what you did, Alex—taking Zack on like that and giving him direction. Thank you.’

  A warm feeling spread through Alex’s veins, making his hand shake a little on the wheel. He felt as if he’d been part of something good, and in his experience good things didn’t happen in families.

  Suddenly the idea of driving Marie home and leaving her there seemed impossible.

  ‘It’s Sunday afternoon. Would you like to go for a late lunch somewhere?’

  ‘Like we used to?’ Marie smiled.

  ‘Yes.’

  Driving out into the country would be good. He’d lost something from those days and he wanted it back.

  ‘I can’t go anywhere like this.’ She pointed to the grime and blood on her jeans.

  ‘We could drop in to your place.’ Or, better still, he could avoid Marie’s flat entirely so she didn’t get a chance to change her mind. ‘Or I could lend you a pair...?’

  Apparently they called the style ‘boyfriend jeans’—rolled up at the bottom and cinched tight at the waist. But Alex decided that he didn’t need to be her boyfriend to lend Marie a pair of jeans, and that plenty of women wore the manufactured version.

  ‘You’ve got diamond-encrusted jeans?’

  Marie giggled suddenly, and Alex realised she was teasing him. ‘Yeah. It was all the rage in eighteenth-century Belkraine.’

  ‘This I have to see...’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE NEEDLESSNESS OF Charlie’s accident, the repeated wish that he’d applied a bit of common sense, or a least listened to what Jim had told him, was beginning to be set aside now, along with her worry about Zack and her mother. This afternoon there was just Alex—and he was irresistible.

  There had been a bit of awkwardness about who should go where to get changed, which Alex had solved by laying out a pair of jeans for her in his bedroom and then going to get changed and take a shower in the bathroom.

  She could hear the sound of water running, and tried not to think about the inevitable consequence of that. Alex...soaking wet and naked.

  Resisting Alex had always been hard, but she’d grown used to it. Now that she’d felt his touch it was a whole n
ew ball game. And now that some of the responsibility for Zack and her mum had been lifted from her shoulders there might be time to indulge her fantasies.

  But it was too risky. They were friends and colleagues and they were both at turning points in their lives. Anything could happen and they would smash all that they’d built together.

  She rolled up the legs of the jeans, cinching the waist tight. They didn’t look so bad with her flat canvas shoes, which had thankfully escaped any specks of blood. Her lace-edged sleeveless shirt was fine on its own, and now that the sun had burned away the early-morning cloud she didn’t need the zipped hoodie she’d been wearing.

  She walked back into the sitting room. Perhaps Alex had always looked her up and down like that but she’d never noticed, and it made her heart jump. His smile was even better.

  ‘Diamonds really suit you.’

  She laughed, and the joke loosened the tension between them. Alex picked up his car keys, hooking his sunglasses onto the front of his shirt, and Marie put her purse in her pocket. They were ready to go, travelling light the way they’d used to do. Just the open road and what they could carry in their pockets.

  He left the clinic’s car to charge in the basement garage under the flats and they took his car. With the top rolled back, raw power purring from the engine and a warm breeze caressing her skin, this felt a lot like sex. Although she reckoned that sex with Alex would be a lot better.

  After a drive that was enough to blow the most stubborn of cobwebs away they found a picturesque pub in a picturesque village and ordered lunch to eat in the garden. The artisan burgers weren’t quite as nice as they’d looked on the menu, but it didn’t matter. They were taking the world as it came.

  ‘Careful...’ said Alex.

  Marie had slipped off her shoes, putting her feet up on one of the plastic chairs, and luxuriating in the sun. ‘Careful of what?’ She opened one of her eyes, shading her face so she could see him.

  ‘You’ll catch the sun. Might even look as if you’ve been on holiday...’ He smirked at her.

  The last holiday she’d been on had been the summer before her father had left. Since then, the only thing that had seemed remotely like getting away from it all had been the times when Alex had persuaded her away from her books and out into the sunshine.

  ‘We can’t have that, can we?’ She wrinkled her nose at him.

  He chuckled. ‘Too late. I think I see a touch of pink on your shoulder.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ Marie pretended to brush it off and Alex laughed.

  ‘Do you want to tell me about your plans for the open day? It’s only two weeks away.’

  ‘Not right now.’ Marie stifled a yawn. ‘This is our afternoon off. We can go through them tomorrow.’

  ‘I never thought I’d hear you say that. Mañana has never been your thing.’

  Marie let the idea roll for a moment. Mañana never had been her thing, but that was because there’d always seemed to be so much to do.

  ‘I might take it up. Take a break once every month or so.’

  ‘Yeah... I wouldn’t overdo it—you might find it becomes a habit. Then where would you be?’

  If all her breaks were like this one she would be...happy. Marie dismissed the thought. However alluring it was, it was a fantasy.

  They spent another hour in the sun together, and then Alex suggested that a film might fill the evening nicely. But after they’d driven back to his place and consulted the listings they found there was nothing that either of them particularly wanted to see.

  ‘Shall we download something to watch?’

  ‘That would mean making a decision, wouldn’t it?’ Marie was too relaxed to move.

  ‘Yep. Good point.’ He grinned, reaching for the remote for the sound system and switching it on. ‘Random will do...’

  ‘Random’ did very nicely. Some soul, some rock and roll—a bit of everything.

  Marie’s foot started to tap against the leg of the coffee table and suddenly Alex was on his feet, catching her hand.

  ‘You want to dance?’

  She hesitated, and he shot her an imploring look. He picked up the remote and suddenly the sound swelled and the beat became irresistible.

  Alex was irresistible.

  Marie stood up and he swung her round, away from the sofas and towards the clear space to one side.

  Alex was a great dancer. He had always moved well, and he danced without any of the tense awkwardness that made sitting it out the best choice with some partners. They seemed to fit together, anticipating each other’s next steps, and by the time the rock and roll track was finished she was out of breath, falling laughingly into his arms.

  There was a moment of silence in which she looked up at him, felt his body against hers, her chest rising and falling with excitement. And then the next track started.

  ‘I love this one...’

  ‘Me too.’

  He wrapped his arms around her and they started to sway slowly to the music. Each movement was perfect. There was nothing more that she needed.

  Then she felt his lips brush the side of her forehead, and realised there was something more she needed. She tipped her face up towards his, stretching her arms around his neck.

  This was better than last night. They were truly alone, without having to worry about lipstick or someone strolling into the garden and discovering them. She could feel his body, hard against hers, still swaying to the music. But now there was another, more insistent rhythm, which gradually began to take over.

  ‘Alex...’

  He moved from her mouth to her neck, and she felt herself shudder with pleasure. Pulling at the buttons of his shirt, she slid her hand across his chest, feeling muscle move under soft skin.

  They were breathing together now. He gasped as she tucked one finger under the buckle of his belt, knowing that this was a statement of intent. She intended to make him feel everything that she did.

  Suddenly he lifted her off her feet. Marie wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling the hot surge of desire suddenly let loose after far too long spent denying it. He took a step and she felt her back against the wall, his hand curling protectively around her head.

  ‘Alex...’ She fumbled for the heavy belt around her jeans, trying to pull it off. ‘Now. Please...now.’

  It had to be now. While she was still lost in the powerful force of trembling expectation.

  Suddenly he stilled. And as he let her gently down onto her feet he planted a tender kiss on her brow.

  It was gone. The moment was gone.

  ‘We can’t, Marie. Not like this.’

  One of his arms was braced against the wall above her shoulder. He seemed to be pushing himself back, away from her.

  What did he mean? Not like how? Marie stared up at him, frustrated longing bringing tears to her eyes. She was too scared to say anything.

  He picked up her hand, pressing it to his lips. ‘I want to make love to you, Marie. But if we rush at it before we have a chance to think and change our minds... I need to know that you’re not going to regret this when you do get a chance to think about it.’

  He’d known her haste was borne of uncertainty. That they had a lot to lose. A friendship that had lasted for years. Their work together.

  He turned away from her suddenly and flipped the remote. Silence. Picking up the keys of the clinic’s electric car from the coffee table and then putting them into her hand, he closed her fingers around them.

  Alex wouldn’t tell her to go. He didn’t want her to go—she could see that in his eyes. But if she stayed, it had to be a real decision. They couldn’t just let themselves be carried away by insistent desire.

  They could go back now. Pick up on Monday morning and keep working together. Working together was their strength and anything else was a weakness. They could stick with what they were g
ood at or...

  They could want more.

  Suddenly, she knew. Marie put the car keys down onto the coffee table. ‘Alex, you’re my friend, right?’

  ‘Always. You know that, Marie...’

  ‘We both have regrets about the past. You wish your mother had left, and I wish my father had stayed. And although we’re so different we’ve always talked about things. I feel that whatever happens we can work it out.’

  He didn’t move. ‘Is that a yes?’

  ‘I trust you, Alex. It’s a yes.’

  The heat of his gaze was more exciting than the heavy beat of the music had been. More arousing even than his touch.

  ‘I trust you too. My answer’s yes.’

  Marie stepped forward, undoing the buttons of his shirt that she hadn’t already torn open. He didn’t move, letting her slip it from his shoulders. When she ran her fingers across his chest he caught his breath, stifling a groan.

  He reached for her, pulling her vest over her head in one swift movement that made her gasp. He traced the edge of her bra with his finger, bending to kiss her neck, and Marie felt her knees start to shake.

  ‘Alex...?’

  Just moments ago this had been unthinking desire, but now it was a true connection. If he severed it now she didn’t know how she would survive.

  ‘I’ve got you.’

  He understood everything. He understood all her fears. And she understood his, and they’d face them together.

  Alex picked her up in his arms, carrying her along the hallway and kicking the bedroom door open.

  * * *

  They undressed each other. Alex had thought about this so many times before, but never dared go there. He wasn’t in the habit of sleeping with girlfriends on a first date, but he’d never known someone so well. The challenge was so much greater, and yet the rewards might be equally so.

  It would be all right. He’d dreamed his dreams, and now that Marie held them in her hands he knew that they were safe there.

  ‘I never imagined you’d be so exquisite.’

  He’d lingered over taking off her underwear and they were both trembling now. She flushed with pleasure. Her fingertips were exploring his body, her gaze fixed on his. This was the first time he’d made love to a woman who really knew him.