“Come on, enough with the suspense already,” she told him firmly.
“We are just waiting…. ah, there Carl has lit the lamps, so we won’t trip over in the dark. Now we can go in.” Ash told her, and she frowned.
“Why is Carl here?” She asked, rather puzzled.
“Don’t worry about that. What is important is: guess where you are?” He asked enthusiastically, as they got out of the vehicle.
The smell of salty sea air and the sound of a stray seagull cawing at the wind surrounded Lucy. She took in a deep breath, as she heard the crashing of the waves against the shore, feeling ecstatic with joy.
Happiness filled her. She had always wanted to visit the beach, but living in the country, she had never had much opportunity. She had really only ever seen it from a distance, but had always craved to be much closer.
“Did you bring me to the beach?” She asked, her eyes going wide.
“Funny that, but think I did,” he answered with a grin. Lucy let out a very uncharacteristic squeal, as she threw her arms around him.
“I love you so much,” she told him, while kissing his cheek.
“Duly noted.” He replied, with a sly little grin.
He tugged her towards the seaside house, and Lucy tried to look everywhere, to try to take it all in at once. She was disappointed that it was so dark that she couldn’t take in the beauty of the ocean. Even so, she was at the beach!
She found it hard to contain her excitement, as they walked down the path lit by flaming torches. Carl opened the door to greet them, and the glimpse of the inside of the small house astounded Lucy.
“Good evening, Ashton and Miss McC….sorry, Lucy,”
“Now, you’ve got it right, Carl!” Lucy gave him thumbs up, and then dragged him in for a hug. “Wow, this place is so beachy!”
Lucy walked around looking at everything, while the two guys laughed at her description. There were seashells in baskets scattered around, with paintings of different ocean scenes hanging on the walls. The subtle green paint flowed effortlessly with the casual décor, and Lucy loved it. She tried to explore the whole house, but Ash quickly dragged her into the only bedroom in the house.
“Come here, you,” he said hastily, as he plucked at her hand.
“Hey, wait one second I was just….” She trailed off, as his lips touched the skin where her shoulder and neck met.
“Do you know how angry, and sad, and frustrated I’ve been about you all this last week?” He murmured, and she tensed up a bit.
“I know, and I said I was sorry.” She said forlornly, as she felt his teeth glide over the same spot repeatedly that was driving her a little crazy
“Do you even wonder how I coped without you?” He persisted with the questions that she was finding it increasingly hard to answer.
“Yes, of course.” She hissed the words out on a breath.
“All I could think about was how to make you mine again. Then I wondered how I was going to keep you as mine,” his teeth nipped lightly, as his words washed over her, sending her head into a spin, “You want to know my great plan beautiful?” He asked, his voice low and mesmerising.
“Just tell me, Ash, stop torturing me.” She told him sharply, but she tilted her head to the side to encourage his movements.
“Just this.” He whispered.
He bit down on the tender skin where her shoulder met her neck, and Lucy let out a little scream. Pleasure ripped through her as he bit down again, a little harder this time. He then sucked on her skin intensely, driving her wild. She squirmed beneath him, as an uncontrollable heat spread, engulfing her very being.
“Holy hell!” Lucy said breathlessly, as he sent her the most devilish smile she had ever seen, “I'm not sure how that’s going to work,”
“What do you mean? It’s a fool proof plan,” he said with a smirk, as he moved her shirt back over to cover the bruising skin.
“You sure about that?” She asked with a shiver, as he ran his finger over the spot again.
“Yep,” he replied smugly, as he watched her eyes drift closed at his ministrations, “Now you need to get changed, and I’ll see you in a bit.”
She went to protest his leaving, as she snapped her eyes open, but he was already gone. She grumbled to herself, wondering whether she should chase him down, and tease him the same way he had her. She decided against it, especially with her heart still pounding uncontrollably.
She found her small suitcase by the doorway, and could only wonder at its arrival. She threw it on the bed, and looked into it for something to wear. She found the original emerald green maxi dress that she had worn for their first date with a tag attached.
‘Wear this’ was written in Penny’s bold handwriting. She chuckled to herself, when she went to toss it back in the bag; she noticed there was writing on the opposite side of the tag. She picked it up to read, and smiled broadly at the three words written on there. ‘Or else’ was once again Penny’s, while the word ‘please’ complete with a smiley face and a heart was Ash’s.
She knew she couldn’t resist two of her most favourite people in the world. She had a quick shower, and put the dress on. She found the same sparkly sandals, which she pulled on as well. She had no idea what they were all up to, but she was willing to go along with it.
When she opened the bedroom door and peered out, she had to admit that she felt a bit silly. Ash appeared, wearing the exact same thing he had for their first disastrous date. He looked breathtaking, and it was all she could do to hold the sigh in, which threatened to go all fan girl on him.
“Come on, Belle,” Ash offered her his arm, and she took it gratefully.
“Where are we going?” She asked curiously, and he sent her his most dazzling smile.
“Nowhere, we are staying right here, and we are going to enjoy the first date that we never started, let alone finished.” He said with a wink.
He pulled her into a large lounge room that she hadn’t noticed earlier. The room led onto a wide deck that overlooked the ocean. She could hear the waves crashing, and by the moonlight, she was finally able to see a silvery sheen of sand, and the tips of the white frothy waves. She raced out to look out over the edge of the deck, wanting almost desperately to dig her feet into the sand. Ash chuckled from behind her, feeling wonder at her intense excitement.
“Would you like to go for a walk? Carl won’t have things ready for a bit,” he asked, already prepared for her answer.
“Stupid question! How do I get my toes into that sand?” She pointed at the sand rather anxiously, as she ripped the shoes off her feet, and tossed them out of the way.
“One would suggest the gate, Belle.” He said dryly, as he pointed to the one section of fence that contained said gate.
She went racing over to it; she turned to gesture at him excitedly to follow her. He humoured her with a grin, and grabbed her hand. She took the steep steps as quickly as she could, but stopped at the last one, almost afraid at the last second.
With wide eyes, she stepped out and spread her toes in the sand, just as she had always wanted to. The cool, rough grains sank beneath her feet, and she let out a little sigh of pleasure. With a whoop of joy, she ran over the sand to the waves, and started to splash her feet in the crisp, salty water.
“This is so awesome, Ash!” She shouted out, spreading her arms wide, as she spun around.
“I’m glad you’re having such a great time,” he said, as he approached her cautiously. He was just waiting for the splash that he knew she couldn’t resist giving him.
“Come closer my pretty,” she encouraged with a waggle of her eyebrows.
“I think not somehow,” he stated, continuing to watch her carefully. “But you had better look behind you.” He warned, while she sent him a cocky little grin.
“You can’t catch me out with that one.” Just as she said it, a small wave washed over a little higher than she expected. She quickly grabbed up the hem of her dress, but it was too late, as the wave spl
ashed against her legs. Catching her off guard, Ash quickly ran in, and scooped her into his arms.
“Don’t you dare drop me.” She said on a squeak.
“Hmmm, that water looks mighty tempting,” Ash teased, making Lucy clutch tighter at him. “Hey, it was your idea to go into the water to begin with.” He pointed out.
“Well, it was your idea for me to wear a dress.” Lucy replied tartly.
“That’s because you look hot in it.” He whispered in her ear.
Lucy felt goose bumps run across her skin at his words. His arms tightened around her, as he let her feet touch the ground. He stared at her, and traced a finger delicately across her cheek. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a melting kiss. His hands set to roaming across the bare skin of her shoulders, which sent shivers through her at his caress. His fingers touched the bruise he had made with a feather light touch, as he kissed her again.
“I have missed kissing you all this time. You owe me,” he murmured against her lips.
“I owe you huh?” She smiled up at him, with a cheeky glimmer in her eyes that he knew meant good things for him.
She pulled his head back to hers abruptly, and kissed him with wild abandon. Her hands dove into his hair, while her fingernails scratched lightly at his scalp, making a groan escape him. They strove to get as close to each other as they could, with their kisses increasing in intensity.
Lucy finally pulled back, feeling slightly dizzy with her heart pounding excitedly. They smiled at each other, as they stood together embraced in the others comforting warmth.
“Was that enough payback yet?” She asked with a wink.
“Not even close, Belle. You are going to owe me for a very long time to come,” he said his tone low, husky, and thrilling to the core.
“Well, bring it on,” she whispered back, as she ran a finger across his lips.
He rocked her from side to side, not quite ready to let her go. She sent her beautiful smile his way, and he knew that he could die happy this day, as long as he had her. The past week had been hell on earth, but he had her back in his arms, and he would never let anything destroy that again.
“Come on you, we are supposed to be going for a walk,” Ash grabbed hold of her at the waist, and turned her so that she was looking down the beach, away from the house.
“It’s really beautiful here, and I haven’t even seen it in daylight yet,” Lucy said on a happy little sigh, as they began walking hand in hand.
They walked silently, enjoying the peacefulness of the surroundings after the last turbulent week. Lucy splashed in the shallows, and looked out over the ocean with wonder in her eyes. Ash knew that he had never seen anything as beautiful as Lucy was.
“I rented it with you in mind.” Ash grinned at her.
“This one isn’t yours?” She asked, as she looked across at his silhouetted figure.
“Nope, but I definitely could get used to living here.” He said, as he pulled her up short, and into his embrace.
“I guess we should be heading back.” She said, as she reached up to give him a tiny kiss.
“Yeah, we should.”
They moved off together, hands tightly clasped, simply relishing each other’s company. Ash knew that tomorrow was going to be a difficult day. He also knew that he would have to do most of it without this beautiful girl at his side.
He had sworn to himself to protect her, and he knew that sending her home would be the only way to accomplish that. A sigh escaped him, making him remember that he had this moment. He had this tiny splice of time where he could see her smile that beguiled him, and hold her close to become intoxicated by her vanilla, cinnamon scent. This was his chance to tell her that he loved her so much that it hurt.
Chapter 28 – Love and all its follies
As they walked back towards the only lights that beckoned in the darkness, Ash pulled a strip of material from his back pocket. She quirked an eyebrow at him curiously, but he quickly turned her around, and tied it over her eyes, giving her no chance to protest.
“Well, now I’m blind, how’s that working out for you?” Lucy asked him dryly, and Ash snickered, as he watched her waving her arms wildly out in front of her.
“Quite well, actually. This is a surprise after all.” He bent down to whisper in her ear, and then lightly nibbling on her earlobe.
A gasp left her. Everything seemed to come to life with her losing her sense of sight. The waves crashing on the shore sounded clearer, and the heat from Ash’s body behind her made her want to melt into a puddle at his feet.
She followed his instructions to climb the stairs back to the house carefully, perhaps too cautiously from Ash’s laugh. When they finally arrived on the deck, a delicious aroma wafted past her nose, and Lucy let out a hum of delight. He whipped the blind fold from her, and she could only stare in wonder.
Brightly glowing candles covered the deck. A small, delicately decorated table sat awaiting the diners. Deep, red roses stood in a vase in the centre of the table, which had two fancy seating placements.
“Come, and sit down, Belle.” Ash gestured to a chair that he pulled out for her. He helped her to her seat, and then pulled out the chair opposite for himself. He smiled across the table at her, and reached for her hand.
“Look, I know I asked you this earlier, but are you really okay with what happened at the café today?” She asked, as she bit down on her lip, and wondered what he would answer.
“Yes, so stop worrying about it,” he told her reassuringly.
“I guess you’re just going to be you, from now on?” She gestured to what he looked like right now, and he nodded.
“Do you have a problem with it, Belle?”
"No,"
“Then why do we need to discuss it any further?” He asked seriously, but Lucy felt that he was avoiding telling her something quite deliberately.
“Hmmm, well, let's see, there are a lot of other things we need to talk about. Where do you want to start? We’ve got the fact that you left me all your worldly goods, the reason you were at my house this morning, and what in heck you’re doing tomorrow that I have to go home without you.” She stated the facts calmly, and wasn’t surprised when he looked slightly panicked, as he pushed a hand into his hair.
“Um, can I leave all of those alone for another day?” He asked, frowning with worry, and Lucy let out a sigh.
“Fine, but I do want answers eventually.” She told him determinedly, and he just nodded.
“I know, and I promise that I will give them to you.” He squeezed her hand gently, and they lapsed into silence.
Carl entered the room carrying a huge tray, which turned out to contain a tasty chicken soup. They talked happily throughout the meal, while Carl kept bringing courses with everything from a fancy schnitzel to a scrumptious meatball and spaghetti dish. By the end of it, Lucy could swear that she had never eaten so much in her life.
“Thank goodness for billowy dresses,” Lucy finally said, as she sat back in her chair with a groan, while patting her stomach.
“Hell, yeah,” Ash agreed with a smirk, as he looked her up and down with an obvious leer. She blushed, only to reach over and slap him in the arm.
“You have such a one track mind,” she said with a put upon frown, as she tried to ignore the tingles across the skin that his eyes lingered on. “Eyes up here, remember.”
“Hmmm, I can’t help it that you have such an awesome… physique that attracts my eye.” He teased, and she rolled her eyes at him.
He reached over, and touched her hand, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her skin. She shivered, as their eyes met, and his thumb pressed against the pulse point in her wrist. His golden eyes filled with want, as they roved over her body one more time.
With the clinking of crockery, the two snapped from their heated, intimate moment. Carl was coming back into the room with yet another tray. Lucy let out a little moan at the thought of any more food.
“I can’t take any more of your yummy foo
d, Carl,” Lucy warned him, but the older man just sent her a grin.
“If you turn this down, Belle, I will be utterly amazed.” Ash replied, with a cheeky grin.
Lucy watched, as Carl served what appeared to be a very luscious chocolate soufflé. She licked her lips unconsciously, even as her stomach groaned in protest. Her eyes never left the delectable concoction, until she felt eyes on her. Blue eyes met heated gold, and she gulped in air. The intensity of the passion in his eyes completely enthralled her.
“How about we eat these on the couch, while we watch a movie?” Ash’s words came out rough, making Lucy want to run into his arms, and kiss him like crazy.
She agreed with a short nod. He led her into the darkened lounge room, where a giant television stood, with a cosy looking couch opposite it.
Lucy sat down, and tucked her legs beneath her, as she watched Ash fuss around her. She let the soft leather relax her, as she leaned back in the couch. She sucked in a breath when he bent down to put in the DVD, unable to take her eyes off his body.
“My eyes are up here, remember,” he returned her earlier comment with a smug smile.
She stretched provocatively, smiling in an alluring manner, which only upped the heated tension between them. She let her eyes wander blatantly over his body, until they rose to his beautiful eyes. He could only stare at her, as he sat down beside her. She was making him ache for something that he knew he couldn’t have tonight.
He pulled her closer to him regardless, and tucked her into his side, as he turned the movie on. He sat there trying to control the craving that he had for her, as her scent intoxicated him, and her soft body pressed against his. He threaded his fingers into her hair, and her eyes fluttered closed, as she leaned into his hand.
“Look at me, Belle,” the words were both gentle, but commanding, and she opened her eyes to stare into his hungry golden ones. “I need you to know that I love you,” he whispered, making her heart quiver.
“I know that,” she answered with a little grin.
I Met Her On the Balcony Page 29