by L. A. Casey
I stared at my mother blankly, blinking.
She got Alec a plane ticket and added him to the room she got me at the resort already? But she only just found out about him!
"Ms. Daley?" Alec's voice said from our left.
I looked as he moved in our direction from the kitchen with a cup of tea in his hands.
"I appreciate you thinking of me and getting me a plane ticket and sorting out my accommodation but please let me reimburse you-"
"No, consider it a pre-wedding gift for you and Keela."
Ex-fucking-cuse me?
"Mother!" I screeched.
My ma smiled, evilly.
"This was a fun chat, it was lovely to meet you Alec. Thank you for taking a chance on my girl."
Oh my God.
"It was actually Keela who took a chance on me. Your daughter is too good for me Ms. Daley, but I plan to spend as long as it takes to be worthy of her," Alec said proudly as he sat next to me and put his arm around my shoulder while he placed my ma's cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her.
I could have squeezed him for saying what he did because the shocked look on my ma's face was priceless.
"I better get going. I will see you both the day before the wedding when I fly out. I expect you both to look the part, do not embarrass me Keela."
"I wouldn’t dream of it ma," I said, my tone cold as ice.
My mother hummed as she stood up and straightened her clothes. "Lovely to meet you pet," she said to Alec then turned and walked towards the door of my apartment. She of course gazed down the hallway and into the kitchen for God's only knows what before she opened the door and left.
I groaned in relief and shrunk backwards into the settee.
"Thank God that is over with."
Alec nudged my knee with his. "It could have been worse."
I looked to him with raised eyebrows. "How could it have been worse?"
Alec grinned. "She could have walked in on me fucking you on the kitchen table."
Don't hit him.
"You're sick in the head, you know that right?"
Alec shrugged then looked to the coffee table. "Why did she ask me to make her tea if she didn't drink it?"
I sat upright. "She doesn't drink tea, I'm pretty sure she asked you to make it just so she could grill me with you out of the way."
Alec glanced to me. "I heard her talking to you about your weight and I want you to know she's wrong. You're not overweight; I think you're the perfect weight. You have a gorgeous body."
He thought that?
I flushed. "You're just sayin' that because I won't sleep with you and you don't like bein' rejected."
Alec winked at me. "You're correct, I don't like being rejected so that is part of the reason why I want to fuck you. But the other part, the main part, is because you're hot."
I frowned. "Am I supposed to be flattered?"
"Yes."
"You're a dickhead."
Alec laughed. "Is that the best insult you've got?"
"Give me awhile, I'll come up with some bad names that will shock you to the core."
Alec stood up. "I don't doubt that for a second," he said.
I scratched my arm and curiously asked, "How long was she here?"
Alec shrugged as he got my mother's untouched cup of tea and brought it to the sink. "About ten minutes before you got back."
I groaned. "What did she talk about?"
Alec shrugged, again. "She just asked where I was from, who and where is my family and what I did for a living."
I swallowed. "And what did you tell her?"
Alec glanced to me and grinned. "I told her the truth, that I am from New York and I came here with my four brothers and I am currently in-between jobs."
I blew out a breath of relief and it made Alec laugh.
"You didn't really think I would tell her what I previously did for work did you?"
I blushed. "You're very open Alec, I don't think I could ever be certain over what comes out of your mouth."
Alec stuck his tongue out at me then whistled loudly before calling Storm's name.
I gaped at Storm when he barrelled down the hallway from the bedroom and into the kitchen. I have to call him at least ten times before the fucker will even acknowledge me.
"How did you do that? He never comes to me when I call him the first time."
Alec shrugged as he bent down and petted Storm's head. "Maybe it's the tone I call him in. I don't leave room for arguments."
I snorted. "That must only work with dogs then."
Alec glanced to me. "It works on humans, too."
"Not this human."
Alec smiled. "Wait till you warm up to me kitten, you will see just how persuasive I can be."
I felt like he was threatening me.
"It will be a cold day in Hell before you can persuade me to do anythin', playboy."
Alec winked. "I'm going to thoroughly enjoy completing these challenges you're setting, one by one."
I snarled at him making him snicker as he got Storm's lead from the table and hooked it back onto his collar. I got up from the sofa and quickly moved into the kitchen next to Storm and held my hands up in front of my chest.
"I already brought him out, we did a few laps of the park."
Alec raised an eyebrow. "Yes, and I'm going to bring him out again. I want him to get used to me being here. I'll bond with him more on my own."
I swallowed.
That was so cute, but another walk for my baby was not happening.
"I get that and it's brilliant that you're thinkin' of him but I don't want him to go on another walk."
Alec tilted his head to the side. "Why?"
I sighed. "Because his breathin' gets bad when he does too much in one day, I don't want to push him."
Alec shook his head at me. "Keela, this may be hard for you to hear, but Storm-'
"Don't say it."
"Is-"
"Do. Not. Say. It."
"Fat."
I gasped and slapped Alec's arm. "You bastard, he is right there, he can fuckin' hear you!"
Alec bit down on his lower lip.
"He isn't fat either, he just has a thick coat of fur. That's all."
Alec beamed at me. "You have just overtaken bee on the cuteness scale."
Who?
"Excuse me?"
"Bronagh, we call her bee. She can be very cute, but damn kitten, so can you."
I growled. "I'm not cute and you're not bringin' Storm out."
Alec scrubbed his face with his free hand and said, "Baby, I'm not insulting the big guy. I'm just stating facts. He is overweight, and it's not healthy for him. I think we should start weaning him from big portioned meals, and bring him out more often."
Was he for real?
I placed my hands on my hips. "We? I just met you last night and you just moved in and became my fake boyfriend today, and now all of a sudden there is a we?"
Alec snapped his fingers at me - he literally put his huge fucking hand in my face and snapped his bloody fingers at me.
"We're a we now, get used to it kitten. From this moment until we get back from the Bahamas we are a unit, a duo, a fucking couple - fake or not - so yes we're a we."
I blinked.
Well, excuse the hell out of me.
"Whatever," I murmured and folded my arms across my chest.
Alec sighed. "It'll be easier if we look at this arrangement as an actual relationship instead of a 'favour'. Things will look more authentic at the wedding."
I sighed because he had a point.
"Okay, fine, we're a we."
Alec smiled in triumph and raised his free hand in the air. I chuckled and high fived him with my hand.
"I'll bring Storm out on a paced walk, I'll bring a bottle of water for him just in case he gets thirsty. You can get a start at unpacking my bags if you want?"
I turned around and glanced at Alec's duffle bags.
"I think you have more cra
p than me."
Alec laughed as he walked towards the apartment door.
"I do have a lot of crap."
He opened the door then and glanced back at me and said, "You can just put some of my things in the bedroom, but not everything since we’re leavin’ for the Bahamas in two days, it'll be easier to have everything where I am sleeping."
He closed the door then and left me staring at it like a dope.
He thought he was sleeping in my bedroom?
No.
Hell no.
"Oh. My. God! Will you stop kickin' me? I can't fuckin' take this anymore!"
Tonight was the first night living with Alec, it was the early hours of the morning and I was contemplating murder.
Yeah the fucker got his way and was sleeping in my bed simply because he refused to get out of it when bedtime rolled around. It took Storm an hour to give up whining and claim the settee as his after Alec wouldn't let him up onto the bed. My room isn't a big room and having a king sized bed doesn't leave much floor space. With the three of us in the bed it would have been cramped so Storm got his marching orders.
"Ow! For fuck's sake stop scratching me, Keela!" Alec's voice howled as he kicked at my feet.
I angrily kicked his legs away from mine with force. "I can't help it if you get scratched, your legs keep gettin' tangled up with mine!"
I pulled my right leg up the bed but my toe nails caught Alec's calf.
"Jesus Christ, you're the worst person to sleep with," Alec snapped as he sat upright on my bed.
Me?
I was the worst person to sleep with?
Was this freak having me on?
I sat up and shoved Alec in the shoulder with both of my hands. "Go sleep on the sofa with Storm then, this my bed anyway, you should be thankful you are even on it right now!"
Alec humourlessly laughed. "Yeah, because I feel very fucking lucky right now sleeping next to Edward Scissor Feet."
Bastard!
I screamed as I dove on his back when he tried to get up off the bed. "It's not my fault I can't find me toe nail clippers, you had it last. I told you to leave my bathroom the way you found it, but did you listen? No!"
Alec coughed as my arm went around his neck. "I left the damn clippers in the untouched bathroom, you physco!"
He pinched my underarm, which of course caused me to move it away from his neck. Still angry and now in pain from being pinched, I grabbed onto Alec's hair with my hands.
Alec yelped. "My hair, let go of my beautiful hair!"
I fisted my hand around his shoulder length locks and tugged which caused him to hiss in pain. "Take back what you said about me feet and I will."
"Twenty-three Keela, you're twenty-three so start fucking acting your age- Ow! Okay, okay, I take it back. Jesus!"
I honestly don't care how childish it was, I smiled in triumph and let go of Alec's hair but before I had the chance to climb off his back he stood up from the bed taking me with him. He then threw me back onto the bed and turned and pounced on me. He got between my legs, grabbed my arms and pinned them above my head and put the tip of his nose on the tip of mine.
This all happened in the blink of an eye, I barely had a chance to do anything before I realised he was in my face.
"You pulled my hair," he snarled.
I glared at him through the darkness. "You insulted me feet."
"Your nails are like razor blades! How is that an insult when it's true?"
I struggled underneath him and squealed when he wouldn't budge.
"You're too heavy!"
"Oh, so now you're callin' me fat? How insensitive, Keela," Alec snapped at me in a high-pitched badly mimicked Irish accent.
I grunted. "I feel like you're mockin' me."
Alec laughed then. "You're so fucking annoying."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm annoyin'? Maybe that's because I'm wrecked from virtually zero sleep. You're the worst spoonin' partner ever!"
He really was. It was impossible to get comfortable next to him.
Alec let go of my arms and got up off me, he moved to my locker and flipped on the lamp.
I flung my hands over my eyes. "What are you doin'?" I shouted.
"Addressing what you just said. I'm not the worst spooning partner, cuddling is just... not for me."
What?
I under covered my eyes and squinted until my eyes adjusted to the light.
"What do you mean?"
"I can only cuddle you until you fall asleep, but I can not fall asleep that way. I've tried it hundreds of times before with hundreds of different people and it just doesn't work for me."
Slutty much?
I frowned. "Why?"
Alec shrugged. "It's awkward and uncomfortable."
I'll give on the comfort thing because cuddling with him was awful, but I won't give on it being awkward.
"What is awkward about cuddlin'?"
"I have four problems with cuddling women and I shall list them accordingly."
"Here we go," I mumbled.
I was sorry I bloody asked.
Alec ignored me and popped his index finger into the air. "Number one, I always get a face full of hair when cuddling with a woman and I don't care how hot a woman is or if she has a pussy of gold, I do not like it."
Pussy of gold?
What. A. Pig!
Alec ignored my curled lip of disgust and stuck up a second finger. "Number two, my arm goes dead from a woman lying on it. That wouldn't normally bother me, but the pins and needles that attack my arm a few minutes after it goes dead do bother me."
I thought on that one and inwardly shrugged my shoulders - I had to give him that, it didn't sound nice at all.
"Number three," Alec said, his third finger now erect in the air. "I get an awkward boner when cuddling and don't know whether to fuck a woman awake or just lie there until it goes away. Most women would love to be fucked awake, but knowing my luck the woman I'm banging would probably scream rape and have me arrested."
I bit down on the insides of my cheeks so I wouldn't laugh.
Alec popped a fourth finger up. "Then there is number four, cuddling with you. You're the first person to share a bed with me without fucking me. Hell, you haven't even kissed me yet and we live together that makes everything harder. Pun completely intended."
“Correction, we kissed in front of me ma today.”
Alec scoffed. “Firstly, I kissed you, you didn’t kiss me so it still stands that you haven’t kissed me yet. Secondly, it wasn’t exactly a kiss because you practically bit my tongue off.”
I lightly snickered as he placed his hands on his bare hips and stared me down.
"You need to change your ways of thinkin', think of me as a sister or as a best friend."
Alec curled his lip in disgust. "I can't think of you as a sister because I want to fuck you."
Wow.
"Jesus, are you always so bluntly crude?" I asked and shook my head.
"Yes, I am."
I groaned. "Well, cut it out. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that sex will not happen between us. You're hot, very hot, but Alec you're an arsehole as well."
Alec smiled at me. "We can fuck around my being an asshole-"
"You're impossible to get through to!"
I was going to punch him if he kept it up.
Alec chuckled. "I'm only playing with you."
I glanced to him and shook my head. He wasn't playing. He really did want to fuck me and the more I shut him down, the more he tried to seduce me. This was where my super self-control was extremely important. I won't give in and sleep with Alec or any man unless there is something between us. I'm well aware that way of thinking might mean I don't have sex for a very long time but I refuse to give myself to someone who only wants my body for a dirty romp, and that is all Alec wanted me for.
Sex.
"We live together in order for me to get comfortable with you so pretendin' to be a couple will be easier next week at the weddi
n'. It's already failin' in the bedroom because I cannot sleep with you anymore, it's horrible. I'm one more knee in the back away from becomin' murderous."
Alec narrowed his eyes at me. "Challenge accepted."
What?
"Alec, I'm not challengin' you-"
"Too late, I’ve already accepted the challenge so get back under the covers you're about to have the best night's sleep you’ve ever fucking had. You will be so well rested tomorrow you won’t ever want to sleep without me again."
This was weird.
"There is somethin' wrong with you."
Alec jumped onto my bed. "Tell me something I don't know, kitten."
I forced myself to get back into my bed next to Alec.
"You know you could just stick to your side of the bed and I could stick to mine?"
"I tried that, you just keep rolling in my direction."
I grunted as I got under the covers. "Because it’s me fuckin' bed," I muttered.
"What was that?" Alec asked.
I laid down and clenched my hands into fists as I pulled my blanket around my body.
"Nothin'," I growled.
Alec remained silent and so did I.
The continued silence allowed my eyes to drift shut. After what could have been one minute or ten I could feel myself start to doze off, but that went to shit when I felt a tugging on my hair.
I reached up to see what my hair was caught on when my hand grabbed another hand.
"Alec," I growled.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep."
I didn't turn to him or release his hand as I said, "You waited until I was asleep before you pulled me hair?"
"I'm not pulling it, just running my fingers through the ends... I do it when I'm tired, it helps me fall asleep."
Oh my goodness.
I should not be finding this cute, I should not like Alec touching any part of me but dammit I did.