Have you met Alex: friends to lovers romance

by Kenna Shaw Reed

  I was barely conscious of the cat calls, “Get a room.”

  Only when we broke away did I have a moment of regret—but not for me. This was exactly what I needed, but with all my baggage, did she? Like her brother said, she deserved better.

  “No regrets?” I was willing to ride this wave until it dumped me on a beach, but she needed to be sure.

  “Not if you keep kissing like that.” Undaunted by her brother’s glares, she snuggled into my chest.

  “Shall we find our fish and chips?”

  “You need to clean up the table first—” I followed her confident look to where our opponents were still 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 my measure. “Hurt her and you’ll suffer.”

  Simone

  This had never been the plan.

  Despite assuring my parents that I’d come home this weekend, I hadn’t actually made the decision until a couple of hours ago.

  I’d been flicking through old photos. My tears and anger as fresh now as they had been a year ago. All the bloody reminders, Simone, we thought you’d like to see... and another flood of memories of us smiling. In love. Together.

  My first, second and third impulse was to hide in my new town, new home. Turn off my phone, silence all social media, even stay in the dark if it meant being alone with my wallow.

  But my housemate’s boyfriend decided to crash at our place for the weekend. Without the certainty of being left alone, I did the next best thing. Drove the two hours home, but stopped in at my favorite pub before checking in with my parents. They’d be happy I was in town, and I needed to be surrounded by the familiar sounds and smells from all the Friday and Saturday nights when this had been our place.

  Some of his friends were still holding up the same tables as a year ago. None of them approached me, thankfully. Not that any of us would have known what to say. As for my friends, the ones I hadn’t lost at the time, I didn’t put the effort in to keeping.

  Not when it was easier to cut ties and run away. The weekends I came home to see family, I didn’t have the energy to go out and reconnect.

  My social life was in my new town.

  No one knew and therefore, no one could judge.

  If it had been anyone other than Alex MacFarlane in my pub, I’d have found somewhere else to drink. Never made my presence felt.

  But Alex had always been my wild card. The familiar flutters when he looked my way. My fumbling hands on the football field when he called my name.

  I was broken, but he could put me back together again.

  And in any case, one night couldn’t hurt?

  A deep breath.

  No regrets.

  Alex

  I didn’t think twice before offering Simone my jacket to sit on. Despite remembering the price tag that I couldn’t afford at the time, or all the memories wrapped up in the soft, worn leather, I didn’t care about the damage wet sand could inflict. This woman, this night seemed too perfect to complicate with concerns about an old jacket that represented my past. In any case, after offering to buy her dinner, the fish and chip shop didn’t accept cards and Simone ended up paying with cash.

  “You’re the business entrepreneur, so it’s only right that I buy you dinner,” she’d laughed as if it made perfect sense.

  “How’d you figure that?”

  “If I let you pay for dinner, it’s as if I’m after your money.”

  “You’re not?” I faked shock and indignation. Yeah, I had a solid stake in the Auburn business and owned my own house. The renovations were taking time, but because I saved and paid cash as I went. Being in a relationship had meant bypassing all the expensive traps of dating. So, yeah, I had a bit of money but not enough to entice a gold-digger.

  “Oh, Alex. It’s your body I need, not your wallet.” Simone didn’t seem to care about the blushing teenage boy taking our order. “I’m trusting you know what to do with it.”

  “How about you pick up some Panadol from the chemist on the way down to the beach.” I landed another kiss, rougher than our first. The kiss of a starving man about to taste his first meal.

  “Why?”

  “In case you need help walking tomorrow.”

  The poor boy almost choked.

  All flirting aside, by the time we made it down to the sand, Simone’s hand belonged in mine and any awkwardness of this being our first date had disappeared.

  First date.

  Not the random hook up I’d been planning. A filthy one-night stand where we exchanged false identities and fake lives.

  No, this was a first date with a woman who intrigued the hell out of me and made me forget why I’d spent so long trying to salvage a relationship out of loyalty; instead of chasing happiness with one that could feel easy. Natural.

  Free.

  If my life depended on it, I’d never be able to recall what we talked about. But, ask me to describe her laugh in detail, her smile or how she filled a room with her warmth, and I’d win awards.

  Starting off by sitting cross-legged across from each other, I had the perfect opportunity to watch until I knew how her eyes blinked a split second before her chest raised and then laughter reached her lips. How the edge of her mouth twitched a moment before her shoulders rose with a deep breath before answering questions about her family, or moving away. Not that she allowed me to probe too far, quickly turning the focus back on me.

  I pressed and probed for her boundaries, how much would she allow me to know her? Absorbing the passion she had for life and laughter.

  I even commentated a race between two ants crawling across my jacket towards the crumbs, just to see if she found joy in the smallest things in life.

  She did.

  With each laugh, my heart healed and if she felt half the connection I did, there was no way this would be a one night or weekend fling.

  “How close can we get the seagulls, do you think?” Simone asked, tossing a chip to the hungry flock.

  “Bet I can get one eating out of my hand first.”

  “Dream on, you couldn’t even get me to eat out of your hand.”

  “Wanna try me?” The longest chip was quickly wiggled in front of her face.

  “That all you’ve got to offer me?”

  “Oh, what else is there?”

  “I think I’m worth more than a long, thin—chip.” Simone drew out each word until I wanted more than a chip dangling in front of her.

  “Tell me more, I’m just a dumb country boy. Educate me, woman.”

  “What I want,” Simone’s husky voice dipped and her tongue caressed her lips. “Is for my chips to be—”

  The only sound louder than my racing heart was the seagulls squawking as they edged closer to the last of our meal.

  “Yes, sexy woman. How do you want your chips?” I closed the space between us, foreheads almost touching. The thin piece of fried potato held between but not touching our lips.

  “Covered—in—salt!”

  Simone giggled at my discomfort, snatched the chip and waved it through the thin film of salt on the paper wrapper. But before she stuffed it in her mouth, I broke off a piece.

  Both of us the winners, with a share of the salt-covered chip.

  “I’ve never done that before!” I leaned back on my elbows, next to her—if she wanted.

  “Eaten chips? You poor, deprived man-child.”

  “Man-child? What the?”

  “Have you ever left home?”

  “I bought my own house a year after leaving school.”

  “But have you ever left home? Moved to where your friends and job rely on more than family connections or playing rooball as kids?”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time in Sydney. Elliott and I bought a business in Auburn and its needed a lot of time.”

  “Fair enough. But how many women have you dated? Do you know what you want or have you sett
led for the first person you kissed?”

  “Ouch. That’s below the belt.”

  “Like I said, man-child.”

  “How many more women do I need to kiss before you’ll drop the child.” No way I was gonna tell Simone that I’d known my ex since kindergarten and our first kiss had been in primary school. Or that up until an hour ago, I could have counted the woman I’d kissed on one finger.

  “Well?” I asked as Simone pressed her lips together, furrowed brow as if she was doing some weird and complicated calculations.

  “One.” This time, she rolled onto her side, one hand cupping my face as we turned into each other. “But it depends.”

  “On what,” I breathed. Sensing what was to come, but not wanting to rush this moment. Where the world stopped, even the seagulls fell silent.

  “Was that first kiss the best you can do?” Her fingers grabbed my long fringe. Twisting my hair until my face turned into her hand. Feeling her skin against my own. “Or was it a taste of things to come?”

  “That depends.” My turn to be coy.

  “On what?”

  “Two things.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “First, how you like to be kissed. I’m willing to keep practicing until we both figure out how you like to be kissed, by me.”

  “I like the sound of that. What’s the other thing?”

  “You drop the child. There are parts of me that could get offended by the reference.”

  “Sensitive much?” She leaned over and kissed the tip of my nose. Fuck, I wanted her mouth so badly. To lick the salt from her lips, her face, and anywhere else she desired.

  “Try me.” A slight raise of my chin caught her off guard, my lips brushing hers as she damn well let me.

  “On for size?” Whether for balance or because she could, Simone’s hand dropped from my face which needed no further encouragement, to my lap.

  “However you want.”

  In one movement, I grabbed her ass, pulling her until she giggled and settled on top. Her knees straddling either side while our hips and lips ground together.

  Magic.

  Fucking, magic. That first kiss—as great as it had been, this was more intense. More personal.

  More, everything.

  Our tongues crashed, explored and came back for more. I couldn’t get enough of her ass, pulling it closer, squeezing tighter. More, I wanted more.

  “Oh! Excuse us!” A giggling girl, no more than fifteen almost stumbled across us. Problem of being hidden by a sand dune was that others would also be looking for the spot. Her boyfriend pulled her away. About ten seconds before they’d have seen a lot more than two people kissing.

  “Give me more—” Simone swung away until she was lying to my side, “Food!”

  “Cheeky girl.”

  “So, you’re allowed to call me girl but calling you a child is insulting?”

  “Pretty sure there was nothing childish about that kiss,” I mused, catching my breath. Wow. Just. Wow.

  “So, where is this famous tent and single sleeping bag you have on offer,” Simone asked, lying beside me, her fingers randomly flicking away chip crumbs from my lap and occasionally brushing against something hard. Hell, the torment was a trip to hell, heaven and hell again. Unless she was going to do something about it.

  “Across the road at the caravan park.” I broke the last piece of battered fish in half, drizzled it in lemon juice, dunked it in more salt before holding it up to her mouth. Challenging her to take it from my hand, not that she needed any encouragement. My cock twitched as if her lips had wrapped around it, while my brain screamed, do it again, do it again. Hell, I’d hand feed her all day to watch those lips wrap around her food before swallowing it whole. Fuck, we’d gone from team-mates to friends, to me wanting to suck more than her fingers in a nanosecond, a heartbeat.

  We’d covered a hundred topics, but not the slight tension from back in the pool-room, “Your brother seems over the top protective.”

  “I guess,” she shrugged.

  “Those guys back at the bar, they seemed far more intense when you got interested in me.”

  “They’re old friends, that’s all.” Instead of facing me, she turned to the ocean. Wave after calming wave lapping at the shore. The tide was turning, in more ways than one.

  I waited for her to continue, before it became clear she wasn’t going to offer more 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 me back onto the sand, trying to distract me with teasing, salty kisses. “If you ever refer to me as your shit, I promise that my brother will be the least of your problems.”

  Knowing I was about to cross the line, between harmless flirting to something we’d either regret or build into something real, I pulled her back on top. Wanting her to have control over our bodies, unable to hide my desire and unwilling to hide my interest. If I wanted Simone to open up to me, she deserved at least some honesty in return. “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.”

  Our third kiss.

  If the first was random and the second exploring, this was—divine.

  Full body. Her legs stretched out, wrapped around mine. With each kiss, groan and beat of my heart, I wanted more. My hands claimed her legs, drawing up and underneath her dress. There was no use pretending that I could have a one-night fling, or that I could go back home and ignore this chemistry, forget Simone.

  As she fisted my hair, almost ripping it from my skull, I rolled us until Simone was pressed into the sand. Grinding against her, wanting nothing more than to rip her dress up, my shorts down, and drive her into next week.

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

  “What are you saying—that you’d prefer to go back to the bar and pick up some random to fuck?” She laughed up at me with the confidence of knowing my erection was all hers.

  “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!”

  I moaned in sweet agony as she ground against me, one hand inching down my shorts. Shit. One touch I’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 another kiss that could drive a sane man wild, and I’d stopped being sane months ago.

  But when she stopped, I cried out in pure agony until she whispered, her breath hot against my ear, “Where’s that tent of yours?”

  Simone

  It was with more than a little pride that I waited for Alex to compose himself enough to get to his feet. Yep, those kisses had dissolved my panties and any self-respect and resolve never to be caught fucking on my local beach.

  Then again, it had stopped being my local beach a year ago.

  And, we hadn’t gotten as far as fucking. More, fooling around with serious intent.

  Still, I needed Alex to stop talking and start the kissing again before I started overthinking and changed my mind. Of all the men I’d met in the last year, Alex was the only
one who held my interest for more than a conversation. Not really my fault, I’d always had a soft spot for a man who was good with his hands with a body to match. When the guys stripped off to their shorts on the football field, Alex was the only one I wanted to grab my body as firmly as he held the football. His was the only body I wanted to tackle, full contact and not just touch.

  I wanted him to full on body slam me to the ground.

  Respecting his relationship had given me a reason to keep my distance and focus on the reason why I’d come to town; my own healing. But now—

  As we collected our rubbish, throwing the last of the chips to the birds, my phone bleeped and of course it was Eddie acting all brotherly and concerned.

  Eddie: You ok?

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

  Simone: Y and a single thumbs up emoji had to do.

  The quicker I got Alex into bed and felt something for somebody, the closer I’d be to feeling healed. Going through the motions back at the pub, I’d laughed and joked, flirted up a storm, surprised at how easily it all came back.

  A game. Sure, there were emotions and crap involved, but it was a game like any other. Softening of my eyes, the curling of my hair around my fingers knowing the messages I was giving out to any single guy. Even the compliments, yes, they were real in a way but at the same time it was as if my body was doing things that my mind and heart didn’t understand.

  Even our first kiss had been more a challenge to myself. Was I ready to take this step away from my past—rather than wanting to kiss Alex the man?

  The impromptu dinner on the beach had almost been my undoing. A stupid lapse in judgement, allowing us time for conversation and getting to know each other instead of crashing him onto a mattress and letting nature take its course. What had I been thinking? Allowing him to be a person and not just a guy I’d crushed on.

  Instead, Alex had won my brother over, at least tried to pay for dinner, before wanting to get to know me. Damn it, did he have to be so damn gentlemanly and perfect? When I’d been lying on top of him, all I wanted was his arms to squeeze the clothes from my body and not stop until tomorrow!