Never Forget (Memories) (22 page)

''It's attached to my face, darling. I'll have to give this a miss,'' Dad replies without missing a beat.

''He's not even reading the business section,'' Bing mumbles.

''Samuel,''

''He's reading the gossip section,'' he carries on. ''John Terry cheated again.''

''Simon, up!'' Mum orders, snatching the paper. She glances at it. ''What a no good bastard.''

''I sold him a house once. He bought you that diamond necklace,'' Dad huffs.

''Then he may have it back.'' Mum dumps the paper in the bin and Dad rolls his eyes, waving goodbye as he follows Mum and Gram out.

The door shuts.

''Something is wrong with you,'' Bing states, leaning his chair back and rocking.

''Why would there be anything wrong with me?'' I blink.

''You're quiet. No snarky remarks, sarcastic smirks or anything. He rubs his chin. ''Something..''

''I have no idea what you're on about,'' I say nonchalantly and put my bowl in the sink.

''Knock knock.'' Alec opens the front door. ''Your Gram said to just come in.''

''Morning,'' Bing says, flicking his phone up.

''Good morning, beautiful.'' Alec kisses me and I flush.

''Oh-ho!'' Bing cackles. ''You finally loosened up!''

''Fuck off,'' I mumble and clean up the dishes, hiding my face behind my hair.

''Aw, my baby sister is all grown up.''

''Bing,'' I groan, resting my forehead against the sink.

''Going, I'm going.'' He backs out of the room.

Alec puts a hand on my back and I straighten up.

''Good morning,'' I mutter.

''Still embarrassed?'' He pushes my hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear.

''When my brother finds out, yes.''

''Don't be embarrassed. It's only me now,'' he whispers in my ear. ''And I know every part of you.''

I blush again and step away. ''Okay. I'm going to get dressed.'' I run my hand through my hair.

Alec leans back on the counter and folds his arms, smirking. ''Don't get dressed on my account, Princess.''

I exhale sharply and turn, nodding my head. ''I'll be back in a minute.''

I run from the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. I shut the door and shake my head. Damn guy turns me to mush with one look. I slap my cheeks and pull a dress from the closet.

Knock.

''What?'' I yell through the door. It opens a crack and I turn.

Alec slips in and smiles at me. He moves over to my bed and lies back without a word. I raise my eyebrows.

''Can I help you?''

''No.'' He grins. ''Well, you could..''

''What do you want?'' I try to hide my smile.

''Okay,'' he clears his throat. ''I thought I'd come and talk to you. After all, it's nothing I haven't seen before.''

He puts his arms behind his head making his biceps tense. His top rides up slightly and I can see his muscle peeking out. Okay, Mr. Hotstuff. Two of us can play at this game.

''Okay.'' I shrug and drape my dress over the chair. I step out of my pyjama bottoms, kicking them into the laundry basket and pull the top over my head. I hook my thumbs into my pants and pull them down, kicking them into the basket the same way I did with the shorts.

I hear Alec inhale loudly as I bend over to reach for some underwear. Floorboards creak as I clip my bra together and settle it in place. Warm hands settle on my waist as I straighten from putting on my pants.

Alec's hand slides up and across my stomach, cupping my breast. He peppers kisses along my bare shoulder, holding me against him. I freeze and take a deep breath.

''So beautiful,'' he murmurs against my skin.

''Alec,'' I breathe out.. ''My br-''

He spins me and my lips meet his. He pulls my hips into his and I hold onto his arms. His kiss is hard and hot, his tongue slipping in and caressing mine, demanding it reciprocate. It does. I'm powerless to stop my reaction to him.

We walk sideways across my room and drop back onto the bed slowly. His hand runs up my side, massaging my skin softly with his fingers. I fist his hair and hook my legs around his waist.

''Are you sore?'' he asks as he nibbles my earlobe.

I shake my head. ''No, I'm okay.''

''Good.'' He grazes his teeth down my neck and I clamp my teeth together. Holy shit.

A loud bang reminds me we're not alone.

''I hope no one is taking advantage of my sister,'' Bing calls and whistles as he walks past.

Alec drops his forehead onto my shoulder and breathes deeply for a minute. ''Okay. I'm good.''

I giggle silently and kiss his cheek, aching everywhere he touched me. I wriggle out from under him and stand up, grabbing my dress and slipping it over my head.

''I need a cold shower or something,'' he mutters, rubbing his forehead. I half-smile at him and cross the room towards him. He looks up at me from where he's sat on the edge of the bed and I rub my thumb across his cheek.

The words.. They're stuck in my throat.

Again.

Alec smiles and takes my hand, standing up and hugging me to him. ''One day,'' he says softly. ''One day, Princess, when you're ready, you'll say it. But I know, okay? I know.''

I nod against his chest and he strokes my hair. I tilt my head up and kiss him softly.

''Don't do that,'' he laughs. ''Or we'll never leave this room.''

''Gotcha.'' I step back and wink. I grab my bag and walk to the door. I look over my shoulder. ''Are you coming?''

Alec looks up from my ass. ''Yep. I think I am.''

I roll my eyes and make my way downstairs. One track mind.

~

''Left a bit.''

''You think?''

''Yep. Definitely left.'' Jen nods once. I look in the mirror over my shoulder.

''Okay. Lets do it.'' I hold the paper to my skin and walk into the room.

The guy traces it onto my skin and I meet Jen's eyes. She grins manically at me and I breathe deeply when the machine starts up. I hold in my flinch at the first touch of the needle, but I'm surprised when it doesn't really hurt. It's more of a stingy tickle.

Half an hour later, I'm out of there.

''I can't believe you actually did it.'' Jen shakes her head. ''I thought your ass would sprint ten towns away when the machine started up.''

''I'm not a wimp,'' I laugh and nudge her with my elbow. ''It didn't even hurt that much.''

''Like a prickly vibrator, right?''

I snort. ''A prickly vibrator?''

''Yeah. All buzzy but with a little pain.'' Jen shrugs.

''Should I be alarmed you're referring getting a tattoo to a prickly vibrator?'' I look at her sideways and we step onto the bus.

''No.'' She hands over our tickets. ''This is me.''

''You make a very good point there,'' I laugh and sit down.

''Well, yeah.''

My phone pings at me and I take it out of my pocket.

Are you on your way back yet? Xx

Just got on the bus, I reply. Why, are you missing me? Xx

Always. Xx

I smile slightly and put my phone away.

''He's like a dog on heat,'' Jen laughs.

''A dog on heat?'' I cover my mouth but my eyes give me away.

''Yep. Has it once and then wham, that's it, he needs it every day. If it gets too much, just remind him he has a right hand.''

I close my eyes and laugh into my hand. ''A right hand?'' I choke out.

''Well yeah.'' I look over at Jen and she makes the motion with her hand. ''He's capable of it, I'm sure.''

I take a couple of quick breaths and fan my face. ''Oh, Jen.''

''What?'' She blinks at me and shrugs. ''I'm just sayin'.''

She glances at me and smiles. She laughs, starting me off. We spend the next ten minutes of the bus journey laughing.

''Does Alec know you were getting a tattoo?'' Jen looks at me suspiciously.

''No,'' I half-smile. ''I told him I was going to buy some new underwear.''

She grins. ''And what did he say?''

''He swallowed a few times, stuttered, then told me to have fun.''

''Oh dear.'' She pushes the stop button and we climb off outside Cara's. Cara waves through the window and we push the door of the empty shop open.

''Have fun, girls?'' she asks, putting a strawberry ice cream and a chocolate one in front of us. ''My treat.''

''No,'' Jen protests. ''And yes, we did.''

''I insist,'' Cara winks at me. ''Good. Did you.. buy anything nice?'' She grins suggestively at me.

''I can't believe you just asked that question,'' I hear Carl say. ''It's wrong on any number of levels.''

''Well, did you?'' Alec runs his hands down my arms.

''Maybe.'' Me and Jen grin at each other.

''I don't see any bags,'' Carl states, scratching his head. ''Doesn't shopping with you two usually involve an unhealthy amount of carrier bags?''

''Meh.'' Jen shrugs and perches on one of the tall stools at the counter. ''Sometimes. Sometimes we can spend a lot and not have a whole lot to show for it.'' Her eyes twinkle.

Alec turns to Carl. ''Is it just me, mate, or are we missing something?''

Cara clears her throat and grins. ''Frog in my throat.''

''Something that even Muv is in on.'' Carl shakes his head. ''We should just leave the fairy princesses to their ice cream and go to the pub.''

''Fairy princesses? Do I look like something out of the fucking Nutcracker?'' Jen turns on the stool and raises her eyebrows at him. I purse my lips and smile.

''No, no, baby,'' Carl soothes. ''I just meant you're.. er.. magical.''

I laugh out loud and slap my hand over my mouth. ''Sorry. But magical?'' My eyebrows shoot up to under my hairline.

''Yeah, really?'' Alec leans on the counter. ''Explain yourself outta that one, boyo.''

''Fine,'' Carl turns back to Jen and tilts her face up to his. ''You're magical because your beauty enchants me, and you've cast a spell over me so strong I can't possibly break away from it.''

Jen looks at him, not saying anything. I see a muscle in her jaw twitch. I bite my tongue.

''You know, Carl,'' she says, touching his cheek. ''You've said some crazy things to me in two years, but in all my life have I never heard anything remotely like that. I have to say, baby, that is by far the worst line in the history of the world.''

Alec throws his head back, laughing and I hide my face in my hands.

Carl leans forward and whispers something in her ear and for the first time, I see Jen blush. She coughs and shoves him off her.

''Damn boy,'' she mutters. Carl smiles smugly and wraps his arms around her waist.

''If you wanna talk dirty to your girl, Carl Joseph, you do it away from your mother.'' Cara scolds him and flicks the back of his head with a dishcloth.

His mouth opens and closes a few times. ''Fine, then we'll take it outside.'' He grabs Jen's hand and pulls her from the stool. She squeals and waves as he drags her outside.

''That's them entertained for the afternoon.'' Alec chuckles and puts his mouth by my ear. ''I can think-''

''Same for you, Alec Johnson,'' Cara says without turning from her cleaning. ''Outside.''

Alec pauses for a moment then shrugs. ''If Carl needs me, I'll be at home. Busy.''

I smack his arm and he laughs.

''Gotcha.'' Cara waves over her shoulder and I look between them then shake my head. Apparently, sex is an open subject in this café. Whatever.

''What are we doing?'' I ask Alec when we're outside.

He threads his fingers through mine and kisses my knuckles, his eyes already darkening as he looks at me. ''We're going to entertain ourselves. I want to see what you bought.''

I swallow and nod. ''I'm not sure if you'll like it.''

''If it's on you,'' he says confidently, ''then I'm sure I'll like it. Unless you've got a tattoo.''

My heart misses a beat. ''Why?''

''Because I'm likely to find it sexy as fuck and you won't be leaving my bedroom for a long, long time.'' He winks at me and tugs me along the road. I smirk to myself.

There's my afternoon accounted for.

~

Alec's room is a midnight blue, from the carpet to the walls to his bedspread. It suits him. It's dark, dangerous, and a place you could easily lose yourself in. I look around and notice the pictures of us pinned to the wall.

I run my finger down one of them, of us when we had the ice cream on our faces.

''I love this picture,'' I say. ''It's my favourite.''

''And mine.'' He smiles at me over his shoulder and pushes his door closed.