The Complete Memories Series (39 page)

The knowing gleam in my baby sister’s brown eyes is disconcerting to say the least. She’s way more observant than even she knows, and she eyes both me and Jen with amused interest.

“
So...” Lexy clicks her tongue. “Anything interesting happen while I was away?”

“
Not much,” Jen says, her eyes fixed on the television.

“
Ah-huh,” Lexy teases her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m sure that in a big ol’ city like London absolutely
nothing
happened.” She rolls her eyes and shoots me a sly glance.

I
’m fucked if she knows.

And she does.

She knows.

So I
’m fucked.

“
Nope, Jen’s right.” I shrug. “Absolutely nothing has happened.”

“
Nothing in general... or nothing worth sharing?” Lexy grins. An ‘I know’ grin.

“
Princess...” Alec puts his hand over her mouth. “‘Nuff.”

“
Mm mm mm,” she says behind his hand, and he moves it. “I said, no it’s not. I’m only asking!”

“
Asking and interrogating are two different things.”

“
Then I’m interrogating.”

I watch as Jen smiles and
hides her mouth behind her hand. I want to reach out and touch her, but hey, this whole ‘let’s keep it between us’ thing was her idea. And I know why.

She wants me to prove to her tomorrow night when we all go out that I can stay with my eyes on her. That I won
’t even look at another girl. Her challenge is accepted.

Gladly accepted.

“I’m going for a drink. Any of you miserable gits need one?” Jen stands.

“
I’ll come with.” Lexy follows her and winks at me. Goddamn her!

“
Didn’t take you long,” Alec says with a slight hint of bitterness.

“
Na, mate. It ain’t what you think.” I twirl the bottle between my fingers.

“
Then what is it? Cause both of you have got that just fucked look about you.”

“
Yes, I had sex with her. Several times. Happy?” I raise my eyebrows. “I gave her the chance to stop, and she said no. But it isn’t what you’re thinking. It isn’t just sex... Hell, I don’t know what this is.”

“
What what is?”

I sigh, leaning my head back on the sofa.
“I told her I wanted her, right? Not just as a quick fuck, but as something more.”

“
A girlfriend?” Alec smirks.

“
Wipe that damn look off your face.” I flick my head back up. “Yes. And she said no. Fucking no!”

“
Why did she say no?”

Even Alec is confused. Bloody women.

“She said something about not being sure if she can trust me and wanting to get to know me. I want her. What more is there to know?”

Alec chuckles and shakes his head.
“Oh, man. Girls like to know the soppy shit. Ya know, favourite films, favourite food, can you make them smile?”

“
Jesus Christ,” I groan, rubbing my forehead. “I’m guessing a list won’t do the job?”

“
Oh no,” Alec laughs. “I hope you’re ready for weeks of flowers, early morning text messages, and candlelit dinners. Also, don’t forget the TV cuddle nights. No sex.”

“
You’re kidding. How am I supposed to hug that girl without wanting to rip off her clothes?”

“
You think you’ve got issues?” He takes a swig of beer. “Your sister still makes me do that romantic shit.”

Jesus fucking Christ. When did I step into a chick flick?

“I don’t do romance,” I protest.

“
Then you gotta get a romance guide for dummies, ‘cause she ain’t gonna take anything less than everything you got.”

“
Why does convincing a girl you’re worth it sound a lot like divorce?”

“
Because on the pain in the ass scale, it’s about the same.”

“
Okay.” I close my eyes. “Shit, man. I can’t believe I’m gonna do this. What’s first?”

“
Early morning texts,” Alec says without batting an eyelid. “Every day.”

“
Might as well send flowers for a fucking wake up call.”

“
Good shout. Do that.”

“Bing looks happy,” Lexy says, taking the wine from the fridge.

I raise an eyebrow
, and set two glasses on the counter. “Girl if you have somethin’ to say, say it. Don’t you go pussyfooting around my ass.”

She laughs
, and pours the wine. “Tell me what happened.”

“
He jumped on me. Literally. No hello, no nothing.” I sigh. “I’m not going into details though ‘cause that is
so
wrong.”

“
I’m glad you two are finally working it out. It doesn’t take a genius to work out you’ve been fantasising over him for months!”

“
That is so…” She raises an eyebrow. “…Damn messed up you know that. Shit. How do you know that? Are you Derren Brown’s long lost daughter?”

She bursts out laughing.
“No! It’s just kinda obvious. At least now you’re together.”

“
Ha,” I say in a small voice. “Yeah. Funny you should mention that...”

“
Jen...”

“
Teeny tiny major detail.” I hold two fingers up with a small space between them. “We kinda are. Kinda aren’t. In between. Ish.”

Lexy
’s eyebrows go up. “Go on.”

I take a big gulp of wine.
“I now know how much bullshit I fed to you before you and Alec got together. It’s not that I don’t trust Bing, ‘cause I do, sorta, I just know his woman-eating ways, and I want him to prove he wants me.” I shrug a shoulder.

“
And how on earth do you plan on achieving that?” My best friend smiles.

“
I don’t know. It’s not my job to tell his hot ass what to do. Besides, Alec did it for you, and I figure that if Bing really, really wants me, then he’ll keep his snake in its cage for every woman besides me.”

“
I’m gonna ignore that last part, but I agree with you. Huh.” She tilts her head slightly. “But you want him, right? I can tell you have more than just the bed bug for him.”

I glance through the opening to where the two guys are laughing o
n the sofa. Bing turns his head as if he can sense me watching, and his soft brown eyes meet mine. There’s a challenge there.

What will I do now? Will I sit next to him or will I go back to the other sofa?

His lips curl upwards, and I’ll be damned to hell and back several hundred times if I don’t want to feel those against me again, but let it be said that Jennifer Mason is
not
an easy lay. Ah huh, you heard me.

I was totally distracted the last errrr, five times.

Oh, sheesh. Five times?

“
Yeah,” I say, answering Lexy’s question. “I do. I’m pretty sure of it.”

She winks, smiling, and we go back into the front room. I sit next to Bing on the sofa, leaning against the arm
, and crossing my legs. My jeans strain against my skin, and I rest my head to the side on my hand. My hair falls down exposing the side of my neck.

I can feel his heated eyes on me as I glance at Lexy
, and she’s hiding a smile behind the rim of her wine glass. I bite the inside of my cheek and lick my lips.

I don’t think we’re on the same agenda here.

I
’m on romance and she’s on seduction.

Don
’t get me wrong, I’m never one to turn down a seduction, and especially not from the blonde haired goddess next to me. It just doesn’t fit with the roses and chocolate plan.

It fits with the plan of my second head though. Yep, brain number two likes the way her jeans tighten when she crosses her legs. In fact, my first brain does too. Oh, who the fuck am I kidding? If my sister and her boyfriend weren
’t here, I’d take this girl on the rug, romance be fucking damned.

Her mouth twitches as she hides a smile. She
’s doing this deliberately, and it’s working. She knows it. Okay, then, gorgeous, we’ll have it your way.

“
Is it hot in here?” I ask no-one in particular. Alec smirks like he can read my mind.

I put the beer bottle on the table next to me
, and pull my shirt off. The smile drops from Jen’s lips, and she licks them again. Her eyes travel slowly over my torso and I see that spark of desire flare deep in them. Her come and fuck me eyes.

“
If it wasn’t before, it is now,” Lexy mutters as she looks between us. “It’s like mating time at the zoo.”

“
Fitting.” I smirk at Jen. “Cause there’s at least one animal here.”

Her mouth drops open
, and she glares at me playfully. “Wouldn’t you like to know just how animal like I can be?”

“
Oh hell.” Lexy covers her ears, and Alec chuckles.

“
Here, kitty, kitty,” I crook my fingers.

“
Be careful there, Samuel.” Her eyes flash again, both a seductive warning and a promise. “Or my tiger claws will come out.”

I sit back
, and pick my beer back up, taking a slow drink. Jen mimics my movement, bringing her glass to those perfectly shaped lips.

“
What would you do if I told you I like your tiger claws?”

She swings her legs round, leans into me
, and tugs my face down her. “Maybe,” she whispers. “…Maybe I’d tell you to get your coat, we’re leaving.”

Holy... I adjust the way I
’m sitting to hide the way my dick took that as an open invitation to stand to attention.

“
Is that so?” I reply in a low voice.

“
Yes.” She trails her finger down my arm, and leans back. “But, unfortunately, today isn’t your day, and tomorrow isn’t looking all that promising either.”

She downs the rest of her wine and stands, winking at me. A giggling Lexy follows an ass wiggling Jen into the kitchen
, and I breathe in deeply.

Alec looks at me sympathetically.
“Cards and flowers, mate, cards and flowers.”

Fucking romance.

A knock on my door wakes me up. Who in their right mind is knocking on my goddamn door at eight in the morning? Do they not know they’re about to step into the devil’s lair?

Grumbling under my breath, I grab my robe and wrap it around me. My feet slide into my slippers and I pad my way across my flat.

“Who is it?” I call out. No answer. “God sake,” I mutter.

I twist the key, unlocking the door. Then my brain goes mushy. Incoherent sentence kinda mushy.

Bing is stood against the wall opposite my door, looking perfect in dark jeans, a white jumper, and his messy hair. But that’s not what renders me speechless. It’s the bunch of red roses in his hand.

“
What are you doing?” I can’t help the smile that breaks onto my face.

He shrugs one shoulder.
“You said romance, right? I figured roses were a good way to go.”

He steps towards me, and I take the flowers. The bright red petals draw my attention and I look down at them in awe. Who knew Bing was so thoughtful?

“This is what you were speaking to Alec about, isn’t it?” I smirk.

“
Maybe. But the flowers were all my idea.” He grins lopsidedly.

I trace a finger along one of the flowers, following the line with my eyes.
“They’re perfect, thank you.”

Bing moves his hand upwards, brushing some hair away from my brow. He presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. I raise my eyes to his.

“Of course,” he replies. “You can’t give perfect anything less than perfection itself.”

“
Who the heck gave you the mushy-wushy pills this morning?” I giggle.

“
No-one, just doing the same as I always do.” He grins. “Just tellin’ it how I see it.”

I shake my head, a small smile on my lips.
“Don’t suppose you bought the vase, did you?”

“
You don’t have one?”

“
Meh... Why would I have a vase? I don’t usually get flowers.” I turn to go inside and he follows me.

“
Carl didn’t get you flowers?”

I shrug one shoulder.
“He wasn’t a flowery type of guy.”