Welcome to New Haven (89 page)

“Holy hell!” she blurted out and then slapped a hand to her mouth.

Everyone laughed as she turned into Alex to hide her red face.
 

“Get Holly some ice.” One of the men shouted.
 

“Oh my God.” She groaned.
 
Alex was chuckling.
 

“It’s like you’ve never seen him without a shirt before.” Snickered Dev.
 

“Once. At Riss’ house” Holly replied.
 

“You’re kidding?” Dev was surprised and Holly shook her head.

The next picture showed Alex and Dev together, talking.
 

The next was a picture made up of two.

One from birth and one from the present, side-by-side. Both in their cribs at the hospital and Dev kissing Ben and Alex kissing Holly, there, at the party.

A banner appeared across the screen.
 

‘Happy Birthday to our beautiful babies.’

“Woo!” and clapping was heard all around the room and they were congratulated again.
 

“I thought your girl was gonna faint at that topless pic of you.” Said Mike as he walked away, still laughing.
 

“I didn’t mean to blurt that out!” Said Holly, still horrified and Alex cupped her face.
 

“I loved it, and I love you.” His gaze melted Holly on the spot.
 

“I love you too.” She said.

“Holly” Dev said, breaking away from the birthday hugs. “You’ve really not had Alex’s shirt off since Riss’ house?” She whispered.
 

“Really” Holly replied.
 
Not that she hadn’t thought about it often. Her dreams consisted of a stripped down Alex, but he was always wearing shorts. Whenever he wasn’t, she couldn’t see anything else.
 

Maybe because she
hadn’t
seen that her mind couldn’t picture it.
 

“I thought you had his shirt off plenty. The way you two behave anyway…” Ben pulled Dev away for more kisses, leaving Alex and Holly.
 

“I want a copy of that picture.” She said.
 

“You’ve got the real thing right here.” He said, pointing to himself.
 

“Yes, but you and I both know that that’s dangerous.” She was staring at his torso, and chewing her lips, itching to see what was underneath.
 

She knew, but she wanted to see what she was touching, when she was touching it.
 

“Cake!” Rami said, breaking her fog, and all the guests went back to their tables for their piece.
 
Chocolate with vanilla frosting.

Alex popped a chunk into his mouth, a crumb in the centre of his bottom lip. Holly lifted her hand and wiped it with her thumb. She paused, then slowly stroked across his deliciously full lips with her fingertips.

Knowing how they felt, and tasted, on her mouth.

How they felt on her jaw, neck, collarbone… She moved forward, as did he, to taste his lips again. Her hand on his cheek, her thumb on his chin.
 

Alex brought up a small piece of cake on his fork and held it out for Holly to open her mouth. She opened, and he fed her the piece.
 
He closed his eyes.

Fuck
!

He was really losing it.

He couldn’t help but think it was partly due to his Dad saying ‘there are other things you can do besides sex…’. His thoughts ran back to earlier, in his room.

He’d wanted to ease Holly’s pain.

He wanted to watch her as he did. Now, he was in pain.

Alex clenched his jaw and took a deep breath.

“I need you.” He whispered.

He felt like everything in his life, everything up to
that
point in the hallway before he had first laid eyes on Holly, had been empty.

Now, he felt whole.

With her.

He needed her to breathe, to live.

Without her…no…never.
 

“Baby, I need you too.” She whispered.

Alex leaned into kiss her.

Under the table, his right hand found her thigh and he stroked up the outside, allowing just his fingertips to graze her bare skin.
 
Her thigh tensed under his touch. His other hand lifted to stroke her cheek as he broke their kiss to look into her eyes.
 

“Ok, that’s just too much.” Sobbed Evie.
 

“Mom?” Alex turned to face his Mom, who’d come to sit with them.
 

“Both my babies in love” she sniffled. “And to watch you two together…” she dabbed her eyes. “…Gosh, it’s beautiful.”

“There’s my girl.” Said Rami. Sitting down next to Evie. He seemed to know what was up, and he held her face and wiped her tears.

“We did good, didn’t we?” He said quietly but loud enough that they could hear.
 

Evie nodded, still sniffling.

“I’m so proud of you both.” She said to Alex and Dev.
 

“Thanks, Mom” they replied. Rami brought his lips to Evie’s and kissed her tenderly.
 

They’re still very much in love.

 
After over twenty years, they still looked at each other like the other was their world.

That’ll be us in twenty years too
.
 

Her heart skipped a beat as she realised she was assuming that future for her and Alex. She turned he face to him, and he was already looking at her.
 

“That’s
us
in twenty years?” He asked, smiling broadly.

Holly was shocked that he knew exactly what she’d been thinking. Then, it hit her…

”You kinda said it out loud.” He whispered.

“Oh dear
God!
” she cringed, covering her face with her hands.
 

“Babe.” He said, pulling her hands away from her face. “I wasn’t kidding when I said forever. I meant it, Holly. I love you.” He said, holding her hands and bringing them to his chest.

“I love you.” She whispered and he gently, with a featherlight touch, kissed her lips.

“Hey, baby girl.” Said Kim, sitting down, Oli joining her.
 

“Hiya Mum, hiya Dad.” She said, but neither she, or Alex, let go of each other.
 
They chatted for a while and family members came and went from the table. The rest of their group had gotten up to dance and so had the grandparents.
 

“¿Quieres bailer conmigo?” Alex said into Holly’s ear.

She squeezed her knees together as arousal shot to her centre.
 

“Sí…” She replied. “…Me encataría.”
 

“You’re learning a lot.” He said as they walked to the dance floor. He held her close, around her waist, and she had her arms around his neck.

He grazed his lips against her lobe sending prickles all over her skin.
 

“I’m thinking…Maybe I should test you again.” Holly gasped as Alex’s chest rumbled with laughter.
 

“You wouldn’t.” She whisper shouted.

“Mmmm I’m so tempted.” He teased.
 

Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s get it on’ started playing, making Alex laugh and Holly heat up.
 

“Oh. My. God.” She said into his chest.
 

“What a song, hey Hol?” Said Dev from a few feet away as she danced with Ben.
 

Holly closed her eyes and shook her head.
 

“Ground, swallow me up” she pleaded.

“Not a chance, babe.” Alex said, lifting Holly’s chin so she had to look at him.
 

He pecked her lips then started to sing to her.

“There’s nothing wrong with me loving you…”

Holly gripped him tight, her fingers twisting in his shirt behind his waist, her breathing stopped and her mouth hung open as she stared up at Alex. Her tongue brushed the edge of her teeth lightly. Alex smiled, knowingly, at her.
 

“You…” she swallowed, trying to regain her composure “…Your voice. My
God
it’s sexy as hell.”

“Thank you.” He said, pulling her tighter, dipping his head to kiss under her ear.
 

“
Oh.
” She squeaked.

“Do you like me singing to you?” He asked, kissing her neck.

“Yes” she breathed.

“Should I sing to you in Spanish?”

“No.”
She said, quickly. ”I’ll have a complete melt down, Alex. Please don’t do that here.” She begged.

“Ok babe. But, I would love to see that. So I may just…at home…soon.”

“Mmph!” Holly whimpered as she bit her lower lip into her mouth.

Alex stroked one hand up her back until his fingers were in her hair.

He touched their noses together before bringing his hand from her waist to her mouth. His fingers glided across her lower lip.

“I love kissing these” he said, softly, before holding her waist again. He kissed her fervently as the song came to an end.

Holly’s fingers in his hair turned him on, as well as the rest of her, but when she held him like she couldn’t get enough, which was all of the time, he would lose himself.

He wanted her, bad.

So bad he could cry.
 

“Five more minutes” they heard Rami say.
 

“Dad, we have school in the morning and some tests to do.” Dev giggled.
 

They turned to see Rami and Evie embracing as they danced, begging Dev to stay a little longer.
 

“Oh, Ok then. Don’t forget to say goodbye to everybody and Ben…drive safely.” Said Evie.
 

“I will.” He replied.
 

“We should go too” Alex said then he remembered… “Shit. I have to take my parents.”

“No you don’t.” Said Oli. “I’ll drive them back. I haven’t been drinking. I didn’t think you’d want to stay all night, with school in the morning. And also…” He smiled at Holly “…Holly won’t leave without you so…”

“Thanks Dad.” She said and gave him a tight hug.

The whole group said their goodbyes, which took a while.

Abuela, Abuelo, Rosa and Christopher all hugged Holly with a death grip.
 

“Mi chica especial.” Abuela said, holding Holly’s face.

“
God
I can’t wait to get you home” Ryan said to Riss as they got outside. “All that ass shaking”
 

“
Ryan!
” she shrieked as he laughed.
 

No guesses to what they were doing later.
 

Kyle whispered something to Kayla that seemed like they would be doing the same.
 

“I’ll drive Dev back.” Said Ben and Alex and Holly got into his parent’s car.

“I’ll take you home now, babe” he said.
 

“Your place or mine?” She said with a smirk. Alex’s eyes darted to hers in surprise. “Your face…” Holly laughed.
 

“Actually. I’m, pretty sure
they
don’t want to be disturbed and I’m certain
I
don’t want to hear my best friend getting freaky with my sister” he said.
 

“Good point. I guess that’d be as bad as hearing your parents.”
 

They both shuddered.

“To mine then” she added and they held hands as they drove to Holly’s, talking about the party and Alex’s family.
 

“You were a gorgeous little boy” Holly said with a smile.

“Thanks” he said, blushing as he remembered thinking that their little boy would look almost the same.
 

“Hmmm.” Said Holly as she was thinking.
 

“What are you thinking?” He asked, intrigued to see whether she had the same thoughts as he did.
 

“You were cute as a younger teen too…and…”
 

“And what?”
 

“I wished we’d moved here years ago.”
 

“You did? Really?”

“Yeah. I would’ve known you for all that time.”

“That would’ve been incredible” he said.
 

It would have been. If Holly
had
moved there years before, they would’ve been together for a while. Maybe the thing with Stacey wouldn’t have happened. Ok, it probably would have because she was a psycho, but maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad.
 

“But…” she added and he didn’t like the sound of that. “All those years of pent up… energy. Wow.”
 

“Painful.” He added as he realized what Holly meant. They would’ve had to wait
years
. They could barely contain themselves as it was.

We would have been engaged by now
.

Alex smiled, thinking of how good Holly’s hand looked with a ring on her finger.

Alex pulled up outside Holly’s and they went inside.
 

“Would you like a…” Alex kissed her quiet. Slow and lazy kisses, tongues gliding over each other.
 

Alex’s hands tangling through Holly’s long hair.
 

He had fistful of the stuff.
 
Her long, dark, satin locks wound round his fingers.
 
Holding her mouth to his.

He was rock hard for her.

He let a hand travel down her back, to her waist, pulling her body tight to his. Letting her feel
exactly
what she does to him.
 

Holly mewled and Alex moaned. He broke their kiss and leant down to taste her neck. Holly’s knees were weak, and she held around his neck for support; one hand cupping his head.

“Alex!” She cried out when his hand lowered, squeezing her rear.

His hand moved round until he found the split in her dress, and he growled against her throat. She felt his hand stroke up her thigh until he gripped her bare cheek.
 

“You have an incredible ass.” He said as he kissed back up to her mouth. “So fucking hot.”

Holly cried out again as he caressed her behind.
 

“Fuck!” he whisper shouted as his fingers brushed the seam of her underwear. Holly’s breathing hitched as she felt it. She was wearing one of the new sets from their shopping trip, and she’d wanted to maybe, somehow, let him know what she was wearing. Just to tease him a little.