Always Remember (Memories) (10 page)

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.”

Carl didn’t buy her flowers? Well, fuck me, I’m not a flowery type of guy either, I’m a love ‘em and leave ‘em kinda guy, but I’d buy Jen the damn moon if she really wanted it.

“
Do you have something to keep them in until later? We’ll go and get you a vase.”

“
The sink, I guess. And you don’t need to buy a vase too,” she protests. “I can do that.”

“
No, I’m buying it.” I cross the kitchen, and hold her waist from behind. She leans back into me and turns her head. I nudge the side of her face with my nose.

“
You don’t have to.”

“
I know,” I say softly. “But I want to.”

I reach round her and start the tap, my other arm still holding her. She puts the bouquet into the water
, and I silently thank Mum for her expert knowledge on early opening florists in our area.

Jen smiles and fingers the flowers again.
“I can’t believe that
you,
Samuel Edwards, bought little old me flowers.”

“
I know, my reputation is forever tarnished,” I tease.

She spins in my arms, her blue eyes looking up at me.
“Why did you buy them? Don’t shit me around, Sam. Honest truth.”

“
Because it’s you. I don’t need another explanation.”

Her eyes narrow slightly and she studies me. She stands on her tiptoes
, and her lips graze mine. I tighten my grip on her hips and kiss her back, deepening it. Her arms wind round my neck tightly, her body presses against mine, and I remember I didn’t come here to seduce her. I came here to romance her.

It takes all my restraint not to drag her off to the bedroom, especially when she puts her hands in my hair and winds it round her fingers.

“I forgot to tell you,” I murmur against her swollen lips. “I have all of today off. Dad’s feeling nice.”

“
Mm, that’s a shame.” She drops back down her heels. “Because I have to work all day. I have an essay due in first day back on Monday.”

“
That’s fine. I’ll stay.” I kiss her once more and let her go, moving towards her sofa.

“
Really?”

“
Yep. You’re more likely to have pizza in your freezer,” I flash a grin as I lie back, stretching out. Her eyes travel over my body before they snap back to mine.

“
Then you’re out of luck, stud muffin.” She sashays to her bedroom. “Because I have no pizza.”

The door shuts behind her
, and I flick the TV on. “That’s fine,” I shout, “I’ll just order Dominos.”

Her door opens
, and she pokes her head round. “Can you make sure there’s double pepperoni?”

“
Not at eight in the morning, gorgeous.”

“
Huh. There’s bacon in my fridge. Get cooking, then,” she orders, and I jump up, running across the room. I put my foot out stopping her from closing the door, and pull off my top.

“
I’d much prefer this view,” I hand her the top and she takes it, smirking.

“
Oh, you will.” Her eyes twinkle playfully, and she gives me a shove. The door shuts and I grin. There’s something sinfully sexy about her wearing my top and not much else.

The door opens again
, and she bounces out. She launches herself across the room at me and I barely catch her. She presses her lips to mine, and I cup her bare ass, my fingers sliding downwards as she pulls herself up. The tips brush something warm...

“
Fucking hell, Jen,” I let her go and step back, shaking my head.

“
What?” She grins and her eyes flick down. I throb, hardening against my jeans.

“
I... you...”

She licks her lips, tilting her head to the side and turns, her ass cheeks peeking out the bottom of my top.

“If I didn’t know any better, Samuel, I’d say you were trying not to jump my bones this very second.”

“
Jennifer, you are naked under my top,” I growl. “So yes, I’m trying not to drag you into that bedroom and keep you there all day.”

“
Why don’t you?” She turns from the fridge with a raised eyebrow.

“
Because you’re worth more than that,” I reply. She softens, her lips curling up. She reaches into the tumble dryer and pulls out a pair of shorts. She puts them on and stands.

“
You’re really going for this romance thing, aren’t you?” she asks quietly.

“
Jen.” I cross the room. “I’d do anything it takes to get you to trust in me.”

“
Okay,” she whispers and kisses me lightly.

It
’s the lightest kiss I’ve ever had, but it doesn’t help the rock in my pants or the fact she’s still naked under the top and shorts.

Damn Alec and his fucking romance.

~

His eyes have been on me for the last two hours as I
’ve sat at my laptop and typed up my final version of the essay.

He
’s tried to pretend he hasn’t watched me, but I’ve seen those sneaky brown eyes lapping me up like I’m an ice lolly in the middle of the Sahara desert.

I glance over at him as I round up my essay. He
’s stretched out on the sofa in his ‘I put my arms behind my head because it makes my top ride up’ position. His hair is spiked to the side, messy, and oh so sexy.

Hey, I
’m not freakin’ blind.

“
You’re crap at the sneaky eyeing me up thing, by the way.” Bing grins, his eyes wrinkling in the corners.

I tap save.
“Who said I was trying to be sneaky?”

“
Oh, so you’re finally admitting you like to eye me up?”

“
I never said I liked doing it.” I sniff.

“
We both know you do.”

I cock an eyebrow at him and shut the laptop down, closing the lid.
“I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, Samuel. Maybe yourself?”

I get up and move to the kitchen, reaching into a top cupboard for a glass. Floorboards creak behind me
, and his hands settle on my waist, warm and comforting. I turn my head towards him, and oh! Mistake. Mistake.

His lips press against my neck gently, my
skin thrumming against his lips at my pulse point. It quickens, my blood roaring through my body at light speed. He smiles against my skin because he knows. He knows what he can do to me, and goddamn his sexy little ass for that!

His lips ghost up my neck, my jaw, his nose smoothing along my skin. I stand perfectly still, still clutching the glass.

“Isn’t this seduction, not romance?” I squeak out eventually.

His lips graze my ear.
“I like to think it’s seductively romantic.”

Oh, smooth. Very smooth from
Mr. Smart Ass over here.

“
Nice save,” I admit. “But it’s still not flowers and chocolate, is it?”

“
Do you want chocolate?” He looks at me.

“
Um, no.”

“
Then don’t keep bringing it up. Chocolate is a tricky thing with women, so I’ve been told.”

“
How is it?” I frown.

“
You’re cute when you do that.” His thumb smooths out the lines between my eyes. “And if I buy you chocolate, you’ll do the whole ‘you’re gonna make me fat’ thing, and if I don’t buy it you’ll go all ‘are you saying I’m fat?!’ and then no-one wins.”

I tilt my head to the side.
“Huh. I think you’re smarter than I’ve ever given you credit for, Samuel.”

“
Of course I am, Jennifer. Look who I’m trying to win over. Only the stupidest guy wouldn’t go for you.” He winks, and I laugh.

“
Ooo-kay, Mr. Romance Fail. You’ve been taking cheese lessons off Alec.”

“
No, it just sounded a hell of a lot better in my head.” He shrugs. “You win some, you lose some, I guess.”

I roll my eyes.
“Totally off subject, but have you ordered my pizza yet? I’m hungry.”

“
You had lunch three hours ago.”

“
Art makes me hungry,” I protest.

“
Then considering the art degree, you must eat a lot.” Bing’s hands follow the curve of my body. “How do you stay so fit?”

“
I’ll tell you my secret.” I pull his head down. “Sex.”

“
Sex?” He swallows.

“
You sound surprised.” I giggle, and move to fill my glass with water. Finally. Crap on a stick, this guy is distracting.

“
I don’t know why.” He smirks and steps towards me again. His eyes find mine and they’re slightly heated. “Seven times in three days, wasn’t it?”