Her Canadian Dream [Her Canadian Dream] (Siren Publishing Classic) (3 page)

“Come on. We’ll let her sleep. Come morning we can have a chat and see what she wants to do now.”

Aly woke with a start, briefly wondering where she was. Then the memory of last night returned and the hurt flooded back. Squinting at her watch in the dim light from a hall lamp she saw that it was almost time for the sun to come up and she felt a sudden urge to be outside in the fresh autumn air. So many thoughts were spinning around inside her that she felt suffocated. Maybe the cold air down by the lake would help clear her head.

Gathering up her belongings and leaving a quick note for Jan, she slipped out of the front door into the chill of predawn.

A short drive along the mainly deserted highway brought her to Dwight Beach. It was her favourite spot to sit and think, and at this time of the morning there weren’t even any dog walkers around. She parked up and climbed out of her car. The lake shimmered in the early morning light as a few ducks milled around at the edge of the water.

Heading for the row of benches along the lakeside she dropped onto the nearest one and put her head in her hands.

What on earth was she going to do??

She knew that she needed to confront Sean but her insides clenched at the idea. She hated rows of any kind and would usually do anything to avoid them.

The realisation that she was now probably homeless, as well as alone in a strange country with only four months left on her work permit, made her heart flip. Although her job with Jan gave her a living wage, she hadn’t been in the country long enough to build up any savings toward a deposit for an apartment. She knew that most places would require at least a month in advance as well as a deposit and that was way out of her reach at the moment. Even the joint account with Sean didn’t seem to be building as quickly as she’d thought it would and now she wondered whether he had been using this money to fund his many nights out.

The morning chill started to dissipate as the sun rose higher. Realising she was still dressed in her clothes from yesterday, and that she needed to get home to get ready for work, she left the peace of the lake and headed back to her car.

With the way things were heading, even the basic necessity of a car might be out of reach for her now. Huntsville’s public transport was virtually nonexistent, so if the car had to go then she was sure going to get fit, because the alternative would be to walk everywhere.

Well at least I might finally get rid of my fat butt.

Her English humour momentarily kicked in as she sought to find a silver lining in the cloud that was raining down on her at the moment.

* * * *

Pulling up outside her apartment she took a deep breath. Heart racing, she climbed the stairs and silently let herself in and looked around.

Considering the fact that her world had been turned upside down, the place looked remarkably normal. Her empty teacup was still on the end table beside the sofa and the radio was still playing softly from the corner of the room. A quick look into the two bedrooms brought the conclusion that Sean wasn’t here and it didn’t look as if he’d slept here last night.

Belatedly she checked her phone. There was one text, from Jan, telling her to take the day off and she would catch up with her later. There was nothing from Sean.

Walking through to the kitchen with the dirty teacup she switched on the kettle to make tea, with a grim smile on her face.

The Brits’ answer to everything!

Going over the past twenty-four hours in her mind, she realised that although she was disappointed, she wasn’t really surprised at what had happened. She hadn’t known Sean that long before they had hooked up and he’d had his bright idea of moving here. She had been so keen to have someone love her and have some security in her life that she had jumped at the chance. She should have realised that it wasn’t going to work. Sean was basically a very self-centred person. He rarely consulted her on any of the decisions that had to be made. He had chosen the apartment because it was convenient for his job, he’d picked out her car and he had even urged her to go for the job with Jan.

For that final decision she couldn’t help but be grateful to him. She and Jan had become friends from the start. They had similar interests and senses of humour, and working together had been a joy.

The kettle boiled and she made a cup of tea, then went back through to the lounge and fired up her computer. A tinkle from her laptop indicated that she had an e-mail and she opened it up, seeing that it was from Sean.

Scanning the words, she felt sick as the man, who until yesterday had been her intended husband, showed just how little he thought of her.

“Alyssa,

I know you got a text last night that wasn’t meant for you and you must have realised that it was sent to you in error, instead of where it was meant to go.

I’m sorry, babe, that you had to find out like this, but I didn’t know how to tell you that I’ve met someone else and I no longer want us to get married.

I’ve decided to move in with Lindsay. She’s got her own house on the edge of town which means that you can have the apartment. I will pick up the rest of my things at the weekend so maybe it would be best if you were out on Saturday afternoon so that we don’t have to come face-to-face and have any unpleasantness.”

Aly huffed at his cowardice but was relieved that she could avoid any kind of fight with him.

“I will leave it up to you as to whether you keep the apartment on or move out. You probably won’t want to stay, though, as I know you never really liked it.

I will post a cheque to you to cover your half of the savings we have. I’ll send it to the store, just in case you move out.”

She took a sip of the scalding tea, her hand shaking as she read on.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this but really it’s as much your fault as mine.”

She huffed again. What a nerve!

“You never seemed to want to do anything and I just got bored sitting at home night after night watching TV.

Lindsay works in the office. We went out for drinks after work a couple of times and one thing led to another and we fell in love. We didn’t mean for it to happen but it did.”

Tears started to roll down her face and she dashed them away, her anger growing now as he shifted the blame onto her.

“I know you have never loved me. To be honest up until I met Lindsay I thought our fondness for each other would be enough, but now I know it wouldn’t be. We were never really right for each other. And you have to admit that our sex life has been boring lately, too. It’s just a shame we had to come all this way to find out.

I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that it’s best that we make a clean break. I can’t see any need for us to meet up and discuss this because you won’t change my mind. You would overanalyse it all anyway, like you always do with everything.

I left my key in the pot on the hallstand and leave it up to you as to whether you stay in the apartment. As you know, the rent is paid up until the end of the month. I know it doesn’t give you much time to decide but I wasn’t intending to tell you until I felt the time was right. I would have given you more time to work things out with the flat and decide what you wanted to do.

Just text me what you decide.

See you around,

Sean”

Ally slowly closed down the lid on her laptop and curled up in a ball on the sofa.

See you around?
Did she really mean that little to him?

Although it appeared that he blamed her at first, his words about her never loving him were certainly true. But it had been him who had talked her into moving here, and she thought that love would grow as they spent more time together.

She couldn’t afford to stay in the apartment on her own. The small amount of savings due to her would keep her for a little while but she would have to find herself somewhere else to live. Sean had been right when he had said that she had never really liked this place. She preferred the older-style buildings and this was one of the newer developments in town.

It was modern and furnished in a very contemporary fashion but Aly was more a shabby-chic type of person. Her home in England had been filled with a myriad of styles and fabrics, each one unique. The only thing Sean had allowed her to bring, and use in this apartment, was the quilt that she had spent a whole month’s wages on, about two years ago. It was beautifully handcrafted and she had fallen in love with it the minute she had seen it. It was the one thing in her life that she had coveted and given in to the urge to buy. It was her little piece of home and now she couldn’t imagine her bed without it.

She sat at the table with pen and pad, doing the sums needed to work out her finances now she was alone. The figures scared her so much, sudden panic gripped her and she rushed to the bathroom and emptied her stomach down the toilet. Leaning her hot face against the cool shower door, she finally gave in to her feelings and sobbed until she had no more tears to shed.

Aiden looked up from the blueprint as Brett walked into the office, his face black as thunder.

“Hey, bud. What’s up? You look like you want to put your fist down someone’s throat.”

Brett filled Aiden in on what had happened the night before after he had left Aiden and gone home.

“That fucking asshole has been screwing round town and now she’s discovered what a dickhead he is she’s totally wrecked. Jan’s over there now, in full mother hen mode and clucking around her wanting to right all her wrongs!”

Aiden had only met Aly once, at the store, when he had dropped by with Brett. He recalled a pair of big brown eyes, framed by long, dark lashes. Eyes which dropped to the floor as he grasped her hand to say hello. Average height, she was in no other way average.

She had curves in all the right places, her dark blue jeans and pretty flowery blouse hiding nothing from his gaze. Her bust was full, straining slightly against the buttons of the blouse, her waist slim, leading down to a softly curved butt which Aiden had itched to get his hands on. Her long dark hair was tied up in a ponytail, showing her swanlike neck. His cock had twitched as he imagined himself sucking and biting her neck in the throes of passion. It was a perfect neck to wear a collar.

Whoa! Where had that thought come from?

He was shocked at his body’s’ reaction to a virtual stranger. He knew from Jan that she was already taken and that in itself was a no go for him.

But shaking hands with her had caused his cock to twitch and harden and he had to turn aside in order not to embarrass himself. It seemed that she, too, had been affected, as she quickly excused herself and ran out to the stockroom.

Aiden knew he wasn’t ugly. He had enough women running after him to know that, but he wasn’t usually interested in any of them. He was tall, like Brett, but whereas Brett was blond, Aiden had dark hair and deep brown eyes. They were a perfect foil for each other as they had grown up in the small town. Many a girl’s heart had been broken by one or the other of them, and they still made a formidable pair. Now Brett had settled but Aiden was still searching for the elusive “one.” Maybe he’d finally found her.

Aiden had tried to hide his raging hard-on from Brett and Jan with idle chitchat. Meanwhile, Aly had sat on the stool out by the kitchenette and tried to still her rapidly beating heart.

* * * *

She couldn’t remember ever having such a reaction to a man before. Aiden’s touch had sent a frisson of heat straight to her clit and she felt her panties grow wet as her nipples peaked and her face flamed. She was aroused beyond belief by just one touch! That she was having thoughts like this about another man when she was already in a relationship surprised and worried her.

She stayed out in the back room until she heard the bell on the door jingle, signalling that the men had left. She gave it a few minutes before she returned to the store, ignoring Jan’s knowing grin, grabbing the first items of stock that she came across.

“Shall I put these small pumpkin lamps out?”

She kept herself busy for the next hour, avoiding Jan’s attempts to chat, restocking the shelves with the last of the Halloween goodies. Jan finally took pity on her and stopped trying to engage her in chat about the guys, keeping to the subject of supplies and the upcoming event at the end of the month.

* * * *

Aiden had thought about her a lot since that day. He knew he wouldn’t take things further because he knew she was already spoken for.

It was a shame. His Dom radar had peaked when they touched. She was almost definitely submissive.
I wonder if that guy of hers knows or even cares.

Once back at work that day, a problem had claimed his attention and it was only later, in the shower, that his thoughts had drifted back to the gorgeous brunette in the store. As he’d imagined her plump breasts, rosy nipples peaked in arousal, he’d grabbed his cock, slowly but firmly pumping. As the water fell over him, in his mind he’d seen her lying, spread-eagled, on his bed, waiting for him to fuck her. His hand had moved faster as his imagination had raised a notch. Picturing her orgasm as his hard shaft had slammed into her, he had grunted his own release, his seed covering the wall of the shower. He’d rested his forehead against the cool tiles as his breathing had slowed back to normal and he’d tried to bring his libido under control. As he’d given a final shudder his thoughts had flown all over the place.