Promises (11 page)

Ale
x smothered a laugh.

“You know what I mean
.” She turned on her daughter. “Are you still on the pill?”

“Yes, why?”

Alex cringed.

“I really don’t see why.
I mean, it’s not as if you’ve been in a relationship since ….” She counted her fingers. “Well, for quite some time. Too long to bother taking contraceptives when you’re not doing anything. Don’t you think?”

Solomon grin
ned, enjoying the conversation. Even knowing Alex wasn’t a virgin, he was more than pleased that she hadn’t been spreading it around. Unlike him, but he conveniently excused his own double standard. He had an anytime/anyplace habit, but he was glad Alex didn’t follow suit.

She glanced up
at Sol’s wry smile. Picking up the menu, she flapped it near her face. “It’s rather warm in here, isn’t it?”

Sol
’s deep rumble rolled across the table.

“Thank
God for that!” Alex said, looking up as food was served. True to form, her mother didn’t let up.

“
Would you like children?” With slow precision, Fiona dissected her fish as she did the same to Solomon.

“Don’t know, haven’t really thought about it
.” Sol speared his steak then glanced at Alex, picturing a much younger version of her. “But I guess so, with the right person.” Thrusting the succulent slice of meat into his mouth, he chewed, savouring the taste.

“Well
, obviously it’s my Alexandra!” stated Fiona, nudging her food around. Diets came high on her list of priorities.

“Mother
, will you stop it?” hissed Alex. She picked up the menu again, fanning her red, glowing face. Turning to Sol, she mouthed the word, ‘Sorry.’

“Look,
if you two can’t see it, I can. You’re both crazy about each other.” Fiona looked expectantly from one to the other. “I don’t know why you can’t produce a grandchild. Is it too much to ask?” Dropping her knife and fork, she looked at them expectantly. “I mean to say, why worry about marriage? Too many fail. At the end of the day it’s the grandchildren I’m concerned with. And Alex, you have to admit, you have a fine specimen of a man to—er—shake up your boring genes.”

“Sol, fancy an early night
shagging me senseless and giving me twins?” Alex was unable to suppress a soft tinkle of laughter. The astonishment that registered on his face was priceless.

“Let me just finish up here and I’ll see what I can come up with
.” He dropped his hand, skipping it up the length of her thigh and dipping it between her legs. He almost burst out laughing at the look of shock that shot across her face.
Touché, honey
.

After they finished their meals,
Fiona checked her watch. “Do you want a lift back or can I leave?” She was already collecting her designer bag, a classic oversized Hobo. Delving deep into the soft interior, she pulled out a small compact. Admiring her reflection, she spread a smear of gloss across her lips.

“Trust me
, you can leave. I think we’ll catch a taxi back,” said Alex, glancing at Sol for confirmation. At his single nod, relief released her tense features.

“I’ll settle the bill
when I leave.” Standing, Fiona gave Solomon one last appreciative look. “So pleased to meet you, and I’ll see you at the wedding.” Blowing them air kisses, she swept out in a swirl of heady perfume.

For the ne
xt few minutes both were silent. Alex turned to him. “Told you what she’s like,” she said with a rueful shrug.

Sol nodded
. “She’s really got it bad, little mother,” he said, teasing her with the new nickname.

“Piss off
, Sol. I can do without that crap!” She pursed her lips.

“Sorry
, hun, but she isn’t giving up, is she?” Lifting his hand, he gave the nape of her neck a tender rub. “Still, look on the bright side; at least we got a free meal out of her.”

“True
!” she agreed, surrendering to the magical sensations his fingers were creating.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the evening?”
he asked, eager to get her back into bed.

“Do y
ou know what I’d really like?” Her expression dreamy, she continued, “To go home, put my feet up, and watch a sad film. Before going to bed, with you to cheer me up.”

“I’m up for that
. Shall we book that taxi?” He just hoped it was a bloody short film.

* * *

Sol held her to him, cradled in his arms. He was viewing a film about a dog waiting for his master. As the master was dead, he had one hell of a wait. He listened to the wailing sobs of Alex, her shoulders shaking as she sniffed out loud.

“Oh my
God, its
sooo
sad!” She hiccoughed against his shoulder, her watery gaze fixed on the screen.

“It
’s okay, hun, it’s only a film. It’s not true!” He rubbed her arm and wished she’d picked a comedy.

“It is!” she
yowled. “It’s based on a true story. Oh my God, Sol, look at him, look at his little face!” She sobbed again, her tears soaking his chest. He wished to Christ the film would hurry up and end. Then at last the credits appeared and he flicked it off, thankful that piece of torture was over.

“Wasn’t that wonderful?” she
sniffed, dabbing at her eyes and blowing her nose into a huge wad of tissue from the nearby box.

“Yea
h, if you say so,” he agreed, and wondered why anyone would willingly put themselves through such emotional trauma. “You okay now?”

She
nodded. This was a unique experience for him, both intrusive and natural. Lying with her draped across his body, watching videos …. It was surreal, yet nice. It gave him a warm glow, but he struggled to make sense of it, only certain of one thing—that it felt right.

“Fancy an early night?” E
ven to his own ears he sounded like the other part of a married couple.

“As long as you join me
,” she sniffed and looked up, her eyes glazed with tears. Tenderly cupping his face, she moved her thumb over his cheek and slid her tongue across his lips. Her eyes spoke volumes.

“Try stopping me
,” he muttered, bending his head and sucking at the edge of her lips. Sliding his tongue along the side of her neck, he licked a slow and unhurried track. His hand covered her breast and he relished the heaviness and weight in his hand.

Twisting around
, she leaned on him, her whole body pressing against his. Sol could feel his erection hard against her and wondered if he’d ever get enough. He rubbed against her, letting her feel how hot for her he was, and listened as she whispered in his ear. Alex squealed when he hefted her into his arms and carried her to bed. The words of what she intended to do to him sent shivers down his spine.

S
olomon was awake early, still holding Alex close and listening to her tiny snuffles. He grinned, wondering if he should tell her she snored, then remembered her hair trigger temper and decided not to. As nice as this holiday was—and he was under no illusion it was anything else—he was worried. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted her. Permanently.

It
wasn’t even just the sex anymore. She made him laugh, made him question emotions he’d thought didn’t exist. But he knew it would have to end. Neither of them did relationships, so why change the habit of a lifetime? Except that he had an inner demon hacking away at his well-constructed defences. Even the walls of Jericho eventually crumbled, given the right conditions.

His mobile
blipped on the bedside cabinet, indicating a text. He reached out for it and frowned.
Shit, not now
, he thought with a worried frown.
Her
arrival he could well do without. He hoped no one had mentioned the fact he was down here getting shagged because he knew without a shadow of a doubt she’d be homing in like a bloody missile. Hoping to avert a catastrophe, he sent his message back.

Will arrive in London tomorrow.

This needed his personal attention, at least until she was flying off to her next assignment. Without an ounce of sympathy, he cursed the fact that some faceless model had broken her leg, thereby stopping the shoot. He made plans to return for the day. Resting his cheek atop Alex’s head, he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

He woke to find her leaning on his chest, her chin resting on her hand
as she looked up at him.

“Hey
, sexy, I was wondering when you were going to come back to the land of the living.” Her voice was low and throaty, and her fingers slid along the contours of his lips, tracing them. Sol nipped down on her fingertips, savouring their feel and taste.

“You’re wearing me out
, woman.” He whacked her naked butt with a playful slap.

“
Then maybe I’d better get another man to satisfy me,” she purred.

“I wouldn’t even think about that
!” he warned, his voice sharp. “I mean it, Alex, don’t go down that route unless you want to see someone seriously hurt.”

“Hey, calm down!
I haven’t ever had a relationship full stop, and now you think I’m going to go out of my way to shag half the village?” Her anger burst through her words.

“No, it
’s not that. It’s just …. Well I don’t want to think of you with another man,” he admitted, stumbling over his words and feeling like a right idiot.

“And I don’t want to
think of you with another woman.” She kissed him, a soft fleeting brush across his lips. “But what I want and what I get are two different things. I’m not stupid enough to think this is it. I know you’re going to move on.” She sighed. “I might not like it, but I can’t stop it can I, Sol?” She gazed into his eyes. “It’s inevitable, but that’s life.” The early morning stubble shadowing his face was rough against the back of her hand as she rubbed it across his cheek. “You’re in my space for a short time, and I intend on making the most of it.” With a wry, humourless laugh, she added, “Which is why I’m keeping Roger.”

E
ven though he agreed with her reasoning, Solomon couldn’t accept the fact that she’d be leaving and making love to someone else. It left too bitter a taste in his mouth. For this brief moment in time, she was his and he refused to contemplate the thought of her with anyone else.

“Shut
the hell up, Alex, and make love to me,” he muttered, needing her body to take the ache away.

“Gladly
!” With a crooked grin, she zipped down his body. “I hope you like
this
.”

“Oh Christ
, Al, what the hell was that?” He’d almost choked when her mouth sucked his cock as her finger scrolled the ridge behind his balls, all the while slowly rimming his ass.

“Page twenty of the book I’m reading
.” She smiled, glad it had worked.

“Do me a favour
?” he muttered. “Make sure you finish the bloody book!”

She
glanced up at him, her eyes glinting wickedly. “Think I’ll have to get the second one. It’s part of a trilogy.”

“Give me the title
. I’ll buy them,” breathed Sol.

“
Oh I will, trust me. There’s a lot more where that came from. Just lie back and enjoy the ride.” She continued her assault, while his anguished groans rumbled around her.

H
is fists clenched the sheets, the knuckles white, until he could stand it no longer. He pulled her roughly up, flipped her over, and keeping her on her knees, slid his hand between her thighs. His fingers searched and massaged, moving forward, filling her. She pushed against him, urging him on. Yet he kept the tempo slow, wanting to savour every tiny drop of pure honey.

“Oh Christ
, Sol, don’t stop,” she whimpered, turning her head.

His lips smashed over hers
, taking her in a blistering, open-mouthed kiss. His cock burrowed forward, powering deep inside until he rode her with wicked abandonment.

He could almost taste the heady excitement building. It detonated deep in his stomach
. His hand polished her clitoris, moving on at a razing speed. Surging into her, he ploughed deep. His body arched, rigid with shock at what he was experiencing. He heard her mewls, the whimpers that broke out as her body canted into him. And Sol came in an explosive undulating wave that crashed over him. He held her tight, his arms twined around her, feeling her release as he continued to thunder into her.

“That was
so fucking good!” he breathed, collapsing at her side. He was still inside her, refusing to be parted. Spooning around her, he gave the heavy breasts he adored a leisurely caress, keeping her tight to him.

“Sol, did
you earn a degree on making love? Because shit, you really know how to make a woman come!”

H
e pressed his smiling lips to the top of her head.

“
Thanks for the compliment, honey. But it takes two and, unless you’ve got the right partner, well ….” He let her imagine the rest as he nipped at her shoulder.

“I could
lie like this for ever,” she sighed.

“So could
I, but unfortunately I need to leave for a few days.” He broke the spell, feeling her shoulders tense.

“
It’s come sooner than I thought,” she said, her voice low. A traitorous tear filled her eye, waiting to fall. “Make sure you shut the door on your way out.”

“Alex,
it’s not over between us. There’s some work that’s cropped up. I told you I’m between jobs.” Gently, he turned her face toward his. Unable to miss the glint of tears in her eyes, he bent his head. Kissing her eyelids, butterfly soft, he said, “I won’t be long. I promise. Do you believe me?”

She
gazed miserably down at the sheet that she’d twirled into a screwed up mess. Her hand trembling, she nodded her head in silence. She stubbornly kept her head bent.

“Alex
, I mean it. Two days max, okay?” He tilted her head back so he could see her face. They would be the god dammed longest two days of his life, he realized. “I promise. Just trust me?”

* * *

Solomon stared at Callum. “You can’t be serious! I’ve travelled all this way and Sue isn’t even here yet? So when the hell is she arriving?” He brushed a hand through his hair in angry agitation.

“
She’s not. She rang last night. It looks like the shoot is back on. However, we’ve got a few other problems that need your attention. Sorry, Sol, but us mere mortals aren’t able to sort it out.” A frown line rolled across Sol’s forehead and Callum studied his friend, noticing a change.

“Bloody great!” swore Sol, frustration eating into him.

“How’s the shagathon going? Is she as good as you remembered?” Callum asked, leaning back in the leather chair.

“Shut your mouth
, Cal. I mean it,” spat Sol, furious at his description. He helped himself to a drink from the bar.

“
Well, well, I never thought I’d see the day,” Callum carried on, unperturbed at So
l
’s
burst of temper. “You’re hooked, Sol. Well and bloody, truly. I just hope you can handle letting down Sue, the she-devil.”

“I tol
d Alex I’d be away two days, max. So that’s all you’ve got me for.” Swallowing the whisky, Sol relished the burn down his throat and through his chest. “And this has nothing to do with Sue!”

But two days ran into four, and it wasn’t until the fifth day that he managed to get away. All the while Sol cursed the fact that he hadn’t taken her mobile number. He’d been so keen to get away and back that he’d forgotten. It was frustrating that he couldn’t get in touch with her. He was more than worried at her reception.

* * *

Alex stared out of her window, wondering why she always fell for bastards. Because that’s what Sol was. A first class one. Full of promises, unable to fulfil any of them. She wished he could have been honest and simply said it was over. He’d had his fill and didn’t want any more. Simple. She cursed the tears that dripped from her eyes—great, big, sad globules. She wished he had never moved next door.

Her breath hitched
. She couldn’t turn back time; what was done was done. She was safer with ‘Roger’ and her erotic novels in the library. They didn’t have the ability to hurt her.

Alex
was sitting at her desk behind the check-in counter, listlessly marking off the books that hadn’t been returned, when the door swung open. She didn’t bother looking up. She didn’t care.

T
hen she breathed him in, the special, fresh essence of Sol. A myriad of goose bumps scrambled over her.

She glanced
up into his deep blue eyes, her own spitting fire.

“Hi
.” He grinned.

She didn’t bother
to reply, guessing that for the last few nights he’d been screwing himself stupid with whoever was lucky enough to join him. Instead, she just nodded her head in his direction.

“Sorry
.” He studied her carefully, noting how she refused to look him in the eye, to acknowledge his existence.

“What for?
You’re nothing to do with me.” She resumed the blind ticking of her book.

“Alex, please, listen to me
 ….” He placed a hand on her arm.

She
flinched away from his touch.

“What
, more lies?” she snapped, raising her head to glare at him. Her green eyes glazed over him, spitting splinters of hard glass.

“For
Christ’s sake, woman, so I was longer than I thought. That’s not a crime, is it?” He threaded his fingers through his hair in frustration.

“Two days
, max!” she mimicked him, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Promise. Trust me!” She was torn between a desire to throttle him or to make up for lost time. “Yeah, your promises are obviously meant to be broken.”

“Well
, excuse me! Haven’t you ever been wrong?” he shouted back. He threw his hands up in the air and began pacing back and forth, scrubbing his hand through his hair.

“Yes
,” she snapped, “but in this day and age there’s a thing called communication. A bloody telephone!”

H
e winced. “Yes, but I didn’t bloody know your mobile number!” he responded, his chest heaving. “Don’t you think if I had known it I would have called? I really can’t believe your attitude!”

Alex contemplated his
response before looking up. “Why didn’t you ask?” she stated with childlike simplicity.

“Because I wanted to get there and back
as soon as possible. Guess I was in too much of a hurry and forgot.” He hung his head. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

Alex glanced up.
Her green eyes flashing, she stared past him. “Well, the very person. We were just talking about you.”

S
olomon turned and saw Tanya advancing on them.

“Something good
, I hope?” She stopped a hair’s breadth away from him.

“As a matter of fact
, Sol was just saying he’s free to put up those shelves you mentioned. In fact, he’s free this very moment.” Turning, she glared at Sol. “Weren’t you?”

“
Bitch,” muttered Solomon beneath his breath.

Alex
’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. As far as she was concerned he could find someone else to be friendly with. She gulped down the bile that rose in her throat.

“Oh that’s bril
liant! Well, no time like the present.” Tanya happily linked her arm through his, her fingers soft on his bulging muscles. “Come along, then! Catch you later, Alex.” She dragged Solomon off with her.

Alex
watched them go. Noting the glare he threw over his shoulder, she felt sick, cursing her impulsive decision to send Sol off with Tanya. She knew all too well that she would jump at the chance. Literally. They looked good as a couple, too.