Promises (8 page)

“Yea
h, and you know what I said to that.” She rubbed a hand across her tired eyes and heaved a drained sigh before giving in to him. “Make mine strong and black.” She trudged on heavy steps upstairs to change.

Solomon
’s gaze settled over her as she entered the kitchen, still wearing her skirt, but in a different top. His eyes narrowing, he looked at the marks on her arm. “I’ll kill the bastard!” he swore, his temper exploding.

“I bruise easy
.” She was surprised by his reaction. She was unused to anyone caring about her. “Honest, it’s not as bad as it looks.” She took the coffee and sipped from it, peering across the small space to the man before her. His huge body commanded attention.

“What did you come back for today?”
she asked.

He shrugged.
“Decided to join. I want to be a fully paid-up member of your club.”

“Really!”
She shook her head. “Now why do I find that hard to believe?” A smile flitted across her lips as her mind strayed once again to the gutter.

“You didn’t last night
.” He took a sip from his coffee.

“Sol, please tell me the truth
,” she begged, her eyes large and pleading. She nibbled at her lower lip and twisted her fingers together. And yet, underneath her nervousness he detected a glow, a heady surge of sex, and he connected with it.

He sighed
. She’d had enough. He’d tell her the truth all right. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stretched and flexed his shoulders. “No, we didn’t make love. Happy now?”

“Yes
,” she sighed, then frowned. “So how did you get hold of Roger?” She had a strong feeling she wasn’t going to like the answer.

“I put you t
o bed.” He took careful note of her expression. A myriad of emotions—too fleeting to identify—registered on her face as it flamed with colour.

“But I didn’t have anything on
.” She placed a hand over her eyes.

“I know
. I undressed you.” He tried not to chuckle when she closed her eyes, then opened them in a dangerous flash.

“Y
ou took advantage of me!”

“If I’d made love to you, now
that
would have been taking advantage.” He rose and put his mug down. “Trust me, Alex.
When
, not if. And
when
we make love again, you’re going to remember every single detail. I promise.” Then he left her to ponder his words.

A
lex lay on the settee trying to fall asleep, but couldn’t. His words continued to batter her defences. She was beginning to reconsider.
Why not? Just once, it couldn’t hurt,
she argued with herself. Then, with a restless itch, she stood and wandered into the kitchen. She pulled a carton of juice out of the fridge and drank straight from the container.

S
omehow she wasn’t surprised when Solomon walked in uninvited.

“No cups?”
he followed the trickle of orange on her chin with his eyes. It trailed and dribbled over her skin. Moving close to her, he placed a hand on either side of her body, pinning her to the fridge. Sensing her weakening, he pushed home.

“Sol, we need to
 ….” Her words died on her breath and she found herself unable to speak. She wanted him with every desperate, spine-tingling urge of her fanny that ached and screamed for him. Wishing she could control that particular part of her body, she could feel her defences crumbling fast.

“I know what we need to do
,” he whispered, his hand moving to cup her face.

Alex leaned into it
, relishing the sweetness.

H
is thumb rubbed gently at the corner of her mouth, trailing across her lips. “Yes, this,” he breathed.

H
is other hand stole over her breast, kneading it softy. He pushed the material to the side, flicking her bra open. His gaze burnt over her, hot and hungry. His hand inched across her nipple, already hard and pebbled, and his fingers slid and clasped her as he pulled her shirt out. Leaning against her, he let her feel how hard he was, how much he wanted her.

“
Are you on the pill?” he asked, cursing that he’d left his condoms in the house.

“
Yes, but we shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered, praying to God he wouldn’t stop now. Her hands were clutching the worktop so tight that her knuckles were white.

“Why not?” he
muttered, chasing her lips with his tongue, pressing hard against her.

Sh
e gave in to a punishingly seductive open-mouthed kiss as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth. Her tongue danced with his, sucking and licking, and her hands scrambled upwards around his neck pulling him close.

He yanked
her skirt up and fingered her suspenders, twanging them. “I approve,” he muttered, nuzzling her neck. He circled low at the hollow of her throat, listening as she groaned, then rubbed his palm against her. “You like this?” She nodded. “And how about this?” He growled in approval when her nails dug into his back.

She ran
her hand over his body, the paths she’d wandered coming back to her in torrents of lust. Her fingers trickled over his chest, dipping down to where a smattering of hair disappeared beneath his jeans. She hovered for a brief instant over the button, flicking it open moving the zip down slowly to release him. She stroked his heavy erection with an unhurried, almost worshipful ease.

“Alex
, I can’t wait!” Tearing her knickers off, he threw the remnants to the floor, lifting her easily. He wrapped her legs around his waist and slammed her against the fridge. She was wet and oh-so-ready. Sol rumbled as he entered her, tunnelled in, coming home.

In one
sharp abrasive stroke he filled her.

Alex threw her head back, the coolness of the
metal freezing against her back, but she was oblivious to everything except Sol. Her arms were wrapped tight around his neck as she laced her hands through his hair, urging him on. Wanting more, she writhed against him, meeting his every passion-filled plunge before the ache began to rise. She felt it spiralling out of control: the total breakdown of her body, the splintering of her carefully held emotions. A whole gamut of sensations flooded through her, so intense she screamed out loud, canting against him at the same time as he groaned, climaxing himself. Holding her tight, the beads of perspiration glistened on his body as he came with a succession of white-hot spurts, shuddering deep inside her.

Still holding her
, he leaned his forehead against hers. “That was fantastic,” he stated, his chest rising up and down as he gasped for air.

Alex nodded
. She couldn’t agree more, but she couldn’t do a repeat performance of it. This was something she’d learn to want on a regular basis, and that sort of attachment terrified her. She couldn’t let that happen, not even for the best shag in her life.

“This can’t happen again
.” As she untangled her legs from him, she noticed how his hand remained wrapped around her waist, forged like a steel band.

“Why not
? You like it, I like it, what’s the problem?” He frowned.

“I don’t like relationships.
Never had one, never will. So if we have sex on a regular basis, well ….” She shrugged and looked away from him, wishing he would let go of her.

He
stared at her in surprise. “I’m not big on them either. So why can’t we just be friends?”

Alex
looked into his beautiful blue eyes, fringed with a mass of heavy dark lashes any girl would die for. “You mean friends with benefits?” Scrolling her hand down his back, she felt him shudder beneath her. It was tempting, yet still scary. Wasn’t that a sort of commitment on its own?

C
ould she remain emotionally detached, have sex without getting involved? Ideally, she’d love to, but was she capable of that?

Sol studied her tentative, yet eager, expression. Friends with benefits wasn’t
quite what he had in mind, but he certainly wasn’t going to turn down the offer. As long as she ended up in his bed, that’s all he wanted. “If that suits you, why not?” He moved against her, swelling to a lazy lob.

“So if I want sex
, I’ve only got to ask?” She pressed a kiss to the base of his throat just where it dipped in, tasting his skin and the saltiness of the glistening perspiration rolling in pearl drops.

“Honey, just whistle and I’ll come
,” he promised with a wink. “Literally.”

“I thought you just
did.” She raised her head and nibbled his nipple, curious to know if he experienced the same sensations as she did. “And we continue to do whatever we did before, like dating other people or anything?”

Alex felt the tension ball in
Sol’s body. His fingers suddenly dug into her.

“Yea
h, if that’s what you want.” The thought of her with someone else did not sit well with him, but who was he to say no?

“And you owe me a pair of knickers
,” she muttered, leisurely gyrating against him, desperate to enjoy the same experience again. She ran her hands over his back, amazed at the sheer size of him. He was way over six foot of superb, testosterone-filled hardness.

“Anything you want
,” he agreed, dropping his head and tilting hers upwards, pressing his lips down. Unhurried thrusts thudded against her, coaxing his cock back to life.

“Come on,
let’s go upstairs.” She pushed him back. “At least then I can get out of these clothes.” She was amazed that she’d had sex in the middle of her kitchen. The height of indulgence she’d ever experienced there was with a whole packet of chocolate biscuits before her period, since she was unable to quash her demonic urge for sugar at that particular time of the month.

Solomon smiled and mov
ed away from her, tugging his zip up over his bulge, mindful of his pubes. He watched as she pulled her skirt down and then followed her up to her bedroom.

He
wandered in and just stood there a moment, taking in the clutter. “Christ, don’t you ever tidy up?”

“You’re her
e to screw me, not give me a lecture on domesticity,” Alex said, growing annoyed. So what? She didn’t’ clean up much. What was the point? The room just got messy again.

“Hey, don’t be so touchy
.” He raised his hands in defence. “There’s no need to react like that, for Pete’s sake!” He scrubbed a hand angrily through his hair. “And honey, I’m not here as a stud to service you. This deal works both ways. I’m not paid as your private fuck. I never pay for what I can get for free, trust me.”

A
nnoyed at his superior smug attitude, she spun around, hands on her hips. “I think this is a mistake. Just leave.”

“Suits me
!” he yelled back. “I reckon you need to read up on friends with benefits, because it’s not all about you. And maybe you should look up the definition of friendship while you’re at it.”

“I know what
it is. It’s you who should be looking it up. Now get the hell out of my bedroom!”

He
shot her a furious glare before spinning around and slamming the door shut. Alex stared at the door, still vibrating from the sudden slam, and wished she’d shut her mouth. Her quick temper had talked her out of a night of mind-blowing sex, and now she was left with nothing apart from a long, boring night, and Roger. Then she thought of Solomon, and decided it wasn’t even worth pulling Roger out of the box. He would never measure up again.
Maybe I’ll take a cool bath instead
, she thought, anything to freeze the blistering craving.

After the bath,
Alex felt less stressed but still bothered by the unsatisfied ache between her legs. If she was going to have to do without Solomon, she decided that she’d better spring for rechargeable batteries.

After r
ubbing her hair dry, she dropped the towel on top of the growing pile and strolled down the landing towards her bedroom.

* * *

Solomon slammed the door to his own house, cursing her. He decided to leave Brindley Bay by morning. It had all been one big mistake. He’d dreamed of a luscious bed partner, not a red-haired shrew. In an angry huff, he stormed upstairs for yet another cold shower.

He cursed her temper, cursed his own
quick anger, and then cursed his dick for leading him into this situation in the first place.

Later, in the night,
Solomon glanced through the window at the light from across the way and saw that no curtains obscured his vision. Suddenly pausing, he sucked in his breath and stared as she walked towards him. She was naked, but not like last night. Now her huge breasts bounced with each step she took. Her nipples were such a dark chocolate brown he could almost taste them, sweet and succulent. Licking his lips in anticipation, he let his gaze drop over her tiny waist and flat stomach, flicking to the thatch of hair at the apex of her thighs. Taking in her slender legs, which fit perfectly around his waist, he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

A
t least not yet.

Damn it
 … only a dream! He lay on his back in the dark, one arm thrown across his eyes. His thoughts refused to move on from Alex. The way she’d looked, innocent yet sexy. He wanted her so badly it hurt. Today had been just a teaser, a sample of what she was prepared to give.

He thought about their friends with benefits
agreement and was still shell-shocked that she had the same aversion to relationships as him. She was the first female he’d come across who didn’t want to shackle him.

His thoughts turned to the scene in the library and
experienced an almost primal surge of anger and protectiveness. Hell, he’d wanted to smack that bastard out, and he worried about his reaction to her. This possessiveness, it was so not him.

* * *

Alex was relieved it was the weekend. She could luxuriate in her favourite hobby—sleeping. Except today she couldn’t. Tossing and turning, she couldn’t block out the vision of Sol’s handsome face, which continued to swim in front of her. Unable to get him out of her mind, she rose and stretched. It was another beautiful day. She stood at the window and gazed out over the glittering sea, shimmering in the morning light, and decided to head for the beach.

Today will be used for some much-needed ‘me time,’
she thought and dug through the piles for her bikini. Half an hour later, after muttering a stream of obscenities, she found it. Briefly, she thought,
Maybe I should tidy up?
But instead she left the house to answer the call of the sea.

Solomon saw her
leave. He’d been up for hours. Although he had always been an early riser, he was never awake at this early hour. Without hesitation, he followed in her footsteps.

Alex
made a straight path to the beach, heading away from the main stretch. She followed a well-worn walkway—a hardened dirt track—her feet padding across the dry powdery earth. Small sprigs of gorse struggling to survive scratched at her bare legs. She needed to immerse her body and drown her feelings in sea water. She wanted to savour the coldness of the water, to quench the fire that smouldered deep inside.

At last
she reached her destination. Pulling the short white summer dress she wore over her head and dropping it to the sand, she slipped off her sandals and ambled into the rolling surf. Crashing into the beach, its foam and froth gathered in the niches of sand, wavering and shimmering.

For a moment she stood and surveyed the surge of power from the ocean.
The waves sprang and lunged in a filter of white spray over a backdrop of blue. It made her feel alive, every vibrant splash of salty air that raced through her nostrils. It was what had driven her to the small cove along with the affordable rent. It was her utopia, this regular, isolated village. It gave her everything she required, except sex.