Whirl (6 page)

My God, take me somewhere, please...

I'm aroused beyond words, and so very hot I can almost feel steam coming off of me. I grab at his short hair roughly and kiss him back with a wild ferocity I didn't know I possessed. I want him so much I'm shocked at myself. He pulls away abruptly and I remain suspended, mid table, holding my breath, in a state of mind blown oral ecstasy. I stare at him, every part of me tingling and alive, full of need... I'm dying for more, so much more.  More of that, and everything else he has to offer.

That was way too sexually heated for public display...
I sit back and look around the restaurant with a surge of embarrassment, a blush sweeping up my cheeks.

“
Lex, you're waiting a few days. Understood?”

I hear myself saying, “Okay,” agreeing meekly, and he sits back crossing his arms, a victorious grin appearing on his face.

“I'll be in touch, when I'm ready.”

I don't want to be a relationship wrecker. He doesn't have to break up with her. But it appears he does have a need to be with me, so that's a choice he has to make. I can feel the pull between us. He feels it too. He wants me badly and I want him with a strength of passion I've never experienced before.

That kiss was so hot. It touched every single part of me.
I'm burning up with desire from my head to my toes.

I somehow manage to eat my food when it arrives, but it tastes like cardboard. My appetite has disappeared completely. I don't want food. I only want him. His soft mouth. His hot tongue. His rough chin scratching at mine.

We make some conversation but our minds are obviously elsewhere. I talk for a while about my job and my friends. He asks me some questions but tells me very little about himself in return. He's an only child of a single mother, and he's twenty seven, that's all I get in the way of personal details.

We leave the restaurant and drive to Toni's. He's being very proper and polite. He sees me to the door, drops a quick kiss on my cheek and he's off, back down the path and gone. I watch him drive away and then I let myself in with the spare key I've been given and wander around. The house is empty. Not even Joey the cat is around to welcome me. I put some music on for some background noise and sing to myself, sitting down and having a cheering blast for a half hour.

I'm now playing the dreadful waiting game. I don't intend to stay in twiddling my thumbs though. It's my vacation. I'm going to go out and have fun, Alex or no Alex. I know he wants me, but I can afford to enjoy myself a little while I wait.

I decide to phone Kelly and let her know about my very interesting day. I fancy a good long chat, despite the cost of transatlantic calls. She's a night owl, up till two or three sometimes. Evenings and nights are when her creative juices are the most shaken and stirred.

She answers straight away.

“
How's it going? Having a good time in the sunny 'ole US of A?”

“
Great. I went up in a helicopter a few hours ago.”

“
Really?”

“
Yeah, Bren arranged it for me on base.”

“
Cool. How was it?”

“
Simply brilliant. Scary, exciting, nauseatingly fast... The pilot's hotter than hot too.”

“
Oh?”

“
I think I'm about to have my first fling. We had a wild kiss today. Oh my God, Kel... I melted like an ice cube in a furnace.”

“
Well you didn't waste any time getting some Californication, did you?”

“
It was instant attraction. I couldn't help myself.”

“
So, what's he like?”

“
I'll send you some piccies. Tall, dark and completely edible.”

“
What's his name?”

“
Captain
Alex Jackson.”

“
Mmmm lovely, and he's another Alex? Now that's quite amusing.”

“
It's okay, I'm Lex over here, so we can get by without confusion. What are you up to anyway?”

“
Ah well... I'm doing something new. I've entered another phase.”

“
Tell me...” I'm all ears. I simply love Kelly's paintings.

“
It's my modern expressionist phase. I've just started my first painting today. It's a small blue child kissing a white python in a field of purple and red opium poppies. I'm calling it Purity and Vice. It's my interpretation of temptation and the ruining of innocence in the drug world.”

“
Wow, that's deep.”

“
I'm doing more with people and animals this time instead of focusing on still life and scenic themes. Expressing strength of emotion and the living state of mind.”

“
Kel you are so full of artistic mumbo jumbo.” I'm trying to be polite...

“
I know. But it keeps me sane. Look I gotta go, my paint's drying and I need to work it fast or I'll lose the texture. Send me those pics. I'm dying to see Mr Top Gun of the chopper world.”

“
Will do, we'll talk in a few days then, bye.” I click end call, and then find the best three photos I have of Mr Chopper Top Gun and send them to her. I look at them all again, smiling to myself.
You are one mysterious hot guy Alex. Hurry up with whatever you're doing...

Later that day, when Toni gets back from work and Brendan reappears from the supermarket, I suggest we could go out again that evening, for just a couple of drinks. Toni looks tired and pale and I can see she isn't keen. Bren offers to take me himself.

“Sure, I always fancy a beer. Let's go at 8, Sam and Ross should be around. They always are. How did it go today?”

“
It was absolutely stunning. The scenery, the exhilaration, the effects on my stomach.”

“
Yeah, I remember that well. Did you chuck it?”

“
No, I kept things down, but it was a close call once or twice.”

“
What about lunch, where did he take you?”

“
What's all this about lunch” Toni asks, butting in curiously.

“
Alex took me to Benji's.”

“
Did he now? And...” She prompts further.

“
And what?”

“
Did you get friendly?”

“
A little, let's just say the ice has thawed. Completely.”

“
I'll leave you girls to discuss that alone.” Bren disappears upstairs.

“
So...”

“
Don't get all excited on me. It was just a hot kiss. He's got a girlfriend already. He needs to sort things out during the next few days.”

“
Sort what? You're going home in three and a half weeks. He can't be starting a proper relationship with you, can he?”

“
He's a 'one woman at a time' man, apparently.”

“
How sweet. I would never have thought it. I always imagined him to be a bit of a rake, you know, having a few on the go at once.  And poor old Mariel, fitting in between his real girlfriends. I feel quite sorry for her now, that's probably the reason why she's so damn miserable all the time.”

“
She might have the last laugh. Who knows? Can I help with dinner?” We team up in the kitchen making our supper.

* * *

I follow Brendan into 1950. I buy our drinks and have a look around as we stand at the bar. No sign of the cheery barmaid tonight. But Sam and Ross are here, over the far side playing darts. It's the first time I've seem them out of uniform. We amble over for a chat.

“
Lex, long time no see sweetheart, how was your day?” Sam sidles up to me for another overly long hug and a flirt.

“
Fine and yours?”

“
All the better for seeing you. Twice in one day, lucky me.” I can't help it, but I'm enjoying his flirting a lot. It's doing wonders for my ego. Sam has a lot of appeal; a cheeky fun personality, he's a big guy, his hazel eyes are beautiful and he smells so gorgeous all the time.
Mmmm, lovely, lickable.
My hormones must be going haywire or something. I'm not usually this man mad.

“
How about a game of pool, honey?” He whispers in my ear.

“
I'm pretty hopeless, but okay, why not?” He takes my hand and leads me off to one of the pool tables.

We begin our game, Sam reminding me how to play, because to be honest I don't have a clue. I've only ever played snooker before, once, about three years ago. I can't even cue the ball properly and I have to have close up instruction. Not that I'm complaining, having such a handsome and attentive instructor is a very pleasant way to spend my time. I finish my wine and he buys me another. We finally complete my first ever game of pool after a lot of hysterical laughter at my hopeless technique and take our drinks outside for a breath of air in the courtyard garden. It's a pretty area, full of coloured table lamps, cute twinkling string lights hanging all over the trees, screens and fences, and awash with flowers everywhere. We sit facing each other astride a backless bench at the far end, well away from the two other people outside, sipping our drinks. I smile at him a little too flirtatiously.
Cool it girl. Keep it friendly.

“
What are you up to tomorrow? It's my first day off in ages. We could go to the beach, catch some surf and sun?” To be honest, I'd like to go, if surf and sun is all it was, but I know he's thinking along other lines. This situation has the potential to get messy. Flirting is one thing, a date is quite another.

“
I don't think so Sam, no.” I try to put him off politely. I'm far too into Alex to start anything with Sam.

“
Oh come on. It'll be fun. I can pick you up on my bike.” He picks up my hand and squeezes it gently.

I'm taken by surprise. He swoops in with a soft smoochy kiss. The wine, his masculine scent and his kiss all conspire to give me a mad rush, a heated whoosh, a wild sexy buzz and I lose my sense of decorum for a moment.

“Lex baby....” He murmurs, taking a deep breath, pulling me towards him. He winds his strong arms around me, lifting me up on his lap and in seconds he's kissing me, much too passionately and deeply, his tongue lapping at mine. His fingers are suddenly in my hair, and then around the back of my ears, it's getting heated...

What the fuck am I doing? No! I shouldn't be out here, doing this. It's wrong.

I don't want him and I'm leading him on big time.

I pull back sharply, sliding off him and sitting back down on the bench, breathing heavily. I'm feeling bad about it all. I've been giving him the come on all the time and this is the result.

“I'd better go,” I whisper.

“
Hey it's okay. It's fine. I can wait a while.”  He leans forward and twirls my hair 'round and around his hand.

My God, what have I got myself into? How do I back out of this?

“I think we should go inside now.” I need to get away.

“
I'm happy to sit here and talk to you.” His lovely face looks at me earnestly.

“
No, I'm going back to Brendan.” I get up and he follows suit.

He drapes his arm casually around my shoulders as we walk inside, through the games area. He leads me back to the bar and orders a round of drinks for us all. While we wait he pulls me closer and nuzzles my neck and then tongue kisses my ear. I try to move away, to put some distance between us without offending him. I need to stop all this pretty quick. I'm going to have to tell him no somehow. I suddenly turn icy cold when I see who is now standing next to us. His blue eyes are simply furious.

“Excuse me Corporal Chase, I need a quick word with Lex.” The next second he has taken my hand and drags me away, outside to the parking lot, where he turns to face me in a rage.

“
What the fuck are you doing? Working your way through the whole ground crew in one day?”

“
No, he was the one being over friendly.”

“
And you let him. I didn't realise you were such a slut.” I lose it and slap his face hard. He looks even more furious.

“
No one has
ever
called me that before.” I hiss at him, angry, shocked and upset.

“
Well there's a first time for everything.” I go to slap him again, but he grabs my arm mid-air.

My eyes sting with tears. I'm humiliated and embarrassed and don't know what to do to make things right. 

“So what if I had a friendly hug with Sam? Why does that make me a slut?” I definitely had a moment of mad sluttiness tonight. I shouldn't have gone into the garden with him. That was a bad move.

“
He had his tongue in your ear Lex. How much friendlier were you prepared to let it get?”

“
I was actually trying to cool him off. I didn't want to upset him.”