Never Forget (Memories #1)(39)
Author: Emma Hart

She can’t comprehend how much I want her. Hell, not even I can make sense of it. I just know that I do. Bad.

~

ALEXIS

”If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” I tilt my head to the side and look up at Alec.

”Australia,” he replies.

”For the surfing?”

”Nope,” he rolls his head and his eyes meet mine. ”I’d take you with me, and we’d go diving in the Great Barrier Reef.”

I grin. ”Well, if you ever get the money for that, let me know.”

”Oh, I will.” He laughs. ”Maybe one day I’ll take you.”

”One day as in the next four weeks?”

He stops laughing. ”This doesn’t have to end just because you’re going back to London, Princess.”

I sigh and watch seagulls pick at the sand. ”I just don’t see how it will work.”

”Is that what you want?” He puts a hand on my cheek and turns my face. ”For this to end when you go back to London?”

”No,” I say quietly. ”It’s not what I want, Alec, at all. I just don’t..”

”Don’t think about it.” His thumb strokes my cheek. ”Four weeks is a long time. We don’t have to worry about that yet. Let’s just enjoy the time we do have together right now, okay?”

I swallow the lump that formed in my throat at the thought of leaving him. I nod my head slowly and rest it on his shoulder. He pulls me closer to him and strokes my hair.

”Don’t be sad, baby,” he says softly. ”We’ll work it out, I promise.”

I nod again.

A month ago this was the last place I wanted to be, Alec was the last guy I wanted to be with.

Now? Now, Lilac Bay is the only place I wanna be, and Alec is the only guy I wanna be with.

”Where would you go?” he asks me suddenly.

”What?”

”If you could go anywhere, where would you go?”

”Hmmh” I think for a second. ”Hawaii.”

”Hawaii?” Alec shifts so I can see his face. ”Why Hawaii?”

”I’d take you with me. You could surf and while you’re doing that I could check out all the other surfers.” I shrug and grin playfully.

”Hey!” He flips me so I’m lying on my back. ”The only surfer you’re gonna be ogling is me, Princess.”

”Is that so?” I raise my eyebrows in challenge.

”Damn right,” he growls.

I see two figures approaching over his shoulder and smooth out my expression.

”What about if I ogled Carl?” I ask innocently.

Carl snorts behind him and Jen laughs loudly.

”Honey, be my guest. I ogle your guy all the time and I ain’t ashamed of it!” she calls.

Alec drops his forehead to my shoulder and shakes with laughter. I cover my mouth to hold in my giggles.

”Ahem,” Carl coughs. Jen looks over at him warily.

”Hey, baby. You look good today,” she tries with a wink.

”Jennifer.”

”Uh oh.” Jen stops and her eyes widen. ”I’m in trouble.”

”Do you wanna repeat that?” Carl offers.

”I’m in trouble?” Jen repeats.

”No. What you said about ogling my best friend?” He raises his eyebrows.

”Um, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and vote for ‘no’?”

Carl stalks towards her and she holds her hands out.

”Wrong answer, huh?” she quips.

”Right answer.” He shakes his head and grabs her waist, pulling her against him. ”I just plan on reminding you exactly why I’m the one you should be ogling, girl.”

He cups the back of her head and kisses her. I see Jen double take before she wraps her arms around his neck.

”Yeah,” Alec coughs. ”That’ll do it.”

I look at him. ”If not, she’s got a problem.”

”We all know Jen has problems.”

”Excuse me!” She pulls back from Carl and skips over to us.

”You’re excused,” Alec smirks.

Jen taps his shoulder. ”You can get off her now, you know. She’s not gonna run away, more fool her.”

Alec laughs and rolls over, propping himself up on his elbow.

”Maybe, maybe not.” I shrug. ”I’m still deciding.”

”Oi,” Alec pokes my side and I squirm.

”No poking.” I jab him back.

He looks up at Carl with a puzzled expression. ”She says ‘no poking’, yet she pokes me?”

Carl shrugs. ”Don’t ask me, mate. I’m still trying to figure out the female species.”

Jen frowns. ”Species?”

”It’s because you’re superior, baby. Us lowly males won’t ever be able to understand you.” Carl kisses her hand.

”That’s just a roundabout way of calling us complicated bitches.”

”See?” Carl looks back at Alec. ”How she got that from what I said I’ll never know.”

”It’s because that’s what you meant.” I shrug.

”Maybe, but how did you get that from it?”

”It’s not what you say, Carl, it’s what you don’t say.” I explain.

”And being the superior race, we can sense what it is you don’t say.” Jen pokes Carl.

”Okay, baby,” Carl agrees.

Jen narrows her eyes and I catch Alec’s eye. He raises an eyebrow and smirks.

I smile at him. He links our fingers on my stomach and his thumb strokes the back of my hand.

”They’re lost in Lexy-Alec land again,” Jen sighs.

I smile over at her, amused, and Alec shifts closer to me. His body presses against my side and I automatically tilt towards him.

He’s like a magnet – one I’m incapable of resisting, a pull I’m unable to fight.

His hand runs through my hair and he presses his lips to my forehead gently.

I bite the inside of my cheek, holding back what I want to say. The words stick in my throat and I turn my head towards him.

Actions speak louder than words.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ALEXIS

”See him?” Alec points over my shoulder. ”That’s Benny Hansen. He’s won four years in a row. Owns the farm just outside the Bay.”

”Right.” I look at the beefy guy with a red face. ”And he’ll win this year?”

”Maybe.” Alec shrugs one shoulder and leans back against his car. ”It’s hit and miss, but it’s likely.”

”You say it like it’s so serious.”

He turns raised eyebrows on me. ”Princess, this is serious in the Bay. You either got it or you don’t, and if you got it, this is the day to prove it. Look around, it’s not even ten yet and the place is packed.”

”Precisely, it’s not even ten yet.” I lean back next to him with a huff. ”So I have no idea why I’m here. I’m not even local.”

”You’re here because besides your brother, you’re the only person that isn’t local.” Alec laughs, wrapping an arm around my waist. ”You’re local by blood, little city girl.”

I wrinkle my nose up and look up at him. ”I wore wellies yesterday. I think we can say I’m a country girl. At least, a bit of me is.”

Alec screws his mouth up to the side. ”Is it wrong if I admit I find you in wellies kinda sexy?”

”Uhh..” I giggle. ”Yeah, yeah it is.”

”Hmph,” he smirks. ”Well, it is sexy. Wrong or not, I can’t lie.”

”I was digging up weeds!”