by Fay Keenan
‘Do I look like you’re rushing me?’ Sophie replied, knowing her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. ‘I want to feel you… all of you.’
Alex didn’t need asking twice. Shifting on the bed to unbuckle his belt, he threw off his jeans, giving Sophie time to do the same. The yurt was still pleasantly warm after the strong sunshine of the day, so she threw back the feather eiderdown and the sheet. She was still clad in her bra and knickers, as Alex joined her, down to his own boxer shorts now; the crackle of electricity between them as their near naked bodies touched sent her senses reeling.
‘Oh, God,’ Alex groaned. ‘I’ve wanted to do this pretty much since the moment I met you.’
‘Would have been a bit awkward,’ Sophie murmured, remembering with amusement their first meeting in the vat room at Carter’s. ‘You’d probably have been fired before you even started!’
Alex smiled. ‘It’s true, though.’ He ran a hand down her side, caressing the dip of her waist and then gliding sideways to the front of her knickers. Slipping past the elastic, his fingers began to caress and stroke, until Sophie was tingling, warm and soaking wet to his touch. Managing, somehow, to wriggle out of her knickers, she parted her thighs and gasped as his warm fingers slid inside her.
‘Does that feel good?’ he murmured into her ear, sending throbs through her body that centred at her core. Stroking and caressing with a pleasurably relentless rhythm, his touch sent tingles of pleasure shivering through her, and Sophie moved against his hand with her own desperate desire for more.
‘Oh, God yes,’ she whispered breathlessly, feeling the encroaching lapping of an imminent orgasm. She grew rigid beneath his touch, her breath coming in short gasps as the wave broke and she came.
Alex reared up on one elbow and looked down at her. ‘You look like you needed that.’
‘So much,’ Sophie murmured, feeling ridiculously relaxed. ‘But what I really need is to feel you inside me.’ She trailed a hand downwards and slipped it inside the cotton jersey of Alex’s boxer shorts, encountering a very aroused Alex. As she began to stroke and caress him, he sank back against the pillows once more, surrendering to her touch.
‘Oh,’ he breathed, although this time his voice was husky with barely suppressed desire. ‘You feel so good.’ His hips jerked upwards as she increased the pressure of her touch and she could feel how close to the edge he was. Sliding down the bed, she guided him out of his boxer shorts until he was fully naked beneath her. His cock, standing proud, looked incredibly inviting.
Thanking her lucky stars that she still kept a condom in her purse, more from habit than expectation, Sophie leaned down and grabbed it out of her holdall. Alex glanced at her. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked gently, one last time. Then, grinning, he pulled her back up the bed so they were face to face.
‘More than I’ve ever been,’ Sophie replied. ‘And are you sure?’
‘Oh, yeah.’
Sophie again found herself underneath Alex as he parted her thighs and then slid into her. His length and hardness felt so good. She drew in a deep breath as he started to move, slowly at first, but then a series of deep thrusts that guided her, once again, towards her own climax, pressing, as she was, against him. As she felt the throb and beat of a second orgasm engulf her, she felt his shift in position as he came, and saw the look of naked honesty in his eyes as he tipped over the edge.
Breathing heavily, he collapsed, still inside her.
‘You feel so good,’ he said, raising his head to look her in the eye.
‘You too,’ Sophie replied. Sharing one last conjoined kiss, Alex slid carefully out of her. Then, he lay back beside her and she curled into his chest, feeling sated and at peace in his arms.
24
It was around four o’clock the next morning when Sophie woke. The morning sun was on the rise, the solar lights dimmed from the night before. They had slept in a tangle of limbs, one of Sophie’s legs looped around Alex’s as they’d slept. She should have had the beginnings of a hangover, but she felt strangely calm and very, very good as she stared up at the dome of the yurt. Sleeping with Alex had felt so absolutely right; like being with no one else ever had.
Waking gradually, she took a moment to realise she was alone in the bed. There was a slight chill in the early morning air, and as she came more fully to consciousness, she realised that the fabric doors of the yurt were slightly ajar. Swinging her legs over the bed, she pulled on her T-shirt and wandered over to the entrance. As she poked her head out, she saw Alex sitting in one of the chairs that he’d pulled out of the yurt. He was dressed in his T-shirt and boxer shorts, and his face was turned towards the rising sun.
‘Hey,’ Sophie whispered softly, approaching him over the dew covered grass.
‘Hey,’ Alex replied. ‘I didn’t wake you, did I?’
Sophie shook her head. ‘The light did that. And I need to, er, pop to the loo.’ There was a Portaloo behind the tents, although they’d have to trek a little further towards the show ground if they wanted to visit the shower block.
‘I couldn’t sleep once the sun started to rise. Thought I’d spend a little time watching it before the day starts properly.’ Alex smiled.
‘I might join you when I get back.’ When she’d done the necessary, she headed back to where Alex was still sitting. He looked more peaceful than she’d ever seen him; she hoped it was her influence.
Sophie pulled up the other picnic chair and flumped down into it. The silence between them extended for a moment or two, but it was a comfortable one. The sun was gradually rising, casting the sky with a warm pink glow, and bringing even more warmth to Alex’s eyes as he turned towards Sophie. ‘Come here,’ he said softly. He reached out a hand and pulled her to her feet, before dragging her back down onto his lap. Capturing her mouth in a kiss, he brought a hand up to her face, deepening the kiss with a sudden intensity that surprised Sophie. Luxuriating in the moment for a few seconds longer, she eventually broke away.
‘Wow,’ she said softly. ‘We ought to wake up like this more often.’
‘Must be the fresh air,’ Alex said, a husky note in his voice. Then, his expression became more serious.
‘What is it?’ Sophie asked, sensing his abrupt change of mood.
‘I want you to know… last night. It was special. Amazing.’ He paused, and Sophie couldn’t tell if it was the rose pink glow of the morning sun or if Alex was blushing. ‘Since Mom died, I feel like I’ve been in a kind of stasis… and last night I felt as though I’d finally broken out of that.’ Seeing Sophie’s expression, he hurriedly added, ‘But I don’t want to put any pressure on you, Sophie. I’m going home at the end of September.’
Sophie was stunned at how desolate she felt when Alex said it out loud. Of course, she’d known all along that his internship was only for four months, but somehow, since they’d started seeing each other, she’d managed to block it from her mind. Of course he would be going back to Vancouver; the question was, what did that mean for her?
Raising a hand to Alex’s face, she felt the prickle of his dark stubble under her palm, and her fingers tingled at the sense memory of his kiss. ‘I know what you mean,’ she said. ‘Since Mark and I… well, I’ve not felt like I can get close to anyone. And then you came along and suddenly here we are, sharing a bed in a yurt.’ She laughed. ‘And to think I was worried about that, this time yesterday.’
‘But what about tomorrow, and next week, and when I have to go?’ Alex said. ‘Sophie, I need you to know that whatever happens over the next few weeks, you mean a lot to me.’
Sophie laughed again nervously. ‘You sound very fatalistic. What do you think is going to happen?’
Alex shook his head. ‘Nothing,’ he said quickly. ‘But you know… sometimes things don’t exactly turn out the way we expect. I never thought, in a million years, that I’d find you.’ He pulled her close.
When they broke apart again, Sophie glanced at her watch, which she’d forgotten to take off before bed.
‘We should get going. We’ve got another busy day selling today, and if it’s anything like yesterday, we’re going to be rushed off our feet.’
Alex nodded. ‘I’m going to head over to the shower. Unless you’d like to go first?’
‘No, you go first,’ Sophie replied. ‘To be honest, I wouldn’t mind another half an hour in bed before we get set up for the day.’
‘Fair enough. And at least, at five a.m., the showers aren’t likely to be busy!’
‘Don’t you believe it!’ Sophie said. ‘Some of these farm boys won’t have been to bed at all – they’re likely just to take a cold shower and keep selling!’
Alex laughed. ‘I’ll bear that in mind!’ Pausing to grab his towel and washbag out of the yurt, he loped off in the direction of the shower block. Sophie watched him leave with a mixture of lust and curiosity. Those long, slightly bowed legs were a sight to behold, but something nagged at her brain. What had Alex meant when he’d said ‘whatever happens over the next few weeks’? She couldn’t help wondering if there was something he was hiding, and she couldn’t help worrying that, whatever it was, it might end up hurting her. She’d made herself vulnerable to him; not just last night but from the moment they’d really started to connect. Was he just going to walk out of her life at the end of the summer, leaving her with nothing but a few good memories and a bruised heart?
25
Bored of spending her free time moping, or reading yet more worthy texts from her book list for September, Meredith decided on Thursday evening that it was time to get out of the house for a more sociable reason than work. Not quite yet ready for a full on night out, she texted her best school friend, Rosie, to see if she fancied a drink or two in The Stationmaster. Rosie seemed just as keen to catch up, so, slinging on a clean T-shirt and running a brush through her long dark hair, Meredith headed out.
‘I won’t be late,’ she called to Anna as she passed her in the hall. ‘I’m just going to meet Rosie for a couple of drinks.’
‘Have you had something to eat?’ Anna looked concerned.
‘I’m not really that hungry, but if I do get peckish I’ll grab something at the pub,’ Meredith replied. She knew Anna was worried about her, and wanted to make sure she didn’t make herself ill.
Hurrying down to the pub, she walked through the door and scanned the room for Rosie, who, it appeared, hadn’t yet arrived. Most people were sitting out in the beer garden, taking shelter from the still strong sun underneath the parasols and sipping cool pints of cider. As she headed over to the bar, however, she saw, with the exception of Flynn, the last person she wanted to bump into. Chatting to one of the bar staff as he waited for the rest of his drinks order, still in his green work polo shirt and jeans having come straight to the pub from a job, was Joe Flanagan.
Cursing inwardly, Meredith realised it was too late to change direction and go to the other end of the bar without looking like a total muppet. Especially when the bartender caught her eye and gestured that he’d take her drinks order next. She took a deep breath and, deciding to just ignore him, went up to the bar.
‘All right?’ Joe said as the bartender returned with the two other pints he’d ordered.
Meredith looked straight ahead, determined not to engage with him. She didn’t feel like another argument tonight.
Obviously taken aback by her silence, Joe tried again. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost it with you the other day. It’s all in the past.’ Joe gestured to his pint glass. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’
Meredith dithered for a moment, but she’d never been a spiteful person, and she was disarmed by Joe’s apology. He was right; he shouldn’t have started the fight, but perhaps he had good reason. She looked round, and into Joe’s clear blue eyes, so much calmer than they had been back in the orchard last week. He was smiling nervously, clearly waiting for a response.
‘OK, thanks. Apology accepted.’ She smiled. ‘And I’m sorry, too. I had no idea all that had gone on. Perhaps you never know someone as well as you think you do.’ As the bartender approached, she added, ‘I’ll have a pint of Caffrey’s, please.’
Joe raised an eyebrow. ‘Odd choice of drink for a summer’s evening.’
Meredith laughed. ‘I’ve been drinking a lot of it lately. It’s useful in the northern winters to keep out the cold, and I’ve got a bit of a taste for it.’
When the bartender had poured their drinks, there was a slightly awkward silence. Joe, eventually, broke it. ‘Um, I’m meeting some mates here. You’re welcome to join us if you want.’
Meredith smiled. ‘Thanks, but I’m also, er, meeting a friend. Rosie’s just texted me to say she’s running a bit late, as usual, so I’m just going to grab a table until she gets here. Thanks for the offer, though.’
‘No worries. I’ll see you around.’
‘Yeah. See you.’
They went their separate ways, Joe to a table at the back of the pub where two lads were already seated, and Meredith to the table nearest the window, where she could keep an eye out for Rosie. It was a warm evening, and the breeze drifting in from the doorway was welcome. Meredith watched as Joe took a seat, and felt her cheeks growing red as one of the guys at Joe’s table gestured in her direction. She saw Joe shake his head and mutter something she couldn’t make out before he sat down. Probably telling his mates what a snob I am, she thought bitterly, before castigating herself for the thought. Joe had just apologised to her, and he was her dad’s best friend’s son, after all. OK, so they hadn’t spent a lot of time together as teenagers, but she remembered playing together when they were kids. She owed him better thoughts than that.
Just as she was contemplating this, Rosie came barrelling through the front door of the pub and straight up to her table.
‘Soz!’ Rosie panted. ‘We got caught in traffic on the way home from Bristol – some crash by the airport – and I needed to get out of my work clothes.’ Rosie was working at a branch of Costa Coffee for the university vacation, which alternately left her knackered and wired, depending on how much of the product she’d had herself that day.
‘No worries.’ Meredith sipped her pint.
‘Got one in already, I see,’ Rosie observed, gesturing to the Caffrey’s.
‘Didn’t mean to,’ Meredith replied. ‘Joe Flanagan bought me a drink.’
‘Really?’ Rosie arched a speculative eyebrow.
‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Meredith replied. ‘It was an apology.’
‘And what would Joe Flanagan have done to have to apologise?’ Rosie smirked.
Meredith flushed. ‘It’s ancient history.’
‘Really?’
‘Really. Joe’s a nice bloke, that’s all.’
‘You know what they say, Merry – the best way to get over someone, and all that.’ Rosie was staring appreciatively at Joe and his group of mates. ‘Maybe it’s just boredom, being back home for the summer, but perhaps there are some good reasons to hang out in the village.’
‘I think I can do without finding out, thanks,’ Meredith muttered, staring down into her pint, which was the same colour as Joe Flanagan’s hair. ‘Joe’s not my type.’
‘Yeah, well, perhaps you should start looking at something other than musical geeks, if Flynn was anything to go by,’ Rosie replied. ‘Joe certainly looks like he’d be a bit of fun.’
‘Hadn’t you better go and get a drink?’ Meredith said, taking a huge gulp of her pint. ‘And while you’re there, get another one in for me, too.’ It was going to be a long night if Rosie was going to insist on trying to suss out who the fittest blokes in the village were, and Meredith was definitely not in the mood for that. She was still hurt over the break-up with Flynn; the last thing she needed was to start thinking about going out with someone else.
Rosie was still staring at Joe and his mates, who had moved back to the bar. She turned to Meredith with a broad smile. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Meredith tried not to watch, but she found her eyes drawn back
to the bar as Rosie, tall, blonde, confident Rosie, immediately attracted the attention of Joe and his friends. Within seconds, she was chatting to them, smiling brightly and nodding. Meredith felt a slight sting as Joe started chatting to her. She was mollified when he glanced in her direction again and smiled. After all, Joe could talk to Rosie if he wanted, couldn’t he? Just as Rosie could talk to Joe. Deciding that she was in no way ready to trust her emotions at the moment, she dug out her phone and was, yet again, disappointed to see no message from Flynn. He hadn’t contacted her since the break-up. She was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt as much as she’d thought it would.
26
After Sophie and Alex had had a busy Thursday selling and demonstrating at the Royal West Country Show, Jonathan Carter arrived at the concession on Friday afternoon, which allowed them a couple of hours off to explore the rest of the show themselves. As they wandered around hand in hand, taking in the assorted sights of country wear concessions, vendors of local produce including the much lauded Yeo Valley ice cream and yogurt and assorted stalls from garden furniture to equestrian supplies, Sophie found herself relaxing into the atmosphere. She’d not visited the show for a few years, and she was enjoying getting re-acquainted with everything that it had to offer.
‘This is all pretty neat,’ Alex said as they reached the main arena where the police horses were limbering up waiting to do their display. ‘Those guys remind me of the mounted police back home.’
‘Do the Mounties still ride horses?’ Sophie laughed. ‘I mean, I remember Mum being addicted to this TV show when I was a kid that had a Mountie as its main character, but I kind of assumed they were more for ceremony than anything else.’
‘Of course,’ Alex replied. ‘Although that’s not their only means of transport these days.’ Grinning, he whispered in her ear. ‘Are you telling me you’ve got a fetish for a red uniform?’
