by Kate Harre
‘This is the bit that sucks about making a reappearance… especially now that I have a conscience.’ He grimaced, but squared his shoulders and turned.
Laney didn’t wait for him to come to her. She marched over, bristling with indignation, and glared resentfully at Annie. Alex’s arm shot protectively around Annie’s waist, clamping her to his side.
‘Hello, Laney.’
‘Where the hell have you been, Alex?’ Laney demanded aggressively, her body trembling with rage. ‘You disappeared without even calling me.’
‘I’m sorry. I had to… get away from everything.’
‘Including me?’ Laney screeched.
‘I’m sorry,’ Alex repeated, because there was nothing else he could say. He’d treated her abysmally and there was no excuse for that.
‘And now you’re with her? Doing all the things you’d never do with me!’ Her lip quivered. ‘You dance with her, hold her hand… you’re sweet and gentle with her. Damn it, you even sing for her. Why? Am I not pretty enough?’
Alex looked at Annie desperately, panic making his eyes a little wild. ‘It had nothing to do with you, Laney. I had to hit rock bottom to realise what a pathetic excuse for a person I’d been.’ He took a deep breath, not wanting to hurt Laney, but needing her to understand. ‘And I had to fall in love to learn how to be a proper boyfriend.’
‘You love her?’ Laney whimpered incredulously.
‘I do. Very much,’ he said with quiet pride. ‘I’m sorry I hurt you, Laney. You deserved better. And I really do hope you’ll find happiness.’
Tears welled in Laney’s eyes and she spun on her heel, dashing through the dissipating crowd. Alex’s shoulders slumped.
Annie rested her head against his arm. ‘You handled that well.’
‘Did I? It doesn’t feel like it.’
Karen came up on his other side and squeezed his hand. ‘You hurt her pride more than anything, honey. She’ll get over it. You apologised and that’s what counts.’
‘Enough of the sappiness,’ Jake growled from behind them. ‘I can’t carry all this stuff by myself.’
Alex snorted, but detached himself from the women to help Jake carry everything to the car. Karen gave her a quick hug and followed in their wake. Alex returned in minutes, picking Annie up and spinning her around. ‘Dessert is at my place. Are you ready to go?’
Annie nodded. At last they would be alone.
When they exited the restaurant, Alex tossed her the car keys. ‘Really? You’re going to let me drive the Maserati already?’
He swept open the driver’s door with a flourish. ‘Haven’t you figured out by now there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you?’
Grinning, Annie slipped behind the wheel. ‘Yes!’
She put the key in the ignition and revved the motor, barely waiting for Alex to slide into the passenger seat before taking off. The engine rumbled and Annie could feel the leashed power beneath her fingertips. She sighed. ‘It’s kind of a shame we have to drive so sedately through town.’
‘Why do you think I chose now to let you drive?’ Alex teased.
It wasn’t long before Annie was nosing the car into Alex’s garage space and regretfully shutting off the engine. Alex leaned over and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose. ‘There’ll be plenty of other opportunities, Princess.’
He led her through the house, collecting a covered tray from the kitchen along the way, and out to the secluded outdoor area. It was a mild night, perfect for stargazing. Placing the tray on a table, he pushed two reclining sun loungers together and dragged the table over beside the makeshift double lounger.
Annie sat and leaned back against the lounger with a contented sigh. Alex flopped down beside her. Whisking off the cover from the tray, he dipped a strawberry in chocolate and held it to her lips. She tried to be delicate, she really did, but the chocolate was runny and she could feel it dribbling down her chin. Alex leaned forward and followed the path of the chocolate with his tongue, starting at the bottom of her chin and ending at her lips. He kissed her, the taste of chocolate and strawberry mingling in their mouths.
Groaning, his hand speared into her hair and he pulled her head closer to his, as he deepened the kiss. Annie kissed him back, devouring his mouth enthusiastically. She felt like she’d been waiting for this moment since they’d first shared their love with each other the night before. Her hand cupped his cheek as she wiggled closer on the lounger, pressing her body against his.
She gasped when he wrapped his arm around her waist, rolled so he was lying on his back and lifted her on top of him, holding her pressed against him so every part of her was touching him. Her eyes fluttered closed. It felt incredible… until he toppled her gently off and abruptly sat up.
‘What…?’ She mumbled.
‘Too many clothes – I feel too restricted,’ he muttered. He shed his suit jacket at record speed, tugged off his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. Shoes and socks came next. Catching on, Annie quickly kicked off her own shoes. Alex lay back down, reached over and lifted her back in place. ‘That’s better.’
She looked down at him, at his ridiculously good-looking face, and smiled. ‘Sometimes I can’t believe this is real.’
Both his hands threaded into the hair at the side of her head. ‘I know exactly what you mean.’
He drew her face down to him and kissed her slowly and sensuously, his lips tracing hers, nipping along the seam, his tongue occasionally darting into her mouth for a quick taste. Until Annie couldn’t stand it any longer. With a growl, she grabbed his face and locked her mouth to his, kissing him passionately. He chuckled against her lips, amused by her impatience.
She shifted slightly, so she had better access to his chest. Her fingers moved deftly, unbuttoning his shirt until she could spread her hand across the bare expanse of his chest. His chuckle turned to a groan and one hand slid down across her back, searching restlessly. He remembered she was wearing a dress and his fingers trailed up again until he found the top of her dress, tugging on the tiny hidden zipper until her back was exposed. With a satisfied sigh, he ran his hand down the length of her silky spine. Annie shivered and moaned. She wanted him so much, couldn’t seem to get close enough.
Anchoring her hands on the lounger, she slid down his body, trailing her lips along his neck, across his shoulder and down his chest. She couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted to kiss and touch every part of him. His skin was hot beneath her lips, but so smooth.
Alex’s fists were clenching and unclenching on her back and she could feel his body tensing beneath her. His breath hissed out and in one swift, lithe move he rolled, pinning her under him. His lips captured hers hungrily and he tugged at her dress, pulling it down her shoulders and… he stopped and dropped his forehead into the curve of her neck, clutching her tightly to him. His breathing was heavy and jagged, as if he’d just run a race.
Confused, Annie buried her hands in his hair and kissed the top of his head. ‘Why are you stopping?’ she whispered.
‘I don’t want to,’ he mumbled, leaning back so he could look in her eyes. ‘I want you so badly, but I need to do things right with you, otherwise… well, I wouldn’t be able to look your Dad in the eye.’
‘What do you mean?’ Annie asked suspiciously. ‘Please tell me he hasn’t had that man to man chat with you about how fathers feel about their daughters?’
Alex nodded, his cheeks staining a faint red.
‘That is just so hypocritical,’ she groaned. ‘He’d already got Mum pregnant by the time they were our age.’
Alex shifted to the side, taking his weight off her, which Annie immediately missed. Gathering her close, he tucked her head under his chin. ‘I know. But he doesn’t want the same for you. And neither do I,’ he admitted gruffly. ‘You’re the first thing in my life I’ve got right and as much as it’s going to be a challenge, I’d really like to wait until we get married.’
Annie kissed his chest. ‘When did you get so
old-fashioned?’
‘When I learned to appreciate the value of waiting for things.’ He ran his hand down her hair in a light caress. ‘I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, because it sure as hell won’t be. But ensuring our wedding night is completely memorable will make it worth it.’
‘I guess,’ Annie said glumly. She probably should be glad Alex was “respecting” her, but right at that moment she only felt deprived.
He twisted his head down so he could see her face. ‘You’re going to have to help me, Princess, because I could happily strip you out of that gorgeous dress right now and make love to you,’ he said seriously. ‘But I know when you walk down the aisle towards me one day, I’m going to appreciate that there’s still one more thing I’ve got to look forward to with you. And it’s going to make getting you out of your wedding dress so much more exciting.’
Annie gazed at him, her heart in her eyes. ‘I can’t believe you teased me about always needing a happy ending when it’s you who is the real romantic.’
‘You bring it out in me,’ he whispered.
Epilogue
One year later
Annie crossed the university quad at a fast walk, almost breaking into a jog. Her tutorial had run over time and now she was running late. Pulling out her phone, she sent Alex a quick text to say she’d been delayed by a few minutes but wasn’t far away. Before she could tuck it back in her pocket, it rang. Tempted to ignore it, she glanced at the caller display and saw it was Chelsea.
‘Hey there, Chels. What’s been going on?’ she asked with a smile in her voice. Chelsea had enrolled in West Virginia University after high school, officially voted the party university. Annie wasn’t sure how much studying she was getting done, but she was certainly having a blast.
‘I think I’ve met The One,’ Chelsea announced in a hushed tone. ‘But I wanted to get your opinion before I commit… since I don’t have a great track record when it comes to men.’
‘Has he taken you out on a proper date?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where?’ Annie glanced right and left before quickly crossing the road.
‘To a really cute Thai restaurant and then we went to a movie – which he let me pick.’ Chelsea giggled. ‘I chose a really soppy romantic one just to see what he’d say. He was totally cool about it.’
Annie smiled. So far, so good. ‘Did he take you straight home?’
‘Uh huh and he walked me to my door, which I thought was kind of sweet.’
‘Hmmm. Well that depends what his motives were. Did he try and come in?’
‘No. He tipped my chin up, thanked me for a wonderful evening and kissed me good night. Then he left.’ Chelsea took a deep breath. ‘Is that good?’
‘Considering I’ve only ever had one boyfriend and ours was kind of a unique experience, I’m no expert. But I’d say it’s looking pretty good, Chels.’
Chelsea squealed with excitement.
Annie glanced at the note with Alex’s instructions and turned down the side street he’d named. ‘Just a couple more questions. Is he a good kisser?’
‘The best!’
Not possible, since Alex was definitely the best kisser, but Annie let it slide. ‘Now this question is important… is he good looking?’
Chelsea hesitated. ‘Most people wouldn’t think so. He’s got reddish hair and freckles and he’s a bit on the skinny side. But he has the most incredible deep blue eyes and when I look at him… well, I’m insanely attracted to him. I just want to be around him all the time and, this is kind of embarrassing, but he makes me feel all giddy.’
‘I’m liking the sound of that,’ Annie said with a grin. He sounded exactly like what she’d been hoping Chelsea would find. ‘As long as he treats you like a princess you have my tick of approval.’
‘Oh, don’t you worry.’ Annie could hear the smile in Chelsea’s voice. ‘I watched you and Alex over the summer and took mental notes. Alex is a tough act to follow, but so far Jeff’s doing pretty well.’
‘That’s great, Chels. I’m really happy for you.’ Last summer had been a difficult period for Chelsea. For weeks she had beaten herself up over Adrian, wondering if things would have been different if she’d been nicer to him or acted on her feelings for him. For quite some time she’d avoided guys altogether, no longer able to trust her judgment. Getting away to college had been the best thing for her. She’d made a new start, had the chance to heal and learn to trust again.
‘I can hear you walking. Where are you off to?’
‘It’s the one year anniversary of my first date with Alex, but I honestly can’t tell you exactly where I’m going because I don’t know. He’s left me a detailed list of directions but final destination is as yet undisclosed,’ Annie said ruefully.
Chelsea sighed. ‘I still find it hard to believe he’s the same guy who terrorised his fellow high school students. He’s so different now. Who knew love had so much power?’
Annie laughed. ‘I think you might be about to find out just how much power it has! Keep me posted.’
‘Will do. Enjoy whatever romantic thing Alex has planned for you. Love you!’
‘Love you too.’
Annie stuffed her phone in her pocket and glanced at the directions again. It looked like she was almost there – wherever there was.
Chelsea wasn’t the only one to experience change. In fact, it had been an extremely eventful year. Adrian had stood trial in Charlotte on two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. It had been a dramatic and bizarre trial. Since he hadn’t killed in human form, there had been little physical evidence to convict him on. But after having had the wolf ripped from him, Adrian had never been quite the same. To anyone who would listen, he insisted he was really a wolf and capable of shape shifting at will. In court, he’d attempted to demonstrate his ability and had collapsed to the floor in a blubbering mess when he was unsuccessful. The defence had changed their plea to insanity, which the jury promptly and with great relief seized upon. Last Annie had heard, he’d been sent to a secure psychiatric facility in South Carolina. His devastated family had made the decision to move away from Ridgeville.
Things had returned to normal in the small town… aside from the addition of a new permanent resident.
Eager to disrupt Karen’s life as little as possible, Jake had decided to make Ridgeville home. He and Karen had remarried shortly before Annie left for college in a small, intimate ceremony. They were currently travelling the world for Blizzard’s farewell tour, before making Ridgeville their home base. Jake would continue to do some production work in Los Angeles, but with a few changes to their home to incorporate a studio, he wouldn’t have to travel too often. Annie was looking forward to seeing them next month when she and Alex returned home for a visit.
It had taken some narrowing down, but Annie and Alex had settled on Baylor University in Texas. It catered for both journalism and pre-med courses and was located in a relatively small town, which made life a whole lot easier for Annie. In the past year, there had been one murder on campus. While Annie hated that she could never save the victim, in this instance she’d recognised the murderer as he’d committed the act and had been able to assist the police in his quick capture.
Sydney had been right when she’d predicted they would see each other again. Since she was based in Dallas, which wasn’t too far away, Annie had been able to regularly visit her and the two girls had formed a solid friendship.
Alex, too, had made a lot of new friends, many of whom were fellow pre-med students who were all following the same punishing academic schedule. He and Annie had also joined a running group on campus and made some friends who were doing different courses than they were. One of the things Annie liked most was to look across at Alex and see him surrounded by people, laughing and enjoying life.
Those friendships were good for another reason too. With Alex determined to go the old-fashioned route, keeping people around them stopped them from getting too carried away. Despite
his aversion to sharing a dorm room, Alex had opted to go down that path because it meant neither of them had a private room they could retreat to. They still made sure they had alone time, but with all the limitations around campus those moments were generally in the quiet sections of the library or out on the quad, once again preventing them from getting too intimate.
It was driving both of them stir crazy, but when Alex made a decision he stuck to it and Annie had promised to support him in it, so she did everything in her power not to push him to his limits of restraint… not that it was easy!
Annie smiled when she rounded the last corner. In front of her was a small park, surrounded by dense trees. Right smack in the middle of the grass was a stone fountain, gently bubbling with water. Alex stood in the far, back corner of the park, a picnic rug spread out at his feet. A wide, easy grin crossed his face as he saw her walking towards him. Stepping straight into his arms, she sighed contentedly when they closed around her back and pressed her tightly to his solid chest. Every time, it was like coming home.
‘Happy Anniversary,’ she whispered, her eyes glowing as she looked up at him. Her heart skipped a beat, just as it always did when she was this close to him.
He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. ‘Happy Anniversary, Princess.’
‘I got something for you.’ She pulled out of his arms and rummaged through her bag. He was always buying her thoughtful little gifts and she’d thought long and hard about the perfect present to give him. She handed him the neatly wrapped parcel.
As he carefully undid the sticky tape on the wrapping, she realised there was music coming from his phone, which was lying on the rug. She smiled when she recognised Something I Need – he was trying to recreate their first date.
Finally dispensing with the wrapping paper, his big hands caressed the worn leather of the book he was holding. Flicking open the cover, his beautiful emerald green eyes flew to hers. ‘You got me a first edition of The Great Gatsby?’
