Always You: Prequel to Falling for Mr Wrong

by Joanne Dannon

  He steered his small car to the parking area. Stopped and turned the ignition off. They’d hike, have fun, he’d return her to the hotel and never see her again. A good plan, he reasoned with himself.

  His parents had warned him and their advice had been correct. She’d lived up to her reputation as unsteady, irrational and untrustworthy. Just because Bea had done some self-help course didn’t mean she couldn’t hurt him again.

  Protecting his heart was what was needed and he intended to follow through.

  Turning to her, he plastered a smile on his face. “Let’s hike.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Ash paid for their entry into the national park before turning to Bea. “We’ll have something to eat when we get back, but if you need to use the toilets, do so now as there are no toilet facilities where we’re going.”

  “I’m good, thanks,” she said, adjusting her ruck sack on her back.

  He took a deep breath and turned around, and as always, the beauty of the desert nature calmed the anxiety racing through his veins. He could do this, he reminded himself.

  Bea wasn’t a bad person. She just wasn’t the one for him. He needed to move on. There were plenty of lovely women, local and international, he worked with and had met over the past few months. If he made more effort to date, surely he’d find someone for him?

  The morning was warm and fortunately there weren’t many people around, and thankfully no busloads of tourists. The air was quiet and a peace descended on him as it always did when he came hiking here.

  They walked together and he looked at her. “Do you remember your Bible studies as a child?”

  She sniggered. “I know you’re joking.”

  As a child, she’d been more focused on survival, having a drunk neglectful mother, than going to church or Sunday school.

  “Remember David?” he asked as they walked. “He was the one who killed Goliath and was the second king of Ancient Israel.”

  She nodded in reply.

  He pointed in the direction they were walking to. “This is where he came when he was hiding from King Saul. It’s in the Bible, in the book of Samuel.”

  “Wow, that’s amazing,” she replied with enthusiasm.

  “The name of this place is Nachal David. Nachal in Hebrew is brook or river. The equivalent word in Arabic is wadi.” He may be English in his speech, mannerisms and love for his country, but working here had given him a different perspective on life. He’d become reinvigorated with this ancient land and had spent his days off doing touristy things either on his own or with friends.

  But this place was special to him. A niggle of doubt bothered him. Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought her here? He ignored it and focused on the here and now with Bea. Despite everything, he always enjoyed being with her.

  “We’re going to David’s brook?” She paused. “Just a minute, we’re in the middle of the desert.” Her arm swung around to the dryness around them.

  He grinned in reply. “You’ll see.”

  The hike was not a difficult one, and would take them only half an hour to reach their destination. He pointed to the ground. “We’re walking on a dried river bed. If you look around you’ll see desert animals around. Keep your camera close by.”

  Soon, they came up on one of the smaller waterfalls and rock pools and she gasped in astonishment. “This is like an oasis, something magical.” She walked around. “Now I understand why you wanted me to bring my bathing suit.”

  They splashed cool water on their faces before Bea snapped scenic pictures, using her mobile phone.

  He took her hand. “There’s more. Come on.”

  Thirty minutes later, plenty of pictures snapped and some sightings of ibex and hyrax, they made their way to the final and largest waterfall.

  “This is unbelievable,” she said, admiring the stunning backdrop of the water gushing down the side of the cliff. “If you had told me this was here, I would never have believed you.”

  He grinned in reply as those were his exact thoughts when he’d initially discovered this oasis.

  Surprisingly, they were alone, which was rare since this place was popular with tourists and families. Moving to the side, they removed their clothes, and in swimsuits, they carefully made their way over the rocks to the natural pool. The water wasn’t deep and they waded in, towards the waterfall.

  Delight at this slice of nature’s paradise made Bea clap her hands with excitement and chat non-stop about the beauty of the area.

  He couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous curves that her bikini hugged, and he was pleasantly surprised that she’d added a few pounds in weight, making her body more soft and tantalising. When they were dating, she had been extremely slim, rarely eating and focusing on her ability to wear skin-tight dresses.

  The Bea in front of him seemed healthier, and her skin glowed with vitality, something that had been missing before.

  “You’re looking good,” he said, resisting the urge to caress her bottom.

  She gave him a warm smile. “I didn’t realise how much of an effect my lifestyle had on my health. Now I focus on eating fresh produce, organic if possible. I’m enjoying food again.”

  He returned her smile. “The old Bea wouldn’t have had a tuna sandwich for breakfast?” He lifted his eyebrow.

  “No way. But I did enjoy the salads. It was a good start to the day,” she added with sincerity.

  Standing under the streaming water, she allowed it to pound her head and he noticed she closed her eyes and was speaking to herself. Not wanting to intrude on a private moment, he sat on a submerged ledge and watched her.

  She was stunning and any red-blooded male would agree with him. But she had proven so many times that she was unable to commit, changed her mind as often as her underwear and was drawn back to a party lifestyle every time she moved away from it.

  Would that happen again?

  As much as he wanted to believe it wouldn’t, his gut told him differently.

  After a few minutes, she walked to him, a smile stretched from ear to ear. “Thank you, that was amazing.” She sat next to him. “I’m not religious and don’t believe I’ve ever set foot in a church, but this place has a vibe that reminded me of my need and want to change. It’s not just beautiful, it feels special. Don’t laugh at me,” she paused to see his reaction. “But I just stood under the water, said my mantras and also thanked God for bringing me here. I cleansed myself, figuratively and physically with the water, and hope that all the bad bits of me have been stripped away, leaving only the good stuff.”

  His heart clenched at her confession. “Bea. . .” He didn’t know what to say. The old Bea would never have done something so spiritual. He gazed at her and noticed she seemed calmer, happier and. . .prettier? She was beautiful, she couldn’t look any more beautiful to him, but somehow she did.

  Kissing him on the cheek, she said, “Thank you for bringing me here. I feel that it’s had a profound effect on me. I made a commitment to change months ago but today I reaffirmed that commitment…with you as witness.”

  His chest tightened at the raw emotion in her voice. This was not an act; this was authentic and positive. Leaning forward, he couldn’t help but brush his lips against hers. It seemed right.

  When she didn’t pull back, he cupped her cheeks with his hands and kissed her, kissed her properly, like they belonged together.

  She sighed his name as their lips came together and they kissed to the sound of water falling and the silence of the desert around them.

  Kissing her felt so right and he wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let her go. He kept the kisses sweet, but a burning need in him ached to remove her bikini so he could taste and touch every glorious inch of her creamy skin.

  “I ache for you,” he whispered in her ear, before nibbling the soft skin along the length of her neck.

  “Ash, I want you so much,” she sighed.

  His fingers trailed along her shoulders, down her back towards where the cl
asp of her top was. One flick and her small breasts would be back in his hands. His mouth literally watered at the thought of pleasuring her with his tongue and mouth.

  Their kissing grew heated and he plunged his tongue into her mouth in a bold display of dominance. She clung to him, matching his kisses with an intensity that made him shudder with need. Her hand reached for him and cupped his erection, straining against his board shorts.

  “Take me now,” she pleaded before biting his ear and running her tongue up and down the lobe.

  Ash was burning inside and the need to bury himself in her was so strong that he was ready to make love to her in a public place, in the open. Tearing his mouth from hers, he waded back into the water and tugged her to him. “This is a family place,” he said. Drawing her near, her soft breasts pressed against his chest and her hand came to stroke him through his shorts.

  “Bea, you’re killing me,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

  Pulling her through the water, they went through the waterfall to the other side. He shifted the triangle material of her bikini top aside. Her nipples were pink and fully erect, just the way he liked them. Unable to help himself, his mouth claimed one, his tongue swirling around before he sucked and kissed her. She cried out his name and he moved to the other breast, all while his hands cupped her delicious bottom.

  “Ash, touch me, I need you,” she panted as he continued his onslaught, carefully grazing her skin with his teeth.

  His fingers then shifted to the V of her legs and he pushed aside the bikini bottoms, giving his fingers access to her sensitive pleasure points. Standing and placing his arm around her waist, one hand got to work initially touching her folds, making her cry out his name. He remembered exactly how she enjoyed his fingers pleasuring her, first he started with gentle circles. When she became rag-doll heavy in his arms, he inserted one finger and then two.

  Apart from the falls hitting the water, the only sound was her ragged breathing. “Ash, Ash,” she cried.

  “Come for me, sweetheart,” he said, before finding and massaging her hidden bud. A few more strokes of his fingers and she cried out as an orgasm made her clench around his fingers, tight. His heart was torn with the joy of seeing her pleasured but knowing this shouldn’t have happened.

  Focussing on her, he kissed her as she cried out his name.

  “I missed you, I missed us,” she said, her breathing still irregular.

  He’d missed her too, and he’d certainly missed this. Within a couple of hours, he’d broken their self-imposed rule of no sex. Hadn’t taken him long. He hung his head in shame, annoyed with himself for allowing his penis to guide him down the wrong path.

  He pushed her top and bottoms back into place. “We’re in a public place,” he reminded her with a stern voice.

  “I want to taste you, pleasure you,” she said, her eyes still glazed from the intense orgasm she’d just enjoyed. She licked her lips before sliding her hand under the elastic of his shorts.

  “Not now,” he said a little too gruffly.

  Confusion crossed her eyes and he knew he’d hurt her with his rejection. They were in a national park and at any time, a family or tour group could turn up. “We shouldn’t be going this,” he said hoarsely.

  “You’re right. You’re always right. You’re so sensible whereas all I can think about is being with you.” The look on her face told him she was deflated and defeated. It made him feel even worse for rejecting her.

  He wanted to reassure her that everything would be fine, but how could he when he didn’t know himself? “We need to slow things down. I’m sorry for kissing you, I shouldn’t have.”

  A look of indignation crossed her face and her shoulders stiffened. “Yes, you should have.”

  His forehead creased. “Pardon?”

  “You heard me. Don’t make excuses for your behaviour. You kissed me and I kissed you back. We’ve done it before and I hope we’ll do it again.”

  He blew out a long breath. “I think the sex gets in the way and we should focus on being friends.”

  She placed her hand over his. “I’m here to fix things between us and I don’t want sex to get in the way of us talking. As much as I want to spend the night with you, we should keep it platonic.”

  “I know but—”

  “Don’t say it, I know you’re worried I’m here short-term but I can only reassure you that I’m not leaving you. You’re going to have to take a leap of faith”—she made quotation marks in the air when she said the last words—“when it comes to us.” She snorted a lungful of air as if to prove her point.

  “Bea,” he took her hand in his. “I’m trying, but honestly, a long-lasting relationship can’t be built on sexual attraction.”

  She nodded. “You’re right but that’s why we need to be a couple, so we can work through our issues.”

  His belly clenched with regret, unsure if it was all too late. “We’ll see,” he said in a low voice. “Let’s just see.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The noisy sounds of children playing and laughing told them they were no longer alone.

  Ash guided her out from under the waterfall into the bright sunlight. Bea shielded her eyes not just from the light but also to stop the tears that threatened to seep out.

  She’d hurt Ash twice. The first time when she was still a teen, and had ridiculed him in front of her friends. Back then it seemed hilarious. In hindsight, she had no idea why she’d thought being rude to him was acceptable behaviour. She was ashamed of how she’d acted and treated him, all because she wanted to show off in front of her friends, pathetic really.

  When they’d accidentally crossed paths a couple of years ago, she’d been so apologetic, desperate to make amends. She’d offered to buy him a drink, and within a few dates, they’d made love and Bea believed he was hers forever.

  How foolish she’d been, yet again. And now, she’d virtually thrown herself at him. Forgetting that he was still hurting from her rejecting his marriage proposal, she was determined to be better behaved and remember that she’d let him down twice. It wouldn’t happen again.

  They climbed out of the water and sat on the rock formation, drying their bodies in the morning warmth.

  “Can we see more of the scenery?” She looked around, loving the natural beauty surrounding her.

  “Yes,” he smiled at her.

  Fifteen minutes later, they hiked to a high point and she gasped at the magnificent view displayed for her. “Wow,” she said.

  “That’s the Dead Sea,” he pointed it out to her. “And over there is Jordan.”

  “It’s breathtaking,” she said. She leaned over to brush her lips against his cheek. “Thanks for bringing me here. It’s beautiful and I just love being here with you.”

  He gave her a warm smile. “Me too.”

  At the café, they enjoyed iced coffee and sandwiches.

  “I just need to check my messages,” he said lifting his mobile phone. “Bugger,” he said. “Something urgent has come up. I’ll take you back to the hotel because I’ve got to deal with this issue. How about I come back and take you out for dinner?”

  “I would love that,” she said, pushing aside the disappointment of not spending the whole day with him. But she understood. He’d already taken time off to be with her. Work had to come first, even if she didn’t like that.

  On the return drive, she asked about his job. “I know you work in hotels, but I don’t really understand why you don’t stay in one place? Do you have to keep moving?”

  His focus was on the road as he drove, but he often looked at her, making her tummy flip-flop. “I’m very specialised. Because of working with my family for so many years in the industry, I know what works and what doesn’t. I have an uncanny ability to walk around a hotel, whether it be small or large and see issues. Not only to identify, but also to rectify them.

  “The tourism industry is thriving and hotels want to do well. Often it’s the details that are overlooked. In this digital
age, travellers can post their thoughts and views immediately online. That’s why it’s important for hotels, whether they be budget or lavish to be looking after their guests.”

  “I always thought you’d be a manager, working with your family.”

  The jaw around his skin tightened. “Honestly, I find it boring. I love what I do. I travel and my process-driven brain enjoys the challenges of finding ways to improve the customer experience.”

  She nodded and a heaviness settled in her heart, knowing there was little chance of him returning to live permanently in London. She wanted to be there, especially with her new job, her LifeWorks contacts and the stability of living in the city she grew up in. Even if they resolved their issues from the past, could they address their issues for the future?

  The heat, emotions and hiking had tired her so she rested in her bed, reading a novel. Ordering room service, she requested a pot of tea and fruit salad.

  Over the past few months, she’d focused on her health and now ate much better than she had over the past twenty-seven years. In addition, she’d started meditating regularly and exercised daily. The extra pounds had given her body some shape and she’d been delighted to go up a bra size. Her breasts would always be small, but the extra cleavage made her feel more womanly.

  She’d caught Ash eyeing her newly formed curves and she’d been thrilled he’d liked her new physique.

  She hungered for him in a way that was novel and consuming. Despite adoring his muscle definition, defined abs and strong legs she loved him, truly she did. The need to touch and taste him, showing her love, sexually, preoccupied her thoughts.

  It was important for her to hold back, let him see the woman she’d grown into and how proud she was of her strong commitment to helping others and being a loving and kind daughter and sister.

  Soon enough it was time to meet Ash and she was ready on time. The new Bea didn’t keep people waiting.