My Aussie Guy (My Guy Series, Book 2)

by Liz Lovelock

  She gives me a deadpan look meaning, “Shut the hell up and let me finish.” I press my lips together, forming a thin line.

  “She won’t admit this, but she’s fragile. Every boy she’s gotten close to has only wanted her for one thing. She has a kind heart and takes every heartache like a champion. When it comes to you, I’m not sure if she’ll recover as quickly. She’s very guarded, and you’ve both only known each other a short while. If you intend to use her like the others, then I suggest you walk away. Now.”

  I hold my hands up. “Whoa, stop right there. I’m not one of those guys. I’m not a douchebag who only uses girls for one thing. That’s not who I am. Maybe it’s who I once was, but not anymore.” My chest tightens, and I’m becoming angry. I know she’s looking out for her friend, but damn.

  “All I’m saying is to really think about where you stand with her. I know she really likes you. I don’t want to see her get hurt. You’re going to be leaving in a couple of months. Then what?” She raises her hands, shrugging.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I really like her as well, and I’ve told her so. She’s been up and down about the whole thing.” My head drops and looks at the water bottle that I’m now shredding the label on.

  “She’s being guarded because I’ve told her not to fall for you.”

  My head whips up. “What?” I almost growl.

  “I want her guarded so she can make a good decision that won’t get her hurt in the end. I’ve not had a chance to talk to the other guys she’s dated, but you’re here, and you’re Parker’s friend, so I think I have every right to step in the middle of this, or it’ll put a strain on our friendships. Parker is always looking out for her, like he does his sister.”

  “I can see where you’re coming from.” I already knew that it was possible I was going to hurt Elsie. I’m a terrible person. My stupid lie. It’s like a punch-to-the-gut reminder of how stupid I was in setting that whole thing up.

  Addison rises from the stool. “Remember what I said, and if you intend to take your relationship to the status of boyfriend and girlfriend, then make sure everything is laid out on the table. No skeletons in the closet. Elsie is an open book. She will tell you how it is. Also, tell her that no matter the distance, she’ll mean everything to you if that’s how you feel.”

  “She already does.” I swallow.

  Addison’s hand drops on my shoulder. “I’m glad we could have this chat. Now, once again… don’t hurt my friend. She’ll probably murder you if you do, so I’m more so protecting you than her, in all honesty.” She chuckles.

  After witnessing Elsie’s ax-throwing skills earlier, I think I’d probably be castrated if I didn’t treat her right.

  Addison walks out, and I’m left standing there wondering about my next move.

  I need to tell Elsie about the lie.

  On Sunday, a couple of days after my perfect date with Elsie and the firm talking-to from Addison, I sit on the couch with my laptop open. Pulling up my emails since I’ve been so busy with practice, I haven’t had a chance to check them. When they pop up, I notice a reply from Elsie saying she’d love to help me. I hit reply.

  Hi Elsie,

  Thanks for offering your services. I understand the assignment. I’ll send it through once it’s done.

  Thanks

  A

  As I hit send, the door flies open, and a rush of voices flow through, and my heart speeds up at the sound of one particular person. Elsie.

  “Get ready, Aiden. We’re heading to the beach today,” Parker announces as he walks through and goes straight to his room. Addison heads to the kitchen already dressed in her beachwear. I wait, and that’s when I spot her. Elsie steps around the corner ever so slowly with a beaming smile on her face. My lips pull up instantly because she has that kind of effect on me.

  “Hey,” she greets. Elsie stands there in a short sky-blue dress, and I itch to touch her and press my lips to hers. The urgency overtakes me.

  “Hey there.” I stand with my laptop. I take her hand in mine and lead her down to my room so I can grab what I need, but also so I can taste her again.

  She walks with me.

  I hear her giggle as we step into my room, and I kick my door shut then push her against it. “I’ve missed these lips,” I say through a passionate kiss.

  “Is that all you’ve missed?” I hear her teasing tone.

  I pull back. “Of course not. These lips are connected to the perfect girl. She’s who I truly miss.”

  Elsie’s mouth turns up on one side, and her cheeks go pink. “You’re a smooth talker, Aussie guy.” She nods as if agreeing with herself, and it’s so cute. “The only thing you need to learn is to keep in contact with the person you actually have feelings for.”

  My brow knits together. “I’m sorry?”

  Her hand touches my face. “When you see me, make sure to tell me how you feel, and you’re happy to kiss these lips you’ve missed so much, but what about a random message now and again to see how my day is going? You do have my number.”

  Damn it. “I seriously suck at the text messaging thing. I know every teenager loves their phone, but I’m one of those who rarely checks it or posts on their social media.” I pause and pull her against my chest. Her shining eyes beam up at me. “I will try harder. Promise.” And then I seal the promise with another kiss.

  “You better get ready, or your door is going to get knocked down by one of the guys.” I reluctantly release my hold on her, knowing she’s right.

  “If you say so. Off ya go so I can get changed—unless you wanna get a sneak peek.” I waggle my eyebrows teasingly. I watch as she bites her bottom lip then turns and walks out.

  Damn.

  It was so tempting to stay. I’m not that girl, though, even if the guy is offering. I’ve learned my lesson to make them work for all the girly goods I have to offer. It’s not going to change with the Australian guy, even if he has a heart-stopping accent and perfect lips.

  Walking down the hall, staring at my feet, I can’t wipe this stupid smile from my face.

  “What are you doing, little miss?”

  My head flicks up when I jump, noticing Addison standing in Parker’s bedroom doorway.

  “Damn, you scared the life out of me.” My hand rests over my startled heart.

  “You were too busy dreaming about Mr. Aussie Guy in the next room. Don’t think I missed him snatching you out of the room the moment we walked through the door.”

  “He missed me.” I shrug.

  “Yeah, I bet he did.”

  “Shut up.” I push her shoulder, and we laugh.

  We pile out of the cars when we arrive at the beach. Dane, Paislee, and Jimmy all came together, and Parker, Addison, Aiden, and I all went in Parker’s car. It’s a beautiful day for the beach—the sun is hot, the sand is warm, and the water is sure to be refreshing.

  I slip off my flip-flops and pull my short, blue dress over my head to go straight for the water. There’s no way I’d get in if it was freezing. I’m in a black one-piece—totally not a bikini girl. I get the sense that I’m being watched, so I stop when I see Aiden, who looks like a fool as he stares in my direction.

  “Shut your mouth. You’re drooling,” Jimmy shouts at Aiden, who quickly snaps out of his trance and shoves Jimmy in the shoulder as he walks past him.

  “Oh, hell, he’s got the hots for you.” Paislee slips in beside me in a bright-pink bikini. She looks stunning. I search for Dane, and he’s doing the exact same thing with Paislee as Aiden was with me a moment ago.

  “You’re a little late to the party. We’ve been going on dates and actually kissing.” I drop my dress and reach for the lotion, squirt a little into my hand, and rub it up my arms and over my face.

  “Are you serious? That’s so exciting.” Paislee pulls me in for a weird hug I clearly wasn’t ready for.

  “Yeah, it’s exciting but also worrisome because he’s going to leave soon.” I shrug and start walking toward the water which
glides against the sandy shore. So peaceful.

  “Girl, just enjoy the time you have together. It’s not every day you get to have a fling with someone as gorgeous as him.”

  “That’s the thing…” I sigh. “I’m not so sure I want to be the holiday fling.”

  Squealing behind us causes us to turn. Parker has hauled Addison over his shoulder and is running toward us. We both chuckle as they crash into the water in the most ungraceful way.

  “Then don’t go there with him,” Paislee says.

  My smile drops. “That’s the other thing… I don’t think I can keep away. Every time I pull back, he’s right there in front of me again. How am I supposed to walk away from that?” I raise my eyebrow as a body runs past us.

  Paislee sucks in a breath. “Well, damn. Yeah, not sure how you’re going to survive a body like that.”

  “It’s not just about the body. He makes me laugh.” My eyes haven’t left Aiden as he stands in the water then walks out deeper. His tanned body is lickable. Then, he swims back to us, and my breath leaves me. I know I’ve already seen him with his shirt off, but he’s wet now, and all those droplets are running down his gorgeous skin. Yep, all my fantasies have come true at once.

  “Shut your mouth.”

  I hadn’t realized it was open, so I quickly snap it shut.

  “Just go enjoy him. Don’t make any decision right now.” Paislee’s words are a slap back to reality. I do need to enjoy myself, and I have been. Only there is this cloud hanging over me—an uncertainty that makes it hard for me to fully commit myself to Aiden.

  Just enjoy him.

  Paislee takes off into the ocean. I stand in ankle-deep water, simply staring out over the deep-blue ocean. Imagine all the secrets it’s washed away. So many people come to the beach for peace. They whisper their problems, and the words wash out, leaving you with serenity.

  Large arms wrap around my waist. I startle and squeal playfully as I’m being carried into the deeper water.

  “Time to get wet and stop teasing me,” Aiden’s deep voice whispers in my ear. Goose bumps prickle immediately all over my whole body. When the water gets to waist high, he falls, and we both go down and under the water. His grip loosens when I stand up. I turn, and Aiden’s head pops out of the water. He flicks his hair, and it somehow manages to fall into place.

  Aiden’s hands grip my swimsuit, and he pulls me against him. My legs have a mind of their own and wrap around his waist.

  Paislee’s words ring in my mind again. Just enjoy him.

  So that’s what I’m going to do. When the time comes for him to leave, we can make a decision about where we stand, even though I know deep down I’ll walk away with a broken heart.

  But what’s life without a little heartbreak?

  “You’re teasing me in these togs.”

  I screw my face up at the unfamiliar name. “What are you talking about?”

  Aiden laughs then pulls me in for a kiss. I want to pull back because we’re in front of everyone, but I don’t.

  “What do you call them?” He tugs at the strap of my swimmers giving me a hint.

  “Ah… it’s called a swimsuit. What even is the word togs?”

  Our bodies move together with the waves of the ocean. My arms wrap around his neck while feeling his smooth skin against mine, which is so smooth to the touch.

  “They’re togs… you know… swimwear.” He shrugs.

  “You just sound like you’re making words up now,” I tease.

  “Come off it. I call them togs. Do you know what a cyclone is?” His question causes another puzzled look. When I don’t answer, he tells me, “You call them hurricanes.” My mouth forms an O as I register the familiarity.

  “It just sounds weird. I mean, we all speak English, but the way you speak is very…” I pause, looking for the right word.

  “Bogan,” he ends the sentence.

  “What is a bogan?” I can’t help the laughter the word causes.

  “Very Australian. Some of us refer to ourselves that way because we’re so laid-back.”

  “Sounds like a silly word.”

  “I guess you could say I’m from Venus and you’re from Mars.” He leans in and steals another kiss.

  “I guess so, but at least you don’t kiss like a fish.”

  Aiden throws his head back, laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Parker asks as he and Addison make their way over to us.

  “I’m making fun of Aiden and his weird words. He calls swimsuits togs.”

  Parker chuckles, and Addison’s expression is the same as mine was when he told me.

  “Now, that’s just weird,” Addison says as she swims up to Parker. I make a move, slipping my legs from around Aiden’s waist. He grips my leg to stop me and pulls me back against him. I turn to him, and when I stare into his eyes, they shine with a bright light.

  “It’s not that bad. All right, so your football is Gridiron. Australian football is definitely not how you fellas play. You’ll have to watch one of our games to really understand. I say lollies… you call them candy. We say holiday… you say vacation. We simply say, ‘I need to use the toilet.’ You guys say ‘restroom’ or ‘bathroom’… it’s so proper.” Aiden holds his nose up in a posh way. I splash water at him, laughing.

  “Proper my ass,” I say.

  We spend the next hour bobbing around in the beautiful water. There’s more teasing on Aiden’s part and laughter from the both of us.

  “All right, it’s time for this wrinkled girl to get out,” I say.

  Addison and Paislee murmur in agreement.

  I’m sure Dane and Paislee have been fighting the urge to mount each other. The way they’re looking at one another, like they’re a pair of hungry wolves who want to devour each other’s swimwear, brings a grin to my face.

  “What are you smiling about?” Aiden’s hand wraps around my waist from behind and pulls me back to him.

  Twisting my head, I whisper into his ear, “Paislee and Dane. They’re struggling with this ‘no touching’ business.”

  Aiden nods. His warm breath hits my ear again, which causes tingles to dance down my spine. “I’d hate to not be able to touch you like this. To feel your body pressed against mine.” His lips press on the bare skin of my shoulder. Even though I’m in cool water, my body turns hot with his words and his touch.

  I climb off him. “Tame yourself, Aussie guy,” I joke and start swimming for the shore. Addison and Paislee are already hitting the shallower water and walking out, so I race to catch up with them.

  “Look at you and Aussie guy getting all cozy,” Addison coos.

  Nothing could wipe the smile from my face. “I’m listening to the wise words of Paislee and ‘just enjoying him.’” I nibble my bottom lip.

  “You pair need a room, that’s what you need,” Paislee shoots my way.

  “Look at you, getting all hot and bothered, not being able to touch your man,” I say, and Paislee’s mouth drops open then forms a thin line.

  “Shut up,” she grumbles.

  Addison laughs. “Why don’t you simply talk to Parker and tell him?”

  Paislee is already shaking her head before Addison has finished her sentence. “No way. I’m sure it would cause more problems than fix anything. I was there the day Parker told him to not even go there, that I was off-limits. I’d hate to be the cause of a fight between them.”

  We arrive back at our position on the sand and pick up our beach towels, wrapping them around our wet bodies.

  “I still think it’s better having it out there so it can be forgiven, and he can move on. That pair couldn’t hate each other; they’ve been friends for a long time,” Addison voices her opinion.

  “I agree with Addison.” I wipe the wetness from my body and then lay my towel out to lie on. It’s time to get some of the sun’s rays on my white skin.

  “If only it was that easy for me,” Paislee says as she lays out her towel beside mine, and Addison does the same on
the opposite side of me.

  We settle in and lie there, silent for a while. I listen to the waves, and in the distance, I can hear the boys carrying on like typical males.

  “They’re so young with the way they act sometimes.” Addy takes the words right from my mouth.

  “You totally said what I was just thinking,” I say, and we laugh.

  We stay at the beach until late afternoon, and I know that, even though I put lotion on, I’m burned. Stupid lotion is not doing its job, so we decide to leave.

  Once we pack up and take the drive, we all arrive back to the boys’ place, order some Chinese, and settle in for the rest of the evening.

  “Today was great,” I say.

  Everyone nods and murmurs their agreement as they shove food into their mouths with chopsticks. I need more days like this, where I’m not worried about schoolwork, tutoring, or basically anything education-related. Sometimes the brain needs a holiday.

  “Do you know how long you plan to stay here, Aiden?” Paislee asks.

  I almost drop my plate.

  A brief silence fills the room as we wait for him to answer while I sit beside him on the floor against the couch. Once he finishes his mouthful of food, Aiden replies, and I hold my breath. “I’m not sure. I have a visa for a year, so I guess we’ll see how things go and where I’m going to head after this semester is over. I could possibly stay for another term… I think that’s what you guys call it. Sorry, I’m not up to date with the way you fellas run your schools and colleges.” He laughs, but I didn’t miss the hint of hesitation when he spoke. He’s worried he’ll say the wrong thing.

  “So, you’ll hang around here for a while?” If Paislee keeps asking these questions, I’m going to have to butt in because I’m afraid that I’m going to hear something I don’t want to.

  Aiden clears his throat, and I turn to him. He’s watching me with a heavy stare, and with that, a weight has fallen on my chest. “I’m not sure. I want to, but there’s also a lot I still want to explore…” His words trail off.

  I shift my gaze and stare down at my food—funny, my appetite has now completely gone. Tears begin to well in my eyes. I blink profusely, not wanting them to fall, willing them to go away. Not with everyone around. Dammit, this is what I didn’t want to happen.