Promises (13 page)

The constant ringing o
f her mobile invaded her dreams. She tried to block it out, to hold onto the illusion in her head, but soon her eyes flickered open. Glancing at her watch, she strived to focus. She stared in horror at the time. Realizing she’d slept the day away, she slapping her arm out and grasped at the phone.

“Yes
, Mother,” she mumbled, still half asleep. Fiona’s voice screeched down the line.

“I know,
yeah, I’ll be at the dress fitting on time. And no, I’m not dyeing it.” She clicked the phone off with relief, glad that for once Fiona wasn’t on one of her talkative missions. Yet she’d still managed to bitch about her, this time attacking her hair as “a prostitute’s colouring for God’s sake.” She couldn’t work out her mother’s reasoning. Why did all prostitutes have to have red henna dyed hair? She sucked in a soulful sigh, sure that there had to be a few women of the night out there who weren’t redheads. If you’d asked her what the most popular colour for prostitutes might be, she’d have guessed blonde.

Noticing
that Ruth’s door was still closed, she swung her legs to the floor and rose. Gladly noting the absence of battering sensations in her head, she arched her back, stretched, and yawned. She tapped a hand over her mouth, rubbed at her eyes, then peeked around for her bag. Spotting it, she was thankful to have put in a change of clothes. Then she ambled into the shower to freshen up.

An hour later
, Alex was feeling almost human. The cool shower water had been refreshing. She was seated at the tiny breakfast bar in the small kitchen sipping from a black coffee when Ruth made an appearance.

“Was wondering when you were going to get up
,” smiled Alex, unable to miss that her friend’s usual immaculate appearance had taken a nosedive. “I was going to leave you a note.” She rose, poured another steaming coffee, and pushed it towards Ruth. “Here.”

“Thanks
,” muttered Ruth, peeping out from red, bleary eyes. “I’m never drinking with you again.” She held her head, staring down at the pungent liquid. The rich heady aroma permeated the small room.

“Whatever
. Anyway, I’m going to have to leave. I’ve had Mother on.” Alex stood and flicked on the tap, swilling her cup out. “I’ll ring you when I get home.”

“Whatever
.” Ruth held her mug with two hands, trying to sip her coffee without scalding herself. “Catch you later.” Alex didn’t bother to turn as the door closed with a gentle click behind her.

Alex flagged down a taxi. S
he had contemplated the bus, but still feeling tender, decided on the easiest if more expensive route. Placing her bag alongside her on the seat, she leaned back and listened to the drone of the driver waffling on about the weather. She wished he’d shut the hell up. What was it with people who loved to natter on about such mundane things? She closed her eyes for a brief time, then opened them wide, afraid she’d nod off again despite sleeping around the clock.

T
he taxi pulled up outside her old home. An array of memories flew at her and she paused before getting out and taking a deep breath in preparation for the next verbal assault.

Once inside, she let the door swing
shut behind her with a silent click. She smelled the air freshener her mother insisted on spraying everywhere—jasmine. She hated it.

“About time
!” admonished Fiona, looking up from the crossword she’d been working on. Smudges of ink darkened her forefinger as she threw the pen down with disgust. Making a point, she glanced up at the star-shaped clock that took pride of place above the old fashioned mantelpiece. The brass candlesticks beneath it gleamed bright, a set of three staggered in size and polished to within an inch of their lives. “I’ll call Val and tell her you’ve arrived at last.”

Alex didn’t bother
to reply. She knew Fiona too well. When she had the bit in her teeth, it was a useless task to try and stop her.

She threw
her bag onto the settee, complete with crocheted throw—a medley of brightly coloured squares—and glanced around. It was as if time had stood still, she thought. Her mother had never moved on after the death of her husband. Alex tried to remember what he looked like. Her only image of her father was from the old photographs creased and stained from years of constant touching.

She had been a child when her father died. He’d walked out
the door and never came back, a victim of a hit and run. There was no steady decline to warn them; instead his death had come out of the blue. The whole family had been in shock, but Fiona felt it the worst. To this day, she talked as if he was about to step back into their lives, which was why the house remained unchanged. It was waiting for him.

Fiona
, for reasons Alex couldn’t fathom, had taken her grief out on Alex, whilst her brother had been put on a saintly chair along with her father. It was as if she was punishing Alex for the death of her husband. He’d been going out to get medicine for
her
, after all. Each painful anniversary of his death had speared Fiona, and she’d taken her pain out on her daughter. Alex couldn’t understand it. Didn’t Fiona realize that she wasn’t the only one hurting?

“Don’t stand there daydreaming
. Come on,” urged her mother, shepherding her out through the door. “We’ve spent enough time waiting for you.”

Alex followed
in silence. She cursed beneath her breath at the primping and preening as she stood having the dress nipped in and taken out. The small pins darted forward, the seamstress engrossed in her task.

“
It’s just a shame she’s such an awkward size,” Fiona said as the seamstress worked. “Why don’t you save up for a breast reduction? You might look normal then. Have a chat with your bank manager.” She paused. “In fact, you should be able to get it done on the NHS. Even your GP must sympathise with that hunch you’re developing.”

Alex flinched.
Although she was used to Fiona’s constant belittling, at times like this the dart’s cruel barb hit home, and she dreaded the evening ahead. Already she’d decided to shelter in her small bedroom, along with all the fluffy toys she’d hoarded over the years. Anything to avoid her mother’s constant harping.

Fiona was t
elling her what she already knew. She should know it well by now, because Fiona had instilled the fact in her head since she was young. Not opinion, but fact. Alex was plain, bordering on ugly. The colour of her hair was what prostitutes wore out of a bottle. Her body and chest were obscene. And people couldn’t work out why she had no confidence? Fiona had put paid to that a long time ago.

S
olomon stared with stark bleakness out the window. It was a rain-lashed summer day. The dark clouds swirling overhead were almost as black as his mood. He swore that when Alex came back he was having this out with her. Scrubbing a hand moodily through his hair, he still couldn’t believe her reaction to his being a few days late. Christ, and he thought he had trouble with Sue? He dreaded to think what she’d do over something serious.

And that was another iss
ue that needed careful handling. He wasn’t, never had been in a relationship with Sue, but that wasn’t her interpretation. As far as he was concerned she was simply an easy lay. But Sue looked on him as her own property.

Up until now it hadn’t been an issue
. He’d simply ignored her tantrums.

But things we
re changing. How, he wasn’t sure, yet he was certain he didn’t want her anywhere near Alex. He knew if she had any inkling about Alex she’d cause major problems.

He
glanced down at his Rolex that Alex assumed was a reproduction then back out at the abysmal weather. The trees bent over in the rough, gusting wind beneath a driving veil of rain, a trillion bubbles tamped down on the road. A stream of water gushed in gutters that were drowning beneath the sudden torrential downpour.

R
ivulets of water meandered down the pane, pooling on the windowsill. His stomach remained in knots. He needed to see Alex again, to try and explain. The frustration and anger that ate into him were making him illogical. His thoughts cascaded and battered around his head. It had been two days since she’d left, so they’d been seven days apart in all, including his time in the city.

A
nd he was fretting and pining for her like hell. Not just for the sex—although that did have a lot to do with it.

He
was missing her.

The woman that was Alex.

And that confused and worried him. He was wary of the emotions she was arousing. He was supposed to be able to walk away from her, but at this rate he wouldn’t be going anywhere. What was even more concerning was that the prospect didn’t strike the fear of God in him as it once had.

The sky darkened to a deep
, menacing black. A jagged shard of lightning streaked across the sky, followed swiftly by a low rumble of thunder. The storm taking hold built up into a tempestuous fury.

* * *

Alex glanced out the window and swallowed. It was a bitch of a night. The black clouds rolled over and flashes of lightning glinted on the veil of rain that fell in a relentless symphony. Yet the taxi continued to drive steadily through the storm. A sheet of rain lashed against the window, almost obscuring the wild scene outside. Alex sucked in a sigh; the driver appeared to see the road ahead. Eventually they reached home. She pulled out the fare, again swallowing.

S
tepping into the wet, wild weather, she trembled. A sheen of panic glowed over her face. She clutched her bag, striving to push into the wind, and was saturated in seconds. Alex fought for the sanctuary of her home, determined to get out of the storm. A clap of thunder blasted overhead and her scream was muffled in the lash of rain. She struggled, buffeted in the wind, her head bent. Suddenly a pair of steely arms circled around her, pulling her against a hard body. Her hands snatched out, her fingers digging in, and she clung to him as another flash lit the sky.

“
Where are your keys?” Sol shouted over the wind. Taking them from her shaking hands, he shoved the door open and dragged her inside, slamming it shut behind them.

His an
ger exploded and he spun on her. “Just where the hell have you been?” It was not what he’d intended to say. The words spewed furiously out, and he wondered why she didn’t answer. Then he looked down at her as she put her hands over her ears and sank in slow motion to the floor.

“
What’s wrong?” Stooping down, he tilted her face towards him. Her eyes were glazed and wide with fear, the tears rolling down her face. She jumped in fear as another crash of thunder reverberated.

“The thund
er! I ….” She screamed as another crash sounded overhead.

“
Hey, come here.” He pulled her up, wrapping his arms securely around her and holding her tight. Stroking her hair that was limp and stuck to her head, he soothed her. He could feel the shudders rack her drenched body.

“
Hush, didn’t think anything scared you.” He kissed her softly on the top of her head, rocking her until he felt her body relax as the weather began to abate.

“How long have
you been scared of storms?” He still held her, welcoming her arms wrapped around his waist in a death grip. Her cheek pressed against his chest and he rested his chin against her wet hair, not wanting to move. Sol was just glad he had her back where he wanted, in his arms.

“Forever
,” she whispered. Her grip loosened but she didn’t move.

“You’re soaking
.”

“So are you
.” Raising her head, she looked up into his face. “How come you saw me out there?”

“Because I’ve been waiting for yo
u to come home.” His hand peeled a wet strand from her face. “Where did you go? I’ve been worried sick.”

He
wisely kept the reason why he had been worried out of the conversation. Telling her that he thought she might be sleeping with another man wouldn’t go down well.

“Dress fitting for the wedding
,” she said with a ghost of a smile.

Cursing his original assumption,
Sol felt a wave of pure relief wash over him.

“How did the DIY go?”
she asked. Her eyes darkened and the fleeting smile faded.

“It
didn’t. She tried it on, as you knew she would.”

“And?”
Alex’s green eyes narrowed, her breath hitched.

“And I told her I’m not available
.” His lips were so close she could feel his warm breath coast over her. “I’ve got what I want right here.”

After t
racing a path across her lips with his tongue, he pulled back. “I could have throttled you for putting me in that position.”

“Guess I was being a bit of a bitch
,” agreed Alex with a smile. “Tell you what, how about I make it up to you?”

“How?”
he frowned suspiciously, not wanting any more of her surprises.

Unwrapp
ing her arms, she took his hand. “Follow me.”

She
led him upstairs and into the bathroom. “Fancy a shower?” She was already turning and peeling off her top, her bra swiftly following.

Sol needed no
encouragement; he’d dreamed and waited for this for over a week. He hoped he could last. Just looking at her made him rock hard. Quickly shedding his clothes, he followed her into the cubicle.

“
I want you to stand still. Let me show you how sorry I am.” Alex flicked the shower on then poured a large amount of gel into her hand. The water cascaded over his body, trickling over muscles that undulated beneath the gleaming light.

“What would you have done if I’d taken her up on her offer
?”

“T
rust me, you don’t want to know.” Her hand intimately cradled his balls, her eyes glinting mischievously. “But I knew you wouldn’t.” She began her massage. Her hand rolled over his chest across his undulating muscles, sweeping slowly down to the flat plain of his stomach.

“How?” he muttered
. His skin tingled, thriving beneath her touch.

“
Call it instinct. But I trust you, I guess.” She looked up at him, a tiny frown line creasing her forehead. Then she smiled wickedly, dropping her hands down to his hips. She knelt before him, scoring her hands up and down his legs before taking hold of him, controlling him with long languid strokes.

A feral growl grumbled out of Sol
’s mouth at her touch. His head fell back and the cords of his neck stood out.

T
he hot spray splashed over her face and she paused, looking up at him briefly before taking his erection into her mouth. Her gaze never leaving him, she watched as his features twisted in pleasure.

Sol peered down
. He wanted to experience everything, what she was giving and what he was receiving.

He
clenched his fists. The sensations she was generating scalded his eager cock. Drowning in a heady vortex of pure lust, he thrust into her. He stared down at her, kneeling before him; then he dragged her up and spun her around, placing her hands flat against the tiled wall. “Sod the apology. I can’t wait!”

Desperate for release, he
drove deep into her. In one fluid plunge, her sweet tightness enveloped him. He powered forward in a greedy frenzy as her hips kicked back against him.

Alex
shook her head and whispered, “I want us to come together. Wait for me.”

Sol
nipped at her throat. He continued to thunder into her, the cords in his neck standing out as he tried to hold back. Her ass gyrated and canted back against him as he pushed her over the edge. Her head thrown back, she screamed out his name as he groaned and collapsed against her. The only sound in the room was the soft tinkle and splash of the water bouncing off their slick bodies, along with their short gasps of breath.

Sol steadied his breathing
, turning her round to face him. “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for. I’ve missed that, honey.”

Alex grinned
, although she was aware that he’d admitted to missing the sex, not her. Never
her
, she thought, and wished she could suppress the feelings swamping her. She had badly underestimated what she felt for him. How the hell could she keep emotionally detached when he made her body sing such sweet haunting tunes?

* * *

They lay entwined in bed, relaxing. Both were recovering from the shower, and both were deep in thought.

Sol took her hand
and threaded his fingers through hers. He was grateful for the storm that had sent her back to him, because he wasn’t sure she’d have let him off lightly otherwise.

“
Have you tried hypnotherapy?” he asked suddenly.

“What
the hell are you talking about?” She turned into him and pushed her hair back. Still wet, the red strands clung to her face.

“Your fear of thunderstorms
.” His thumb stroked the inside of her wrists.

“No, I haven’t.
It would probably cost the earth and be a waste of money,” she said. “And besides, I don’t have enough money left over at the end of the month to warrant spending it on that.”

“I’ll pay
.” The image of her, terrified and hunched over on the floor, refused to leave his mind.

“With what buttons?” she laughed
.

“I have some savings
.” He briefly debated telling her who he really was. Not wanting to instigate another walk-out, he decided against it, yet he couldn’t stop the wave of guilt that washed over him.

“
You keep your money. Spend it on that car of yours, do some good with it,” she said. “Don’t go worrying about me. I’ve lived with it this long; I can cope.”

“I saw how you cope.
” He nibbled on her fingers, leisurely sucking on the tip of her index finger.

“Leave it be
, Sol. It’s not as if you’re going to be staying around. We both know this is just sexual. Once it has run its course, one of us will be moving on.” She drew in a ragged sigh and ran her fingers through her hair in agitation, flinching as the strands stuck to her fingers. She dared a peek at him, at his face which looked thoughtful.

W
ith a sick dread, Solomon digested that piece of information. On his part, he knew it was beginning to mean a lot more than just sex. He could get that anywhere and now he didn’t want anyone else, only his Alex. His fiery flame-haired vixen.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving for a few days
?” he probed.

Alex shrugged
and circled her fingers across his stomach. “Don’t know. I guess I was still mad at you. I thought it was over. That it was your way of saying goodbye without telling me to my face.”

Sol kissed her on the top of her head
as she snuggled beneath his chin. “Honey, nothing was further from the truth, still isn’t.”

“Ok
ay, so I added one and one and made six. But you promised, and I believed you.” She lay still, nibbling at her lip, her fingers splaying possessively across the skin of his stomach.

“I’ll never break a promise to you again, I swear
.” Rolling her over, he gazed down and joined his lips with hers in an urgent, open-mouthed kiss. Thrusting his tongue inside, he swirled it in a slow seductive dance, waltzing with hers. “Why can’t I get enough of you?”

“Because you’re greedy?”
She laughed, slapping him playfully on the shoulder.

“With you I am
.” Leaning on his elbow, he stared down at her, his expression thoughtful. “How did the fitting go?”