Chapter 18
Despite the ache inside his broken foot, Alex had enjoyed the party. He had missed so many parties when he had been training that it was nice to be able to join the family for once and not miss out.
Dotty had introduced her to many of her friends and he had had a very interesting discussion with Aimee about how yoga might help with his recovery. It was certainly something to consider, he decided.
Thankfully, with the painkillers he was still on for his foot, Alex had stayed on the zero-alcohol beer for the evening and wasn’t suffering the consequences of many of the family and friends who were reeling under the influence of Frankie’s strong cocktails.
Beginning to grow tired, from both Tiny’s disruptive nights and the pain, Alex had offered to see Aimee and Mavis to their car before turning in for the evening.
However, he was just returning from the car park when he saw Hannah disappearing around the corner of the hotel.
Wondering where she could be going at that time of night, and having noted how much Frankie’s cocktails had been flowing, he decided to follow her and make sure that she was all right and not upset.
He quickly realised that she wasn’t upset at all, given away by the fact that she was singing to herself as she staggered along the lakeside path away from the hotel. He could see now that she was actually pretty drunk. Perhaps she was going to the boathouse, he thought.
However, when she made a beeline for the beach, he quickly picked up as much speed as he could on one crutch. Lakes and alcohol were never a good combination, he reminded himself, wincing as he forced himself to move even faster.
But by the time he had reached the beach, Hannah was standing at the water’s edge and had already stripped off her top and skirt.
‘Hey,’ he said, his voice coming out as a croak as he took in her curves, almost all on show apart from her underwear.
She spun around and beamed at him. ‘Hey!’ she replied. ‘You found me.’
‘I didn’t know that we were playing hide and seek,’ he told her. He tried not to stare at her skin, creamy pale in the moonlight. ‘Aren’t you cold?’
She shrugged her shoulders up and down in an exaggerated manner. She really was quite drunk, he realised.
‘I’m a country girl,’ she slurred. ‘Born and raised. Of course I’m not cold.’
He could see the goosebumps on her arms even in the semi-darkness.
‘Let’s go back to the party,’ he told her gently. ‘Get you in the warm.’
But she shook her head. ‘I need to do something exciting,’ she told him.
‘Well, you’re about to open up your very own café, isn’t that exciting enough?’ he asked.
‘Pah! Not really.’ Hannah gave a heavy sigh. ‘Me! Dull Hannah. Always such a goody-goody.’
He had never heard her speak like this before.
‘So what are your plans this evening?’ he asked. ‘Skinny dipping?’
Her hand went up to her bra strap and for a split second, he thought she was going to take it off. At that point, his brain almost short circuited.
‘Skinny dipping? Why not?’ she slurred.
He automatically took a few steps forward with his crutch, anxious that she didn’t venture into the water in her drunken state.
But as he neared her, he realised that Hannah was looking at him with a certain look in her eyes.
He’d seen it in a few women over the years, those that he’d dated at the end of a promising evening, perhaps.
But never ever in a million years had he dreamt that Hannah would look at him like she was at that moment.
He found himself gulping as she abruptly closed the gap between them, staring up at him with something akin to desire in her eyes.
She shook her head. ‘Not skinny dipping,’ she said, slurring her words as she put her hands on his chest.
He glanced down at them before looking back at her face. He had tried so long to put his feelings for her to one side. Tried so long to ignore the lips which were now dangerously close to his.
‘No?’ he said, his voice still a little croaky.
‘Something better,’ she replied, her eyes gleaming. ‘Something more wicked.’
He took in a sharp breath. ‘You need to go to bed,’ he said.
And so do I, he told himself. Perhaps he was already there and dreaming.
Hannah giggled. ‘You can’t boss me around. I already have a big brother,’ she told him.
‘I don’t want to be your big brother,’ he muttered, his senses reeling from her perfume as she leaned in closer.
‘Good,’ she said. ‘You can be something else instead.’
Then Hannah suddenly lifted her head and closed the gap between them.
As her lips met his, Alex gave a start. When she didn’t move away, he leant back but she followed him and their lips remained together. It took every inch of his self-control not to sweep her into his arms and kiss her back, despite his heart pounding in his chest.
In a reflex moment, his arms twitched and he was brought back down to earth when he realised that he was still holding onto the crutch. What was he doing? He had to be the sensible one now.
Finally, he took her by the arms and pushed her away so that their bodies were no longer touching.
‘Well,’ he began, not knowing what to say.
Hannah had kissed him. Did she know what she was doing? What did this mean for them both?
She stared up at him for a long moment before turning away.
Hoping she wasn’t upset, he followed her before he realised that she was being sick. If that was her reaction to their first ever kiss then perhaps they really didn’t have a future after all, he thought as he went over to help her.