Just a Little Fling (Landscape Lovers Book 1) Read online

  You’d never know with the way he’s looking at me.

  I may play the bold part sometimes, but he’s the one in charge here and I like it that way.

  He stalks towards me and says, “So. Fucking. Hot.”

  He scoops one arm under my bum and the other around my waist and I wrap my arms and legs around him. He twists and drops me on the bed and crawls up over me.

  He leans down and claims my mouth in a fierce kiss. There’s something more in it, but I’m trying not to pay attention to what it means. He ruts into my needy parts, with our underwear still on, and it’s so hot that I worry I might combust.

  A second later he’s up and dropping his briefs to the ground and removing my undies. At the same time as I release my bra and fling it away.

  He rolls on a condom and kisses up my body gently, from my belly button to my neck. He claims that I’m the one that tortures him, but this is sweet torture too.

  “Now, Blake. Please?”

  He captures my mouth again and pushes in as deep as he can go. I’m perfectly filled. It’s bliss.

  He finds a rhythm that works for both of us and he starts muttering in my ear. “Made for me. We fit perfectly. Can’t get enough.”

  I’m lost in what he’s doing to me and I can’t respond with anything intelligible. I only nod and moan.

  It’s not long before we’re climaxing together. He looks me right in the eye as he comes and I know this is different. I just don’t know what to do with that knowledge.

  After we’ve showered and got cleaned up, we’re lying naked in my bed facing each other with our limbs entwined.

  “Blake?”

  “Yeah, sweet cheeks?”

  “What is this? Between us, I mean. It’s not that I need labels, I’m just wondering what you think this is?”

  He’s silent for a moment and runs his hand through his sandy blond hair. “I don’t really know what to call it, sweet cheeks. I just know that I want to be around you and I miss you when I’m not. Maybe it’s a fling? I don’t know. Does it need a name? We’re good together, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah we are. And I miss you when you’re not around too. A fling, you reckon? It could be that?”

  I guess that works for me?

  Flings have end dates. Moving on points. A late spring fling.

  I can do that.

  “Yeah?”

  “But flings have end points. They’re not indefinite. Do you have an end point in mind?”

  “I don’t know. Can’t we just see how it goes?”

  “I don’t want to get hurt, Blake. You told me that I wouldn’t. It needs an end point. For both our sakes.” I link our fingers together and bring them to my lips. Kissing them together so he knows I’m not being combative.

  I’m being kind. To my heart.

  “After Matt’s party, then? We’ll decide after that?”

  “After Matt’s party, it ends. That’s two more weekends we have. Let’s make the most of it.” I say it because he can’t seem to set it in stone.

  He hauls me across his broad chest with a cheeky grin. “No time like the present, then!” We melt into each other all over again.

  Knowing there’s an end point should have made this easier. But somehow, even though I said it was, that wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.

  This is going to hurt.

  Buckle up, Cate. You asked for this.

  THIRTY

  BLAKE

  What have I agreed to?

  Somehow, we went from playing it by ear and having mind blowing sex, to having a fixed end date.

  Fuck!

  This should be what I want. I resisted telling her that I want more. Mostly because I’ve never had it before and I don’t know what it looks like. I’m not a relationship person. No one expects me to be. I don’t want all the drama that seems to come with relationships.

  I just want her.

  It’s not even just the physical compatibility that we have. It’s wanting to see her succeed at her goals. It’s wanting to tell her when I’ve had a good day and when I’ve had a bad one too. I find myself wanting to share the funny things I’ve read with her. I want to know how her day went.

  Sometimes I hate when I wake up and she’s not there.

  This isn’t normal. I shouldn’t want her this much. But I can’t help it. All I know is that I don’t want it to end in two weekend’s time. That’s too damn soon.

  I have to change her mind.

  I’m lying in my own bed. It’s 24 hours since we had the conversation and I’m full of regret for my half-truths.

  What the fuck have I done?

  Only hours ago, she texted me to say that Lottie’s niece has helped her find some participants for a trial run on Sunday. Apparently, Maya talked up their crafting day so much that seven other kiddos want to come along.

  I put in a call to Ella and she’s helped me find a craft space that is kid-friendly, had a cancellation on Sunday and is happy for Cate to run her small trial there. The only caveat is that one of the owners wants to be present to check everything is running smoothly.

  I’ve already paid the booking fee for the space, so Cate doesn’t have to worry about it.

  I didn’t tell her how much it was, only that it was covered for her first trial. It’s a bit sneaky of me, but I didn’t want her worrying about that when she needs to focus on making the day a success.

  The session is two hours long. Not a lot of time to wrangle eight kiddos, but I think she can do it well. Ella wants to come too. She says it’s to help with the kids if Cate gets overwhelmed, but really, it’s just to snoop on me and to meet Cate herself. Cate says it’s fine, so I guess Ella is coming along.

  She better keep those thoughts on babies and marriage to herself. I can’t have her scaring Cate off. Not now.

  It’s late, but I know she’ll be awake and thinking about the trial. By tomorrow night, I know she’ll need a break. I can’t help but text her.

  Blake: Hey gorgeous, you still awake?

  Sweet Cheeks: Yes! There’s too much to think about to sleep!!

  Blake: Well your calendar is full from 6pm tomorrow night. Pull out your best swimsuit and your favourite beach towel, because we’re having a beach dinner date.

  Sweet Cheeks: I don’t think I have time for that, Blake! There’s still so much to do!!

  Blake: I promise to help you do ALL the tasks on Saturday and even double check your lists for you. Just give us Friday night to relax. So you’re ready to smash your to-do list out on Saturday. It’ll get you pumped for Sunday.

  Blake: I promise it won’t make you miss anything. You need downtime too, babe.

  Sweet Cheeks: I really don’t know. What if there’s not enough time?

  Blake: It’s 2 hours, maybe 3 tops. We can even start working on it once we get back from the beach. Come on…

  There’s a break where she doesn’t reply for a while. The bubbles pop up and disappear. I should be patient, but I’m pushing for this.

  If there’s only two weekends left, I’m not missing a damn minute.

  Blake: A little bit of sun and surf is good for you. We can watch the sunset...

  Sweet Cheeks: Okay. Fine. But we’ll work on it when we get back. Can we have fish and chips?

  Blake: Of course, babe. Would it be a beach dinner without fish and chips?

  Sweet Cheeks: It would be a disappointing one.

  Blake: I don’t do disappointing, surely you know that by now?

  Sweet Cheeks: That is true. I’ve got to go find my cutest beach outfit.

  Sweet Cheeks: See you tomorrow x

  Blake: Sleep well, gorgeous. xx

  It’s Friday morning on the job site and I can’t hide the swagger in my walk. Not that I ever would, but tonight I’m taking my woman on a date and nothing can get me down.

  I even take on the crappy jobs that no one likes to do. It’s not that they’re bad, so much, it’s just that they’re the little finishing jobs that are thankless and don
’t feel as rewarding as finishing a big task.

  Thankfully time seems to be flying by and I’m able to tick off a bunch of these little tasks before lunch rolls around. Today the marquee is set up under the shade of a big tree, so it’s quite pleasant to sit under and eat.

  Matt wonders over and pulls up a chair nearby.

  “Hey! How was the conference?”

  “It was good. Useful, I reckon.”

  “Yeah? That’s good.”

  “Yep.” We still haven’t cleared the air from Monday’s conversation. I’m not letting it get me down, but I’m not willing to pretend it never happened either.

  He takes a long drink from his iced coffee and looks over at me awkwardly. “About Monday… I’m sorry that I was a dick about your girl. I do still want you to come to my party. Bring her too. I’m sure she’s ace if she can put up with your bullshit!”

  He punches my arm and grins.

  “Thanks, man. I’ll see if she wants to come and I’ll let you know if we can make it.” We are planning to go. But there’s no rush to tell him. She did say ‘pencil me in.’

  “Of course you’ll be there. I’ll even reserve that room that’s away from everyone else for you. For privacy.” He winks.

  I roll my eyes and say, “Thanks, mate. I appreciate it.”

  We chat about everything and nothing for the rest of lunch. It’s still a bit clipped, but it’s friendly enough. Then we get back to work.

  I’m keen to get home and get ready for tonight. Late November is an awesome time for going to the beach after work. A hot day like this will cool off, but it won’t feel cold until well after the sun is down.

  I take a quick shower and slather myself in sunscreen. It may be the evening, but working outside means that I take no chances with sunburn. It’s an awful feeling in the moment and skin cancer is no joke.

  I pull on my board shorts and find my trusty old slides. I add a white graphic t-shirt and a baseball cap. I put a large beach towel, some cloth napkins and some plastic reusable cups into a tote and head to the tram stop to go get my woman.

  THIRTY-ONE

  BLAKE

  She insisted we meet on the tram, so I poke my head out of the door at her stop and she shuffles to the door and climbs on in front of me.

  My god, she’s a sight!

  She has a dark yellow, flowing sundress on and one of those woven brimmed caps. Her hair is in a loose plait over her shoulder and her cork slides and beach tote make her look like she’s an advertisement for summer fun.

  She smiles up at me and grabs my hips as the tram starts to move. I can’t help but wrap one arm around her, under the guise of keeping her clumsy self steady, but it’s really to have her close.

  Her hair smells of strawberries and it’s too much. I lean in and kiss her forehead.

  “Hi!” She squeaks.

  “Hey, gorgeous! How was your day?”

  “It’s better now! How was yours?”

  “Same. Ready for our date?”

  She nods into my chest. “I’m very ready for some good fish and chips.”

  I look down and notice that she’s trying to snoop in my bag. She giggles.

  “What’s that giggle for?”

  “Oh, nothing. You just packed the same things I did!”

  “Great minds, babe!” I hug her to me again. “I hope you’re looking forward to more than just the food. I’m excellent company, don’t forget!”

  “I would never!” She says incredulously. “You’d be the main attraction, if the beach wasn’t so pretty.” She giggles again.

  My woman is playful tonight.

  “You think you’re funny. But I’ve got your number.” I grumble in her ear.

  We get off the tram at the last stop. Glenelg Beach is famous in this part of the world. Popular and pretty. South Australia is spoiled for good beaches, but this one is an easily accessible classic.

  Jetty Road is bustling on this warm night. There are families and couples everywhere. We head to the fish and chip shop and line up to place our order, then stand to the side with our ticket whilst we wait for them to prepare it for us.

  I pull her to me, so her back is to my chest and wrap my arms around her whole waist. It feels natural and normal and exactly how it should be. She hums to the music playing in the shop and sways to the 90s classic that almost everyone in here seems to know.

  It doesn’t take too long for our order to be ready. I grab the bottle of soft drink she chose from the drinks fridge and add it to my bag. She puts the food in her bag and we make our way, hand in hand—like a real couple—to the beach.

  It’s busy, but there’s still room for some privacy, so we find an empty spot away from most people and I pull out my large beach towel for both of us to sit on.

  We plonk ourselves down and I get the drinks ready as Cate unwraps our dinner and offers me a brightly coloured picnic plate from her tote bag.

  “That’s so civilised. I thought we were having a proper beach dinner with wrappers for plates?” I wink at her.

  She suddenly blushes and gets shy. “Oh. We could do that? I didn’t mean to ruin it. Sorry!”

  “Nah.” I take the plate from her and lean over to kiss her cheek. “This is much better.”

  Next, she pulls out a bottle of tomato sauce. I take out my cloth napkins, so she doesn’t think I came completely unprepared.

  We pile the fish and chips onto our plates and start eating.

  “You’ve thought of everything, babe! Are you having a good time?”

  She nods and looks out to the ocean. “Yes. It’s beautiful here and I’m loving these chips!” She dips another in the pool of sauce on her plate and shrugs, “The company’s not that bad either!”

  “Oh, you’ll pay for that later.” I smirk.

  She laughs.

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be tonight.” I say.

  We chat about our days and eat ourselves to near stuffed, with the generous portion that we got at the fish and chip shop.

  Cate tidies up the plates and packs up the rubbish in a little reusable bag that she uses to keep rubbish in, so she can toss it at home. Usually I’m the neat one, but she’s keen to make sure that we don’t add to the mess that can be left by beachgoers.

  Once there’s nothing between us, Cate lays out a second towel to create a T shape to mine. I lay down on mine, with my arms behind my head and she sits on hers for a while.

  I’ve got a gorgeous view of her in profile. Soon she decides to lay down too and lays her head on my chest.

  There’s still about an hour until sunset, so the sun is warm, but it’s not uncomfortable. There’s a light breeze and it’s that perfect golden hour.

  We can hear kids laughing and splashing and people generally enjoying the evening. But no one is close enough for us to hear their conversations or for them to hear ours.

  We talk about everything and nothing. About the things that worry us and the things that give us hope. It’s so easy talking to her. So foreign and yet so natural at the same time.

  She grabs my arm and kisses the inside of my wrist. Just because she can. The thought of this being over in ten days feels heavy on my chest. I want to shake it or at least ignore it.

  “Come on.” I tap her head, that’s still on my chest. “Time to swim!”

  “What?” She sits up and stares me down from behind her lowered sunglasses.

  I jump up with enthusiasm. “It’s not a real beach date without frolicking in the water!”

  I pull her to her feet and strip off my t-shirt. She just stares at my abs. It’s not like she hasn’t seen them before, but apparently the view, paired with my boardies, is something worth ogling.

  “You’re stalling, babe! Dress off!” I reach to tug at the hem, but she bats my hands away and slides the loose shoulder straps down her arms and lets the dress drop.

  Holy shit! This woman could be a pin up!

  I whistle, like the creep I am and she goes to grab a towel to wrap it ar
ound her. “Nu-uh! You’re too fucking hot to hide away.”

  She’s wearing a high waisted two-piece with a halter top that makes me want to bury my face in her boobs. She looks like a siren.

  Mine!

  I grab her around the waist, from behind and lift her off the ground and march towards the water. She squeals and kicks and tries to grab on.

  “Blake! I’m too heavy! Put me down!”

  I just keep marching with a triumphant grin on my face.

  I notice that some guys on the beach are checking her out. That’s partly what this display is.

  Sorry fellas, she’s taken.

  When we get to the water’s edge I set her back on her feet. She still almost trips, but I’m there to catch her. She turns and smacks my chest. “What was that?”

  “What was what, babe?” I ask, feigning ignorance. “That was efficient. That’s what it was.”

  “You are ridiculous!” She huffs.

  I just grab her by the waist and pull her to me and plant a hot kiss on her in front of everyone. It’s kind of a dick move, but I want her and I want everyone to know.

  I playfully tap her arse as I pull away and smirk, “In the water now, gorgeous!”

  She squeals and runs in and turns her head clearly wanting me to follow. This—of course—trips her and I do run in after her to pull her up. We laugh and play in the water.

  It’s just deep enough to cover her to her shoulders. We paddle out to a sandbar and I can’t help but pick her up and toss her into the deep water and swim to meet her.

  She squeals.

  “That was for calling me ‘not bad company’.” I say.

  She gives me a little shrug and smiles smugly.

  She wraps her body around me to stay afloat. I’m tall enough to reach the bottom, but my shorty is not.

  We kiss and the sun begins to set as we’re enjoying the water. It’s a picture perfect moment and one I hope to remember for a long time.

  I haul us out before it gets dark and I grab my phone to take a selfie of us with the sunset in the background. Cate insists that I take one with her phone too.

  Clearly, it’s one we both want to remember. We dry off enough to walk back to the tram and I get her a scoop of her favourite ice cream, before we take the tram back to her place.