"Yes, very."

"Why?"

"Because you are not single, Ms. Summers, you are mine." He smirked at me, making me lean forward with a confident, l.u.s.t fuelled stare.

"Correction, Mr. Clark, I was yours. I am not anymore. I am no one's, not yet anyway."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.

He grabbed my face and sealed my mouth with a hungry kiss. I gave into him for a second, then bit his lip and pulled back. He clenched his fist and twitched his eye, but still looked amused, obviously not taking me seriously.

"Bryce, I'm serious. I am now single. Rick will stay at his parent's house until he has bought himself a nice new home with the money you gave him, therefore, I am now single and officially on the market." He ran his hand through his hair, contemplating what I had just said, then raised his eyebrow and shook his head in conceit.

"In that case, Ms. Summers, can I ask you out on a date?" I felt my face rise into a smile, even though I willed it not to do that.

"Yes you can, anybody can."

"No they can't."

I scoffed. "Yes they can, it's up to me whether I say yes or no."

"Can Rick ask you on a date?" Ah now you are getting it.

"Yes, Bryce, he can and he will. He has told me he is not going to give up on us. He wants a new start, and like I said before, I am now unattached and available." He leaned forward, grabbed hold of my chair, and dragged it closer to him until we were practically nose to nose.

"You are not available, my love. If he wants to fight for you, I will show him exactly what a fight is." Oh s.h.i.t, he is so lusciously protective and s.e.xy and possessively hot. "Tell me something, Hunny, when he touches you here..." He placed his hand on my thigh, sending pleasurable waves of sensation directly in between my legs. "When he touches you here, do you feel what you are feeling now?" I whimpered at his touch. No, not really, not for a long time anyway. I didn't say anything because he already knew the answer. He opened my legs and ran both hands up them, then grabbed hold of my a.r.s.e and lifted me onto his lap. "Do you honestly think he can fight for you over me?" Don't answer that, Alexis. I ran my hands through his hair, he groaned ever so slightly, making me clench my pelvic floor.

"I have to give him a chance, Bryce. Our whirlwind romantic week is over, and it's now back to reality for me. I have a home to keep, kids to clothe, feed, wash, love and play with. I cannot just abandon all that." He looked at me strangely.

"Why would I think you'd abandon that?"

"I don't know, we've never really discussed me as a package."

He gripped me tighter and looked me up and down. "And you are quite the package, my love."

I smiled at his compliment. "Seriously, Bryce, I know you want me, you have made that very clear, but do you want me and my children? That's the question." I hopped off his lap and walked to the brick bal.u.s.trade. The view from this roof top was somewhat funny compared to the penthouse, as you did not get the dramatic effect, nor the perspective that being forty-three floors up can give you. Instead when I looked down from here, I found one man taking a p.i.s.s, offering no a.s.sistance when trying to untangle my head. Nice! Bryce walked over and put his back to the wall.

"Alexis, I want you, only you..." My heart sank, what did I expect? He would want to wake up one day and automatically have two children? "I want you, Hunny, and your children are a part of you. So, yes, I want your children too." I turned to look at him. "I love kids, and although I've only met Nate and Charlotte once, I can see so much of you in them both, there is no way I would not want them and love them." The relief I felt at the mention of those words was enormous.

"They would have to want you too, you know? You might have impressed me with your incredibly good looks, hot body, mind-blowing bedroom antics, guitar playing and cooking skills, but that will not work on them."

He crossed his arms. "Two words my love: helicopter and 4Life." He raised his eyebrows at me, which made me laugh.

"Funny that, that's probably all it's going to take."

He pulled me to him and secured me in his arms. "I will do anything to have you in my life, whatever it takes Alexis, I will do it." I kissed him again. I didn't want to wait any longer. I missed the taste of his mouth, the smell of his skin, the feel of his hair through my fingers as I grabbed it. I missed his sometimes short, rough stubble that p.r.i.c.kled my cheeks and tickled my neck as he made his journey south. I missed the way my body responded to his touch, from the tingling in my lips to the moan that resonated from within my throat. I missed how the muscles in my pelvis would clench and pulse, the way my nipples would firm, and how my leg would sometimes automatically lift for him to take hold of. All these things came to life from just one simple touch. "Alexis, I want my c.o.c.k inside of you, now!" He groaned.

Oh, f.u.c.k! My breathing was fast and short. "I want your c.o.c.k inside of me too, but I don't sleep with men before I date them."

He broke away from me. "Well let's go on a date, now."

I laughed at his plea. "Sorry, I'm busy."

He found my playfulness amusing. "When are you available, Ms. Summers?"

aWell let's see... Tomorrow is out, and Sat.u.r.day I'm going dancing with my girlfriends. Sunday is a school night..."

"I don't go to school."

Ha-ha, very funny. "Monday, I go back to work." He smiled. "Um, I'll call you, okay?"

"Monday, I am not waiting any longer than Monday."

"Well that depends if my boss keeps me back on Monday."

"He might just do that."

"Good. Now come on, I need to go back downstairs, plus there is a really good band on tonight and the lead guitarist makes me ac.u.mvulse' when he plays." I went to leave, but he held my hand out at full stretch.

"I will not lose you again, my love, ever. If you want me to fight for you I will, but it will only prolong the inevitable."

"Bryce, it's not about you fighting for me, or proving your love for me. It's not about a compet.i.tion between you and Rick. It's about me and my children finding our feet without their father then rea.s.sessing what we want and need as a family."

"You need and want me." Grrrr, yes, but? But? f.u.c.k!

I pulled him along. "f.u.c.k, you are infuriating."

He laughed as I dragged him along, then grabbed my hips and whispered in to my ear, while rubbing himself against me.

"f.u.c.k, your a.r.s.e in denim does things to my c.o.c.k."

I loved his s.e.xy compliments. "Shut up and move this potted plant."

We walked back into the bar and a couple of slightly intoxicated men gave Bryce their manly approval by commenting on our absence.

"Nice work, mate, that didn't take you long."

"You showed her how it's done!"

He tensed ever so slightly, so I squeezed his hand to rea.s.sure him that they did not bother me at all, if anything their behaviour was laughable. Carly was still at the bar and if my eyes did not deceive me, I could swear she just wrote down something on the back of a coaster and slipped it to Lucas. Nice work, Carls! Jen was in deep discussion with Lucy, and they seemed very comfortable with each other, that was until we stopped right next to them, and they both stopped talking.

"Lucy, I've missed you. You were fantastic up on stage." I gave her a hug.

"It obviously worked!" She smiled at Bryce.

"Yes, but we have a lot of things to work through and sort out, so let's just say it is a work in progress." Jen smiled and nodded in approval.

"So, Alexis, seeing as we are now dating, can I buy you a drink?" I rolled my eyes at him, but secretly loved his naughty stab at me.

"Yes, I'll have aA Good f.u.c.k' thanks."

Jen dropped her jaw in surprise, then realised I had in fact asked for a drink. Well technically a drink, yes, but truthfully I want the non-liquid form. Bryce squeezed my hand again, this time a lot firmer. I guessed that was not the only thing that got a lot firmer, so I moved ever so slightly, placing myself in front of him and subtly pressed my a.r.s.e into his groin. His d.i.c.k twitched against me, confirming what I had thought.

"What's in aA Good f.u.c.k'?" he asked, still playing along. Only two ingredients: you and me, Mr. Clark.

"Vodka, Sambuca, orange juice, and crushed ice." I turned and raised my eyebrow at him, he knew this was not the aGood f.u.c.k' I was referring to.

"Very well, anyone else?"

"I haven't had a good f.u.c.k since the baby, so yeah count me in." Lucy replied.

Bryce looked at her, his face priceless, but also giving the impression he did not know whether to laugh or cup his ears with his hands.

"Yeah, me too, it's been a long time in between good f.u.c.ks for me, so I'm in." Jen's acceptance of Bryce's offer also had his face slightly twisted.

"I'm always up for aA Good f.u.c.k'." Now with Carls on board, we were all set for a round of them.

Bryce and Lucy joined the band for their last set on stage. I thoroughly enjoyed watching every minute of him playing, and I also enjoyed watching the two of them interact on stage. They really did share a special bond, and it was lovely to watch. After that, we stayed and had a couple more drinks. Jen and Bryce had a long chat, while Lucy and I made another harrowing trip to the toilet. Carly seemed to take a liking to Lucas and flirted with him up until we dragged her out of the bar.

We were outside by the car, and Bryce had his arms wrapped around me.

"Where are you staying?" I asked."

"I had hoped you and I would fly back to the city tonight." He responded as he dragged his nose up my neck.

"Had you just? Are you allowed to drink and fly?"

"Um, actually no, so I think I will need to sleep here with you." I could tell he was kidding.

"Do you think that after taking me on a date to a regional pub, and buying me aA Good f.u.c.k', I'd actually then give you a good f.u.c.k? Sorry, Mr. Clark, I'm not that easy." A growl sounded from deep within his throat, the s.e.xy as h.e.l.l growl he would always make right before he ravished me until I climaxed and screamed his name.

"Alexis, Hunny, you are f.u.c.king killing me."

I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed him softly with the intention of calming his raging need for me.

"I know, Bryce, I'm sorry. I have to go home tonight then wake up with my kids and take them home tomorrow, but..." I placed my finger on his lips. "I might be able to convince the girls to go dancing at say...Opals tomorrow night? So, if you are lucky, you might just see me there. And if you do, you can buy me another drink, maybe this time aA Screaming o.r.g.a.s.m'." I unwrapped his hands and blew him a kiss, then hopped into Jen's 4WD.

"Alexis Elizabeth Summers." Was all Jen could manage to say as we drove away from the Pub.

"Yes, Jennifer Ann Blaxlo-Scott" I replied, wearing a smirk. Yes they are freaking contagious!

"I can see why you have fallen head over heels for Bryce Clark. He is such a..."

Carly b.u.t.ted in, "a f.u.c.king c.l.i.t-clenching, s.e.xy beast?"

I cracked up laughing. "Well yes Carls, but that's not what I was going to say. What I was going to say was, he is very charming and obviously adores you something chronic." Jen explained.

I let out a long sigh and smiled simultaneously. "Yes, he does."

"So what did you talk about while you were gone upstairs? You did talk, didn't you?" Jen asked while raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Yes, Jen, we did talk. I didn't f.u.c.k him on the roof, if that is what you are insinuating."

"Why not Lex? I would have, especially after that performance, f.u.c.k." Carly chimed in.

"Not helping, Carls. Yes, Jen. we talked. I told him I have forgiven him and Rick, and that I am now single and sorting my life out. I told him that if he wanted me, he would have to date me like any other normal couple would do."

Carls started laughing. "I love it, you little wh.o.r.e."

"Carls."

"Sorry, I love it, you little two-timing minx."

I giggled at her correction. "I'm not two-timing, okay well maybe I might be, but it's more to do with starting fresh and seeing who I want to be with. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"I think it's obvious who you want to be with, Lex." Jen was right, it was obvious. I couldn't resist Bryce. I couldn't resist the attraction we had, the chemistry, nor the insatiable urge to taste one another. Then there's Rick, I still loved him, I know I did. But was it a mutual respect kind of love, or was it the pa.s.sionate kind? s.h.i.t, maybe this whole dating thing is not such a good idea, it will probably confuse me even more.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I don't have to decide right away though, that's the beauty of it, Jen. I have all the time in the world." She glanced at me then drove us back home.

We got up early Friday morning, packed the car, said our goodbyes and headed home. Mum and Dad had hugged me tightly like they did when I was younger, it was the kind of hug you got when you needed reminding that you were still their little girl and could turn to them for anything. I thanked them for looking after the kids and for being wonderful and supportive, and for just being them, really.

Jen had driven home the previous night after she had dropped Carly and I off. I had kissed and hugged her through the driver's side window, thanking her for being aSister Of The Year' and my rock during times when I completely screwed things up. She had kissed my cheek and told me to take my time when deciding who I loved the most, but to be careful with Rick and Bryce's hearts. I remembered what she had said before winding her window up, aThey obviously both love you, Alexis, and you would not cope knowing you had destroyed one of them'. These words of advice played on my mind all the way home. No, I would not cope knowing I had destroyed one of them, it would in turn destroy me, but how do I avoid doing that? I can't be with them both and I don't want to, I'm not like that.

Rick greeted us after I parked the car in the garage.

"Dad!" Charlotte unbuckled her seatbelt with lightening speed and launched herself out of the car and into her father's arms.

"h.e.l.lo, my princess. Did you miss me?"

"Of course, Dad."