Alec

"Of course, I wouldn't trust anyone who didn't keep the receipts for the items they buy."

Alec chewed on his lower lip. "I don't."

I snorted. "You're datin' me now honey, that will change."

A smile stretched across Alec face as he lifted his hand and brushed loose strands of hair out of my face.

"I like you, kitten."

I smiled. "I don't believe you."

"I do, I like you a lottle. It's like a little, except a lot."

I rolled my eyes. "You can't take cute sayin's from the internet and try to make them yours."

Alec gasped. "I would never! I made that up-"

"I've seen the little penguin picture with the lottle word on it, you're lyin'."

Alec grunted. "Fine, whatever. I saw it on Facebook somewhere, but it's cute and it fits how I feel about you."

"I smell bullshit."

Alec smiled. "You know I'm serious."

"No, I don't believe you," I whispered.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "You want me to convince you?"

"I don't think anythin' you do will convince me."

Was I flirting?

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so."

Yes, yes I was.

"You really shouldn't challenge me, little girl," Alec said in a low, threatening voice that I didn't find scary, only sexy.

"Or what?" I asked, keeping direct eye contact with him.

"I'll accept and see that I complete the challenge to the best of my abilities."

I swallowed. "Prove it-"

His mouth was on mine before I could finish my sentence.

Alec has kissed me a once or twice before, but those were pecks on the lips and were mostly to annoy me. But this kiss, this kiss was something else entirely. I felt it not only in my mouth but in other parts of my body as well.

"Alec, stop," I mumbled into his mouth.

He lifted his hands from my waist and placed them on the side of my face, holding me in place connected to him. He applied more pressure to the kiss, and swirled his tongue around mine, thoroughly kissing me. My hands were frozen on his bare biceps and I don't know whether my grip was to keep him from getting closer to me or to keep him from moving away from me.

I felt him pull back from me, and the little nip he gave to my bottom lip was the jolt I needed to come back down to Earth, because after that kiss I was somewhere miles away.

"Keela?" Alec whispered.

My eyes were still closed as I hummed in response.

"I don't like the word 'stop', but I do like hearing you say my name."

I blinked my eyes open and through my thoroughly kissed daze, I smiled.

"You're a really good kisser."

Alec laughed and kissed my forehead. "Kitten, you have no idea. Just wait till I get you back to our room."

I blinked and snorted at his cockiness.

"You're a good kisser, a really good kisser, but don't think that will be enough to get me into bed."

Alec winked. "We sleep in the same bed."

I playfully swatted his shoulder. "You know what I mean."

Alec chuckled. "Yeah I know, and I already accepted that challenge back home. As you just found out, I'm very good at completing challenges."

I raised my eyebrow. "What challenge did you just complete?"

"I convinced you that I like you."

He did?

I rolled my eyes. "You convinced me that you're a good kisser, that doesn't mean you like me."

"I'm here pretending to be your boyfriend with the possibility of getting zero benefits from you. Trust me kitten, I like you. I like you a whole lottle, remember?"

I groaned. "You should not be able to say things like that."

"Why?"

Really?

"Because it's too bloody cute, that's why."

Alec smiled. "Yeah? Well, it's true."

I was wary, I wanted to believe that someone like Alec could even remotely think of liking someone like me, but I couldn't because my mind and heart wouldn't allow me to.

"Yeah, yeah, Romeo."

Alec frowned at me. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Play off what I say to you as if it's a bunch of lies? I'm a very honest person Keela. If I say I like you, then I fucking like you!"

I jumped with fright and took a step back as my eyes filled with tears. "Why are you shoutin' at me?"

"Because I don't like that you think I'm playing you. I'm not, I'd tell you if I was."

I forced my tears not to fall as I narrowed my eyes. "You aren't playing me? Did you or did you not tell me that while you were here it wasn't for romance, but only for you to fuck me?"

Alec set his jaw and glared down at me. "I did say that, but that was before I knew you."

"You don't know me Alec, you've been in my life a few fuckin' days."

"Is a few days not enough to know someone? I already know you kitten. You're moody in the mornings, afternoons and sometimes in the evenings. You wet your toothbrush after you apply the paste, which is weird by the way. You like One Direction way too much for a grown woman, their song "Little Things" is your favourite. I know that because you have played it more than any of their other songs. You want to be really skinny but love food too much to fully stick to the diet you're on. Coronation Street, and Eastenders, are your favourite soap operas, I know that because you set your Sky box to record all the episodes that you will miss while you're here. You love Storm like a mother loves her child, and really hate when Aideen calls him names. You also love Aideen like a sister and cherish her friendship. I've studied you Keela, I know you."

I stared at Alec for a moment before I said, "Knowin' me routine doesn't mean you know me."

"I know you not just your routine. I probably don't know how many cousins you have, what your mother's maiden name is or who your first kiss was, but I do know the little things that make you who you are. You bite your fingernails when you're nervous, you talk to yourself and answer yourself when you think no one is listening, you make up your own lyrics when singing along to songs you don't know, and cry easily when people shout at you."

I blinked, still trying to hold my tears back. "I do not."

"You're also the most stubborn human on the planet."

"No, I'm not... you are," I mumbled and then sniffled.

I was going to cry.

I was actually going to cry in a tattoo parlour because Alec listed shite I didn't know he knew about me.

I was a mess, a colossal mess.

"Why are you upset?"

"Because you being very deep right now with all this 'lottle and like' talk, Can’t we just talk about this some other time?"

Alec eyed me, but nodded his head. "Okay."

"Thank you."

"You and your girl finished, mon?" Ink God called out.

I flushed with embarrassment and quickly wiped my eyes with the back of my hands.

"Yeah bro, we're good," Alec said then turned and moved back over towards Ink God.

I followed silently, making sure my eyes never landed on either man, but instead roamed around the parlour. I looked over my shoulder when the door of the parlour open and in walked four girls. The oldest looked to be about twenty.

I moved away from Alec and walked towards the large sofa across the room. I wasn't really interested in listening to Alec and Ink God hammer out a design for Alec's tattoo. I sat on the chair and inwardly groaned because it was the definition of comfortable.

"Look at him."

I looked to my left and raised my eyebrows.

All four of the girl's eyes were on Alec and it was then that I realised he was still shirtless. I narrowed my eyes at the group and folded my arms across my chest.

"He is so fit," one of the girls whispered.

"Fit doesn't do him justice, he is bloody stunning," another one whispered then giggled.

I rolled my eyes.

Of course they would have to be English. I think they were from London based on their accents and that didn't make me feel better, because not only were they all really pretty, but their accents were really cool and nice to listen to.