Alone With Alexa (An Erotic Romance) Read Free

I
squinted into the distance, wondering if they were heading in our
direction. Minutes later, they drew near, and Ryan said, “How ya
doin’?”
    “Good, and you?”
    “Great. Thanks.”
    We passed them, entering the wetland area.
The reeds came up on either side, blocking the view. Croaking toads
and buzzing insects surrounded us, along with a cacophony of
squawking birds. There was a smaller body of water up ahead, which
was entirely secluded. Ryan paddled us into it.
    I stared into the brownish water. “Are there
fish?”
    “For sure.” I sat on the floor of the canoe,
leaning my head against the back of the seat, staring at Ryan, who
held an oar. He wore a baseball hat, shadowing half his face. “We
should talk.”
    I swallowed, suddenly anxious. “About
what?”
    “The shower this morning.”
    “What about it?”
    “You shouldn’t walk in on people like
that.”
    “I didn’t know you were in there.”
    “I had the water on, Alexa.”
    “Not when I showed up. I had…to pee.”
    “You have your own bathroom.”
    I shrugged. “It was an accident.”
    “You really should knock.”
    “I will. Sorry.”
    “I didn’t mention it to your mother, because
I knew it would upset her.”
    I chewed my lower lip. “Yeah, probably.” He
stared at me without speaking. I sat up, seizing a water bottle
from the bottom of the boat. I unscrewed the top and had a sip.
Fluid sloshed out, wetting my chest. His eyes followed the
direction of the droplets. “Can I ask you something, Ryan?”
    “What?”
    “Do you want to see me naked?”
    His look sobered. “That’s hardly
appropriate.” The paddle sliced through the water. “We should head
back. Put your lifejacket on.”
    No! I don’t want to go back yet .
“Can’t we hang out for a while?”
    He paused the motion, the paddle partially
submerged. “I…guess.”
    “Do you want some water?”
    “Thanks.”
    I leaned in to hand him the bottle. He seemed
tense, watching me suspiciously. It was almost as if being alone
with me was making him nervous. I scooted closer. The canoe dipped
from side to side. “There is something we should talk about,” I
murmured.
    He cleared his throat, eyeing me warily.
“Yeah?”
    “Mom’s birthday’s coming up. What will we get
her?”
    The impersonal question relieved him, because
his shoulders dropped slightly. “What do you think she’d like?”
    “Women love jewelry, don’t they?”
    “From my experience, yes.”
    “Did your first wife like jewelry?”
    This had surprised him. He blinked rapidly.
“Julia loved jewelry.”
    “Are you sad she died?”
    “Alexa.”
    “I’m sorry. You never talk about her. I just
wonder what she was like.”
    “Yes, she liked jewelry. Yes I’m…sad she
died. Of course I am.”
    “Why won’t you talk about her?”
    “Alexa.” His expression looked pained. “There
are some things that are very personal.”
    “Did you love her more than mom? Is that why
you won’t talk about her?”
    “Jesus! What a thing to ask. No, I didn’t
love her more than your mom. They’re both unique and individual
women.”
    “What was she like? Did she like to travel?
Did she make brownies? Did she make them for you?”
    He placed the oar inside the canoe and took
the hat off, running his fingers through his thick, brown hair.
“What the hell am I gonna do with you?” He met my stare. “I’ve got
photos on my computer, honey. I can show them to you later. We
traveled a lot before she got sick. We went to Italy and Greece and
Spain. She loved Europe. She loved the history and the
architecture. Being an artist, she appreciated the museums. Yes,
she made brownies, but she didn’t eat them a lot.”
    “She sounds like a nice lady.”
    “She was.”
    “Do you ever talk about her with mom?”
    “Sometimes. I don’t really like to dredge up
the past.”
    “Mom’s so jealous of other women.”
    “How do you mean?”
    “She’s jealous of me.”
    “What?”
    “I overheard you talking.