Authors note; after their reconciliation, Ian and Roz have many awkward firsts to look forward to. This will be the first of many! let me know what you think! Next chapter up soon. when Roz meets Hannah again...
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It was a beautiful afternoon, the golden sand glistening in the bright sunlight as turquoise waves chased each other towards it. There was the inevitable rush and then a soft sigh as the water reached its destination only to be pulled away once again in its never ending cycle. Roz bit her lip hard, the faint taste of blood on her tongue a warning to ease the pressure. Her nerves were drawn so tightly they were on the verge of breaking.
What was she doing here? How had this ever seemed like a good idea?
Ever since she had reconciled with Ian she'd been dreading this very moment.
The moment of truth. It was Ian's birthday, his twenty-fifth to be precise and she was his date. The awkwardness of the situation was not in any way made easier by her best friend openly being with her own son. Lil and Tom made no secret of their relationship now, in fact one could say they flaunted it.
The truth was that Roz still felt decidedly awkward being with Ian even though she'd never loved him more. The fact that people would see her as the inevitable Mrs Robinson galled her endlessly. It was trite how people fell into old assumptions so easily without ever knowing the truth.
All that had led them here, to this moment, was heart-rending. They deserved this surely, after so much heartache? Years of self denial and lies had finally ended in a happily ever after. Roz was unrepentant for that, she had to be with Ian, that much was clear by now.
It was only two weeks since Ian had taken those first steps to fixing what she'd broken. This was still new - not hiding, being together.
Ian squeezed her fingers - his own were interlaced with them. She knew exactly what had put that shit-eating grin on his handsome face. The half hour stop at a lay-by high above their beach had once again pushed Roz out of her comfort zone, delicious urgency had pulsed through her entire body as Ian had shown her exactly how flexible she could be in the front seat of her SUV.
Ian was unconcerned with their neighbours' reactions to their new status as a couple. He seemed to be revelling in the very act of claiming her as his and this made her glow from the inside out, despite her protests. Roz's heart skipped a beat as she fell head long into Ian's dark and mysterious green gaze, his happiness was contagious and his smile made her knees weak. He was undeniably handsome tonight, his surfer boy charm blatantly obvious. His tanned skin contrasted starkly with the white shirt he wore, his dark blond hair long enough to fall into his eyes. His effort at appearing smartly dressed was somewhat lost with all his innate savagery just beneath the surface. Roz knew all too well that he was as unpredictable as a summer storm, his moods mercurial and his personality tempestuous. A smart shirt and trousers couldn't hide the man beneath, he was as wild as the waves he loved to ride. She'd always had a way with him, even as a child his moodiness had confounded Lil while Roz had always been able to calm him. Ian's only anchor was her. He tugged her even closer, into his side, until he was all but wearing her on his skin. Roz watched dry mouthed as he lifted their intertwined hands and placed a lingering kiss on her knuckles, inhaling deeply. She knew how he loved her scent.
Her pulse quickened as she recalled his ability to reduce her to mush. There really were no boundaries with them anymore and it showed. She'd never felt so physically connected to another human being in her entire life. Roz suddenly felt safe as Ian tugged her up the stairs to his mum's house. They were so close it was almost impossible to tell where one ended and the other began and Ian would have it no other way.
Lil had thrown this party for her son, but Roz knew it also had the dual purpose of revealing their new relationships and silencing the local gossip.
People stared. Particularly Saul. He openly gaped at Lil, who was oblivious. Tom stood behind her at the bar, his arm around her while he smoked with the other. Roz nodded at several people somewhat stiffly, before hugging Lil one armed because Ian refused to let her go. Lil laughed good naturedly and kissed her best friend's cheek.
"You look stunning." She told Roz, before leaning up to kiss her son. "Happy birthday my darling." She said.
Their interactions were observed keenly by almost everyone at the party. Roz felt her belly tighten in unease.
Ian greeted his mother, shook Tom's hand and then pulled Roz onto the makeshift dance floor. She laughed in protest, but the laughter died as Ian's arms closed around her and the ever present electricity between them was ignited. The music was slow, with a sensual latina vibe which allowed for close contact. Ian took full advantage of her very low-backed dress, his fingers danced along her spine, all the way from just above her buttocks until they reached the nape of her neck just under her short hair. Her eyes turned tilt, safe from detection in the semi darkness, she was breathless and already aroused but desperate not to be.
The highly sexual nature of her relationship with Ian would hardly calm the gossips! Indeed it would only add fuel to the fire.
"I don't fucking care." He murmured beside her ear, correctly interpreting the look on her face. His heated breath washed over her skin, causing her hair to dance. A shiver of the most sexual kind swept along her entire body leaving her nipples hard and her body filled with longing. Ian was undoubtedly her kryptonite. She was powerless to stop the drowning want she experienced each time they touched. It was like a drug.
Roz pulled herself together with a deeply fortifying breath of cool sea air. The sun was beginning to set and the temperature dropped along with it.
"You should care. I do."
Ian pulled back to study her face, his expression playful and decidedly unrepentant.
"I was forced to live years without you. I won't go a moment longer pretending like you're not mine."
Roz sighed, he was right. Did it really matter what these small minded people thought?
They would invariably talk, no matter what they did; Roz was Ian's mothers' best friend. She'd watched him grow up! There would be questions. Their age difference alone was enough to fuel gossip for decades to come.
She could imagine the topic of their debates; how long had she been sleeping with Ian? Had she molested him as a child? Had she seduced him during one of those sleepovers with her son? Roz was sick to her stomach at the thought of those sickening insinuations.
"Happy birthday." She said instead, to change the subject.
Ian watched her, his gaze enigmatic and then he smiled. It was slow and sensual, designed to infiltrate her composure. "Thank you. This is the first birthday in a very long time that I truly feel happy."
Roz looked at him with a reluctant smile. Ian leaned in suddenly to claim a kiss. It was brief and chaste compared to the kisses they usually shared, but her heart leapt, threatening to jump right out of her chest.
There was a lull in the conversation around them and Roz could feel everyone staring.
Ian pulled back from the kiss and tilted her chin upwards with a single finger, not allowing her to focus on anything but them.
"I love you." He told her simply and she couldn't doubt it, everything else paled in significance. "I love you too." She whispered and her entire being sang with the sincerity of it. The joy of being with Ian was indescribable. It was as if Ian had been made especially for her. Harold had been nothing in comparison, a waste of time really. The only reason she couldn't regret the entire marriage was that it had brought her Tom.
Tom walked past at that moment and handed a beer to Ian.
"Happy birthday, mate." He said with a cheeky smile, all animosity long gone.
Ian accepted the drink and took a very large sip before saluting his old friend in thanks. The conversation around them resumed, a few whispered conversations openly censored their involvement. Words like 'intolerable' and 'scandalous' reached Roz's ears but she chose to focus on Ian. They could say what they pleased, she knew there really wasn't any option but this. Because she couldn't live without him, she'd tried and failed.
They danced a lot that night. They spoke to everyone and ignored the curious glances and even the more penetrative stares. There was cake and Lil took plenty of photos, acting for all the world as if it were only natural for her best friend to be dating her son.
Roz left with Ian around midnight, their footsteps muted by the still warm sand. Roz sighed in relief as the sounds of the party died away.
Ian didn't ask permission, he merely took her car keys and drove. The headlights cut a sharp beam through the inky blackness along the winding road. The trees rushed by, making Roz sleepy, although her entire body was alive with expectant excitement. Her hand rested on Ian's thigh, her fingers stroking lightly along the muscular expanse of flesh beneath the smart black trousers. Her small finger occasionally brushed the hardness at the apex of his thighs. She watched his profile, admiring his large hands gripping the steering wheel and changing gears. There were thick, colourful woven bracelets on his wrist, lending a bohemian edge to his otherwise pristine image.
They weren't going home, that much was clear.
Ian stopped the car and cut the engine leaving them in darkness. He got out of the car and Roz found herself breathing hard, anticipating what was to come. He was there moments later to pull her out. She didn't hesitate to follow where he led, she was eager, indeed, desperate, for the taste of him.
They didn't speak, the silence loaded with a million emotions and needs too multifaceted to voice.
She could hear the faint thunder of the ocean as well as a storm brewing miles away. Ian took her to the front of the car where he lifted her into the heated bonnet with ease. Her gasp of surprise was cut short by his mouth, driving need and urgency in each swipe of his lips and tongue. Roz's belly flip flopped wildly as Ian took control and she let him.