Claire was miles away as Blaze made his way across the countryside towards
Wilgul. Thoughts were spiralling around inside her head. Thoughts over
which she had no control. She knew she was doing the right thing in going
to tell Alex, she had to tell him, but was now the right time? Surely it
could wait, I mean I don't even know what I want to say, and I'm sure
Charlotte needs feeding and then there's the drenching that needs to be
done, she told herself.
She had almost convinced herself to turn back, when a buzzing behind her caught her attention. She turned in the saddle to pinpoint the noise, smiling despite herself when she saw Alex riding towards her.
"Hey, McLeod!" he called, willing himself not to jump off the bike and ravish her there and then. She had looked so beautiful as she rode, her dark hair flowing in the wind, her riding style poised and perfect. Turning the bike off, he walked over to Claire, who remained on Blaze.
Claire tightened her grip on the reins. Alex really was a gorgeous man, all muscle and blue, blue eyes. Not that that was all there was to him, she told herself, looks aren't everything - although they definitely were a bonus, she thought, her eyebrows rising at the thought.
"What? " Alex grinned, having noticed her eyes trail up and down his body. "Looking good, hey?"
Claire busied herself in dismounting Blaze, her actions not quite hiding the blush that blazed across her face. She missed her mark slightly, her preoccupation with Alex causing her to meet the ground slightly faster than expected. Stumbling, she found herself in Alex's arms as he leaped forward to catch her. As if in an automatic reaction to having Claire in his arms, Alex tightened his grip on her, his hands caressing her arms, his eyes seeking hers.
Claire stared up at him, and for the merest of seconds she really thought he was going to kiss her. She saw it in his eyes, the love, the passion and the desire - and she saw him turn it all off as quickly as it had appeared.
"Watch it McLeod, don't fool with the merchandise" he grinned as he stepped away from her and straightened his shirt. Glancing away from the woman in front of him, Alex willed himself to get a grip on his emotions. He could wait, he told himself. Claire needed more time; she wasn't ready for a relationship. Looking back at her, he felt his heart stop. She always had been beautiful, but just now, flushed and breathless, she was all he would ever need. It was all he could do not to pull her to him and kiss her until the cows came home - literally.
Claire swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. There was no denying it, she had seen the look he had given her, and she had also seen the way he had repressed it. Reaching up a slightly shaking hand, she ran her hand through her hair, before replacing her hat firmly on her head.
"As if!" she finally managed in reply. And there it was again, the flash of emotion, the hurt swiftly covered up by another grin.
"You'll never know unless you try" he said, the silence that followed broken only by the soft whinny of the horse beside them. Taking her heart in both hands, Claire looked at Alex.
"What - " she swallowed again, this was going to be difficult, I mean, this was Alex - the Alex who had dunked her in the waterhole aged 8, the Alex who had taken part in mud fights during the storms when she was 16, the Alex who had stepped up to be Charlotte's father - the Alex with whom Claire was now so desperately and completely in love.
Alex took a step closer to her, confused and concerned by her actions.
"What, what if - "
"Claire?"
By now he was so close she could feel the heat radiating from him. Reaching out, he ran a hand down her arm, his concern clouding his determination not to touch her. Claire stared up into his beautiful blue eyes and heard herself continue.
"What if I want to try the merchandise?
The glimmer of a smile threatened to break free as Claire heard Alex's almost imperceptible gasp as he took in what she had just said.
"McL- Claire - wh - did you just say - did you just say what I think you just said?"
And it was all there; Alex's face was an open book. Surprise, hope, delight and love chased each other through his soul, eventually breaking out in the biggest grin Claire had ever seen.
"Claire - what are you say - ah the hell with it" he said, pulling Claire to him and wrapping her in his arms. "I've wanted to do this for so long," he murmured into her hair. Raising his eyes to hers Alex stared at her. Jumping in with both feet, Alex shut his eyes and told her.
"Claire McLeod, I love you. I always have and I always will. Whatever happens, you have to know that I love you."
His heart stopped in the following silence, starting only again as he felt a small, but passionate kiss grace his lips.
"Alex? Alex, look at me, please."
Alex opened his eyes and smiled at the woman who fit so perfectly in his arms.
"Alex, I - you, you've always been there for me. Everywhere I look, everywhere I go, there you are - whether I want you there or not" she grinned poking him in the shoulder. He grinned back, praying to every god he'd ever heard of that she wasn't going to brush him off after he had opened his soul to her. Claire never did have a good time talking about things; she was true to her heritage, finding it hard to talk about emotions, preferring to suppress her emotions than to give into them. Alex slowly lowered his arms and drew Claire out of the sunlight and into the shade of a nearby eucalypt.
Claire shivered, having grown used to being in Alex's embrace. Turning to him, she caught a momentary flash of fear, as if he feared his heart was about to be trampled and returned to him on a plate. Sighing, she realised that she shouldn't be so hurt by his reaction; she never had been one for putting her emotions out there for all to see. But this, this was precious; this had to be grabbed with both hands and never let go. Alex loves me, she thought to herself, a bubble of happiness growing inside. He really truly loves me and - and I love him. So tell him, you fool! She admonished herself, reading the growing anxiety that crawled across his face.
Alex's heart was breaking. He'd told her, finally told her and she didn't get it. His heart was out there for her to see, and McLeod didn't want it. And suddenly it was more than he could take. Brushing past her, Alex made for his bike.
It took Claire a couple of seconds to realise that Alex was leaving, and that he still thought she didn't love him. Chasing after him, she grabbed his arm and swung him round. "Alex wait!
"Yeah, sure McLeod. I'll hang around so you can trample over my emotions, so you can laugh about the fact that I love you more than I've ever loved any woman!" he yelled.
"Oh now wait just a minute Alexander Ryan! Don't you dare speak to me like that, not when I'm just about to tell you that I love you too! Don't you dare tell me that I don't love you when I love you so much it scares me! Don't you ever tell me that" she yelled back at him.
There was a silence while the implications of their words sank in.
"Ok." Said Alex, reaching out a hand towards her.
"Ok" said Claire, taking his hand and wrapping herself in his hug.
Staring up at him Claire smiled softly as Alex took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Running one hand through her silky dark hair, his fingers came to rest under her chin. Raising it so that he could look deep into her eyes, he stared down at her, his blue eyes revealing all of the love he felt for her. Her smile widened as he spoke. She knew what he was going to say, and she knew what her reply would be.
"Ok, McLeod, I'm going to kiss you now." He said, lowering his lips towards hers. Just before they met, she murmured,
"And about bloody time too!"
She had almost convinced herself to turn back, when a buzzing behind her caught her attention. She turned in the saddle to pinpoint the noise, smiling despite herself when she saw Alex riding towards her.
"Hey, McLeod!" he called, willing himself not to jump off the bike and ravish her there and then. She had looked so beautiful as she rode, her dark hair flowing in the wind, her riding style poised and perfect. Turning the bike off, he walked over to Claire, who remained on Blaze.
Claire tightened her grip on the reins. Alex really was a gorgeous man, all muscle and blue, blue eyes. Not that that was all there was to him, she told herself, looks aren't everything - although they definitely were a bonus, she thought, her eyebrows rising at the thought.
"What? " Alex grinned, having noticed her eyes trail up and down his body. "Looking good, hey?"
Claire busied herself in dismounting Blaze, her actions not quite hiding the blush that blazed across her face. She missed her mark slightly, her preoccupation with Alex causing her to meet the ground slightly faster than expected. Stumbling, she found herself in Alex's arms as he leaped forward to catch her. As if in an automatic reaction to having Claire in his arms, Alex tightened his grip on her, his hands caressing her arms, his eyes seeking hers.
Claire stared up at him, and for the merest of seconds she really thought he was going to kiss her. She saw it in his eyes, the love, the passion and the desire - and she saw him turn it all off as quickly as it had appeared.
"Watch it McLeod, don't fool with the merchandise" he grinned as he stepped away from her and straightened his shirt. Glancing away from the woman in front of him, Alex willed himself to get a grip on his emotions. He could wait, he told himself. Claire needed more time; she wasn't ready for a relationship. Looking back at her, he felt his heart stop. She always had been beautiful, but just now, flushed and breathless, she was all he would ever need. It was all he could do not to pull her to him and kiss her until the cows came home - literally.
Claire swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. There was no denying it, she had seen the look he had given her, and she had also seen the way he had repressed it. Reaching up a slightly shaking hand, she ran her hand through her hair, before replacing her hat firmly on her head.
"As if!" she finally managed in reply. And there it was again, the flash of emotion, the hurt swiftly covered up by another grin.
"You'll never know unless you try" he said, the silence that followed broken only by the soft whinny of the horse beside them. Taking her heart in both hands, Claire looked at Alex.
"What - " she swallowed again, this was going to be difficult, I mean, this was Alex - the Alex who had dunked her in the waterhole aged 8, the Alex who had taken part in mud fights during the storms when she was 16, the Alex who had stepped up to be Charlotte's father - the Alex with whom Claire was now so desperately and completely in love.
Alex took a step closer to her, confused and concerned by her actions.
"What, what if - "
"Claire?"
By now he was so close she could feel the heat radiating from him. Reaching out, he ran a hand down her arm, his concern clouding his determination not to touch her. Claire stared up into his beautiful blue eyes and heard herself continue.
"What if I want to try the merchandise?
The glimmer of a smile threatened to break free as Claire heard Alex's almost imperceptible gasp as he took in what she had just said.
"McL- Claire - wh - did you just say - did you just say what I think you just said?"
And it was all there; Alex's face was an open book. Surprise, hope, delight and love chased each other through his soul, eventually breaking out in the biggest grin Claire had ever seen.
"Claire - what are you say - ah the hell with it" he said, pulling Claire to him and wrapping her in his arms. "I've wanted to do this for so long," he murmured into her hair. Raising his eyes to hers Alex stared at her. Jumping in with both feet, Alex shut his eyes and told her.
"Claire McLeod, I love you. I always have and I always will. Whatever happens, you have to know that I love you."
His heart stopped in the following silence, starting only again as he felt a small, but passionate kiss grace his lips.
"Alex? Alex, look at me, please."
Alex opened his eyes and smiled at the woman who fit so perfectly in his arms.
"Alex, I - you, you've always been there for me. Everywhere I look, everywhere I go, there you are - whether I want you there or not" she grinned poking him in the shoulder. He grinned back, praying to every god he'd ever heard of that she wasn't going to brush him off after he had opened his soul to her. Claire never did have a good time talking about things; she was true to her heritage, finding it hard to talk about emotions, preferring to suppress her emotions than to give into them. Alex slowly lowered his arms and drew Claire out of the sunlight and into the shade of a nearby eucalypt.
Claire shivered, having grown used to being in Alex's embrace. Turning to him, she caught a momentary flash of fear, as if he feared his heart was about to be trampled and returned to him on a plate. Sighing, she realised that she shouldn't be so hurt by his reaction; she never had been one for putting her emotions out there for all to see. But this, this was precious; this had to be grabbed with both hands and never let go. Alex loves me, she thought to herself, a bubble of happiness growing inside. He really truly loves me and - and I love him. So tell him, you fool! She admonished herself, reading the growing anxiety that crawled across his face.
Alex's heart was breaking. He'd told her, finally told her and she didn't get it. His heart was out there for her to see, and McLeod didn't want it. And suddenly it was more than he could take. Brushing past her, Alex made for his bike.
It took Claire a couple of seconds to realise that Alex was leaving, and that he still thought she didn't love him. Chasing after him, she grabbed his arm and swung him round. "Alex wait!
"Yeah, sure McLeod. I'll hang around so you can trample over my emotions, so you can laugh about the fact that I love you more than I've ever loved any woman!" he yelled.
"Oh now wait just a minute Alexander Ryan! Don't you dare speak to me like that, not when I'm just about to tell you that I love you too! Don't you dare tell me that I don't love you when I love you so much it scares me! Don't you ever tell me that" she yelled back at him.
There was a silence while the implications of their words sank in.
"Ok." Said Alex, reaching out a hand towards her.
"Ok" said Claire, taking his hand and wrapping herself in his hug.
Staring up at him Claire smiled softly as Alex took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Running one hand through her silky dark hair, his fingers came to rest under her chin. Raising it so that he could look deep into her eyes, he stared down at her, his blue eyes revealing all of the love he felt for her. Her smile widened as he spoke. She knew what he was going to say, and she knew what her reply would be.
"Ok, McLeod, I'm going to kiss you now." He said, lowering his lips towards hers. Just before they met, she murmured,
"And about bloody time too!"