Ardent

“Oi sexy wake up” James moaned, pulling Keira up. Keira sat up for a second then looked at the clock, seven in the morning. With a groan she dropped back forwards into her pillow.
”Go away” she grumbled, “James get off” she cried as he pulled the blankets from her, “Why are you up and dressed? It’s the middle of the night!”
James smiled, “I am doing as you bid, I have a car and we are going to Alton Towers”
Keira forgot the time and smiled, “Really? You’re serious?”
”As ever, come on get dressed or we will never get there” he smiled, watching her find energy and dive into her wardrobe to find clothes. James sat back on the bed and lay backwards, after lying awake last night he had come to the conclusion that he cared about Keira a little too much, which could turn to love. Not that he didn’t love her, he loved her as a friend but that was different from real love. Or was it? After racking his brain for an hour or so he realised he had to earn her love back, as well as prove his love to her. His past track with woman hadn’t been great, the worse being that he had joked with Keira about everyone he had been with since he met her. That was his problem. In his mind he pictured her naked on the bed once more, turning his head he ran his fingers over her pillow, picturing his fingers trailing through her hair. She had looked so beautiful panting in pleasure, her voice afterwards held all the husk of a satisfied woman. Closing his eyes he groaned, god he wanted her. Feeling the bed move he opened his eyes in time to see Keira dive on him, flipping one leg over him, she sat upon his groin and leant over, kissing him on the lips. “Wake up lover” she laughed, stroking his nipple softly, “Lets go and play”
”Oh I could play with you all day, but sadly I’m still sore, so we have to go to Alton Towers instead” he jerked forward kissing her once more, and pushed her onto the bed, knocking the quilt to the floor. “But oh if we could stay, the things we could do” he smiled, slipping his hand underneath her shirt and claiming her breast as his own. “I could lie here with you all day” he groaned, kissing her and nibbling her ear lobe. “All day and all night”
Keira lay back, in complete ecstasy, “Forget the Fair,” she breathed, “We can lie here all day, for surely time and space will wait for us”
”I could lie here with you and not give a damn if the world passes me by, if we could spend forever and longer in a bed together I wouldn’t say no” he smiled, stroking her face and kissing where his touch had been seconds before. “Come on sweet pie” he spoke softly as he lifted her from the bed and walked her toward the door.
Keira was speechless at the emotion in his voice, inside she wanted him to just say “I love you”, she was in no doubt that these feelings within her were more than just lust. Even in her early days of her relationship with Pete she had never felt this way.
”James” she pulled him to a halt before they reached the front door, “I..”
”You what?” he smiled, pulling her groin next to his and nuzzling into her neck.
”I..erm..i cant wait to get there” she smiled, feeling her heart quicken inside as she nearly told him she loved him. Staring into his eyes she kissed him once more and smiled as he entwined his fingers in hers and led her to the car.
”How’s little James this morning?” she asked once they were on their way, James turned to face her and smiled, shaking his head, “He is still not the right colour, but he doesn’t hurt as much, you had me excited before and It was a comfortable pain”
”Is there such a thing?” she laughed, “A comfortable pain”
”It was a pain that didn’t make me want to throw up, and it was worth it to lie with you longer. It will be odd not sleeping holding you tonight. I’ve grown rather accustomed to that” James sighed, “Its really comfortable, and warm”
”Why cant you?” Keira asked, pouting, she had enjoyed her last two hugging nights and was sad to think she would be alone tonight.
”Well because Kayleigh might guess” he laughed, “Unless I climb up to your window and then sneak in after she is asleep”
”I will let down my hair and you can climb up” Keira laughed.
”Yeah and then I can love you all night then I will leave really early”
”Or we could just tell Kayleigh”
”Yes. We could do that, but I don’t know”
”Oh James! Kayleigh isn’t the lads down the pub, I know you want to take your time but your insistence on keeping me a secret isn’t nice if I cant tell my best friend. I can’t hide things from her and I want to tell somebody!
”You can tell your entire family when we go home”
”I’m telling Kayleigh”
”If you tell her I am staying at your house every night for the rest of my life” he grinned, “Forever if need be”
”And longer” Keira grinned, “I don’t know how much longer it will be our house though, unless we find a new lodger we cant afford the rent”
”Really?” James moaned, “No way I love that house. Have you advertised for a lodger?”
”Not yet, I will do, see if any one is interested.”
”Make sure they are female” James insisted.
”Why?” Keira dared him to say what she thought he was going to say; some joke about an orgy or him finding someone new, but what he did say hit her.
”I don’t want another man living with you if I cant” he stated firmly. Keira sat with her mouth open, surprised at his tone and his emotion shining through once more. “Here we are” James smiled. Nodding toward the grounds. Keira looked over, and was thank full they had been in the car for too long now. Waiting impatiently for him to park she dived out and stretched her legs. James locked up and walked beside her, pulling her close to him, “To all these people we are jus another couple” he laughed, “I can do and say what I like”
”Really?” Keira laughed as they joined the queue for tickets.
”Yes darling wife, anything I choose”
Keira laughed and stared around, no one cared, no one was shocked. “What shall we have for tea tonight then husband?” she giggled back.
”Well I would prefer crab sticks and guinea fowl” he insisted getting a few strange looks from the junk food fed teenagers all around him, hanging off their mothers arms insisting that the queue hurry along. James groaned as a child further up the queue started howling, “You better not cry either” he laughed at her, “You keep tight hold of my hand, If you get lost your lost for good.”
Keira smiled and cuddled into his chest, it was brilliant to be able to hug him in public, leaning up she kissed him and glanced around, nobody cared. He smiled and kissed her full on the lips, exploring her with his tongue, she could have stood there forever, but an impatient cough from behind them told them the queue had moved and they were holding everyone up. Keira blushed; they had unwanted attention now all right. James pulled her forward laughing and stopping at the ticket kiosk. Waving away Keiras purse he bought two wristbands that would get them to the front of all queues, instead of waiting around for hours on end. They were very expensive and Keira felt awful.
Once inside she looked about and smiled, his hand was still clasped on hers, “Please James let me give you half the money back?”
”Never, look you can buy lunch if you want”
”Ok then” she smiled, squeezing his hand.
”May I remind you I eat solid gold food” he laughed, “Come on then” he smiled, walking her toward one of many lakes that sat in the around the park. Stopping at the fence they stood watching the swans circle, small dopey swans trying to keep up quickly.
”I used to love the story of the ugly duckling” Keira laughed, “When he turned from a grey dull being into a beautiful swan”
”I questioned that, don’t you think he would have noticed sooner that he wasn’t a duck?”
”Cynical and young that’s what you are” Keira laughed, he was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist holding her tight and leaning on her shoulder.
”I don’t think swans are that beautiful anyway, long gangly necks, big beady eyes. Feathers you can stain easily.”
Keira laughed and turned round, “Come on you idiot, bet I can scream louder than you” she smiled, pulling him toward the ‘Oblivion’.
”Oh god cant we start small” he pleaded, pointing toward the carousel. But Keira dragged him to the ride she intended, walking to the front they showed their bands and had a few minutes to wait. Then they were strapped in. James sighed; “I did tell you I hate fast rides didn’t I?” he called over to her. “They make me ill”
”They why are we here?” Keira screamed,
”You wanted to come, oh fucking hell this is high” he yelled, Keira grabbed his hand and shrieked with delight as they were plunged forward at 100mph.

They climbed off the ride and stood to get their breath, James was physically shaking, Keira laughed and led him toward a bench.
”I know, lets get some food, then we can go and see the rose gardens and the actual tower” she encouraged. “Do some more rides later.”
James smiled, “You want to ride don’t you?”
”No, well yeah, but I have been on them before, have never seen the tower.”
”You sure?”
”Perfectly” she grinned, pulling him to his feet, “You can pick the next ride”
”well the tower is way over the other side of the park, so we can either take the over head train thingymabob or we can boat it” he smiled, pointing at the lake which spanned across the park. Keira grinned and walked toward the lake. Jumping into a boat, she watched James pay the man and jump in. Grabbing the oars he rode out to the centre and let them float for a bit. Keira lay back enjoying the sun on her face, she pulled her sleeves up and put her hands behind her head. James glanced about, “Sinister looking swan at 3 o clock” he whispered, Keira laughed and watched the swan gracefully glide beside the boat.
”Do you think there’s fish in here?”
”Oh don’t say that! Don’t ruin my day” he yelped, peeking over the side, “Priscilla” he whispered, looking into the water.
”What?” Keira shouted.
”Priscilla, it was the name of my goldfish. She was great, for about a month” he sighed, lying back down in the boat, “Then she disappeared and my brother told me the goldfish police killed her and ate her.”
”This is why you’re afraid of fish?” Keira laughed, falling beside him, and cuddling into his chest.
”Well where else did she go? He laughed, “No turns out she died and mum flushed her away, the reason I hate fish is due to Turkey.”
”That’s a bird” Keira interrupted, laughing.
”Shut up, I want to Turkey and I went swimming out on a boat trip, when all these bastard fish surrounded me and I mean a shoal full of the fuckers. They were sucking on my body and all tickling me”
”What?” Keira shouting, “What did you do?”
”What any other self-respecting man would do. Screamed like a girl and refused to get back into the water. Urgh it was horrible. The ship owner said they were sucking the oxygen off me and they couldn’t hurt me. Pffft” he laughed, “I hate fish now. Passionately”
Keira laughed and sat back up, coming face to face with 7 swans, “So you don’t like being surrounded then?” she asked, looking down at him.
”Not at all, invasive bastards” he groaned, “Why?”
”I think your about to hate Swans”
”Why?” James asked, sitting up and looking about him, “Argh, they must have heard the beady eyes comment, quick grab an oar, every man for himself” he shouted, rowing madly to get away from them.

The rest of the day was spent walking around the gardens, Keira dragged James on more huge rides, and he forced her on the little ones. All in all they had a great time, James won Keira a huge teddy bear, and they bought sticks of rock for themselves and Kayleigh. Heading home in the car, Keira felt exhausted, hugging her teddy to her, she couldn’t wait to get home. She wished he could stay with her tonight.

“You went to Alton Towers without me?” Kayleigh screamed at James, staring at the piece of rock they offered her. “Keira you know I would have bunked my lectures” she shouted up the stairs, where Keira was placing her teddy on her bed.
”It was a spare of the minute thing, Keira joked she wanted to go there last night and I just got a car today, that’s all” James laughed, waving the rock in her face.
”So you stayed last night did you?” Kayleigh grinned, “Because my bed is perfectly untouched mister”. James bit his bottom lip, “Yeah well that’s because I slept in Keira’s bed” he said firmly. Kayleigh jumped in the air, a huge smile flew across her face, “I knew it, ok why did you sleep in Keiras bed” she asked, looking like she was ready to explode.
Keira froze by the door, how on earth did she know, what was James playing at.
”Come on” she pressed, “You slept with Keira last night, I know you slept with her toe other night, I know for a fact that Keira isn’t going home throughout reading week you two are off somewhere and I’m dying to know so tell meeee, why are you doing all this? Why James?”
”Because I love her,” he shouted, slapping his hand over his mouth, amazed at what he had said. Kayleigh screamed with joy and danced around on the spot. Keira pushed the living room door open and walked in, her mouth formed a perfect o, she had no idea what to say.
James stared at her, “I love you Keira Evans!”
Keira let a tear fall down her cheek, “I love you James Aston”.
”Oh my god” Kayleigh shouted, pulling them both into a hug, “I don’t believe this, wow. Ok wow. Its perfect, look at you both your so happy and your brought me rock” Kayleigh wept, “Your so great”
Keira hugged Kayleigh and laughed with her, \"James and I, we don’t want anyone to know for now ok? Just us three know. Nobody else and we would rather it stay like that”
Kayleigh nodded, “Oh, ok look I’m staying at Neil’s tonight anyway, so have fun. He is on his way to collect me, in fact he’s probably outside I’ve been too busy with you two,” she laughed, grabbing her bag and wiping her eyes. “I’m seriously so happy for you guys.” She smiled, walking out of the house.
Keira sat on the edge of the sofa and looked at the floor, smiling to her self she replayed him saying the words over and over again.
”Keira?” he questioned, walking over and sitting beside her, “Do you love me?”
”I do” she smiled, nudging him with her shoulder, “You have grown on me Mr Aston.”
”I love you, you know. Really I mean I didn’t think, I wasn’t sure, but I thought Kayleigh was hinting that I was using you, and it just fell out of me, it was a natural response.”
Keira laughed and shoved him backwards so he fell onto the sofa. Joining him she kissed him, “Lets go to bed”.