It's Complicated

I was in the middle of yoga the next day when there was a knock on my door. I sighed, go up from my mat and walked over to the door. When I opened the door Austin was standing there with Echo on a leash. And in Echo’s mouth was a bouquet of mixed flowers.

“What are you doing here?” I asked leaning against my door frame with a smile.

“Echo wanted to give you something.” Austin said and took the flowers out of Echo’s mouth and then handed them to me. They were beautiful, a mixture of purple lilies, white carnations and lavender daisies.

“Aw, thank you Echo, they’re beautiful.” I said taking the flowers. I patted him on the head and then looked at Austin. “Want to come in?” I stepped further inside so that Austin and Echo could enter the apartment.

“Sure.” He stepped into the apartment and I shut the door behind him.

I walked over to the kitchen and filled a glass with water to put the flowers in.

“Where you in the middle of something?” Austin asked following me into the kitchen. He put the leash on my island and leaned on the counter.

“Just some yoga.” I put the flowers in the glass and turned to him. “Its how I keep this body fit.” I joked flexing my muscles.“ I used to dance but there’s not enough room in here to do that.”

“Dance? Like exotic dance?” He asked looking amused.

“Ha, ha, that’s funny, no.”

Austin chuckled, “I only figured that because you model lingerie.”

I shook my head, “Nope, I used to do ballet.Shayley got to do his music thing and I got to be a ballerina.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed it.” He said smiling.

“See there’s something you didn’t know about me.” I walked into my living room to see Echo laying on my mat. “I know it’s very comfortable.” I said and laid down next to him. I looked up at the ceiling and then at Austin. “You can join us too.”

Austin laughed; I loved his laugh. He laid down next to me and Echo. “Do you have anything planned for today?”

“I was planning on laying here all day with Echo, but I’m guessing you have something else planned.” I was taking him all in, his brown eyes, his laughter lines. He was not just hot in my opinion but a beautiful man.

“The guys are having a barbeque and bon fire at the beach and want to meet you.” Austin responded.

“And when you say the guys you mean?” I asked.

“Tino and Phil. The rest of the band.”

“So it’s not just you, Shay and Alan.” I replied not giving him an answer to his question yet.

“There are other guys in the band besides me, Shayley and Alan.Tino’s our drummer and Phil is our other guitarist.” He explained.

I was silent for a few seconds, like I was thinking about it. “Are they hot?” I joked.

“What are you looking for another guy?” Austin asked playing along. “Are you going to friend zone me like Alan if one of them looks better than me?”

“Possibly.I like to keep my options open. But to be truthful Echo is looking like a really great option right now. I mean he did bring me those beautiful flowers and he can’t talk back to me when we’re fighting.” I responded teasingly. “The only problem is his kisses. They’re just too slobbery. Of course they are a step up from yours.”

“Oh really?” Austin asked looking amused. He rolled onto his side and leaned toward me like he was going to kiss me, but he stopped just short of my lips. “Maybe I just won’t you kiss you again.”

“I think it’s really for the best.” I replied smirking.

He looked down at me and smiled, causing my breath to catch.“So, are you going to come to the beach?” He asked.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“You should probably get ready.”

“You should kiss me.” I said.

He smirked, “I don’t think so.” He sat up and stood up.

“You’re a tease.” I pouted.

He chuckled, “No, I just have astounding self-control.”

“Whatever.” I huffed as I stood up.

***

“You brought her?”Alan teased when Austin and I finally found them at the beach. Everyone was there: Shayley, Alan and who I assumed was Tino and Phil.

“She forced me to bring her.” Austin replied.

“Pfft, like I can force you to do anything.” I chimed in.

“Her size is pretty small compared to your giganticness.” Shayley commented and took a sip from the beer in his hand.

“She’s a monster.” Austin defended himself. He reached into a cooler and pulled out two beers. He opened one and handed it to me and then opened the other one for himself.

“In bed.” Alan added on, making everyone laugh.

“How would you know? You didn’t even make it to second base with me.” I smirked and took a sip from my beer.

“I felt you up! That is totally second base.” Alan defended his pride.

“You did not! You were obviously too drunk to remember.” I responded. “One hand was on the small of my back.” To demonstrate I placed my hand on the small of Austin’s back, making him jump a little. He definitely didn’t expect that. “And the other was in my hair.” I reached up and pulled Austin’s face close to mine and kissed him, getting back at him for earlier. He even reciprocated the kiss.

There were a few cat calls from the guys and I pulled away with a smirk on my face. “Now was I feeling Austin up? No.”

“He wishes you did.” Either Tino or Phil said before anyone else could reply. I didn’t know which was which at the moment.

“I’m Tino by the way. I’m guessing you’re Alex Bourget.” The guy continued.

“The one and only.” I smirked.

“So you’re the one that has Austin and Alan acting like horny teenagers.” The guy I assumed from process of elimination was Phil.

“This is my younger sister we’re talking about.” Shayley commented. “I don’t want to think of anyone feeling up or touching her. Especially people that I know all to well.”

“Don’t worry Shay, Alan friend zoned me and Austin won’t sleep with me.” I said patting him on the shoulder. “It’s quite horrible.I haven’t had sex in so long, I’m starting to feel like a nun.”

All of the guys laughed at my comment, even Shayley. I think I might like this group of guys.

***

“I’m going to go swimming.” I said stripping off my top to reveal my galaxy print bikini. “Who’s coming with me?” I slipped off my shorts exposing my matching bottom.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Austin asked as I stumbled to get out of my shorts. I had a few beers already. “You’ve been drinking.”

“Well then why don’t you come with me?” I replied with a smirk. Austin was still on his first beer. I started backing towards the water. “If I start drowning you can be the knight in shining armor to my damsel in distress.”

Austin laughed and shook his head. Not in the denying me way but in the ‘I can’t believe you just said that’ way.

I smirked and started beckoning towards me. “Come on my tall, dark handsome, covered in tattoos knight.”

Austin took off his shirt, making my breath hitch. Twice in one day? Damn, what was this guy doing to me?

“Damn.” I said with a smirk, trying to act calm and collected when all I really wanted to do was jump him then and there. “You’re fuckin perfect.”

Austin laughed, “No, I’m far from it.”

I stopped in my tracks and he stopped in front of me. “Kiss me.”

“What? I thought you wanted to go for a swim?” He said amused.

“I don’t want to swim. I’m a very indecisive person, and I want you to kiss me now.”

I put my hands on his hips and pulled him closer to me.

He leaned down and kissed me. His one hand went in my hair and his other on my hip.He pulled away and smiled, “Are we going to go for a swim or just stand here?”

I ran my finger down the scar down the center of his chest. “Or we could do other things.”

He stopped my finger before I could get below his eagle tattoo. “I think you need a cold dip in the ocean.”

“You have the greatest self-control.” I replied.

Austin chuckled and started to lead me to the water. “I bet you I can beat you to that buoy.” He nodded towards a buoy that was about a quarter of a mile out.

“What do I get when I win?” I asked with a smirk.

“What are you talking about? I’m clearly going to win.”

“What are the stakes old man?” I teased.

Austin laughed at my comment. “You have to make me breakfast if I win, if I lose, I’ll show you what my tongue can really do.”

I smiled, “On three then?One…two…three!” I yelled and we both ran to the water.

Austin got there first because of his long ass legs, but we got to the buoy around the same time. There was no way I was going to lose this race, partially because my pride would be hurt. We were neck and neck the way back and the race ended up being a tie.

“What?!I totally won.” I said out of breath, laying on the beach. Austin was beside me sitting up.

“We tied! We tied, and I haven’t swam in years because I’m not supposed to.What does that say about your skills?” He chuckled, his breaths were staggered also.

“It’s because of you long ass…”I started and then paused finally taking the whole thing he said.He wasn’t supposed to be swimming.“You dumbass, you could have died!Why would you be so stupid?”

“You only live once.” He said with a stupid smile, that he probably thought was going to get him off the hook.

“I hate that saying.” I hissed.

“Well it’s true.” Austin responded, not looking too happy at the fact that I was pissed at him.

“Doesn’t mean you do dumb shit that almost gets yourself killed!” I sat up and yelled, everyone’s attention was now on us.

“Come on, don’t get pissed at me for doing something fun. It’s just swimming.It’s not like I ran a smoked crack or drank a bunch of energy drinks.” He leaned towards me like he was going to kiss me. “Come on Babe it was all just some good clean fun.Don’t be mad at me.”

I thought about it for a little bit before I said anything in reply. “You do anything stupid like that again and I’ll kill you myself. And don’t call Babe again, I hate that pet name.”

“Deal.” He said with a smirk and gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

“So if we tied what does that mean for the stakes?”

Notes