Chapter 47

“Oh cool” I exclaimed as I read the welcome letter we’d neglected to notice when we first arrived “there’s a firework display and barbecue on the main beach tonight”

“Mmm, sounds good” Alex murmured as he nuzzled my neck softly, scraping his rough stubble against my skin in the most delicious way.

“If we can force ourselves to get dressed” I replied and dropped the letter to the floor and turned to wrap my arms around the man who was now not only officially but publicly my husband.

“Oh, I think we have plenty of time to play before we show our faces at the barbecue” he said and walked me backwards towards the sumptuous bed.

A little while later and we were making our way to the beach. The sun was setting and casting a beautiful orange glow over the calm ocean. It was a view I could get used to, especially observing it with the man I loved.

“Can you believe it’s Christmas Eve?” I asked “It just doesn’t feel like Christmas being here in the sunshine. Back home I bet they’re freezing!”

“Where you come from they’ll be freezing their asses off, not where I come from. I am so friggin glad we aren’t honeymooning in England” he teased and I slapped him lightly.

“There’s nothing wrong with England” I protested

“Never said there was” he pulled me closer “in fact, I happen to love England, and the people, and the girls...especially the English girls...one in particular”

“Smooth talker” I replied and leaned in closer to him.

“You know it” he laughed and kissed the top of my head.

It was clear to see where the festivities were taking place as a group of people were congregated around a fire set in the sand and the smell of barbecue food wafted across the beach.

“God that smells good” I said as my stomach rumbled loudly. We hadn’t eaten for a while.

As we got closer, I noticed that most of the people there appeared to be around our age and possibly also here on their honeymoon. Not a single paparazzi in sight I was happy to report! But when I thought about it, what pap would come all the way out here for pictures of us? Especially on Christmas Eve.

We grabbed ourselves a plate of barbecue food each and a couple of bottles of beer and then got talking to some other holidaymakers.

“Y’know, you look just like AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys” a woman with a strong southern accent observed as she looked him up and down appreciatively.

“Really? I get that a lot” Alex replied and I shoved him and told him to stop teasing.

“Oh wow” she grinned “I’m Danielle and I used to be such a huge fan”

“How come you aren’t anymore?” AJ asked curiously. I knew it bugged the guys when people said they used to be fans. It made them wonder what they’d done wrong, but it also helped them get an idea of what the fans wanted.

Danielle didn’t quite know how to reply to that “oh, I am, it’s just that I thought maybe you’d split up”

“Seventeen years together and still going strong” he replied “in fact, the US leg of the tour is starting in a couple of months”

“Really?” she squealed, the inner fan coming out of her “oh my god, I had no idea”

“Dani...leave the guy alone, he’s here on his honeymoon, he doesn’t wanna be pestered” a man who had to be her husband said.

“It’s OK” Alex replied

We sat down on the beach and ate the delicious food and got talking about other subjects, I noticed that the more we talked (and drank), the more relaxed Alex became. These people here didn’t want anything from him except his company and that made him happy.

After eating and drinking way too much and watching the colourful firework display, it was time to stagger back to our beach house.

“You really can’t handle your drink” Alex laughed as I stumbled over a pebble and landed face down in the sand.

“Ha!” I replied once I’d pulled myself up so that I was now on my knees “I’m not that drunk”

“Come on, I’ll give you a hand” he offered and held out his hand to help me up.

I took his hand and pulled him down in the sand with me, both of us falling backwards with him on top of me. I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a kiss “see, I told you I’m not that drunk”

“Ahem” a voice in the dark spoke and we suddenly realised we weren’t alone. OK, Maybe I was a little drunk after all!

“Erm...we were just...” I began, but stopped myself. It was obvious what we were doing, or were about to do.

“Just don’t lose your swimwear this time” a female voice giggled as they walked by and I realised we must’ve been seen earlier. How embarrassing!

“Fuck” I muttered but Alex just laughed and pulled me to my feet.

“Come on Mrs McLean, I think we’ve put on enough of a show for one day”

~*~

“Merry Christmas beautiful” Alex whispered in my ear the following morning “wakey wakey sleepy head”

“Urgh” I mumbled incoherently and closed my eyes again. Did he just say Christmas? How come I feel so damn hot? Oh yeah, we’re in Tahiti!

I stretched and yawned, then opened my eyes properly to see Alex lying next to me “Morning gorgeous, merry Christmas” I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a kiss.

“Come on, it’s presents time” he said excitedly and rolled over to get out of the comfy bed and put on a pair of shorts.

“Do I have to get out of bed?” I protested, it was far too comfy and surely too early to even think of getting up.

“Yes, you do” he replied “it’s Christmas day, stop being a scrooge”

“Hey, I’m not a scrooge” I laughed and threw a pillow at him which caught him in the face.

“Oh that does it” he strode over to the bed “payback time”

“No tickling...please” I begged “I’ll be good and get out of bed”

“Go on then, I’ll let you off” he grinned

I threw on his t-shirt from the night before as it was on the floor and the closest item of clothing I could reach, then I followed him out of the bedroom and into the living room area.

“Wow” I exclaimed “who did this?”

Although there was no Christmas tree, there were fairy lights adorning the balcony outside and also some very Christmassy decorations.

“Well...” he began

“Oh Alex” I wrapped my arms around his neck “it’s perfect”

“As much as I’d like to carry on where we’re heading, how about we open the presents?” he breathlessly rasped in my ear.

“You’re right” I agreed and unwrapped myself from him.

Before the wedding, I’d gone shopping for the perfect Christmas gift for Alex, but had wandered around aimlessly for hours, wondering what to get him. I bought him a new iPod touch as he’d carelessly lost his whilst on the road, but I wanted something a little more special. After much store browsing, I eventually found something. In a store which specialised in unusual gifts, I’d contemplated many things from hot air balloon rides (which would be no good for Alex as heights weren’t really for him) to an Agatha Christie murder mystery weekend. But in the end I decided to go for something I knew he’s appreciate, a luxury golf weekend at a top of the range golfing venue. I bought a few other items too, but seeing as we’d be away for Christmas, I didn’t want to have to carry too much with me.

“Here’s your first present” he said and handed me a small fancily wrapped square shape.

I carefully opened it, not wanting to spoil the wrapping, which was silly really as it was only going to end up in the bin anyway. A blue jewellery box...oh my fucking god...it’s from Tiffany!

“Oh my god” I gasped when I saw the absolutely stunning ring nestled inside “it’s beautiful”

“You like it? I know we went about things all backwards and that I never bought you an engagement ring, so I thought this would make up for that” he explained

“Like it? I fucking love it” I admitted and slipped the ring on my wedding ring finger and admired it as the diamonds and amethysts glistened in the sunlight “thank you so much”

“You’re welcome” he smiled

“I hope you won’t be too disappointed with what I bought” I admitted and handed over his first present.

Whilst out shopping, I hadn’t been able to resist a couple of joke presents, like a Borat mankini and some blow job undies! The mankini was the first present I handed to him.

“Erm...what the fuck?” he laughed as he held it up to see exactly what it was.

I fell about laughing when he tried it on and walked around the room. It was a good thing no one could see in!

After we’d finished opening presents, we sat outside and ate breakfast (minus the mankini which he’d replaced with shorts).

“I could get used to this” I said as I sipped on a delicious cup of coffee.

“Me too” AJ replied and put out his first cigarette of the day. Although he’d recently failed in his attempt to quit smoking, he’d managed to cut down the amount he smoked, which was a step in the right direction.

I hoped this would be the first of many happy Christmas’s together.