Aideen's laughter and chuckling paused.

"He laughed at you or laughed at your reaction to havin' a dirty dream about him?"

I opened my mouth to answer her but closed it as I thought on what she said.

"That's exactly what I thought. You just assumed he was laughin' at you and you flipped."

I frowned. "You make it sound like snappin' at him is somethin' I do often-"

"You've done nothin' but snap at him from the moment you met him. You forget he is there as a favour to help you. He doesn't have to be there, Keela. He doesn't have to have anythin' to do with you and yet he is there with you. Cut him some slack. I know you're wary because he wants to shag you but give him a break, at least he admits what he wants from you instead of goin' behind your back to use you. I'm also pretty sure sayin' he wants to fuck you is just his way of sayin' he is interested in you."

I frowned.

"I hate that you're right."

"Of course you do, no one likes bein' wrong."

I sighed.

"Great, the next step is actin' on your attraction."

I rolled my eyes. "I hate Alec."

"You're attracted to his looks, but hate him as a person, that is possible."

"That is so shallow, likin' someone for their looks."

Aideen snorted. "Then the majority of the human population is shallow because most of the time that is what attracts people to others first, their looks."

I didn't reply because I knew she was right.

"I guess," I mumbled.

She sighed dreamily. "Was he good?" she asked.

I gasped. "It was a dream, no actually it was a nightmare."

Aideen burst out laughing. "It was a dream, not a nightmare. I've had lots of dreams about Alec-"

"He wasn't next to you when you had said dream though."

"That's why you're freakin' out? Because you think he knew what you where dreamin-"

"He did know. He laughed his arse off at me when he seen-" I cut myself off with a cry.

"Did we not already address this? How do you know he wasn't laughin' at your reaction-"

"He saw the... evidence." I winced, covering my face with my free hand.

Aideen was quiet for a second before bursting into laughter. "You came? Like really came over a dream? Shite, you literally had a wet dream."

"It's not funny!" I shouted. "I had a sex dream about Alec, what about that is funny?"

"It's not funny at all, nothing about me getting laid in a dream but not in real life is funny," his voice said.

I closed my eyes for a moment before turning my head and looking in the direction of the hotel room door. Alec stood in the doorway with a plastic bag in one hand and a bunch of flowers in the other.

"Are those flowers a sorry for laughing at me?" I asked, curiously.

"No, they are to brighten up the room because a dark cloud is hanging over it thanks to your panties being in a twist over something stupid."

"Don't you talk about me knickers, you big bastard. Don't you fuckin' dare!" I snapped making Alec and Aideen burst into laughter.

I wanted to shoot them both.

I looked away from Alec and focused on my phone.

"You shouldn't laugh with him, you're me friend, back me up!"

"No, because he is right. Your knickers are in a twist over somethin' stupid."

I narrowed my eyes and sighed out loud. "Okay, maybe they are in a twist but for a very good reason! I feel like I've committed the biggest sin ever."

Alec snorted. "You had a wet dream, big deal."

Ahhh!

I hung up on a laughing Aideen then dove under the covers of the bed and wished death upon myself. Alec's laughter followed me and I tried to plug my fingers in my ears to make it go away but it wouldn't.

He dove on the bed then, making me grunt as he applied some of his weight down on me.

"Get off, you weigh a ton!" I complained.

Alec moved around then until he was lying next to me. "Look, I know you're embarrassed about what happened this morning, but I have something to cheer you up."

Curiosity got the better of me, so I slowly peeked my head out from under the covers. Alec was looking at me and began grinning while he held up the plastic bag that was in his hand when he entered the room.

I looked at the bag. "What did you buy me? A time machine?" I asked.

He snorted. "No, just some things to make you feel better," he said as he handed me the bag.

I took the bag from him and looked inside. I smiled when I eyed a box of chocolates.

"Thanks, but I'm on a diet and can't eat-"

Alec held up his hand and shook his head. "No, I got you these chocolates as a peace offering and you're going to take them, and you will eat them, and you will like them."

Who did he think he was?

"And if I don't?"

Alec smirked. "If you don't, when your mom gets here, I'll tell her that you had a wet dream about me and destroyed the bed sheets."

"Bastard!" I screamed and dove forward and swung my hands at him.

Alec grabbed me and laughed as he fell onto the bed, pulling me with him. I struggled to get off him when I sat up.

Alec gave me a wink before looking at where I was seated on him. "Does this remind you of something? A certain dream maybe?"

"No, because you were on top in the dream-" I widened my eyes in horror at what I just said. "Shut the fuck up, Alec."

He laughed as I rolled off him.

"I hate you," I said into my pillow.

He threw his arms over me. "No, you don't. You may not like me, but you don't hate me. We're friends after all and friends shouldn't fight like we do."

I grunted. "Friends, huh?"

"Yep."

I sighed, caving in. "Okay, we're friends. Now will you get off us?"

"Us?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Me."

"But you said us."

"Us means me as well."

Alec tilted his head at me. "You know something? I've been living in Ireland for three years and the Irish still make me scratch my head when they say certain things."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It can't be that bad since you still live there."

"Even if I hated the people I'd still live there."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why?"

"It where my family is, where home is... I like the view, too."

I chuckled. "I like it too, it's pretty."

"You're pretty."

I deadpanned, "Stop that."

"Stop what?" Alec smiled while giving me the 'fuck me' look.

"That! Stop tryin' to seduce me."

Alec blinked his eyes, stared at me for a moment then laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't even realise I was hitting on you."

"Maybe because you flirt with people so much it has become second nature to you, just like breathin', you do it and don't even notice."

"It's a skill."

"It's a pain in the arse, that's what it is."

Alec waggled his eyebrows at me. "I know something else that can be a pain in your ass-"

"Alec, I swear to God, if you finish that sentence I will shove me foot so far up your arse that you will need a surgeon to remove it."

Alec stared at me blankly, unblinking then mumbled, "You're even more creative with your threats than Bronagh."

I inwardly smiled. "I'm sorry for threatenin' you, and while I'm at it, I'm sorry for bein' such a bitch to you. Why don't we start over. Hey, I'm Keela Daley, nice to meet you."

Alec smiled at me and took my hand in his. He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles before he said, "Nice to meet you, Keela Daley. I'm Alec Slater."

I sighed as I blew out a breath, which caused Alec to chuckle.

"So, Alec, what do you like to do for fun? Keep it PG."

Alec smiled, then shook his head and said, "I like animals. When I'm back home, I help out with the local shelters that the DSPCA runs. They have very limited funds so volunteers are always welcome. I donate money as well, but donating my time is something I enjoy. What about you, what do you do for fun? You can get as explicit as you want with your answer, just throwing that in there."

I wanted to laugh at the ending to his sentence but I didn't because I was too busy processing the fact that he volunteers at animal shelters because he enjoys it.

That just added to how attractive he was.

"Um, I like to write. It's nothin' as cool as volunteerin', but-"

"Don't do that, don't put something you like to do down. Don't even compare it to something someone else likes to do. It's yours so put it on a high pedestal."

I blinked.

"What?" Alec asked as I stared at him.

I cleared my throat and said, "I've never had someone, besides Aideen, be so direct with me before."

Alec shrugged. "Spend a little time with me and you can see how direct I can be, kitten."

I raised my eyebrows. "Was that suggestive? I can't really tell."

Alec chuckled. "Never mind, let's get back to you, what do you like to write."

I felt my cheeks heat up with the spotlight suddenly on me and my writing, I was about to take an out when Alec leaned and gripped my chin with his fingers and said, "Don't even think about it, kitten. You started this conversation and I'm seeing that we finish it."

Well, excuse me.