The darkness of late afternoon when she opened her eyes finally, glancing to her left she smiled. Lucas was asleep, his haphazard hair was endearing, and how had she never spotted those long eyelashes that fanned his cheeks. His body was still wrapped around her, and at the slightest wriggle, he was immediately hard, pressing urgently into her soft body.

When she glanced back at him, his eyes were half open, lazily viewing her, and he grinned, "I don't think I'll ever get bored of waking up to you!"

He said all the right things! How could she ever let this end?

                "What the hell am I going to wear?" she looked at her torn underwear and button-less shirt.

Lucas chuckled, tossing her a t-shirt of his. "Hardly the best way to greet your parents, you wearing my clothes!" He'd pulled on his jeans, but Carly wanted a last moment to run her hands over his delicious body.

He groaned, "what are you trying to do to me woman?"

Carly shrugged, "I'm making the most of it! I hardly know when I'm going to get the chance again!"

There was a flippancy about her remark, but she meant it too, more than anything she wanted him to stay with her, give up any ties to Austria, but she knew that he wouldn't, that he'd go back, do what he felt he should. It had come to her somewhere that afternoon, Carly went with her heart, whereas Lucas was a thinker...or more realistically an over thinker. And that was causing this impasse.

                "I'm here for a few days Carl, I promised you that. It's the first time I've set foot in Britain in two years, if that isn't a show of commitment, I don't know what is!"

She sighed, again he was right. It was all so difficult, turning to him she kissed him briefly, "I want it to be enough, I really do."

He watched her slide into her jeans, commando, then pull his t-shirt over her relatively undamaged bra. Dressed he could concentrate again, the temptation of her body had been driving him while.

Carly's parents didn't betray even the smallest hint of surprise when they arrived hand in hand at the door. Her father patted Lucas on the shoulder, and then dragged him out to the garden. Her father had kitted out his shed over the years, and now it was his refuge. Poor Lucas was being granted the extreme luxury of a grand tour.

Her mother was making dinner, and Carly sat at the table and watched the efficiency of her mother.

                "So," the older woman turned to her after lifting the heavy casserole dish into the oven. "What's the story with Lucas? You've not mentioned him since you came back, then he turns up here..." She didn't mention the missing afternoon, or the fact that Carly was wearing some of his clothes, but her eyes spoke a thousand words. Despite her enquiry, her mother wasn't angry or commandeering, she was concerned, interested, and Carly couldn't help but smile.

                "I don't know how I'd have survived without him Mum, he's been my rock. But he's kind of stuck in a rut, he's working in a job that's so far below him, and I've asked him to come with me, broaden his horizons..."

Her mother tutted, "Carly, not everyone feels the need to chase an ever-changing dream. You've always wanted to fly, to spread your wings and launch into more and more new experiences, and I know that you've felt clipped by this family." Carly tried to protest, but her mother held up a hand to silence her, "but some people are pragmatists, practical, grafters, those who want safety and security. I don't think you can be both, and you need to respect that he feels differently. If he feels safe, happy, I'm sure he'll be all you want him to be, but you need to give him time...and a chance to weigh things up."

Carly pondered her words for a few moments before replying, "But I can't make my decisions until I know what he's going to do."

Her mother shook her head, "that's not you Carly. If you want something then you go for it. You want to travel, then do it. If he joins you great...if you're meant to be together he'll be here, when you get home. The one thing you can be sure of, if you don't do all that you hoped to do, you'll regret it, and resent him for it. Only you can live your life."

As she helped lay the table, open a bottle of wine, she knew her mother was exactly right. It may not be easy, but she owed herself the chance to fly.

Lucas had slotted in so comfortably with her family that it was almost painful for Carly to watch her Dad joke and pat him on the back as the four of them sat down to a hearty supper. It was all she wanted in life, her family liking the man she loved. And she did love him, her heart was racing every time he looked at her, and when he leaned over her to get the salt, his hand resting on her thigh, coupled with the overwhelming scent of him, well she was a goner.

After the delicious beef casserole, her mother produced homemade jam roly-poly, and of course thick custard. 

Lucas looked at her mother, "Mrs McClellan..." Her mother's eyebrows rose in warning and he grinned, "Shirley, you are a woman after my own heart. This looks - amazing!"

Her mother blushed in the praise and Carly rolled her eyes, "he knows exactly how to worm his way around you Mum!"

Her mother laughed, "it's a pleasure to have someone to cook for darling, and even nicer that he appreciates home cooking."

                "I sure do Shirley!" As her mother chuckled, Lucas looked at her with an eyebrow raised sarcastically.

Carly smiled, "ok, ok! You're right, I'm wrong!"

The conspiratorial whispers and giggles continued for the rest of the meal and by the time her father cleared the plates, the three other diners were best of friends. Lucas insisted her washed the dishes, so Carly dried and put them away, leaving her parents to relax as they waited for coffee.

                "Sorry," he offered as he handed her the clean casserole dish, "was that awkward?"

She shook her head, "you getting on with my parents, them loving you is not awkward. It's great!"

Leaning across he planted a brief but passionate kiss on her lips.

                "What was that for?"

It was his turn to shrug, "do I need an excuse to kiss you?"

Carly dropped the tea towel and slid her arms around him, "of course not...I just want us to be alone again. I don't think I've had enough of you yet to share you!"

Lucas growled a response, dropping his mouth to her neck, pulling her close uncaring of his wet soapy hands. "You are a minx! How quick can we get out of here?"

She chuckled, throwing her head back and offering more of her sensitive neck to him, "you're golden boy! We can hardly rush off!"

He bit her ear lobe, tugging it between his teeth, and as she moaned shuddering with pleasure, he released it, "well we have to do coffee."

She nodded, before his lips found hers. Kissing Lucas had become her new favourite past time, she could do it all day, every day, and it took a discreet cough to cause them to pull apart.

Her mother was stood smiling in the doorway, "I'd say 'Get a room', but it seems you already have one!"

Lucas chuckled heartily, but Carly was embarrassed, she'd had enough of this pressure. She wasn't confident enough in her fledgling relationship with Lucas to relax and laugh at this situation. She needed more time with him, more indications of how he felt, what he thought about her.

Her mother gave her a knowing smile and Carly appreciated her understanding, "why don't you pack a few things Carl, to take to the hotel? I would offer for Lucas to stay here until he goes back, but I think you'll probably be glad of the space and time together. I'll help Lucas finish these dishes whilst you're gone."

                "Thanks Mum, you're a star!"

In her room she had to think long and hard about what to take. His arrival had taken her by surprise and she was blatantly unprepared. So she dived in the bathroom and showered, taking the opportunity to shave her legs, then she dressed in her best matching powder blue bra and pants, her skinny jeans and her favourite flattering tunic. She brushed out her hair, then found a small holdall. She knew she'd back tomorrow, but she still needed enough for any eventuality. So she threw her shorty pyjamas, more underwear and two changes of clothes along with a huge bag of toiletries into the bag. If she was only ever going to have these few days with Lucas, she wanted them to be perfect.

Finally she hid the t-shirt he'd loaned her under her pillow. It smelled of him, it'd be all she'd had after he'd gone.

Lucas was sat across from her parents sipping at his coffee and chatting amicably, she knew before that moment that her parents were quite taken with Lucas and it really did make her happy, but she also felt that they'd be as disappointed when he left as she would be, and when would she ever meet another man as perfect as him?

As she stepped into the room he glanced up at her, and the way he looked at her almost made her sway. He nodded almost imperceptibly, before winding up conversations with her parents in such a way that they didn't feel short changed.

                "Shall we go?" he asked looking at Carly as though he'd like to eat her.

She nodded, "we want to get to the cinema in an hour. I'll be back tomorrow though...we'll be back."

Her mother nodded, "that's great, I'll cook us dinner..."

Lucas interrupted her, "no Shirley, I'm taking us all out to dinner, my treat. Ok?"

Her father made to protest, but tactfully Lucas added, "Mike, come on! You're giving up your valuable time with your wonderful daughter for me. Of course it's only right I repay you!"

                "Well, when you put it like that!"

As they waved goodbye walking down the street, him carrying her bag, Carly squeezed his hand, "paying my father for my time! Does that make him my pimp?"

Freezing in his tracks, he turned to look down at her humour filled face, "I don't know about that, but cinema? Tonight? You've got no chance."

                "What did you expect me to say? You were looking at me like..."

                "...like it'd been three hours since I'd had you naked in my arms? That's correct! And not even a block buster movie could stop me getting back to that position in the next twenty minutes!"

Carly chuckled, loving his desire for her. She'd not wanted to spell out to her parents exactly why they were suddenly in a rush to leave, but then she knew that they both knew that her and Lucas were not going to any cinema. Interlacing her fingers with his, she skipped after him as he marched at a real pace along the street.

As anticipated, as soon as the hotel room door had closed behind them, Carly and Lucas were like animals, desperate to get close to each other.  Lucas did pause to appreciate her sexy jeans, though they were ripped off her rather rapidly, as was the top she'd selected for his eyes.

                "Mmm." He murmured as he spied her best underwear, "seems such a shame to rip that off!"

Despite his words, he did anyway, and Carly couldn't keep the smile from her face. Everything between them started furiously and frantically, but they repeated everything later, slower and with less urgency. Carly loved it all.

As she lay in his arms, much later that evening, she had her first chance to think things through. Lucas was leaving in two days, he'd told her that when he arrived. She'd asked him more times than she wanted to remember to stay, to leave the Konig hotel, but he'd declined, equally as many times. She had no other solution, no other option for a future together. And Lucas had offered nothing, not in terms of suggestions as to how they could make this work.

Her spine was held tightly, protectively against his chest, his arms encircled her, and at the slightest little movement she could feel his desire erupt all over again in the small of her back. Even when he was asleep his body wanted her. Physically, sexually, they were more than compatible, and the fact that they'd been such great friends prior to that meant this ticked every box possible. The thought of travelling, holidays without him broke her heart, but there was nothing else that she could imagine happening. No solution in sight.

The next morning Carly wanted to show Lucas her world, so they left the hotel at their third attempt...Lucas seemed to find her putting clothes ON more erotic than taking them off...and made for the small town centre. It took all of ten minutes to show him around the half a dozen shops, school and the little beach 'resort' at the edge of town - a cafe and three shops next to the sand.

Then they took a bus to the nearest large town, forty minutes away. As they wandered hand in hand Carly pointing out museums, shops, hotels, Lucas absorbed everything asking questions and window shopping.

When they stopped for lunch he sat across the table from her and smiled, "I've loved this insight into Carly McClellan!"

She nodded in a regal way, "glad to have been of service to you." She sipped her glass of wine before she added, "are you going to see your family now you're in Britain?"

When they’d been out in Austria he'd told her his family had never visited, she couldn't imagine that he'd not see them now he was in the country. London, she presumed they were in London, was a few hours by any mode of transport, but she still imagined he'd at least call on them.

                "I'd rather spend time with you Carl, and we're not that close really."

She shook her head in surprise, "don't make that decision based on me. I'll come to London with you...I'm not asking to meet your folks, if you haven't seen them for ages then I'd only complicate things, but you should Lucas."

The look he gave her was strange, and for a moment she didn't recognise him at all, "I’m not doing that Carly. I've come here to see you. And that's it!"

Suddenly there was a little controversy in his life. His inability to commit to her may not be personal, for she'd just had an insight that there was more to Lucas's evasiveness than met the eye.

He'd changed the topic rather rapidly, and Carly humoured him. For the moment.