Summer Romance Discovered

At

The House of Four Seasons

By Atonia

Part 2

Later that evening they came back to the house and Alex set the basket on the kitchen island. "Want to see your room?" Hallie asked.

"Yeah, " he picked up his jacket and hat and followed her up the stairs.

"Here it is, right across from mine." She opened the door and he went inside and placed his hat and coat on the bed. She noticed the scent in the room was stronger when he entered, she stayed by the door.

Alex turned around, "You can come in," he removed his tie and Hallie sat on the arm of a chair.

"I couldn’t figure out who was coming, I was in here early this morning, the room reminds me of my grandparent’s room."

"Well I guess you thought grandpa was coming," he smiled, dimples showing.

"I didn’t know. I don’t think of you as being from that time period."

"People don’t change that much, only the body language."

"Body language; are you talking to me?"

"I’m trying here, Hallie," he grinned and sat on the bed.

"You aren’t my grandpa."

"No…I’m not."

Hallie thought after Maximus she wouldn’t feel this nervousness, she’d been so confident with him, so sure of herself and now here was Alex Ross and she was feeling all virginal again.

The silence in the room was becoming loud, Alex knew if anything was going to happen it would be up to him, she’d retreated again.

"Are you hungry, should we have dinner or something?" she finally said.

"No, not especially hungry, come closer, you’re too far away." He stood up.

Hallie got off the arm of the chair and went over to him, "This better?"

"Much better, you aren’t afraid of me are you?’ he was very close to her face.

"No…no not afraid at all."

"You won’t run away if I kiss you?"

"No,"

She wanted him to, wanted him to break the ice…there was heat below. He kissed her softly and again tasting her mouth, he came out of his shirt and she placed her hand on his chest, feeling his heart though the tee shirt.

"Alex," she said against his lips and her arms went around his neck. He kissed her again and lay her down on the bed.

He took his time with her and was a little surprised at the heat she was generating, he was overjoyed, this was something he had not expected. He didn’t mean for this to happen, he was only going to kiss her, but he threw off any reserve he might have thought of and lost himself in the moment.

Maximus had taught her well she knew how to please him and in return he satisfied her completely. It would only get better as they learned each other’s desires and became familiar with each other’s bodies.

The House was totally satisfied with its choice for summer and it would appear that Hallie was too. The light in the bedroom dimmed as the sun gave up and hid behind the trees. Two fat candles appeared in Alex’s room and the house sent a warm loving embrace around them as they lay together.

They slept for a little while, woke and made love again. Later she lay on top of him and traced his lips with her finger, his brows and across his lashes. She thought how easy it might be to fall in love with him. The treasure he’d given her about himself, and what he’d given her in bed made her want more of each.

There were layers and depth to her, and Alex wanted to dig to the bottom. He wanted to know this doll stretched out on his body, inside and out. She was very loving and affectionate, hell she was hot and sexy, he wanted more…and he took it.

Later, "Alex, you must be hungry by now?"

"I don’t know if I am or not but I’m thinking you must be."

"I think I am…but no sausages right?"

He laughed, "No sausages."

They pulled themselves out of bed and padded barefoot down the stairs, it was after nine o’clock and they were both a little surprised at the time.

The house had prepared a plate of sandwiches, and a warm apple pie.

"Oh pie," Hallie bent down to get a good whiff, "it’s apple."

Alex placed the plate of sandwiches on the table and Hallie started the coffee pot.

"This looks yummy," Hallie sat down at the table.

"I knew you were hungry," Alex picked up a sandwich.

"How observant you are," she smiled across the table and found a sandwich.

After they ate they walked outside and down to the bluff, it was high tide; the waves were crashing below and the breeze felt good. Alex turned to her, "Hallie I don’t want you to think I was rushing you or anything tonight. It just kinda happened you know, I didn’t mean…" Hallie silenced with her fingers on his lips.

"It was meant to happen, Alex, I’m glad it did, hey we aren’t strangers anymore."

"No we aren’t strangers but there’s still a lot we don’t know about each other."

"We have time to figure out all that matters. I really like you Alex I know we just met today but there’s something…"

"Yeah I know…there is something; let’s don’t name it yet, let it grow." He took her face in his hands and kissed her, then smiling took her hand and they walked along the bluff, found the path down to the beach and sat on the rocks at the bottom of the cliff watching the ocean for awhile. The beach disappeared at high tide.

"Alex?"

"Um hm."

"I’m glad it was you that came for summer."

He put his arm around her.

Hallie leaned her head on his shoulder, he’d only been there for a little over twelve hours, it didn’t seem possible, she felt so much had happened. She wanted to tell him how she felt she’d known him for a long time, but of course he was probably right, they had much to learn about each other…but still.

"Ooooh," the spray hit her.

"We’re going to get wet do you want to go back?"

"No, I don’t care if I get wet but if you do?"

"Not at all," He tightened his arm around her. "Hallie, what made you decide to stay after you found out what was involved here at this house?"

"I wanted it. I’ve never been in love before. I’ll admit the thought of four different companions kind of put me off at first but I thought…I haven’t experienced anything, you know. I wanted to know what it’s like…I just wanted to be loved. I didn’t have anybody, no family or close friends. I didn’t even have a place to live. When I walked into this house I felt at home."

He couldn’t see her face in the dark but he heard the emotion in her voice and he kissed the top of her head. It was the most she’d said about herself since he got there. He sensed a very lonely young woman; maybe she’d been lonely all her life. He wanted…he didn’t know what he wanted…it was too soon.

"Let’s go back, back to the house," he said quietly.

"This is your room, how do you sleep in here, purple walls?"

"I like purple I’ve always had a purple room."

"It’s a strong color," he noticed the scent in the room was it lilac…no something else, definitely floral but strong. He looked at her and tilted his head, she smiled slightly and went to the balcony and opened the doors and walked out. He followed her and stood behind her putting his arms around her. He was trying to figure out the strong color and scent and what it said about the girl in his arms. She was much more than she appeared to be on the surface.

Hallie was thinking she hadn’t really spent many nights in her room; she’d slept with Maximus in his room when he was there. She loved her room and she wondered about Alex; would he want to sleep with her in her room; how would she go about asking him? She didn’t have to worry, he wasn’t going to.

"I should let you get some sleep," he turned her in his arms, "good-night kiss?"

She turned her face up and he kissed her stepped back and looked into her eyes, "I uh, I’ll see you in the morning." He turned and left her room.

Hallie stood where he left her; surprised, her eyes wide.

Alex went to his own room and closed the door leaning against it, he’d wanted to sleep with her but it didn’t seem right to him, he’d only just met her. He began taking his clothes off and noticed the covers on his bed still in disarray, that shouldn’t have happened, he chided himself, he’d taken advantage of her. What kind of a man was he?

He paced back and forth, he was here to be her companion…so…she had such an innocence about her, he didn’t want to destroy that, God knows he’d lost all he ever had, he’d seen the back end of it all and it wasn’t pretty. But she was so sweet…she would have. He stopped and looked at the bed again remembering the way she’d loved him…she wasn’t that innocent. He looked up sighed and opened his door.

Hallie came out of the bathroom in her sleep shirt she still couldn’t get over him walking out of her room. She began to have doubts about herself. She brushed out her hair, she really liked him, something about him…her door opened.

"Hallie, I uh…if you don’t want me here that’s okay, I can go back to my room."

"I do want you here Alex, it’s okay." She put her brush down and walked over to him. "You probably think I’m awful."

"No, I don’t think that at all, it’s just that we’ve just met."

"I know that’s true but I feel like I’ve known you for a long time."

That was it, that was the thing, "Yeah, me too." He touched her hair smoothing it back with his hand, she closed her eyes and he kissed her softly.

Later lying in his arms she told him about Jason. "When I was about fourteen, you know I told you about the diaries, well I had an imaginary boyfriend, his name was Jason, he was a couple of years older than me and he used to come home from school with me and we’d go up to my bedroom and do my homework. Afterward we’d talk or play cards; sometimes he kissed me and gave me a hug. Alex, you remind me of him. I mean I made him up but you’re a lot like him even in looks."

"If I’d been up in your bedroom, we wouldn’t have been playing cards. At sixteen I was…well I was."

Hallie chuckled, "I bet you had a lot of girls."

"Umm a few. I’m not a couple of years, I’m eight years older than you. I couldn’t have been Jason."

"Jason was a fourteen year old girl’s fantasy, I’m not fourteen anymore and you’re rea;l but if I was going to have a fantasy…"

"You are having a fantasy, I’m glad I’m in it." He kissed her exploring her mouth until she moaned.

The next morning Alex walked out on her balcony and asked what she wanted to do today. Hallie was thinking about it and also about what he’d said the night before.

"Alex, is this really fantasy?"

"It’s magic, Hallie, it’s all magic."

"But you’re real, I mean I know the difference."

He smiled, "Am I, maybe you’re the fantasy."

She ran her fingers up his arm looking at his tattoos.

"Leftovers from the Marines."

"Marines are tough, it takes a lot to be a Marine."

His eyes held a lot of pain for a minute, she caught it and then he looked away. "Let’s go swimming."

After breakfast they went down to the pool and played away most of the day. Hallie was having a good time with Alex; he was fun to be with, fun to play with. She adored him; he was so handsome and had such a great body she had a hard time keeping her hands off him.

Alex was enjoying Hallie too, he liked that she touched him and she played hard, he tossed her around in the pool like a toy. But she was no toy, when she would swim up to him and run her hands over his wet body he responded and she matched his passion.

Later they were up in his room, he was playing some records he found on the shelf, big band music and songs from the 40’s. Hallie had bathed and combed out her hair parting it on the side and pulling it back a little, she found a dress in her wardrobe she thought was really funky, it looked like it might have come from his era.

"Hey look at you, you look really cute," he noticed the dress.

"It all fits doesn’t it, the dress, the music, this room…and you," she sat down on the arm of his chair and he put his arm around her and pulled her into his lap.

"You fit with me, a perfect fit." He brushed his lips across hers.

"Do I really, Alex?" She wanted to tell him, tell him she was falling in love with him.

Alex looked into her eyes, she didn’t have to tell him, he knew and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. What could happen if he fell, where would it lead, three months was not long enough…if he fell. "Hallie…"

She placed her fingers on his lips, smiled and worked her way off his lap and left the room.

He sat there for a minute cursing himself for being a heel and got up and went looking for her. He found her downstairs in the living room pouring out a glass of wine.

"Hallie, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…"

"Mean to what?"

"Well, you…I…I didn’t say it."

"Say what?"

"I didn’t say I love you."

"Neither did I."

"I know but…you do."

"No I don’t, I never said I love you

"Hallie…"

"Did you hear me say it, did I say the words I love you, no I didn’t so there."

"You didn’t have to but I did."

"But you didn’t so…"

"Say I love you, I never said it."

"I know, it’s impossible anyway, they’re just words, like ‘how are you’ you know. I love you…words."

Give in, say it you know you do, "Hallie…I love you." Alex stared his eyes wide open.

Hallie stared back for a moment she felt she was stepping of the cliff in back of the house. Stepping off…"Alex, oh Alex I love you too," He pulled her to him and she rested her head on his chest listening to his rapid heartbeat, it matched her own.

The House was excited, Love it had found them at last. Across the hallway the dining room came alive, candles were lit, the table set for a romantic dinner for two. Curtains were drawn allowing just the right atmosphere. The music from Alex’s room began to play downstairs.

Alex, with his arms around Hallie, began to move her to the slow ballad, she placed her arms around his neck and they stared into each other’s eyes until the song ended and he kissed her.

Romance blossomed in July where it had only been budding in June. They were lovers but also in love with each other. They spent a lot of time in the pool and on the beach.

Sometimes taking the boat out on the pond and walking over the property. They drove to Salem, Gloucester and several small villages along the coast and ate fresh seafood and drank lots of beer. They were a beautiful couple, young and in love and turned heads wherever they went. Especially dressed in period clothes and driving Alex’s car.

They’d stopped on one of the little side roads and Alex lit a cigarette.

"Alex, I wish we could just keep driving, keep going."

"To where?"

"I don’t know somewhere where we could be just like this forever."

"That drive would take us to the house."

"No...I mean I don’t know to a little house somewhere with our name on the mailbox."

"Ross/Madison?"

"Oh." She hadn’t meant to imply…oh.

He knew what she meant, he wished he could do that, drive up in the driveway to their own house, carry her over the threshold…wait a minute.

He hadn’t asked her to marry him what was she thinking…she was way ahead of herself, of him. But oh it would be so nice, she would marry him if she could. She sat back on the car seat, they could have children, he would work at the newspaper office, she could see it all.

They turned and looked at each other, ash falling off his cigarette, eyes wide.

"But..Of course that can’t happen." Her eyes turned dark.

Alex knew it could but would it…a year from now would she still feel the same way. "Well…it might, could."

"What do you mean what are you talking about?"

"Let’s get out and walk, see where this road leads." He was mentally kicking himself now, should never had said that.

"Alex…are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Tell me about how we could have that little house with the mailbox."

"Ah it wouldn’t work."

"Why oh you don’t want to get married is that it?"

"Who said anything about getting married?"

"Well, nobody but I thought…I’m sorry."

"Oh now Hallie don’t get all…okay I did think about it."

"And what did you think?"

"I thought it would be great, house, mailbox, driveway, wife."

"Oh." The road ended and they walked down to the edge of a steep cliff, ocean beyond stretching out forever. "And it might... could happen?"

"That would depend on you. It’s a long road, Hallie with a lot of pitfalls, I’m afraid I’d get lost on it somewhere."

"I don’t understand, how could I lose you?"

"I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, I mean we’ve got a year, it would have to be next summer, you have to go through three seasons anything can happen there."

"Not if I don’t want anything to happen."

"Be realistic Hallie, nine months, three guys it’s gonna happen. Besides there ‘s the ring, it has to happen."

"You’ve lost me completely."

Alex pulled her down on the ground, "I’ll explain it. Rules of the house magic okay? You have to live here for at least a year. You will fall in love with each season, each guy, you will love them enough to marry them. They each will give you a ring, at the end of the year or however long you want to live here like that, you must choose one and you can take him away from the house and…find that little house with the mailbox."

Hallie couldn’t believe it, believe that she’d ever love anybody more than she loved Alex. "I won’t fall in love."

"You will, hey you already said you wanted the experience, now you’ve got it and this is the kind of thing that can happen Hallie. I don’t like it, the thought of you with someone else but there’s nothing I can do about it. If I could I’d drive right back to Salem, find a JP and marry you today. I love you Hallie and that’s the truth of it."

"Do you love me that much Alex, really do you?"

He took his hat off and pulled her in his lap, "I do, I didn’t want to Hallie because I know how it’s going to end. I’ll drive away at the end of August. I can’t stay with you and I want to, ah shit I love you." He held her tightly to him.

Hallie felt tears running down her face and buried it in his neck. He wanted to marry her and she wanted to marry him she wanted that life they could have together. "Alex I want it too. I want you."

"Don’t cry," he tasted her tears and kissed her. He wanted her now and he lay her down on the ground.

"Alex, I’ll do whatever it takes, I will." She said against his lips.

He pushed her skirt up.

He waited until almost the last day; tomorrow he would be leaving. Alex felt the ring in his pocket and walked around with it all morning. He knew what he was setting in motion and doing it without even knowing which of his brothers would follow him. It was a gamble, a big gamble and he may well lose. But he loved her with a passion. Giving her the ring would bind them together for eternity and if she did choose to take him away from the house and leave all the magic behind, he would always be bound to his brothers.

There was nervousness about him, restlessness, he couldn’t be still, Hallie noticed as soon as they got up and dressed for the day. She wanted it to be special, their last day together, but it was starting out like any other, breakfast, a walk down to the pond. He spotted the gazebo and walked around the pond with her to the other side.

The ring weighed heavy in his pocket, simple little thing with a diamond, an engagement ring really, but it was the meaning behind it that was heavy. He brought her up to the gazebo and his hand found the ring in his pocket.

"Hallie, I’m asking you to be mine for all eternity and with this ring," he managed to get it on her finger, "I am making you my wife, a magical marriage Hallie."

Hallie looked at the ring, a sparkling solitaire, and her eyes filled, "Oh Alex, I accept you for my husband, I love you."

He picked her up and kissed her and carried her over the threshold of the gazebo, "Maybe someday, it will be a real threshold."

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