A young man, possibly no older than eighteen, swum to the stool next to her and ordered a beer for himself. “Are you sure he is old enough?” she asked the barman in jest. The young man took his beer and smiled at her. “I’m old enough,” he informed her. She didn’t usually like younger men, but right now she needed a distraction.
“Where are you from?” Helena asked.
“Sydney. You?”
“Perth.”
He turned and looked at the sunset, his tightly muscled chest more than apparent. See, she told herself, things are looking up already.
*****
They’d organised to meet up at the pool at five, but already Kelly was delaying plans. She decided to completely empty the suitcase on arrival and was making herself at home.
‘Be right down.’ He’d texted Helena, but then Kelly had found a few shirts that she needed to hang up and….
Thirty minutes passed. Jim sat on the bed and began watching foreign sports channels—one was showing a basketball league he didn’t recognise. It didn’t matter, as long as it meant they didn’t have to talk. Kelly had held him captive on the flight over. She had covered her plans for every aspect of their wedding day, demanded his opinions, but then criticised all his ideas. It was like a boxing match where she punched away while his hands were tied behind his back. He had liked Kelly once, a lifetime ago, loved her in fact, to the point where he had wanted to marry her. He had been so close to ending it the day before, just for her annoyance factor alone, but when she had said she wanted to come, a part of him had wanted to hold off on it. Yes, if she came to Bali, things were likely to stay complicated between him and Hels. Jim knew in his heart of hearts he couldn’t resist too much longer, try as he might to keep things as they were. It was like the universe was determined to mess up their lives. God, he wanted it to. He wanted her in his arms again, he wanted her that close every moment of every day. He stopped this train of thought. No, he wouldn’t allow it. Jim could not let it happen, he must not let it happen, and he had brought along the ultimate anti-aphrodisiac to ensure nothing happened: Kelly.
Kelly finished unpacking and began reapplying her make up. He didn’t bother to point out that they were going to the pool; he figured that the ensuing argument would only delay them further. Finally, after another twenty-five minutes they headed down to the pool.
The sun had just set, but the sky was still a glorious orange and pink. But even that paled into complete insignificance as he spotted Hels. Her wet hair, bikini and natural beauty mixed to make a heady cocktail of awe, adoration and desire within him. Jim saw her pretending not to notice him as she spoke to a young bloke at the pool bar. That worked for him as his eyes flicked down to her soaking wet breasts and felt his body respond instantly. Not wanting anyone to notice, he ignored Kelly’s explanation that she wouldn’t be swimming, threw off his shirt and dove straight in.
He welcomed the coolness of the water and hoped it would help shrink things, but the image of Hels’ bikini clad breasts proved hard to forget. He adjusted himself under the water and swam over to her. It took all his willpower to not look down again. She was talking about cars and the young, overly muscled guy was laughing. He heard her finishing her Datsun motor anecdote. “So, we put it on the Datsun chassis and the guy never knew.” They both laughed.
They were having far too good a time for Jim’s liking. “Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” Her tone dropped, her good mood clearly ruined by his presence. “This is Dean; Dean this is James.”
It was one of the very few times in his life she had referred him as such. There was a sinking feeling in his chest as he shook Dean’s hand. Dean looked at the two of them. “Are you two…?”
“Oh no, see that woman over there? That’s his fiancée.” Hels pointed at Kelly and then waved. Kelly returned the wave, but didn’t seem overly happy about it. Dean’s face brightened.
“Oh, so you are single?”
Hels looked at Jim, the point clear in her eyes, then looked at Dean and nodded, “I guess so.”
“Will you be at the hotel restaurant tonight?” Dean asked. Again, she nodded.
“I might see you there.”
She smiled. And then the man-boy, as Jim thought of him, guzzled the remainder of his beer and swam away, a look of exaltation on his face. Helena’s smile froze when she looked back at Jim.
“He looks like Alex, Version 2.0,” Jim commented sourly.
Hels’ smile evaporated and her eyes tightened. “Really? And you’re a great judge of character,” she motioned in Kelly’s direction.
“Hey, at least she’s of legal age.”
“What’s the problem? Don’t want me talking to other guys?”
No, obviously I don’t, Jim thought. He tried desperately to grasp a more rational argument. “You can talk to whoever you want, I just thought you wouldn’t want another numbskull in your life,” he offered.
“No, you’re right, I already have one huge numbskull in my life. And he is on thin ice.” The words, though humorous, seemed to darken their respective moods.
“What’s your problem?” he asked.
“Really? You can’t think of anything?”
“You said you didn’t care.”
She scoffed, “You might act all sensitive and caring Jim, but when push comes to shove, you’re as selfish as any other stupid boy.”
He raised his hand in surrender, “Well, if that’s what you think.”
“See. That’s exactly what I mean, you always make it seem like you’re being nice and thoughtful, but really you are just manipulating things.”
He didn’t know what to say. He found the old saying ‘the truth hurts’ was a massive understatement. The pain triggered his defences, without thinking he shot back, “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot how perfect you are. I should just say and do whatever the hell I feel like without any thought of anyone else’s feelings.”
“Hey, at least I’m honest and don’t bullshit around all the time. I can’t remember the last time you gave me a fucking straight answer. Hey Jim, how are you?” Her voice deepened in her best Jim impression. “Oh, I really can’t say, but here is a painting of you when you were nine and had a broken arm.”
He hit back with his own impression of her, “Hey, I’m Hels, I never want to grow up, I just want to have fun forever; fun, fun, fun.”
“I’m Jim, I act caring and nice, then never answer calls or message back.”
“I’m Hels, I go nuts over the smallest shit, like a velociraptor on speed.”
“I leave the toilet seat up all the time.”
“I steal other people’s beds… and Reginald!”
“I get engaged to people I don’t love!”
“I have people throw themselves at me all the time and don’t even realise it.”
Hels normal voice returned, “What? When…? Who?”
Jim shook his head dramatically, “I speak on behalf of the hundreds of idiots who have had the temerity to ask you for a dance, asked you out or even just tried to talk to you.”
“On their behalf? Does that mean you’re one of them?”
“Hels, I’m the leader, secretary, and the chairman of the board,” he said rolling his eyes.
“When did you ever ask me for a dance? Or ask me out? I talk to you every day, you jerk.”
“Year Six Blue Light Disco, Year Eight Social, Year Nine Social, Year Ten Dinner Dance, Year Eleven-”
“But you were joking.”
“Of course,” he agreed with a patronising air, then added, “I asked you out, in year nine, to the movies.”
“We always went to the movies.”
“Even after high school, I tried to take you to restaurants, but you always wanted to go to the same pub and you would never let me pay.”
Hels put her hands on hips, “We were just hanging out.”
“Fine, sure. Because that’s what you wanted,” he said a little embarrassed when he started to think about everything he just admit
ted. He dumped his head under the water, hoping the water would cool the heat rising to his cheeks. When he resurfaced, she was much closer, their bodies in touching range.
Helena whispered, “So why did you never say something? I’m not that subtle you know.”
He shrugged. What could he say? A lifetime of rejection scenes summed up in three words, “I’m an idiot.”
She nodded and smiled. “So, Jim,” she floated closer to him, close enough that he could see each and every water droplet on her cheeks, “I guess the question is how much longer are you going to be an idiot?”
She reached out a hand and playfully ran it down his chest and abdomen underwater. He grabbed her hand, his fingers melding between hers and squeezed firmly.
“No,” he answered releasing her hand, “The real question is just how big an idiot am I?”
Chapter 22
Helena tossed and turned. She threw off her duvet and sheet. This was impossible. She had hoped the beers throughout the evening would be an effective sedative, but no such luck. Instead she lay in bed, unable to sleep as time passed into the early hours of the morning. She was alone, frustrated, confused, and, well, horny too. And it wasn’t just general horny, no, this was the kind of horny that only one man could satisfy, and that man was Jim. They’d spent the dinner watching each other, ignoring Kelly’s prattle. At one point their feet had bumped and then before she knew it, her feet were gliding along his and then up his ankles, his calves, she got as high as his knee before going back down again. When she stopped, he picked up the slack, his toes inching their way up her legs. His patience was clear as he only moved a tiny bit at a time. His eyes pretending nonchalance, but the pressure of his toes from gentle to firm then back again told her she had his complete attention. In a strange way, it was like being kids again, having secrets only each other knew. The physical exchange left her wanting more. Much, much more.
Helena’s desires weren’t helped by Kelly’s insistence on talking about kissing so much. “I think we should kiss like how you two kissed the other day.”
“What?” Helena and Jim said before both parroting jinx, again a flashback from their childhoods.
Kelly continued, “You know when we played that game? I think when Jim and I get married, we should kiss like that at the altar.”
Jim raised an eyebrow and Helena had to repress a smile.
“Oh that. It wasn’t anything special,” Helena lied. She ignored Jim’s hurt look.
“I’m a good kisser,” he said, sounding like a five-year-old child. Kelly lifted her hand and waved it up and down in a 50-50 gesture. He scoffed indignantly, “Why is it that girls judge guys as good or bad kissers? Maybe it’s you lot who are the duds.”
“It was pretty short Jim, it was hard to judge your kissing ability on just one kiss,” Helena explained and shot him a wink as Kelly turned to signal the waiter for more drinks. His eyes narrowed. “I guess so; I mean that would be difficult. It does give me an idea though.”
“What’s your idea?” Kelly crashed into the conversation, new Mojito in hand.
“Oh nothing, I just remembered something Hels owes me. Two things in fact.” Helena’s face went bright red as she caught his meaning.
“God Jim, if it’s money, just settle up after this holiday. Honestly, you can be so dumb sometimes.”
The ride in the elevator after dinner helped clarify a few things. The three of them had got into the lift, but Kelly had run out yelling, “Hold the lift, I forgot my bag.”
Then she was gone. Left alone for a couple of seconds, Helena and Jim instinctively moved closer. His arms went around her waist and Helena’s went around his neck. They stood there looking at one another, breathing in each other’s faces, daring one another to make the first move. Helena felt every part of her body burn as she pressed up against him. His body was firmer than she imagined. Helena couldn’t breathe. Each second brought them closer to complete anarchy.
“I know what my first dare will be,” he whispered, then released his grip. Helena fell away, her knees weak, her eyes finding it hard to refocus.
“Stupid thing,” Kelly said getting back into the lift. “Are you okay?” she asked Helena who could only nod as her body suffered a fiery withdrawal she had never experienced before. And she was still experiencing it two hours later. She opened the minibar and took a swig from the bottle of juice. How had they lived in the same house for five years, and never once made the most of their situation? But now they were in a foreign hotel, with his fiancée and three floors between them, and she had to have him. There was no option, no alternative, she needed Jim right now, and every second they weren’t together stung her all over.
“Jesus!” Helena exclaimed and threw herself on the bed. She wanted to know his dare, whatever it was, she would do it. She would do it tonight and every night and every morning. If he would just come to her, she would be his, not just this night, but every night. Unable to control her desire, she wrapped a sarong around her bare legs and slipped on a shirt, ignoring any sane or rational thought, she went to leave the room. Her plan was ridiculously simple; she would knock on his door and tell him to come with her. To hell with Kelly, to hell with everything but her and Jim. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.
She opened her room door and was shocked to see a shadowy figure standing there silhouetted by the hallway light, a closed fist held up, ready to knock. Their eyes met. Having her heart’s desire suddenly appear before her made Helena momentarily disorientated.
“Can I come in?” Jim asked.
She nodded slowly then stepped back. Jim took one step and stopped and waited, again she stepped back and he moved forward. This continued until finally he could shut the door behind him. Helena had lost rational thought. She was still trying to work out how he had materialised out of nowhere, almost as if she had wished him into being. She started forward this time and put a hand to his face.
“Jim,” she managed.
He nodded, “I was thinking of a solution to my dilemma.”
“Oh,” she said, drawing the other hand up to the other side of his face.
“Well, if you’re not sure whether I’m a good kisser and you owe me two dares, I figure…” She cut him off as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his. The pure joy she felt as his arms wrapped around her was overwhelming. Their lips joined and parted, locked then teased apart, before coming back together. The waves of desire grew bigger, their mouths moving faster, lips, tongues, hands moved free of thought, free of restriction. How much time passed, she had no idea. If she were to recount this later, she would recall the kissing, his expert tongue coaxing a hunger out of her like no other. She would remember his strength as he ripped her shirt, literally ripped it, and feasted on her swollen and sensitive nipples with a hunger and relish that she was sure would kill her. And she would remember how he looked when his clothes came off, his full naked body, every muscle, every curve of his shoulders and chest and his erection pointing up at her, ready.
He pulled off her knickers and pushed her back onto the bed, his lips and tongue exploring every part of her. With his lips, he found her thighs and then went in between. His gentle kissing between her legs was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Tears began to well in her eyes as an unstoppable outpouring of emotion cascaded through her entire being. His tongue was so soft, his movements repetitive. She clung to the back of his head and encouraged him on. Helena felt an incredible scream leave her as all the frustration and confusion from the past few weeks was excised in the sweetest of orgasms.
Sitting up, she found his lips, kissed him then rolled him over. She let her hands explore his body from toe to top. She kissed every part of him. With light fingers, Helena caressed every inch of skin on his body. God, he was hard. When her fingers and mouth met at the tip of him causing him to sigh nervously, she smiled sweetly, and then began running her lips along his shaft.
“Stop,” he whispered. His hand gently cradling her chin. “I want you.”
A defiant part of her wanted to keep going, make him come right there and then, but she understood what he meant. He wanted more than an orgasm, he wanted connection with her. Moving over, she put her hands on his chest then straddled him, their eyes fixed on one another as he slowly rubbed his erection along her, the gentle rubbing causing her to moan in pleasure. Then he held himself ready and she descended onto him.
Helena hadn’t quite realised how large he was. She experienced momentary pain as he filled her completely. Jim sat up a little, so that he could kiss her and look into her eyes.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, tears reforming, though not from pain. She tried to blink them away, but the harder she tried the harder they came. He still had not moved and despite her tears, she really did want this badly.
Ever so slowly Helena began to move, just a little, just letting him know she was okay. It felt good. Very good, but there was no stopping the tears. Jim repositioned himself. He sat up then wrapped her legs around so that he could embrace her completely.
They start kissing deeply, without thinking she began moving faster. Every time he moved in her, she pushed herself onto him, grinding up against him. Jim let out an almighty groan, his pace increasing dramatically. She matched him, unable to control herself any longer she screamed and clung to him as he yelled too.
A daze descended as the two collapsed onto the bed breathing fiercely. Jim’s hand went to hers. They lay together processing the world changing union they had just shared. Helena’s tears slowly subsided. She was able to focus on the face she loved and was surprised to see that she had not been the only one crying.
Chapter 23
The hours that passed in Hels’ hotel room were beyond anything he had ever experienced. It wasn’t just sex. It wasn’t just anything. It was everything. He gave everything to her, every bit of love, every care he had. He’d shared with her and she had given herself to him. They knew each other so well as friends, but now they knew everything about each other physically, and Jim admitted to himself that he had wanted this for a long time. Helena was unbelievably sexy, and he wanted all of her. That was why leaving as she slept was hard, too hard, in fact. It killed him to close that door. Every step he took away from the room was a massive effort. Every cell in his body screamed for him to return to her, to where he belonged, to where he should be, but Jim cared and loved her too much to do that.
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