‘Don’t you remember how jealous of her I was?’
‘No,’ he frowns. ‘I don’t remember you ever saying anything about that.’
‘Yeah, well that’s because I was fifteen and trying to act cool. Inside I was dying of jealousy. She got to see you every day. I knew she fancied you.’
He rolls his eyes. ‘Just like I’m sure David fancied you. Every time I spoke to that douche he tried to warn me off you.’
How could he have been jealous of my mate David?
‘Really?’ That makes me laugh. He’s married with his second child on the way now. ‘Well, I’m glad I was able to make you half as jealous as I felt.’ Way to sound cool Erica. I could openly slap myself.
‘Insanely jealous,’ he confirms with a nod, a sweet shy smile on his lips. Oh, well at least he’s admitted it wasn’t just one-sided. Holy hell, the urge to bite his lip is strong. Resist, Erica. Think of the potential restraining order. That never looks good on a CV.
‘So...you’re not seeing anyone then?’ I can’t help but confirm. His blasé attitude is killing me. He was always vague as hell.
He chuckles. ‘Nope. No-one serious for a good few years now.’
Thank you God. My shoulders sag in relief. Wow, turns out I’ve been holding out a lot more hope of a reunion that I’d realised. It must be the sangria.
‘What about you?’
Oh shit. Well, I set myself up for that one, didn’t I?!
‘I’m...’ Can I lie? Can I? ‘I was sort of...seeing someone,’ I admit begrudgingly. ‘But I’ve just broken up with him.’ He doesn’t have to know it was via email a few days ago. ‘It wasn’t anything serious.’
Nothing serious? We’d been together eight months? What are you playing at Erica?
‘Of course you were,’ he says with a smile. ‘I never expected someone like you to stay single for long. Our paths have never really been aligned, have they?’ He looks at me longingly, licking his lips.
I smile sadly back. He’s so right. So then why is it always so hard for us to ignore our attraction? I spot his tattoos and decide for a sharp change in subject.
‘What’s the story behind your tattoo sleeve?’ I ask, reaching out to stroke it, but stopping myself at the last second.
He has a pocket watch with the time twenty minutes past four, surrounded by roses. There’s an open locket showing pictures of a man and woman, both seemingly old fashioned.
‘Who are they?’ I ask, pointing at the locket.
He looks down at it, a sad smile on his lips. ‘My grandparents. I got it after they passed away. Found some old pictures of them from when they were younger and fell in love with them.’
I can’t help but smile. He’s so deep. He’s getting more attractive by the second. A guy that loved his grandparents.
I point to the date, barely noticeable over one of the roses. 27/07/2013. What does that date mean to him?
‘What’s with the date?’
He looks down at it. ‘That’s the date my life changed forever.’ He doesn’t look sad, but he frowns, as if immediately clouded with thoughts still plaguing him.
Wait, didn’t the guys say something about him not having dated in years. Since. Since something happened. That date is about four years ago. Is that the incident they’re referring to? What the hell happened on that date?
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’
‘Oh, you haven’t,’ he says with a shake of his head, pushing his hair off his face.
I daren’t ask him about the lion and elephant in case that means something too.
‘Anyway,’ he says, clapping his hands together. ‘I have the exact thing to cheer you up.’
‘Really?’ I ask excitedly. Don’t act too keen, Erica. Try to play it cool. ‘What?’
Shower me with a hundred kisses? Is that too much to ask?
‘Yep,’ he nods. ‘Come on. We’re going on that water slide.’ He points behind us to what looks like the tallest water flume in the park. Scratch that, in the world!
‘I don’t think so,’ I snort, clinging onto my towel.
‘Come on, Eric. Where’s your sense of adventure?’ His eyes sparkle with mischief.
‘Sense of adventure? I’ve already flashed half the water park my tits and vag. I’d say I’m pretty set on adventures for one day! Besides, I’m not letting anyone else see me naked.’
‘We’ll just wrap this towel around you. Come on, it’ll be fun.’ He eyes me daringly.
I can’t help but smile back at him. ‘How is it you can always talk me into doing stupid things?’
He grins. ‘Because I’m adorable.’
I roll my eyes.
He stands up. ‘Come on, flasher. Let’s do this.’
Jack
I meant to stay away from her, I really did. But fuck, that girl’s just too hard to ignore. Especially when she’s flashing her bits for everyone to see. It didn’t look like anyone else was running to her rescue, so I had no choice but to help her out with the towel and get her a drink to steady her nerves.
Yes, I know I shouldn’t have suggested the water slide, but it’s as if she’s addictive. Every time I get a little hit, I’m not satisfied, I just want more. And the look on her face when I suggested it was too adorable. She’s scared shitless, but she’s still let me talk her into it. I love having that power over her.
And I mean, it’s not like I’m making out with her. I’ve saved her from an embarrassing situation and now I’m attempting to cheer her up. It’s not like I’ve proposed marriage. Besides, the more I think about it, the more I think the guys are overreacting. And even if we did only get this holiday, I can’t help but want to grab at it with both hands. Look how long I’ve replayed that holiday fifteen years ago in my head. If this will give me another fifteen years of good memories, then I want to take it.
I’m a selfish bastard and I know it. But if being selfish means keeping that smile on Erica’s face, then I’m a big selfish fucker.
Erica
It’s too high. It’s too bloody high. Every time I look down I feel like I’m going to fall off the side of the earth. I have the urge to get down on my hands and knees and cling onto something.
‘Come on Eric,’ Jack says eagerly. ‘The guy says its fine for you to go down with the towel wrapped around you as long as you hold it tight.’
I snort. ‘Like I’d willingly let it go.’
‘Come on then. What are you waiting for?’ He’s so excited bless him.
‘I...’ I look down again, scrunching my eyes shut as a fresh wave of nausea washes over me.
‘Don’t be scared Eric. I did it earlier. It’s amazing. The rush is immense!’
I try to gulp down the panic. If I don’t do this now I never will. It’s not like I can just turn around and walk back down the millions of steps past the other waiting people. That would get me killed for sure. At least this will give me something else to focus on when I think back to this disastrous day.
‘Okay, let’s do this,’ I say, my tongue shaking so much my words are barely audible.
‘That’s my girl.’
Oh, God, is it wrong that that very sentence makes my heart skip a beat?
I position myself at the top of the chute, holding the towel tightly around myself.
‘Ready?’ the guy running the chutes yells to us, holding his thumb up in excitement.
Jack grins back at me. I’d do anything to get that grin. Apparently even throw myself off the highest water slide in the world.
‘Three, two, one, go!’
I let myself slip down in a brief moment of braveness. It’s not long lived. I’m immediately thrust down, the slide going completely vertical. I lose grip of the towel almost straight away, it flies over my head. I splutter, the heavily chlorinated water spraying into my face. Sunshine blasts through now and again as sections open to the blinding sunlight.
I’m tossed and turned round corners so violently my stomach contracts in fear. This is it. I’m
going to die of a heart attack in this very chute. They’ll find me dead at the bottom. My lifeless body floating about, my tits and vag on display for all to see.
Then I’m flung from it, falling, nothing beneath me. I scrunch my eyes shut before my body plunges into water, it shooting straight up my nostrils.
I flail my arms around, desperate to get to the top where sunlight beckons. My head finally emerges allowing me to spit and splutter out the water I’ve swallowed. I swim to the edge, conscious of Jack waiting there for me. I start to lift myself out but Jack’s eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets.
‘Erica!’ he shrieks, swimming over to me. ‘Do NOT try and get out of this pool again.’
‘Why not?’ I ask, desperate to get out and go back to the hotel. I’ve had too much trauma for today. For a bloody lifetime.
‘Because your bikini top isn’t on your body anymore.’
I look down and shit, he’s right. I quickly cover myself up as he swims over, I’m assuming, to find it. There’s no point. Has he forgotten it’s bloody see-through anyway? Cheap piece of shit.
‘Where’s my towel?’ I shriek. ‘It’s the towel I need.’
Why is my life such a fuck up?
He comes back over with my soaking wet towel which he wraps round me, his palm grazing my boob.
‘Shit, sorry,’ he apologises, his cheeks flushing.
I nod awkwardly. He lifts himself out of the pool and helps me.
‘Jesus, Eric. You’re never far from drama, are you?’
Chapter Nine
Jack
Whenever I think of today I can’t help but laugh. Erica is so fucking unlucky. It’s beyond adorable. Seeing her tits on display like that was too fucking much. I had to immediately jump into the main pool so she wouldn’t see my raging boner.
And the thought of someone else seeing her tits made me murderous. I don’t want anyone else seeing what’s mine. Shit, what am I saying? She’s not mine. And that fact alone makes me desperate to have her.
I have to have her close. What the fuck is it about this girl? Every time I’m around her I can’t reason with my cock to calm the fuck down. I keep telling myself it’s just memories but I know it’s more than that. When I’m not with her I’m counting down the time until I see her again.
Right now I want to see her more than anything. So, that’s how I find myself outside of her hotel room, desperately trying to think up an excuse to talk to her. The only thing I can think of is asking her if she’s coming to the club tonight.
I’ve put my hand up to knock three times and each time I’ve chickened out before my knuckles have hit the wood. This time I’m going to do it. I take a deep breath and knock. Brooke stands there in her bikini with a bag in her hand.
‘Oh...hey.’
I hadn’t prepared myself for someone else answering the door.
Her confused face quickly lights up with mischief. Uh-oh. I really don’t know how to take Brooke. She seems like a man-eater.
‘Err...is Erica here?’
Before she’s had a chance to respond I hear Erica from inside.
‘B, don’t forget to do me before you go.’
WHAT did she just say? My dick twitches.
She comes into vision, looking up and realising I’m here. ‘Oh...’ she blushes. Fuck, she’s adorable. In just her bikini like earlier, except now not a see through one, holding some sort of pot.
Brooke grins a wide shit-eating grin. ‘I’m just on my way out to get ready with Molly, but I’m sure Jack here can help you.’
She practically skips past me. I put my hands in my shorts pockets and rock on my heels, the awkwardness too much to bear. When I look up at Erica, she thankfully seems just as embarrassed.
‘Do you...’ I clear my throat. ‘Do you need help?’
Erica
I wake up from my nap, thinking that I haven’t had much sleep at all. When I look at my phone I see that I did actually get an hour in. Better than nothing. Brooke’s blow-drying her hair in the corner. That must have woken me up.
Fuck, I’m hot. Not just from the weather. Whenever I think of Jack I have to squeeze my thighs together to stop me from dripping on the tiles, or worse giving in and finger fucking myself under the covers so Brooke doesn’t see. But knowing her she’d probably catch on, whip the sheets off to prove it and laugh her arse off. Yeah, a bit off putting.
‘Hi, sleepyhead.’
‘Hi. I need to exfoliate before I get in the shower.’ I yawn, exhausted at the idea.
‘Okay. Well I’m just about to leave to do Molly’s hair.’ There’s a knock at our door. ‘That’s probably her, getting all impatient.’
Probably. Excitable little bunny she is.
‘Okay.’ I run towards the bathroom. ‘But don’t go before helping me.’
If I don’t exfoliate every day on holiday I start peeling and lose all of my tan. I grab my pot of scrub and strip down to my bikini, scooping my hair up into a messy top knot so it doesn’t get all gunky.
I can hear her talking so I walk out of the bathroom, still doing up the bikini string on the side of my briefs.
‘Don’t forget to do me before you go.’ I look up to see Jack at the door, an amused grin on his face. ‘Oh…’
Brooke looks between us both, grinning widely. ‘I’m just on my way out to get ready with Molly, but I’m sure Jack here can help you.’
Jack puts his hands in his pockets and rocks on his heels. Could this get any more embarrassing?
‘Do you...’ he clears his throat. ‘Do you need help?’
I cough, my mouth suddenly dry. ‘What are you doing here?’
He smiles, dragging his hand through his hair. ‘I was just wondering if you guys were coming to the club tonight? But now I want to see Brooke do you.’ He grins devilishly.
A thick tension fills the air, it crackling in my ears.
Brooke gives me a brief wave, wink and then she’s out the door, leaving me to deal with this myself.
‘So...you need help?’
Yeah, I need help. To calm my self the fuck down so I don’t swallow my own tongue. I mean, shit. Here I am thinking I’m safe in my own hotel room and then all of a sudden Jack walks in offering to help exfoliate me.
I know it’s wrong, but I want to say yes. My vag is practically begging me to. The thought of his hands on me irresistible.
‘Err...I was just going to exfoliate, but don’t worry about it.’
‘No, I’ll help,’ he grins, licking his lips. Those gorgeous lips. I want to feel them on me again.
‘Um...okay.’ How am I going to cope with him touching my body? I’ll probably explode from lust. ‘We should...probably do it in the bathroom.’
He grins deliciously. Oh Jesus, if I looked up panty wetting smile in the dictionary there’d be a picture of Jack right now.
‘The exfoliating,’ I add quickly, sure where his dirty mind is going.
He nods, placing his hand out. ‘After you.’
I take a discreet deep breath and walk into the bathroom. I bet he’s checking out my arse. This is awful. How the hell did I get myself into this situation?
I point to the pot of exfoliator as I put it down next to the sink. ‘If you could do my back? You know, the hard to reach areas.’
‘No probs.’ He’s trying to sound casual, but his breathing has changed and his voice sounds huskier.
Our eyes meet, nervous energy bouncing between us. I rip my eyes from him and turn so my back is facing him. I scoop my hand into the pot and start massaging the goop onto my arms. I see him in my peripheral vision scooping some out of the pot.
My heart pounds, anticipating his touch. Dear God, just knowing his hands are going to be on my skin any minute has me creaming my knickers. Get a hold of yourself, Erica!
Then his hands are on the top of my shoulders. Fuck, my breathing’s laboured just from this. He must be able to hear in this deafening silence. I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry.
His hands re
main completely still for a few seconds, the heat from them relaxing my tense muscles. I stop myself from openly moaning like a wanton whore. I take a discreet deep breath, attempting to relax. His hands move, massaging the exfoliator gently into my skin.
Gosh almighty, it’s heavenly. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself crying out his name. How can I be this horny? I haven’t had the horn this bad for years.
I force myself to carry on exfoliating myself. I take some more goop and bend over to do my legs. My ass bumps straight up against his erection - holy moly! He’s turned on too? Well, this is awkward. I have to quickly remind myself that I’m working it into my legs and shouldn’t pull my bikini to one side so he can fuck me. Erica, have some class!
Slowly, ever so painfully slowly, his hands travel down my back, every nerve ending singing in praise, until they’re in the shallow of it. I ignore my own sterner self and find myself “accidentally” bumping my arse against him. Against it. I don’t know if I’m trying to encourage him or what the hell I’m thinking but it seems to do the job. His hands move down my back and now they’re circling my hips. Ideas of him gripping onto them while he pounds into me from behind invade my mind. Damn it, focus Erica.
As if reading my mind, he grasps them. I might not be able to see his face but I can sense his desperation. I feel powerful knowing I can have this effect on him. When we were teenagers I always felt like the ugly duckling. Now I know I’m hot. Note to self: must widen doors at home to fit head through.
They swoop up again. Jesus, this feels beyond erotic.
‘Is this okay?’ he asks, his husky voice having the same effect on me as a bottle of wine.
‘Mmmhhmmm.’ I nod frantically, unable to form anything more coherent.
I have to carry on. Get this over and done with as quickly as possible. No use torturing myself. I grab some more out of the pot, careful not to move so much that his hands come off me. I’m a bloody glutton for punishment.
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