Tapas and Tangelos

by C. K. Martin

  Sensing the danger of standing, Hayley slid her hands free, ignoring Kate’s protest and growl of frustration. She guided her down onto the bed pushing her back. She wanted to have complete control. To give Kate the kind of pleasure that she needed.

  As she took a nipple in her mouth, her hand reached down, once again seeking the warm space between Kate’s thighs. She felt the power and desire rush through her as Kate’s legs parted voluntarily, offering herself entirely to Hayley, shameless in the moonlight that covered them both.

  Hayley pushed forward with two fingers, testing, stretching, as Kate writhed beneath her hands, pulling away and pushing forwards. Hips moved involuntarily as Hayley brushed the soft nub of nerves with the pad of her thumb. She rolled it back and forth, drunk in the feeling of Kate clenching around her fingers.

  Hayley looked up Kate’s body to find Kate looking back at her, mouth open in a silent oh.

  It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Kate’s expression was unguarded, her soul as open as her body. Doubts and hesitation clouded Hayley’s mind for the briefest of moments, before the thrust of Kate’s hips told her not to stop.

  Fingers moving in a constant rhythm, Hayley moved her lips down from Kate’s breast, kissing across her stomach to form her own constellations. The pattern led to the lowest point and she positioned herself between Kate’s thighs, giddy and drunk for the first taste of her.

  She nipped and tugged at the soft sensitive skin at the top of Kate’s thigh, first one and then the other, working her way higher and closer each time to the place Kate was now begging her to go. She felt hands in her hair, demanding she go higher, that she end the torment. With a swipe of her tongue she moved from where her own fingers plundered flesh to where her thumb had been moments before, pressing the tip of her tongue against the swollen ball of nerves, holding it still in torment as Kate began to shudder beneath her.

  The pressure was beginning to build around her fingers and she knew that the combination of hands and mouth had brought Kate close. She moved her tongue back and forth, resisting her own primal urge to go faster. Instead, she kept a steady momentum in time with her fingers, pushing and twisting for that soft ridge of flesh that gave under her fingers and sent Kate over the edge.

  She threw her free arm over Kate’s hips, holding her in place as she lifted off the bed, her entire body arching into Hayley’s mouth and hands. She quivered, vulnerable, beneath her for a few long seconds, drawing out the pleasure that wracked its way through her entire body. Then she dropped to the bed, pleading for Hayley to stop, her senses overloaded beyond the point of sweet torture.

  Hayley watched as Kate shuddered and subsided, her body glistening with sweat. The soft sheen that covered her skin made her more beautiful that anything Hayley had ever seen. In her darkest dreams, she had not imagined she would ever feel the power of her own touch bring such a woman to her knees.

  Fingers still deep inside, she kissed her way up the body spread before her, tracing the curve of her hip with the tip of her tongue, up between the soft valley of her breasts until her mouth was once again on lips, the sweet salty taste of Kate’s body still on her tongue.

  She felt Kate’s hand slide down to cover her own, pushing her in before pulling her out. ‘My turn,’ she whispered, turning Hayley’s insides molten at the prospect of Kate’s fingers inside her. Hands still intertwined, Kate moved between her thighs and Hayley could feel how wet she was, already tense in anticipation.

  There was no time to be embarrassed by the obvious extent of her own desire. Kate pushed her onto her back and straddled her thighs. She could see the effects of her own body on Kate’s, the skin between her thighs glistening in the moonlight as her legs spread over Hayley’s body. At some point Kate’s hair had come free and she felt it spread over her like a curtain as Kate bent down to capture her lips once again.

  For what felt like hours, but was in reality only minutes, Kate touched and tasted every inch of her skin - every inch other than those few where Hayley needed her to explore deepest. Then, as Hayley thought she was about to go out of her mind, uttering incoherent pleadings for release, Kate’s hand slid up her thigh and plunged fingers deep inside; a single thrust that pushed her to the edge of reason, filling her and hollowing her soul out all at once.

  Her own words made no sense as they echoed in her ears, begging and demanding, requesting more even as Kate used the weight of her own body to drive her hand deeper inside. The world exploded around Hayley, every muscle and nerve in her body singing as she grabbed and clawed at Kate to pull her in closer. The crescendo stretched out to the edge of her consciousness as it washed over her, the strongest orgasm of her life threatening to blow everything she had ever known apart.

  Then Kate was bringing her down, slow movements of fingertips and lips bringing her back to earth. Her body continued to shake at the touch, satiated even as the sight of Kate made her want more.

  Hours later, as Kate traced the faded outline of the Celtic knot tattoo on the base of her spine with one hand and spread Hayley’s legs wider with her knees, she didn’t think her body could take any more pleasure. Then Kate touched her again, a new angle, a different sensation of breasts against her back, as hands plundered and all doubts fled from her mind.

  It was only as Kate’s deep, even breathing on her neck signalled that sleep should come, that her brain caught up with her body and all they had done. Swollen flesh, a painful reminder of the lines she had crossed and the promises she had broken.

  Having never known before, the knowledge she would leave behind in the moonlight would forever be more painful by its absence from now on.

  Chapter Two

  Kate felt the low rumble of thunder. She cracked one eye to the light and realised it was only in her head. That had been some night.

  She forced her breathing to slow so she could listen to the sounds around her. Specifically, for the sound of breathing that would belong to another person.

  There was nothing.

  Already knowing what she would find, she rolled over. The space next to her was empty, ruffled sheets and a dent in the pillow the only indications that someone else had been there at all.

  Damn.

  Kate groaned and hid her face in the pillow. It had been far too long since she had spent the night with someone. She never did that. She hadn’t lied to Hayley the previous evening just to get her into bed.

  It would have been easy, too easy in fact, to leave a trail of one night stands behind her, like a body map of the places she had been to. But that wasn’t her style.

  It had been close, a few times. Full moon parties when she’d had too much to drink and there was a sense of what the hell in the air. When an attractive woman had made it clear they were more than open to the idea of hooking up. Kate knew some female backpackers included a fling with another woman on their list of things to do before they went back home and settled down into the life that was expected of them. A female version of sowing their wild oats. The Americans were the worst, she’d discovered. Those Bible Belt girls who wanted to cross the line far away from home.

  She didn’t need to prove anything to anyone else and certainly not to herself.

  Hayley had been different.

  How, she couldn’t describe, but from the moment she had emerged from the hostel and seen her standing there, something inside had clicked. As the guy who owned the place had scampered off to make up a room she was fairly confident hadn’t been prepared for her arrival, the decision to stay had been made. She’d not expected to find someone like Hayley on this leg of her travels.

  She’d stopped looking for someone like Hayley at all.

  As they’d talked, she’d seemed distant to begin with. Instead of taking the hint, Kate had found herself more curious than anything else. There had clearly been an attraction there, but Kate could tell Hayley would never make the first move. She was older and Kate had assumed that meant more experienced. If that was the case, she had been h
esitant at the start.

  Neither of them were hesitating by the end.

  This certainly wasn’t how she’d expected to start her first day on the island.

  Kate pushed herself up on the pillows and looked around. Any sign of Hayley would be a bonus, but she knew it was wishful thinking. She had known from the moment she’d woken up that she was alone and would be until she plucked up the courage to emerge from the room.

  She looked around with a sudden rush of fear. Damn, she was such an idiot. Despite the banging head, she dashed out of bed, tearing open the zips on her backpack.

  Her laptop was still there. So was her purse with cash and cards.

  Kate sat back on her heels, a wave of relief washing through her so strong that she thought she might throw up. Another reason why she didn’t have one night stands. She’d heard too many stories about waking up from a night of hot sex with your possessions gone. No money, no passport. It was every backpacker’s nightmare, but it never stopped them from taking the risk in the first place. Alcohol, hormones and freedom were a heady mix.

  She crawled back to bed. It would be more than the hassle of filling in the police report for her if things got stolen. Without her laptop, without her camera, she was really screwed.

  Kate hadn’t been entirely honest with Hayley the previous evening. She wasn’t just passing through. That was what made the whole thing so much worse. She had no idea how long Hayley was planning to be around, but Kate was likely to outstay her. There would be no quick escape before the two of them ended up bumping into each other on the way to the bathroom. She needed to stay here until her work was done. That would be until she knew enough about the island - one part of it in particular - to write her articles. She was here before any other travel writer. She could break the news of this place. First in, most hits on the website. Big numbers meant more money going into her bank account and even less need to go home and get a soul-sucking job.

  Speaking of which, she looked at her watch and realised it was later than she thought. She had spent a few days in London before taking the flight here, but before that, she had been in Cambodia. The jet lag was still wrapping its tentacles around her this morning.

  Kate gathered her toiletries bag and towel, poking her head out the door and checking the corridor for signs of life before dashing to the bathroom. Most mornings she enjoyed the social elements of hostel life. People planning their days over breakfast, or listening to tales of the previous day’s adventures, were all part of the appeal when she stayed in a communal place. Not that she did that much these days. Since she had built herself a career out of travel, she usually rented small apartments. With the significant cost of living difference between Asia and Europe, she’d decided to downgrade back to a hostel. Pablo’s place was the only option and cost as much as her previous apartment that had been part of a complex with its own pool, gym and grocery store.

  Yes, Pablo’s was definitely a change in style.

  She turned on the shower and waited. After a few seconds, a weak spray of water came out. She tested it with her hand. The day was already warm, but she sure as hell didn’t need anything that cold on her skin just yet. Turning the tap with the red sticker up full, she prayed that it would produce something hot. The prospect of standing under chilly water wasn’t an appealing one, but she had to get the smell of sex off her skin before she saw anyone else.

  The thought brought a blush to her face that went a good way towards warming her up properly. Was Hayley still even in the building? They hadn’t discussed travel plans. For all Kate knew, that had been Hayley’s last night in town and she’d decided to go out with a bang.

  No pun intended.

  With a low grumble, the pipe work on the wall began to tremble. Kate stared at it in horror, frozen in indecision. Before she could back away, the water pressure jumped with a hiss, bringing with it warm water. She let out a held breath of relief. This was definitely the kind of place she hadn’t been to since her earliest travel days.

  Once she had washed away the night before and packed her bag for the day, she locked her room and made her way through the dark hallway to the front door. She needed to get breakfast and check out the town that had been in darkness when she’d arrived. Somewhere in the building, she could hear Pablo singing to himself, a Spanish song interspersed with hammering and occasional swearing that needed no translation. Kate contemplated asking him what he knew about Hayley. No, that would be too embarrassing. Besides, just because the two of them had been talking when she’d arrived and throughout dinner didn’t mean he really knew anything about her.

  Worse, if he had heard them the previous evening, then that was a whole other thing she wasn’t ready to face.

  She straightened her shoulders. One out-of-character night wasn’t something to be ashamed of. She hadn’t come here to improve her love life. She had a job to do. It was time to let it go and move on.

  #

  Three hours later, she stood looking at the skyline, all thoughts of Hayley temporarily forgotten. The sun was hot, but she’d read that at this time of the year, the heat wouldn’t tip into ferocious. She was well prepared anyway. A life growing up in Australia followed by travel in the tropics meant water and sunscreen were her daily friends. Her mother had passed along mousey blonde hair and slow-to-tan skin, but after three years of avoiding an office, she had eventually turned a light brown. She remained cautious, especially when she was out in a new place alone like this, but the day had turned out just perfect.

  From this vantage point, in the distance she could see the ocean, twinkling its deep blue. Behind her, an interesting formation of rocks had caught her attention and brought her to this spot. It reminded her of a miniature Uluru. Very, very miniature. She pointed her camera and took another shot. Small, but perfectly formed.

  Kate checked the screen of her camera to review the picture. It was good, but the hike from Pablo’s would be even more amazing at sunrise and sunset. She would come back another day to capture those moments. The world had come to expect a perfect sunset shot in her articles. She couldn’t wait to tell everyone about this place. It would surprise her readers, she knew. From the tropics of Asia to the dry heat of Europe, she wasn’t sure many of her readers were even aware she had made the change. Surprising them would keep things fresh. As they lived their lives vicariously through her, she did everything she could to keep it exciting.

  She sat down on a rock and pulled a protein bar from her backpack. It was slightly sticky in the heat, and she crinkled her nose at the mess in the wrapper. At least it tasted good, almost like actual chocolate if she pretended hard enough. As she chomped happily, she looked around, her eyes drawn to the bright flowers that were starting to bloom, untamed and unhindered. New signs erected by the regional government protection workers would be useful to the visitors when they began to trickle in, but she didn’t need them. Canarina canariensis, its flowers like peachy red bells hanging down. She’d done her research before arriving in Spain. Her memory was almost photographic when it came to plants and places.

  As she washed the final mouthful down with water, she smiled to herself. This was a good life. She’d made it out of nothing but her own passion. She could travel, she could do the things she loved most. She was free.

  She didn’t need a relationship to tie her down or hold her back. Not even with an amazing woman like Hayley.

  Chapter Three

  Hayley was still aching two days after her late night encounter with Kate. As she lifted a crate of beer in the back room, unfamiliar muscles screamed out with pain. She’d thought that running the bar-cafe for years had kept her body in shape. She rarely drank into the profits, so it was all work and movement for her. Lifting crates of beer and soft drinks had kept her arms toned. Mopping the floor after a particularly rowdy night did the same job, although was a far less pleasant way of achieving the same effect.

  Making love to Kate had used different muscle groups entirely. It had been a constant
reminder ever since and she both loved and hated the feeling. It was a classic battle of body versus mind and she hadn’t felt it wage within her for years.

  Her brain told her it was a stupid mistake. Regrettable. One she wouldn’t make again. Her body, on the other hand, was a reminder that she was human after all. Every woman had needs. Besides, it had been flattering to be wanted by someone young and pretty. No man would be feeling remorse over an encounter like that, so why should she?

  She knew why of course, pushing the thought from her head as soon as it appeared.

  Stupid mistake or not, she had spent yesterday unable to get Kate off her mind. She had hoped that today would be different. Delivery day didn’t really leave a lot of room for thinking at the best of times. Unfortunately, Kate had been on her thoughts more than they had been off. She could be four crates of beer short and she wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

  In the years of owning the Segunda Casa bar, she had never been this distracted by anything. It was her life. A relaxed cafe during the day, it eased into a bar popular with locals once the sun went down. It had been struggling to generate an income when she had visited the small town for the first time. When she saw Se Vende above the window, it was both a physical and metaphorical sign. She knew she would buy the place. She had been looking for a home and it was here that she found it.

  Hayley had a little experience at serving customers but zero at running a business. In those first few months, she was lucky that hardly anybody had ventured through the doors. It gave her chance to learn the ropes. Learn the language. Become friends with Pablo, who had stuck by her ever since. Once she had convinced him that she really wasn’t interested in him and never would be, of course. His pride had smarted for a while, but he’d got over it.

  She’d not been looking for friends. That wasn’t what home meant to her. It wasn’t a sociable thing. Being alone was a pleasure, not a chore. Pangs of loneliness were pains other people suffered, not her.