by LJ Bradley
Meg: Ladies don’t kiss and tell. x
Ally: I know. That’s why I’m asking
Meg: Lol. Go away. ;)
Meg smiled and dropped her phone into her beach bag, thankful her best friend had no idea what she’d been up to over the past twenty-four hours. If she did her texts would be relentless, demanding answers at first, then switching to cajoling if that didn’t work. On and on it would go until every dirty detail had been extracted from start to mind-blowing finish.
And there were a lot of dirty details.
Meg adjusted one of the straps on her white bikini and tugged her sunglasses from her hair. She slid them in place over her eyes and stretched her legs out on the sun lounge she’d rented for the next few hours.
Her gaze settled on the waves while her mind drifted back to the events of last night. She couldn’t believe she’d slept with a guy on the same day she met him. If her body hadn’t been aching in enough places to prove it was true, she’d almost be able to convince herself it was a crazy, erotic dream.
Just thinking about the time she’d spent with Jack had her skin flushing with pleasure. His skill, his strength, the feel of his mouth on her body—everywhere. He’d kept her on edge all night, switching between relaxed and take-charge, leaving her breathless and aroused and unsure if she wanted to laugh or moan. At one point, Meg was sure she’d done both.
She’d struggled to leave him after that. The temptation to curl up against him and stay there forever had been so strong she’d almost given in, but the thought of facing him in the bright light of day had just felt too awkward. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t talk herself around.
Now she’d had a chance to recover it would be near impossible to turn down an offer of a repeat performance if one happened to come her way.
Meg smiled as she pulled her hair into a bun and secured it with the tie she kept on her wrist. She took in the view of Kuta beach from the shade of her umbrella, watching as couples strolled the foreshore and surfers rode the swell farther out. Kids screamed and laughed as they whirled about kicking up sand, and a group of guys tossed a football back and forth at the water’s edge. It was pure chaos. Heaven for a people-watcher like her.
A shriek caught her attention. Meg turned her head to find a woman trotting toward the waves with her hands performing a dainty flapping motion at her sides. Her dark hair flew out behind her and her breasts were bulging from a leopard print bikini so tiny she may as well have been naked. The bare-chested man running behind her must have been appreciating the view because he seemed more than happy to let her lead.
The woman splashed her way into the water with a surprising lack of grace. Meg laughed and shook her head before shifting her attention to the man again. A feeling of familiarity washed over her as he passed her by, causing her to pull her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. She took in his messy black hair, broad chest, the way his loose stride effortlessly ate up the sand.
Surely it couldn’t be…
Her stomach plummeted and the smile slipped from her face.
Jack.
He caught up to the brunette woman and wrapped his arm around her waist. With one effortless swing he whirled her around, and she let out another scream that now grated on Meg’s nerves.
She bit her lip and watched as Jack strolled thigh-deep into the water carrying the woman. When he lowered her, she turned to face him and snaked her arms around his neck. The neck Meg had kissed last night, the neck she’d dragged her tongue along as she reveled in his groan of pleasure.
The woman pressed her mouth to Jack’s cheek. Meg closed her eyes to block out the view.
She drew a long breath and pushed her sunglasses back on her nose. As her head rested against the lounge, her feeling of contentment faded. Maybe this was why one-night stands had never appealed to her. She must have somehow known the after-effects would be too much for her to process.
It shouldn’t hurt, she told herself. He didn’t owe her anything and she hadn’t been under any illusions after the night they’d spent together. So why did she feel this empty sense of loss, this feeling of betrayal? Why did she want to take the other woman down in a running tackle and demand she keep her hands off him?
Her eyes drifted open, her attention returning to Jack and his new friend. She watched his hands slide down her spine, drawing her so close her breasts squished out from the sides of her top. Meg had to admit the combination of bronzed skin and dark good looks made them a striking couple.
So not fair.
She wanted to yell at them to get a room. Instead she swung her gaze to the other end of the beach and pulled in long, calming breaths. The sound of lapping waves would have been soothing if she could take her mind off Jack for more than three seconds. She remembered how he’d dragged her against him last night, keeping her close as if he wanted to make sure she didn’t go anywhere. He’d even murmured sweet words to her until she fell asleep.
Seeing the softer side to such a masculine guy had generated a level of affection she hadn’t expected—yet if she approached him now he probably wouldn’t remember her name.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, a shadow fell across her body and a feeling of nervous excitement stirred in her stomach. Meg braced herself and looked up. When her gaze met Jack’s and she saw the recognition on his face, her pulse jumped and happiness flowed through her traitorous body.
Droplets of water clung to his lashes and the hair scattered across his chest. His belly heaved with exertion, showing off the ridges of hard muscle there. He was so beautiful. The urge came over her to drag him onto the sun lounge and make him forget about the other woman, but she couldn’t bring herself to compete for his attention.
“Hey, Meg,” he said. His board shorts rode low on his hips, highlighting the line of dark hair that travelled from navel to waistband. It was hard to forget that trail since she’d traced her forefinger, then her tongue, over it last night.
She smiled up at him and threw herself into the middle of a game she had no experience playing. “Hi. I’m sorry… I’ve forgotten your name?”
He grinned as he combed his hand through his hair and inadvertently sprayed her with salt water. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? You skulk out of my bed in the middle of the night, now you can’t even remember my name. I feel so used.”
Meg ignored his attempt to get a rise out of her. She flicked a glance behind him, taking in the vision standing alone in her bikini-clad glory. The woman bent at the waist and splashed her breasts with water, looking like she’d tumbled from the pages of a men’s magazine. A couple of guys even stopped throwing their football around to watch her.
“I’ll bet. Who’s your friend?” Meg asked as her gaze returned to Jack.
He sank onto the empty lounge beside her and rested his elbows on his knees. The warm, open smile he gave her made it increasingly difficult to keep up her façade of indifference. “I don’t know,” he said. “I must have caught your amnesia.”
“Never mind.” Meg pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “It won’t matter tomorrow when you move on to the next one.”
His eyes were alight with amusement, as if he’d figured out the reason behind her standoffishness and found it entertaining. Maybe even endearing. He leaned in and gave her leg a quick stroke, the touch so fleeting it shouldn’t have made her body react the way it did. “I only met her an hour ago. She doesn’t mean anything to me.”
His closeness only brought back memories from last night and her skin prickled with goose-bumps. Meg shifted her leg and snorted to cover her discomfort. “I’m sure she’d be happy to hear that.”
“I doubt she’d care.” Jack glanced over his shoulder at the woman in question, who now frolicked in the surf while she gave surreptitious looks to the two shirtless guys headed her way. When she jumped over an incoming wave and her breasts bounced, Meg couldn’t bear to watch for another second.
“She’ll give herself a black eye if she keeps that up.�
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Jack turned back to her and smiled. “Probably. I’m sure those guys are enjoying themselves, though.”
“Maybe you should go back over there and stake your claim.” Subtle—jealousy with a side of bitterness. One minute she’d been all pleased with herself for the way she handled last night, now she wanted to stand guard over him and make sure no one else could get close.
Her tone only seemed to amuse him though, because he looked like he wanted to laugh. His gaze lowered to take in the soft swell of her breasts, lingering just long enough to get her stomach fluttering. When his eyes came back to hers again they were glimmering with humor and appreciation. “Think I’ll pass. I prefer natural tits myself.”
“Good to know.” Meg wanted to ignore the pleasure his words sparked inside her, but it gave her a sick sense of satisfaction knowing she’d been able to lure him from a woman as physically flawless as the brunette out in the surf. Her fingers trembled as she leaned over and pulled a water bottle from her bag. She twisted the lid and took a long drink to douse the flames.
“Peach-colored nipples are sexy too,” he said. Apparently trying to fluster her had become his new favorite hobby. Hers, too, if her elevated heart rate and the goosebumps rushing over her were any indication. Jack smiled but his innocent expression didn’t fool her for a second. “The sensitive kind that harden with a flick of the tongue… a soft nibble… a long, deep suck. You like sucking things, Meg?”
She feigned disinterest even though she was torn between laughing and wanting to show him just how much she liked sucking things. Before she could answer, his attention shifted to her hair, and he kept going as if he hadn’t wanted or expected an answer. “Red hair does it for me, too. Whenever I look at yours I picture it wrapped around my fist while I guide your mouth onto my—”
“Okay! I get it.” Meg capped the bottle and dropped it into her bag. She dried her lips with the backs of her fingers and frowned at him. “Don’t you have better things to do than tease me, like chase Playboy bunnies or something?”
His mouth quirked and the warmth that filled his eyes made her breath catch. “For some reason, I find you more interesting.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
“For one, I like how responsive you are.” His fingertip trailed down the length of her thigh, leaving a trail of shivers in its wake. “I barely touch you and you start squirming.”
“I do not squirm.” A blush swept over her. She had to put all her effort into keeping still and hiding her reaction from him.
He smiled at that. “If you say so.”
They both remained silent for a long moment, neither of them bothering to fill the void with words. His gaze meshed with hers, and when he finally spoke again a slight huskiness had crept into his voice. “Why’d you leave so early? I thought we’d spend some more time together today.”
Meg ignored the tenderness spreading through her and shifted her attention to the woman in the leopard-print bikini, watching as she delighted her male audience by splashing around in the water. Jack might have a talent for saying all the right words, but his actions spoke a hell of a lot louder. “Hmm. I can see how much you missed me.”
His fingers slipped between hers. “Don’t worry about her. Come with me, I want to show you something.”
Meg tugged her hand free and swung her legs over the edge of the lounge. “Thanks, but I’ve already seen it.” She slid her shoes on and looped her fingers through the handle of her bag, trying her best to look unaffected.
Jack cupped her elbows and pulled her to her feet with him, reaching behind her to grab the towel. “I’m talking about a massage, dirty girl. There’s a masseuse at the hotel who works miracles… or so the rumor goes.”
Meg straightened her back, testing the ache between her shoulder blades. She chewed on her lower lip and looked up at him. Only moments ago, he’d been in the surf with a half-naked woman plastered against him. Now here he stood before her, his dark brows raised in invitation, his blue eyes playful and inviting. She didn’t want to want him, but he knew how to push every one of her buttons.
She’d seen how easily he could detach himself from one woman and move onto the next. How little it all meant to him. Even knowing this and understanding it was a physical connection and nothing more, she couldn’t deny the craving he stirred inside her. Her body urged her to take whatever he offered for however long it lasted.
His hand slid down her forearm, his fingers encouraging the tiny hairs to rise before a full-body shiver worked its way through her. Meg dipped her head and let out a breath, wondering if she could forget about her feelings and focus on physical pleasure. If she wanted to make the most of her holiday, to take home some lasting memories she could pull out and relive for years to come, she had to admit one basic truth: she wanted to be near him, to have his hands on her at every opportunity.
Meg lifted her head to give him a hesitant smile. “What makes you think I need a massage.”
The look of relief that passed over his face stunned her. Before she could read too much into it he leaned in and pressed a kiss on her lips. “After last night? Please.”
With a laugh, she flattened her palms on his stomach and pushed him away. “What are you going to do while I’m being pampered?”
He smiled as he took her beach bag from her and pulled her against his side. “I’ll be right there with you.”
Jack led her to a pavilion in a remote corner of the hotel grounds, away from the main paths where guests roamed, far from the noise and laughter of the swimming pool. Traditional Balinese music, gamelan, played softly in the background, while white gauze curtains blocked out the world around them, billowing whenever the breeze picked up. It was a jasmine-scented oasis Meg hadn’t known existed.
She crawled onto the mattress that took up most of the floor space and greeted the masseuse who’d just introduced herself as Dayu. The woman wore a burnt orange shirt and batik pants. Her black hair fell to her waist, framing a happy face and kind, dark eyes. While she went about arranging bottles and lighting incense, Meg lay on the sheet and rested her cheek on the pillow.
Jack sat on the edge of the bed, then Dayu joined them shortly afterward, kneeling at the base near Meg’s outstretched toes. Her hand came to rest on Meg’s calf as she told her, “I start with your shoulders and work my way down, okay, honey? Relax and enjoy. Sleep if you want.”
Meg smiled and thanked her. When Dayu tugged the ties loose on her bikini top, she lifted her chest and allowed the scrap of fabric to be whipped out from beneath her. Her body sank to the mattress again and she closed her eyes, determined to avoid Jack’s gaze. He’d only waggle his brows or give her one of those heated looks that took her straight back to last night. Not that she needed much prompting.
Oil trickled onto her skin and slid between her shoulder blades, the jasmine fragrance drawing her focus back to the massage. Dayu’s hands followed soon after, gliding over Meg’s body in a way that had her holding in a groan of appreciation.
Her touch was firm and thorough, her fingers seeking out knots and aching muscles as if she knew exactly where to find them. Meg’s limbs turned lax, her thoughts clouding as she immersed herself in the experience. Her breathing grew heavier and long moments passed by, then eventually her late night and lack of sleep caught up with her. Just as she’d reached the point where she was ready to slip into a serious doze, Dayu paused to exchange a few quiet words with Jack. Meg listened to the shuffling sounds going on around her, happily disconnected from it all.
The weight on the end of the mattress shifted and then settled again. When the soft noises stopped and Dayu splashed another puddle of oil onto the backs of her thighs, Meg sighed against the pillow.
The woman's magic hands began moving again with long, sliding strokes. Her fingers delved between Meg’s knees, her touch so deep and focused Meg couldn’t hold in her appreciative moan. It was as if Dayu had only been warming up before and now the real work had begun. Her hands moved to
Meg’s shoulders, stretching and pulling her muscles. She worked every inch of skin, then slipped beneath Meg’s body to caress her breasts so boldly there was no way it could have been an accident.
Meg’s heart performed a hard thump as she desperately tried to figure a polite way out of the situation. It was one thing to sleep with a man on the first day she’d met him, another entirely to have someone touch her like this when she hadn’t agreed to it in the first place. The fantasy may have appealed to Jack, but she wouldn’t put herself in an uncomfortable position just to please him. “Dayu, stop. I’m not… I don’t—”
“Aw, but we were having so much fun.”
Meg pushed herself up on her elbows and glanced over her shoulder to find Jack sitting where Dayu had been only minutes before. Following a quick survey of the room, she guessed he must have asked Dayu to give them some privacy because they were very much alone. Her eyes narrowed and she shot him a glare. “So not funny.”
Jack smiled and leaned over her. He planted a hand either side of her body, pressing his bare chest against her raised shoulders. His mouth rested beside her ear, his voice a low rumble as he asked, “Not even a little bit?”
With his hard strength hovering over her and his breath warming her cheek, Meg bit back a sigh. He was crowding her on purpose—he’d already figured out what it did to her. Faint traces of salt water mingled with his masculine heat. His stubble abraded her skin and his arms created a steel-like barrier around her body. She had no chance against this kind of temptation.
“No. Not even a little bit.” Meg would have rolled her eyes at the hopeless, breathy sound of her voice if she’d had her wits about her.
He applied more pressure with the lower half of his body, his arousal evident as he pushed against her buttocks. “Sure about that?”
She’d never been more desperate in all her life. “Ahh… No.”
His chuckle sounded hoarse as he kissed the back of her neck. “Lie back down, Meg. Let me take care of you.”
