by LJ Bradley
Jack couldn’t for the life of him keep the grin from his face. “Sounds good to me.”
He closed his eyes and softened his lips as they teased hers, content for the moment just to lie here with her and revel in her closeness. He’d find time later to ponder the reasons behind her quick change of heart…
And why he’d accepted the offer without even giving it a second thought.
Chapter Seven
Meg: I officially have an FWB
Ally: Who ARE you and why do you have my friend’s phone?
Meg: Very funny
Ally: I’m just trying to pick
my jaw up off the floor.
Meg: I’m having fun!
Ally: I’ll say. Good for you. What’s he look like?
Meg: So hot I can barely stand it.
Ally: I hate you. ;)
Meg: Love you too
Meg ducked to avoid a low hanging branch, glancing Jack’s way as they wandered through the butterfly park north of Tabanan. She took in his tanned shoulders and biceps, thankful he’d worn a tank top since it made checking him out on the sly a whole lot easier. Her gaze dropped to his low-slung shorts. With his jaw covered in stubble and his dark hair all ruffled, he looked so deliciously scruffy she wanted to do inappropriate things to him every time she set eyes on him.
They’d already taken in the main attractions around the park, where Meg had seen an array of butterflies so vivid in color she’d found it hard to believe they were real. She’d recognized some of the tropical flowers along the way, stopping to examine flowers like soka and heliconia salmon that she’d never had the chance to work with back home. She’d even allowed a rhinoceros beetle to crawl across her palm, squinting in discomfort while Jack laughed and she fought off the urge to shake it from her hand.
Now they were strolling around the boundary, where lush greenery filled the garden beds and fewer tourists roamed. A myriad of pathways wound through the tropical displays, sometimes shaded beneath the cover of the trees, other times exposed to the harsh afternoon sun. They were in one of those sunny spots now, and Meg had to fan the neckline of her white sundress for relief from the heat.
Amidst the activity, she’d noticed Jack stealing glances at her whenever he thought her attention was elsewhere. He’d appear deep in thought one moment, amused the next. She had a fair idea what it was about, but asking him before she’d had the chance to enjoy his curiosity would have ruined all her fun.
Meg smiled, remembering the expression on his face that morning when she’d suggested their no-strings-attached arrangement; part shock, part desire, but the hardness inside her told her he was more than on board with the idea. It gave her a thrill knowing she could surprise him because he’d had her on edge from the moment they met.
Now she just had to hope the idea wouldn’t come back to bite her.
A bright yellow butterfly landed on Jack’s hair, distracting her from the turn her thoughts had taken. Meg urged him to stop and lifted her hand, encouraging it to crawl onto her finger. The prettiness of the insect against the backdrop of his dark, masculine features made for an appealing view.
She held the creature between them, following its journey as it continued onto the back of her hand. Meg flicked a glance at Jack and smiled, noting he’d found something other than the butterfly to watch. He was taking in each of her features as if seeing her for the first time, and when his eyes lifted to meet hers again the sparkle of amusement in them made her want things she had no business wanting.
“What’s going on with you today?” she asked, feigning innocence even though she had a fair idea he’d see straight through the act. “The whole time we’ve been here you’ve been looking at me strangely.”
Jack gave the butterfly a gentle nudge, causing it to take flight and make its way to the branch of a frangipani tree. He tracked its movements for a moment before shifting his attention back to her. “Just trying to figure you out, that’s all.”
She looked up at him, fighting to keep her expression neutral when all she wanted to do was laugh. “Really? Which part’s confusing you?”
He smiled. “As if you don’t know. The part we talked about this morning.”
Her sense of fun only increased. She wanted to tease him mercilessly right here where he couldn’t do anything about it. Her heart pounded as she stood on her tiptoes and said against his ear, “You mean when I said I want your unbelievably gorgeous body as often as I can, as hard as you can give it to me.”
She pulled back just enough to see the result of her admission. The intensity in his eyes let her know if she kept talking like that he’d give it to her this very second. His gaze raked over her and the corner of his mouth quirked. “I don’t remember you mentioning the second part, but if you don’t change the subject right now I’m dragging you into the bushes.”
Meg clapped a hand over her mouth to keep the laughter inside. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to keep pushing him or dial it back a bit. Teasing him was too way too entertaining. For the sake of peace and enjoying the rest of the day together, she went for the second option. “Nice weather we’re having today.”
His face broke into a grin and the tension between them disappeared. Jack linked his arm around her neck and tugged her against him in a hold that bordered on a headlock. His playfulness drew another smile from her, and she slipped her arms around his waist to give him a quick hug before they let each other go.
When they set off walking again, Jack grabbed her hand and slipped his fingers between hers, the gesture so easy and affectionate it made her skin warm in a way that had nothing to do with the weather. Meg glanced off to the side and pretended nonchalance, but she couldn’t remember the last time a man had taken the initiative and held her hand before Jack. It felt nice. Protective, comforting. Something she could get used to far too quickly.
Oblivious to her reaction, he plucked a flower from a jasmine shrub, looking her way as he twirled the stem between his forefinger and thumb. “How old are you?” he asked.
The question came so out of nowhere she laughed in surprise. “Umm… twenty-eight?”
“You mean you’re not sure?”
Meg nudged his shoulder. “No. I’m just wondering if my age bothers you.”
He frowned and lobbed the flower into a garden bed. “Why the hell would it bother me?
“Because you asked!”
He swung their joined hands between them, giving hers a squeeze. “Maybe I’m trying to get to know you.”
“Oh.” Meg dipped her head to hide her smile, strangely touched. She met his eyes again and asked, “How old are you?”
He took a few seconds to think it over. “Thirty?”
She laughed and gave his shoulder another bump, wondering why his teasing made her want him so much. No one had made her feel this way before, but then she hadn’t spent time around a man so genuinely laid-back and funny either. “So, we’ve covered that I’m an only child. You mentioned when we first met that you have a brother. Any other siblings?”
Jack spared her a glance as they continued along the concrete path. “No, just Josh.”
“Is he older or younger?”
“A couple years older.”
They came to an area where the path opened up onto a wide expanse of lawn. A picnic table was situated right in the middle and a group of trees bordered the space, casting shadows over the grass that looked cool and inviting. Meg pictured herself lying there with Jack and lazing the afternoon away. A dark-haired couple had already spread a blanket out there to do exactly that.
“And he’s been married for five years, right?” she asked, picking up the conversation again. “No kids yet?”
“No.” He didn’t elaborate any further. She’d noticed he did that whenever she unintentionally stumbled onto a subject he wanted to avoid.
They walked on in silence for a while until she glanced up to find him staring straight ahead, his face blank of any emotion. He might have been with her physically b
ut she had a feeling his thoughts had taken off somewhere far from here. It reminded her of the night they’d met when she asked him about the vow-renewal ceremony he’d come here for. He could have used the opening as an opportunity to describe his family, share a funny story or two, but he’d had nothing to say about his brother—or sister-in-law for that matter.
“Are you and his wife close?” she asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
He hummed his agreement but wouldn’t look at her. Meg wanted to run and hide from the discomfort her questions had caused, but she just couldn’t seem to shut up. She let go of his hand and moved in front of him, standing still so he’d have to stop walking, too—unless he wanted to mow her down, which wasn’t out of the question given the expression on his face.
Meg didn’t need experience with holiday flings to understand the rules. Stay out of his personal business and avoid delving too deep. Surface attraction only if she wanted to stay unattached and keep her heart intact until the end of the week. Unfortunately for her, the urge to help him overtook her common sense. “Jack, what’s wrong?”
For the first time since she’d known him, the smile he gave her looked forced. “Don’t worry about it, Meg. It’s not important.”
“I’m not trying to push you, but I don’t mind talking about it if you want someone to listen.” She sounded like a counsellor, a profession in which she had zero experience. Meg closed her eyes and mentally kicked herself for her approach. “Sorry. I’m just trying to get to know you better, too.”
He cupped the back of her neck and swept his thumb over the base of her throat, a surprisingly affectionate touch from someone who’d worked so hard to shut her out. “I know, but like I said, it doesn’t matter.”
Her eyes opened and she tilted her head to meet his gaze. She could see the subject was a sore point with him. The idea of any issue weighing him down, no matter how big or small, bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t want to care so much, but the more time they spent together the more Meg realized it was going to happen anyway.
“Okay.” She sighed dramatically, trying to inject some humor into what had become a painfully awkward situation. “Be a man then and keep it to yourself.”
“Thanks. I’ll do that.” His gaze softened and some of the usual warmth crept back into his smile. He took off walking again and sent her a glance over his shoulder, his raised brows questioning whether she planned on joining him.
Meg bit her thumbnail and watched him leave, fighting the urge to run after him and dig for more information. All he’d done by holding back was create a mystery she desperately wanted to solve, a desire to learn more about a man who seemed intent on keeping himself hidden. But continuing with the topic when he clearly had no interest in divulging more information would only lead to tension and cold shoulders, and she wouldn’t ruin their time together.
She blew the hair from her eyes and stared up at the sky, trying not to take his rejection personally. He’d tell her what he wanted to in his own sweet time… or maybe not at all.
Either way, she’d just have to rein in her curiosity and remind herself it was none of her business.
Jack lounged in the cane armchair tucked into the corner of the balcony, sipping from a beer as he contemplated his afternoon with Meg. For a day that had started out so well it hadn’t taken long to go downhill. One minute they were laughing and teasing each other, the next she turned into the equivalent of a shovel while he became hard-packed earth.
He had to give her credit for dropping the subject as soon as he made it clear it wouldn’t go anywhere, though. She even caught up to him and tried lifting the mood after that, chatting all the way back to the hotel as if his abruptness had no impact on her. Only the two bright spots of color on her cheeks gave her away.
Instead of explaining it to her like he probably should have, he took the easy way out and told her he was going to his room to spend some time alone. Since Meg came up with the idea of their casual arrangement, she couldn’t exactly question why he’d decided not to invite her along. Even so, Jack managed to catch a glimpse of the hurt in her eyes before she turned and walked away.
An hour later he still felt like an ass—and all he’d done by insisting she leave him alone was give himself time to think.
The bottle dangled from his fingertips as his thoughts shifted to Catherine again. It didn’t matter how many times he thought he’d moved on, something always triggered the memories and reminded him of what he’d missed out on twelve years ago.
They were both in their last year of high school when he met her. She’d relocated from Sydney to Melbourne with her family and had to transfer to his school halfway through the year. While he stood talking to a couple of friends in the courtyard just before the bell rang that first day of semester, she came rushing through the crowd with an anxious look on her face and her bag bouncing against her back.
He stopped right in the middle of a sentence to watch her. His heart slowed to a heavy thud as she hurried toward him, drawing his attention like nothing else had. With a face like one of those porcelain dolls his mother used to collect, she was all long limbs and blonde hair flying out behind her. Perfect, untouchable. He couldn’t recall what she was wearing—some kind of floaty thing that looked out of place amongst the uniforms everyone else wore—but he remembered it was blue because it matched her eyes.
She ran right past him, too focused on wherever she needed to be to notice him standing there. Jack swore under his breath and turned to watch her go, only stopping when he copped an elbow to the ribs from one of his friends.
For the rest of the day he tried gathering information about her from some of the other kids, but no one knew much. It took until Economics class three days later for him to get the chance to talk to her himself. She slid into the seat beside him without looking his way, then sat there all quiet and composed on the surface while she fidgeted with a rubber band under the desk.
Since he’d never been the awkward type around girls, Jack leaned over and spoke to her in a low voice while the teacher’s attention was elsewhere. “Where’s your uniform?”
Her fingers stilled and she gave him a meek smile, her eyes darting over his face as if she wasn’t sure what to think of him. “Still on order. We had to move here earlier than my dad planned so I got here before my uniform did.”
He thought about saying he hoped it never arrived because her clothes looked better on her than any uniform ever could, but he didn’t want to leave her with a lame first impression. “What’s your name?” He had no idea if she’d been introduced in any of her other classes, but the teacher had made no mention of her in this one.
“Catherine McPherson.” She glanced down at the table then met his eyes again. It didn’t look as if it came naturally for her to be direct. “What’s yours?”
The corner of his mouth lifted and he watched her shoulders relax a little. “Jack Townsend.”
“Hi, Jack.” She held the eye contact a fraction longer this time and returned his smile.
“Hi, new-girl-Catherine.” He gave her a quick grin and flicked a glance at Mr Hardman. The teacher had caught on to their conversation so he gave up on any further attempts to question her, instead vowing to get to know her better outside of class.
Over the following weeks his efforts paid off. Catherine opened up to him bit by bit and let him see the more fun, outgoing side of her personality. She talked to most of the students in their year level, but always seemed more at ease whenever he was by her side. It sounded crazy when he thought about it now, especially given the way everything turned out, but he felt like a kind of anchor for her back then.
He began inviting her over to his place, using homework sessions as an excuse when he mostly just wanted to spend time with her. With his parents working long hours and Josh away at university, those days were pretty much his favorite part of the school year.
After a while she started coming over on the weekends as well, and the two
of them made the most of his swimming pool on the warm afternoons as spring slipped into summer. The image of that tiny red bikini of hers would be burned on his memory forever—he’d spent most of his time hiding his physical reaction to her in the water.
Jack set his empty bottle on the side table and leaned forward. The breeze swirled around his bare feet and dead leaves skittered across the tiles. He watched them for a while then closed his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees, remembering the exact moment it all turned to shit.
He was chasing Catherine through the pool, grinning at the sound of her laughter even as his nerves kicked in. He planned on letting her keep the lead for a bit before catching up to her and kissing her for the first time. He wanted her while she was all breathless and wet, her lithe body pressed against him, her eyes wide with shock. It had the potential to be the best or worst thing he ever did.
She took him by surprise though, and surged ahead on those last few strokes.
While he hung back at cruising speed she gripped the edge of the pool and dragged herself partway out of the water, giving him the view he’d often thrown a race just to watch. He stopped swimming to do just that, cursing the interruption when someone opened the sliding door.
Josh chose that moment to step out onto the deck in all his pretty-boy, blonde, bronzed glory. Home for two weeks, he wore board shorts with a towel draped around his neck, and that fucking movie star grin on his face. He’d been out catching up with friends all morning and wasn’t around when Catherine showed up.
Although she knew she’d be meeting him at some point, his sudden arrival must have shocked her because she froze right there, half in and half out of the water. Josh stared at her, Catherine stared at him, and awkward seconds ticked by before she pulled herself together and finished climbing from the pool.
No straight guy could look at her and not be affected by the vision. She stood in a puddle of water with her red bikini bottoms digging in to the cheeks of her ass, two triangles plastered against her breasts. Long blonde hair streamed over her shoulders like wet ribbons and her nipples were hardened into obvious points. Jack felt like a slack-jawed idiot around her most of the time so he couldn’t fault his brother for reacting the same way—but Josh stared at her long enough that it began to piss him off.
