by LJ Bradley
It went on and on until her small cries let him know she needed more. He tore his mouth from hers, pulling back a fraction to see the wildness in her eyes. It matched the crazed feeling ripping through him. Jack slipped his thumbs under the straps on her shoulders, sending them sliding down her arms with one flick.
Meg took over and tugged the fabric to her waist, baring herself with a hot, impatient look that just about blew the top of his head off. No bra. Just pale skin and firm, round breasts. He thumbed her nipples and watched a shiver rush over her. God, he loved her body.
She pushed her dress down and stepped from the material. Before he had a chance to make his next move, she grabbed him and dragged him close, going at his mouth like a woman on a mission. Jack groaned and worked her panties over her hips, shoving until they’d joined her dress on the floor. With a hand supporting her back, he broke the kiss on a muttered curse and helped her onto the mattress. She’d made him so fucking hard one wrong move could have him embarrassing himself in a second.
She lay on the bed looking up at him while he stood half leaning over her, her face a mixture of awkwardness and anticipation. “I want to do this,” she said, “I’m just… I’m nervous.”
The hoarseness in her voice killed him. He’d told her this afternoon that she got to him; never had that been truer than now. He gave her a small smile to help put her at ease, watching as she flattened her palms on the covers to reposition herself. Her hair fanned out against the pillow and her tempting, tight little body extended along the length of the bed. Meg gazed up at him, her cheeks flushed, her stomach quivering. She looked as if she wanted to smile back but it faltered before it could even get started.
He climbed onto the bed before her nerves could take over. Jack knelt beside her and bent his head to kiss her again. He’d already figured out his touch seemed to calm as well as electrify her. When she lifted her arms to encircle his neck he grabbed one of her wrists and guided it lower instead. “Massage your breasts for me.”
Jack went back to kissing her, his tongue plunging into her mouth as she cupped her breasts. No slow and easy this time around. The heat had to be scorching so she had no choice but to chase the release. Her hips lifted and she moaned against his lips, eagerness in every sound, every touch.
He leaned back and stretched his body alongside hers, propping himself on an elbow to take in the view. With a restlessness that took his breath away, Meg flicked her eyes to his and silently begged for more. Jack curled his hand around her upper thigh and pulled it towards him. “Spread your legs.” He kept his tone warm but firm. He knew she intended to go through with it, but some part of him recognized that she wanted him to lead the way.
Meg kept her eyes on his while her knees bent and fell apart. He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her slowly, softly. His tongue touched the tip of hers before retreating, teasing her until her hips were writhing on the bed. When she let out a sound of frustration he murmured against her mouth, “You know what to do.”
Jack nudged her hands aside and took over at her breasts. He massaged her with his palm, capturing her nipple between forefinger and thumb. Her own hand slid lower, skating over her ribs at a pace so deliberate he held his breath. She stopped at her tightened belly, hovering there until he began to wonder if she’d lost her nerve. Before she could talk herself out of it, he pressed a kiss on her cheek and said in a low voice, “Show me.”
Meg slipped her fingers between her thighs, her touch hesitant at first, her attention locked on him as if he was the one who’d keep her grounded, when in reality he wanted her to fly. Heat flooded her cheeks, but it didn’t take long for those tentative strokes to grow bolder. He loved seeing the change in her, the tension sliding from her features as hunger charged in and took its place.
She must have hit a sensitive spot, because her body jerked and she made a whimpering sound that nearly snapped his self-control. He tore his gaze from hers and circled her nipple with his fingertip, groaning at the way it puckered beneath his touch. Her hips lifted and fell, her lower body undulating. His cock strained against his shorts, knowing what she needed and desperately wanting in.
“Hold me.” They were the first words she’d spoken in a while, and the husky edge sent his desire skyrocketing.
Jack slipped his arm under her and pulled her against him. She pressed her lips to his throat like she’d been craving the physical contact. He stroked her hair from her forehead, trailed his fingers to her temple. “You’re so unbelievably sexy,” he said, and felt her smile against his skin. “Havin fun there?” The answer was obvious but he wanted to hear her to say it out loud.
“Yes. Oh, my God, Jack.”
He looked down the length of her body, watching her glistening fingers as they moved back and forth. The scent of her arousal rose to greet him and he swore under his breath, desperate to drag her hand away and dive on her with his mouth.
Her hips began a slow roll. The glimpse of tongue as she licked her lower lip only tortured him further. She tilted her head and gazed up at him with eyes full of desire. This woman and the things she did to him. Jesus. He couldn’t take it anymore. Jack swept his thumb over her cheek and dipped his head to kiss her.
Her tongue slid across his upper lip, causing a surge inside him that had him growling and cradling the back of her head. He crushed his mouth to hers, thrilled at the sound of her raw, primitive moan. The kiss went on, the desire between them building until her hips jerked and she pulled back to stare at him. “I need it, Jack,” she begged as her fingers kept up their frantic pace. “I need you in me. Now.”
Fuck. He sucked in a deep breath, only just managing to hold on. “Soon, babe.” She’d got him so worked up if he gave in to her demands now he wouldn’t last more than three seconds. Instead he drew her closer, touching the back of her hand as it worked away between her thighs.
A beat later, she tensed against him.
Jack leaned away just enough to be able to watch her, so lost in the moment his own arousal took a backseat and all he could focus on was her. He held his breath as her limbs trembled and her heels dug into the mattress. A split second later her hips lifted and she shuddered as a strangled moan left her.
He’d never seen anything so erotic in his life. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing words while she came back down from the high. The whole encounter had left him almost as breathless as her—and harder than ever now.
Her body settled on the bed, and as he took in her features a feeling of awe came over him. Her eyes were closed, wisps of hair stuck to the perspiration on her temples. Her mouth was soft and open as she pulled in air. She looked completely at ease. Satisfied. Happy. He hadn’t seen her so relaxed before.
Something shifted inside him, leaving him feeling just as exposed as her. No matter how much he tried to push it away and tell himself he’d worry about it later, Jack knew things had changed between them. Along with that knowledge came the realization that it didn’t send him into panic mode like he’d thought it would.
He hugged her tightly to him and sank his hand into her hair. He pressed his lips to her forehead in a hard kiss, resting them there while he tried to figure out the best way to handle this new development.
Chapter Twelve
Meg: I like him so much
Ally: What happened to using him for sex?
Meg: I am but there’s more
Ally: Are you falling for him?
Meg: No. Well, not... yet
Ally: Meg!
Meg: I know, I know.
Ally: So what’s the problem?
Meg: I just can’t keep away
Meg thanked her taxi driver and handed over a generous tip before waving goodbye to him. With his genuine friendliness and knowledge of Bali he’d made the day one she wouldn’t forget in a hurry.
She’d hired him to take her to Ubud, a village just over an hour’s drive north of Kuta where she’d heard tourists often liked to shop. Once they ventured outside
the city limits, her eyes were opened to the breathtaking beauty of the island as well as the poverty. She took several photos and short videos, but most of the time she just wanted to be still and take it all in.
When they arrived in Ubud, her driver left her with the promise of meeting up again three hours later. Meg made the most of the time browsing antique stalls, display cases filled with silver jewelry, and stunning fabrics in the textile shops. She even bought a couple lengths of batik with the intention of framing them when she got home.
Now she was back at the hotel after almost an entire day without Jack.
Meg trudged up the front steps, dodging a couple who were sitting in the middle blocking the flow of foot traffic. She carried a bag in each hand, ignoring the ache in her calves and the rub of her shoes, focused on getting back to her room to wash off the heat of the day.
As she stepped through the open foyer and out into the hotel grounds, Meg couldn’t help feeling proud of herself. No matter how much she wanted to spend every minute with Jack, the idea of leaving her comfort zone and exploring the island on her own for a while had been too important to her. Some people took it in stride travelling by themselves in unfamiliar countries, but for her it had been a big achievement straying further than the area surrounding her hotel.
It hadn’t stopped her from thinking about Jack throughout the day, though. After her impromptu show last night, he’d talked about wanting to see her again once they were back in Melbourne. Just the promise of having him in her future made it easier to relax and stop that annoying mental clock from ticking down—lucky for her since she was heading home tomorrow. Jack had one more day to go after that.
Meg looked up from the flight of stairs she’d just climbed and smiled, not realizing she’d been heading to his room this whole time instead of her own.
Her pace slowed and she contemplated whether to visit him now or come back later when she’d had a chance to shower and change. Just in the seconds it took her to make up her mind, his door swung open and the decision left her hands. Meg stood a few rooms back from his with an expectant smile on her face, trying to think of something witty and clever to say when she set eyes on him again.
But the man she’d been missing all day didn’t come out into the hall. A brunette woman left his room instead. The brunette woman, Meg realized with a start—the one he’d been frolicking with at the beach.
Her expression crumbled and her heart thudded in her ears. The door shut with a firm thud, but Jack remained on the other side out of sight. Meg blinked in surprise then frowned. It was then she realized she’d been clenching the handles of her bags so hard her fingers were throbbing.
The other woman headed her way, wearing a sarong and a bikini top that barely covered the important bits. She fluffed her hair as she strolled toward the stairs with an exaggerated sway to her hips. Everything about her seemed calculated, as if she’d figured out how to wrap men around her finger and intimidate women at the same time—and had no qualms about using those skills to her advantage.
Meg willed away the dampness in her eyes, torn between running far from here and swinging her bags in the hope she might hit something. She wanted to scream to release some of the torment churning inside her. The woman gave her a head-to-toe inspection that set her nerves on edge then smirked. “I’m done with him if you want a turn,” she said, continuing down the corridor before pausing to call over her shoulder, “but he might need a nap first.”
The wave of fury came on so strong it almost blocked out the hurt. Meg’s cheeks heated as she watched her leave, torturing herself with the rear view of a woman she never had a hope of matching up to physically.
All this time she’d been with Jack, his words, his touches, the way he’d looked at her, had convinced her she was enough. Now reality had barged in to show her just how stupid and deluded she’d been.
She wanted to run but her feet wouldn’t move. A sob stuck in her throat, and she pressed her lips into a hard line to stop them from trembling. No matter how much she tried to placate herself with the fact that Jack didn’t technically owe her any loyalty because they weren’t officially together, Meg wanted to cry and stamp her feet at the unfairness of it all. He’d agreed to be exclusive with her while they were staying here together. How could it all change so quickly? Was it just a case of out of sight out of mind?
She could have gone crashing into his room to demand answers, make him explain why he’d bothered getting to know her if he intended to push her aside as soon as something shiny and new came along, but she couldn’t bear to hear him lie to her.
Meg marched off to her room instead.
Meg couldn’t stand it anymore. Jack had dropped by her room three times, knocking quietly on the first visit, banging with a little more force the second time around. His calls and texts had come through often enough she’d lost count now. Each message alert had her clutching her phone and closing her eyes while she fought off the urge to answer.
When he spoke through the door the last time, the concern in his voice had been so real she’d almost given in, but if she talked to him now while the hurt was new and her need for him as strong as ever, it would be too easy to get dragged back in for more of the same treatment.
She let out a slow breath and listened to his most recent voice message—Meg, honey, call or text to let me know you’re okay. Just tell me you’re safe—then turned off her phone and shoved it into the bedside drawer. If only she could hide her feelings in there, too.
Once the temptation was gone, she rummaged through her suitcase to find the one and only indecent dress Ally had sneaked in while she was packing for her trip. A sparkly black mini-dress with a halter neck that dipped so low in front she couldn’t wear a bra underneath. Perfect for the sticky heat.
Meg stepped into the dress and left her long hair down. She threw on a pair of heels and grabbed her evening bag, then shot a glance at the drawer containing her phone, tempted to take it with her. It wouldn’t take more than a drink or two to have her texting or calling Jack when she had no business doing either.
She stuck with her original plan and grabbed her room key before heading for the door.
Two cocktails and one nightclub later, her intention to take it easy had disappeared. Escaping the hotel left her feeling energized for the first time since she’d seen the woman sashaying from Jack’s room. The lively atmosphere pulled her in, the laughter and raised voices helping her unwind and take her mind off Jack. It turned out to be just what she needed.
She nudged her empty glass aside and pushed off the barstool she’d been occupying for the better part of an hour. Meg weaved her way through the sea of tables, heading toward an already packed dance floor to make the most of the minor buzz she had going on. She shimmied through the crowd and stopped when she found a spot somewhere near the middle.
The tang of sweat hung in the air and the crush of bodies made her feel less alone. The music swept over her, her body swaying to the beat without a care for how she might look. Only a week ago, she never would have imagined herself enjoying a moment like this, but as one song slipped into the next, she became weightless and free, completely at ease among strangers.
She only came back to herself when a slow song took over, the kind more suited to couples who wanted an excuse to grind against each other in public. Since she no longer appeared to be a member of that club, Meg headed in the direction of the bar to top up her fading buzz. She’d barely turned and taken her first step when a pair of strong hands clasped her hips, pulling her back against a hard, male body.
Her eyes widened and her heart pounded. Despite having half convinced herself she didn’t care about Jack anymore and had already begun the process of moving on, a deep longing took hold and she turned expecting to see him there.
A tall man with sandy blonde hair filled the space instead, his hazel eyes sweeping over her in an assessing way. Strands of hair were plastered to the sweat on his brow and he’d left too many buttons op
en on his shirt. He was attractive enough on a physical level, but his cologne overpowered her and his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
While she tried to figure out the politest way to show her disinterest, he leaned down and brought his mouth close to her ear. “I’ve been watching you,” he said. “Confident women are very sexy.”
He dragged out the word very until it sounded dirty and obscene. Meg guessed his accent was German and his breath reeked of warm beer. She leaned back to avoid the worst of it and gave him a non-committal smile as she scanned the room. “Oh. Thanks.”
“Wanna dance?”
She’d already been doing that and handling it just fine on her own. “It’s too hot out here now,” she said, fanning her face. “I’m going to get a drink.” Meg hoped he wouldn’t see it as an invitation to join her at the bar.
His fingers trailed down her arm as if he intended to grab hold of her hand. “Let me buy you one.”
Even if all he wanted to do was lead her from the dance floor, the idea of him trying to take charge with her like that irritated her enough to step out of his reach. “No thanks. I always buy my own drinks.” Meg took off before he could stop her, pushing her way through the crowd while she kept her attention on the bar.
“You just got even hotter,” he shouted from behind her.
She suppressed a shudder and ignored him.
“Where are you staying, sexy? We could meet up later.”
Oh, for God’s sake. Meg stopped and turned to face him. They hadn’t even exchanged names and he was already making plans for the rest of the night. She maintained eye contact with him and kept her voice steady to avoid any misunderstandings. “I’m not interested. Please leave me alone.”
She spun around without waiting for a response, heading straight for the one unoccupied stool at the bar. Meg squeezed between two men who were involved in conversations either side of her, their shoulders encroaching on her personal space. Not her idea of comfort in an already overheated room, but it made her new admirer’s job that much more difficult. She hoped he’d take the not-so-subtle hint and shift his focus on to someone who welcomed the attention.
