Scottish Swag

by Cristina Grenier

  “Whatever you say,” he said. “So, what would you like to do after the shopping?”

  “I don’t know. You did such a good job planning yesterday’s entertainment that I’m tempted to let you keep earning your stay. The more fun things you can find for us to do, the longer I’ll let you stay,” she teased.

  He laughed. “I thought you didn’t want me paying my way through this holiday,” he quipped.

  “I didn’t say you had to pay for them. Just find them.”

  “I’m just teasing you,” he admitted. “You make it so easy to do.”

  Willa Mae smiled. He wasn’t good for her heart at all, she realized. He could be pushy and arrogant, and she enjoyed that side of him a lot, even when it angered her. But he could also be gentle and tender, and funny, like now, and she was equally as drawn to this side of him. She watched him work on his tablet for another few moments, glad of the respite so she could take him in in his white Bermuda shorts and black shirt, his feet in loafers. When he looked up again, she blinked.

  “All set. I’ll fill you in over breakfast.”

  They decided to do the Magic Kingdom the next day, and to take in a comedy show later that evening. After shopping, they’d do Believe It Or Not, then rest at the pool before their evening out. It was more than Willa Mae would ever have thought to do in just two days. But she had decided she would relax and learn to enjoy herself, so she agreed and finished her breakfast. At the supermarket, she tried to keep to a reasonable amount of food, but ended up with an extra cake, an extra tub of ice cream, and more bacon.

  “You’re an impulse shopper, aren’t you?” she asked as they unpacked the car at the resort. “We have more food than we can possibly eat in a week.”

  “Speak for yourself,” he said, grinning. “I could do with some ice-cream right now, it’s so bloody hot!”

  And once they got back to the suite and had unpacked all the groceries, he gave himself a heaping helping of the ice cream. He set a much more reasonable amount in front of her where she sat at the table. She watched him enjoy the treat as he scrolled through the television channels…a typical man. It felt so right being with him like this. It was as if they were a couple and had been together for a long time.

  “Ready for the pool?”

  “Sure. Give me a few minutes.”

  Glad she had packed two suitcases, since the one she had worn the day before was still damp, she slipped into the red one-piece with the low cut back and the cut-out belly panel. Catching sight of herself in the mirror, she shivered in anticipation of having Niall’s eyes on her. She could handle his attention…she had managed it yesterday, hadn’t she? Dragging the coverall over her shoulders, she snatched up the beach bag with her Kindle, the sunscreen, and the key to the suite and walked out.

  Niall was in a pair of shorts and tank top. His long legs were firmly planted, his thighs thick and glorious to look at, and when he turned around to shut the television off, she took in his muscled buns and swallowed a sigh. He was strikingly attractive to her, and every look added to her bemusement. She hurriedly looked away as he turned back to her.

  “I assume you have a key again?”

  She nodded, unable to speak, and they made their way down to the pool. Today it was practically deserted, only one other couple being there, and they were so wrapped up in each other that they wouldn’t see anything anyone else was doing. The woman lay half on the man, whose arms were wrapped around her protectively. They looked like they were asleep. Fortunately, they were lying in the full shade of the palm trees that ringed the pool.

  Niall stripped off his clothes and she saw that he too had changed. This time, he wore swim briefs, black with a white racer stripe on each side. It was an itty bitty swim trunk, and it left little to the imagination. She turned her eyes away, her cheeks heating as she thought about how he had held her up against the pool wall the day before and pressed himself against her. Feeling breathless and needing something to bring her back to earth, she took her own coverall off and began to spread sunscreen on the parts of her body that she could reach. When he held out his hand for it, she dropped it onto his palm and turned around, steeling herself for his touch.

  His hands caressed her shoulders and her spine, reaching down to where the swimsuit stopped just above the swell of her bottom. He squeezed her gently there, and turned her to face him.

  “I wish we were anywhere but here right now. Because touching you is driving me crazy.”

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and then stood up and walked away, diving into the deep end and swimming like the devil was at his heels. She walked in to the shallow end, and swam off slowly, glad of the water to hide her swollen nipples. She lay back after a while and floated, closing her eyes and letting the water carry her where it would. A hand at her back made her open her eyes languidly.

  “What?” she asked, flustered and hungry for more of his touch.

  “I need this,” Niall said, pulling her round to face him and kissing her.

  When she didn’t object, he licked her lips until she opened for him, and then he took a deeper kiss, one with meaning and intention. And then he pulled away again.

  “Thank you. I’ll try to let that be enough for now.”

  He swam away again, and she turned toward the side of the pool before she realized their kiss had been witnessed by the other couple, who were now awake. Her body heated with something that wasn’t the embarrassment she expected. She found that she was more turned on than ever, and she could feel her body readying itself for an invasion she had sworn she wouldn’t allow. Avoiding their stare, she hoisted herself up out of the pool and went to get towels, and spreading one of them on the chair before lying back and letting the muggy air dry her skin.

  For the rest of the afternoon, she swam and read, avoiding contact with Niall as much as she could. He didn't ask for another kiss, nor did he play with her as he had done the day before. It was as though they knew that they had crossed a threshold and what came next would be too important to rush into. The comedy show and dinner were a blast, and when they got home, he had opened one of the two bottles of wine they had bought and handed her a glass.

  “A nightcap before bed,” he said and tipped his glass to hers. “I had a wonderful day, Willa Mae. I hope you did, too.”

  She smiled. “I did, thank you. So far, you’re earning your place in this vacation.”

  A soft chuckle met her words as he gazed at her. “Apparently it’s like riding a bicycle. Once you get back on, you remember how to ride it.”

  His words made her blush as she thought about what it might be like to ride him. She hid her reaction to them and to her thoughts by sipping her drink.

  “Tomorrow should be fun. I’ve never been to the Magic Kingdom.”

  Conversation would make the time go by faster. As soon as she finished her drink, she’d go to her own bed and maybe give herself some relief from the almost constant arousal she had been feeling since the day before.

  “Neither have I. It’ll be another first that we will share together.”

  And there it was again…that feeling of intimacy, of belonging that she didn’t believe could happen so fast between two logical, reasonable adults. They hadn’t done anything more earth-shattering than kiss each other, but when he spoke of first times shared between them, she almost wished she could pull him close and share the ultimate first with him.

  She drained her glass, suddenly too wound up to bear the strain any longer. She had to leave before she did something stupid like haul him into her arms and kiss the stuffing out of him. She bid him a quiet good night, avoiding the question in his eyes, and went to bed.

  The Magic Kingdom was as magical as its name, an experience full of laughs and smiles, of ice cream and hot dogs, of water slides (which she had never thought she would ever ride) and train rides. The parade was a treat, and the show that ended with fireworks was splendid. She sang along with the songs she knew, clapped in time to the ones she didn’t
, and whistled and hollered her praise of the performers when the show was over.

  “Did you have a good time today?” Niall asked as they drove back to the resort.

  “You know I did,” she said, grinning widely. “It was nice to feel like a kid again, if only for a few hours.”

  “I’m very glad I made you happy, sweetheart.”

  Something in Niall’s voice, coupled with the endearment, sent her already giddy senses reeling completely out of control. He was clearly feeling something as well, though she wasn’t sure whether or not it was just the simple pleasure of enjoying a fun day out. They drove the rest of the way in silence, and once back in the suite, once again bid each other a quiet good night after another glass of wine.

  But Willa Mae couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, unable to find a spot comfortable enough to relax in so sleep would steal over her. She sat up finally, frustrated with herself. The mug she had bought for him sat on the side table. She picked it up, thinking as she did so of how much fun she had already had, and her vacation was only two days old. Gratitude to the man she was crushing on filled her, and she found the notepad and a pen and wrote him a ‘thank you’ note. If they never went any further, if they never even touched each other again, she wanted him to know that she was happy to know him, and that she was thankful for the care he took to make her vacation fun.

  Once the note was written she rolled it up like a scroll and pushed it into the mug where it unfurled like a kind of paper lining inside. Still wide awake, she thought she’d leave it on his side table so he’d see it when he woke up. Tomorrow and perhaps for another day or two, they would be spending time with her grandmother. She didn’t know how he was with older folk, and her grandmother had a sharp tongue. She hoped he would remember her gift when he became bored, or when her grandmother, as many older folk did, spoke her mind and irritated him.

  She waited a while before stealing out of her bedroom. She was only wearing a sleep tee, which stopped a few inches above the knee, but she was sure he was asleep. She noticed that he had left his door open. All the better…she could slip in and out with no problem. She gripped the mug that she held in her hand as though it were a lifeline. Rehearsing the words in the note in her head gave her the courage to slip into his room and look around.

  Niall was lying on his belly, his arms spread wide, his dark hair like a stain on the pillowcase. His back was bare, but a sheet stopped her from seeing if he was bare all over. The thought of him being naked in bed made her pulse jump, and when he inhaled deeply and shifted on the bed, she almost jumped out of her skin. Walking quickly over to where she had seen his watch, she put the mug and note down and backed away from the bed. He was still asleep, but if he were a light sleeper like she was, he already knew subconsciously that someone was in his room. If she stood over him to watch him sleep, like she so badly wanted to do, it would wake him up, and she needed to be long gone by the time he did.

  She had almost reached the door when he moved again, and this time he spoke.

  “Leaving so soon, mo leannan?”

  She stopped and swallowed. “I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

  “Then why were you in my room, stealing in and out like a wraith?”

  “I had something for you that I forgot to give to you earlier.”

  “It couldn’t have waited until the morning?”

  Willa Mae couldn’t gauge his feelings. Was he angry or amused at her intrusion?

  “I…”

  What could she possibly say? It had been a stupid idea to begin with. She should never even have entertained it, let alone tried to pull it off. She watched as he slid out of bed, thankfully wearing boxer briefs, and she dragged her eyes away from his body below the waist, though not before she caught a glimpse of a most impressive package. She gulped. This hadn’t been part of her plan, but she was clearly no good at stealth activities. Maybe she should have waited longer to make sure he was asleep.

  “What did you bring me, aside from your beautiful self?” he inquired, going to stand in front of her where she was rooted to the spot just inside his bedroom door.

  “The mug I bought…it was for you. So that when you’re having your coffee, you’ll remember the fun you had.” She stopped, then plunged on. “You know, so you can remember how to be on vacation.” She looked away briefly. “There’s a note that explains it.” She had never been so embarrassed in all her life.

  He stepped into her personal space, ignoring her words, and stroked his hands up and down her arms. She shivered.

  “That’s a very lovely and thoughtful gift, Willa Mae,” he said, not looking where she pointed. “Thank you.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, before adding, “I like your nightie, sweetheart. But it seems like you’re feeling chilly in it. I can warm you up.”

  Willa Mae moaned, trying hard to resist the pull of his seductive tone and her own desires.

  “Niall, we shouldn’t,” she protested weakly. “We haven’t known each other long enough.”

  “We have known each other a month, Willa Mae. And I can’t say for you, but it feels like a lot longer to me.” He tipped her chin up when she kept avoiding his eyes. When she looked at him, he continued, “And why should how long we’ve known each other make a difference to how we feel?”

  “We’re not children to be guided by lust. Sleeping with someone isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, unless it’s a one night stand. Is that what this is?”

  She watched his face as he considered what she’d said. There was no clue to his thoughts, aside from the desire that he was letting her see.

  “Would you sleep with me tonight if this were a one-night stand? Is that what you want? A one-off?”

  How tempting it was to let him have his way with her just once!

  “But what if once isn’t enough? What if when we’re done, I find I want another and another and another night with you? What if it becomes an obsession?”

  She hadn’t meant to speak the questions aloud, but once she began she couldn’t stop the flow, and as she stared up into his dark eyes, she knew she would give in. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to keep fighting the feelings for him that had plagued her since she had left his home in Scotland.

  “There’s only one way to know the answer to those questions Willa Mae,” he whispered in her ear, licking it teasingly. “Come to bed with me. Say yes to me and I’ll give you everything you want. Everything you need. Say yes, love.”

  He kissed her then, a slow, thorough exploration of her mouth and tongue before moving to suck her earlobes, to lick the side of her neck down to the hollow of her throat, and to leave kiss bruises on her shoulders under the shirt. She shuddered at the sensual onslaught, shaking more when he moved his hands to her back, down to her bottom, and pulled her in to his body. She felt his erection like a brand on her mound, and she widened her stance so she could feel him more. When he groaned his thanks and pushed in against her, she groaned with him in pleasure.

  “I want you so badly, sweetheart,” he said. “More than I’ve ever wanted any other woman. Say yes.”

  His voice sounded as shaky as she felt, and she felt a burst of feminine pride that she had reduced a man like him to this level of need. How could she say no to what they both wanted so badly? She hadn’t been with a man in years, and even her toys hadn’t been getting anything close to a regular workout. This was probably all that it was…a need to release the built-up tension of years of denial. She could give in and take her relief and then she would be able to say no to him. If he asked again.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Twelve: Sweet Relief

  Niall didn’t wait for more. He swept Willa Mae up into his arms and took her to his bed, laying her gently down on it and crawling up her body so he could plant another kiss on her. He kissed her shoulders, her chest, her breasts through the cotton of the t-shirt, then slid the hem up so he could kiss her belly button and on down to the waistband of her panties. He slid his fin
gers just under the band but didn’t go further, just teasing her with how close he was to her clitoris without caressing the way she wanted it.

  “Niall, please,” she whispered, raising her hips against his hand. “Touch me.”

  He growled, and slid his fingers further inside her panties, still without touching her where she needed it, just playing with the pubic hairs that covered her mound. She rolled her hips and he smiled against her mouth.

  “See what you caused? You waited too long to ask, and now you’re too impatient to wait. If you hadn’t been so stubborn, I could have fixed this already.”

  She whimpered as though she didn’t know how to answer him, and he called on all his self-control to stop himself from ravaging her without finesse. Instead, he removed his fingers from her panties — that was a trigger for both of them — and pulled her into his arms tightly, kissing her slowly and deeply, sucking her tongue, licking her lips, devouring her.