More Than a Fling – Chapter Two

Meg dropped her beach bag onto the sand and spread her towel over the sun lounge she’d just rented from one of the locals. She adjusted the strap on her white bikini and tugged her sunglasses from her hair, sliding them into place over her eyes. With her fingers linked above her head, she arched her back and gave her muscles a leisurely stretch. She’d started the day on little more than two hours sleep after making love with Jack throughout the night. Now her body ached as a delicious reminder. A quiet laugh escaped her as she flicked off her shoes. Well, maybe “making love” wasn’t the right expression. After their first episode against the wall, he’d tossed her onto the bed and flipped her on her belly. Before she’d had the chance to adjust to the change in position, he’d pulled her hips up to meet his and plunged inside her again. She’d slipped from his room just as the sun had begun its climb over the horizon, kissing his snoring mouth one last time before clicking the door closed behind her. Meg smiled at the memory and lowered herself onto the lounge. She crossed her legs at the ankles and sighed. The warm breeze swept over her and a wide umbrella created a blanket of shade as she took in the view of Kuta beach. She watched a couple stroll along the busy foreshore, hands clasped together as they dodged the incoming waves. Surfers rode the swell further out, while a topless woman stood ankle-deep in the water, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder as she flirted with a Balinese lifeguard. A group of young men tossed a football back and forth on the wet sand, ribbing each other good-naturedly. Despite the noise and chaos surrounding her, Meg felt peaceful inside. She’d enjoyed herself last night more than she’d thought possible. It hadn’t been the uncomfortable, impersonal experience she’d expected it to be. She guessed it had a lot to do with Jack’s personality, his casual, easy ways helping to put her at ease. Meg swept her hair from her forehead, remembering the way he’d tightened his fingers in her curls last night, how he’d taken control of her body, watching for her reactions and responding to each sound of pleasure. She wasn’t naïve or inexperienced. She’d never fool herself into thinking their encounter had been anything other than lust or a passing holiday fling, but it still didn’t stop her from wanting to see him again to further explore this chemistry they shared. Meg glanced to her right as a woman crossed the sand with a dainty shuffle, her white-blonde hair flowing over her shoulders as she shrieked and headed for the waves. Her breasts bulged from her leopard-print bikini, completely out of proportion to her trim body. A bare-chested man jogged along behind her, a pair of black board shorts hugging his hips. He called out something to the woman that made her giggle and quicken her pace. Meg smiled tandoğan escort at the exchange. As the man moved further into view, the humour slipped from her face. Her eyes narrowed and she pulled her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose. She took note of his messy black hair, his broad chest and the way his loose stride effortlessly ate up the sand. Her stomach plummeted when she realised it was Jack. He caught up to the blonde woman and wrapped his arm around her waist. With one quick movement, he had her tossed her over his shoulder, eliciting another scream that suddenly grated on Meg’s nerves. She bit her lip and watched as Jack strolled thigh-deep into the waves and lowered the woman in the water. Her tanned body slid down the length of his and her arms snaked around his neck; the neck that Meg had kissed last night, the neck she’d dragged her tongue along as she revelled in his groan of pleasure. The woman pressed her mouth to his. Meg closed her eyes to block out the view. She drew a long breath and pushed her sunglasses back on her nose. Her head rested against the lounge as her feeling of contentment faded. So much for being able to keep things in perspective and not get too swept up in the moment. Maybe this was why one-night stands had never appealed to her in the past. She must have somehow known the after-effects would be too much for her. It shouldn’t hurt, she told herself. He owed her nothing and she definitely hadn’t been under any illusions after the night they’d spent together. So why, then, did she feel this empty sense of loss, this feeling of betrayal? Why did she want to tackle Blondie to the ground and tell her to keep her French-manicured hands off him? Her eyes drifted open, her attention returning to Jack and his new friend. She had to grudgingly admit the combination of his dark looks and her fair hair made them a striking couple. His hands slid down her spine to cup her buttocks, pulling her so close her breasts squished out from the sides of her top. Meg briefly thought about yelling at them to get a room. Instead, she swung her gaze to the other end of the beach and concentrated on pulling in long, calming breaths of air. No matter how much the sound of lapping waves and the warmth of the sun on her toes soothed her, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering whether last night had meant anything to him. He’d given every impression it had. When they’d finally fallen to the mattress, breathless and exhausted, he’d let her head rest in the crook of his arm while he whispered sweet words to her. Yet, if she approached him now, he probably wouldn’t even remember her name. A shadow fell across her body. Meg turned her head and flinched when she found him standing beside her. Her pulse pounded in her ears as she gazed up at him. Droplets of water clung to türbanlı escort his thick lashes and the hairs scattered across his chest. His belly heaved from exertion. “Hi, Meg,” he said. His board shorts rode low on his hips, highlighting the line of dark hair that travelled from navel to waistband. She remembered that trail; she’d traced her forefinger, then her tongue, over it last night. She smiled up at him. “I’m sorry; I’ve forgotten your name.” “That doesn’t surprise me.” His teeth flashed as he dragged a hand through his hair, spraying her with salt water. “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 and flicked a glance behind him. Blondie stood alone in the surf, cupping water in her hands to splash over her breasts. A couple of guys stopped tossing their football around to watch her. “Who’s your friend?” she asked, sliding her sunglasses on top of her head. “Candy…Tiffany, something like that.” He sank onto the empty lounge beside her and rested his elbows on his knees. “Never mind.” Meg brushed the stray droplets of water from her arm. “Her name won’t matter tomorrow when you move on to the next one.” His eyes were warm with amusement as they settled on hers. He leaned in and gave her leg a quick stroke with his fingertips. “I just met her a couple of hours ago. She doesn’t mean anything to me.” His touch brought back vivid memories from last night, making her skin prickle with goose-bumps. She shifted her leg and snorted softly to cover her discomfort. “I’m sure she’d be happy to hear that.” “I doubt she’d care.” Jack scrubbed a hand down his face in an attempt to hide a smile, glancing over his shoulder at the woman in question. Meg followed his gaze, watching as the two footballers closed in on her. Her breasts bounced heavily as she leapt over an incoming wave. “Candy-Tiffany’s going to give herself a black eye if she keeps that up,” Meg said. Jack chuckled and turned back to her. “They’re a bit much, I know.” His eyes wandered over Meg, lingering on the soft swell of her breasts. “To be honest, I prefer a nice handful myself.” “That’s good to know.” She tried to ignore the pleasure his words sparked inside her. Her fingers trembled just a bit when she leaned over and pulled a water bottle from her beach bag. Meg twisted the lid and took a long drink to douse the flames. “Freckles are sexy, too,” he said, as his eyes met hers. “And sensitive peach-coloured nipples, the kind that harden with just a flick of the tongue.” It took a concerted effort to swallow her water without choking. Meg capped the bottle and dropped it back into her bag. “What are you doing?” she asked, drying her moistened lips with the backs of her fingers. “Don’t you have better things to do than tease me, like seduce Playboy bunnies or something?” His mouth quirked with a half smile. “For some reason, I find you much more interesting.” “I can’t imagine why.” “For one, I like how responsive you are,” he said, trailing his fingertip down her thigh. “I barely touch you and you start squirming.” “I do not squirm.” A blush swept over her and she had to put every effort into remaining still. “I could prove you wrong, but I won’t. Why did you leave so early?” he asked. “I was hoping we could spend some more time together today.” “Hmm.” Meg’s attention drifted back to the woman in the leopard-print bikini, watching as she delighted her male audience by jumping and frolicking in the surf. “I can see how much you missed me.” Jack’s fingers slipped beneath hers. “Don’t worry about her. Come with me, I want to show you something.” “Thanks, but I’ve already seen it.” Meg tugged her hand free and swung her legs over the edge of the lounge. She slid her shoes on and looped her fingers through the handle of her bag. “I beginning to like your dirty mind,” he said. He cupped her elbows and pulled her to her feet, reaching behind her to grab her towel. “I’m talking about a massage. There’s a masseuse at the hotel who works miracles…or so the rumour 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 she’d watched him in the surf with a half-naked woman plastered against him, his mouth crushed to hers as the waves lapped around their bodies. Now here he stood before Meg, his dark brows raised in invitation, his blue eyes both playful and appraising. She’d seen how easily he could detach himself from one woman and move onto the next, how little it all really meant to him. Even knowing all this, knowing it was merely a physical connection and nothing more, she still couldn’t deny the deep craving he stirred in her belly. His hand slid down her forearm, his fingers warm as they intertwined with hers. The tiny hairs rose on her skin, a tingling trail that followed his touch. Meg dipped her head and let out a slow breath, wondering whether she could shut off her feelings and just enjoy the pleasures of his body. If she wanted to make the most of her holiday, to take home lasting memories, she had to admit the simple truth; she wanted to be near him, to have his hands on her, at every opportunity. The repercussions she would have to deal with later. “What makes you think I need a massage?” she asked, lifting her head. He swept his thumb over her cheek and pressed a kiss on her lips. “After last night? Please.” She flattened her hands against his stomach and pushed him away, trying her best to hold back a laugh. “What are you going to do while I’m being pampered?” Jack relieved her of her beach bag and pulled her in against his side. He draped his arm around her shoulder and smiled. “I’m going to watch.” *~*~*~*~* White gauze curtains billowed in the late afternoon breeze, draped over a compact pavilion and held in place by satin ribbons.