Full Moon Over Valentine's Rocks

"Well... thank you Jake... but are you sure? I did want to say thank you," Meranda replied.

"As I said... think nothing of it," Jake repeated. "It's not every day we get out of towners around here, so buying a drink is the least I can do to make you welcome."

"Out of towners?" Meranda asked, as if suddenly confused by the statement.

"I mean... well, your accent is the giveaway... oh, and Brenda mentioned you were from New Zealand," Jake explained.

Meranda paused. She'd been trying her best to sound confident in what she was saying, so as not to put Jake off by her lack of practice in the local language, and here he was immediately pointing out her accent.

"Don't take it the wrong way," Jake suddenly chipped in. "It's great to have someone new in these parts... and I think it's a wonderful accent, by the way."

"You do?" Meranda asked. "You're not just saying that."

"No way... you've got to believe me, it's a beautiful accent for a beautiful young lady... so elegant... so smooth... so sophisticated... so..."

"Anyone would think you were trying to chat me up, Jake," Meranda chipped in, putting an end to his waxing lyrical.

It was Jake's turn to pause, but only for a matter of seconds whilst he collected his thoughts.

"Who? Me? Not at all... well... okay, you got me... but you can't blame a man for trying, can you?" Jake admitted.

"Look, Meranda," Jake continued, putting on an I'm sorry if I upset you face. "If you've got time, why don't you join me... we can start again, and I'd love to know a bit more about what brings you to Craggnaggan."

The smile on Meranda's face told Jake that he'd hit a note.

"I'd like that, Jake," Meranda replied. "Maybe I can buy you a drink in return. And... there's something I'd like to know from you too."

"There is?" Jake asked, before changing tack. "I mean... no... of course, not... to buying the drink, I mean... of course, you can ask anything you want."

"I couldn't. I came to say thank you, and I've already taken advantage of your kind nature," Meranda commented, her words spoken for effect more than for actual meaning.

Jake smiled.

"Not at all," Jake responded. "Now, I won't hear any more about it. I've got a bottle on ice. It's too much for one, so I'd love to share, if you're partial to a bit of fizz. How about we grab a table and I'll get Brenda to bring it over. Oh, and did I say how wonderful that dress looks?"

This time it was Meranda who smiled. Jake might have thought he was different, but he was just like the rest. It took no effort at all. It never did. A simple recipe, tried and tested, was all she needed. Long blonde hair, natural good looks, a short figure-hugging dress, a touch of flattery, and they couldn't resist, no matter how strong they claimed to be... and the stronger they were, the sweeter the rewards.

Just like any keen fisherman, she'd dangled the bait and grabbed his attention. It was only a matter of time before he was hooked, and then... then... then she would reel him in just like all the others.

She followed Jake into the shadows, discreetly grabbing a salt cellar on the way. The bottle of fizz, and a couple of glasses, wasn't far behind.

"To the beautiful Meranda," Jake raised his glass and toasted his companion. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh yes, Jake... oh yes... Happy Valentine's Day, Jake," Meranda replied.

'It's looking like a very Happy Valentine's Day indeed,' Meranda thought to herself.

Jake watched in amazement as Meranda added a shake of salt to her fizz before downing the glass in one. Not wanting to seem lightweight, Jake did the same... no, he didn't add the salt, but he did finish off his fizz in one long gulp. Immediately, Jake filled up the empty glasses.

"So, Meranda... what was it you wanted to ask me about?" Jake asked.

"Oh yes... the lady behind the bar—" Meranda started.

"Brenda," Jake interrupted.

"Sure... yes... Brenda... she told me about the legend," Meranda added.

"What... no... she's teasing you... I'm really not like that," Jake replied, immediately suspecting that he had been busted due to his reputation of having a different girl in his bed every week of the summer.

"No... not you, Jake," Meranda replied. "I'm talking about the legend... you know... the one about Craggnaggan... about the rocks... about the moon... about—"

"You don't want to believe everything they say," Jack interrupted, finishing off a second glass of fizz.

"And... what do they say?" Meranda asked.

"What... you really don't know?" Jake responded. "I thought everyone in Craggnaggan had an opinion about the legend."

"Well... not me," Meranda replied, "but I guess I'm an out of... how did you put it... towner? I've not been in Craggnaggan that long, if that's a good enough excuse... and—"

"And..." Jake finished off her sentence. "And you'd like me to tell you the whole story... every grisly little detail..."

There was a pause before Jake continued.

"And... and... you know... they usually pay good money to go on one of my tours... to hear Jake tell them the story."

"Oh, Jake... suave, sophisticated Jake..." Meranda started to reply.

As she spoke, Meranda reached out and placed her hand on Jake's.

Jake glanced down at her hand. It was just like when she kissed him. There was something strange about her touch. Her skin was so smooth... unusually smooth... maybe too smooth... and cool... cool, yet never quite feeling cold. And then there was that electricity. It was back, pulsing through his skin as if he could feel every pounding beat of her heart, passing through him.

He'd never felt anything quite like it. All she was doing was holding his hand, and already his pulse was racing, desire coursing through his veins as the thought of being with this beautiful stranger flooded his mind. Jake wasn't sure why—usually he was the one in control, pulling the shots, making them dance to his every tune—but this was different. There was something magnetic about Meranda, pulling him in, like a moth to a flame, or as Meranda would have said, like a fish to the worm on the dangling hook.

Slowly, subconsciously, Jake moved his gaze upwards. He stared at her figure-hugging dress, admiring the way it clung to her slim frame, across her tiny waist, over her ribs, then up across her chest. For a moment he paused, staring at the most wondrous pair of breasts. They were small. They were firm and pert. They formed perfect little mounds against the stretchy fabric of that dress. They left the most teasing of impressions of the tiniest hard nub, leaving him wondering... was she wearing anything underneath?

It was only a moment, but what a moment. As he stared at her chest, Jake found himself mentally undressing the young woman, his desires boiling over inside, his macho resolve melting away. He moved his gaze upwards and across Meranda's face. Their eyes met and Jake found himself transfixed. Was it her beauty which held him there? Was it something deeper... something more magical... something... he couldn't put his finger on what it was, but Jake couldn't pull away from that gaze.

"If it's payment you want... I'm sure I can make it worth your while... if you know what I mean," Meranda continued.

As if to reinforce the message, Meranda gave Jake a subtle wink, followed by the tiniest of pouted smiles. Then, just as quickly as she had placed her hand over his, Meranda withdrew it once more, and took a sip at her fizz.

For a moment Jake was confused.

What had just happened?

Why had he felt so strange?

Why was his heart racing so fast?

Why was his mind full of desire... desire for this beautiful stranger... desire to get her alone... desire to tell her everything he knew about...

"The legend of Craggnaggan," Jake said. "You'd like me to tell you about the legend, would you?"

"Oh, yes please, Jake," Meranda replied, smiling back at him. "Or maybe you could show me. You know... one of your tours... a private one... just the two of us... and I'll make sure you'll get ample reward."

"A tour?" Jake asked. "In the dark?"

"There's a full moon, you know. It won't be that dark... and it'll be much more personal," Meranda responded. "I'd love to know the story, and they say there's nobody better to tell it than you, Jake. I'm sorry if it's too much to ask, but it would be wonderful if you could."

Meranda smiled. She leaned forward towards Jake. What followed was a private conversation, the words whispered, softly spoken, for his ears only.

"What do you say, Jake? Would you do that for me? Would you take me in your manly arms and lead me down to the rocks? Would you show me everything? I'll make sure it's worth your while."

Meranda placed a gentle kiss on Jake's cheek, and instantly that tingle was back. Jake could only stare, his eyes transfixed on her face, as Meranda pulled away again.

"One for the road?" Jake added, pulling the bottle out of its ice bucket, and filling up their glasses once more.

"For the beach?" Meranda responded, wondering why he was talking about roads, when their destination should have been down towards the sea.

"Figure of speech," Jake replied, pouring the last of the fizz. "Means you've gotten yourself the best tour guide in Craggnaggan, so drink up and we'll be on our way."

"Oh Jake," Meranda replied. "You truly are a legend. You're not going to be disappointed?"

"Up bottoms?" she added, downing her glass in one.

Jake smiled. There was something about Meranda which made him laugh. He hadn't quite worked out if she was naïve or just plain innocent, but sometimes she chose the most interesting turn of phrase. This one was quite unfortunate, but the idea... well, that was even more exciting than what he had in mind. If she wanted it up the ass, who was he to refuse. Normally though, they wouldn't be asking for that on a first date.

"I think you mean... bottoms up," Jake corrected, downing his in return.

"Then my darling Jake... bottoms up, it is," Meranda replied, standing up, turning around, and heading off towards the door, her tight dress pulling seductively at one hell of a firm ass with every step she took.

"You coming?" Meranda added, glancing back towards Jake, a smile on her face.

When she asked that nicely, even Jake couldn't refuse. As he followed her out of the Curse, that very last word filled his mind.

Coming... or cumming?

Play his cards right, and that's just what Jake was hoping for.

After all, she had offered to make it worth his while.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Five

Let's go for a little walk; under the moon of love

Five minutes later... outside the Mermaid's Curse

Meranda had been right about the full moon. It wasn't as dark as it might have been for a February evening. It had seemed a strange ask, but she had promised to reward Jake, and if the promise was anything like he hoped for, then a quick trip to the sea and back would be well worth it.

"Are you going to be warm enough?" Jake asked, looking towards Meranda as she strode across the small promenade towards the expanse of golden sands.

"I'll be fine," Meranda replied. "Don't really feel the cold."

Jake couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was mild for February, but not exactly warm. Jake had layered up, with a tee-shirt, denim overshirt, and then a fleece top. Meranda on the other hand, was less aptly clothed. The dress, whilst being fabulous to the eye—the green stretch fabric clung seductively to Meranda's slender frame, caressing her every curve before stopping at a teasing mid-thigh length—would have been more at home on the catwalk, and the heels... well, they weren't really suited to a stroll on the beach.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Meranda added.

"You wanted to know about the legend, didn't you?" Jake asked, a bit confused about the question from Meranda. "So, to the rocks... you know... down by the sea."

"Oh yeah... the legend... how could I forget the legend? Actually... I thought you were the legend... that's what she told me in the pub. Watch out for Jake, he's a bit of a legend around here." Meranda teased.

"Less of that," Jake retorted, wondering if he was now being taken for a fool. "Now do you want to know about the legend, or don't you? I've got other places I could be... you know."

It was true. There was one place Jake could be, and that was back in the Curse drinking the night away. There was another place he would have loved to be, which was at the other end of the bay, in his shack, with a certain young lady in tow.

"I do... I do... I do..." Meranda replied, quickly slipping off her heels.

"Race you there," Meranda added, setting off at a sprint across the sands, giggling as she went.

"Can't catch me," Meranda called out into night air, wondering if her guide had taken the bait and was chasing after her.

A minute or so later, she got the answer.

"Says who?" Jake replied.

As he spoke, Jake took a firm grip on Meranda's arm, and spun her around towards him. Their eyes met and, for a moment he stood there, staring at the young blonde, his gaze transfixed. She was beautiful... oh so beautiful... unlike anyone Jake had ever met before. Then it struck him, a different feeling, a feeling of cold, not in the air, but in her bare skin.

"You're cold," Jake commented.

"Here, take this," he added, removing his fleece, and passing it towards Meranda.

"No, no... I mean it, I'm fine," Meranda replied.

"And I mean it too. You'll be catching your death dressed like that," Jake replied. "What's more, I have a reputation to withhold... I've not had anyone die on me yet, and I'm not planning on starting tonight."

Meranda smiled as she finally took the fleece from Jake. It wasn't so much the generosity which made her happy, but more the innocence of Jake's response. Not had anyone die on him yet? There was always a first time.

Away from the seafront, the beach was empty, but for Jake and Meranda. At more of a walking pace, they followed the remainder of the headland out towards the water's edge. The tide was part-way in, so they wouldn't make it as far as the rocks themselves, but that didn't stop Jake. She wanted a tour, and he was giving her the works, egging up every little detail, all the time making sure to tender to his captive audience's desires, as much as he did to the story itself.

"You see those rocks?" Jake asked, standing on the last stretch of dry sand just out of reach of the teasing waves, and pointing towards the end of the headland.

"Yes," Meranda responded.

"They're not just rocks you know..." Jake continued.

"They're not?" Meranda replied, a curiosity in her response, even though she knew more about the legend than she was ever going to let on.

"Oh no..." Jake responded. "They may look like rocks... but they're much more than that..."

Jake paused for a moment. He beckoned Meranda in closer, then lowered his voice to a mere whisper... quiet yet surprisingly dramatic.

"They say... up close... you can see them... scratching at the glossy surface... you can hear them too... screaming out from within their rocky tombs..."

"Hear who?" Meranda asked, for some reason matching Jake and his whispered dramatic tone.

"Their souls," Jake replied. "All eleven of them... restless souls... each unlucky to have met her... to have become entranced by her charms... to be lured out to sea... to..."

Jake paused, leaving his captive audience hanging on his last word.

"... to... never return!" Jake completed his sentence. "Eleven rocks... eleven tombs... eleven lost souls... all victims... victims of her... of the one they call... the legend of Craggnaggan."

Jake glanced towards Meranda, checking that she was still interested in his tall tale.

"No-one has seen her, you know... but everyone knows who she is," Jake continued. "They say she comes from the sea... every Valentine's Day... when the moon is full... just like today..." Jake continued. "They say she comes looking for it... like she is on a... a mission... never stopping until she finds what she wants... until she finds love... sweet love... intoxicating love... deadly love..."

"Who?" Meranda asked.

"Beauty..." Jake answered.

"What? Beauty? That's a funny name," Meranda interrupted.

"No... no... she's not called beauty... she is beauty... beauty personified... and beauty needs no name," Jake responded.

"Just like you," he added, for the first time chancing his arm to see how far a little flattery would get him.

Meranda smiled.

"No... not like you... nowhere near you," Jake corrected himself. "There is beauty... and there is beauty... and then there is... well... I hope you don't mind me saying, but you are like a goddess... no, not a goddess... the goddess... the Goddess Meranda. Did I tell you, Meranda? Did I tell you just how beautiful you are?"

"You just did," she replied. "Anyone would think you're trying to butter me up... to get me wanting to pay you more... or... or..."

"Or..." Jake finished off her sentence. "Or... just telling it as it is... you are an angel, descended from heaven... and somewhere out there must be the luckiest man or woman in the world... lucky to have found you... lucky to have the pleasure of sharing every moment of every day with you... lucky to..."

Jake eased off on his waxing lyrical when Meranda started to laugh.

"Was it something I said?" Jake asked.

"No... no... you say the sweetest things, Jake," Meranda replied, taking hold of his hand. "It's just... well... there isn't a Mr or Mrs Meranda... not even one in waiting. I've never been that successful when it comes to relationships and getting them to last."

"Pull the other one," Jake retorted, "it's got bells on!"

"Bells?" Meranda asked.

"I mean... you're having me on... pulling my leg," Jake replied.

"No... no... what you see is what you get... just you and me, holding hands by the waves on a deserted beach, and on Valentine's Night to boot. Anyone would think we were—"

As if for effect, Meranda leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Jake's lips.

"—lovers," she finished off, pulling away and waiting for a response.

Jake was a little taken aback. No, not by the kiss. That was fantastic; the tingle returning the very minute her lips touched his. It was just... well... he never had a problem with the women... but this time he had taken himself by surprise.

He wasn't expecting Meranda to be quite that easy.

She was so different to the ones he usually took back to the shack. The usual suspects, yes there were many, and they came in all shapes, sizes, and ages—well, the age bit was within reason as he did set limits—were usually so high on the excitement of sun, sea, and sand, that they didn't care less who they were going with... and neither did Jake.

Meranda though? Meranda was the antithesis of his usual conquests. She was so gorgeous that she could have had the pick of anybody, and here she was, kissing Jake. He couldn't believe how much lady luck was smiling down at him. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would be bedding this beauty, and now she was practically offering herself to him.

For a moment, Jake was lost for words. He tried to think of something suitable to say in response, something which showed interest without screaming of desperation, but when he did it sounded so crass.

"And... do you want to be?" Jake asked.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Six

Was it a question too far?

Much to Jake's disappointment, the response he was hoping for didn't come. Instead of jumping at his offer, Meranda didn't reply. If anything, she became a little distant. Yes, she still held his hand in hers, but at the same time, she turned away from Jake and stared out into the distance, across the sea.