The Sweetest Fling Ch. 03

"Good to know." Meg wanted to ignore the pleasure his words sparked inside her, but it gave her a sick sense of satisfaction knowing she'd been able to lure him away from a woman as physically flawless as the one out in the surf.

Her fingers trembled as she leaned over and pulled a water bottle from her bag. She twisted the lid and took a long drink to douse the flames.

"I'm partial to peach-colored nipples, too," he said.

Apparently trying to fluster her had become his new favorite hobby. If her elevated heart rate and the shiver rushing over her were any indication, she didn't mind either.

Jack smiled but his innocent expression didn't fool her for a second. "You know, the sensitive kind that harden with a flick of the tongue... a soft nibble... a long, deep suck. You like sucking things, Meg?"

She feigned disinterest even though she was torn between laughing and wanting to shove him. Before she could answer, his attention shifted to her hair, and he kept going as if he hadn't been waiting for an answer. "Red hair does it for me, too. Whenever I look at yours, I picture it wrapped around my fist while I--"

"Okay! I get it." Meg capped the bottle and dropped it into her bag. She dried her lips with the backs of her fingers and frowned. "Don't you have better things to do than tease me, like chase Playboy bunnies or something?"

His mouth quirked, and the warmth that filled his eyes made her breath catch. "For some reason, I find you much more interesting."

"I can't imagine why."

"For one, I like how responsive you are." His fingertip traced the length of her thigh, leaving a trail of shivers in its wake. "I barely touch you and you start squirming."

"I do not squirm." A blush swept over her, but she put all her effort into keeping still and hiding her reaction.

He smiled at that. "If you say so."

They both remained silent for a long moment, neither of them bothering to fill the void with words. His gaze meshed with hers, and when he finally spoke again a slight huskiness had crept into his voice. "Why'd you leave so early? I thought we'd spend more time together today."

Meg ignored the warmth spreading through her and shifted her attention to the woman in the leopard-print bikini, watching as she delighted her male audience by bouncing around in the water. Jack might have had a talent for saying all the right words, but his actions spoke a hell of a lot louder.

She needed to get out of here before she didn't something stupid like fall for his charm again. "Hmm. I can see how much you missed me."

His fingers slipped between hers. "Don't worry about her. Come with me, I want to show you something."

Meg tugged her hand free and swung her legs over the side of the lounge. "Thanks, but I've already seen it." She slid her shoes on and looped her fingers through the handle of her bag, trying her best to look unaffected.

"I'm beginning to like your dirty mind." Jack stood 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 rumor goes."

Meg straightened her back and tested the ache between her shoulder blades. She nibbled on her lower lip and looked up at him, contemplating, considering.

Only moments ago, he'd been in the water with a half-naked woman plastered against him. Now here he stood before her, his dark brows raised in invitation, those blue eyes of his playful and inviting. She didn't want to want him, but he knew how to push every one of her buttons.

She'd seen how easily he could detach himself from one woman and move onto the next. How little it all meant to him. Even knowing this and understanding it was a physical connection and nothing more, she couldn't deny the craving he stirred inside her.

His hand slid down her forearm, his fingers encouraging the tiny hairs to rise before a full-body tremor worked its way through her.

Meg dipped her head and let out a breath, wondering if she could forget about her feelings and focus on physical pleasure. If she wanted to make the most of her holiday, to take home some lasting memories she could pull out and relive for years to come, she had to admit one basic truth: She wanted to be near him, to have his hands on her at every opportunity.

She lifted her head to give him a hesitant smile. "What makes you think I need a massage."

The look of relief that passed over his face confused her, but before she could read too much into it, he leaned in and pressed a kiss on her lips. "After last night? Please."

A laughing breath burst from her. She flattened her palms against his stomach and pushed him away. "What are you going to do while I'm being pampered?"

Jack smiled. He took her beach bag from her and pulled her against his side. "I'll be right there with you."

~ * ~

Jack led her to a pavilion in a remote corner of the hotel grounds, away from the main paths where guests roamed, far from the noise and laughter of the swimming pool.

Traditional Balinese music, gamelan, played in the background, and white gauze curtains blocked out the world around them, billowing whenever the breeze picked up. Meg hadn't known the jasmine-scented oasis existed.

She crawled onto the mattress that took up most of the floor space and greeted the massage therapist who'd introduced herself as Dayu. The woman wore a burnt orange shirt and batik pants, and her black hair fell to her waist, framing a happy face and kind, dark eyes.

While Dayu went about gathering her supplies, Meg lay face down on the mattress and rested her cheek against the pillow.

Jack kept her company on the edge of the bed, and Dayu joined them shortly afterwards, kneeling at the base near Meg's outstretched toes. Her hand came to rest on Meg's calf, and she said, "I'll start with your shoulders and work my way down, okay, honey? Relax and enjoy. Sleep if you want."

Meg smiled and thanked her.

When Dayu tugged the ties loose on her bikini top a moment later, Meg lifted her chest and allowed the woman to slide the fabric out from under her. Her body sank back to the mattress, and she closed her eyes, determined to avoid Jack's gaze. He'd only raise his brows or give her one of those heated looks that would take her straight back to last night.

Oil trickled onto her skin and slid between her shoulder blades, then Dayu's hands followed soon after, gliding over Meg's body in a way that had her holding in a groan of appreciation.

She didn't want to admit that Jack had been right, but she'd needed this without knowing it, a pause in time where she could just switch off and forget about the world around her.

While Dayu worked on her shoulders, Jack's hand moved to her hair, and he pulled at the tie keeping her topknot in place. His fingers combed through the loose strands, sweeping the mass of hair off to one side. Before Meg could question what he was up to, he began massaging her scalp, sliding his thumb over her temple, his fingers over the base of her skull.

A shiver rushed through her, and she wanted to purr like a cat. No one had done this for her before, touching her only to give pleasure and not because they expected anything in return. It made her feel warm all over, and she relaxed, secure in Jack's company.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it would mean trouble when she left Bali and life went back to normal, but it felt so good that she couldn't work up the energy to worry about it yet.

Dayu's touch was firm and thorough, her fingers seeking out knots and aching muscles that Meg hadn't been aware of until now. As her limbs went lax and her thoughts turned to mush, her loss of sleep from last night caught up with her.

Meg's breaths grew heavy, and when she was on the verge of drifting off, Dayu's hands stilled, and Jack exchanged a few quiet words with her. The weight at both ends of the mattress shifted then settled again, and Meg lay there in a boneless heap feeling disconnected from it all.

When Dayu splashed another puddle of oil onto the backs of her thighs, she sighed against the pillow.

The woman's hands began moving again with long, sliding strokes. Her fingers delved between Meg's thighs, down to her calves and back up again, her touch so firm Meg couldn't hold back a moan of appreciation.

It was as if she'd only been warming up before and now the serious work had begun.

Her palms moved to Meg's shoulders, stretching and pulling the muscles there. She worked every inch of skin, and while Meg lay in a haze of relaxation, Dayu's hands slipped beneath her body, caressing her breasts in such a bold way there was no chance in hell it could have been an accident.

Oh, no, no, no.

Meg's heart gave a hard thump, and she frantically tried to find a way out of the situation without making a scene. Jack must have arranged this with Dayu when Meg was half asleep, while she was at her most relaxed and vulnerable.

While the fantasy may have appealed to him--along with just about every other straight man alive--it wasn't on her bucket list.

"Dayu, stop. I'm not... I don't--"

"But we were having so much fun."

The deep voice registered first, then the trace of humor.

Meg pushed herself up on her elbows and glanced over her shoulder, finding Jack where Dayu had been only minutes before. He must have asked her to give them some privacy, because when Meg glanced around the makeshift room, there was no sign of the other woman.

Her eyes narrowed, and she shot him a glare. "So not funny."

Jack smiled and leaned over her. He planted his hands on either side of her, and his chest pressed against her raised shoulders. His voice was a low rumble beside her ear. "Not even a little bit?"

With his big body hovering over her and his breath warming her cheek, Meg forced down a sigh. He was crowding her on purpose, as if he already knew what it did to her. "Not one bit." She wanted to roll her eyes at the hopeless, breathy sound of her voice.

He smelled of salt water and man, and he rubbed his stubbled cheek against her skin. "Sure about that?"

She'd never felt more desperate in her life. "No."

His laughter sounded hoarse as he moved her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. "Lie back down, Meg. Let me take care of you."

She couldn't remember hearing those words from a man before, and the effect they had on her was instantaneous. Her body responded to the warmth in his tone, and she closed her eyes as she settled in her face-down position again.

"Time to get rid of these," Jack said, and before she knew what was happening, he'd hooked the waistband of her bikini briefs and tugged them down her thighs.

As he tossed them aside a thrill shot through her, and she peeked through half-opened lids to make sure Dayu hadn't come back.

"You have such a sweet ass," he said, sliding his thumbs along the underside of her buttocks.

Lost for words, Meg held her breath and lay still.

Jack clasped her waist in both hands, running his palms over her hips, her thighs. She exhaled deeply as he repeated the action, only this time his hands went all the way to her ankles before making the return trip.

When he reached the top of her thighs, his hands lingered there, and Meg tensed as she waited to see what he'd do next. Excitement stirred in the pit of her stomach, building the longer the moment dragged on--then he dipped his hand between her legs and nudged her intimately with an oiled fingertip.

She gasped and moved against the sheet, lifting her bottom to invite him back for more.

Jack groaned. "Are you trying to kill me?"

She smiled against the pillow. "Why don't you stop talking and take off your shorts?"

"We're focusing on you right now." He leaned down and pressed a kiss on her cheek. "Open your legs."

His gruff demand made her stomach flip, and Meg let out a shaky breath as she bared herself to his gaze.

When his fingers began moving again, the time for gentleness had come to an end. His touch became more intense, his hands a little rougher. He took her to the edge in no time, drawing long sighs and moans from her, and then, just when she thought she might combust, he pulled back and started all over again.

It was the best and worst kind of torment, and she couldn't take any more of it.

Meg rolled onto her back and gazed up at him, her breath catching at the heat that passed between them. With his hard jaw and his hair still damp from his swim, he looked wild and on edge--and then she spotted the tiniest trace of amusement in his eyes that made the whole package even more appealing.

She wanted to touch him.

Her body ached to feel the weight of his hands.

When Jack shifted to a kneeling position beside her, her neediness climbed to new levels, and she couldn't keep her hands to herself any longer. She slid her palm up his thigh, feeling hard muscle flexing beneath his skin, wanting to bring him a small amount of the pleasure he'd been giving her.

He caught her wrists in one hand and pressed them against the mattress above her head. "We're focusing on you, remember?"

Meg sighed, helpless and overcome.

She couldn't even work up the energy to complain about her situation when he looked at her like that. He leaned over her, his gaze travelling the length of her body, taking in every detail the same way he had last night, as if he saw none of her flaws.

His attention made her feel desirable. On fire. Like she might fall to pieces if he didn't touch her right at that very moment.

Jack gave her the slightest of smiles and skimmed her body with his free palm, caressing her nipples, dipping further to swirl his fingertip around her navel.

Meg moaned and her hips undulated, telling him without words where she needed his hand to go next. He stroked her stomach, her thighs, and when his fingers dipped between her legs again, she cried out and her lower body rocked to meet his touch.

He made a rough sound in his throat, and the blue of his eyes turned piercing in the afternoon light. While he was teasing her at the beach, he'd told her he liked her responsiveness, but he seemed to bring it out in her, along with a lack of self-consciousness she hadn't experienced with other men.

Her pulse thrummed as she tumbled closer to the edge. Meg met his gaze and gasped, her wrists twisting in his grip. Her breaths left her in pants, her hips rising and falling in time with his touch.

Jack bent his head and captured her lips with his, thrusting his tongue into her waiting mouth. Her stomach dipped at his forcefulness, need rushed in, and then it hit her suddenly. She dug her toes into the mattress as the climax wracked her body.

He pulled his mouth from hers when it came over her, clasping her wrists as he watched her ride it out. Heat flooded her face, and she locked eyes with him. Meg gasped at the intensity in his gaze. Tingles of pleasure sped through her, over her, and when it finally ebbed, her hips dropped again, and Jack loosened his hold on her.

He sank back on his heels, his lower lip swollen from their kisses, his breathing almost as heavy as hers. Neither of them said a word, and he looked at her as if he was working hard to stay in control.

She wanted him to speak, to say something to take away the awkwardness settling over her, but he glanced away for a split second, and it was enough for her to understand they wouldn't be switching places so she could have her turn with him.

Meg swept her hair from her forehead and let out a breath, deciding to fake the confidence she wasn't feeling. "I'd offer to give you a massage now," she said, her voice sounding surprisingly calm, "but I think Dayu's going to want her space back."

Perfectly delivered. Nice and relaxed just the way he wanted it.

She was proud of herself for keeping it together while tiny aftershocks were still going off inside her. Meg reached for her bikini bottoms and pulled them on. When Jack still hadn't said anything--and what was that about?--she sat up and grabbed her top, fastening it in place, too.

Now she'd done all the busy work, she braved a glance in Jack's direction. He raked a hand through his hair as he watched her. A moment later, his mouth quirked, and his eyes glimmered with amusement.

"What?" she said, smiling. "What did I do?"

He shook his head and huffed a laugh. "I can barely breathe after that, and you're getting dressed and acting like it was nothing."

His comment only added to her confusion. When she'd spotted him at the beach earlier, he'd already moved onto another woman--the morning after she'd spent the night with him. He'd made it clear he didn't want any kind of romantic involvement with her, so she'd kept it casual, regardless of how much it cost her to pretend it didn't matter.

What more did he want from her?

Maybe a little honesty would give him the reality check he needed to return to his usual self. She shifted to her knees and turned her back on him as she gathered her belongings. "I struggle to breathe every time you're near me," she said, shoving her sandals and towel into her bag. "It's only fair you get to spend a few seconds knowing what that feels like."

It went quiet in their makeshift room, with only the breeze and the sound of distant laughter for company. Meg's heartbeat thud-thudded in her ears, and she held her breath, wondering if she'd made a mistake by letting him see her as vulnerable.

"What did you say?"

The rasp in his voice sent goosebumps rushing up her forearms. She wanted to rub them into submission, but she tossed him a flirty look over her shoulder instead. "It's just your cologne," she said. "It's overpowering."

He laughed then, and his gaze filled with appreciation. Affection. She loved the way his hard edges softened whenever she made him smile. Meg stood and turned to him, hoping she could be brave enough to invite him back to her room.

Being around him felt too good, too right, and she couldn't imagine herself walking away from him yet.

Jack stared at her for one thrilling, overwhelming minute, then the corner of his mouth twitched, and he reached for her, pulling her close. His hands cupped her neck, his thumbs tilting her chin upward.

She flattened her palms against his stomach as their gazes met, feeling his muscles tense beneath her fingers. He could make her heart beat harder with just a look, but when he touched her, it sent her nervous system into chaos.

"Do you have plans for the rest of the day?" she asked.

His thumb traced the edge of her jaw, his eyes searching hers before dropping to her lips. "I'm a simple guy. I'm just hoping for more of this," he said, then he pressed his mouth to hers and gave her a kiss so slow and sweet it made her knees tremble.