The Sweetest Fling Ch. 07

Meg shut the door behind her and flung her handbag on the bed. She scanned her hotel room and sighed. It already felt empty and wrong coming back here on her own.

She kicked off her shoes and gazed through the double doors to the palm trees and the blue sky beyond. Jack may have given her a kiss on the forehead and assured her nothing between them had changed, but it still bothered her knowing she'd hit a nerve.

She had to keep reminding herself not to take their time together so seriously. It was supposed to be all about fun and sex, not feelings and intimacy. He'd made it clear he knew the rules. Meg just had to work on embracing them herself, so she could ignore this inherent need to delve beneath the surface.

She headed for the bathroom, hoping a soak in the tub would help her relax and clear her mind. While the bath filled with steaming water, she stripped off her clothes and grabbed her purple satin robe from the hook on the door, fastening the sash in place as she went back into the bedroom.

There was one person in her life who could help guide her through this mess. Meg had been texting her best friend with a few details here and there, letting her know she was seeing Jack on a casual basis.

Being late afternoon in Melbourne, Allie would be finishing up last-minute orders and getting ready to close for the day.

Meg dug her phone from her bag and pulled up her friend's number, picturing her moving around the shop with her dark hair in a bun and her usual flower-of-the-day decorating one side.

"Hey! You're calling. Why are you calling me?" Allie's tone reminded her that phone contact was supposed to be kept to a minimum. Emergencies only. Allie put the rule in place so Meg could enjoy her holiday, and so that she could run the shop without the uptight owner breathing down her neck.

Meg tucked her mobile between her chin and shoulder and piled her hair into a bundle, securing it with the clip she'd left on the dresser. "Can't it just be because I miss you?"

"Nope. What's really going on?"

Allie had always been able to read her well, even with little information to go on. Meg let out a laughing breath that turned into a sigh. "Man trouble, or more to the point, me trouble."

"You mean the hot guy? It's a casual thing so no big deal, right?"

Technically correct, but why did it feel so wrong hearing Allie wrap up her time with Jack in such a dismissive way?

Meg wanted to defend him and convince her friend it was more complicated than that, but she'd only be lying to herself as well as Allie. "We had a date this afternoon that ended kind of awkwardly. Now he's spending some time on his own."

A sigh sounded in her ear. There was a hint of laughter there as well, but Meg sensed her friend's frustration. "Some time on his own? Megsy, do you understand the friends-with-benefits thing? The idea is that you only get together to fu--"

"Yes, I know! It was my suggestion to keep it simple in the first place." Not her preferred option, but sometimes you had to be a little flexible to get what you wanted.

"So, why are you with him all the time? If you don't take a break from the guy, you'll just end up getting attached, then he'll wave goodbye at the end, and I'll have to hunt him down for hurting you."

"You're right. I know." Meg wandered into the bathroom to shut off the water. They were all good points and fine in theory, but Allie hadn't seen Jack. If she'd had any idea of the constant temptation Meg had to deal with, it wouldn't be so hard for her to understand this dilemma.

A knock sounded at the door, which turned out to be a blessing since her conversation with Allie was becoming a lecture. "Someone's at the door," she said. "I've gotta go, but thanks for the pep talk."

"Okay, okay." The resignation in Allie's voice suggested she knew Meg would ignore every word of advice, and it would be up to her to pick up the pieces of her shattered, pathetic existence when she got home. "Please, at least try to focus on having fun. Fun without feelings. Love you."

"I will. Love you, too." Fun without feelings. It sounded like such a simple concept, but she'd have to wrestle back control of her own body before that ever happened. Not an easy task since Jack only had to look at her to send her senses into a tailspin.

Meg ended the call and slid her phone onto the bathroom vanity. She hadn't ordered room service, and the cleaning crew had been through hours ago.

Only one person could be standing out there in the hallway, and her heart pounded as she padded to the door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"A groveling idiot."

Her stomach flipped at the sound of his voice. "But I didn't order one."

She heard his soft laughter and couldn't hold back any longer.

Meg opened the door, and there he stood, still wearing the same clothes he'd had on earlier. He looked a little rougher around the edges now, as if the alone time hadn't gone as well as he'd hoped.

Jack's gaze dropped to her bare legs and painted toenails, then lingered on her breasts on the return trip. Meg wondered if he'd worked out that she was naked under there, because she was suddenly very aware that only a thin layer of satin separated her from him.

His eyes met hers again, and his mouth quirked on one side. "So... I came to apologize."

She moved aside to invite him into her room. When he stepped over the threshold, he stopped as if uncertain whether he'd made the right decision coming here.

Meg's gaze narrowed as she looked him over, taking in the swirl of emotion in his eyes, the tension in his features. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and offer comfort that she wasn't even sure he needed.

"I was just about to take a bath," she said.

"No problem." He shut the door and moved a couple of steps closer. "I'll be quick."

Her attention lowered to the sensual lips she loved to kiss, the roughened jaw she wanted to rub her cheek against. She tilted her head in the direction of the bathroom. "I thought you might want to join me."

Silence hovered between them, stretching on until she figured he must be working out the gentlest way to turn her down. Then she looked into his eyes and saw the playful glimmer there. "All right," he said.

Meg smiled and reached for his hand, intending to pull him to the bathroom with her. Jack got a hold of her first and slid his arms around her waist, drawing her into a tight, all-encompassing hug that went on and on.

Her humor disappeared and her brows pulled together into a frown. She clung to him, breathing him in, feeling his heart thump against her chest. She had no idea what was going on, but she hoped he'd trust her enough to explain it to her.

~ * ~

Meg followed the path Jack's fingertips made as they trailed across her pale, freckled skin. The swirling motion mesmerized her, his touch erasing the last of the tension between them. He sat behind her with his arms and legs framing her body, his chest supporting her back much like he had the night before at the beach.

She traced a scar on his knee. Found another on his shin. Meg wondered at the stories behind them, then realized how little she knew about him. It seemed strange to feel so comfortable around a man who was essentially still a stranger.

"Sorry about before," Jack said, his voice the first to break the lengthy silence. "I know it probably doesn't feel like it, but it had nothing to do with you."

Meg rested her head against his shoulder, watching a drop of water clinging stubbornly to the tap. "It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have pried like that."

"Wanting to get to know someone and prying aren't the same thing."

She didn't know if that was an invitation to ask more questions or just an admission that her curiosity had been a natural thing. Either way, she wasn't in a hurry to dive into the discussion again, not when they were getting along so well. His fingers traced wide circles on her upper thigh, his touch so slow and lazy that his next words took her by surprise.

"Her name's Catherine."

A jolt zipped through Meg, her reaction a direct contradiction to her words. The silent laugh that shuddered against her back told her Jack had noticed, too.

He clasped her chin and turned her head to press his smiling mouth to hers. She made a sound of protest that soon slipped into a moan of pleasure. The kiss turned leisurely and deep, so thorough she could barely remember what they'd been talking about before his mouth touched hers.

When he pulled away Meg stared up at him wordlessly. He let out a huff of amusement and kissed the tip of her nose. She blinked and drew a breath, her dazed eyes searching his while she waited for him to come into focus again. "You were telling me about Catherine."

"Hmm." Jack reached for the facecloth, then lathered it up and slid it over her arms and shoulders.

"How did you know her?"

He swirled soapy circles over her collarbone, dipping beneath the water to caress her breasts. The texture of the cloth against her already sensitive nipples made her breath catch, his touch so casual that if his erection hadn't been pressed against her lower back, she would have assumed it had no impact on him.

"We met during the last year of high school. She transferred from another state."

That long ago? How could a teenage crush still be playing on his mind all these years later? "Was she pretty?"

"Beautiful," he said without a second's thought. "Slim, blonde, blue-eyed, sweet, kind--"

"Yep. Got it." When it came to meeting men, Meg had never been one to torture herself with thoughts of the women who came before her, so she had no idea why she'd taken up the hobby now.

Jack nuzzled her jaw. "You're cute."

The amusement in his voice made her wonder if he'd been pushing for that reaction all along, but she couldn't stay mad at him while her skin was prickling with goosebumps. "Maybe you should stop teasing me and get on with the story."

His low laugh beside her ear made her smile. He rubbed her stomach, taking the time to cover every inch of skin while he explained his connection to this mysterious girl.

"I met her on her third day at school," he said. "She was shy in the beginning, but it didn't take long for her to warm up to me. She started hanging out at my place while my parents were working, for homework at first but then because we enjoyed each other's company. Josh was away for his second year at uni, so we were spending a lot of time alone. After a month or so she was there every day."

"You had a crush on her."

"Not exactly." He took a beat too long to elaborate. "I love... loved her."

His admission stung, not because he'd had feelings for someone in his past, but because he sounded unsure about whether to use past or present tense.

On the night she met him, Jack had told her he didn't have a girlfriend, and she'd believed him. Meg didn't know what to make of this information, so she chose the wiser option of saying nothing.

He went on to explain their friendship in greater detail, leading her to believe it hadn't been a mutual attraction, and that Catherine may have even been oblivious to his feelings.

When he described his brother showing up for the first time, Meg sensed what was coming next, and she held her breath and waited. A moment later Jack's hand stilled against her stomach, and he described the immediate attraction between Josh and Catherine.

A heavy feeling settled over her and she let out the breath on a long sigh, wondering what kind of damage it had done to his relationship with his brother.

The only positive she could take from the situation was that it happened years ago. With the fickle nature of teenage romances, it couldn't have lasted more than a few months. "How long were they together?"

Jack dropped the facecloth and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek and said, "They still are."

A shocked sound lodged in her throat. Meg was sure her heart had stopped beating for a second before it kicked in again. That was the vow-renewal ceremony he'd witnessed last week--his first love reaffirming her commitment to his older brother?

She slid her palms up and down his thighs, trying to offer comfort with her touch. The right words wouldn't come so she gave up and said exactly what was on her mind. "Jack, I can't even put into words how much that sucks."

"Yep."

She burrowed deeper into his arms, letting it all sink in. His reluctance to get involved in long-term relationships made more sense now. He couldn't give is focus to one woman when he hadn't stopped wanting another. But how could he ever be fulfilled skipping from one person to the next without ever getting to know anyone on a deeper level?

On the outside, he had the best of both worlds; company when he wanted it, freedom when he needed space. What was it doing to him on the inside?

"Are you happy?" she asked him.

"Now?"

She nodded, keeping her attention on her fingertips as they swirled over his bent knee.

"I am."

His response would have thrilled her if she hadn't been so focused on the answer to her next question. Meg turned her head and sent him a fleeting look. "And in general?"

He took his time thinking it over, then finally replied with two quiet words. "Not particularly."

Her head settled back on his chest, and she sighed. Jack didn't need her to fix him. It wasn't her job to help him through the mess of emotions he must deal with every time he saw Catherine with his brother.

Despite the casual arrangement she had with him, she couldn't stop herself from reaching out. "You're still in love with her."

More of a statement than a question. One person couldn't stay hung up on another all those years unless it was love or the longest-running infatuation in the history of unrequited feelings.

Jack gave her a squeeze, as if acknowledging what it took for her to have a conversation like this with him. "I love her the same way I'd love any sister-in-law. I loved the girl I knew when we were teenagers--but in love? I don't know. I haven't felt the same way about anyone else, so there's no comparison."

Meg hadn't been in love before either. Not the kind that took your thoughts hostage and made you feel like you couldn't live without that person for a single second, as if they were a part of you and held the secret to your happiness.

She hated to think Jack was passing time with her until he could get back to pining for the woman who'd chosen his brother years ago. "Am I just a distraction for you?" she asked.

"No." His answer came quickly, his tone leaving no doubt about his sincerity. "Not that you aren't a distraction," he added, "but it's more than that."

Hope. What a heady feeling. Meg wouldn't let herself get too carried away because a man had admitted to liking her company, but it gave her a solid reason to continue seeing him without feeling like there was a cloud of disappointment waiting to rain down on her.

"How does your family handle your feelings for Catherine?" she asked. "Is it awkward when you're all together?"

Jack lifted her hand and played with her splayed fingers. "No one knows."

"What?" She gasped and turned her head to look up at him.

"I've never talked about it before," he clarified.

"To anyone? Ever?" Her heart thundered, not just because of the hurt he'd been dealing with on his own, but the fact that when he finally decided to share it with someone, he'd chosen her. "You've kept this to yourself, all these years?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Jack."

Meg turned around, sloshing water in the tub as she rested her legs on either side of his body. She didn't say anything more, just wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

How was she supposed to protect her heart and keep her distance from this man when everything about him said come closer?