The Sweetest Fling Ch. 09

Still dressed in the board shorts he'd worn earlier to the beach with Meg, Jack sat on the edge of the pool and dipped his feet in the water. Apart from the elderly guy swimming laps and the two women chatting over at the bar, he had the area to himself.

The breeze stirred the palm trees overhead and a couple of frogs croaked in a nearby pond. Darkness had almost set in, the lights around the grounds illuminating the paved walkways.

He braced his hands on the ledge, swirling his legs through the water as music drifted from the bar. It was strange hanging out here without Meg.

She'd taken off on her own to do some shopping and have dinner at the sushi place she'd been eyeing for the past few days. Although she'd asked him to join her, Jack had never been a fan of seaweed and raw fish, so he'd left her to enjoy it without him.

What shocked him the most about their separation was that she'd only been gone for a few hours at most, and he already missed her. If anyone had told him a week ago that he'd be feeling this way about a woman he'd just met, he would have laughed.

Meg probably would, too, if she knew.

As if thinking about her had conjured her up, she emerged from the cover of trees and walked along the path that ran the length of the pool.

Jack stayed where he was for a minute to watch her, still able to make out her features in the fading light.

She had an elegant way about her that made him think of ballet dancers, all long limbs and unconscious grace. Up until now, he'd been drawn to flashy and obvious, the kind of women who knew their appeal and worked it to their advantage, women who were the complete opposite of Catherine.

Meg seemed to fall somewhere between the two extremes, and he appreciated the balance.

She wore white sandals and a yellow sundress that tangled around her knees as she walked. Her hands were loaded down with shopping bags, and she'd pulled her chestnut hair back into a long braid. She blew a few strands from her forehead and turned in the direction of her room.

He pushed himself up to a standing position and jogged over to her. If she hadn't been carrying so many bags, he would have swept her off her feet just to listen to that laugh of hers. Instead, he raced up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, dipping his head to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Hey, you."

Meg sucked in a breath. "You scared me!" she said, "and ew, you're all wet."

Jack smiled and left another kiss on her throat, his lips lingering there while he breathed in her scent. He'd been cooking up an idea for her next challenge while he sat alone on the pool's edge, and he had a feeling she'd give him some resistance. "Let's work on getting you that way, too."

~ * ~

"Nope. No way." Meg shook her head, her lips caught somewhere between a smile and open-mouthed surprise as she backed up to the edge of the bed. "I'm not doing that."

Jack took a step closer, drawn in by the emotions parading across her face. Shock, apprehension, some excitement in there, too.

Her eyes flicked to his bare chest and her tongue slipped out to wet her lower lip.

She flexed her fingers at her sides, her breaths coming out in soft puffs that were so adorable he wanted to smile. It would only be a matter of time before she caved. Resistance came first, followed soon after by acceptance, then he finally got to experience all that enthusiasm he craved.

Jack knew why, too, and the reason floored him.

She trusted him.

Meg pulled her hair free of its braid and kicked off her shoes. Her dress looked almost golden under the artificial light, and her nipples were so prominent there was no way she had a bra on under there. He wanted to flick the straps down her arms and find out for sure, but first things first.

She propped her hands on her hips and stared him down in a last-ditched effort to save herself, but it was her idea for him to test her limits in the first place so they both knew she had no room to argue.

"Why are you insisting on this?" she asked.

Jack moved in nice and close, loving the heat that burned in her eyes whenever he crowded her, and the way she stood her ground against his tactics turned him on even more. "You're making this complicated when it's very, very simple. All you have to do is get naked, lie back and rub your pussy."

"Yes--while you watch. It's too personal." Even while her eyes pleaded with him to let it go, she clutched the hem of her dress as if she wanted to drag it over her head and get to work.

Jack hid his smile and pressed himself against her. He cradled her jaw in his palm and felt her pulse jump beneath his fingers. "There's nothing to be nervous about," he said. "It's just me. Think about everything we've done together, all the times I've been inside you. You know me."

He touched his mouth to hers and kissed her, taking his sweet time, gripping her hips, and stoking the fire he'd lit with long, lazy sweeps of his tongue. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed, enveloping him in her softness and warmth.

The sensation of her slim body straining against him almost made him forget what he'd been trying to achieve here, but he delved deeper, kissed her harder. Forced a moan from the back of her throat.

It went on and on until her small cries let him know she needed more. Jack tore his mouth from hers, pulling back a fraction to see the wildness in her eyes. It matched the crazed feeling ripping through him, so he slipped his thumbs under the straps on her shoulders and sent them sliding down her arms.

Meg took over and tugged the fabric to her waist, baring herself with a hot, impatient look that just about blew the top of his head off. No bra. Just pale skin and firm, round breasts. He thumbed her nipples and watched a shiver rush over her.

God, he loved her body.

She pushed her dress down and stepped from the material. Before he had a chance to make his next move, she grabbed him and dragged him close, going at his mouth like a woman on a mission.

Jack groaned and worked her panties over her hips, shoving until they'd joined her dress on the floor. With a hand supporting her back, he broke the kiss with a muttered curse and helped her onto the mattress.

One wrong move from her, one touch when he wasn't ready, could have him embarrassing himself in a second.

She lay on the bed looking up at him while he stood half leaning over her, her face a mixture of awkwardness and anticipation. "I'm going to do this," she said, "I'm just nervous."

The hoarseness in her voice killed him. He'd told her this afternoon that she got to him; never had that been truer than now. He gave her a small smile to help ease her fears, watching as she flattened her palms on the covers to reposition herself. Her hair fanned out against the pillow, and her tempting, tight body extended along the length of the bed.

Meg gazed up at him, her cheeks flushed, her stomach quivering. She looked as if she wanted to smile back but it faltered before it could even get started.

Jack climbed onto the bed before her nerves could take over. He knelt beside her and bent his head to kiss her again, already knowing his touch seemed to calm as well as electrify her. When she lifted her arms to encircle his neck, he grabbed one of her wrists and guided it lower instead. "Massage your breasts for me."

Jack went back to kissing her, his tongue plunging into her mouth as she cupped her breasts. No slow and easy this time around. The heat had to be scorching, so she had no choice but to chase the release she needed. Her hips lifted, and she moaned against his lips, eagerness in every sound, every touch.

He leaned back and stretched his body alongside hers, propping himself on an elbow to look at her. With a restlessness that took his breath away, her eyes flicked to his and silently begged for more.

Jack curled his hand around her upper thigh and pulled it towards him. "Spread your legs." He kept his tone warm but firm, understanding that although she wanted to do this, she needed him to lead the way.

Meg kept her eyes on his while her knees bent and fell outward. He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her slowly, softly. His tongue touched the tip of hers before retreating, teasing her until her hips were writhing on the bed.

When she let out a sound of frustration he murmured against her mouth, "Touch yourself, Meg."

Jack nudged her hands aside and took over at her breasts. He massaged her with his palm, capturing her nipple between forefinger and thumb. Her own hand slid lower, skating over her ribs at a pace so deliberate he held his breath.

She stopped at her tightened belly, hovering there until he began to wonder if she'd lost her nerve. Before she could talk herself out of it, he pressed a kiss on her cheek and said in a low voice, "Show me."

Meg slipped her fingers between her thighs, her touch hesitant at first, her attention locked on him as if he was the one keeping her grounded. Heat flooded her cheeks, but it didn't take long for those tentative strokes to grow bolder.

He loved seeing the change in her, the tension sliding from her features as hunger charged in and took its place.

She must have hit a sensitive spot because her body jerked, and she made a surprised sound that nearly snapped his self-control. He tore his gaze from hers and circled her nipple with his fingertip, groaning at the way it puckered beneath his touch.

Her hips lifted and fell, her lower body undulating. His cock strained against his shorts, knowing what she needed from him and desperately wanting in.

"Hold me." They were the first words she'd spoken in a while, and the husky edge sent his desire skyrocketing.

Jack slipped his arm under her and pulled her against him. She pressed her lips to his throat like she'd been craving the physical contact. He stroked her hair from her forehead, trailed his fingers to her temple.

"You're so unbelievably sexy," he said, and felt her smile against his skin. "Does it feel good?" The answer was obvious, but he wanted to hear her say it out loud.

"Yes. Oh, my God, Jack."

He looked down the length of her body, watching her glistening fingers as they moved back and forth. The scent of her arousal rose to greet him, and he swore under his breath, desperate to drag her hand away and replace it with his mouth.

Her hips began a slow roll. The glimpse of her tongue as she licked her lower lip only tortured him further. She gazed up at him with her eyes full of desire. This woman and the things she did to him. He couldn't take it anymore. Jack swept his thumb over her cheek and dipped his head to kiss her.

Her tongue slid across his upper lip, causing a surge inside him that had him growling and cradling the back of her head. He crushed his mouth to hers, losing it at the sound of her raw, primitive moan.

The kiss went on, the desire between them building until her hips jerked, and she pulled back to stare at him. "I need it, Jack," she begged as her fingers kept up their frantic pace. "I need your cock inside me. Now."

Fuck. He sucked in a deep breath, only just managing to hold on. "Soon."

She'd got him so worked up, if he gave in to her demands now, he wouldn't last more than three seconds. Instead, he drew her closer, touching the back of her hand as it worked away between her thighs.

A beat later, she tensed against him.

Jack leaned away just enough to be able to watch her, so lost in her pleasure his own arousal took a backseat. All he could focus on was her. He held his breath as her limbs trembled and her heels dug into the mattress. A split second later her hips lifted, and she shuddered as a strangled moan left her.

He'd never seen anything more erotic in his life. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing words to her while she came back down from her high. The moment left him almost as breathless as her--and harder than ever.

Her body settled on the bed, and as he took in her features a feeling of awe came over him. Her eyes were closed, wisps of hair stuck to the perspiration at her temples. Her mouth was soft and open as she pulled in gulps of air. She looked completely at ease. Satisfied. Happy.

He'd never seen her so content and relaxed.

Something shifted inside him, leaving him feeling just as exposed as her. No matter how much he tried to push it away and tell himself he'd worry about it later, Jack knew things had changed between them.

Spending so much time together had fast-tracked their connection, and the most surprising part for him was that it didn't send him into panic mode like he'd thought it would.

He hugged her to him and sank his hand into her hair. Pressed his lips to her forehead and rested them there while he tried to figure out how to handle this new development.