by K. L. Jessop
“I can imagine.”
“I’m waiting to dock it down at Rixton Pier for better excess in the future, but for the time being she can stay here.” Marcus takes out two beers from the small under-shelf fridge and hands me one before sitting himself down on the sofa. “So, what’s new? What have I missed?”
I inhale and sit opposite. “Nothing much really. The hotel continues to run smoothly with bookings looking great up until the end of the season. The new reception girl, Carrie, has settled well along with other new recruits. Business is good.”
“And Megan?”
I look up at him. What is he implying? “She’s doing great; her work on the Programme is going well and we’ve already seen an improvement with the entertainment evenings at Rubies. She’s a good worker.”
I’m sure I’ve got ‘guilty’ written all over my face, but thankfully our conversation is drawn to a close when the girls and Rosa climb aboard and enter the cabin.
“Marcus, can we sail out a little and give Megan a ride before we head home?” Amelia asks. I catch Megan’s stare and warmth spreads across my chest.
We head out a few kilometres to darker water, the sun hot above us as the boat lightly rocks under blue sky. Megan and Amelia have stripped down to their bikinis to sunbathe on the front of the boat while Rosa sits with Marcus and me. It’s so peaceful. There’s not a cloud in the sky or a seabird on the water, and tranquillity settles around us.
Hearing the giggles from the girls, I look up as I feel Megan’s presence. She heads toward us in her white string swimwear, my cock to stirs.
“Marcus, you have towels on board, right?” she asks, as she climbs the up the bars to the hood of the boat.
“I do. Why?”
“I’m going diving.” She grins. In a flash, she leaps from the top of the hood and plummets into the water with a squeal, creating laughter from the boat. Panic squeezes my chest as I wait for her to surface, and I’m seconds away from jumping in after her when she pops up laughing.
“Amelia, get your sexy ass in here,” she shouts.
Seconds later, Amelia leaps from the boat to join Megan and the pair begin to splash about in the water before repeating their deep-sea diving all over again, this time both jumping in together and screaming. I sit back and watch with a grin on my face and a beer in my hand, wondering where Megan gets all her energy. She’s full of adventure and happiness.
“That girl is like a firecracker,” Rosa beams, watching Megan. “Full of spirit and will brighten anyone’s life whether they want her to or not. I miss being like that.”
“You are like that, mum. Just because you may not have it physically, doesn’t mean you don’t have it verbally, and trust me you have it verbally,” Marcus replies.
“Why thank you for the compliment, dear.”
“You’re welcome, only it wasn’t meant to be one,” he teases.
“Marcus Matthews, you may be a well-developed and successful business man, but I’m still your mother and one that has a cracking right hook.”
I laugh at the pair’s playful behaviour.
“Trust me, there’s still some physicality in me yet.”
He grins at her. “I love you.”
I envy their relationship; it’s something I’ve always longed for with my mother.
Megan gets out the water a short while after Marcus joins them and heads down to the cabin to change. I’m itching to touch her. Making my excuses to Rosa about getting another beer, I go to her. She startles when I pull open the door of the bedroom, but before she can say anything I kiss her, running my tongue along her bottom lip and slipping it into her mouth while she stands in a short towel. “I can’t wait to get you home.” I say, guiding her down to the bed.
She pushes at my shoulders. “Andrew, what are you doing? Someone will find us,” she whispers, a little high-pitch.
“Shhh.” I kiss her again. “If you’re quiet, no one will hear.”
She snorts. “This is me you’re taking about. Quiet doesn’t come into the—”
I trace my hand up the inside of her thigh; she whimpers, and her eyes fall heavy.
“I ache for you, Andrew,” she whispers. “But you shouldn’t be down here.”
“Shall I stop?”
Her lips part as my lips kiss up the inside of her thigh, lifting the towel to reveal her sweet, bare pussy. I spread her wide and blow lightly on her pink bud, and he moans, arching her back.
“Megan. Shall. I. Stop?”
She shakes her head and grabs onto the pillow behind her, pushing up into me to tell me with actions what she craves in feeling. “No. No don’t stop.”
Chapter Seventeen
Megan
I’m insane… or I’m sick, I can’t decide which. Can someone please tell me how Andrew Harris—the sexy arrogant sod that he is—has the power to piss me off one minute and then has me forgiving all the next when he kisses the shit out of me. How? This is not me; I don’t even recognise myself when I’m around him. What is it with him? I mean, Jesus, the man has just brought me to orgasm while our friend’s mother is a few feet away. I’m like a teenager crushing on the guy with hormone issues, and like an idiot I run back because I want more.
“What are you thinking?” he whispers in my ear.
“What it would be like to have sex at sea.”
“Really?” his eyebrows rise.
“I might have to put that on my bucket list,” I grin.
“Ever had sex in the sea?”
My heart suddenly speeds at the thought. “I guess that too has to go on my bucket list.” I pull on the loop of his shorts to bring him closer, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“I wouldn’t mind helping you with that?”
“I like the idea of a sea sex date,” I smile.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’ve always been intrigued by water sports.”
His low laugh vibrates against the tender skin on my neck as he kisses me there. I'm intoxicated with everything that he is and everything I know he can be.
“I can’t stop kissing you,” he whispers.
“I’ve noticed.”
“I need to be alone with you at home.”
“Why? what do you have in mind?” I tease.
“I’m hungry.”
My brows rise. “Andrew, you’ve just gone down and eaten me alive.”
“That was a snack.” I feel him grin against my neck. “I want the full course.”
He comes back to my lips to kiss me, teasing the tip of his tongue with mine before biting my bottom lip. I hands glide around his waist, still a little overwhelmed with his sudden change in behaviour, but a change I knew would come. That much was evident in the way I caught him watching me when I was around the hotel or at his place. Each stare lasted longer and got more intense. It was only a matter of when.
“Megan, where are you?”
Shit.
My stomach tightens at the sound of Amelia’s voice, and I push Andrew off me. It’s not that I care if I were to get caught—in one way that excites me—but it’s Andrew I want to shield. I’m not ready to expose our rollercoaster relationship with others just yet.
“I need to go.” I quickly jump into my shorts and head for the door. Andrew grabs my hips and pulls me back against his body.
“I like the fact you’re naked under these,” he growls. “I won’t know where to put my eyes when I meet you on deck.”
I turn my head to the side but don’t make eye contact: if I do I’ll never get out of here. “Control yourself, Mr Harris. You hate me, remember?”
I leave him laughing gently and head up to the top deck. Both Marcus and Amelia have returned from their swim and Rosa is sat back sunning her face.
“Where were you?” Amelia asks.
“I was just drying off.” I don’t give her eye contact at first, but I flick my eyes at her when she looks at me suspiciously.
“What’s wrong with your neck? It’s all blotchy.”
Shit.
> “Oh… I think it’s the salt from the water; it’s started to irritate my skin lately.”
“That’s odd. Have you had it checked out?”
“Not yet. I’ve been too busy with work.”
Thankfully she accepts my excuses. I hate lying to Amelia, yet I can’t help but like the thrill. I feel Andrew come up behind me, just his presences has the ability to cause my skin to prickle.
“Hey, man, where did you disappear to?” Marcus asks him, and I suddenly feel like we’re in the middle of a Spanish inquisition.
“Getting another beer,” Andrew replies.
“Are we going back now?” I ask, quickly trying to change the subject.
“Yeah, Marcus wants to catch up on business and I want to catch up with you.”
I grin at her. “I need to stop off at my place first, see how things are going.”
I take a seat next to Rosa as Marcus prepares to start up the boat. Andrew sits opposite me with a knowing look on his face, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop my grin, but it’s Rosa that gets my attention when she squeezes my hand.
“You ok?” I question as I look at her. She studies me as though she’s trying to read my thoughts and with a quick glance at my neck and then at Andrew, it’s clear my thoughts have been well read. For a moment, an air of dread—and excuses if I should need them—runs through me. Rosa is a wise woman and her mother’s intuition is like a fucking rocket at times. But her questions don’t come, and I’m left grinning like a little girl when all I get is a wink and a smile: an indication that we’ve been rumbled.
***
“Holy shit, what a mess?” Amelia gasps as we wade through the carnage that is meant to be my hallway. Tools, plaster boards and ripped up carpets are now the familiar décor. Neil and the guys working on the house are great, but there’s one guy, Terry, that freaks me the fuck out. He’s the sort of guy I’m likely to find going through my knicker draw to satisfy his fantasies of a pretty girl.
“Told you,” I reply. “Although to be fair it’s not half as bad as it was.”
“Still no word from your uncle?”
I roll my eyes. “No.”
“Do you think he’ll come over?”
“Well if he does, it’ll be his last visit because I’m likely to jab him in the temple with a pencil.”
Amelia frowns. “Why a pencil?”
I shrug. “First thing that came into my head.”
She grins and wraps her arms around my waist. “I’ve missed your crazy.”
I collect a few more clothes in my overnight bag and head back out. Neil tells me I’ll mostly likely be able to return home within a week or two, and instantly my mind starts to wonder unnecessarily about all kinds, like what would happen with Andrew? Will he still want me in the way he says he does now or will it all stop because I’m no longer under his roof?
I don’t want it to stop.
I want my nights to be filled with passion and promise while we get lost in a world of each other.
“So, how’s things with you and Andrew? Are you getting along ok?” Amelia asks, linking my arm in hers as we head towards the promenade, the sea breeze blowing through our hair. Her question makes me smile.
“We’re good. Better than we were,” I say.
“It’s nice to know that you’re both friends, finally.”
“I don’t think we were ever enemies to begin with, Amelia. We just never had the relationship like the two of you have. Then he got all weirded out after your birthday because I kissed him and created his first hard-on in about twenty years.”
“And you joked about him being gay.”
“He’s certainly not gay. I can assure you.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them and her head snaps up. The inquisitive look in her eye.
“What makes you say that?”
“Err, hello, this is me. Remember? You forget that I can get a guy hard just by smiling at him.”
“True. I think it’s about time you gave this reputation of yours a name.”
“I should.” It gets me thinking. Once it pops into my head, I outstretch my hands as though I’m highlighting the headlines. “Megan Simmons, Coastal Sex Therapist.”
She laughs. “I like it. Do you have a tagline?”
“Queen of sass, sex, and all things extendable.”
She throws her head back and laughs harder. “God I love you.”
Rather than go to Rubies, we decide to take the opportunity of some girl time and stay at Andrew’s. Once I change out of my swimwear, we head down to the pool while the men are at the hotel catching up on work. Rosa went back to Marcus and Amelia’s place shortly after our boat trip.
Lying out on the loungers in the evening sun, we listen to the music from my iPod that plays in the background. Even though it’s only been a few weeks, I’ve finally got one half of my family back and Lucas’s arrival will make it complete. Having visited when over on holiday, the three of us have never lived in each other’s pockets on a long-term basis—only me and the red head next to me—but I know once he’s here, life will be just as exciting regardless of who else is part of it. I have hopes that Andrew will be the man I wake up to from here on in, but it’s very early days and our sexual relationship has already started out edgy. Is he a relationship kind of guy? Come to think of it, am I up to being a long-term partner? After all, I’ve never given anyone chance to stick around long enough to consider a future with.
There is so much I want to ask him and so much I want to say, but this is Andrew, and I know his walls won’t come down unless he’s willing to let them. I just have to be patient and hope that one day he’ll trust me enough to open up.
I turn my head to Amelia as I notice she’s become unusually quite laid next to me. She’s another one that bottles shit up and as she twists the ring around her finger, I know something is playing on her mind.
“Don’t tell me. You’re trying to find a way of letting me know that my bridesmaids dress is ridiculously ugly,” I tease.
“I’m thinking of putting the wedding on hold,” she blurts.
“What?” Shocked, I quickly sit up. “I’m sorry did I just hear that right?”
She looks at me and her straight smile confirms my question.
“Why?”
Placing her sunglasses on her head so I have eye contact, she smiles. “Daniel’s trial date has come through. I found out while I was in London. It’s two weeks after the wedding.”
A shiver cascades over me at the mention of his name. “Are you ok?”
“It was going to happen sooner or later, I guess.”
“True, but I don’t understand why you want to put the wedding on hold?”
“Because I know that on my big day my mind will drift to other things and I don’t want that. Plus, I don’t want to go into married life and have that slapped in my face two weeks into it. I want to forget everything, have a proper fresh start with Marcus and not have my history hanging over my head all the damn time.”
My heart hurts for how sad she sounds. I reach across and take her hand with a gentle squeeze. Daniel’s trial is the last hurdle Amelia must face in putting her history to rest. I complete understand why she wants to hold off, but on the other hand it makes me so angry that that man is still ruling her life.
“Fuck, I want to nail that bastard’s nuts to the cell wall.” I take a large gulp of wine to try and calm the malice that’s slowly creeping in. “How does Marcus feel about this?”
Her eyes fall to her hands.
She’s got to be kidding me?
“Jesus Christ, Amelia are you for real? You need to tell him.”
“I will when the time is right.”
“There is no right time in your head, anxious girl.” I smile. Her eyes begin to glass over; she’s clearly struggling with this more than I thought.
“What if it changes things, Megan? What if it doesn’t go in my favour and he gets off?”
“He won’t get off, babe h
e—”
“Or what if it’s too much for Marcus to watch me go through it all again? What if he leaves me?”
“Stop it! You hear me? Because now you’re just overreacting and talking absolute crap.” I pull on her arm to make her sit up and face me as I’m about to give her a good old Megan Simmons ‘taking to’. “Listen to me because I’m only going to say this once and you know how much I hate repeating myself when it comes to you and your fucked-up-ness. Will it change things? Yes, for the better. Will he get off? Fuck no, because the arsehole is going down for a long, fucking time. Will it be too much for Marcus to watch you go through it? Mostly likely yes, but only because he loves you. We all love you, Amelia. Now can you please either leave and go find your future husband, or go to the fridge and get some more wine, because the subject needs to be changed as you’re making me swear way too fucking much and it’s not very lady like.”
She laughs. That sparkle is back in her eyes and she pulls me in for a hug. “Babe, whether you swear or not, you’ll never be lady like.”
“Cheeky bitch!”
Chapter Eighteen
Andrew
It’s late when I get home from the hotel; Marcus wanted a detailed meeting with myself and Jack to catch up on the latest in regards to The Grand and Rubies, and it turned out to be more male bonding around a whiskey bottle than it was work. I’ve never wanted to get home more than I have tonight. I’ve not stopped thinking of Megan, I ache for her body.
Her scent fills my lungs as I open the door: a mixture of honeysuckle and strawberry. I loosen my tie and head for her bedroom. Having had to go to the hotel, I’d changed back into my work clothes once we got back from our little cruise on Marcus’ boat.
The heat from the summer day and the heat I feel for Megan is an overpowering mixture on my skin.
The door is ajar; she has her back to me. Standing in her black, lace underwear, my pulses thunder against my skin. Her blonde hair flows down around her shoulders and the defined curves of her hips makes my mouth water. The woman has contaminated my mind with her beauty, slowly reeling in all my strength, and what's worse is I'm not even trying to stop her anymore.