Summer on the Turquoise Coast

by Summer on the Turquoise Coast (retail) (epub)

  ‘Let me get you a new drink,’ Nina said picking up the glass and trying not to look at its toothy contents. ‘Efes, was it?’

  ‘Don’t bother, love, it was an accident. Anyway, the missus will send it off to You’ve Been Framed and we’ll get two hundred and fifty quid for it,’ he guffawed. ‘Watch out for your face on the telly.’

  Great. It would be out there for the whole world to see. She could hear them now – the ribbing, the hushed sniggers, the notes left on the whiteboard, and that was just from her colleagues. Goodness knows what the kids would say; she’d never hear the last of it.

  Thanks, Gran, for yet another unforgettable memory.

  Chapter 23

  Leo showed up, just when Nina was about to retire for the night. She intended on leaving Grannie with a gaggle of oldies, who were reminiscing about the good-old days, and playing a virtual game of holiday Top Trumps. They were focusing on mishaps, and so far, no one could top being stung by a jelly-fish off the coast of Mexico and being peed on by a passer-by, though they were all having a good go. Nina suspected that most of the stories were made up, and as the night wore on the tales would become increasingly outrageous.

  She sat in a secluded corner, curled up in a chair, nursing her third glass of white wine. The alcohol was going to her head a bit because she rarely, if ever, drank, but she didn’t care. She intended to finish this one then go to bed, and try not to think about lips, and stubble, and hairy chests.

  Okay, she was making the hairy-chest bit up. She had no idea whether Leo’s chest was as smooth as a baby’s bottom or if he had more hair than a gorilla, or was somewhere in between. She liked a bit of hair, not too much, just a smattering.

  ‘Penny for them?’

  ‘Eh? Oh, hi. I was… er… um… just thinking about you,’ Nina blurted, caught off guard.

  ‘Nothing bad, I hope,’ Leo said, lightly.

  ‘No.’ She was glad the night hid her blushes. The lights around the bar and the candles on the table were soft enough to hide her pink cheeks. ‘I thought you were avoiding me,’ she said, then wished she hadn’t. She’d had no intention of referring to what happened at Elephant in the slightest, and here she was, coming right out with it.

  ‘Not at all. I fell asleep. It seems like ages since I’ve had a proper sleep in a decent bed.’ He yawned, and Nina remembered his friend Dave and the German girl.

  ‘I take it I’ve missed dinner?’ he asked.

  ‘You didn’t miss much. It was okay, I suppose.’

  ‘Do you fancy a walk? I noticed some shops and things near the hotel.’

  Yes, she did fancy a walk. She hadn’t fancied one at all before he’d mentioned it, but now he that had, the idea appealed very much indeed.

  Leo, it turned out, wasn’t after a gentle, romantic stroll. Oh no, Leo was hunting supper.

  ‘Can I get you anything?’ he asked, after pausing outside a kiosk-cum-stall affair with tables dotted randomly on the pavement.

  A part of Nina, the sensible have-you-washed-your-hands-before-handling-any-food part, shuddered at the thought of eating from anywhere which looked as if it might have printed its own hygiene certificate off the internet. The other part, the I-only-picked-at-my-dinner part, had other ideas as her stomach rumbled loudly.

  The smells wafting through the air were delicious and nearly every table was full of what appeared to be regulars. That was always a good sign.

  ‘I’m having a chicken kebab,’ Leo said. ‘Don’t worry, they’re nothing like the ones you get at home after a skin-full of beer when your taste buds are shot to hell.’

  ‘I’ve never had a kebab.’

  ‘You don’t know what you’re missing!’ Leo exclaimed. He turned to the bloke behind the counter. ‘Two chicken doners, please, in pitta with salad.’

  ‘Drink?’

  ‘Two colas.’ Leo glanced at Nina, who nodded her agreement.

  ‘One moment. Sit, please. I will bring.’

  ‘They sat, and in a short while two kebabs were placed in front of them. They looked scrummy. Nina picked up a succulent piece of chicken and popped it in her mouth. Spices and herbs exploded on her tongue as she chewed. Mmmm.

  ‘You like?’ Leo asked around a mouthful of food.

  Nina smiled. ‘I like. Now shut up and let me eat.’

  She was licking the last of the taste off her fingers before she knew it. All gone, every last morsel. Taking a swig of her drink, she asked, ‘Was it by chance you found this place, or did you know about it?’

  ‘Yasin told me. None of the tour guides or the drivers eat in the hotel. Not because the food is bad,’ he added hastily, ‘but because they get charged for it. And the rooms. Yasin and Mustafa sleep in the coach, as do all the others.’

  ‘That’s awful!’

  ‘It’s the way it is. Fancy a drink at the bar?’

  ‘An orange juice would be nice. I’ve had enough wine.’

  ‘Juice, it is.’

  They strolled back in companionable silence, and Nina felt relaxed in Leo’s company, just happy to be wandering down a foreign street in the height of summer with a gorgeous man, until Leo said abruptly, ‘Sorry about earlier… you know, The Kiss.’

  Was it her imagination, or had he capitalised the words too? She was perturbed. It was the last thing she expected him to say. Okay, him saying “I prefer men” was the very last thing, but she hadn’t anticipated him apologising for kissing her either. She’d been hoping it could be ignored, brushed under the carpet, never referred to again – in the great British tradition of not talking about anything which made you feel uncomfortable.

  ‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing to apologise for. I’ve forgotten it already.’

  ‘You have?’ Nina thought Leo sounded a little put out.

  ‘I’ve not really forgotten, you’re a good kisser so how could I forget, I meant I’d just put it to the back of my mind, the heat of the moment and all that…’ She knew she was babbling so she trailed off, wondering what on earth she was supposed to say.

  ‘Oh. Okay. Friends?’

  ‘Friends,’ Nina replied firmly.

  When they returned to the hotel, Nina insisted on paying for their drinks, saying, ‘You bought the last lot, before we got on the coach, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.’ She hadn’t paid for the kebab either, though that was sitting a little heavily in her tummy.

  Leo waved her away. ‘It was nothing. I was thirsty and I thought you might be too.’

  They picked a spot away from those guests who were still up, enjoying a night cap – or several by the sound of it.

  Nina sipped her juice and cast around for something to say. She would have liked to have talked about the day, about the marvellous things they’d seen, but she didn’t want to mention Elephant in case the subject of The Kiss came up again, just when they’d put the subject to bed.

  Leo kept looking at her.

  ‘What? Is my mascara running?’ She wouldn’t be surprised in this heat. Perhaps she should have bought some waterproof stuff back in England.

  ‘Sorry, it’s just… you look beautiful,’ he finished in a rush and looked away. Was he blushing, Nina wondered? It was difficult to tell in this light.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said softly. Maybe he wasn’t regretting The Kiss as much as she thought he was.

  Oh hell. She had nothing to lose – except her dignity and her self-respect if he turned her down, but she was on holiday and apart from earlier she hadn’t been kissed by a man for nearly a year (a peck on the cheek from her dad didn’t count, and she didn’t think her quick snog with Mehmet really counted either). She’d enjoyed the feel of Leo’s mouth on hers, the taste of him on her lips, so this time she leaned over and kissed him.

  It must have caught him by surprise because he hesitated for a second and she wondered for one awful moment if he was going to pull away, or worse, push her off him.

  He did neither.

  To her relief, he slid one arm across
the back of the sofa and another around her waist, drawing her closer as she melted into him, her arms snaking around his neck. She pressed herself against his chest.

  Their tongues met and the kiss deepened.

  Oh my. He really was a very good kisser. She felt it from the top of her heat-frizzed hair to the ends of her curled-up toes. It was a long time indeed since a man had made her toes curl – in a good way.

  When Nina came up for air, panting, she was delighted to discover Leo was panting too, but he gave her less than a second to catch her breath before he kissed her once more.

  She lost all sense of time, location, and self. All her awareness was concentrated on what he was doing with his lips. And his hands. They stroked her shoulders, sending shivers up and down her spine, his fingers working their way down the small of her back until they rested on her bottom.

  She had one moment when she could have stopped it there, left it as a passionate and very thorough kiss, which would never be repeated but was divine while it lasted; but she didn’t want to. She was going to live a little, do something her heart and soul were crying out for her to do. For once she would ignore the little voice telling her to be careful, to think about it first, and what would everyone think if they knew. And if she hated herself in the morning, then so be it.

  Tonight, she intended to throw caution to the wind, so when he pulled away, got to his feet, and held out his hand, she took it.

  She intended to enjoy every second.

  Chapter 24

  Who knew there could be so many “seconds” in one long, lovely, delicious night. Nina was pleased to find she regretted none of them. In fact, another second would be more than welcome, but she saw the time and groaned.

  ‘I’d better get back. I don’t want Gran waking up and wondering where I am,’ she said.

  ‘She’ll know exactly where you are and what you’re doing,’ Leo replied, catching her about the waist as she tried to climb out of bed, nibbling the side of her neck. Her insides melted. If he kept doing that, she might liquidise and he’d have to scrape her up off the floor.

  She slapped him away, laughing. ‘Stop that, I’ve got to go,’ she insisted, wriggling out of his embrace.

  He let her go with obvious reluctance, trailing his fingers down her back as she slithered away from him. She looked over her shoulder, drinking in the sight of him; his deceptively broad chest, a sprinkling of hair on it (yum), the satisfied gleam in his eyes, the lazy smile of his face, his tousled hair, and wearing slightly more stubble than the day before. He looked good enough to eat. Oh wait – face flaming, she giggled to herself.

  It flamed even more when she remembered what he’d done to her, and her insides did a slow roll of lust and desire. She’d dearly like him to do it to her again, but there was Flossie to think of. Nina suspected she already looked like she’d had a good night, without making it obvious she’d had a good morning too. She felt as though she wore a glowing, neon sign illuminating her from within, advertising what she’d spent last night so happily and joyously doing.

  Leo watched her get dressed, never taking his gaze off her. ‘See you at breakfast?’ He didn’t sound confident; he sounded unsure, hesitant even, as if he expected to be turned down.

  ‘Eight o’clock on the dot,’ she replied, returning to the bed to kiss him and show him just how sure of her he should be. She wasn’t going anywhere, not unless he wanted her to…

  She slipped from Leo’s room smiling broadly. She’d have to wipe her happiness off her face a bit sharpish if she didn’t want her gran to suspect anything. Not that Nina wanted to hide what had happened last night (and this morning!) or that she was ashamed of it, but she wanted to keep it to herself for a while. She needed to work out in her own head how she felt, before she gave the rest of the world a peep at it, though she was under no illusion the whole thing was nothing more than a lovely evening spent with a gorgeous man. If she saw him again during the rest of her holiday it would be wonderful, but if she didn’t…

  It would be lovely to spend more time with him after today, but she wasn’t counting on it. As she crept back to the room she shared with Flossie, she mused on her new outlook. Even as little as a week ago, if someone had suggested she would spend the night with a man she’d only just met, she’d have laughed in their face. But that’s exactly what she’d done and she felt no shame, just a warm glow deep inside.

  The glow was abruptly extinguished when she realised she didn’t have a key to her room. Flossie had it in her handbag last night, and would have used it when she went to bed.

  Nina pressed an ear to the door and listened hard.

  It was no good – she couldn’t hear anything. Her grandmother could be fast asleep, or sitting in a chair, very much awake and tapping her feet, waiting for her wayward granddaughter to show her shameful face.

  Nina had three choices and none of them held much appeal. She could either wait in the hotel’s lounge and pretend she was an extremely early riser (an early riser who was wearing last night’s clothes), or knock on the door and wake Flossie – assuming she wasn’t doing the tappy-feet thing. Nina decided on the third option – go to reception and ask them to let her into her room.

  The day staff hadn’t begun their shift yet, and the night porter understood little English. At least that’s what Nina told herself, but she had a sneaking suspicion he understood more than he was letting on and was enjoying her discomfort.

  ‘I need key to room,’ she enunciated slowly, pretending to turn a key in a lock. ‘I have no key. My…,’ would he understand the English for grandmother? ‘…friend is sleeping.’ She put the palms of her hands together, laid them on her cheek and bent her head so it almost touched her shoulder. Then she broke in to a loud snore just to make sure he got the message.

  The porter looked at her blankly.

  ‘I.’ She pointed to her chest. ‘Need key.’ She pointed to the pigeon holes behind him some with keys in, some without.

  ‘Ah, roomkey,’ he said running the two words into one. ‘Number?’ The “r” came out as a sort of trilling growl.

  Thank goodness. ‘Two thirty-one.’

  The porter looked at the pigeon holes. ‘Two three one?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He pointed to room two thirty-one’s empty pigeon hole. ‘No key.’

  ‘Yes, I know. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I haven’t got the key. The key is in the room. Room Two Three One.’

  ‘No key.’ He shook his head whilst patting the inside of the pigeon hole theatrically.

  Nina sighed. If this farce carried on much longer it would be too late for an effective sneak – Flossie would be up and dressed, and thinking of her breakfast.

  ‘Madam, may I help?’

  A man in a suit who spoke English. Yay!

  ‘Thank you, that would be great. I’m locked out of my room,’ she explained.

  The man held a quick conversation with the porter, who pointed to her room’s empty pigeon hole. Both men paused, looked at Nina for a second then the conversation resumed.

  ‘He wants to know if you’ve lost your key,’ the man said.

  ‘No. I am sharing a room with my… friend. She went to bed before me and now I can’t get in.’

  ‘It was a good night, yes?’

  ‘Er, yes. Lovely thanks.’

  He spoke to the porter again, who grabbed a large bunch of keys from somewhere under the desk and beckoned her to follow.

  ‘Thank you,’ she called over her shoulder. The stranger gave her a nod.

  Flossie was asleep when the porter, with shushing noises from Nina, unlocked the door and let her in. As quietly as possible, she grabbed the extra-large T-shirt she’d been using as a nightie and removed her dress.

  Getting into bed and lying down, she closed her eyes willing sleep to come, but her head was full of a muscly chest, strong arms, and other assorted bits of Leo’s anatomy.

  ‘What are you grinning at?’ Flossie demanded.

&nbs
p; Nina jumped. ‘Oh, I thought you were asleep,’ she said.

  ‘I was, but I’m not now.’

  What was that supposed to mean, Nina wondered.

  ‘Did you have a good time?’ her beady-eyed grandmother enquired.

  Should she come clean? Or would Gran be horrified? She tried to stall for time. ‘When?’ she asked.

  ‘Last night, of course.’ The lower part of Flossie’s face was all pursed and crumpled. Her teeth were probably sitting in a glass in the bathroom glaring at anyone who ventured in there. Nina hoped the gnashers had recovered from their impromptu dunking of the night before.

  ‘It was okay,’ she said. Maybe her grannie was talking about the belly dancing. Or even if Flossie had seen Nina leave the hotel with Leo, it didn’t mean that anything else had taken place.

  Flossie spoke. ‘Just okay? That’s a shame. He looked like he knew his way around a woman.’

  ‘Gran!’

  ‘Well, he did! Nice manners too, and he’s got all his own hair and teeth.’

  ‘Having one’s own hair and teeth might be a bit of a novelty at your age,’ Nina said. ‘but it’s quite normal for a man in his early thirties.’

  ‘Well, I don’t suppose you can have everything,’ Flossie sighed. ‘Nice manners count for a lot. You can teach him the other stuff.’

  The other stuff… was her grandmother talking about what Nina thought she was talking about?

  ‘They’re not born knowing how to please a woman,’ Gran carried on. ‘They’ve gotta learn it.’

  Yes, Flossie was talking about being good in bed, and Nina so didn’t want to discuss sex with her grandmother.

  ‘I’m going for a shower,’ she said, changing the subject.

  It didn’t work. Flossie shouted through the bathroom door, taking up the conversation where Nina had tried to end it. ‘They’ve got to be shown where the J-spot is.’

  ‘I think you mean G-spot, and how do you know…? Tell you what, I don’t think I want to know.’

  ‘It was on This Morning. They have all kinds of interesting things on there. Make sure you tell that nice young man of yours to check his privates on a regular basis.’