by Carrie Duffy
‘Does that hurt?’ asked Kelly, looking at her worriedly.
‘Would I be screaming if it didn’t?’ she hissed.
‘Look honey, I’m sure it’s just a sprain,’ Zac told her firmly, struggling to control his temper.
‘What the hell would you know? You’re not a fucking doctor, are you?’ Amber rasped, her voice low and harsh. ‘It’s all your fault anyway. I never wanted to come here and spend a miserable afternoon with your boring friends. I don’t know any of these people.’
‘Amber,’ Zac began sharply, but she ignored him, continuing to spit insults.
‘I want to go back to New York with my friends. I want to have fun with them, not waste my life here.’ She began crying again, snapping at Zac. ‘Ow, my leg! It’s all your fault. I’ll never work again, do you know that? How the hell can I work with my leg in this fucked-up state? It’s all your fault, you stupid cunt.’
Zac looked as though he’d been slapped. He blinked slowly, his face a picture of utter misery. ‘We need to go,’ he said quietly to Nick. ‘Help me get her up.’
Together the two of them managed to get the screaming Amber to her feet. She had calmed down a little after her outburst and, by leaning on Zac, she was able to take a few slow steps.
‘This is ridiculous,’ snapped Zac, as he scooped Amber up in his arms and carried her across the sand. Amber clung to his neck, crying hysterically and repeatedly apologizing.
‘I’m sorry baby, I’m so sorry …’ she sobbed.
Zac said nothing, and the group on the sand simply watched them leave. They stood uselessly, impotent with shock. No one spoke. They watched until Zac and Amber had ascended the stairs and were out of sight, swallowed up by the lush foliage of Nick’s garden.
19
‘Jesus,’ swore Nick. The group stood motionless, watching the spot where they had last seen Zac and Amber.
‘Do you think she’ll be okay?’ asked Kelly, after a pause.
‘I don’t know. I really don’t.’ Ryan shook his head ruefully. ‘That girl needs help.’
‘Is she always like that?’ Jenna asked curiously.
‘Hell, no.’ Nick shook his head. ‘I’ve never seen her like that before. She’s always been great, a really sweet girl. Her and Zac always seemed totally solid, y’know? Then again, I guess I haven’t seen her in a while …’
‘It’s such a shame,’ sighed Kelly. ‘I’ve seen it so many times before. People get messed up with drugs and it just ruins them.’
Jenna said nothing.
Ryan glanced sharply at Kelly, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘Oh, I …’ Her cheeks had turned bright red and she was clearly flustered. ‘I didn’t mean … Just forget I said …’ she stammered awkwardly.
‘It’s okay,’ said Jenna. She shrugged her shoulders slightly, a tiny movement. ‘It’s fine.’
There was an excruciating silence as they all remembered how Jenna’s mother had died, killed by a helicopter pilot high on coke.
‘I think we oughta be heading back now,’ said Ryan, looking pointedly at Kelly as he swung Brandon into his arms.
‘Yeah, the kids are getting tired,’ she added quickly.
‘It’s probably best if we call it a night,’ agreed Nick. It was early evening; the heat of the day was finally cooling, giving way to a fresh breeze. Their shadows were lengthening across the golden sand and it would soon be sunset.
They all made their way back up the steps and through the house, standing on the front porch as Kelly got the kids settled into the SUV they’d hired. Nick casually slipped an arm around Jenna’s waist, his fingers splaying over her ribcage. She was still wearing just the bikini top and shorts she’d had on earlier, and the skin on her stomach was bare. She could feel the pressure from his fingertips, instantly aware of even the slightest movement he made as she gently leaned against him.
‘D’you reckon we’ll still be on for recording tomorrow?’ asked Ryan as he climbed into the car.
Nick blew out the air in his cheeks. ‘I’ve no idea, after tonight,’ he shrugged. ‘I guess it all depends on Zac. I’ll call you, yeah? Let you know if he turns up.’
‘Cool. See you soon. And thanks for this afternoon.’
‘No problem. Drive safely, yeah?’
Ryan slammed the door and the car pulled away, bumping down Nick’s uneven drive.
‘Man, what a day!’ exclaimed Nick, as he closed the heavy wooden door. It banged shut behind them, echoing in the silence of the entrance hall. Once again it was just the two of them, Jenna realized, feeling little butterflies of excitement dance in her stomach.
‘So …’ Nick ran his gaze over her body, making no attempt to hide it. His eyes lingered on her full breasts, that hand-span waist, the tight little shorts fitting snugly over her butt. ‘The night’s still young. Seems a shame to waste it.’
Jenna could only nod in agreement – she seemed to have forgotten how to speak. She flashed back to the first time they’d met, at the MTV Awards, where Nick had left her tongue-tied with a single glance. It looked like nothing had changed.
Nick grinned. He seemed to be well aware of the effect he was having on her. ‘Shall we get a drink?’
‘That’d be … nice,’ Jenna said carefully, then instantly felt stupid. Nice? Was that the best she could come up with?
‘Lead the way,’ Nick invited, indicating she should go ahead of him.
Self-consciously, Jenna set off along the corridor. Nick followed close behind and Jenna could tell that he was enjoying the view, watching the way her ass moved as she walked, her hips swaying from side to side.
They reached the kitchen and Jenna slid onto a bar stool while Nick got them both a drink. He took his time, moving unhurriedly as he cracked open a beer and poured a glass of wine for Jenna.
‘Ice?’
‘Please,’ Jenna nodded. She watched Nick pull open the freezer, his arms tanned and muscular, a six-pack rippling at his stomach. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he had the best body she’d ever seen.
He dropped a couple of cubes into her glass, keeping a third one clutched in his hand. The ice-cold water dripped over his fingers, trickling down his wrist. Jenna had the overwhelming urge to lean across and lick it off. She took a sip of wine to distract her. The alcohol was good; she felt it hit her system almost immediately, the comforting warmth relaxing her body.
Nick saw her looking at him, noticing the way her pupils had dilated, her skin flushed. Then he reached across and lightly ran the ice cube along the full length of her arm, leaving a thin trail of water. He came to rest at her wrist, holding it against the delicate skin.
‘It cools your body down quicker,’ he explained hoarsely.
Jenna nodded, unable to take her eyes off him.
He moved round behind her, so close that she could feel his body brush against hers. Her hair was loose and he gathered it up, sweeping it over her shoulder to leave her back exposed. Gently, and with excruciating slowness, Nick ran the ice cube all the way down her back to the base of her spine. Jenna gasped. The hairs on the nape of her neck sprang up; every sense had gone into overdrive.
‘Feels good after a crazy day, huh?’
Jenna shivered. The tension between them was off the scale, the air around them positively crackled with electricity. ‘It’s been kind of … intense …’
‘Time to slow the pace a little …’ Nick said softy. ‘Kick back with a beer and a beautiful girl, on a warm night when there’s just the two of you and no one else for miles around …’ He sat down on the stool beside her, leaning in close. ‘I don’t think life gets any better than that.’
Jenna’s eyes were half closed as she listened to him, his breath caressing the skin on her neck. ‘Nick …’
‘Let’s go outside,’ he suggested, his voice low.
Jenna opened her eyes. ‘Nick, what …?’
‘Trust me.’ He took her hand, his strong fingers closing round hers as he helped her up from her seat. They heade
d out through the terrace doors and Jenna was instantly hit by the balmy evening air, the heady scent of wisteria and jasmine infusing the darkness. Sweeping fig trees hung over the pathway, and from deep within the rhododendron bushes she could hear the distinctive call of cicadas.
‘It’s beautiful,’ Jenna breathed. ‘So romantic.’
Nick turned to face her, wrapping his arms around her as he drew her close.
‘Not as beautiful as you,’ he murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair from her forehead. He let his fingers dance lightly over her skin, stroking her cheeks, her mouth, her neck.
‘Nick …’ Jenna sighed again. But she never got the chance to finish her sentence as the next moment he bent his head towards her and his mouth was on hers, his lips brushing her own with the lightest of touches, teasing and exploring. Jenna thought she might explode with happiness. This was what she’d dreamed about for so long – Nick Taylor, his mouth warm and inviting, his tongue gently exploring. He tasted so delicious she didn’t ever want to stop, her body taking over as she felt a sweet rush of heat to her groin.
Unexpectedly, Nick pulled away. Jenna stood anxiously in front of him, wondering if she’d done something wrong. She was shaking with desire, desperate for him to kiss her again.
When Nick spoke, his voice was thick with longing. ‘Let’s go down to the beach.’ He grabbed her by the hand and Jenna stumbled after him.
They wound along the narrow path as it led them into the heart of the garden. The solar lamps had come on and the whole scene looked magical, dozens of tiny lights scattered along the rocky cliff edge. Ahead of them stretched a vast expanse of blackness, only the occasional glow of a ship far out at sea to illuminate it.
Nick helped her down the steps, lifting her onto the sand as she neared the bottom. His arms were strong, and she felt light as air in his grasp as he placed her down gently in front of him. They kissed again, more urgently this time. Nick was instantly hard; Jenna could feel him pressing against her and she ran her fingers over his chest, caressing the rock-hard muscles of his stomach, her hands working lower …
Suddenly Jenna squealed as the sea rushed in, lapping at her ankles. She gasped in shock, holding on to Nick to keep her balance.
Nick looked thoughtfully at his feet. ‘Feel like a late-night dip?’
Jenna laughed nervously, wondering if he was serious. ‘You’re crazy!’
Nick shook his head, a challenging glint in his eye. ‘You only live once, right?’
Before Jenna even had time to reply, Nick reached down and pulled off his shorts, throwing them down on the sand. Jenna caught her breath, a bolt of desire surging through her. God, he looked amazing. Someone should make a sculpture of that body, she marvelled, taking in the broad chest, ripped stomach and … Jenna let her gaze trail downwards and flushed. He was big; long and thick. She wondered how she must look, squirming with desire on the sand beside him, desperate to have him inside of her.
Nick turned away, striding into the water and swimming powerfully out until he was a short distance from the shore. The water came to his chest, his broad shoulders glistening in the moonlight.
They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Nick broke the silence. ‘Are you coming in? Or do I have to swim alone?’
Jenna paused for a fraction of a second. Fuck it! She wanted to do something crazy. This was what she loved about Nick, the way he lived life to the full. The guy she wanted most in the world was just a few metres away from her, basking in a warm sea in the darkness of a summer’s evening, waiting for her …
Jenna pulled the string of her bikini and let it fall away.
Out in the water, Nick groaned. Jesus, her body was sensational! So ripe and full, with curves that could drive a man insane just by thinking about them. As he watched, she wriggled out of her shorts and he saw that she was waxed, just a tiny triangle of neat blonde hair between her legs. Man, she made him feel like some horny schoolboy. It took all his effort not to swim straight back and take her right there on the sand.
Jenna walked hesitantly into the dark sea. It was cooler than she’d expected, and she shivered.
‘Scared?’ Nick called, taunting her.
‘I’m not scared of anything.’
She plunged into the water, surfacing just in front of him. She looked like a glorious mermaid, her long, blonde hair slicked back and hanging damply down her neck.
And then Nick reached for her, his mouth crushing down upon hers as they were lost in a tangle of water and hands and bodies and tongues. Jenna heard herself moan as her hands slid over his body, throwing back her head as Nick began to kiss her neck. They moved instinctively, her hands caressing him, feeling him hard as flint beneath her fingers. Nick reached for her breasts, his mouth moving down, his tongue flickering over the tight nipples. Jenna groaned. She desperately wanted to take her time, to savour this moment, but she had been waiting for it for so long that her body took over. She felt out of control, primitive.
She reached for him, guiding him into her as Nick moaned and she felt him fill every inch of her, waves of pleasure rocking through her body as she moved insistently against him. Jenna was close already, she could feel it, as Nick wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her down onto him, forcing himself deeper. She didn’t ever want him to stop as he stroked her teasingly, moving smoothly and relentlessly inside of her. She wanted this feeling to last forever, but the pressure was building and she knew it couldn’t last. Something was going to have to give, or else her body was going to explode, and then finally it did, and she threw back her head, arching her back as the starry night sky became blurred and she could think of nothing except the pleasure that was spreading through her whole body. And as she moved she felt Nick come inside of her, shaking as he clasped her tightly to him, burying his head in the curve of her neck.
Jenna closed her eyes, running a shaky hand across his back. He held her for so long she began to think he might never let go. But finally he eased his grip and Jenna leaned back to look at him.
She smiled at him, and he kissed her gently.
‘You’re so beautiful,’ he murmured, looking at her with such tenderness that Jenna suddenly felt close to tears.
It was fully dark by the time the pair crept back onto the beach, just an unclouded crescent moon casting a pale light across the inky night sky.
‘Can we rest here for a minute?’ asked Jenna, as they emerged from the shallows. She was still shaking, and she wasn’t sure it was entirely due to the cold.
They collapsed onto the soft sand at the base of the cliff face, and Nick wrapped his arms around her as they kissed again. They moved slowly now, tentatively, taking time to explore each other in a way that there had been no time for in their earlier frenzied urgency.
‘Wait here a moment.’ Nick jumped to his feet, jogging over to where the barbecue had been. He returned a few seconds later with a large, cashmere blanket, slipping it around Jenna’s shoulders as the two of them snuggled up beneath the warm wrap.
Unbelievably, Nick felt himself growing hard again as their kisses grew deeper, their hands raking over each other’s bodies. But they both knew that this time there was no rush; they could take all night if they wanted.
Slowly, Nick began to kiss Jenna’s naked body, tiny butterfly kisses trailing down her chin, her neck, between her breasts and all the way down her stomach. Then he moved lower, using his tongue, sliding gently over her in the most intimate of places, doing exactly what she’d fantasized about for so long. The pressure was light at first, teasing, gradually growing more and more intense until Jenna arched her back and surrendered to it. Her orgasm was light and sweet, her soft cries carrying across the night sky. She drew Nick to her, breathing in the scent of him, delighting in the feel of his skin next to hers. She felt the hardness of him against her and she lazily parted her legs as he slipped inside of her. They moved together slowly, insistently, until he too was satisfied. Nick came with a groan and they collapsed against ea
ch other, staring up at the starry night sky.
Nick propped himself up on one elbow, stroking her hair as he marvelled at how stunning she was. ‘Do you wanna go up to the house?’
‘No, not yet,’ Jenna replied sleepily. She lay down on the sand as Nick spooned around her, pulling the blanket tightly to them and wrapping an arm around her waist.
Jenna closed her eyes and relaxed against him, her back to his broad chest as she rested a hand on his thigh. Her heart rate had slowed to normal, and her breathing was deep and regular, settling into sleep.
But Nick was still wide awake and his mind was racing. Jenna Jonsson! He had just fucked Jenna Jonsson! And now she was lying in his arms, her blonde hair spilling across his biceps. She was so beautiful, so sexy. She was what every man wanted – and now she was his.
Under the dark, Mediterranean sky, as the sea crashed just a few metres away from them, Nick Taylor smiled to himself.
20
For Sadie and Carla, the drive back to McCarran International was far more subdued than the journey there had been. This time they weren’t even travelling in a limo – Sadie had ordered a regular cab. She sat quietly in the back beside Carla, staring out of the window as she watched the world-famous sights pass by, the enormous hotels and neon signs all slipping past without comment. She had got used to it so quickly that it had begun to feel like a second home.
Yeah, she really loved it here, she realized. She adored the excess, the crazy people and the anything-goes attitude. The weather was fabulous, the shows were amazing and the shopping was out of this world – what was there not to love?
The two of them had had the most fabulous time in Sin City; they’d chilled out by the pool, partied at Pure and Studio 54, and eaten portion sizes so big in some of the restaurants that Sadie didn’t think she’d ever be able to move again, let alone dance. Even Carla had been tempted by pancakes with maple syrup, and huge plates of greasy fries. They’d been so busy that Sadie had almost managed to put the audition out of her mind. Almost. Every day she’d expected Brooke to call, but she’d heard nothing until yesterday evening.