by Bebe Balocca
“This trip sure has flown by, huh, babe?” she asked thoughtfully. “I suppose that’s how the best vacations are—you have so much fun and you’re so relaxed, that before you know it, they’re over.” She stroked his neatly trimmed sideburns affectionately. “I hope you’re having a good birthday trip, even though we haven’t found our playmate yet, Ram,” she said, downing the rest of her drink. Arden raised her hands over the back of her chair and arched her back in a deep stretch. “I wonder if Jorge will come back around and take another order. I’m still just not ready to go in. It feels so nice out here, don’t you think?”
Arden looked over Ram’s shoulder and squinted at the pool bar. Upended plastic tubs covered the beer taps and there wasn’t a bartender in sight. The rubber mats on the granite bars had been removed and now rested in a stack in one of the sinks, and the tubs of lime, lemon, mint, and orange garnishes had been emptied and scrubbed clean. “Looks like they’re all closed up at the pool,” Ram noted. “We’ll have to get drinks at the lounge or in the restaurant.”
Arden quirked her mouth irritably. “Well, is the water cooler still out? That one with the cucumber slices and ice floating in it? Some ice water would be nice at any rate.” Ram stood and kissed her, then went to check out the bar. He headed back with his hands lifted in defeat.
“Sorry, babe. No water, no booze. We can walk over to that bar by the big fountain, but we’ll need to get dressed first.” As he walked by one of the cloth-tented beach beds, a hand shot out and tapped his shoulder. Ram shouted in alarm and windmilled his arms to keep from falling on the sandy path.
Chapter Four
Ramsay took a shaky step backward and bumped against a lounge chair. He plopped down on the canvas seat in a decidedly unrefined heap. Feminine laughter bubbled out from the white tent. A hand disappeared and then reemerged, holding a wooden-corked bottle of Don Julio. “Want some tequila? It’s good stuff.” The amber bottle shook enticingly in the faint glow of the white string lights wrapped around the tree trunks. “I’ve got some cold spring water too,” the voice continued invitingly. “Come join me for a shot or two. Don’t worry, I won’t bite. It’s too pretty out here to go in just yet. We can admire the view together.”
Arden watched as Ramsay turned to her to gauge her reaction. She lifted a shoulder and nodded. Why not? Arden stood and started to make her way toward Ram, but then darted back through the sand for her bikini top. She tied it around her neck. “You look hotter without it,” Ramsay whispered, meeting her halfway to her chair. “You should leave it off.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t know who’s in there,” Arden hissed back, tightening a bow between her shoulders. “I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, okay?”
Ram gave up and led Arden back to the shrouded bed. “Hello?” he called. “We’ll take you up on those shots, if that’s okay.”
On the side of the curtained bed, the white canvas parted and a sun-streaked blonde head poked out. “Great, come on in,” a young woman smiled. Ramsay held the curtain open for Arden as she crawled over the blonde’s slender legs into the middle of the bed, and then he walked around to enter from the other side. Arden sat with her knees drawn sideways on the cushy mattress. Their hostess held her hand out to Arden. “I’m Jess,” she said. “Glad you could join me. It was getting a little lonely in here.”
“I’m Arden and this is my husband, Ramsay,” she responded, shaking Jess’ outstretched hand. “Do I detect a Southern drawl, Jess? Ram and I are from Tennessee.”
Jess smiled. “I reckon you do,” she agreed with a giggle. “I’m from L.A. You know, Lower Alabama.” Her long hair was tangled from a day of ocean breezes. A spray of freckles dotted her upturned nose. Her tie-dyed bikini was knotted between her small, firm breasts and her low-slung bikini bottom showed off her small waist and curvy hips. “I got worn out after a day of hiking in Belize and then drank a little too much last night, so I just decided to rent one of these beds and rest today. I’ve been reading trashy romance novels and drinking soda water like a good girl, but I’m ready for something stronger now that the sun’s gone down.”
“Where’d you get the Don Julio?” Ramsay asked her. “From the duty-free shop in the airport?”
“Oh, no,” Jess shook her head, rummaging about in her beach bag. “Jorge the bartender brought it to me. He brings me all kinds of good stuff. You just have to know how to tip here and the waiters will bring you anything you might want.”
“See, Ram?” Arden said reproachfully. “I told you we should have been tipping more.”
“Babe!” Ramsay protested. “We’re great tippers, trust me. I know these resort employees deserve it. I just wouldn’t have guessed that an entire premium bottle of tequila was on the bar menu.”
Jess cleared her throat and held up three shot glasses. “Also courtesy of Jorge,” she announced. She pulled a thick, dog-eared paperback from her bag to use as an improvised table. Arden’s eyes widened when she saw the cover. Two nude women were embracing, their full breasts pressed together, and another woman stood to one side with her bare leg wrapped around one woman’s thigh. The title, Tangled up with Tina, curled across the top of the book in ornate red font like an X-rated beacon for smut.
“Looks like entertaining reading,” Arden quipped, blushing as Jess carefully poured three tequila shots.
“Huh?” Jess asked. She recorked the liquor bottle and followed Arden’s gaze to the novel’s cover. “Oh, yeah. It’s pretty hot. I like women, so it gets me all turned-on. You’re welcome to borrow it if you like. I’ve got some other great reads back in my room.” She handed Arden and Ram their glasses and held her own up in front of her. “Although, watching you and your husband together in the ocean got me pretty excited too,” Jess added with a chuckle. “Bottoms up!” she said brightly and tossed back the tequila. Self-consciousness prickled uncomfortably at Arden at the realization that she and Ram had been observed at their most intimate by a total stranger. Jess’ casual attitude was contagious, though, and Arden’s embarrassment dissipated.
Arden shot a glance at Ram. He nodded and touched his glass to hers. They swallowed the strong, heady liquid. Arden pursed her lips as the heat spread through her throat and belly. “Yum,” she said appreciatively. “I didn’t know I liked straight tequila.”
“Well, the good stuff’s fantastic, and the bad stuff’s undrinkable,” Jess informed her matter-of-factly. “Fortunately for us, Jorge supplies me with only the best from the Aventura bar.”
“Because you know how to tip him,” Ram offered, licking tequila from his lips.
“Exactly!” Jess said cheerfully. “Just ask Jorge. I’m an excellent tipper. Y’all want a second round?” She lined up the three glasses again and poured.
They raised their shots and clinked them. “To new friends!” Ram said.
“To drinking good tequila on the beach!” Arden added.
“To hot girl-on-girl romances!” Jess offered. They swallowed their drinks.
Arden suspected that Jess was referring to her racy beach literature, but her stomach fluttered as she watched Jess’ slender neck move with her swallow of tequila. Could Jess be thinking about a little hot romance action with me? she wondered. She did say she likes women.
Ramsay settled back on the pillow to her right and stared out at the sea. Clearly he was trying to act nonchalant, but Arden knew he was thinking exactly what she was—would Jess be the threesome playmate they’d been hoping to find?
The bed curtains facing the water were pulled back loosely so that the center third of the bed had a view of the undulating water. The ocean was now turning a deep shade of blue-black. Beneath those waves Arden knew that creatures were swimming, hunting and mating. The ocean was a wild and dangerous world all its own, and yet it was still so deceptively clean and calm on the surface. The sun had completely disappeared from the horizon and stars were beginning to emerge in the Caribbean sky.
Arden cleared her throat nervously. “So, Jess, you like
women? Do you mind me asking if you have a girlfriend?” she asked. “Are you here with her?”
“You can ask me anything,” Jess answered. “I think that tequila is a license for that, so no worries, Arden. But, uh, no,” she grimaced. Her freckled nose wrinkled and her green eyes rolled upward. “I’m single. My girlfriend and I broke up about six months ago. We’d been together for almost two years.”
“That’s too bad, Jess.” Ram’s eyes were fixed on the ocean and he spoke in a steady voice, but Arden detected the undercurrent of excitement in him.
“Yeah,” Jess replied. “It was a bummer, for sure. She left me for a guy—that’s the worst part!”
“Aw, man,” Arden sympathized. “I bet you didn’t see that coming.”
“Well, it was this guy who we liked to play around with. You know how some dudes like to watch two women do it and maybe get into the threesome thing a little bit? And it was kind of fun, I’ll admit. I’m no prude, after all. There are times that I get off on being with a man, sure.” Jess raked her fingers over her scalp and fluffed her blonde hair. “The whole time I thought that Becca and I were just having a good time with Sam. I was sure that we were a solid couple, but I guess Becca decided to switch teams for real.”
Beside her, Arden heard Ram swallow. “I’m sorry, Jess. I’m sure it had nothing to do with you. You seem like a charming person, and you’re certainly attractive. I hope you’re feeling better about it now.”
Jess took a swallow of spring water from her bottle and passed it to Arden. “Want a sip?” she offered. Arden accepted gratefully. “We had planned to celebrate our two-year anniversary by getting body piercings,” Jess continued, “but then Becca bailed on me, so I got them done all by myself. Kind of an F-you to Becca, I guess, but I’m glad I got them anyway.”
Arden licked her lips nervously. Was there actually a hot, single, bisexual woman right here in front of her? Sharing her tequila on the beach? With some sort of hidden body piercing? The only thing that could possibly make this better is if Jess is a hot, single and willing bisexual woman. “How about another shot?” Arden asked. “If you’re up for it, that is.”
“Oh, I’m up for it, no doubt about that,” Jess answered and set up their glasses on the erotic paperback bar for a third round. Arden’s breath quickened with excitement, but she tried to act calm. It wouldn’t do to look as if this was an unusual thing.
“Uh, where are your piercings?” she asked casually. “I don’t see them.”
“Hold on,” Jess murmured. She reached over Arden to present Ram with his tequila shot. Her upper thigh pressed against Arden’s as she stretched. The contact from her bare, warm skin felt like a bolt of electricity shooting straight into Arden’s hip. Jess leaned back after Ram accepted his glass. Was it Arden’s imagination, or did Jess’ hip linger a little longer than it needed to against her own? Arden wondered if Jess felt the same thrill at the touch of her skin.
Jess passed a full glass to Arden and tapped the rim of her own against it. “Cheers!” she said brightly, tossing back the tequila. She pursed her lips and scrunched her pert nose. “Oooh, that’s strong, Arden! I can feel it giving me a buzz, can’t you?”
Arden nodded, her cheeks flaming. Jess’ tanned skin looked so warm and buttery next to her. The gentle hollow between her breasts made her fingers itch to touch it. Arden’s eyes were drawn to the visible peaks under Jess’ rainbow-hued bikini top. Her nipples must be awfully erect, she thought, and somewhat large, in order to stand out like that. It’s almost as if…
“You had your nipples pierced, didn’t you?” Arden gasped. “That’s so hot. But, oh my God, did it hurt? I think it’s so sexy, but I’m scared to do it. Do you love it?”
Jess giggled. “Yeah, I do. It hurt like hell when they did it, especially since I was all alone, but I love having my nipples, you know, played with during sex, so I thought I’d like it. It feels incredible, like there’s always somebody tugging on them just a little bit. They just stay hard all the time. It’s awesome.” She tilted her head and asked, “Wanna see?”
“Um,” Arden stole a glance at Ram, who gestured with his hand for her to continue. “Yeah, I totally wanna see,” she said in a rush. “If you don’t mind.”
Jess whipped off her bikini top and tossed it aside. Each of her breasts was crowned with a gleaming silver hoop. The puckered pink tips rose from her golden skin—no bikini line in sight. Clearly Jess had been sunbathing topless in Belize, and possibly right on this beach. How had Arden failed to see her? Apparently they’d missed out on more than just Hedwig, Magda and Brunhilde when they’d visited Xcaret and Tulum. Arden immediately wanted to explore those rings with her mouth. She imagined flicking her tongue over them, poking its tip through them and tugging ever so slightly, and then sucking on those little peaks…
“You should totally do it,” Jess nodded. She seemed completely oblivious to Arden’s lustful imaginings. “That is, if your nipples are the right shape for it.” Jess shrugged. “They probably are. You can just ask at the piercing parlor.” She leaned back on the reclined surface and idly flicked her nipple rings up and down as she spoke. “They can tell just by looking.”
Arden licked her lips. “What are my nipples supposed to look like?” she inquired casually. “You know, in case I wanted to get it done once we get home.” Her own nipples contracted nervously when she thought about sharp metal poking through them, but the vision of Jess’ bosom adorned with pierced jewelry was wildly exciting. “Do they have to be a certain size?”
Jess shrugged. Her tanned breasts moved enticingly over her chest with the simple gesture. “I can check yours out if you want me to and see if it would work,” she offered. “I shopped around at a few piercing parlors before I got mine done and talked to the people there about it quite a bit. I’m not, like, an expert but I suppose I know a good bit about the whole process.”
Ram’s fingertips traced down a path down Arden’s spine. She could feel his excitement prickling into her back like static electricity gone wild.
“Uh, sure, that’s a good idea,” Arden said, “since you know what to look for and all.” She started to reach behind her back and unfasten her bikini.
“Let me help,” Jess insisted. She placed her arms around Arden and untied the string bikini’s bow in the middle of her back. A sheen of sweat gathered on Arden’s forehead as she endured the excruciatingly irresistible proximity of Jess’ body to her own. Her bare breasts, with those sweet little silver rings, were just inches from Arden’s mouth. Jess’ deft fingers found the bikini’s knots behind Arden’s neck and between her shoulder blades. She lifted Arden’s thick hair free of the bikini straps and slipped away her top.
“There,” Jess said brightly. “Oooh, nice rack! I’d love to have big boobs like yours.” Arden’s heart raced when Jess bent down to study her nipples up close. “Hmmm,” Jess mused thoughtfully. “Your nipples seem kind of small, but at least they’re not inverted or flat.” She raised her hand to Arden’s breast and then paused. “Mind if I touch?” she asked politely. “I don’t want to invade your space or anything.” Arden nodded, her head jerking awkwardly. She didn’t trust herself to speak in anything resembling a normal voice.
Jess tilted Arden’s erect nipple to one side, then the other. Arden bit her lip to keep from groaning with pleasure. Jess’ small fingers pinched her skin lightly, plucking the nipple away from her breast and then releasing it to fall back toward her body. “Yeah, I think it’ll work,” Jess concluded. Her hand fell away from Arden’s breast. She looked up at Arden with shining eyes. “You could get it pierced, no problem.”
“B-b-both of them?” Arden stuttered. Ram slid his hand around her waist and pressed the bulge of his erection against the curve of her ass.
“Well, let’s see,” Jess said. She rubbed her fingertips over the nub of Arden’s other breast. Arden’s nipple contracted immediately. “It’s pretty hard right now, isn’t it?” Jess noted. “Is it like that all the time, or just
when you’re cold?” She took it between her fingers and rolled it. “Or turned-on,” she added with a laugh. “My nipples get hard as rocks when I’m turned-on.” Arden swallowed with effort. Her body was aflame with impatient excitement, and she knew that Ram must be in utter torment. “This one’s good, too, Arden.” Jess abraded Arden’s nipple lightly with her fingertips as she continued. “You know what some of the piercing parlors do?” Jess asked. Arden shook her head dazedly. “Some of them use ice to numb your nipples before they pierce them. It makes them really stiff, so the needle will go right through and you’ll barely feel it.” Arden licked her lips. Her heartbeat raced. “Wanna try it?” Jess proposed. “Not the piercing, but the ice part? Just to see what happens?”
“Okay,” Arden whispered. “You’ve got some ice in here?”
“Let me guess,” Ram interjected. “Jorge brought some to you?” He rose to a sitting position and leaned Arden back on the reclined beach bed. Topless and clad only in her white bikini bottom, Arden lay on the plump mattress between her husband and Jess. Ram’s enormous erection throbbed beneath the spandex of his shorts, but Jess seemed oblivious to it. “You must be an awfully good tipper, Jess,” Ram noted. Arden caught his eye and winked excitedly.
Out of nowhere, she remembered a certain Friday night when she was thirteen years old, when Danny Studenmayer had given her her first French kiss. Every second of the awkward experience was etched into her brain. That had been the thrill of the first time, but what if this ended up being another, even bigger first time? Jess was a hell of a lot cuter than Danny, and Arden suspected that she was a much better kisser too.
Jess extracted a sports bottle from her beach bag and unscrewed the top. “Uh-huh,” she agreed distractedly. She reached into the top of the wide-necked bottle and pulled out a dripping cube of ice. Holding it between her fingers, she smiled. “Ready to see just how hard your nipples can get?” she asked. “It’s kind of like playing doctor, don’t you think, Ramsay?”