The Sweetest Fling Read online

  He cupped her jaw and swept his thumb over her chin. “You’re planning on giving me a performance evaluation?”

  Meg leaned closer to feel more of his hard-muscled body pressed to hers. His confidence must have been contagious because she wanted to voice all her thoughts rather than keep them to herself. “Maybe I could let you know with moans and whimpers instead.”

  Jack let out a laughing breath and sank one of his hands into her hair. “Works for me,” he said, then his mouth claimed hers and she found herself developing an immediate appreciation for take-charge men.

  Her eyes closed as he dipped his free hand under her hair and cradled the back of her neck. The softness of his touch sent a shiver through her, encouraging her to relax against him. Meg smiled against his mouth, thrilled with the way he took what he wanted. No hesitation, no uncertainty. Just pure need. She’d enjoyed kissing him back at the restaurant, but with no one else around now and the promise of things to come, it was different this time around. He’d mentioned wanting to high-five himself when they first met. She wanted to do the same now, too.

  Jack walked her backward as he kissed her, pushing her firmly against the door. She dragged her mouth from his and gasped, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. Finding nothing but empty corridor, Meg gripped his shirtfront and dragged him back to plant another hard, fast kiss on his mouth.

  He flashed her a grin as he reached around her to unlock the door, then dipped his head and said beside her ear, “Called it right from the start: Firecracker.”

  She closed her eyes and laughed. The moment he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to her throat, the sound turned into a moan. He took his time with her, leaving a trail of soft kisses along the length of her neck, his touch stirring the same feeling of wildness inside her it had earlier in the night.

  While his mouth tested her restraint, his fingers worked on the tie holding her halter top in place. Meg couldn’t even think about what that meant. If she did she’d have to beg him to hurry, and there were only so many times she could throw herself at him while still clinging to her self-respect.

  She must have been too caught up in his touch to notice he’d turned the handle behind her. When the door moved, her eyes shot open and she stumbled backward into his room.

  It took her a few steps to regain her balance. She stopped beside the dressing table and found her own reflection staring back at her from the mirror. Wild eyes, flushed skin, heaving chest. He’d turned her into a shameless, wanton woman. Meg watched in a daze as the straps on her top slithered down to gather at her waist. She couldn’t be sure if it was being half-naked or the sensation of cool air rushing over her that did it, but her nipples hardened to aching points.

  Her head turned toward the door as Jack eased it closed behind him. He took a step closer, his attention lingering on her bare breasts. Her first instinct was to cover up and hide, but his expression told her he appreciated the view so she kept still and let him look.

  A smile lifted the corner of his mouth as his eyes rose to meet hers. “Hi,” he said.

  The urge to laugh came over her, and she smiled back as he moved within touching distance. “Hi.” Meg couldn’t have felt self-conscious about her body now if she’d tried. The look on his face said it all. He either hadn’t noticed her flaws or he’d reached the point where he no longer cared.

  She kicked off her sandals and stretched up on her toes to wrap her arms around him. Jack pressed his mouth to hers, leaning into her until she felt the urgency vibrating through him. The contact made her stomach flip, his hardness tempting her to chase even more of the feeling. Her fingers lowered to his shirt, tearing the buttons open in her search for warm skin. She sighed as her palms caressed his pecs, then moaned when he gripped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple.

  Meg went for the clasp on her shorts, desperate to get the show on the road in case any negative thoughts tried to weasel their way in again. Her trembling fingers complicated the task, and she broke the kiss to pull in a calming breath. Jack gave her mouth another smiling peck, then nudged her hands away and sent her shorts and panties falling to her ankles in seconds.

  She shoved her bundled top until it followed closely behind. Meg stepped from her clothes and sent him a fleeting look. “Thanks,” she said, a little embarrassed, a lot turned on.

  Jack pulled her close and curved his hands over her naked bottom. “Any time.”

  Even now his voice held a hint of humor. She had no clue how he could be so at ease while they drove each other crazy with lust. Meg unsnapped the button on his shorts, aching to see and feel the rest of him. She lowered the zipper and dipped her hand inside, wrapping her fingers around his length to give him a squeeze. His hiss of pleasure told her he liked her forwardness.

  “I want you.” Meg stroked his hot, silky skin, sighing at the feel of him. “I need this so much.”

  Jack gave her mouth a smacking kiss. “Two seconds and I’ll give it to you.” He reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a condom. Once he’d sheathed himself, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again.

  Any restraint he’d shown earlier disappeared and she got her first glimpse of the strength and power he’d kept contained. His mouth took control of hers, his hands roaming her body. He cupped her breasts, caressed between her thighs. His heat and hunger overloaded her senses.

  She couldn’t hold out any longer. “Now. Please, God. Now.”

  He gripped her thighs and lifted her, sliding one arm underneath her while the other supported her back. One step forward and he had her pressed against the wall. “Hold on tight.”

  She didn’t need to be told twice. Meg wrapped her legs around him, and for the first time ever braced herself for sex against the wall.

  Jack kept his eyes on her while he positioned himself. She held her breath and her heart raced double time. He took it slow, the tension in his neck and shoulders letting her know the show of patience didn’t come easily to him now. Meg tipped her head against the wall as he filled her, sighing when he bottomed out and held still. “Ohhh. It feels…”

  He gave her throat a soft kiss. “I know.”

  Jack withdrew from her, his stomach muscles tensing as he plunged into her again. She felt weightless in his arms, free. He stole her breath, his body all broad and masculine and hers for the taking. Meg locked her arms around his neck and urged him closer, pressing her mouth to his and putting everything into the kiss.

  His biceps flexed, hugging her as he lifted and lowered her. Meg threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled back to look at him. His clenched jaw and the tightness in his throat would have been intimidating if it weren’t for the warmth in his eyes. She kissed his neck, making her way over his chin and up to his temple. As he thrust into her she said softly, “You feel so good inside me.”

  Jack swore under his breath and squeezed her hips. His fingers dug into her flesh, his forcefulness pushing her desire to a whole new level. The pressure in her lower belly built, her nipples puckered into tingling peaks. She whimpered and bucked against him as the rush of need became release, speeding through her until she couldn’t contain it anymore.

  Her thighs tightened around him and her mouth dropped open. Her back arched, her breasts mashing against his chest. A low moan tore from her throat and he growled at her reaction, his breaths coming in short, sharp bursts. Jack’s hand slid over her shoulder, gripping the back of her neck while he kept up his relentless pace.

  Meg cried out. Her thighs ached, but she refused to loosen her hold on him. Each thrust, each slick slide of his body against hers, sent aftershocks through her that left her weak.

  His mouth rested beside her temple, his breaths warming her ear. She turned her head to catch his lips with her own as he shoved against her… once, twice… his belly tensing before he let out a long groan and poured himself into her.

  Meg pushed her hair from her forehead and tried to catch her breath, wishing she had some
idea what people did next in these situations. Were they supposed to shake hands? Exchange numbers? God, was he mentally trying to come up with ways to get rid of her now? The intensity had left her shaken and she couldn’t even look him in the eye yet.

  Sex with a near stranger shouldn’t be that good. Surely it took some time to figure each other out before it reached the heights he’d taken her to just now. He’d come to Bali for his brother’s vow-renewal ceremony, but Meg wouldn’t be surprised if he’d added the extra time onto his stay to escape his groupies back home. Once a woman had an experience like this, it wouldn’t be easy letting him go.

  Speaking of which, that was her cue to get the hell out of here.

  She gave him a small smile and snagged her top from the floor. Meg clutched the material to her breasts and lifted her shoulders in an awkward shrug. “Well, I guess I should get going. It’s pretty late.” She let her gaze trail over him one last time. It turned out to be a mistake because his rumpled hair, bare chest and ever-present erection made her want to throw herself at him again.

  Jack brushed his knuckles over her cheek and quirked a brow. “Leaving so soon?” He looked like he knew exactly what was going through her mind but hadn’t decided whether to put her out of her misery or prolong the pain. “I had other ideas.”

  “Oh?” Hope bloomed inside her, growing stronger as he smiled and tugged the shirt from his body. “What ideas exactly?”

  Jack took her top from her and dropped their clothes together. “You’re an intelligent woman, Meg.” He swept her up in his arms and turned toward the bed. With a quick toss, he had her sprawled out before him on the mattress. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”

  Chapter Three

  Jack didn’t know what woke him the next morning, but as soon as he opened his eyes he knew he was alone. He lay on his stomach with the blankets wrapped around his waist, his hand sweeping across the sheet beside him. The lack of warmth there told him the other half of the bed had been empty for a while.

  He lifted his head and checked the floor where Meg’s clothes had dropped only hours before. No sign of them now. He swore in surprise and his head fell back against the pillow.

  After the way they clicked last night, he never would have expected her to do a runner while he slept. They’d had fun—well, he had anyway. Her smart mouth kept him on his toes, while her tight little body drove him crazy in all the best ways. Only a few hours in her company had left him feeling like he’d known her for a hell of a lot longer.

  Thinking about her now reminded him all too clearly of what he was missing out on this morning. Her smell, her taste. The way she’d looked at him when he hoisted her up against the wall, as if she had no experience with the position but couldn’t wait to try it out with him. He wasn’t naïve enough to think she’d never been with a man, especially given the way she’d dived into his pants as soon as they had some privacy, but the thought of being her first anything had nearly made him lose it right then.

  She’d been soft and warm and responsive. Pretty much his idea of perfection. Then after everything that had happened, Little Miss I-don’t-do-one-night-stands went and snuck out of here while he was unconscious. Jack couldn’t even put it down to karma biting him in the ass because he’d never treated a woman that way.

  With no number to call and only a rough idea which room was hers, Jack flipped back the covers and made his way into the bathroom. Since the option for morning sex appeared to be off the table—which sucked because he’d had so many great ideas to make the most of their time together—he figured he might as well head outside and enjoy the day. He couldn’t change what happened, but he could sure as hell avoid moping around his room trying to work out what had sent her running.

  Jack took a long drink from his bottle of Bintang and rested his elbows on the pool bar. The thatched roof overhead had taken most of the bite out of the midday sun, but the cold beer and the water lapping against his thighs helped finish the job. He’d been sitting here for about half an hour now, occupying the last stool in the row to avoid being sandwiched in by strangers. Normally he didn’t mind meeting new people, but for reasons he didn’t want to admit he needed space today.

  He hadn’t seen Meg on the way down here, but that didn’t surprise him. If she’d felt the need to sneak out without waking him it made sense she wouldn’t want to run into him the first time either of them left their rooms. She must have taken off somewhere for the day or stayed holed up to avoid him. What he didn’t know yet was whether her disappearing act amused or disappointed him.

  He sipped from his beer and rubbed the damp label as he took in the activity around him. A steady stream of guests walked the paths leading to and from the rooms, while the lunch crowd overflowed from the restaurant behind the pool bar. He’d been checking now and then to see if a sneaky redhead tried weaving her way through the mass of people, but so far, he’d had no luck.

  Water splashed his thigh as someone moved in to occupy the stool beside him. Jack turned his head, half expecting to see the person who’d been on his mind most of the morning, but he found a young brunette woman making herself comfortable there instead.

  Her gaze skated over his bare chest, and she fidgeted with the cups on her leopard print bikini top in a move purely designed to draw his attention to that area. “Hiya. I’m Anna.”

  Her accent came from somewhere in the north of England, her voice husky and feminine. She had an appealing face and spectacular body, but the amount of makeup she’d plastered on took some of the shine off the whole package.

  “Jack.” He kept his tone straightforward so she wouldn’t misinterpret it as flirting. He hadn’t decided yet whether he wanted to encourage her or make her go away.

  She gave him a full smile with blinding white teeth. “On your own then are you, Jack?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Brilliant.” Anna planted her feet on the bottom rung of the stool and pushed herself up to a standing position. She leaned against the counter to catch the bartender’s attention, showing off her flat stomach, trim hips, and nice, curvy ass. Mother Nature wasn’t responsible for those breasts of hers, but hey, he was a guy and they were right there. He couldn’t not appreciate the view.

  The bartender must have known her because he smiled and began pouring her drink without saying a word. She sat back down to wait and swung her gaze in Jack’s direction, looking him over as if she was starving and wouldn’t mind taking a bite out of him.

  “So… do you feel like getting together sometime?” she asked, only breaking eye contact with him long enough to accept her drink. She wrapped her lips around the straw and took a good, long suck while she watched him.

  Jack had to bite back a smile. Her forwardness didn’t surprise him. Being away from home and around strangers tended to lower people’s inhibitions. He guessed it was the main reason Meg had ended up in his bed last night after claiming she didn’t do flings. Watching her try to fight the pull between them before finally giving in had been a huge turn-on for him, an experience he wouldn’t mind reliving now if she’d only come out of hiding. Funny how he could have the woman beside him but the one who intrigued him didn’t want to be found.

  “Maybe,” he replied, not feeling it at all.

  “Hmm…” Her smile would have been flirty and appealing if it hadn’t been for the calculating look in her eyes. She gave him another once-over, this one more thorough than the last. “If I sit here chatting with you long enough will I be able to turn that maybe into a yes?”

  Jack let out a laughing breath. She was so obvious it was like talking to another guy. He twirled the neck of the bottle between his forefinger and thumb, wondering why he was even bothering to hold her off in the first place. He didn’t owe anyone his loyalty. The thing he had with Meg had apparently been a one-nighter—and not by his choice. Anna may not be his type, but he could at least see himself having fun with her.

  So why was he stalling?

  He scanned his surr
oundings, telling himself he needed a few seconds to think it over when in reality he hoped to find a certain someone who might give him a reason to turn down the offer.

  Jack didn’t know what the hell was going on with him today. One night with a flighty chick and he’d lost his mind. Time to focus on something more positive, namely a woman who liked his company and had no trouble admitting she wanted him. With a smile that felt more like a grimace, he set his beer down and stood in the thigh-deep water. “Feel like a walk?” he asked, holding out his hand.

  Anna’s eyes widened as if she’d been expecting rejection rather than an invitation. She rushed a couple of sips of her drink then nodded and reached for his outstretched fingers. Jack braced himself for her touch but only felt the pleasant slide of skin against skin when their hands clasped—nothing like the spark of electricity he’d got with Meg.

  He hauled Anna her from her seat and winced as she stumbled against him and squealed. Jack helped her right her footing and waded through the water with her, already questioning whether he’d made the right decision.

  Too late now.

  He sucked it up and climbed the steps with her at his side, then headed in the direction of crashing waves and hot sand.

  Chapter Four

  Ally: Met any hot tourists yet?

  Meg: Maybe...

  Ally: Details. Now!