Читать книгу The Summer Flings Travel Club: A Fun, Flirty and Hilarious Beach Read - Aimee Duffy - Страница 14

At Elle’s suggestion, they hit a bar on the beach so she could top up her tan. Ciara lost hope that dinner was on the cards the second Gem and Elle said they weren’t very hungry and more cocktails were served.

She was too busy remembering the way Zack looked when she left to care too much about what Matt was saying, but tried to at least look like she was paying attention. He took a swig of a creamy looking cocktail that left a white moustache on his smooth upper lip.

Smiling, she picked up the napkin and wiped it off imagining his horror at looking anything other than perfect.

‘So does this mean you’re back with me?’ he asked.

Maybe he wasn’t completely self-involved and had noticed her lack of interest. She forced a polite smile. ‘Sorry.’

‘No problem, babe. I know how you can make it up to me.’

His wicked grin was the only warning she got before her mouth was assaulted by his. Matt wasn’t gentle about his seduction – or patient. His tongue filled her mouth before she had a chance to slap him away for his assumption.

She shoved his chest hard, till he had to grab the table for support. ‘Are you mad? What made you think I wanted to kiss you?’

Elle and Gem were gaping at her but she was too miffed to care. Matt had crossed the line. She hadn’t given him a hint that she wanted him. In fact, she’d been ignoring him all night!

‘Well you’re friends seem happy having a holiday fling, I figured you would too,’ he said with a shrug.

‘A fling?’ she said through her teeth, but then the anger ebbed. A fling. Of course! Why hadn’t she thought of that?

‘Cia, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of fun once in a while,’ Gem added. ‘You’re young, you’re single. Why not?’

Elle smiled and nodded. Brandon frowned at Elle. Hmm, he didn’t look happy about just being a fling.

Would Zack be happy? It would be the perfect solution to all that temptation.

Something fun for both of them with a time limit to stop things spiralling out of control. They were leaving for Europe soon, why not enjoy a few days with someone she actually wanted. Ciara picked up her sex on the beach and downed half before she turned to Matt.

‘You’re gorgeous and I bet you can have any woman in here you want. But you’re not for me, I’m sorry.’

Gem smirked. ‘The man for you probably has a private investigator following us and making sure we don’t get into any trouble.’

‘Define trouble,’ Rye said, squeezing her closer – if that were possible.

‘Ugh, Ciara. Really?’ Elle asked.

Her cheeks flamed and she nodded.

Elle sighed. ‘Well, Matt. Looks like we’ll have to find you some company.’

Matt didn’t seem too put out by Ciara’s rejection. Then it clicked and she blinked. Had Elle really given her the ‘all clear’ to go seduce her cousin?

Gem giggled and since Ciara couldn’t see Rye’s hands, she didn’t ask why. ‘Have fun, C. Don’t wait up for us.’

‘Have a good night guys.’

‘We will,’ they said, giggling.

***

The taxi journey took forever during rush hour but the jitters in her stomach made it feel like no time at all. She hadn’t even planned what she was going to say when the car pulled up at the condo and she was handing the driver a note, telling him to keep the change.

Her legs were unsteady as she made her way up the path to the pool. She wondered if he was still there since the place was tidy and all traces of their afternoon beers were cleaned up. But when she slid the doors open the sound of a familiar English band filled her ears. She hadn’t pegged Zack as an Arctic Monkeys fan, though she didn’t really know much about him did she?

Maybe she shouldn’t. Weren’t flings supposed to be on a need to know basis? She wished she’d asked Gem and Elle.

She wandered through the house. The lounge, kitchen, gym and every bedroom she walked past were empty. Then she stopped outside a closed door and reached for the handle.

The thought of finding him with someone else had her snatching her hand back like the thing was on fire. This was a really, really bad idea. The cocktail she’d drained before she left the bar was weaker than the one Gem had bought her last night and she could use some courage about now.

Then the door opened. Zack stood there in nothing but a towel and a few drops of water around his shoulders from his still wet hair. His eyes widened for a second, then narrowed suspiciously. ‘What’s up, Ireland?’

He had to raise his voice over the music, but that made him sound angrier than before.

‘Can we talk?’ When he just frowned, she tried a little begging. ‘Please?’

He came out of the room, nodding for her to go ahead of him and when they reached the kitchen he picked the remote off the breakfast bar, switched off the music and then took a seat. ‘You wanted to talk?’

She stood at the opposite side, fidgeting with a loose gem on her purse.

‘Is your offer still open?’ she asked, unable to meet his eyes.

‘That depends,’ he said and she couldn’t keep her gaze off him any longer. He was back to folding his arms. ‘Who was that poser you were with?’

She told him everything in a rush, the football game, the way he was too into himself and how he bored her to tears, then came the hard bit. ‘He suggested something that I never thought of, actually. He thought I was looking for a … holiday fling.’

‘And you weren’t?’ Zack asked, still not relaxing his rigid pose.

Time for brutal honesty. ‘No. Not with him, anyway.’

He put his elbows on the table, leaning forward with a slight grin. She relaxed a bit now that he had. Had he’d been jealous of Matt?

‘With me?’ he asked.

Nerves made her mouth go a million miles a minute. ‘Well, I said what happened in LA was a mistake and it wasn’t, not really because I wanted it but I was scared I’d get in too deep and end up hurting you and you’re my best friend’s cousin and she’d hate me forever but I never thought of a fling, you know, something with a time limit so now I thought I’d see if it’s something you wanted.’

He surprised her by laughing. ‘I barely understood that, you know.’

Her cheeks burned.

‘But I got the gist. So, you want a short term thing with a time limit?’

Ciara nodded. ‘We’re leaving for Paris in a few days which isn’t as easy to get to as Miami.’ Then she blurted out a question without thinking. ‘Why are you here?’

His jaw set. ‘I saw the pictures Elle put up on Instagram. You looked smashed, Ciara. I was worried you would all get into trouble again.’

She squeezed her eyes shut and hid her face with her hands. ‘Oh god, I knew they’d be bad.’

He was in front of her then, pulling her hands away. His grin just made her face get hotter. ‘Hey, everyone has been smashed at some point in their lives. Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I can see you got home unharmed.’

‘We’re big girls you know. We can look after ourselves,’ she insisted, using irritation to hide the mortification.

‘Definitely grown up,’ he agreed, placing his hands on her hips and sliding them up to rest just below her breasts. She trembled, wishing the cotton dress wasn’t in the way. ‘But not big, not at all.’

She smiled, remembering when she thought he called her fat.

‘And I’d like to be with you while you’re here. I have a condition though,’ he said.

Frowning, she asked, ‘What condition?’

‘If I only have you for a few days, then I want all the perks of a fling.’

She agreed straight away, happy for them to start having all those perks right now.

***

‘Some perk,’ she grumbled as Zack muscled a moped out of the massive garage.

She assumed he’d drag her straight to his bedroom since he was half naked already, but as soon as she’d agreed he’d kissed her nose, told her to wait there and then returned from his room fully dressed, saying he was taking her out.