The umbrella sitting in the drink tickled her nose, and she laughed. If she’d had misgivings about spending her inheritance before she took this vacation, her whole experience since arriving on the island of Sanovi convinced her otherwise. What good did money do if you didn’t enjoy life while you were young?

“May I join you?”

She turned and smiled. Midthirties, tan, gym body… The man would fit in perfectly with her plans. “Please.”

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” The man set his drink down on the other side of the small table.

“It’s wonderful. This place is more beautiful than I ever imagined.”

He flashed her a charming smile that showed perfect white teeth. She glanced down at his left hand. No ring, but in the soft light of the candles, she couldn’t be sure if a tan line existed in its absence or not.

“I take it you’re on vacation, and not one of the locals…” The man held his hand up for the waiter.

“Yes, vacation. I’ve only been here two days, and already I love it.” She smiled at the waiter who arrived seemingly out of thin air.

“Please, bring the lady another drink. I’ll have the same thing she’s having.” He waited for the cabana boy to leave and turned back to her. “My name’s Jared by the way.”

“Mel… Melina.” She let him take her hand.

“Would you like to dance?”

She nodded and let him lead her out with the other dancers. In a brazen move, she slipped her arms around his neck and melted against him. With the sand beneath her bare feet, she swayed more than danced. His arms circled her waist and his hands came to rest at the curve of her hips. His body lined up against hers nicely.

She tilted her head up and smiled. “This is nice.”

The gentle ocean breeze blew tendrils of hair around her bare shoulders and the calypso music in the background created a carefree atmosphere. An air of flirtatiousness came over her in his arms. Everything about this exotic island reminded her of how anything is possible. A night of wild sex with a total stranger on vacation is exactly what she needed.

Her hand trailed down and rested on his chest. She shook her hair and let it fall down her back. Jared’s arms brought her closer, and she widened the sway of her hips. Yes! This just might be man number one in her quest to bring out her wild side.

Within his arms, she arched her back, tilted her chin up, and gave him permission to advance to the next step. The gentle kiss at the base of her throat made her smile. After the last few boyfriends who never thought of her pleasure, she promised herself that this would be her coming-out-to-play vacation.

No longer satisfied to wait for any man to decide when and how to have sex with her, she planned to lead the way on her adventure of self-discovery…and self-satisfaction.

Walking off the plane, she’d stripped off Mel, her small-town bartender persona, and slipped into Melina, woman on the prowl.

She ran her hands down the front of the man’s chest and back up to finger the hair that peeked out between the edges of his shirt. He moved in for a kiss, and she met him halfway. She explored his lips and teased him with her tongue. His lips softened and tasted of pineapple mixed with 100 percent male, spurring her desire to find out how the rest of his body tasted. Pleased so far, she vamped up her moves and gave a little nip to his bottom lip.

He groaned and smooched his way to her ear. “How about we go back to your room?”

She nodded.

He led her back to their table. “Sit and finish your drink. I need to tell my friends I’ll be gone tonight.” He lifted her hand and brushed his lips against the backs of her fingers. “Don’t run away.”

“I won’t. Hurry back.”

She lifted her drink and took a long swallow as she gazed after him. His toned body pleased her, and she hoped he knew how to treat a woman in bed. Once he moved out of sight, she turned back to the other dancers and drank some more. The alcohol soothed her nerves and gave her courage.

The waiter appeared at her side with a bottle of champagne. “The gentleman you were to meet apologizes, but something came up and he won’t be returning.” He set the bottle and a single champagne flute on the table. “Compliments of the hotel. Would you like me to pour?”

Disappointment washed over her, but she refused to let anyone see her frustrations. She smiled and accepted the gift. The others in the area were already paired up and either danced or enjoyed the breeze coming off the Caribbean Sea at one of the many tables scattered about. Unable to sit still, she stood up. The ground tilted, and she paused to find her balance. Shit on men, she got dumped. Whatever.

With the consolation prize in hand, she strolled outside the area where the music played and set out to walk along the shore before heading back to her hotel room alone. It figured that the first time she thought she’d get lucky, the guy flaked out on her. Where did a woman go to find a man who’d sweep her off her feet and be so hot for her, he’d keep her in bed for days on end?

The movies, that’s where. Maybe they had an adult channel on the cable.

She strolled at a leisurely pace and sipped the bubbly along the way. The night might be almost over, but she still had lots of vacation time to achieve her goals. She wasn’t going to give up yet. Maybe she needed to up the ante? Become more aggressive and live a little dangerously?

The waves came up to wash over her feet, and the warmth of the water soothed the setback of being dumped. She glanced back toward the hotel and decided to walk farther down the beach. Far enough away to slip off her dress and take a quick swim without anyone scoping her out. Or maybe, just close enough that they could.

She walked for a few minutes, loving the way her feet sank into the warm sand. Surprised at how much she’d drunk, she set the bottle down in the sand and slipped her sundress over her head. She’d purposely avoided underwear and, naked, stepped out into the water up to her waist. She squatted down to let the Caribbean Sea wash over her shoulders and sighed. The salt water caressed her skin in the way a lover warmed her up after a romantic night out.

She straightened up and strolled out of the water, loving the stroke of the cool night breeze against her skin. She let her head fall back on her shoulders and closed her eyes. Drowsy from the drinks, Melina relaxed in the water. A pleasant euphoria came over her and she spread her arms out at her sides. Live the moment.

The whoosh of the waves lapped at her ankles, and the gentle flow of air hardened her nipples. She opened her eyes and gazed up at the moon. A connection she never experienced came over her, and she moved her hips to the natural sounds of the night. Her feet followed, and soon she weaved and danced under the moon. Content with life and free of any misgivings, she announced every desire she possessed to her only witness…the moon.

* * * * *

From his window seat inside, Devon watched the woman walk away from the dance floor with the champagne he’d sent her and head for the water. The buffoon who’d been pawing her like a horny teenager hadn’t been hard to get rid of. Everyone had a price, and that one’s had been far less than the cost of the champagne. He excused himself from the table where he shared dinner with the manager of the hotel, plucked the jasmine blossom out of the centerpiece on the table, and walked out of the hotel.

The way the woman’s hair picked up the reflection of the candlelight and turned her curls into a perfect array of colors first attracted his attention. Because of the play of lights on her hair, he couldn’t be sure if it was dark or light. But she’d captivated him. His long strides hurried down the path, keeping a safe distance behind her. He only wanted to gaze upon her beauty, not terrify her.

She stopped. He leaped over to a boulder jutting out of the sand and propped his back up against the hard surface, where the moon shining down on the rock cast a shadow that hid his body from view.

From this distance, the details of her body remained in darkness, but he luxuriated in the silhouette of her nude body against the backdrop of the ocean. He raised the blossom he still held tenderly in his hand and inhaled long and deep. It reminded him of the woman, beautiful and soft. Tonight she opened herself up as an offering only for him, and he imagined the heady fragrance of her womanly scent reaching out to him on the breeze.

Undulating her body, she moved to music only she heard. Her arms extended above her head, her slender legs danced upon the sand in the most intoxicating motion. The way her hips swayed back and forth and her shoulders pulled back in complete abandonment hypnotized him. Afraid to breathe and interrupt such a wonderful gift, he leaned back and basked in her glow.

Something about this woman dug deep inside of him and wouldn’t let go. Her dance brought out emotions in him that he kept carefully hidden from everyone in his life, and he longed to share that part of him with her. He wanted to breathe in her essence, like the jasmine blossom he loved, and nurture the carefree spirit that swirled around her.

© Abby Wood, September 2009
All Rights Reserved