The Subtle Art of Seduction

For some reason, Jack voluntarily stripping down to his swimsuit to go for a dip with Amy really gets to me. (I know, go figure.) Before I can stop myself, my feet march me into the surf. When the cold water reaches my chest, though, the waves knock my simmering anger down a peg, and when I've finally paddled out to where they're swimming, I'm almost as confused as they are about why I beelined towards them.

"Hey, Alicia! How was the walk?" Amy asks. "Find anything cool?"

"No, not really." I look at Jack. "I see you actually worked up the courage to take your shirt off, again." I leave without me implied.

"Yeah ..." He gives Amy a confused glance, which only riles me up more.

Amy reads the panic on his face and the anger on mine, and shakes her head. "Okay, no way I'm getting in the way of this. Can you save biting his head off for after I'm out of the crossfire, Alicia?" she asks as she starts paddling for the shore. "Thanks."

Glaring at Jack, I wait for her splashes to fade into the general wash of the ocean. For his part, Jack looks between me and the others on the shore like I were a shark and the others were the boat that abandoned him.

"Okay, what did I do?" he asks. The genuine bemusement on his face takes some of the wind out of my sails, but I press on.

"Um, flirt with Amy, for one?" I try to fold my arms, but quickly realize that's not an option if I want to stay afloat.

"That - what?" He laughs. He actually laughs. "Okay, for one thing, that was not flirting. I have no idea how to flirt! And for another, you've been ignoring me all day, so it would be none of your business if it was flirting!"

I swim right up to him, his logical answers only making me angrier. "Well, apparently, you wanted nothing to do with me last night, so I thought I'd return the favor."

Yeah, I know. Call me petty, or whatever, and then get off your high horse and remember every time you've gone tit for tat. See? I may be unreasonable, but I'm no worse than you.

A glint of realization flashes in Jack's soft brown eyes, and he glances at my lips. With no more warning, he clumsily presses his mouth to mine.

I freeze. Together, we sink just below the surface, locked in the kiss as the waves bob around us. A thrill shoots through me, and I wrap my arms around his neck and press myself against him. I feel his hands go to my hips.

Then the need for air overwhelms the passion, and we break apart and surface. I gasp, as Jack sucks in a lungful of air, smiling sheepishly. His soft brown eyes trace my face as I tread water. Emotions whirl through me, making my head spin - confusion, jealousy, a hint of fear, and ... yeah, pretty sure that's arousal lingering back there.

"Woo!" Amy's shout echoes across the waves. She claps in mock-enthusiasm. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

I groan, and Jack looks away guiltily. "Sorry," he says. "That was ..."

"Wet?" I suggest. The joke does nothing to stop my head spinning.

"Sure," he says, flashing me a quick smile before looking away again. "Hey, um ..."

"Your room tonight?" I say before I can stop myself. I blush and bite my lip, swimming a little closer to him and running a finger up his chiselled chest. It isn't like before, though - I'm still in control of myself, still me, I'm just making yet another questionable decision. Hooray for hormones and a chronic lack of self-control. "I'll be there. Just don't chicken out on me this time, deal?"

He meets my gaze, eyes darting between mine, then gives me a bravado-laden smirk. "Wouldn't dream of it."

I crack open the last beer with a hiss. The sky is beginning to turn orange as the sun leans down to kiss the horizon. Just like Jack will be kissing me - nope, shut up and enjoy the moment, Alicia.

"We should probably head back," says Elijah after he finishes the last of his can. "The paddleboard place will shut soon."

"I've only just opened this," I protest.

"Better neck it, then," Amy grins. My middle finger tells her to go fuck herself.

Jack holds out his hand. "Give it here, I'll help."

"Aw, look, the white knight is here to save the damsel in distress," Amy teases. "Jack and Alicia sitting in a tree, F-U-C-K-I - Hey!" she yelps as she ducks the can. Beer starts spilling onto the pristine sand, and she giggles. "God, Alicia, you are so easy to wind up."

I stick out my tongue at her, then shrug apologetically to Jack. "Sorry."

"Well, that takes care of that," Elijah says dryly as he starts picking up the empty cans and other trash we've left strewn around and gathering them into the waterproof bags. Dani starts to help, and then we're all at it. Halfway through, I feel Jack's eyes on me, and I glance over my shoulder at him. His eyes widen slightly, and then he looks away. It might just be the sun, but there's a noticeable redness to his cheeks.

After paddling back and returning the boards, we traipse back to our vacation cabin. Everyone's exhausted after the long day, and after everyone get a turn in the bathroom to shower off the salt, we make our excuses and head to bed. I catch Jack's eye as his door closes, and a butterfly beats its wings in my stomach.

As soon as Amy closes the door to our room, though, she whirls on me, smiling devilishly. "Sooo," she smirks, hopping onto her bunk twirling a strand of blonde hair around a finger. "Want to stay up all night talking about boys?"

I give her a **** stare.

"Ugh, relax," she says, rolling her eyes. "So, what are you wearing?"

I narrow my eyes. "What?"

She smiles. "Well, if it were me, I would be planning to sneak into his room once you were asleep, and then go to poundtown for the night instead of talking about going to poundtown all night." She punches me on the shoulder. "And if I know you at all, I think you're thinking exactly the same thing."

I hang my head. Damn it. Totally, totally busted. Then again, no wonder we became friends so quickly. Wordlessly, I take my lacy black underwear out of my suitcase and hold it up for her approval.

Amy nods. "Ooh, nice. Go on, put it on." She turns around to give me a small measure of privacy.

I strip and pull the underwear on. "Hey, did he seem nervous to you? After we kissed, he could barely look me in the eye."

"Probably didn't want to pop a boner in his swim trunks," she smirks, turning back around. She hums in approval at my outfit, making a photo frame with her hands. "Yass, girl, work it! Want me to do your makeup?"

"Ooh, yes please."

"Yay! What do you want?" Amy grins and busts out her makeup bag. "Aw, it's been ages since I've done your makeup."

"Just eyes and lips, I can't be bothered with any foundation or anything," I say. "Whatever you think will blow his tiny little brain."

Clapping excitedly, Amy gets to work. As she dances around my face, applying eyeshadow and mascara, I find myself grinning. Her mood is infectious. Even more so when she tells me to stop smiling so that she can apply the lip gloss. When I can't, that sends us into a fit of giggles that sets us back ten minutes. I don't mind, though - Jack can wait just a little longer.

"Okay, done!" she proclaims, hopping back. She holds up a mirror for me to admire her work. "What do you think?"

I look like a million bucks. She's gone for a very similar style to what I did that first night - smokey midnight eyeshadow that brings out the deep blue of my eyes, and a striking red shade of lipstick - but her skill is far superior to mine. I smile happily. "Total smokeshow."

Amy grins and claps. "Yay! Okay, I'll check if the coast is clear." She pokes her head out the door, then crams a couple of condoms into my hand. "You're up."

"You're the best, Amy," I grin as I slip past her into the hall. She smacks my butt playfully and shuts the door behind me, cackling.

I sway down the corridor to Jack's room, nerves rising in my stomach. Arousal joins the fun, and I feel my pussy start to moisten as I remember the snap of his fingers. The warm light of his lamp seeps through the crack under the door. After a moment to compose myself, I reach for the handle and open it, the condoms clutched in my other hand.

Then I step inside.