Vacation Temptation
A meet-cute by the pool
It was pleasant beside the pool. The sun beating down on the dark triangles of her bikini was making her tingle and the spicy scenes in the e-book she was reading added fuel to that fire. Melissa reached for her frosted glass and took a deep gulp. Shielded by her dark glasses, she observed the usual array of towel-draped loungers, populated with a mix of red and white splotched bodies and others that were evenly toasted.
There he was, the fella she’d been covertly observing since he’d arrived yesterday. She subtly tugged away the sarong she’d laid out on the adjacent sunbed; as most of the others were occupied, she hoped he’d be tempted to sit alongside her.
“Easy tiger,” Melissa told herself, lowering her eyes to her e-reader.
A shadow fell over her legs, and she raised her head, taking in a tall, strong physique before settling on the owner’s handsome face.
“Is this occupied?” he gestured to the slatted seat.
“No, go ahead,” she smiled; inside she celebrated.
He settled himself, and she tried not to stare, but she took in the title of his book, the brand of his sunglasses, and his groomed body, the latter every bit as good as she’d imagined. When he spread out a striped towel to lie on, she admired the curves of his arse and the definition of his legs which suggested he played sport.
Grabbing her iced water, she hoped to tamp down her excitement. He strode confidently to the side of the pool and broke its aquamarine surface with barely a splash. He swam gracefully up and down, preoccupied with the activity, while Melissa watched without fear of drawing his attention.
Finally, he pulled himself out of the pool, guns popping and abs dripping. He settled his lean body in the chaise alongside Melissa.
“What a gorgeous day,” he observed, squinting at the unblemished blue sky. “Have you been here long?”
“I arrived on Tuesday,” Melissa shared, “every day has been glorious.”
“I so need this,” he laid back, his torso bejeweled with water droplets that she longed to dab with her tongue. “It’s been a crazy few months.”
“I come here every year,” she sighed, “it’s my happy place. I’m Melissa by the way.”
“Lucky you Melissa! I’m Simon,” his smile was endearingly lopsided and her heartbeat sped up.
A waitress approached to offer them water; a fresh glass with ice and lemon for Simon and a top-up for Melissa.
Melissa was beginning to feel very ‘toasted’ on one side, so she asjusted the lounger flat and moved to lie on her front. Normally in this position, she would put in Airpods for music, but she wanted to continue chatting with Simon.
“A crazy year with work? What do you do?”
Simon was a photographer. They discussed beautiful locations he’d visited for work. Melissa loved to travel and knew many of the same places. He entertained her with anecdotes about temperamental models until they began to exchange globetrotting hiccups; swapping stories until the sun was high in the sky.
“I generally move into the shade for a couple of hours,” Melissa told him, “get some lunch. Would you care to join me?”
“I’d love to.”
“Meet me in the lobby in 15 minutes - I know a trattoria— it’s a hidden gem.” Swathing herself in a bright sarong, Melissa headed into the shade of the hotel.
She was at reception dressed in a lightweight sundress and sandals in the time allotted. Her highlighted tawny hair hung to her shoulders, pushed back by sunglasses, allowing Simon to see her sparkling hazel eyes for the first time. He’d changed into long shorts and a polo shirt and they walked side by side into the little harbor town, with Melissa pointing out places of interest en route.
They enjoyed flirting as they ate the simple, good food and shared a bottle of fruity red wine. Melissa was usually tactile, but her attraction to Simon made each touch linger. The tips of his fingers seemed to scorch against her sun-kissed skin, and a turmoil of emotions regularly sent her thoughts skidding in a torrid direction.
She felt drunk with desire when they stood to leave, and was certain the wine was not wholly to blame. They had tussled in a friendly way over who was paying the bill, but Melissa had convinced the proprietor to use her card. Now when Simon offered his arm to support her, she took it, enjoying the press of his skin against the side of her breast. She felt relaxed and turned on as they began ascending a flight of stony steps that were cut into the hillside.
“I feel as if we’re firm friends already, Melissa,” Simon smiled down at her.
“Very firm,” she giggled, making his eyes spark.
“What were you reading by the pool?” he enquired.
“Welcome to Temptation,” she purred.
“Absolutely!” There was that lopsided grin again.
Melissa laughed, “No really, that’s the title of the book! It’s the name of a small American town, but the plot’s about all kinds of temptation for the main characters.”
“It sounds intriguing.” Simon’s expression had darkened with desire.
“It’s a lot of fun. It argues a strong case for going with a bad boy.”
“Something I fully endorse,” Simon arched one eyebrow, making Melissa’s stomach swoop deliciously.
“Let’s get a taxi back to the hotel. Walking there will get us hot and sweaty, and I can think of more fun ways to do that!”
Simon grabbed her hand and Melissa eagerly took his lead.
The raunchy sequel, Crossing the Line where Simon and Melissa fan the flames of their attraction, is exclusive to subscribers on my Ream account, select either Dirty Dancers or Body Slammers tier.
Author's Note: Welcome to Temptation is a favorite romance novel, by Jennifer Crusie
I love the way this slowly heats up. It's like walking past a restaurant and smelling the delicious food inside. A definite temptation to explore further.