Modern Girl's Guide To Vacation Flings (5 page)

Before he could answer, Beth grabbed his shirt, pulled him against her body, and pressed her lips over his. The kiss had caught him off guard, and when he didn't respond she broke the kiss. But instead of pulling away, she ran her hands through his hair and pressed her lips against his ear.

"Go with it," she whispered in a husky voice that sent an electric bolt down his spine.

Fuck. Maybe she'd taken him literally. He wanted to kiss her, but Matt didn't want her to think he expected anything physical. They were just supposed to pretend. But those finer distinctions fell away when she slid her tongue along his lower lip. So instead of trying to explain, he followed her instructions and just went with it.

Her lips were warm, full, and tasted like wine and sugary fruit. When he deepened the kiss, she let out a moan and teased his tongue with hers. At that moment, Matt completely lost himself in the kiss, forgetting that they were pretending or that he still didn't know her last name. All he could think about was getting his hands on her bare skin.

A throat cleared behind them. "Matt. If you don't let go of that woman, someone is going to call security, or worse: Mom is going to wonder what's taking us so long and come after you herself."

Matt broke away, light headed and a bit foggy. What the hell was he doing? He took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts so he could come up with some explanation, but Beth took charge. She ducked under his arm and snuggled in close, as if the spot was made just for her.

"This is all my fault. I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner. You must be Jason," she said and held out a hand to his brother. Matt started to panic. What was she going to say? They didn't have a story put together yet. "Matt didn't have any idea I was going to be here. I was going to surprise him later tonight, but he saw me sneaking through the dining room and the gig was up."

"And you are?" Jason looked from Beth back to Matt, looking for answers.

"I'm Beth Riley."

"My girlfriend," Matt added, hoping like hell she hadn't changed her mind.

She leaned back against his chest and looked up with her big doe eyes adoringly. "His girlfriend," she confirmed. Damn she was good, he almost believed it himself.

"Your girlfriend?" Jason asked suspiciously. "Why am I just now hearing about this? You realize Mom is going to have a stroke."

"Don't tell Mom yet. Beth won't…"

"I won't be any bother. Like I said, this was a surprise. Matt asked me ages ago to come with him, but I was scheduled to be in Costa Rica. There's been some flooding this summer, and my project has been delayed." Beth pressed a hand against Jason's arm. "I know it's last minute, so please don't include me in any of your activities. I'm just here to enjoy the trip, and keep Matt busy after everyone's gone to bed. After you're done tonight," she said to Matt with a wicked grin, sliding a key into his hand, "I'm in room 5872. See you then, tiger."

Beth kissed him with a loud smack and walked out of the restaurant, leaving him dazed. He felt like he'd been in an accident, and the only thing he could do was wait for help to arrive. That kiss had caught him off guard and sure felt like more than a bit of play acting. He was going to need a cold shower before he could face his family. Matt was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea to meet her in her stateroom. Maybe he'd call her instead.

"Girlfriend? Bridget's going to be pissed. You have to know she's hoping you and her sister will hook up. What am I going to tell her about this?" He pointed in the direction Beth had taken. "Girlfriend?" Jason repeated and slapped Matt on the back. "This should be fun to watch. Mom's going to flip her shit when she finds out you've stowed away a woman and haven't invited her to join the rest of the family."

Jason was right. He would have to think of something to tell her. But he already knew, no matter what he thought would happen, his mother would indeed insist he invite Beth to everything.

And that brought up a whole new host of problems. If they were together with his family, everyone would expect them to act like a couple. He could still the warmth of her body pressed against him, and Matt wasn't sure he'd be able to stay detached.

The idea had been so simple just a few minutes ago. Or at least he thought it had been, but now he wasn't as sure. This was why Matt always had detailed plans before he made a major decision. When he acted on impulse, he always forgot something. Now what happened the next two weeks was in the hands of the mysterious woman with coffee colored eyes and lips that tasted like wine.

"I was serious. Please don't tell Mom until I can explain it to her." Matt wasn't sure what he was going to say, but having time would allow him to plan. Maybe he could come up with some reason why Beth couldn't eat with them, do any of the planned activities, or otherwise let his mother at her. Yes, given time, he'd be able to come up with a plan and keep his promise to Beth.

Chapter 3

Modern Girl Tip #8: DIY—Not ready for a fling? Don't worry. A Modern Girl isn't afraid to do the job herself. Feeling hot and bothered after a long day? Relieve some stress by pleasuring yourself, but feel free to fantasize about that half naked pool guy.

By the time Beth had reached her stateroom, the last half hour had replayed in her mind so many times her head was spinning. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to accept his harebrained plan. Sure, he had been sweet on the plane, but that didn't mean she should get involved with his family drama. She already had family drama in spades.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Beth had to do what she always did, jump in without looking.

While he was trying to explain his situation, Beth had seen the man approach them. There was no doubt it had been his brother Jason. He looked just like Matt, all chestnut curls and dreamy blue-green eyes, only slightly shorter and more built. Where Matt was tall with the wiry muscles of a runner, Jason was built and had the thick arms or someone who lifted weights. She would bet he had been the star quarterback in high school.

Maybe that had been the impetus for her actions. Jason was the visual representation of what Matt was trying to explain. About how different he was from the rest of his family, and she knew a lot about being different. So in that split second, she decided to help.

It wasn't the pretending that had her worried. It was Matt. If he were like all the other handsome, well-connected men she knew back in Chicago, she'd be able to play along and keep her distance. But of course, Matt was different. He wasn't cocky or self-entitled. No, he was observant and mindful, as though he'd be more happy watching the people around him, than participating.

But as thoughtful as Matt seemed, he was really crap at spontaneity. It was immediately obvious to her that his whole plan had come to him out of the blue, and it was bound to be a disaster.

First, there was no way she'd get by with just a "couple" of appearances once his whole family knew she was on board and thought she was his girlfriend. And then there was the fact that they'd just met. She didn't believe for one second that they'd be able to withstand more than surface questions before everyone knew their relationship was fake.

But there was nothing she could do about that now. She needed some time to think before Matt came down to her room. It was going to take a lot to pull this whole ruse off, but she was more than willing to play this thing out. At least it would make the next two weeks interesting.

And Beth needed interesting. Cruise ships weren't the place for a single girl traveling alone. There were some families, lots of couples, and a mob of silver-haired cruisers that made her think there might be a Matlock convention underway on the ship. If that afternoon was any indication, she would be bored to tears by the time they left the Caribbean.

Having an ocean between her and the wedding had seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, there was no use crying about it now. She was stuck, and Beth was determined to make the best of it.

Beth pulled off her dress and got into the shower, trying to focus on the positive. Maybe, this whole thing with Matt would work to her advantage. Now that she knew how well he kissed, she couldn't stop imagining what it would be like to have him in her bed.

A day at the pool and the salty ocean breeze had her skin feeling dry and sticky. And thoughts of being pressed against Matt's hard body had her hot and swollen. As the hot water ran down her body, Beth slipped her hand between her legs, teasing curls of hair as she sought her clit.

She worked her fingers with the speed, pressure, and rhythm required to bring her to a quick release. But just as she felt the climax build, a knock came at the door.

"Shit." She turned off the water and wrapped up in a fluffy bathrobe. If he'd just waited a few more minutes! Now Beth felt like her skin was crawling with need.

But instead of Matt standing there, a young man in a cruise uniform was standing at the door.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Riley. I was coming to do the turndown service." The steward gave her a quick once over and looked away. "I'll come back when it's more convenient."

She could only imagine how she looked to him, standing there sopping wet in more ways than one. Glancing at his name tag, Beth decided to let him off the hook. "Please call me Beth," she said. "Skip my room tonight, Candido. But you can leave some extra towels."

Because she either needed to finish what she started, or she was going to have to take a long cold shower to cool off.

Jason kept his promise and didn't say anything to their family. But in true brotherly form, he pushed the boundaries of that promise.

"I hear the couples massage package is great. Too bad you don't have a girlfriend Matt." Then a few minutes later. "Hey, why don't we go to the bar and do that game show. Darn. Tonight's couples only. I guess Matt wouldn't be able to join us."

Matt was over family time. The rest of the dinner went as smoothly as to be expected with only two spilled drinks, one bread basket on the floor, and a toddler meltdown. By the time the Carver family was winding down, the waiter had looked as ragged as Matt felt.

"I'm going to slip out before dessert," Matt said, standing up. "I still need to unpack and I'd like to get settled in." And just to give himself an added buffer he added, "I think I'm going to sleep in tomorrow, so don't look for me at breakfast. I'll meet you guys for the tour."

"But sweetheart…"

"Mom, there will be plenty of time for family meals. I promise. There are just a few things I'd like to do in the morning."

Jason shot him a wolfish grin and gave him a thumbs up. Figures Jason would assume that the things Matt wanted to do tomorrow morning was Beth. An image of her silky black hair spread across his pillow flashed through his mind. He fingered the keycard in his pocket. The idea did have its merits.

Bridget tilted her head and eyed her husband. "Is there something going on Matt?" she asked looking between him and his brother.

"I promise not to miss the tour." Matt crossed his heart. "I just want my morning free. I'm going to check out the fitness center and maybe go for a swim."

"Matt can keep himself occupied. Who knows? Maybe we'll have other things to do in the morning, too," Jason said and waggled his eyebrows.

"Jason." She shook her head and sighed. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Matt took this as his cue to slip away. As he made his way to the bank of elevators, he began to rethink going to Beth's stateroom. They could talk about this over the phone. Being alone in her room, seemed too intimate, especially after imagining how fuckable she'd be first thing in the morning. It would probably be better if they talk about this over the phone.