Even After All

Part Fifty One

Chapter Fifty One

When Dylan stepped back into the lounge the front door was falling closed. He was alone. Sighing he looked back at the breakfast trays laid out, he was starving. Without sitting, he demolished half of the contents, then made for the shower.

Matilda had managed to grab a croissant on her way back to her room, she rued leaving that delicious breakfast behind, but she wasn’t sure how long she’d feel like a goddess...because that’s what she’d felt as she swanned out of the villa leaving him gasping and groaning. Now, she was starving and a little frustrated. Despite her insistence that they took things slowly, for a moment, his bare chest had filled her eyes, the pressure of his obvious excitement against her pelvis and she’d wanted to back him into the bedroom and show him exactly how she felt. But that wasn’t sensible. So she’d left.

And now, she was hungry and frustrated. She laughed as she packed the straw bag that she was taking to the beach, sunscreen, her book, money and a towel, then she wrapped her still damp body up into a sarong, wondering what Dylan was up to since she’d left him.

On the beach she spotted a spare sun bed in the shade of a palm tree, then spread out her towel on it. She’d enjoyed a few days in the sun relaxing after a week in Bangkok, which had been more than hectic, and there was no better place to relax than the idyllic beaches on the Thai coast. She’d brought half a dozen books in the airport, and so far had read three; the current one, a thriller was absorbing, within seconds she was on the back streets of London, in the criminal underworld, and holding her breath.

The shadow casting across her warm body, blocking out the sun caused her to jump, and it was accompanied by a warm, deep chuckle. Squinting against the sun, she peered through her sunglasses to see Dylan wearing just a pair of board shorts, looking divine. She couldn’t remember seeing him look so stunning, so casual, so relaxed.

He pulled a sun bed next to her, then waved to one of the waiters who were standing discreetly around the beach area.

He ordered a coffee, then reclined next to her.

Dylan couldn’t help but keep glancing at Matilda. She was stretched out beside him in that damn attractive bikini all warm tanned flesh, and he was struggling to keep a hold on his lecherous libido. Since he’d arrived beside her other than a quick smile she had barely acknowledged him, she’d been absorbed by her book. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but he hadn’t anticipated her practically ignoring him. He sipped at his coffee and wished he’d brought a book with him, not that he’d read a book in years. In fact it was years since he’d had nothing to do. He wasn’t someone who took time to relax. And his whole mind and body were pumping, partly because things weren’t exactly clear with the beautiful woman reclined beside him, and then there were his constant background worries of all that he’d left behind. Though they seemed to be fading by the day.

Suddenly there was movement from beside him, Matilda pulled herself to her full height and threw her book and iPod down on to the bed, then moved towards the sea, deliberately sashaying as she cut across the sand, striding straight out into the depths, of the idyllic azure sea.  With a slight glance over her shoulder, she smiled before disappearing under a wave.

Was that an invitation? The glance was if the wiggle wasn’t. With a groan of frustration he jumped to his feet he was after her within seconds, as he caught up with her a few metres out from the sand, he stood in front of her, “what was all that arse wiggling when you walked out here? One minute you’re telling me to keep my distance, to take things slowly, then you throw that in my face! I’m only human.”