The sound of a splash awoke me with a start. I half opened my eyes, still suspended in the dream state I often find myself in when my sleep has been disturbed prematurely. I was lying naked on the bed, a light sheen of sweat colouring my skin with a silvery glow from the moonlight slanting in through the open balcony. The light bed cover was pooled in a crumpled mess somewhere around my feet.
It was another hot and humid night and the scent of bougainvillea flowers swirled in the air, teasing my senses with their exotic aroma. For a moment I felt disorientated and strangely lost, the fog of sleep refusing to release its fuzzy grip on my tired brain.
Where was I?
I vaguely recognised that the window was on the wrong side of the room and the air was too warm. Then I remembered; I was not at home - I was in the villa.
My small travel clock told me it was midnight. By rights I should have been deeply asleep, so why had I woken up?
The soft sound of water splashing roused me again. It jarred my senses uneasily. I was alone in my villa and the pool was private, so why could I hear someone outside? It was with a sense of disquiet that I lifted myself from the bed and cautiously padded towards the balcony.
Half hidden behind the long sheer drapes, I glanced out carefully across the terrace towards the turquoise pool gleaming in the moonlight. For a moment I could see nothing; merely the pale outlines of the chairs and table strewn around the edge of the glistening water. I began to wonder if my overactive imagination was playing subtle games with me and I yawned heavily.
Tonight was not the night to be suffering from insomnia when I had arranged to join a coach tour tomorrow. This involved a depressingly early start and I had deliberately gone to bed sooner than I normally would. Sightseeing local ruins seemed an essential part of the whole holiday experience and I was determined to play the tourist for at least some of the time. I needed to find my inspiration and this holiday was supposed to help.
I turned away and was about to head back to bed when another sound alerted me. As I gazed back out towards the patio, I was stunned to see a naked man poised at the far end of my pool, outlined in an ethereal glow. He dove into the water silently, barely making a ripple on the smooth glassy expanse as he swam beneath the surface. Eventually he emerged at the other end of the pool and climbed out, his skin dripping with moisture, his black hair slicked back sleekly.
The moon’s glow caught his body in strokes of ghostly light, allowing me to admire the smoothly muscular definition of his chest, hairless and sharply delineated. I was mesmerised. My eyes swept lower and lingered on his cock hanging heavily between thick thighs. For a long moment he stood proudly like an Adonis, seemingly unaware of my illicit voyeurism.
Then he was gone.
The moon slid slyly behind a solitary cloud and when it reappeared my naked swimmer had vanished. I didn’t know whether to be outraged that he had been swimming in my supposedly private pool - or aroused by his unabashed nakedness.
Right at that moment it was definitely the latter.
* * *
I arrived back at the villa the following evening exhausted, dusty, and extremely pissed off to realise I had no electricity. I had been dreaming of a cool shower all afternoon and now there was no chance. I felt like screaming, my disappointment was so acute.
Instead I decided to be proactive and walk down the hill to the home of Senor Velasquez, the owner of my villa. I presumed he would know why I had no power; or at least I hoped he would. Quickly I changed into a clean dress and squirted some scent on. My hair was already pinned up and although it was beginning to escape, I left it alone.
Once again I set foot outside wearily. It felt like I had been on my feet all bloody day, walking in and out of ancient ruined temples, listening to hair-raising tales of rape and pillaging. Playing the avid tourist was beginning to pall slightly - this was not the reason I had come to Malta.
Behind the villa the sky was streaked with vermillion ribbons of colour, as the sun dropped over the horizon and into the sea, like a red-hot coal. It was sublimely beautiful and for a moment I paused, entranced, to watch nature’s display of fiery brilliance.
This was the reason I had come to Malta. I needed to be reminded that I was still a member of the human race. Simple pleasures like a brilliant sunset and glass of cool white wine were the things I craved after all the complications of the last year.
I allowed myself to smile as I slowly ambled down the stony track. It was a typically balmy night and I could hear the crickets chirruping from the thorny bushes lining the edge of the fields. Despite my irritation at the lack of electricity, I had no regrets about being here. It felt right and I needed to recharge my batteries.
I knocked on Senor Velasquez’s battered looking front door. For ages nobody answered and I was just about to give up when I heard footsteps and the sound of a bolt being drawn back.
The door creaked open and a young man appeared wearing nothing but a pair of scruffy denim shorts. For a moment we stared at one another, both of us waiting for me to speak.
“Si?” he said eventually, his lips curled upwards in a sardonic smile.
I suddenly found my mouth was as dry as the dusty step beneath my feet. I felt flustered, standing here under the scrutiny of this beautiful young man. And he was beautiful. His blue-black hair hung just above his deeply tanned shoulders and his eyes were dark pools of sin I fervently wanted to dive into. It had been too long, I suddenly realised. Not that a man like this would possibly be interested in a woman like me.
Oh no. He would in all likelihood have dozens of girlfriends patiently waiting for a morsel of his time. No doubt they were queuing up down the street, as I stood here at his door speechless.
“I’m Meredith Black,” I managed to spit out eventually. “I’m staying in Villa Rosa up the hill. For some reason I have no electricity?”
“Papa eez not ‘ere. I’m Paulo, his son,” the young man explained in surprisingly good English. No doubt he had plenty of practice sweet-talking the tourists, I thought with a slight twinge of jealousy.
“If you like I come and see what ze problem eez?” He smiled encouragingly and I realised that I really had no choice. It was Paulo or nobody. There was no damn way I was sitting in the dark all evening.
“Okay, if you could that would be helpful,” I conceded slightly reluctantly.
“I just put some shoes on,” he said, glancing down at his bare feet ruefully. That was a mistake. I automatically followed his gaze and found myself lingering on his naked torso, smooth and muscular. Unwillingly my eyes trailed further south and brushed over his faded denim shorts.
Very big mistake…all this sun must be going to my head.
I looked back up again to find him grinning at me knowingly. Damn him. Not only was he fluent in English, he was also a mind reader.
“Right, I’ll head back up to the villa and see you there.” It seemed prudent to make my escape before he hypnotised me any further. Without further ado, I shot off back up the track towards my temporary home, the setting sun casting a further red tinge to my already burning cheeks. I felt sure I could hear a faint laugh as I left Paulo behind, watching me from the doorway.
* * *
The rooms were steeped in long purple shadows when I unlocked the door once again. The peace was soothing after my hectic day of playing the polite tourist. My jaw still ached from all the insincere smiling I had been forced to do. I desperately wanted to pour myself a glass of cool wine, but I realised it would be stupid to open the fridge and risk warming it up any further.
Instead I opened the french windows and stepped out on to my patio to wait for Paulo to arrive with his tools. That thought made me crack a smile. The loud knock on my door soon wiped it off my face again. My nerves jangled unexpectedly as I hurried back inside to let him in. I felt like a teenager waiting for her first date. Ha! If only he knew…
“Hallo again Mrs Black,” Paulo grinned engagingly, a small tool bag held in his hand.
“Please call me Meredith,” I said, stepping aside to allow him to enter. I hated being called Mrs Black - it held too many memories.
Paulo headed straight for the cupboard under the stairs where the electrics were apparently situated and I left him to it. I felt flustered when he was near and I needed to cool off outside. Not there was much chance of that - it was still incredibly hot even though the sun had almost set. With the electricity off the air conditioning was not working and the villa was stifling.
The water in the pool was cool and inviting. For a blissful moment I contemplated thoughts of stripping off and diving in naked. I wondered how Paulo would react to such a show of hedonism. Would he be shocked, I mused idly as I sat down on the tiled edge and trailed my feet in the water.
Or would he join me?
I half closed my eyes and imagined swimming languorously across the pool, the water caressing my skin with sensual fingers. I heard a splash and felt a warm pair of hands grip my waist, pulling me underneath the surface. It was Paulo, his eyes black and enigmatic in the gloom of our silent underwater world.
His body melded to mine and the shocking heat of his skin seared my flesh. I ignited instantly, desire licking a wanton pathway up my thighs and sparking a conflagration deep inside my sex. We kissed, sharing the oxygen until my lungs began to burn and I was forced to break away and surge upwards, breaking the surface of the pool with a gasp.
Paulo followed me, his dark hair curling over his eyes. I barely had time to catch my breath before he grabbed me again, his tongue surging into my mouth. I was pushed to the side, the coolness of the tiles a delicious contrast to the heat of my skin. His hand found the curve of my breast and my nipples tingled in excitement.
“Meredith…” he whispered huskily into my ear, sending urgent shivers though my aching body.
“Meredith!”
I jumped in shock. Paulo was knelt beside me gazing at me curiously and I felt my cheeks flood with embarrassment as the last vestiges of my erotic fantasy slipped away on the warm night air.
“I ‘ave fixed it now,” he explained with a faint smile, but I was too flustered to reply immediately. His hot dark eyes burned into mine and I just knew he could see the desire written all over my pink cheeks. I felt utterly mortified and still very aroused from my lustful yearnings.
“Err…what was the problem?” I stuttered, hurriedly pulling myself up from the side of the pool.
“Ze trip switch ‘ad blown,” Paulo explained patiently, his eyes twinkling with amusement…and something else I couldn’t quite identify. “Eet should be okay now.”
“Well thanks Paulo.” I felt rather relieved that I would be able to have the long awaited shower; my skin felt hot and clammy from the sun, the heat and if I was totally honest…arousal.
“No problemo, Meredith.” His husky voice transformed my plain old name into a sonnet of breath-taking beauty. I was captivated by his charms, but in reality he was much too young for me to waste a second thinking about the ‘what ifs’.
“Ave a nice evening,” he said as he stared straight into my eyes for one blinding moment. Then he was gone and the heavy front door slammed shut in the sharp salty breeze that had suddenly whipped up from nowhere. I felt bereft in the shadow of his absence. My sun had disappeared behind a cloud and a chill shivered though my veins.
But it was nothing that a glass of Chardonnay and long tepid shower wouldn’t cure. At least that was the general idea.
* * *
I awoke with my book still open on page 126 where I had fallen asleep. Once again I looked over at my alarm clock blearily; once again it told me it was just gone midnight. A faint splash alerted me to my nightly swimmer and with a sense of excitement I jumped up and peered out of my window.
He stood poised on the far end of the pool as he had every night for the past few days, moonlight glinting off his wet torso and dripping hair. He was magnificent; Michelangelo’s David sculpted in warm flesh instead of cold marble. With a graceful arc he dived into the water smoothly, slicing through the pool like a dolphin.
I felt my body helplessly respond and with a feeling of trepidation I knew I had to confront the swimmer before he vanished silently into the night once again. I needed to know who he was and why he was swimming in my pool. Somehow the potential danger failed to enter my head.
There is no fool like an old fool said the old adage. Maybe that should have been translated into there is no fool like a middle-aged woman in lust…
* * *
I crept silently down the staircase and peered out of the french windows, my thin silk slip sticking to my heated skin. It was dark but for a few pale reflections glinting off the pool’s surface and I could see very little. For a disappointing moment I thought the swimmer had vanished into the night again, but then he reappeared at the far end of the pool, his sleek head breaking the surface of the water like a seal.
The french windows were locked and I silently turned the key, praying it would not squeak noisily. Thankfully it unlocked the door without a sound and I opened it cautiously. It was only just beginning to dawn on me that this man could possibly be dangerous. Here was I, a lone woman - what could I possibly do if he attacked me? In reality there would be very little I could do. The nearest villa was Senor Velasquez’s and I doubted he would hear me screaming.
But curiosity overcame natural reticence and the fact I was on holiday blew away any sense of danger I might have had if I had been at home. I slipped though the opening and stood in the shadow of the house as the moon reappeared from behind a cloud, casting a silver stream of light over the patio.
My swimmer was gliding down the pool, his body slicing through the water easily. It was only when he pulled himself up at the near end of the pool that I realised the identity of my swimmer.
It was Paulo.
My shock manifested itself in an audible gasp and he immediately sprang out of the pool and on to the side, water cascading off his naked body in iridescent sparkles.
“What the fuck are you doing in my pool?” I blurted in astonishment as he stood before me brazenly.
“Meredith…” His melodious voice soothed my anger like honey on a sore throat. Immediately my sense of outrage vanished as fast as it had arrived. I knew it was completely unacceptable that he was swimming in the pool I was paying for, but somehow I found it impossible to be cross any more.
The sight of his naked body mere centimetres away from mine was assailing my senses. I could feel the primal pull and I was struggling to string any coherent thoughts together. Lust was overtaking common sense with a speed that was frightening.
“Paulo…” I attempted to say as I desperately tried to avoid looking at the very thing my eyes were overwhelmingly drawn to. It had been too damned long.
“Don’t be angry weez me,” he whispered as he took a step closer to me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“But you shouldn’t be here!” I protested without any conviction. Maybe if he had been visually repulsive I might have been angrier about the blatant violation of my privacy. As it was I was just in lust.
“I always use the pool when ze villa eez empty,” he explained innocently.
“But it’s not empty now is it!”
He shrugged and smiled engagingly. How could I be angry when he looked so gorgeous?
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, but I could see he was not sorry in the slightest. In truth nor was I. The sight of him stood before me, naked and dripping, was more than enough to dispel any latent feelings of anger.
“I think maybe you should leave now.” I crossed my arms across my chest, inadvertently pushing my breasts together. Paulo noticed immediately and I saw his reaction to the sight of my cleavage. He could hardly hide an erection when he was naked…
God he was big.
I stared helplessly at his hard cock, my head reeling with unexpected lustful imaginings. I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or excited.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said with a faint grin. He took another step closer so that we were practically touching. I could feel the damp heat emanating from his hard body and a slow pulse quickened between my legs, warning me of the consequences of pursuing this dangerous attraction.
Paulo was half my age and I really should know better. Unfortunately my body was rapidly racing past the point of caring about useless facts like that. It was firmly in favour of sexual gratification; right here and right now.
I heard my breathing quicken and my arms dropped to my sides uselessly. We stared at each other, lost in the heat of the moment beside my pool. The night was warm and humid. There was a faint scent of salt from the sea in the fragrant air and the stars twinkled down from an inky black sky.
Paulo not all that tall, but he still towered over my petite form. I found myself tilting my head back to look at him, my dark hair cascading back over my shoulders. In the half-light his expression was inscrutable and I was helplessly rooted to the spot. I recognised that I should move away NOW, but I was frozen.
The truth was I didn’t want to move. I wanted to see where this moment took me, for better or worse. I hadn’t felt this kind of raw animal attraction for years and it was exhilarating to say the least. My world had been grey and lifeless for too long; bogged down in the stress and misery of an acrimonious divorce.
Maybe this was just what I needed to rediscover my zest for life and my inspiration for work. God knows my muse had been absent for way too long now. Already I felt ideas and thoughts bustling at the edge of my consciousness, just waiting for me to find the moment to commit them to my hard-drive.
But that wouldn’t be now. Now was all about sex and I was fully intending to make the most of this heaven sent opportunity.
Taking my courage in both hands, I closed the miniscule gap between our bodies and pressed my slim torso against Paulo. Immediately he recognised my capitulation and pulled me into his embrace. His mouth ravaged mine in a passionate kiss and I revelled in the hardness of his cock leaping against my belly.
Desire overtook reason and my arms snaked around his neck as I lost myself in his kiss. For a fleeting moment I tried to remember the last time I had been kissed like this - and I failed. Perhaps it was never?
It certainly had not been like this with my ex husband.
Paulo’s tongue plundered my mouth, tasting me with youthful enthusiasm while his hands explored my body through the silky fabric of my slip. I was lost on a sea of lust while the pool glimmered in the background and the filter hummed quietly. A hand teasingly stroked the curve of my bottom, testing the roundness of my cheeks. Almost without being aware of it, I parted my thighs to allow further access.
This inviting gesture elicited a soft growl from Paulo as my eagerness turned him on even further. My slip was falling from my shoulders with no help from either of us. I barely noticed when Paulo pushed it down even further to expose my small breasts to his licentious gaze. He tore his mouth away from my bruised lips and kissed a slow and excruciating pathway down my collarbone and towards my aching nipples.
My head fell back and I ground my hips into him, enjoying the sensation of his cock throbbing hotly against my stomach. The thought of impaling my sex on his thick length was a delicious one.
Hot moist lips engulfed my swollen nipple, sucking gently as a hand squeezed the other rounded breast. Sharp spikes of pleasure travelled south to my clit and I heard myself moaning faintly. This was pure sweet torture. I wanted more. So much more…
I wanted him to fuck me hard.
I tried to reach out and grab his cock, but he moved and dropped down to his knees, leaving a scorching trail of kisses across my gently rounded belly. The moisture welled up between my legs, arousal creating a river that threatened to overflow down my thighs.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered suddenly. His voice startled me; I was so far gone with desire that I had almost forgotten where I was and whom I was with. The softly spoken words dragged me back to the present and for a moment I wondered slightly uncharitably if he said this to all his conquests.
“No, I’m not,” I replied dryly. I was just a woman in her early forties, not unattractive - but no supermodel either.
He caressed my thighs and stared up at me, his eyes shining in the darkness. I felt like a goddess at that moment and I loved him for it. He made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world and for me that was priceless.
“Well to me you are lovely,” he said. He planted soft butterfly kisses on my inner thighs and I groaned faintly. My need was intense and he seemed intent on teasing me for as long as possible. I didn’t want teasing - I wanted fucking.
A flick of a tongue was my undoing. I almost collapsed when he tasted the sweet nectar spilling from my sex. My hands were firmly gripping his dark head and for an intense moment I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feelings he was invoking with his supple tongue.
A finger stroked across my clit, delving into the slick folds of my pussy. He may have been young, but he was clearly not inexperienced when it came to feminine geography. Two fingers pushed inside me and fucked me gently. It was wonderful, but it was not enough. I moaned and pushed against him, blindly trying to make him understand what I wanted.
He parted my legs further and licked across my clit. I jerked sharply with the intense stimulation and he pushed his fingers deeper inside me. My orgasm was a heartbeat away and I tensed up, my thighs beginning to tremble with the strength of my arousal.
“Yes…” I muttered, slightly incoherently.
“Like this?” he asked, muffled by my pussy.
My only response was to writhe against his tongue and fingers as finally I came in a blinding rush of white-hot pleasure. I gasped at the intensity of the orgasm crashing over me; after all this time it was truly incredible.
Paulo stayed on his knees, lapping the juices seeping from my sex. When I finally calmed down he stood and held me tightly, kissing me and allowing me to taste myself on his mouth. I could feel his cock, a velvet clad rod of iron pressing against me hotly.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips, my emotions bubbling just below the surface. I hadn’t felt this good in years and my words seemed inadequate for the ecstasy he had selflessly given me.
“My pleasure, Meredith,” he grinned at me in the darkness. “I enjoy this too!”
I slid my hands lower and took hold of his cock, testing the thickness of it. I was not disappointed - he was deliciously hard. My pussy welled up with renewed arousal at the thought of lowering myself onto his shaft.
“I want to fuck you,” I told him, my cheeks colouring slightly at the bold admission. It was so unlike me to talk like that - but I didn’t care; it was the absolute truth.
He laughed and grabbed my backside tightly. “I av thought about this ever since you come here,” he smiled in amusement. “I watch you sunbathe and I think how sexy you look.”
I felt surprised now. I still couldn’t quite understand why he wanted me. Surely he could have had any girl he liked?
He must have read the confusion on my face for he said, “Girls my age are silly and…how you say…bimbo’s?”
“But I am old enough to be your mother!” I pointed out with a self-deprecating laugh.
“But what a sexy mama you are!”
There was no arguing with him so I decided let it lie; there seemed no point in further analysing why he wanted me. The fact that he clearly found me attractive was enough for now.
“Shut up and kiss me again,” I commanded with a sigh.
He obliged and we welded together, our skins sticky in the warm night air. Paulo pushed me backwards until my calves bumped against the sun lounger and I fell backwards helplessly. He dropped down to kiss my breasts, making me squirm all over again.
I wanted desperately to feel him inside me. I had not had a man for so long and here was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I tilted my hips and felt his cock nudge at the entrance of my aching pussy.
“Fuck me,” I muttered into the salty skin of his neck.
He pushed inside my channel with a gasp and I closed my eyes as the bliss swept over my body in a wave of ecstasy. The feeling of absolute fullness was sublime. He completed me in every sense of the word.
Slowly we began to move together, my wooden sun lounger protesting slightly at the somewhat unorthodox use. Paulo kissed me hungrily as he fucked me, his beautiful cock thrusting in and out of me like a piston, skin rubbing slickly on heated skin.
High above us, the moon shone down; illuminating our frenzied coupling until with a soft cry I came again. I lost myself for a moment as blissful contractions rippled through me. I was dimly aware of Paulo’s cock driving into me forcefully until he came too, burying his face in my neck with a groan.
We lay tangled in a sticky mass of limbs. It was impossible to know where he ended and I began. I honestly didn’t care. I was too tired and happy to think about anything really. This had been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.
I closed my eyes and rested my head in Paulo’s shoulder. He held me close and we lay beneath the stars silently. Words were unnecessary - we had said everything important already. Sometimes actions speak far more clearly than words ever can.
*
I sat in the shade of the Carob tree, typing furiously on my laptop. The words filled the screen in a blurry stream of consciousness and I was barely cognitive of anything beyond the keys and page before me. For the first time since my divorce I was able to write again. The writer’s block that had plagued me had finally been obliterated.
Afternoon passed into evening with barely a break for food. I sipped at the glass of water on the table periodically, but was unwilling to stop for anything more substantial. I was afraid of breaking the spell that had been cast in the wake of Paulo’s nocturnal visit.
Despite the fact I had had very little sleep, I felt rejuvenated and amazingly alive. My veins were flooded with adrenaline and an excitement I had not experienced for years. Suddenly I saw the future as something to look forward to rather than something to be dreaded as had been the case for a long time.
Paulo had been my epiphany and I was immensely grateful to him.
An arm snaked around my shoulders and I tilted my head back in pleasure.
“All work and no play…” Paulo said in his deliciously husky voice as he pressed his lips to my damp, salty skin.
My work was temporarily forgotten as I shut my eyes and enjoyed the sublime pleasure of his caress. My work was forgotten as I sank into the abyss of desire. For now work was forgotten again. Now there was only Paulo…
*
The airport arrivals lounge was crowded and it took me a few moments to find Sonya among the throngs of people waiting for friends and relatives. Her face broke into a delighted smile when she spotted me walking towards her.
“Wow!” she said with surprise. “That month in the sun had certainly done you the world of good. I can’t believe how well you look!” She took a step back and surveyed me with a critical eye.
“Is there something you need to tell me about?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I smiled innocently and shook my head. “No darling - just lots of sun and relaxation. Malta is a beautiful island and the locals made me feel right at home…”
Inwardly I sighed. It had been surprisingly hard to leave Paulo behind. In the short time we had spent together, I had grown rather attached to him. But we both knew that it was a short-term fling and when my holiday was over, so were we. In a way I could never repay him for what he had given me. Through his attention and admiration, I had rediscovered my love of life and my sense of self.
It had been a beautiful escape from reality - a wonderful dream. But dreams are transient and eventually we have to wake up.
“Come on,” I said ignoring my daughters suspicious looks. “It’s time to head back to the real world…”
It was another hot and humid night and the scent of bougainvillea flowers swirled in the air, teasing my senses with their exotic aroma. For a moment I felt disorientated and strangely lost, the fog of sleep refusing to release its fuzzy grip on my tired brain.
Where was I?
I vaguely recognised that the window was on the wrong side of the room and the air was too warm. Then I remembered; I was not at home - I was in the villa.
My small travel clock told me it was midnight. By rights I should have been deeply asleep, so why had I woken up?
The soft sound of water splashing roused me again. It jarred my senses uneasily. I was alone in my villa and the pool was private, so why could I hear someone outside? It was with a sense of disquiet that I lifted myself from the bed and cautiously padded towards the balcony.
Half hidden behind the long sheer drapes, I glanced out carefully across the terrace towards the turquoise pool gleaming in the moonlight. For a moment I could see nothing; merely the pale outlines of the chairs and table strewn around the edge of the glistening water. I began to wonder if my overactive imagination was playing subtle games with me and I yawned heavily.
Tonight was not the night to be suffering from insomnia when I had arranged to join a coach tour tomorrow. This involved a depressingly early start and I had deliberately gone to bed sooner than I normally would. Sightseeing local ruins seemed an essential part of the whole holiday experience and I was determined to play the tourist for at least some of the time. I needed to find my inspiration and this holiday was supposed to help.
I turned away and was about to head back to bed when another sound alerted me. As I gazed back out towards the patio, I was stunned to see a naked man poised at the far end of my pool, outlined in an ethereal glow. He dove into the water silently, barely making a ripple on the smooth glassy expanse as he swam beneath the surface. Eventually he emerged at the other end of the pool and climbed out, his skin dripping with moisture, his black hair slicked back sleekly.
The moon’s glow caught his body in strokes of ghostly light, allowing me to admire the smoothly muscular definition of his chest, hairless and sharply delineated. I was mesmerised. My eyes swept lower and lingered on his cock hanging heavily between thick thighs. For a long moment he stood proudly like an Adonis, seemingly unaware of my illicit voyeurism.
Then he was gone.
The moon slid slyly behind a solitary cloud and when it reappeared my naked swimmer had vanished. I didn’t know whether to be outraged that he had been swimming in my supposedly private pool - or aroused by his unabashed nakedness.
Right at that moment it was definitely the latter.
* * *
I arrived back at the villa the following evening exhausted, dusty, and extremely pissed off to realise I had no electricity. I had been dreaming of a cool shower all afternoon and now there was no chance. I felt like screaming, my disappointment was so acute.
Instead I decided to be proactive and walk down the hill to the home of Senor Velasquez, the owner of my villa. I presumed he would know why I had no power; or at least I hoped he would. Quickly I changed into a clean dress and squirted some scent on. My hair was already pinned up and although it was beginning to escape, I left it alone.
Once again I set foot outside wearily. It felt like I had been on my feet all bloody day, walking in and out of ancient ruined temples, listening to hair-raising tales of rape and pillaging. Playing the avid tourist was beginning to pall slightly - this was not the reason I had come to Malta.
Behind the villa the sky was streaked with vermillion ribbons of colour, as the sun dropped over the horizon and into the sea, like a red-hot coal. It was sublimely beautiful and for a moment I paused, entranced, to watch nature’s display of fiery brilliance.
This was the reason I had come to Malta. I needed to be reminded that I was still a member of the human race. Simple pleasures like a brilliant sunset and glass of cool white wine were the things I craved after all the complications of the last year.
I allowed myself to smile as I slowly ambled down the stony track. It was a typically balmy night and I could hear the crickets chirruping from the thorny bushes lining the edge of the fields. Despite my irritation at the lack of electricity, I had no regrets about being here. It felt right and I needed to recharge my batteries.
I knocked on Senor Velasquez’s battered looking front door. For ages nobody answered and I was just about to give up when I heard footsteps and the sound of a bolt being drawn back.
The door creaked open and a young man appeared wearing nothing but a pair of scruffy denim shorts. For a moment we stared at one another, both of us waiting for me to speak.
“Si?” he said eventually, his lips curled upwards in a sardonic smile.
I suddenly found my mouth was as dry as the dusty step beneath my feet. I felt flustered, standing here under the scrutiny of this beautiful young man. And he was beautiful. His blue-black hair hung just above his deeply tanned shoulders and his eyes were dark pools of sin I fervently wanted to dive into. It had been too long, I suddenly realised. Not that a man like this would possibly be interested in a woman like me.
Oh no. He would in all likelihood have dozens of girlfriends patiently waiting for a morsel of his time. No doubt they were queuing up down the street, as I stood here at his door speechless.
“I’m Meredith Black,” I managed to spit out eventually. “I’m staying in Villa Rosa up the hill. For some reason I have no electricity?”
“Papa eez not ‘ere. I’m Paulo, his son,” the young man explained in surprisingly good English. No doubt he had plenty of practice sweet-talking the tourists, I thought with a slight twinge of jealousy.
“If you like I come and see what ze problem eez?” He smiled encouragingly and I realised that I really had no choice. It was Paulo or nobody. There was no damn way I was sitting in the dark all evening.
“Okay, if you could that would be helpful,” I conceded slightly reluctantly.
“I just put some shoes on,” he said, glancing down at his bare feet ruefully. That was a mistake. I automatically followed his gaze and found myself lingering on his naked torso, smooth and muscular. Unwillingly my eyes trailed further south and brushed over his faded denim shorts.
Very big mistake…all this sun must be going to my head.
I looked back up again to find him grinning at me knowingly. Damn him. Not only was he fluent in English, he was also a mind reader.
“Right, I’ll head back up to the villa and see you there.” It seemed prudent to make my escape before he hypnotised me any further. Without further ado, I shot off back up the track towards my temporary home, the setting sun casting a further red tinge to my already burning cheeks. I felt sure I could hear a faint laugh as I left Paulo behind, watching me from the doorway.
* * *
The rooms were steeped in long purple shadows when I unlocked the door once again. The peace was soothing after my hectic day of playing the polite tourist. My jaw still ached from all the insincere smiling I had been forced to do. I desperately wanted to pour myself a glass of cool wine, but I realised it would be stupid to open the fridge and risk warming it up any further.
Instead I opened the french windows and stepped out on to my patio to wait for Paulo to arrive with his tools. That thought made me crack a smile. The loud knock on my door soon wiped it off my face again. My nerves jangled unexpectedly as I hurried back inside to let him in. I felt like a teenager waiting for her first date. Ha! If only he knew…
“Hallo again Mrs Black,” Paulo grinned engagingly, a small tool bag held in his hand.
“Please call me Meredith,” I said, stepping aside to allow him to enter. I hated being called Mrs Black - it held too many memories.
Paulo headed straight for the cupboard under the stairs where the electrics were apparently situated and I left him to it. I felt flustered when he was near and I needed to cool off outside. Not there was much chance of that - it was still incredibly hot even though the sun had almost set. With the electricity off the air conditioning was not working and the villa was stifling.
The water in the pool was cool and inviting. For a blissful moment I contemplated thoughts of stripping off and diving in naked. I wondered how Paulo would react to such a show of hedonism. Would he be shocked, I mused idly as I sat down on the tiled edge and trailed my feet in the water.
Or would he join me?
I half closed my eyes and imagined swimming languorously across the pool, the water caressing my skin with sensual fingers. I heard a splash and felt a warm pair of hands grip my waist, pulling me underneath the surface. It was Paulo, his eyes black and enigmatic in the gloom of our silent underwater world.
His body melded to mine and the shocking heat of his skin seared my flesh. I ignited instantly, desire licking a wanton pathway up my thighs and sparking a conflagration deep inside my sex. We kissed, sharing the oxygen until my lungs began to burn and I was forced to break away and surge upwards, breaking the surface of the pool with a gasp.
Paulo followed me, his dark hair curling over his eyes. I barely had time to catch my breath before he grabbed me again, his tongue surging into my mouth. I was pushed to the side, the coolness of the tiles a delicious contrast to the heat of my skin. His hand found the curve of my breast and my nipples tingled in excitement.
“Meredith…” he whispered huskily into my ear, sending urgent shivers though my aching body.
“Meredith!”
I jumped in shock. Paulo was knelt beside me gazing at me curiously and I felt my cheeks flood with embarrassment as the last vestiges of my erotic fantasy slipped away on the warm night air.
“I ‘ave fixed it now,” he explained with a faint smile, but I was too flustered to reply immediately. His hot dark eyes burned into mine and I just knew he could see the desire written all over my pink cheeks. I felt utterly mortified and still very aroused from my lustful yearnings.
“Err…what was the problem?” I stuttered, hurriedly pulling myself up from the side of the pool.
“Ze trip switch ‘ad blown,” Paulo explained patiently, his eyes twinkling with amusement…and something else I couldn’t quite identify. “Eet should be okay now.”
“Well thanks Paulo.” I felt rather relieved that I would be able to have the long awaited shower; my skin felt hot and clammy from the sun, the heat and if I was totally honest…arousal.
“No problemo, Meredith.” His husky voice transformed my plain old name into a sonnet of breath-taking beauty. I was captivated by his charms, but in reality he was much too young for me to waste a second thinking about the ‘what ifs’.
“Ave a nice evening,” he said as he stared straight into my eyes for one blinding moment. Then he was gone and the heavy front door slammed shut in the sharp salty breeze that had suddenly whipped up from nowhere. I felt bereft in the shadow of his absence. My sun had disappeared behind a cloud and a chill shivered though my veins.
But it was nothing that a glass of Chardonnay and long tepid shower wouldn’t cure. At least that was the general idea.
* * *
I awoke with my book still open on page 126 where I had fallen asleep. Once again I looked over at my alarm clock blearily; once again it told me it was just gone midnight. A faint splash alerted me to my nightly swimmer and with a sense of excitement I jumped up and peered out of my window.
He stood poised on the far end of the pool as he had every night for the past few days, moonlight glinting off his wet torso and dripping hair. He was magnificent; Michelangelo’s David sculpted in warm flesh instead of cold marble. With a graceful arc he dived into the water smoothly, slicing through the pool like a dolphin.
I felt my body helplessly respond and with a feeling of trepidation I knew I had to confront the swimmer before he vanished silently into the night once again. I needed to know who he was and why he was swimming in my pool. Somehow the potential danger failed to enter my head.
There is no fool like an old fool said the old adage. Maybe that should have been translated into there is no fool like a middle-aged woman in lust…
* * *
I crept silently down the staircase and peered out of the french windows, my thin silk slip sticking to my heated skin. It was dark but for a few pale reflections glinting off the pool’s surface and I could see very little. For a disappointing moment I thought the swimmer had vanished into the night again, but then he reappeared at the far end of the pool, his sleek head breaking the surface of the water like a seal.
The french windows were locked and I silently turned the key, praying it would not squeak noisily. Thankfully it unlocked the door without a sound and I opened it cautiously. It was only just beginning to dawn on me that this man could possibly be dangerous. Here was I, a lone woman - what could I possibly do if he attacked me? In reality there would be very little I could do. The nearest villa was Senor Velasquez’s and I doubted he would hear me screaming.
But curiosity overcame natural reticence and the fact I was on holiday blew away any sense of danger I might have had if I had been at home. I slipped though the opening and stood in the shadow of the house as the moon reappeared from behind a cloud, casting a silver stream of light over the patio.
My swimmer was gliding down the pool, his body slicing through the water easily. It was only when he pulled himself up at the near end of the pool that I realised the identity of my swimmer.
It was Paulo.
My shock manifested itself in an audible gasp and he immediately sprang out of the pool and on to the side, water cascading off his naked body in iridescent sparkles.
“What the fuck are you doing in my pool?” I blurted in astonishment as he stood before me brazenly.
“Meredith…” His melodious voice soothed my anger like honey on a sore throat. Immediately my sense of outrage vanished as fast as it had arrived. I knew it was completely unacceptable that he was swimming in the pool I was paying for, but somehow I found it impossible to be cross any more.
The sight of his naked body mere centimetres away from mine was assailing my senses. I could feel the primal pull and I was struggling to string any coherent thoughts together. Lust was overtaking common sense with a speed that was frightening.
“Paulo…” I attempted to say as I desperately tried to avoid looking at the very thing my eyes were overwhelmingly drawn to. It had been too damned long.
“Don’t be angry weez me,” he whispered as he took a step closer to me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“But you shouldn’t be here!” I protested without any conviction. Maybe if he had been visually repulsive I might have been angrier about the blatant violation of my privacy. As it was I was just in lust.
“I always use the pool when ze villa eez empty,” he explained innocently.
“But it’s not empty now is it!”
He shrugged and smiled engagingly. How could I be angry when he looked so gorgeous?
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, but I could see he was not sorry in the slightest. In truth nor was I. The sight of him stood before me, naked and dripping, was more than enough to dispel any latent feelings of anger.
“I think maybe you should leave now.” I crossed my arms across my chest, inadvertently pushing my breasts together. Paulo noticed immediately and I saw his reaction to the sight of my cleavage. He could hardly hide an erection when he was naked…
God he was big.
I stared helplessly at his hard cock, my head reeling with unexpected lustful imaginings. I didn’t know whether to be embarrassed or excited.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said with a faint grin. He took another step closer so that we were practically touching. I could feel the damp heat emanating from his hard body and a slow pulse quickened between my legs, warning me of the consequences of pursuing this dangerous attraction.
Paulo was half my age and I really should know better. Unfortunately my body was rapidly racing past the point of caring about useless facts like that. It was firmly in favour of sexual gratification; right here and right now.
I heard my breathing quicken and my arms dropped to my sides uselessly. We stared at each other, lost in the heat of the moment beside my pool. The night was warm and humid. There was a faint scent of salt from the sea in the fragrant air and the stars twinkled down from an inky black sky.
Paulo not all that tall, but he still towered over my petite form. I found myself tilting my head back to look at him, my dark hair cascading back over my shoulders. In the half-light his expression was inscrutable and I was helplessly rooted to the spot. I recognised that I should move away NOW, but I was frozen.
The truth was I didn’t want to move. I wanted to see where this moment took me, for better or worse. I hadn’t felt this kind of raw animal attraction for years and it was exhilarating to say the least. My world had been grey and lifeless for too long; bogged down in the stress and misery of an acrimonious divorce.
Maybe this was just what I needed to rediscover my zest for life and my inspiration for work. God knows my muse had been absent for way too long now. Already I felt ideas and thoughts bustling at the edge of my consciousness, just waiting for me to find the moment to commit them to my hard-drive.
But that wouldn’t be now. Now was all about sex and I was fully intending to make the most of this heaven sent opportunity.
Taking my courage in both hands, I closed the miniscule gap between our bodies and pressed my slim torso against Paulo. Immediately he recognised my capitulation and pulled me into his embrace. His mouth ravaged mine in a passionate kiss and I revelled in the hardness of his cock leaping against my belly.
Desire overtook reason and my arms snaked around his neck as I lost myself in his kiss. For a fleeting moment I tried to remember the last time I had been kissed like this - and I failed. Perhaps it was never?
It certainly had not been like this with my ex husband.
Paulo’s tongue plundered my mouth, tasting me with youthful enthusiasm while his hands explored my body through the silky fabric of my slip. I was lost on a sea of lust while the pool glimmered in the background and the filter hummed quietly. A hand teasingly stroked the curve of my bottom, testing the roundness of my cheeks. Almost without being aware of it, I parted my thighs to allow further access.
This inviting gesture elicited a soft growl from Paulo as my eagerness turned him on even further. My slip was falling from my shoulders with no help from either of us. I barely noticed when Paulo pushed it down even further to expose my small breasts to his licentious gaze. He tore his mouth away from my bruised lips and kissed a slow and excruciating pathway down my collarbone and towards my aching nipples.
My head fell back and I ground my hips into him, enjoying the sensation of his cock throbbing hotly against my stomach. The thought of impaling my sex on his thick length was a delicious one.
Hot moist lips engulfed my swollen nipple, sucking gently as a hand squeezed the other rounded breast. Sharp spikes of pleasure travelled south to my clit and I heard myself moaning faintly. This was pure sweet torture. I wanted more. So much more…
I wanted him to fuck me hard.
I tried to reach out and grab his cock, but he moved and dropped down to his knees, leaving a scorching trail of kisses across my gently rounded belly. The moisture welled up between my legs, arousal creating a river that threatened to overflow down my thighs.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered suddenly. His voice startled me; I was so far gone with desire that I had almost forgotten where I was and whom I was with. The softly spoken words dragged me back to the present and for a moment I wondered slightly uncharitably if he said this to all his conquests.
“No, I’m not,” I replied dryly. I was just a woman in her early forties, not unattractive - but no supermodel either.
He caressed my thighs and stared up at me, his eyes shining in the darkness. I felt like a goddess at that moment and I loved him for it. He made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world and for me that was priceless.
“Well to me you are lovely,” he said. He planted soft butterfly kisses on my inner thighs and I groaned faintly. My need was intense and he seemed intent on teasing me for as long as possible. I didn’t want teasing - I wanted fucking.
A flick of a tongue was my undoing. I almost collapsed when he tasted the sweet nectar spilling from my sex. My hands were firmly gripping his dark head and for an intense moment I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feelings he was invoking with his supple tongue.
A finger stroked across my clit, delving into the slick folds of my pussy. He may have been young, but he was clearly not inexperienced when it came to feminine geography. Two fingers pushed inside me and fucked me gently. It was wonderful, but it was not enough. I moaned and pushed against him, blindly trying to make him understand what I wanted.
He parted my legs further and licked across my clit. I jerked sharply with the intense stimulation and he pushed his fingers deeper inside me. My orgasm was a heartbeat away and I tensed up, my thighs beginning to tremble with the strength of my arousal.
“Yes…” I muttered, slightly incoherently.
“Like this?” he asked, muffled by my pussy.
My only response was to writhe against his tongue and fingers as finally I came in a blinding rush of white-hot pleasure. I gasped at the intensity of the orgasm crashing over me; after all this time it was truly incredible.
Paulo stayed on his knees, lapping the juices seeping from my sex. When I finally calmed down he stood and held me tightly, kissing me and allowing me to taste myself on his mouth. I could feel his cock, a velvet clad rod of iron pressing against me hotly.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his lips, my emotions bubbling just below the surface. I hadn’t felt this good in years and my words seemed inadequate for the ecstasy he had selflessly given me.
“My pleasure, Meredith,” he grinned at me in the darkness. “I enjoy this too!”
I slid my hands lower and took hold of his cock, testing the thickness of it. I was not disappointed - he was deliciously hard. My pussy welled up with renewed arousal at the thought of lowering myself onto his shaft.
“I want to fuck you,” I told him, my cheeks colouring slightly at the bold admission. It was so unlike me to talk like that - but I didn’t care; it was the absolute truth.
He laughed and grabbed my backside tightly. “I av thought about this ever since you come here,” he smiled in amusement. “I watch you sunbathe and I think how sexy you look.”
I felt surprised now. I still couldn’t quite understand why he wanted me. Surely he could have had any girl he liked?
He must have read the confusion on my face for he said, “Girls my age are silly and…how you say…bimbo’s?”
“But I am old enough to be your mother!” I pointed out with a self-deprecating laugh.
“But what a sexy mama you are!”
There was no arguing with him so I decided let it lie; there seemed no point in further analysing why he wanted me. The fact that he clearly found me attractive was enough for now.
“Shut up and kiss me again,” I commanded with a sigh.
He obliged and we welded together, our skins sticky in the warm night air. Paulo pushed me backwards until my calves bumped against the sun lounger and I fell backwards helplessly. He dropped down to kiss my breasts, making me squirm all over again.
I wanted desperately to feel him inside me. I had not had a man for so long and here was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I tilted my hips and felt his cock nudge at the entrance of my aching pussy.
“Fuck me,” I muttered into the salty skin of his neck.
He pushed inside my channel with a gasp and I closed my eyes as the bliss swept over my body in a wave of ecstasy. The feeling of absolute fullness was sublime. He completed me in every sense of the word.
Slowly we began to move together, my wooden sun lounger protesting slightly at the somewhat unorthodox use. Paulo kissed me hungrily as he fucked me, his beautiful cock thrusting in and out of me like a piston, skin rubbing slickly on heated skin.
High above us, the moon shone down; illuminating our frenzied coupling until with a soft cry I came again. I lost myself for a moment as blissful contractions rippled through me. I was dimly aware of Paulo’s cock driving into me forcefully until he came too, burying his face in my neck with a groan.
We lay tangled in a sticky mass of limbs. It was impossible to know where he ended and I began. I honestly didn’t care. I was too tired and happy to think about anything really. This had been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.
I closed my eyes and rested my head in Paulo’s shoulder. He held me close and we lay beneath the stars silently. Words were unnecessary - we had said everything important already. Sometimes actions speak far more clearly than words ever can.
*
I sat in the shade of the Carob tree, typing furiously on my laptop. The words filled the screen in a blurry stream of consciousness and I was barely cognitive of anything beyond the keys and page before me. For the first time since my divorce I was able to write again. The writer’s block that had plagued me had finally been obliterated.
Afternoon passed into evening with barely a break for food. I sipped at the glass of water on the table periodically, but was unwilling to stop for anything more substantial. I was afraid of breaking the spell that had been cast in the wake of Paulo’s nocturnal visit.
Despite the fact I had had very little sleep, I felt rejuvenated and amazingly alive. My veins were flooded with adrenaline and an excitement I had not experienced for years. Suddenly I saw the future as something to look forward to rather than something to be dreaded as had been the case for a long time.
Paulo had been my epiphany and I was immensely grateful to him.
An arm snaked around my shoulders and I tilted my head back in pleasure.
“All work and no play…” Paulo said in his deliciously husky voice as he pressed his lips to my damp, salty skin.
My work was temporarily forgotten as I shut my eyes and enjoyed the sublime pleasure of his caress. My work was forgotten as I sank into the abyss of desire. For now work was forgotten again. Now there was only Paulo…
*
The airport arrivals lounge was crowded and it took me a few moments to find Sonya among the throngs of people waiting for friends and relatives. Her face broke into a delighted smile when she spotted me walking towards her.
“Wow!” she said with surprise. “That month in the sun had certainly done you the world of good. I can’t believe how well you look!” She took a step back and surveyed me with a critical eye.
“Is there something you need to tell me about?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I smiled innocently and shook my head. “No darling - just lots of sun and relaxation. Malta is a beautiful island and the locals made me feel right at home…”
Inwardly I sighed. It had been surprisingly hard to leave Paulo behind. In the short time we had spent together, I had grown rather attached to him. But we both knew that it was a short-term fling and when my holiday was over, so were we. In a way I could never repay him for what he had given me. Through his attention and admiration, I had rediscovered my love of life and my sense of self.
It had been a beautiful escape from reality - a wonderful dream. But dreams are transient and eventually we have to wake up.
“Come on,” I said ignoring my daughters suspicious looks. “It’s time to head back to the real world…”
Midnight In My Pool
I hope you enjoyed this small sample of my writing! Please keep checking the site for more freebies and forthcoming published works.
Rach xx
Rachelle Le-Monnier Copywright (c) 2007 All Rights Reserved
Rach xx
Rachelle Le-Monnier Copywright (c) 2007 All Rights Reserved
