Cass threw another swimsuit onto the bed. “Argh!” She yelled in frustration. They were supposed to leave for the party five minutes ago, and everyone was waiting for her downstairs. She felt stress sweat bead up under her arms. Cass needed to look irresistible for Javier, but she still wasn’t sure her outfit was quite right. Maybe the black halter bikini was too predictable? At least she knew she looked hot in the blue silk halter dress.

She reluctantly decided to just go with what she was wearing. It would have to do. She checked her hair in the mirror. It hung long and wavy behind her. It was a good hair day, she decided. At least there was that. She quickly applied mascara and lipstick, threw on some black sandals with a low heel, and hurried downstairs.

Noah, Sam, and Danica were waiting in the villa foyer. Everyone else planned to stay back and spend a quiet evening at the villa, except Lola and Caroline, who were still getting ready. Noah and Sam were pretty annoyed they weren’t downstairs yet. So was Cass. Had she known, she would have continued perfecting her look.

“Why do chicks take so long to get ready?” Sam sighed dramatically.

“It’s all about the hair.” Danica was deadpan. Cass snorted and Danica shot her a wry smile.

“It’s because there are too many options. Skirt? Dress? Pants? Guys only have to worry about which pants to wear.” Cass still wasn’t sure if Danica was speaking to her after their tensions over the past week or two, but she ran with their usual routine.

“Cass, you forget the shoes. It’s always the shoes. If you only knew how many pairs of shoes I packed…” Danica raised her eyebrows and threw up her hands. Cass wondered if she and Danica would hang out tonight. Even though she was psyched to spend time with Javier, her new crush, Danica was clearly in need of attention.

Lola and Caroline strolled down the stairs, both overdressed with high heels and lots of makeup. “Someone’s trying to hookup tonight,” Danica, who wore an elegant yet casual linen dress and espadrilles, muttered. Cass snickered and they exchanged an amused look. Danica continued, raising an ironic eyebrow, “You, on the other hand, look effortlessly hot tonight.”

Cass wondered if she was joking, or if it was a genuine compliment. She could be sarcastic and mean when her feelings were hurt, and sometimes, it was hard to tell. “It wasn’t effortless. I must have changed five times.” She forced a laugh.

Danica continued, relentless, “Well, you picked the right dress. Look at that cleavage. And those legs never end! You. Are. Smoking. Just don’t fall out of the dress.”

Cass snickered again, then looked at Danica silently, uneasy. She wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but something was up.

Cass shifted into Type A mode. No one else was taking the lead. “So, guys, how do we want to get there?” Cass asked the group.

“The place is like two blocks away. Let’s walk,” Sam said casually.

When they finally got to the dirt shoulder running along the side of the road, Cass was surprised to see Lola and Caroline were still holding up well in their heels. She hoped they had good balance, because it was a short tumble over the guard rail off to their right-hand side. All that lay below was cliffside and sea. She cringed just thinking about it.

In a few minutes, the stunning beach house was within sight. It was built on a giant rock that jutted out from the cliff they stood on. The minimalist, plinth-like house hugged the far end of the rock, with a terrace covering the entire rooftop. Two precarious stairways cut into the cliffside led to the house, one to each side.

The group walked down one of the stairways and back up again toward the house. After a few long minutes, they were there. The scorching hot sun was still high in the sky and strains of ambient music floated toward them. No one was there. She could smell meat grilling though, and spotted the pool as they walked around the side of the house toward the back.

“Ooh, infinity pool,” Lola cooed.

“Oh, my god. Hardbody at 9 o’clock.” Caroline’s stage whisper was almost offensively loud.

It was Javier, laying out by the pool next to a cabana. His tanned abdomen had at least an eight pack, and his pecs looked carved from bronze. He wore a black boxer brief swimsuit that didn’t leave much to the imagination, and Cass couldn’t pull her eyes away from his sculpted body. Javier wore mirrored aviators, and she couldn’t tell if he was awake or asleep. He lifted his head. It was clear that he could see her staring at him, so Cass didn’t even bother trying to hide it. She sighed.

Hopefully, he didn’t need her to play hard to get. Apparently, it was a game she played poorly. He waved and nodded, then quickly rose from his chair and began striding toward her and the rest of the group.

Cass felt a little awkward that they were the first guests to arrive, but Sam seemed to have no such qualms, and walked purposefully over to Juan Carlos, who manned the grill at the opposite side of the pool. The two guys clasped hands and did the “bro” half hug. Just then Javier was by her side. “I’m so glad you made it,” he whispered in her ear as he greeted her with dos besos. She was left wondering if the lip graze on her ear was intentional as she introduced him to Noah, Lola, Caroline, and, finally, Danica. With some alarm, Cass noticed Javier seemed to be checking Danica out as she introduced them. She had better keep his attention tonight.

“So, what can I offer you to drink? Beer, sangria, gin and tonic?”

It was sangria for Lola, and beer for everyone else.

“Cass, why don’t you help me carry the drinks?”

“Of course.” She assumed there was no one else inside… Cass’ stomach fluttered with anticipation at being alone with him.

They walked side by side toward the door on the cool, shady side of the house.

“This place is amazing. It’s straight out of the pages of a magazine. Or movie.”

“Wait until you see inside. It’s like an art gallery. And Juan Carlos’s parents are almost never here to enjoy it!”

“Really? Where are they?”

“They spend most of their time in Madrid. I guess that’s where they are now. This is just their beach house.”

He held the door open for her and she stepped inside to take it all in. The house’s interior was just as minimalist and white as it was outside. Cass watched Javier’s perfectly muscled ass and powerful thighs as he retreated to the kitchen. While he got the drinks, she took in the whitewashed floors, the giant white shells that sat at the center of the driftwood table, and the Eames chair in the living room. She walked over to the chair, caressing the buttery leather with her fingers.

As Cass glanced up, she saw that Javier stood at the entryway to the kitchen, staring at her.

**************************************************************************************

Javier’s expression was unreadable. Then he was striding briskly toward her. “Where are the dri…” His lips were upon hers before she could finish her sentence, his fingers running through her silky, dirty-blond hair. The kiss took her breath away; she felt it to the core. His hand pulled her body tightly against his, his teeth lightly grazing her lips. Javier’s stubble rubbed her mouth raw as his powerful kisses made her lower extremities tingle. Her hands crept up around his neck, and she kissed him back with the same ferocity, entirely lost in the moment.

Javier nibbled on Cass’s lower lip as he gently steered her a few steps backwards, then sideways, then pushed her back onto the white couch that faced the front of the house. They fell together without leaving each other’s lips, kissing deeply for a long while. His hands deftly untied the halter at the back of her dress and bikini. Both halter tops fell at once.

“Joder!” he exclaimed in a low voice, his eyes fixed on her bare, heavy breasts, and then he was upon her, encircling one rosy nipple with a wet tongue as he caressed the other in his palm. Cass sighed. He continued to kiss and suckle her breast until she was stimulated nearly to pain, then he switched to the other nipple.

His hand disappeared under her dress and was slowly moving up her thigh. She gasped in anticipation, stomach muscles contracting, as his fingers reached the edge of her swimsuit bottom and brushed over the scrap of material covering her pussy. He broke the kiss for a moment and looked at her intensely. She could feel the honey flow from between her legs, and wondered if, in her heightened state of arousal, the wetness had soaked through her swimsuit.

His sudden devilish smile told her it had, and she blushed.

He kneeled on the couch, pushing her back so he was on top. Javier carefully rolled to his side next to her, propped on an elbow. He watched her with amber eyes, his hand traveling steadily to the waistband of her bikini bottoms. His fingers slid effortlessly under the elastic and downward, his touch quickening as he reached her mound, and explored the folds beneath. He stared at her, hard, as she closed her eyes and sighed.

“Does that feel good?” he whispered into her ear, nipping the earlobe with his lips and then his teeth.

“Mmm hmm.” She sighed, then moaned and arched her back, as he rhythmically rubbed her wet clit with his fingers and slid his tongue into her ear. His laboring breaths and cock straining against his swimsuit evidenced his arousal. She slipped a hand into his suit and grasped his cock, then began stroking it.

He suppressed a moan as her hand moved up and down on the wide shaft. His size was impressive, and for a moment Cass wondered, “What is it with these Spanish guys?” recalling her liaison the night before. Cass wanted nothing more than to have Javier inside of her. The only thing stopping her was an intense fear that someone would walk in on them.

Javier rose halfway and she thought he was getting up. They probably did need to get back to the party. She tried to hide her disappointment, shimmying up the arm of the couch. She was just scooting into a sitting position when he firmly pushed her back down again. He had the hem of her dress in his hand and before she knew what was happening he slid it over her head. Cass squirmed uncomfortably, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

He peeled away her swimsuit bottom, and she heard his sharp intake of breath as he drank her in. He gazed at her, eyes scanning her naked body from head to toe, slowing at her breasts, the curve of her hips, the little tangle of hair between her legs.

“Magnifico.”

He gave her a lusty look and bent to kiss her nipples, taking both into his mouth at once. After sucking on the little nubs, he moved his lips down to her ribs, trailing to her belly button, her pelvis bone, her thigh…She panicked: was he going to try to eat her out? She was inexperienced, and the few times she received oral pleasure, she found it both physically and emotionally over-stimulating. Once, the intensity of her climax made her sob. Needless to say, she never saw that guy again.

“Wait. Wait.” She stopped him with a hand. “I’m not sure I want to do this. I... I’m scared.” She just couldn’t explain why, and feared he would think her a freak either way.

“Shh. It’s OK. You’re safe with me. Whatever you feel, it’s fine.” His hands brushed her thighs with long, soothing strokes, as he slowed it down, nibbling below her belly button with gentle butterfly kisses for several long minutes. His tongue gently explored her skin there, giving her goose bumps. Javier’s teasing kisses coaxed her into wanting more, wishing he would move his mouth lower; her initial doubts gone.

She forgot the fear of being caught, of her own bizarre emotional responses, of everything. The only thing that mattered was Javier, and how much she wanted him. She looked down and his eyes bored into her own, smoldering with their connection, as his kisses moved downward. He paused, hovering above her pussy, waiting for her permission. She strained to control herself, inflamed by his eyes on her naked body. She writhed on the couch, moving her pussy closer to his mouth. “Please. Yes. Yes. Kiss me…there.”

He complied, moving his hands under her, one gently cradling each ass cheek. He dipped his head between her legs to taste the honey that flowed there. Javier’s tongue probed each of her folds, opening her up one petal at a time. She suppressed a loud moan when his tongue reached her clit, skin searing where it touched her.

Javier rubbed her clit between two lips, then bathed it with long strokes, his tongue’s roughness sending a shock through her. He licked eagerly at the little bundle of nerves like a kitten lapping at cream, darting at it again and again. Cass squirmed with the sensation’s intensity, then relaxed and breathed more deeply. She closed her eyes and gave herself permission to stop thinking, to let her body take over. As she let go, there was no pain, only pleasure, and it was…“OH!” so sweet.

Cass was relaxed, yet so excited, that there wasn’t much she wouldn’t let Javier do to her. She was shocked, and grateful, that he had unlocked this door for her. Javier continued to lick Cass’s pussy with masterful strokes. He slipped two fingers inside of her and slid them in and out, rhythmically, as he swirled his tongue in circles on her clit. She arched her back and moaned, abandoning herself to the sublime sensation. Her breathing sped up, his fingers and tongue all at once pushing her to her limit, poised on the edge of climax.

“Oh! Javier!” Her hips moved to their own beat as he took the entire pubis into his mouth and again flicked his tongue against her throbbing clit, then sucked, then flicked, alternating movements.

Cass was swirling through space and there was nothing but Javier’s mouth between her thighs. She lost herself in the sensation, allowing the tears this time, no judgement. She cried out once, and again, her voice climbing an octave each time. She looked down at him and saw he was still watching her, a look of triumph building in his eyes.

She felt the first rumblings of the climax beginning to quake through her, like thunder before a downpour. Then suddenly, there were voices nearby, and Cass gasped. “Shit!” she hissed. Javier moved to his feet with lightning speed and grasped her hand, roughly jerking at her arm. Cass grabbed her dress and swimsuit and the two ran into the hallway behind them, which led to the front door and some bedrooms downstairs.

They heard the back door open and two or three voices speaking to one another in Spanish as they hid around the corner at the top of the stairs. It sounded like Juan Carlos and someone else, talking and laughing. Even though Juan Carlos couldn’t see him, Javier shielded her naked body, hovering over her as Cass stepped into the bikini bottoms. She threw the bikini top over her head and Javier stood behind her and tied it, his hands trailing down the soft skin of her belly and reluctantly letting go as she threw the dress over her head.

He tied the dress too, then kissed her on the back of her neck, scratching her with his stubble. His kisses were maddening. He had already primed her pump, and she Just. Couldn’t. Take. Any. More. The interruption on the brink of climax didn’t seem fair, and now she was paying—her pussy still ached for him.

“To be continued?” Javier whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist from behind.

She nodded and turned, kissing him with swollen lips. She could taste her briny sex as their tongues slipped in and out of each other’s mouths. Nearly lost in the moment again, they reluctantly broke apart. Javier took her hand and led her toward the kitchen and the back entrance, where Juan Carlos and some others she didn’t recognize stood.

“Eh, Juan Carlos!”

“Javier! We were beginning to worry about you two.”

“Sorry, I was showing Cass around the house.”

This was the extent of what she understood because they spoke in Spanish. Juan Carlos gave the pair a knowing look, a wink, and a smile, and Cass blushed. It seemed that he was onto them.

************************************************************************************

Two hours later, the party was hopping. Javier had been chatting nearly nose to nose with Danica for what seemed like forever. Danica wasn’t much of a flirt, but she was gorgeous and generally hilarious, and he seemed enchanted. Cass couldn’t tell if she was overreacting, but it seemed like they were so into each other that no one else mattered.

She only half listened to the conversation, feigning boredom rather than show the insecurity that suddenly gripped her: maybe Danica was the type of girl you really wanted to be with and she was just the type of girl you screw on the side. She wasn’t sure if Danica had picked up that she wanted this guy. Even if she had, she might go for it, anyway. They had overlapped each other a couple of times with past relationships, their longstanding competition one of the root causes of their current tension.

Since they weren’t exactly on the best terms right now, Cass feared Danica might disregard her feelings, or even purposely try to lash out by hooking up with him in order to get her attention.

She looked back at the pair, and noticed the corners of Javier’s eyes crinkle as he laughed, sexy and low at Danica’s anecdote. “I’m outta here,” she said silently to herself. Cass searched around for someone else she knew or some otherwise inviting group. The party was so packed by now, it was hard to navigate through the throngs and she swallowed a few times, gripped by claustrophobia and loneliness.

Sometimes she had these attacks while in a crowd. She had even stopped smoking and drinking coffee, hoping the lack of stimulants would even out her anxiety. It had helped a little, but now a deep craving rattled her as she breathed in the secondhand smoke that drifted past.

Everyone nearby looked so cool and European, engaged in light and flirty conversations in Spanish, eyes inaccessible behind dark sunglasses. She swallowed again, feeling as though she would sink right into the stone patio with the awkwardness of it all.

Little beads of sweat trickled down between Cass’s breasts and into the front of her swimsuit. She decided to take a dip in the pool. Maybe it would calm her nerves. She walked over to the cabana, grabbed a towel, took off and folded her dress, and walked down the pool steps.

The water was cool against her flushed skin. She closed her eyes and rested her body against the wall.

“Hey, Cass.”

She opened her eyes. It was Noah, swimming toward her from just a few feet away. He was a bit subdued.

“Oh, hey, Noah.”

“So, you having fun?”

“Yeah, but I’m a little overwhelmed with the crowd.” He nodded in understanding. She sighed in relief. As usual, she didn’t need to explain herself to him.

“I’m not much for big parties like this, either.” He shook his head thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I remember. We usually just ended up hanging out at your place during college.”

“Those were the days.” He smiled at the memory. Then he paused, looking unsure. “Hey, let me ask you something. Why aren’t you with that guy, Javier? You two seemed to hit it off.” He squinted at her. She felt as if he had just punched her in the gut. How could she explain that Javier had instantaneously lost interest in her? Was Noah rubbing her face in it? Probably not on purpose.

“I guess so, yeah. I don’t know what’s up. It’s a party. I guess he’s talking to people.” If by “people” you mean Danica, she added silently. She looked around and didn’t see either of them anymore. Maybe they were on the couch together, she thought bitterly.

“Well, I thought you would probably find someone on the trip. Are you sure he’s what you want? You don’t know anything about him.”

“I mean…” She hesitated. Be careful. Don’t hurt Noah, her beloved friend, who probably had some feelings for her. Better just be honest, but understated. “I guess I like him, yeah. Why do you say that?”

“Say what?”

“That I would probably find someone on the trip.”

“You always do.”

“What do you mean?” She played dumb. His words stung a little, but she had to admit he had a point. She hoped he wasn’t implying she was a whore. She shivered with shame. It passed.

“Guys like you. What can I say?”

“Sometimes they do.”

“All of this competition makes it hard for the rest of us.” He rubbed his hands together and gave her a bitter little smile.

She smiled back, wistfully, “You know, Noah, and I’m not sure if this is changing the subject, or not, but I miss hanging out with you. I miss our friendship.”

“It’s not. And you know I’ll be in Florida for the next month, before I leave for Africa.”

“Oh, that’s right. I’ll be there, too. Visiting my family.” He shrugged and nodded, expectantly. “We already talked about this, didn’t we?” He nodded. She shook her head, annoyed with herself. He had accused her before of not listening to him. Maybe he was right. “So, let’s get together.”

“I’d love that.”

“Why don’t you come see me on Useppa? I’m going there in two weeks. You can stay with me. I’ve got a cottage reserved at the yacht club.”

“That sounds great,” she sighed with relief. This would be a good chance to bond, to leave things on good terms before he left for Africa.

Just then Javier swam over, seemingly out of nowhere. He was smiling, leveling his full attention at her. Damn, he could be so…disarming.

“Hi, Cass, Noah…are you enjoying the party?”

The two guys graciously made some small talk. After a few minutes, Noah excused himself and exited the pool. Cass turned to Javier. “So, you seemed to be getting along well with Danica.” Her smile didn’t extend to her eyes.

He smiled back at her, almost…gleeful. “She’s really interesting, funny, beautiful…she has the whole package.”

“She’s great. You know, she’s my best friend.”

“I know. She mentioned that. She talked about you the whole time. She really likes you.”

“Yeah, well sometimes she has a funny way of showing it.”

He ignored her comment, took a deep breath. “I really like you, too.” Cass’s heart fluttered. It was her theory that casual sex will foreclose all possibility of a relationship, except in the rare case where it will actually speed emotional attachment. That was why she usually waited until things were serious before having sex.

She wondered if breaking all her own rules with Javier would turn out to be a mistake. Anyway, she wasn’t sure what kind of relationship she could realistically expect, since she was flying back to the U.S. in a week.

“Well, I think it’s obvious that I really like you, too.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes, still a bit pouty.

“It’s not so obvious.” He was thoughtful.

“What do you mean? I’ve been following you like a puppy dog for the past two hours.” She grumbled irritably.

“I wanted you to meet my friends, and I wanted to meet yours. I’m interested in finding out about you, what’s important to you, who’s important to you...Is that wrong?”

“No…no. Of course not.” A smile began to play at the corners of her mouth.

“So, why did you disappear? You seem a little...prickly. Out of sorts. I was worried maybe you felt uncomfortable about earlier. Maybe I took things too far?” He smoothed back his hair with both hands, bouncing up and down a little in the pool water. “I’m sorry. I guess I couldn’t control myself. You know, you make me just a little bit crazy.” His voice was low and intimate.

“No, no. That was…incredible. The best.” He listened intently. She took a deep breath, and continued, “I was just hoping to spend a little time alone with you today. Maybe it’s not realistic—I know this is a party—but I want to get to know you better. I’m leaving in five days. Plus...” she blushed a deep crimson red. This was so humiliating. Especially since a wide grin had now taken over his face.

“Go on…”

“Well, it seems like maybe something is going on between you and Danica.” Her voice cracked with embarrassment.

He threw his head back and laughed. “No. No. I can assure you, nothing is going on between us. In fact, were you even listening to what I just said? We talked about you the entire time.”

“OK, but I saw you checking her out, a few times.”

He looked at her, cocked his head, exhaled, “Of course. She’s a beautiful woman. But you have nothing to worry about. I promise.” She raised an eyebrow and he laughed a little, hand on his forehead. “And, yes, I confess. I was trying, just a little bit, to make you jealous. I wanted to see how you’d react.” He raised an eyebrow now, and his expression was downright demonic. For the first time, she noticed he had the most alluring dimples. She hid her relief beneath a glare.

He continued “For what it’s worth, my plan totally backfired. I don’t even think she likes guys.”

Cass was puzzled. She would have to ask him about that last part later. For now, though, he needed to know about her wrath. Mainly, that behind her gentle exterior, she had one. “Well, you know what I don’t like? Games.”

“I’m sorry.” He took her hand, which was balled up into a fist, kissed it. “I’m sorry.” Kissed it again. “No more games.” He was almost whispering now, “Do you feel what’s between us?”

“Your hard cock,” she whispered back.

He flashed his teeth in a momentary grin, then straightened his expression. “Be serious. We have something. I know you feel it.” He took her hand and held it to his chest. She nearly rolled her eyes—he was acting like such a stereotype right now—but his soulful eyes were compelling. “You may not realize this, but Spanish men are very romantic, and very possessive. So having said that, you need to tell me what you want.”

His intensity overwhelmed her. They’d only known each other for a day! But the romantic in her let her believe he was utterly sincere, that feelings could develop this quickly. Stupid girl, she thought to herself, smiling. She wanted it; wanted him. His arm had crept around her waist and he was holding her body close to his in the water. She was aroused by the ownership implied in his body language.

But she had to be realistic. “Uh, Javier, I’m leaving in five days.”

“So?”

She couldn’t let her emotions carry her away. “So, there’s not much time to explore whatever there is between us.”

“Don’t worry about that. Let’s just enjoy the time we have together. Tomorrow, let’s go into town, and I’ll show you around. I want to spend these next few days with you.”

Even though she should probably spend time with her friends, hot Spanish lover boy be damned, she couldn’t help herself. “I’d love that.”

He paused for a moment, thinking, then looked like he had just decided something. “Also, if you don’t have any plans on Thursday night, I want to show you something very special.”

“That’s my last day here. What do you want to show me?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Can I have a hint?”

“OK. I guarantee it’s something you’ve never seen before.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not a hint. Come on.”

“You’ll have to stay curious for a little while longer. You’ll know, soon enough.” His amber eyes were like melted toffee, warmly gazing into hers. “Come on. Let’s watch the sunset from the rooftop terrace.”

Silently beaming, she eased herself out of the pool to head up to the rooftop, already looking forward to tomorrow with Javier.

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**Part 2 of this chapter posted separately due to technical issues**