The Summer Flings Travel Club: A Fun, Flirty and Hilarious Beach Read. Aimee Duffy

fully erect, but she was sure after all the touching to manoeuvre her that he was well on his way.

      Elle had dropped the act of wanting to learn and had unleashed her inner flirt. Brandon was falling hook, line and sinker and he was putty in her friend’s expertly manicured fingers. Gem hadn’t wasted any time either, and had perched on Rye’s lap on the sand, already giving him a game of tonsil tennis.

      ‘Just open your legs a bit more, Ciara,’ Matt urged.

      She certainly was not! Pulling away, she turned to him, trying to keep her irritation from showing. She wasn’t about to dry hump him on the bloody beach. But then she couldn’t be too mad at him for assuming she was easy, since she suspected Gem was well on her way to getting Rye past semi-hard.

      ‘I don’t think I’m getting it,’ she admitted.

      ‘Me either,’ Elle said. ‘You know, we’re staying on the beach not far from here. Why don’t we go back there, get cleaned up and have a few drinks by the pool?’

      Everyone seemed to be into that idea, especially Gem and Rye who looked like they wanted to rip each other’s clothes off right there and get down and dirty in the sand.

      They made it back much faster than they’d taken this morning – having three strong men to muscle around their things was the only good thing about inviting them back to the house.

      Elle had a shower first, so it was up to her to entertain Brandon and Matt – Gem was doing a good job of entertaining Rye in the pool.

      Brandon was nice, asking lots of questions about their experience at university and even asking what Elle’s favourite food was. Ciara was sure he was going to at least ask her on a date before he dragged her into bed.

      Matt was a different story. He kept interrupting, telling her he was going to be a model and that he’d just had a portfolio made of all his best shots, but now he’d gotten better definition in his abs and biceps (both of which he insisted she touched), he needed to save for more.

      ‘Really, that’s grand,’ she answered, but might as well have been talking to herself.

      Brandon’s smile was apologetic.

      Elle appeared a little while later and Ciara decided it was time to leave Elle with the superficial pain in the arse. But he caught her arm.

      ‘How about I come let you wash my back?’ Matt asked.

      How about you let go of my wrist before I have to chew through my elbow to escape? ‘Maybe another time.’

      ‘Later, for sure babe.’ His eyes smouldered and it so wasn’t sexy.

      Not like Zack’s that night. Not even a little.

      She took her time getting showered and dressed, even applying make-up but not to attract Matt, just to kill time. She was sure he was too hot for himself to notice – she was probably just another girl to fuck for his pleasure.

      By the time she’d grabbed a bottle of beer and returned to the poolside, they were all at the dining table and she stopped the cringe from showing on her face. The only seat left was next to the pretty boy she was hoping had gone off to find some other girl to satisfy his needs.

      No such luck.

      ‘Hey Keera, I’ve saved you a seat,’ Matt said.

      She gritted her teeth and sat down. ‘Ciara, not Keera.’

      ‘Huh. Well, here’s to an awesome night,’ he said, clinking his beer bottle with hers and winking.

      It was going to be anything but.

      When Gem disappeared for a shower, she wasn’t alone. Rye followed her still sporting the tent in his shorts that must be becoming painful now. Elle noticed and grabbed the remote and switched the music on inside the house to drown out anything they didn’t need to hear.

      Brandon was still being really nice, asking everything about Elle and letting her prattle on and on about her life. He seemed more and more into her as the day went on.

      On the flip side, Matt told Ciara everything about his. Everything. Even without her asking. And she had to zone out after a while, forcing a smile and nodding between gulps of beer.

      Rye returned alone, looking flushed with his hair still damp and a self-satisfied smile on his face. She looked for Gem, but she wasn’t far behind, grinning wider than she’d done in a while. She didn’t use the other chair, just slipped straight onto Rye’s lap.

      At least someone was having fun.

      Matt took her hand off the table and held it in two of his. ‘You don’t seem into this.’

      He sounded surprised. She had to bite her lip before she asked if he was kidding. Instead she shrugged. ‘It’s been a long day.’

      He moved closer until she could smell the beer on his breath. Eww. ‘It could be a long night too, if you want.’

      She leaned back and tried to remove her hand from his clasp but it was useless. ‘Let’s take it as it comes.’

      She heard the metal gate slam shut, even over the sound of the music blasting out the glass sliding doors and turned around. Zack stood just inside the garden with a holdall slung over his shoulder, scowling at her and Matt. Everyone turned to look and she used Matt’s distraction to free herself.

      The music cut off and Elle shouted, ‘What are you doing here, Zack?’

      Elle’s eyes were blue fire, but Ciara was having a different reaction. A more visceral one. Her heart took off full speed and she struggled to get breath into her lungs. He was mad, that was easy to see. But even beneath the crazy attraction she felt just seeing him, she couldn’t find guilt. Yet.

      ‘Let’s do this inside, Elle,’ Zack said, storming past her to the house.

      Elle’s pulse beat at her temples, then she stormed in after him and shut the glass door so hard it vibrated.

      ‘We should have brought popcorn,’ Gem said, then giggled.

      The guys looked confused, but the glass was soundproof so they couldn’t hear Elle shrieking at Zack like she had back in LA. They could see her face turn red though, and could see Zack pull something up on his phone and show it to her as he shouted right back.

      Oh God, the photos Elle had taken. She’d forgotten to check them. No doubt they were awful.

      ‘Who’s this clown?’ Matt asked.

      If a lump the size of a golf ball hadn’t formed in her throat, she’d have treated him to a number of insults that would be sure to put a chip in his continental ego.

      Gem was more polite. ‘Elle’s cousin. This is their family’s condo.’

      Just then Elle came out of the house, sliding the door shut in Zack’s frown. ‘Sorry, my cousin is staying here too. How about we go out for dinner and a few drinks?’

      Both Gem and Elle had changed into sun dresses while she’d chucked on a pair of shorts and a vest. ‘Let me put something else on.’

      ‘You look okay, babe,’ Matt said.

      She didn’t take his stellar compliment well. Not now Zack thought she really was a slut, jumping from his bed straight into the arms of pretty boy. ‘I’ll feel better if I wear something else.’

      ‘Well hurry up. I need to get away from him,’ Elle said.

      Ciara jogged across the terrace and slid the door open. She couldn’t see Zack anywhere and didn’t know whether she was disappointed by that. Probably better she didn’t have to face him now, after what he’d seen outside.

      She darted into her room, pulled a baby pink summer dress off the hanger and slipped on a pair of gemmed flip flops. Her hair had gone wavy after letting it dry naturally earlier which made her look like a hippy but there was no time to do anything with it. Elle would come in