2 comments/ 139132 views/ 15 favorites Maelstrom Ch. 01 By: rachlou The smell of frying bacon drew Meg into the kitchen. She yawned heavily; the taxi had dropped her at home well past midnight and sleep had been a long time coming. But it had been a good night and she grinned at the memory as she switched the kettle on. It took her a few moments to notice her mother in the room adjacent to the kitchen. She was sitting with her back to Meg, her head bent over a piece of paper. "Wanna drink, Mum?" asked Meg, rubbing her tired eyes with the edge of her dressing gown sleeve. Sylvie jumped and Meg saw her shove the paper in her pocket. "No, I'm fine," she said in a funny voice. For a second Meg thought it sounded like she was upset, but she dismissed the idea almost as soon as it entered her head. Her mum wasn't the emotional kind. The only time Meg had ever seen her cry was when their dog had been run over a couple of years before. When Sylvie came back into the kitchen, she smiled brightly at Meg. "Good night was it?" she asked as she turned the hob back on to cook some more bacon. Meg shrugged. "'Spose," she said, but Sylvie had already walked away again. With a cup of tea in her hand, Meg took a seat at the breakfast bar and watched her mother thoughtfully. Sylvie was standing at the sink, staring into the garden as she filled the washing up bowl. When the water began to overflow, Sylvie appeared not notice; she was in a world of her own. "Mum, are you okay?" asked Meg eventually. "Huh?" Sylvie belatedly noticed the water was still running and she quickly turned the tap off. "Yes, darling, I'm fine. Get the bacon out of the fridge for me and I'll make you a sandwich." * * * When Meg left the room, Sylvie pulled the crumpled letter from her pocket and stared at it again. She felt like her whole world had shifted on some invisible axis. Although she had thought about this moment a million times over the years, it had still come as a huge shock. The grey envelope had seemed innocuous enough at first when she had picked it up with the other post. It was only when she opened it and read the brief letter that she realised what it meant. The safe walls that surrounded her came crashing down and the ground beneath her feet opened up as the potential repercussions of her predicament began to sink in. How on earth was she going to tell Meg? * * * "Damn." Meg examined the empty packet of cigarettes and scowled in consternation. Tommy must have nicked the last one while she wasn't paying attention. He is such a fucking cheap skate, she thought crossly. Now she was going to have to pay a fortune for a packet from the pub machine. She stopped in front of a shop window and glanced at her reflection critically. Her normally curly auburn hair hung in sleek waves, courtesy of some new hair irons her mum had given her for her birthday, and her curvy figure was barely contained within a tight dress she had found in a charity shop the previous weekend. A loud wolf whistle had her spinning around on her heels. Two lads standing at the bus stop were watching her. "Hey, sexy," the tall, skinny one yelled. "If you come over here I'll show you a good time!" Meg gave him the finger and stuck her tongue out rudely. "Go home - your mum will be wondering where you've got to," she replied scornfully with a disdainful toss of her hair. Skinny boy's mate sniggered and received a thump around the head for his lack of loyalty while Meg waltzed off towards the high street, oblivious to the fracas. She had more important things on her mind. Like whether or not Ryan was likely to show tonight. A silly smile touched her red lips as she thought about Ryan. Six feet six of pure perfection – it was just a pity he was still seeing that bitch, Linda. The man was a total stud muffin and Linda was, well, a total skank. But Meg felt certain tonight was the night where she would have the opportunity to persuade Ryan that the grass was greener on her side of the fence. But if he didn't show, then she would have to come up with another plan. Her feet were beginning to hurt in her new shoes, but Meg hurried along, ignoring the discomfort. She was late and she knew Sarah was likely to be pissed off as ever with her lack of punctuality. Sure enough, by the time Meg pushed through the crowds of people queuing for the bar, Sarah had a face like thunder. "For fucks sake, can't you ever be on time?" she grumbled crossly as Meg flung herself down in the corner booth. "Basically, no," Meg grinned. "I don't do punctual – you should know this by now." "Well I wish you did – I've had to beat them off with sticks for the last twenty minutes." She nodded her head in the direction of a trio of eager young men, all hopefully smiling in Sarah's direction. "Maybe if you wore something less slutty, you wouldn't have had a problem?" Meg glanced down at her friend's boob tube and mini skirt and wondered how it was Sarah had the nerve to act so completely oblivious to her charms. "It's not slutty!" Sarah said, clearly outraged at Meg's assertion. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Is it my round then?" "Too fucking right. I'll have another sex on the beach – it's going down a treat so far." "Oh I wish somebody was going down on me," replied Meg mournfully and Sarah burst out laughing. "Sorry, no sign of Ryan yet," she said. "Well there's still time. You did tell him we were all meeting here, didn't you?" "Yeah, I made sure he knew." Sarah pulled her phone out of her voluminous handbag when it bleeped loudly. She read the text message in silence. "Okay, the others are gonna be here in half an hour," she told Meg as she tapped out a brief reply. "That gives you plenty of time to get a round in. Oh and make sure you check out the cute new bartender – he's well hot!" She winked lasciviously. Meg had to agree that Sarah was right as the bartender mixed their cocktails. He wasn't exactly her usual type with his dark hair and slight build, but there was certainly something charismatic about him. "Will there be anything else?" he asked with a smile as she stared at him. Belatedly, Meg realised he had spoken and an uncharacteristic blush warmed her pale cheeks. "Not yet," she said, smiling flirtatiously. He grinned and took her money, their fingers briefly touching. She felt a tingle down her arm and a sudden rush of warmth between her legs. Yeah, the guy definitely had that X factor. Suddenly Ryan didn't seem half as important as he had a few hours previously. * * * Her head hurt. Trying to focus on her glass, Meg wondered why men were such bastards. Despite her best efforts, Ryan had rebuffed every advance she had made. He seemed determined to stick with the skanky Linda and for the life of her, Meg could not understand why. What did Linda have that she, Meg, didn't? "Just forget him," Sarah had advised drunkenly after Meg stormed off into the ladies following a humiliating snub from Ryan. "But we're meant for each other!" Meg wailed. It made her so angry. She just wanted Ryan to give her a chance, but she may as well have been invisible this evening for all the attention he had shown her. To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure why he had even turned up at all. But none of that mattered now. She had had enough of chasing him – plenty more fish in the sea and all that. The cure bartender caught her eye as he passed by her table on his way back to the bar and she flashed him a killer smile. He grinned back at her and she immediately felt better. Just because Ryan's a tosser - it doesn't mean that all men are, she thought with a little more optimism. Looking around, Meg suddenly realised that it was late and she really ought to be making a move. She turned to see what Sarah was up to, but her friend was engrossed in her latest conquest. The guy had his hand up her skirt and Sarah was practically horizontal across the velvet seat. "Humph," Meg grumbled. Looks like I'm the only one not having fun tonight. She stood and made her way over to the ladies, aware that most of the customers had already departed. She winced as she walked unsteadily; she knew she would have a painful blister on her heel once her shoes had been discarded. With her attention distracted by her foot, she failed to notice a stray handbag left by a stool. Her heel caught in the strap and she tripped clumsily, sprawling in an ungainly heap at the end of the bar. Now her ankle hurt far more than her heel. "Ouch," she moaned, hoping like hell that there was nobody around who might have witnessed her embarrassment. "Hey, are you okay?" asked a husky voice. Meg looked up to see the cute bartender standing over her with concern written all over his face. "I dunno," she said with a grimace, trying to straighten her leg. "My ankle is killing me." "Here, let me help you up," the guy offered. Before she had a chance to say a word, he had slipped his arm beneath her and was carefully supporting her weight as she clung on to him. "I think I'll be alright," she said unsteadily. At least she could put some weight on it – so it wasn't too badly sprained. "Are you with anyone?" he asked, looking around the room at the thinning crowds. "Kind of," Meg replied, noticing that Sarah was still engrossed in lover boy. "But I think she's busy." The guy followed her line of sight and laughed. "I think you might be right," he said. "Okay, let's get you sitting down somewhere and then I can organise a taxi or something." Meg smiled at him gratefully. It made a change for a guy to be helping her with no ulterior motive. As he took her through a door behind the bar area, she enjoyed the feel of his body against hers. Although her head was severely woolly from all the alcohol she had consumed, the attraction she had felt earlier was still simmering away. "Take a seat while I finish a couple of things, then I'll ring a taxi for you." "Thanks," she said, "but I don't even know your name!" "Zach," he said. His blue eyes made her heart beat faster and for a moment she forgot where she was. "I'm Meg," she replied slightly breathlessly. Her nipples were hard and she knew she was wet. Deliberately, teasingly, she lifted her legs up on to the low couch she was sitting on. As a result, her dress rode even higher up her thighs and the tops of her stockings were revealed. He noticed. For a moment, their eyes locked and Meg felt the unspoken ripple of desire between them. Then he regretfully turned away. "Gotta clear the bar," he said hurriedly. She watched him leave the office and smiled gleefully. This is going to be easier than I thought. * * * Zach realised his hands were shaking when he nearly dropped a crate of mixers. "Fuck!" he muttered as he tried to control his rampant thoughts. The last thing he needed was to lose this job – hell no, he had only been here five fucking minutes. If he had no job, then he stood zero chance of affording the rent on the studio flat he had just taken a short-term lease on. "Get a grip," he ordered crossly as he carried the heavy crate back up the cellar steps. But his dick refused to listen and he sighed. The girl had caught his eye as soon as she walked in earlier. Her flaming red hair was noticeable enough, but it wasn't just that. It wasn't even the way her breasts threatened to spill from out of her dress, or the way her arse curved in such a delicious fashion. It was something subliminal...something inexplicable. But whatever it was, he was going to have to be strong and ignore it. He had enough complications in his life without adding 'relationship' into the mix. She may well be hot as hell, but all he was going to do was ring for a taxi shortly and then make sure she got in it safely. It was all part of the job. With grim determination, he began to collect the dirty glasses and wipe the tables down. * * * Meg jumped when Zach reappeared. She was beginning to feel sleepy from all the cocktails she had drunk and although her ankle was throbbing, it wasn't enough to bother her all that much. "Sorry about the wait," Zach said as he dropped a pile of dirty tea towels on the floor. "How's the ankle?" he asked. She leaned forward and rubbed it. "Sore." "Let me have a look," he said. "I did a First Aid course last year." He came over and sat next to her, lifting her leg gently so that it rested on his knee. Meg felt his first tentative touch and tried very hard not to make a sound. She watched his hands manipulating her joint and wondered how it would feel if he slid his fingers further up her thigh... "There's not much swelling so I think with a little rest, you'll be fine," he announced cheerfully as he turned to face Meg. She swung her legs down and pushed herself up into a more upright position, catching him glancing at her cleavage although he immediately looked away when he realised she had intercepted his look. "I'll try standing again," she said, aware that her dress was rising past the point of decency, but not caring all that much. "Can you give me a hand?" He hesitated for a fraction of a second, before grasping her arm and trying to hoist her. For a moment they teetered slightly then she winced dramatically and sank backwards on to the soft sofa, pulling him with her. Zach fell on top of her and she managed to look surprised as his face hovered mere millimetres from her own. She could feel the heat of him, burning through her thin dress, sending her pulse rocketing through the roof. He regarded her intently as his weight pressed her body into the cushions. For an instant she was sure he knew she had engineered this, but he didn't move a muscle. Instead his hand crept up her body, sweeping across the curve of her breast, before reaching her cheek. Then he kissed her. Her ankle was ignored as the inferno took hold, igniting her senses in a way she had never felt before. His mouth ravaged hers hungrily, his hands cupping her face almost tenderly. Alcohol blew reason out of the window and Meg forgot she was lying on a couch in a cramped office: an office where anyone could walk in at any time. Instead she arched her back and eagerly ran her hands down his back, needing more than just a kiss. She could feel him hard and throbbing against her belly, making her wet and achy. Her breasts strained against the balconette bra that she had chosen to wear tonight and when his hand moved lower, edging towards them, she moaned encouragement. The phone on the desk rang shrilly and Zach jumped up instantly, leaving Meg awash on a sea of lust. Then it rang off and the room was silent once more but for Meg's heavy breathing. "I'm sorry," he said as he looked at her uncertainly. "I shouldn't have done that." She could see the war of emotions flitting across his face and she smiled serenely. "But I wanted you to do it," she told him innocently. But this time he wasn't to be swayed so easily. "No, you're drunk and I need to make sure you get home," he said firmly. He picked up the receiver and turning his back on her, he dialled a local taxi company. "Five minutes," he said when he replaced the phone. He refused to look at her now that the call was over. Instead he took a seat on the edge of the desk and examined a poster about health and safety that was pinned on the wall. Meg felt disappointment crashing over her. It was the second time she had been rejected tonight. First Ryan and now Zach. She must be losing her touch. "Great," she said dully. A tear threatened to spill down her cheek and she felt wretched. "Come on, I'll wait outside with you," Zach said gently. She looked up and saw that he was smiling at her and for a moment her spirits lifted a little. "You don't have to," she sniffed. "No, but I will anyway." He pulled her up and slipped an arm around her waist. This time she allowed him to walk her out of the office and through the exit doors, on to street. She looked for Sarah, but there was no sign of her friend. Meg guessed that she had gone home with the guy she had pulled. The bitch. It was beginning to drizzle outside and Meg knew her hair would be curling outrageously before too long. She sighed. Not that it mattered what her hair looked like anyway. Zach had made it perfectly clear that he wasn't really interested in her. "Is your ankle okay?" he asked solicitously as they stood beneath the canopy that hung over the bar entrance. "I think so," she replied, gingerly stretching it. "Probably be fine in the morning." "Well be sure to come back and let me know how you are," said Zach as a taxi sidled up alongside them. Meg turned and looked at him. "I might," she said coyly. Zach opened the taxi door and helped her in. His hand briefly touched her bottom and she jumped as a bolt of electricity shot through her again. "Bye, Meg," he said with a grin as the taxi pulled away. He was still watching as they turned at the end of the road and she smiled. Maybe all was not lost after all. * * * Sylvie dialled the number on the crumpled sheet of paper and stood shaking as it rang. She had deliberated for what felt like years about this, but it didn't matter how many times she told herself it was a mistake to stir up the memories. All that remained was a burning desire to know what had become of the child she had been forced to give away at sixteen. "Hello, who's this?" said a sleepy voice when eventually the call was answered. "It's..." Sylvie hesitated. "It's Sylvie," she said in a voice so quiet she wondered if he had heard her. There was a very long silence. "Hi, Mum," the voice said. * * * Meg opened her eyes with a grimace. She had forgotten to close her curtains when she fell into bed late last night and now the sun was shining directly on to her face. She rolled over and pulled the pillow over her head. Christ it hurt. What had she been drinking last night? Slowly the assorted memories came flooding back and she groaned. Then she recalled the cute bartender and she smiled. Maybe the evening hadn't been a total wash out after all. Despite the hangover that throbbed relentlessly behind her temples, she seemed to remember that he had suggested she paid him a visit. How was her ankle anyway? She gingerly twisted it and felt a small amount of discomfort, but it certainly wasn't too bad and it definitely wasn't bad enough to prevent her from going back out tonight. With her headache instantly diminishing at the thought of seeing Zach again, Meg climbed out from beneath her duvet and staggered into the bathroom. She was absolutely ravenous after her boozy night out and the thought of a bacon sandwich was making her mouth water. * * * Zach was polishing glasses as he stared into space. The bar was relatively quiet; a few couples sat around, but the large, noisy groups that characterized busier evenings were absent. He didn't mind the slow periods. It allowed him time to think. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the redhead from the previous night until she tapped the bar impatiently with nails that were painted a vibrant purple. "Hi, can I help?" he started to say, but the words got stuck in his throat as the memory of the way she had tasted swamped him instantly with lustful, heated desire. "I reckon you can," she replied coquettishly. She flicked a long coil of hair around her finger and licked her lips suggestively. "But in the meantime I'll have a cider." Zack tried to speak, but his lips refused to move. All he could think about was the recollection of her lying on the couch, her breasts straining against her dress and her thighs parted licentiously. His cock ached unbearably as the images taunted him. But professionalism kicked in and eventually he remembered that he was supposed to be serving her with a drink. Maelstrom Ch. 01 "What's all this noise?" Riker asked, stepping onto the warm polished deck of his ship. He stopped in front of his group of crew men and followed their gazes to his first mate and brother who leaned over what appeared to be a woman in clothing that he didn't recognise. "Who the hell is she?" Silence filled the deck, even the waves appeared to quiet in order to hear Aiden's reply, but he ignored the question and continued to pump water from her chest. She coughed, bringing sound back around them. A heavily tattooed man stepped forward; he folded his arms across his wide chest then replied. "I saw her floating on the water. From a distance, we assumed she was dead. Then Joe noticed she was trying to breathe, so we pulled her on deck." Riker glanced down again, looking at his brother to confirm the story - he didn't see any other ships on the horizon, the only other thing that could explain it was that she was a spy, a stowaway - they had been alone on this stretch of the ocean for the past several hours, just the way he liked it. Aidan nodded absently, his mind completely focused on helping the girl into a sitting position before he pounded the flat of his fist hard between her shoulder blades. She looked so small and frail amidst the large group of men around her, Riker expected her to break as his brother once again thumped his closed hand on the thin black material that covered her torso. She coughed up some water and finally managed to take a few stuttering breaths. "That's it, get it all out." Aidan rubbed the space where he'd hit her, soothing her, then he looked up to his captain. "She'll need some rest, but she'll live... Depending on what you want to do with her, that is." Riker ignored the murmurs of "She can bunk with me" and helped his first mate lift her. "Put her in my cabin - I'll question her later." He didn't respond to any of the grumbles that the crew suggested that the "captain always gets all the fun" when he really wanted to reply that he'd be spending the night on deck. A part of him screamed that he could go to her, although gentlemen of this time wouldn't do such a thing, a pirate could if he so wished, and he had saved her life, so he could do whatever he wanted. Another part of him agreed - in his time, a man could take what he wanted. But even through all of the centuries that he'd endured, as times and society morals changed, he wouldn't do that - he'd act the gentleman he always had. He turned to his men who watched him with interest, clearly expecting a hearty reply, but instead they got, "Right lads, back to work. Hoist the sails and all that." They grinned, knowing his orders all too well; he didn't really care what they did as long as the ship was on course and there wasn't another ship on their patch of the ocean - he liked to be the only dot on the horizon, unless, of course, there was some booty to be had. * * * * Eve woke with a start, not recognising anything of the surroundings around her - not that she could see much as the drawn thick curtains blocked most of the light, whilst allowing only a faint glow to illuminate a little of the room, but not enough to make the dark shadowed corners disappear. Another sharp rap made her focus her attention on a thick wooden door, "Come in?" she said weakly, her throat feeling scratchy as if she'd been screaming. The door opened to allow a tall man to enter; she couldn't clearly see him as she squinted her eyes against the bright light that flooded through the open passage. "It's about time you're awake." The man said with a heavy accent she couldn't recognise, but she got the distinct impression that English was not the man's native tongue. He balanced a tray of sorts on one large hand as he softly closed the door behind him before walking further into the room to pull back the curtains. Eve looked around the room, able to see clearly for the first time since she woke. "Where am I?" she asked the stranger as she sat up to get a better look at him. He wore a curious expression on his face, as if he didn't quite know what to make of her, his blue eyes watched her, covered by thick black eyebrows. He pulled up the sleeves of his white linen shirt which, she noticed, fell open at the front to reveal a tanned, muscled chest. His left forearm bore a tribal tattoo of sorts, black with a little green around the edges. "You're in my cabin." He said, as if she didn't realise that. "Well I gathered that... I mean where are we? Is this one of the franchise pirate ship replicas?" she replied, noticing some of the furnishings that were similar to ones she'd seen on The Pirates of the Caribbean. He looked at her oddly as if he didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about. "You're on the Wilted Rose." Tia let out a sigh, "Oh, please. Is that the best they could come up with? Well I suppose it's a little better than the Black Pearl, but still - why does it always have to be something like this? I bet in the seventeenth century they didn't really call ships names like that." His eyes narrowed, the brilliant blue colour turned smoky, "Are you insulting my ship? I suppose you'd like to insult my crew too?" "You know, you don't quite have the accent right either." She thought back to watching the Disney film, "I believe you're supposed to be saying things like 'Arr me hearties' and 'Pass the rum' you know, it's not like you haven't seen the movie - everyone has." "What the hell are you talking about? Has the sea really addled your brain that much?" "The Pirates of the Caribbean, I thought all fanatics like you would have seen it." He's really playing to his role - he's got everything but the accent and the script down exactly like the film, she thought as she looked around again. The man sighed and pulled a chair towards the bed, setting the tray on top of the nightstand. "Where are you from?" She looked at him oddly, "England of course." Then she thought about it, "We're not that far away from there, are we?" "How did you come to be in the ocean? Wearing those clothes no less. You sound upper class, were you stowing away?" "What are you on about? I was sailing the English channel - I'm trying to sail around the whole word. Anyway, what's wrong with my clothing?" She peeled back the thick duvet that covered her. "They're a bit dirty, and ragged, but after crashing in a storm that's nothing unexpected. Why were you stowing away? Your father arranged a marriage you didn't like? Wait never mind, you're too old for a betrothal now. Husband didn't give you enough attention?" "What are you talking about? I'm not too old for marriage - I'm only eighteen. And I wasn't stowing away. I was on my own ship." "Then where are they?" "I don't know." The man sighed again, "You'll have to tell me at some point, whether you like it or not." He pulled himself up from the chair and left the room. Maelstrom Ch. 01 He managed to pull his gaze away from her face long enough to grab a glass and draw a half of cider. The sweet amber drink slopped over the edge of the glass and he scowled at his own carelessness. The girl handed over some money in exchange for the drink and their fingers touched briefly. Desire flared brightly once more and Zack struggled to remember what the hell he was meant to be doing. "How's your ankle?" he said as he turned away and rang the transaction through the cash register. "Okay," Meg replied. "Mum strapped it up for me, so that's helping." "You should be resting it really." "Probably," she agreed with an impish smile. "But if I sit on a bar stool, that counts as resting, right?" He laughed. "Yeah, I guess so!" Another customer wanted serving and reluctantly he walked away, but even as he pulled a pint for the man, he felt her watching him, her green eyes searing his flesh beneath his clothes, tempting him with a promise of something deliciously decadent. * * * Meg was pretending to read a text message when Zach reappeared a short time later. She frowned and flipped the phone shut. "Something wrong?" he asked as he moved some dirty glasses into the washer. "Sarah's stood me up," she replied with an exaggerated sigh. Actually Sarah had no idea Meg was even here, but Zach didn't need to know that. "I guess I better finish this and head home." She watched him out of the corner of her eye as she nonchalantly stared into space in the guise of thinking about her predicament. Judging from the way he was chewing his lip, it looked like he was grappling with something, too. "If you've got nothing better to do," he said carefully, "I finish at ten – maybe we can go somewhere else for a drink afterwards?" Meg smiled inwardly before turning back to face him. "I guess we could do," she said airily. He grinned at her and she felt her pussy moisten in response. This was almost too easy. "Okay, you stay here and rest that ankle. I'll try and get off a little earlier if it stays quiet." "Yes, boss," she quipped and he laughed. He walked away to serve a couple who had just approached the bar and she watched, mesmerised, as the muscles flexed in his forearms when he pulled one of the real ales from the pump. The thought of what the rest of his body might look like kept her entertained for quite some time. * * * Staff busied themselves wiping the glossy white tables and sweeping the floor in the deserted restaurant as Meg sat sipping her coke and listening to Zach. The local fast food joint wasn't exactly where she had anticipated ending her evening, but the smell of burgers filtering through from the kitchen barely registered on her brain. All of her senses were focussed on the man sitting across from her. "The kids' home wasn't too bad," Zach said in a flat voice. He stirred the remains of his coffee with a small plastic spoon. From his completely blank expression, Meg had a feeling that he was not telling her the truth, and she was beginning to wish she had never asked about his family. When he had admitted to her that he didn't have any, she had been shocked. It was only when she continued to probe deeper that he finally told revealed that his real mother had given him up at birth. "Did you wonder why she hadn't kept you?" Meg couldn't imagine not knowing who her real parents were; as much as they annoyed her, they were still her rock in a sometimes all too shaky world. "Oh yeah." He smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry," Meg whispered. She reached out and took hold of his hand. The tanned skin felt smooth beneath her touch and she wondered if the rest of his body would feel as nice. "Don't be." He smiled at her and leaned forward. "I'm over it now. Anyway, enough of my miserable life – tell me all about you." Meg shrugged dismissively before taking the pink straw in her coke between her teeth and sucking suggestively. "I'm horribly boring really," she said. Then she smiled at Zach flirtatiously through the strands of titian hair that partially obscured her face. "Well how about you bore me to sleep over a coffee at my flat?" He held her gaze firmly and Meg shivered with expectation. She hated coffee, but she wasn't about to spoil the moment by admitting that. Besides, she wasn't planning on spending any time actually drinking the stuff. Oh no. * * * Zack caught a whiff of subtle perfume as Meg brushed past him while he held the outside door open, and his cock reacted immediately. The communal hallway of his building was dark - the bulb must have blown – but her red hair gleamed brightly in the light from the street lamp for a few moments. He was instantly reminded of a pre-Raphaelite painting he had seen years ago in the National Gallery. Then the door swung shut and the image faded. He still wasn't sure why he had asked her back. Logic told him it was a really bad idea to get involved with a girl when he had no idea whether he was sticking around, but unfortunately logic hadn't had much say in the decision when he had blurted out his invitation impulsively. They climbed the staircase up to the second floor in silence and Zach stopped outside a scuffed wooden door. He felt Meg close behind him and for a moment he could hardly move a muscle as a strange paralysis struck him. Desperately, he tried to think of something intelligent to say. "This is my flat," he said eventually. Inwardly he cursed his stupidity when he saw the faint smile flicker across her lips. "Well are you going to let me in?" Meg asked with amusement. Zach looked away immediately and fumbled for his key. Why am I acting like a teenager on a first date? The door opened and he walked in, switching a lamp on to illuminate the small room. It was not the nicest of places he had had the misfortune to live in, but at least he had tidied up before his shift. The bed was made and the kitchen area was clean. Meg glanced around as Zach hurried in the direction of the kettle. It seemed prudent to put some space between them and he busied himself placing coffee in two mugs while she picked up some CDs from the table. "You like heavy metal, huh?" she said with a grin as she examined the Metallica CD. "I like most stuff," he said as the kettle began to boil. "Well, maybe not opera! How about you?" "Yeah, I like metal." He tensed up as she sidled into the kitchenette. Trying to concentrate on pouring boiling water in to their mugs, he didn't realise she was standing right behind him until he turned to pass her a coffee. The mug caught her arm and the scalding liquid splashed her pale skin. She yelped with pain. "I'm so sorry!" he cried as he grabbed her wrist and quickly dragged her over to the sink. "Let's get some cold water on that." "I think you must be hazardous to my health," Meg commented dryly. "Hey, it wasn't my handbag you tripped over," he replied. They both looked at each other as the water spluttered out of the tap and then Meg looked at the red patch on her skin with a rueful grin. "I don't even like coffee," she admitted as her smile faded. "Just as well," Zach said softly. "I don't have enough milk to make you a fresh one." "I didn't come for your coffee." She looked into his eyes and he felt the attraction between them crackling like electricity. "What did you come for then?" "This..." She turned the tap off before reaching out and grabbing his tee shirt. Then she pulled his head down until their lips touched. Zach felt pure animal arousal shoot through his body and he forgot all of the reasons why he shouldn't be touching this girl. He grasped her long, thick hair and kissed her back with force, hearing the faint mewling sound she uttered as his body pressed hers against the worktop. His cock was harder than it had ever been and he ground against her soft curves, revelling in the way she arched her body in response. She tasted sweet and sugary - of coke and cider – and he slowly drowned in her addictive flavour. He could feel her small hands clutching the flesh of his back, her nails digging in painfully, but it didn't detract from the overwhelming desire he had to sink his cock inside her body, right up to the hilt. The denim that strained to confine his shaft was almost at bursting point and he wondered rather irrelevantly if the manufacturers of jeans ever tested their products for such stresses. Somehow, he felt that it was unlikely. Not that it mattered. As his own hands began to explore her lush curves, he felt her reach down for the metal buttons that held his erection in check. Suddenly, the knowledge of what he was about to impetuously do with a virtual stranger began to override the lust that had consumed him thus far. "Meg, wait," he tried to say as he broke the kiss. She gazed up at him innocently, her iridescent green eyes almost black and her cheeks flushed with heat. "But I don't wanna wait," she replied huskily. "I want to fuck you," she added brazenly. He knew right then he should have walked away, but he was too floored by her statement to move a muscle. Zach wasn't used to women being so upfront about their sexuality. He had a tendency to date shy types: the sort who needed lots of time before they finally gave up their inhibitions and slept with him. He was more comfortable with girls like that. He enjoyed the slow seduction and the feeling of being in control. Meg was something entirely different. He sensed that she always took what she wanted with no regard to the consequences and to his surprise, this excited him immensely. "I don't have anything," he muttered desperately as she began to unbutton his jeans. When he felt the first touch of her hand on his throbbing cock, he groaned with heartfelt lust. "That's okay," she murmured as she began to slide her palm up and down his straining shaft. "I have condoms in my bag." Zach experienced no surprise at her statement. Nor did he feel any great urge to stop her from what she was doing. It felt too damned good. When she dropped to her knees and took him inside her mouth, all reason fled the room. If her hand had felt divine, her mouth felt like fucking nirvana. The sensation of a warm tongue and slippery lips caressing him as he slid deeper inside her hot, moist mouth was electric. The familiar tightening of his balls warned him that he stood very little chance of lasting long under such stimulation and reluctantly he grabbed her hair and pulled her up until she faced him again. With a lewd smile, Meg flicked her tongue out and licked the saliva from her lips. Zack swallowed hard and tried to think of something innocuous, anything really, as a way of preventing his cock from erupting too soon. God, she was sexy. "You taste good," she whispered before stretching up to kiss him again. Her tongue thrust inside his mouth and Zach groaned. This was pure, sweet torture. Meg arched her body into his and he grabbed the curve of her bottom, grinding his cock against her pelvis. She moaned in response and he pushed the last lingering doubts he had firmly from his head. They were at the point of no return and he wanted her. It was that simple. Her top strained across the generous swell of her breasts and when he moved to pull it off, she made no effort to stop him. The creamy skin of her cleavage was damp beneath his fingers and he felt the pounding of her heart as he traced a slow, teasing trail down from her collarbone until he reached the edge of the red lace bra. For a moment he paused to gauge her reaction, but immediately she pushed her breasts towards him wordlessly. He brushed his fingers across the distended tip of her nipple that protruded through the satiny fabric and she hissed in response. Teasing was good, but he really needed to see her body now. His imagination had provided him with many images since that night in the bar, but he had a feeling that those images would pale in comparison with the reality of Meg. Listening to her harsh breathing, he slid the strap of her bra down from her shoulder until the one breast was revealed to his avid gaze. Her nipple was a deep rosy pink, erect like a pencil eraser. A small bead of sweat trickled down into the deep valley between her breasts and he bent his head, catching the moisture with his tongue, tasting the salty flavour of her skin. The faint scent of perfume lingered there and he inhaled deeply before brushing his lips across her teat. "Ohh," she gasped when his lips engulfed the hard tip of her breast and he sucked, tugging gently whilst massaging its twin. Meg continued to moan incoherently as he mouthed and licked her exquisite flesh. It was difficult for him to break away from her tits, but he steeled his will and dropped to his knees, anxious to explore further. The short skirt she wore barely covered her backside and it took no effort at all to push the denim up until the scrap of lace covering her sex came into view. She felt like a furnace when he touched her. A heat like nothing he had ever experienced before. Just the thought of how she would feel wrapped around his cock nearly had him coming. But he fought the desire and kissed the soft skin of her inner thigh. Her body quivered and shuddered beneath his touch. The way she responded was driving him insane with lust. He just had to taste her. The musky scent of her swirled out like some exotic perfume as he carefully eased the crotch of her panties aside with one finger. Dark crimson hair glistened with pearlescent moisture as Meg spread her legs accommodatingly. For a second, Zack paused as he inhaled the sweet aroma of her arousal, but that wasn't enough. With a sigh of delight, he dipped his tongue in the seductive crevasse between her trembling thighs. He felt he bucking against his mouth, but he was not about to release her. Gripping her tightly, he fucked her with his tongue as she opened her body to him. As she melted like ice cream on a summer day, he reached up with one hand and found the rounded globe of her naked breast. He squeezed her flesh, hearing her moan in response. "I...I...I'm gonna cum," she hissed as she gripped the worktop like it was a lifeboat in a storm. Zack couldn't reply even if he wanted to. Her thighs were locked around his head and he was being slowly smothered in the most pleasurable way imaginable. He felt it as she started to come. Her pussy pulsated against his mouth and he tasted a sweet flood of juice on his tongue. The sound of her cries penetrated through his trapped ears and he continued lapping her clit until she slowly released her iron grip. As he sat back, supremely conscious of his aching cock, she sank down in a heap before him, one naked breast lewdly on display. "Fuck me, that was amazing," she sighed as her lips parted in a slow, sensuous smile. Zach couldn't wait any longer - he just had to have her. He pulled her forward and kissed her with violent intensity, one hand yanking her bra cup down to release her other breast for his touch. Meg responded to his urgency and quickly moved astride his denim-clad thighs. She took hold of his erect cock and before he could protest, she sank down, enveloping him in moist heat. Despite the nagging thought that they weren't using a condom, he helplessly thrust upwards, his face smothered in her naked breasts. He felt her arms around his neck as she fucked him, taking her own pleasure from his body. The floor was hard beneath his legs and he could hear the tap dripping into the sink, but the way she felt wrapped around his cock eclipsed just about every coherent though in his brain. His orgasm was so close; he could almost taste it. Somehow he managed to gasp something to that effect and she pulled away just in time, both of them looking down as he erupted in a white stream of cum. Some of it splattered on her tits and he watched, panting, as she rubbed it in gleefully. "I need a coffee now," he said before she leaned down and kissed him, her tongue pressing warmly between his lips. He also needed to sleep, but he had an idea that sleep was not what Meg had in mind for the rest of the night. * * * Meg crept along the landing, heading for her bedroom, trying not to make any suspicious noises. When her mother appeared, she groaned inwardly. "What time do you call this?" Sylvie hissed angrily. Her hair was sticking up in tufts and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. "Give me a break," Meg grumbled. "I'm eighteen – not a little kid." "This is still my house and I won't have you treating it like a hotel!" Meg felt the languid pleasure of her evening with Zach begin to drain away as irritation consumed her. "I can't help being late back, Mum, honestly, I just got caught up with Sarah and a project we're working on." Sylvie didn't look convinced and Meg wondered if she could tell her daughter had just had the best sex of her life. She hoped not. That would be too embarrassing for words. "Well next time, ring me if you're going to be so late back. I do worry about you." "Sorry, Mum," Meg said contritely, painting an expression of what she hoped was abject apology on her face. "Get to bed or you'll never be up in the morning." With a tired expression, Sylvie turned and disappeared back in to her own room. As Meg climbed into bed, she wondered what was eating her mum. She had been acting weird, but Meg had no idea why. She sighed. It was late and she was too blissed out to truly care anyway. Smiling sleepily, Meg closed her eyes and thought about Zach. God the man was hot. Just the thought of fucking him again was making her body ache with renewed lust. He had asked her to stay with him after they had finally collapsed with exhaustion on his crumpled bed, naked and sweating. But Meg didn't dare stay out all night with no explanation. She knew her mum would go totally ballistic. As much as she wanted to curl up beside the delicious Zach, it simply wasn't worth the hassle that would surely follow. So she reluctantly pulled her clothes back on and climbed into the taxi Zach had called for her. She would see him tomorrow evening though. Oh she could hardly wait... * * * Sylvie's eyes darted around the park nervously. Now that she was here, she wasn't so sure about everything. Last night, it had made perfect sense. Last night she had made a decision that she needed to see him. It was obviously what he wanted – if it wasn't, he never would have taken the time to find her. Now that the moment was finally upon her, she was scared. Scared to death that he might hate her. The guilt she had buried for so long was threatening to consume her with its poisonous bile. She still had no idea how she was going to explain everything. Or whether he would ever be able to forgive her. Taking several deep breaths in an attempt to quell the nausea that rose upwards from her empty stomach, Sylvie stared at a child feeding the ducks, his tousled blond hair catching the sun like threads of spun gold. For a moment she was catapulted back to that place where she had given him up for what she thought was forever. The hard, lined face of the austere nun as she had taken the baby from Sylvie's arms and the cold words that still haunted her. "Forget him," the woman had told her dismissively even as the tears dripped down Sylvie's cheeks. But Sylvie had been unable to forget the baby with his brilliant blue eyes and flaxen blonde curls. So like his father in every way. His face haunted her dreams every night and taunted her every time she heard a baby crying. "Sylvie? " The deep voice startled her and she jumped, inadvertently knocking her bag down on to the ground. Looking up, she saw a dark haired young man wearing a worn denim jacket, smiling nervously. Was this really Lukas? Maelstrom Ch. 01 "Lukas...I mean, Zach?" The young man nodded and a jolt of emotion seized her heart in a vice. It was hard to fit the memory of her baby with this handsome young man. But instinctively she knew they were one in the same. His blue eyes pierced her soul just as they had done all those years ago. "Yes," he replied. For ages they stared at each other, both of them oblivious to the ebb and flow of people strolling through the park, chatting, eating their sandwiches and enjoying their lunch hour. "Shall we go for a walk?" he said eventually. "Okay," Sylvie whispered. She was about to reach for her bag when he beat her to it. His fingers touched hers when he handed the worn handbag to her and she felt another jolt of memories blast through the miasma in her brain. She remembered his tiny fingers curling around hers when she first held him, the warm smell of baby skin tickling her nose. He had been perfect. Long damp lashes, almost too long, framed his rosy cheeks as he yawned sleepily. She had known then that giving him up was going to break her heart. But she had had no choice. Her parents had sent her away to this place like a dirty little secret. Nobody else had known she was pregnant and as far as they had been concerned, nobody was ever going to find out. "Why?" Zach turned to face her abruptly as they reached the lakeside. The single word spoke volumes. It was the one question Sylvie had expected, yet the one that was the most difficult to answer. She gazed out across the shimmering water and wondered where in earth she should begin. "I had no choice," she said finally. It was the truth, but she could hardly blame him if he chose to disbelieve her. "We always have a choice," he replied, his voice breaking slightly. "I was fifteen and I had been raped." The words tumbled out before she could prevent them and she felt him recoil in shock from her. "My father was a rapist?" She nodded. "I had no idea I was pregnant until I was five months gone. By then it was too late and when my parents found out, they sent me away." "Who was he?" Sylvie could hear the pain in his voice and she wished she could erase it, but it was too late for that. He had to know the truth. "He was my uncle. Uncle Robbie." How she had hated that vile man for what he made her do, although she had hated her mother more for not believing the truth when she tried to tell her. "He's dead now. Lung cancer." For years she had wished him dead. The trouble was, even after he was gone he had continued to linger on in the recesses of her nightmares. The smell of his pungent cigar smoke and the way he groaned her name as he forced his way into her body, holding his hand over her mouth when she tried to scream in terror. "You were such a beautiful baby," she said softly. "I kept a snip of your hair, hidden in a silver locket. You were born with golden blond curls; like an angel." She smiled wistfully as she eyed his dark, closely cropped hair. "It's all dark now. Did they love you and take care of you?" She had spent endless hours imagining the family who had adopted her son. Never having met them, her imagination had woven pictures of what they were like: a kind couple who were unable to have children - older maybe, patient and caring. Zach shrugged. "From what I can remember, they were lovely. But they were both killed in a car accident when I was eight. I was placed in local authority care after that." Sylvie spun around in shock. "You grew up in a children's home?" "Yeah, but it was okay," he said quickly, obviously unwilling to talk about that part of his life. "Do you have other kids?" "I have a daughter. She's eighteen now. Megan." "My half sister," Zach said in wonderment. Then he frowned, a dark line appearing on his forehead like a shadow crossing the sun. "Does she know about me?" "Not yet." Sylvie was dreading that conversation. But she needed to tell Megan sooner rather than later. Zach would obviously want to meet his sister. "But you are going to tell her, right?" She heard the insecurity in his voice and she fought the urge to hug him tightly, to never let him go again. "Yes. I'll tell her tonight." He looked relieved and she melted. Her boy had come back to her and for the first time in years, she felt the burden of guilt lifting from her shoulders. It was not going to be easy, but she wanted him to be part of her family. She knew she couldn't make up for the years they had missed, but she wanted to try her best. * * * Meg jumped off the bus before it had quite stopped, incurring a stream of furious invective from the driver at her recklessness. She laughed and stuck two fingers up at him as he pulled away again. Her heart thudded with excitement as she danced up the path towards the door of the house where Zach lived. In the fading light of early evening, she could see how rundown the buildings in his street were, but she didn't care. He could have been living in a squat and she still would have gone there. The attraction she felt to him was not one she had any intention of denying. Ignoring the faint smell of cat piss in the hallway, Meg jogged up the stairs towards his bed-sit. Her long hair cascaded down her back in shining ripples of titian red. She had deliberately dressed for this evening with the intention of undressing. Her body was wrapped tightly in a silky blue dress that buttoned down the front, the top buttons left teasingly undone to show an almost obscene amount of cleavage. She had chosen long, black leather boots with a thin chrome heel as an accompaniment and given the number of wolf whistles she had received on her way to the bus stop, she knew she looked hotter than Hades. Fortunately, her mum had been absent when she left the house or Meg knew she'd have been shot for dressing in such a provocative manner. Sylvie had said something earlier about talking to her this evening, but Meg had had other plans. Fucking Zach was far more important than listening to some crappy lecture about her recent behaviour. Meg had sloped out as soon as her mum announced she was going upstairs for a bath. The note she'd left in the kitchen was self-explanatory, so Sylvie couldn't complain of being kept uninformed. As far as her mum knew, Meg was going to the cinema with Sarah and then sleeping over. Meg had every intention of staying the night with Zach and she was damned if her mother was going to stop her. * * * The house was abnormally quiet when Sylvie finally climbed out of her bath. Despite the soothing effect of the hot water, the tension that had been plaguing her with headaches for days was still knotting the muscles in the back of her neck. She knew Meg was suspicious but, as usual, her daughter was wrapped up in her own life and hadn't bothered asking what was wrong. But that didn't matter now. Tonight Sylvie was going to come clean and tell her. It would be an awful shock, but she couldn't keep Zach under wraps any longer. It wasn't fair on any of them, least of all her son. The note propped up next to the kettle caught her eye when she padded through the kitchen. With the sudden realisation that Meg had deliberately disobeyed her request that she stay in, Sylvie wasn't sure whether to be relieved or furious that her wilful daughter had gone out yet again. She read the ambiguous words Meg had scrawled on a scrap of paper and then screwed up the note before throwing it in the bin. Damn her. Now Sylvie was going to have to delay Zach's visit. There was no way he could turn up tomorrow evening as planned if Meg was still in the dark. It would be a disaster. * * * Just as Zach turned the shower off, he heard a rapping on the door. He grabbed his towel and hurriedly dried some of the excess water from his skin before wrapping it securely around his waist. The clock assured him it couldn't possibly be Meg – it was too early – so he wondered just who it could be. At least living on the first floor precluded the possibility of Jehova's Witnesses. "Coming!" he yelled as he closed the door on the tiny bathroom. It was a mess in there as he hadn't had time to tidy up and the last thing he wanted was for his visitor to be his landlord, here on some flimsy pretext, but actually checking that he was keeping the bed-sit tidy and girlfriend free. The vision in blue that greeted him almost knocked him off his feet. When that vision jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately, he was literally knocked off his feet. Luckily for his elderly neighbours, the front door swung shut and spared their blushes and subsequent complaints of inappropriate behaviour. Zach felt the edge of the lumpy sofa hit his legs and he collapsed on to the cushions. Meg fell on top of him, her hair sweeping down over them in a cloud of fragrant russet. When they broke for much needed oxygen, she raised her body up slightly and grinned impishly at him. "Sorry, I'm early," she apologised. "I had to get out of the house in a hurry." Zach gazed at her breasts that threatened to spill from her dress; he could just about see the rosy edge of her aureole above the edge of her black bra. "I'm surprised your parents allowed you out dressed like that," he commented. Then he groaned when Meg rolled her hips across his achingly hard cock. "Don't you like my outfit?" she asked. She pouted like a porn star and shifted position to sit astride him, her dress riding up on her thighs. "Trust me, I love your outfit," Zach murmured. He watched, mesmerised, as she began to unbutton the dress slowly, each pearly white button popping open to reveal another portion of perfect flesh. Trapped beneath the coarse towel, his cock throbbed helplessly. When the dress had opened far enough, Meg slipped the fabric down from her shoulders and leaned forward so that her breasts rested on Zach's chest. The lace of her bra tickled him and he could feel the twin nubs of her nipples poking him. "Have you thought about me?" she asked in a husky voice. Zach remembered the dream he'd enjoyed in the pre-dawn hours, the one where Meg was wearing suspenders and bent over a table in the pub while he fucked her mercilessly. "Yes," he admitted. "Of course I have." "Good." She smiled before kissing him again, her teeth nipping his lips sharply before her tongue slid inside his mouth, soothing the pain. He grabbed her hips and ground into her, enjoying the way she moaned her pleasure at the stimulation. His hands moved upwards as their tongues sparred and he found the full cups of her bra. Squeezing the mounds of flesh together, he rubbed his thumbs across the hard tips of her nipples. She broke the kiss, her eyes dark and shining, and sat up again, holding his hands on to her breasts. "I'd like you to fuck my tits," she cooed as he continued to massage her mounds. Zach almost lost it then. The image of his cock sliding between her glorious tits was a truly sublime one and he briefly closed his eyes in tormented agony. "That sounds good," he managed to gasp. Leaning forward, she watched with parted lips as he gently pulled her bra straps down her arms until the cups dropped away from her voluminous boobs. Her nipples were hard, the aureole dark and rosy, almost begging him to take them between his lips and suck gently. When he pulled her down and licked her nipple, she sighed with pleasure. "Oh yeah," she moaned as he took the hard nub between his teeth and tugged, taking more flesh into his mouth as she pressed her breast against him. She ground her hips into his bulging cock and he struggled to concentrate on what he was doing. The thought of fucking her tits continued to torment him as he squeezed her breasts together and rubbed her nipples across his hungry mouth. Her breathing grew ever more ragged as he broke away from her breasts and kissed her parted lips again. The dress she wore was straining at the few remaining buttons that held it together and deciding he needed to see the rest of her glorious body, Zach heaved himself into an upright position. For a moment Meg stared at him with a glazed expression on her flushed face. Then she smiled seductively as she stood. Zach swung his legs over the edge of the sofa and watched as she slipped the dress to the floor and stood before him in her long, sexy boots and black lace knickers. The bra that hung uselessly was unclipped and thrown to one side. "Like what you see?" she asked with a lick of her lips. Oh yeah, thought Zach as lust surged through his veins like molten lava. He tried to grab her, but she stepped out of his reach and smiled saucily. Cupping her breasts, she lifted one and licked the nipple as he watched, paralysed with desire. Then she slid a hand down across her belly and inside her knickers. Zach could only imagine how hot and wet she must feel. His cock leaped with another surge of white hot lust as an image from his dream jumped into his head: her legs parted lewdly, the red fur of her pussy lips shining with moisture as he slowly edged inside her body before fucking her, hard. As if reading his mind, Meg pulled her knickers to one side to reveal the swollen lips of her sex. She dipped her fingers inside and momentarily closed her eyes with pleasure. "Mmm I'm so wet," she groaned. "Oh fuck!" Zach pulled his towel away from his throbbing cock and grasped the shaft firmly. He could feel the beginnings of his orgasm and he squeezed the base of his cock firmly. He wasn't ready to cum just yet. Oh no. Meg was rubbing her pussy with obvious delight and seeing her take such pleasure from her own touch only succeeded turning him on even more. "God, Meg, come here, now!" Her fingers abruptly ceased their instinctive movements and she opened her eyes again. Glancing down at his cock she smiled before saying, "Want to feel my tits around your dick?" He nodded helplessly. It was all he could do not to cum then and there. "Please..." It was a heartfelt plea and she grinned triumphantly at his predicament. Kneeling between his thighs, she took hold of his dick. As her small hand gripped him firmly, Zach didn't think he had ever been this hard in his life. Every vein on his shaft throbbed with blood and his balls felt like they were about to explode. Her nipples brushed against the fine hair on his inner thighs as she pushed her breasts together around his aching cock. As he watched, she rocked forward so that the tip of his dick appeared at the top of her deep cleavage. Fucking her tits felt amazing. Faster and faster he thrust, pushing himself towards a mind-blowing conclusion. "Come on my tits," she pleaded encouragingly as each time the tip of his cock protruded she licked it with relish. "I can't hold it...I'm gonna cum!" Zach finally gave in as his orgasm surged through his shaft and thick white cum spurted upwards, splattering Meg's chin before dripping down all over her beautiful breasts. By the time he'd finished, he was exhausted and utterly depleted. His cock wilted and slid out from her sticky breasts. "Jesus," he breathed as he sank back into the cushions. Meg laughed. "I haven't finished yet," she said as she rubbed his cum into her milky skin. "Give me a minute to recover," he groaned as she took his semi hard cock in one hand and wrapped her mouth around it, eagerly licking the traces of cum away. As she slid her lips down, he could feel himself growing hard again despite having cum so recently. As she sucked, one hand burrowed between her thighs. When he heard the wet squelching sounds she made, it was enough to return him to rock hard erectness within seconds. "No more!" he pleaded after a few minutes of her mouth teasing him. She jumped up and pulled her knickers off before sitting astride him. Her breasts were squashed like pillows between their bodies as he kissed her. "Let me get a condom," he murmured against her lips. He didn't want to take any more risks; last time they had cut it pretty close. With a sigh, she rolled sideways, lying across the cushions like a classical odalisque as she watched him through long lashes. He struggled to think where he had put the packet of condoms bought from the chemist that afternoon. In the bathroom, he finally remembered. By the time he returned, ripping open the foil square with his teeth, Meg was languidly touching her pussy with slow, sensual strokes. The image she made: whorish boots combined with her luscious curves - was spectacular. It made him wish he were an artist. She was certainly inspiring his cock to amazing proportions – despite cumming so recently, he was almost ready to cum again. After he had he rolled the rubber down his cock, Meg knelt on the sofa, her bottom facing him and her legs spread wide. Just like in his dream, he could see her glistening cunt, the red folds of flesh gleaming with juices as her body made him a lewd invitation. "Fuck me hard," she growled. Zach hardly needed any encouragement. Despite the layer of thin latex, he felt every inch of her hot, sucking flesh as he positioned himself between her thighs and pushed inside her. "Harder!" she hissed as he pulled back slightly and rammed into her again. She met every thrust with one of her own and when his hand found her breast, she howled with pleasure. He squeezed her nipple, twisting the tip sharply as she gripped the edge of the cushions. "Yes!" she cried as her body began to tremble and shake as she started to cum. She fell forward as her orgasm broke and he grabbed her hip, pulling her around so that she was facing him. Her eyes were glazed with pleasure and her cheeks were flushed as he moved across her body, pushing back inside her again. As her thighs gripped him, he kissed her, enjoying the way her body curved into his. Her hair tickled his cheek as his lips moved across her jaw, finding a sensitive spot on her neck that made her sigh softly. When finally they both came again, he collapsed with exhaustion and rested his damp cheek on her soft breasts. He closed his eyes and listened to the steady thump of her heart as the sweat cooled on their skin. It was hard to believe he barely knew this girl; it felt like he'd known her forever. * * * A car horn tooting from outside in the street woke Meg from the deep sleep she had fallen into. For a moment confusion furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes. The window was in the wrong place, light was shining across the pillow, and there was an arm thrown around her waist. In a sharp blinding instant she remembered. Then she smiled happily, her body arching backwards subconsciously as she felt the hard warmth of Zach's body against hers. Despite the fact they had spent half of the night fucking each others brains out, Meg's appetite for sex was in no way diminished. Just the scent of his skin made her wet again. "You awake?" she whispered. "Hmm," he murmured as he nuzzled her neck. The hard ridge of his cock edged between her thighs and she reached down to grab him, pulling him into her. Warm stickiness coated her fingers, lubricating his entry and he slid inside effortlessly like he'd never left. For a few seconds she lay still, content with the simple closeness and intimacy of their physical connection. But it wasn't enough. The need for fulfilment writhed in her belly like a snake unfurling its coils in the heat of the sun. She turned her cheek, inviting his kiss. His fingers stroked the curls of hair away from her face, tracing the line of her jaw tenderly as his body moved within her. She murmured encouragement as he increased his pace, oblivious to the faint buzzing of a mobile phone from across the room. When his hand cupped her breast, she pushed back into him and closed her eyes against the wave of pleasure that obliterated all conscious thoughts. Maelstrom Ch. 01 Zach pulled out abruptly and pushed her on to her back. Before she could complain, he was back inside her, his teeth biting her neck as she wrapped her thighs around his waist. "Ohh fuck..." she gasped as she felt the tension build. He pinched her nipple, twisting it painfully, sensing she was close. The tension finally broke as she came and her body exploded into orgasm. She was dimly aware of Zach gasping in her ear, then he pulled away and she felt hot spunk splatter across her belly and breasts. As the pleasure faded and left her in a state of delicious relaxation, Meg smiled and opened her eyes. Zach rolled off to one side, panting hard, his cock still semi hard. "Good morning," she laughed. "Good indeed," he agreed. He turned to face her and grinned. "Come here, you," he said softly. Meg was surprised to feel her heart skip a beat as she nestled her head in the curve of his shoulder. She couldn't help thinking that maybe she should leave now; leave before things became all soppy and gooey, but when she tried to tell him she ought to go, her mouth refused to obey and say the words. Eventually she gave up. It wouldn't hurt to stay awhile...would it? * * * There was no answer, just a tinny voice advising her that the person she was trying to reach was unavailable but if she left a message, they would get back to her. Sylvie replaced the phone in its cradle and stared at it before swearing under her breath. If she couldn't get hold of Zach, there was every chance he would turn up and meet Meg before she had had a chance to explain everything. Oh god, what a mess this all was. Music still thumped from Meg's bedroom and Sylvie debated whether or not just to bite the bullet and tell her now. Sure it was going to be a shock, but she'd understand. Having an older brother might prove to be a blessing in disguise – Meg certainly needed somebody rein her in at times. She seemed to be running wild these days. Out all hours doing god only knew what, with whom. Making a split second decision, Sylvie took her courage in her hands and peered into Meg's bedroom, but it was empty. The stereo was playing to itself so Sylvie negotiated a pathway through the piles of dirty clothes and turned it off. In the blissful silence that followed, she heard the sound of the door chimes. No, surely it couldn't be Zach this early? * * * The doorbell chimed loudly again as Meg crossed the hall on her way into the kitchen. She glanced at clock on the wall and debated whether or not just to scoot out of the back door and ignore the visitor. It was probably Mr Hollingsworth from the parish council coming to see her mum about the annual village fete. Meg frowned in disgust. The last time he'd come around, he had spent most of his time staring at her mum's tits. The man was a total creep, although Sylvie seemed oblivious to his lecherous ways. Yet another volley of loud chimes reminded Meg that she was going to have to answer the door; her mum seemed conspicuously absent. Grumbling, she strode across the hallway and flung the door open. For a second they both froze in startled disbelief, neither one quite believing that they were seeing the other. "Zach?" Meg began to say. Then she felt her mum appear behind her. Something stopped the words dead in her throat and she was left with a sense of foreboding. "Meg, there's someone I want you to meet," Sylvie said in a strange voice. "Zach, would you like to come in?" * * * Meg sat opposite Zach, unable to look at him for fear of revealing her confusion and absolute horror. She listened to her mother's story with a sense of detachment; it was like this wasn't really happening. Any second now they would all burst out laughing at the joke and Meg could say, 'Mum, this is the bloke I've been shagging for the last two nights.' Only now she couldn't say anything. She couldn't even begin to get her head around the concept that she had been having sex with her half brother. It made her head hurt with the implications of it all. But the worst of it was that the attraction between them hadn't been quenched in the wake of her mother's confession. Despite her refusal to look directly at Zach, Meg couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of her eye. His hands rested on his denim-lad thighs, knuckles white with tension. The memory of those same hands touching her skin sent hot waves of guilty desire ricocheting through her body and she pressed her legs together, guilt knifing her in the gut. "Meg?" She jumped and her cheeks burned as her mother's voice broke the train of thought. "Meg, just say something..." The pleading in her Sylvie's voice was obvious. Meg finally looked up. "What do you want me to say?" "I don't know." Sylvie's shoulders drooped in defeat. "I need some time." With that, Meg jumped up and shot out blindly, the front door slamming against the wall. A small figurine on a table wobbled delicately like a ballerina before toppling on to the floor and shattering into fragments as Meg ran outside into the cool dusk. With no virtually recollection of how she had found her way there, she walked down a tree-lined street of terraced houses. Chaotic thoughts whirled inside her head like a blizzard. The rigid parameters of her existence had disappeared and she couldn't even begin to make sense of how she felt. She wanted to talk to Zach, but she was afraid he would refuse to even see her now. It was an impossible situation and it was all her mother's doing. If she hadn't kept this a secret for so long, she and Zach could have been a proper brother and sister. Not now though. They had crossed the line and there was no going back. * * * The empty bottle of whiskey dropped on to the floor with a thud, a few last drops trickling out on to the worn carpet. The sound of a television drifted up from one of the neighbouring flats: the laughter and music a stark contrast to Zach's mood as he lay on the sofa, staring sightlessly at the nicotine stained ceiling. The shock of seeing Meg still reverberated through him like a bad migraine. He had tried very hard not to show his confusion earlier, but he knew that Sylvie had guessed something was very wrong. It was just as well she would never begin to suspect what exactly was wrong. That didn't bear thinking about. She would be horrified and disgusted to learn that in their ignorance, her children had spent the last two days fucking. But it wasn't their fault as Zach tried to remind himself fruitlessly. If they had known about their true relationship, they never would have felt such a strong attraction. Or at least he hoped that was the case. Right at this moment, he wasn't sure of anything other than the fact he was damned for all eternity. How could he ingratiate himself with Sylvie's family now, while still harbouring lustful feelings for Meg? He groaned as he recalled how he had sat there, in his long lost mother's living room, listening to her tell Meg who he was, yet still wanting her with every fibre of his being. It seemed like the more he knew she was out of reach, the more he desired her. Well he was going to have to be strong. Willpower alone would have to keep him from acting on his desires. Surely given time, the attraction would wane and he could cultivate a more normal relationship with his half sister. Or at least he hoped that would be the case. The alternative wasn't an option. He had spent too many lonely years yearning for a family and there was no way on earth could he walk away. It wasn't going to be easy, but he had to try. Not right now though. Right now all he wanted to do was see Meg again. See her and touch her and... He groaned and closed his eyes, the memory of her lying beneath him hot and eager, filling his head with lust and his cock with blood. It was no good. The empty whiskey bottle made a satisfying sound as it smashed against the wall, shattering into shards of glass. Just like his dreams of happy ever after. * * * The second part to follow shortly. Maelstrom Ch. 02 "Can we talk?" Meg looked up from her textbook and frowned with irritation. "Can't it wait? I need to get this report finished before tomorrow." "No, it can't wait – it's about your brother." Sylvie saw the wary look on Meg's face and she wondered how long it would take for her daughter to find a way to forgive her. It had been three weeks now and they were barely talking. The strain was terrible and if it wasn't for her budding relationship with Zach, Sylvie would have been in the depths of despair. "What about him." Her daughter turned away, making it quite clear she wanted Sylvie to leave. "He's being forced to leave his flat and since he has nowhere to live temporarily, I've asked him to come and stay with us for a while – just until he gets sorted." "What? How could you do that without asking me! I fucking live here too!" "Don't swear at me, Meg, I know it's your house too. I have tried to talk to you, but you've been avoiding me as you know very well." She raked her hair distractedly and wished for a magic wand to make everything right. "It'll give you two a chance to get to know each other a little. Please just give him a chance – for me?" Meg said nothing. She appeared to be thinking about what Sylvie had said. Eventually she spoke. "Okay, whatever. I don't suppose it matters what I think anyway – you'll do what you want." For a moment she looked like a lost, scared little girl and Sylvie stepped forward, instinctively wanting to hold her, to make it all right. But Meg turned away again, her expression closed once more, and Sylvie stopped in mid air, her arms outstretched impotently. She drew back awkwardly and bit her lip. "Okay, I'll tell Zach." Sylvie reluctantly left the room. All she could do now was hope that Meg came around to the idea of Zach. The last thing she wanted was to lose her second child when she had only just regained her first. * * * Zach shoved the last of his belongings in a rucksack and surveyed the small room. He was almost sorry to leave. It had begun to feel like home in the few months he had spent in this town and despite the peeling paintwork and the hideous carpet, at least it was his own space. That luxury had been pretty elusive while he had been growing up. He hadn't seen Meg since that fateful night. Not a word. It had taken every ounce of his self-restraint not to try and contact her, but in the weeks that had followed he had decided that they both had to forget what had happened between them. It was the only sane thing they could do. When his landlord announced that the building had been sold and he had seven days to leave, it had come as something of a surprise. Sylvie's subsequent invitation had been an even greater one. But despite his doubts, he hadn't had the heart to say no. He knew how badly she wanted to make amends for everything and he felt he owed her the chance to try. He smiled. His relationship with Sylvie had at least gone from strength to strength in the weeks since they'd first met. It would have all too easy to blame her for his rough deal in life, but over time he had come to understand why she had done what she'd done. She had suffered just as much as he had - in some ways, more so. Guilt was a terrible thing. When the door closed behind him with a sense of finality, Zach picked the rucksack that contained his meagre belongings and headed down the scuffed stairwell, wondering just how Meg was going to react when he moved in. He had a feeling there were likely to be fireworks of one sort or another. * * * "I'm going out," snapped Meg defiantly. "I've got a date." "But I told you Zach was coming tonight," replied Sylvie with as much restraint as she could muster. There was very little point in losing her temper with Meg; it would only exacerbate the situation. "I don't remember." Meg shrugged. Then she smoothed down her mini skirt and Sylvie fought the urge to comment on the way her daughter was dressed. She sometimes wondered if Meg deliberately went out of her way to shock and provoke her. She certainly dressed provocatively at every given opportunity. Sylvie sighed. "Forget it. You'll see him soon enough, I guess. Just don't be back too late, please." "Whatever," Meg said as she grabbed her bag and examined her reflection in the hall mirror. With a quick spray of perfume, she left on a cloud of scent, her heels clattering down the drive. The silence in the wake of Meg's departure was deafening. Sylvie sat down on the bottom stair and stared into space. Despite her best efforts, her daughter still wouldn't give her the time of day. It was obvious she was still angry at the way she felt she'd been kept in the dark, but Sylvie couldn't help wondering if there was more to it than that. But until Meg began confiding in her again, she was in the dark too. At least Zach didn't hate his mother. In the time she had begun to get to know him, she was delighted to find that he was a kind, sweet and remarkably well adjusted young man. For the most part their fledgling relationship had progressed well. There had been a few awkward moments, but Sylvie was determined to do her best to try and make up for not standing up to her parents when Zach had been born. If only she had been stronger, then maybe things might have been different. The sound of a taxi pulling up outside made her jump up. A tall figure strode down the drive as the car rumbled away again and in a few seconds there was a knock on the door. "Hi, Mum," Zach said as he stood on the threshold of his new home. He grinned shyly for a moment. Sylvie could barely contain the intense wave of love that swept through her as she hugged him tightly. Her boy was home at last. It was a wonderful feeling; one she had waited a very long time for. * * * Zach was in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water, when he heard the front door open quietly. Instantly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he froze. It could only be Meg. He knew it was a college night so why on earth she had been out until three o'clock in the morning was a mystery. It was no wonder Sylvie was at her wits end with her unruly daughter. He stood in the semi darkness of the kitchen, hoping against hope that Meg went straight up to bed. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation. Judging by the muffled bang followed by an, "Ouch", it sounded like Meg was pissed. God only knew what she'd been up to all evening, but Zach was annoyed to find himself jealous at the idea of her fucking some other guy. That was not how he was supposed to feel and he knew it. It hardly boded well for their new living arrangements. The kitchen door swung open and Meg appeared, wavering slightly as she headed for the fridge. Zach shrank back into the shadow of the alcove and waited for her to leave. In the light that glowed out of the fridge, he noted the shortness of her skirt and the long ladder in her stockings. When she bent over to peer inside, he was treated to a view of her bottom cheeks, full and rounded. His cock stiffened instantly and he closed his eyes, trying to erase the image from his head, but it was impossible. This is going to be a whole lot harder than I ever envisaged, he thought hopelessly. When he opened his eyes again, he found Meg looking at him with an unreadable expression on her face. The fridge door was still open and she had a slice of quiche in her hand. "Good night?" he asked, needing to fill the huge chasm that had opened up between them. She didn't reply immediately, she just carried on staring at him, her face shrouded in shadows. "Not bad," she said eventually. "Do you always get home this late?" he couldn't help saying. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. "Yeah, frequently - especially when I've had a hot date." She took a bite out of the wedge of quiche before shoving the remainder back inside the fridge. Once again, Zach was treated to a view of her backside, only this time he was certain it was deliberate. She kicked the door shut and turned back to face him. "He was a great fuck," she said as she took a few steps towards him, her heels clacking on the tiled floor. "Don't do this," he warned as she came within touching distance. He could smell her perfume. A mixture of vanilla and something else, a musky female scent. "Do what?" she said, taunting him. Her hair curled down her shoulders in thick coils, drawing his gaze into her cleavage. "Does it make you jealous knowing that I fucked another man?" she continued, brushing up against him. "No," he said through gritted teeth. "You're my sister." He wanted to push her away, but he was afraid that if he laid a finger on her, he would lose the plot entirely. "I don't feel that way about you." "Liar," she said softly as she placed a hand over the bulge in his cotton shorts. He groaned. "Stop it, Meg, it's wrong and we can't do this any more." "I know it's wrong," she whispered as she rubbed his erection. "But I can't help it..." Finally breaking free of the paralysis that was gripping him, Zach pushed her away forcefully. Meg stared at him in surprise then to his horror she began to cry. Fat tears dripped down her cheeks as her body shook with harsh sobs. Immediately a huge wave of guilt slammed into him. It wasn't her fault, not any of it. It was all a terrible mess and she couldn't help being confused about their relationship. He could hardly claim any different. Pushing his doubts to one side, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. The feel of her soft breasts pressing against his naked chest did nothing to calm his libido, but he ignored it. The last thing Meg needed was for him to further fan the flames of their forbidden passion. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his neck, the warmth of her breath tickling his skin. "Shush," he replied, stroking her hair. "You've drunk too much, that's all. In the morning you'll have forgotten all about this." "No, I won't!" she cried and before Zach could react, she had left him standing alone in the darkness wondering what the hell he was doing here, in this house. It was madness. * * * Music thumped from the corner as Meg sat on the edge of her bed, painting her toe nails a deep crimson colour. The thick cream towel wrapped around her body was slipping down, slowly but surely, but she made no attempt to secure it. There was nobody at home - her mum was at some village meeting and Zach had gone to work, so she could have paraded around naked if she wanted. It had been a difficult week all round. Following her drunken outburst in the kitchen on Zach's first night, Meg had stayed well out of his way. When she had awoken the morning after, she had felt wretched. A headache the size of Africa pounded inside her head and she felt sick to the stomach at the way she'd almost thrown herself at Zach. Since discovering the truth, Meg had kept her distance from Zach and tried her best to erase the memories of their encounters. She still blamed her mother for it all, but seeing Sylvie's drawn face every morning was eating away at her resolve to punish her and she knew they were going to have to talk about things soon. She loved her mother and she hated the way things were between them. In the meantime, she had to try and come to terms with having Zach as a half brother. Her best friend, Sarah, knew now – Meg had blurted it all out the night she'd drunk herself stupid when Zach moved in. She hadn't told her everything of course. It was bad enough admitting it to herself that she'd slept with her own brother, let alone admitting it to anyone else. What made it ten times worse was the knowledge that she still wanted him. Every time she saw him her stomach clenched. It was hell on earth living with him and trying to pretend for the sake of her mother that everything was normal. The strain was killing her slowly. It was also affecting her sex life. Following her drunken confession to Sarah, she'd actually pulled some guy in the club they ended up at. Nick his name was, she seemed to recall: tall, blond hair and muscular – a real hunk actually. He'd been more than happy to take Meg back to his place and show her a good time. Unfortunately, half way through and while he was lying between her legs attempting to show her the way to nirvana with his tongue, Meg had suddenly realised that she couldn't go through with it. Each time she closed her eyes, Zach's face appeared. Eventually she'd pushed Nick away and hurriedly pulled her clothes together. "What's going on?" he'd asked in surprise, his cock still poking lewdly through the open zip of his jeans. "I'm sorry, I just can't," she'd muttered, turning away from him, full of self-loathing. "It's a bit fucking late to tell me that!" Nick tried to grab her waist, but he missed and only succeeded in snagging her stocking with his wristwatch. "I'm going home," she snapped with more bravado than she felt as she grabbed her bag from the table. His handsome face was distorted with anger now and Meg was scared. She cursed her stupidity. Having sex with some anonymous man was not going to kill her feelings for Zach. "You teasing bitch!" Nick snarled. "You were up for it a few minutes ago, so you can fucking finish what you started 'cause this 'aint going away just yet." He grabbed his cock and advanced towards her with a look of determination. Meg turned swiftly, desperately trying to reach the front door before he got hold of her again. Her sweating palm found the smooth knob just as a hand hooked around her waist. She froze. "Don't do this," she whispered. She could hardly breathe. Nick reached up and groped her tits roughly. He found her nipple and pinched it making her cry out in pain "I prefer it when the ladies participate, but it doesn't matter when they don't," he remarked almost conversationally. His breath felt hot and heavy on her neck and when his other hand thrust between her thighs, she realised that she was in dire straits. "Let me go!" She struggled and he tightened his grip on her. Her skirt was yanked up and she felt his cock sliding between her legs like an oily serpent. Suddenly the telephone rang from across the room. Feeling Nick's attention shift away and him loosen his hold, Meg saw her opportunity. She wrenched her body from his grasp and turned to knee him between the legs. He slumped down on to the floor with an agonised groan, his face turning a horrible green colour. Meg twisted the dead lock on the door and ran, flying outside like the devil himself was on her tail. Once she'd reached the relative safety of the main road, she slowed down and paused for breath. It was half past two in the morning and she was miles from home. Judging by the scarcity of taxis in the vicinity, she was likely to have a long walk home. Or so it seemed. She had been lucky in the end – a taxi had stopped and she hadn't arrived home too late. Seeing Zach in the kitchen had given her quite a turn. If she hadn't been so drunk and upset, she would have walked straight back out again, but common sense had unfortunately left the building. As soon as she clapped eyes on him again, she experienced a massive jolt of lust. The way he stared at her coldly only inflamed her desire all the more. The knowledge that he was strictly off limits failed to stop her behaving like a spoilt brat denied the latest toy. When she felt his cock, hard for her, she knew the truth. He still wanted her just as much as she wanted him. Strangely that realisation didn't make her happy. It only succeeded in making her miserable. When he pushed her away, her emotions got the better of her and she cracked completely. The only course left was to run away from the scene of the accident and head for the sanctuary of her bedroom and sleep. Now she was alone in the house, at least she could relax. She examined her toenails and grinned at the way they gleamed with blood red polish. She could wear her new sparkly shoes and they would be perfect. Meg stood, the towel dropping on to the carpet in a damp heap. She scanned her dressing table, looking for the bottle of moisturiser, but it was missing. Realising that she'd left it in the bathroom she nonchalantly strolled down the landing, singing along to her favourite track on the stereo. Sure enough, the bottle was lying on the wooden shelf beside the sink, exactly where she'd left it. Still singing loudly, Meg grabbed it and turned to leave the bathroom. At that precise moment, Zach walked through the open door and cannoned straight into her. The lyrics of the song stuck in her throat as she felt his hands grab her hips to prevent her from falling. Suddenly she felt hot and light headed. His stubbly jaw grazed the soft skin of her cheek and she could smell the sweet scent on beer on his tee shirt. Rough denim chafed her thighs and almost instantly she was wet, an insistent pulse throbbing between her legs. "Meg, I...sorry," he tried to say although he was still holding her. "What're you doing home?" she asked huskily, rapidly losing her sense of time and place as he stared down at her with his blue, blue eyes. "Boss fucked up the rota and there were too many of us. So I got the evening off..." She wasn't really listening. The words were like warm honey washing over her and as much as her brain was screaming at her to run away, now, her body simply wasn't taking a blind bit of notice. The instant their lips touched, it was as if the touch paper had been ignited and all hell broke loose. "We should...stop this," he rasped in her ear, his mouth moving lower and biting her neck, drawing blood. I can't, she thought mindlessly. Instead she pulled him close and covered his mouth with her own again, effectively ending the conversation. She ached with need. Frantically pulling his jeans open, she found him hard and ready for her. "Oh god," Zach whispered as the seconds ticked by. Then, as he had done the first time, he pushed her away and refused to look at her. Shame washed over her like a frigid wave. "I'm so sorry," he said in a broken voice. Meg said nothing. She closed her eyes and listened to the music still emanating from her bedroom. If I lay here If I just lay here Would you lie with me and just forget the world? If only it were that easy, she thought in desolation. * * * Zach avoided Meg's eyes when he passed her in the kitchen the following day. Sylvie was buttering some toast and humming softly. "Want some?" she called cheerfully as he flopped down at the table. "Yeah, okay," he replied, trying without success to inject some enthusiasm into the words. But it was impossible. His head pounded and every time he closed his eyes, he could see her: her milky white skin and voluptuous curves. She haunted his every waking moment; and most of his sleeping ones. Not that there had been many of those lately. "What are your plans today?" Sylvie asked as she placed a plate of toast in front of him. "Not much," he said, his attention drifting towards Meg who was standing on the threshold to the garden. Her hair gleamed in the weak sunlight and for a moment he was dazzled by the way it shone like burnished copper. Then he realised their mother was still talking and he reluctantly dragged his gaze away. "...if you could, it would be nice." "Huh?" Sylvie rolled her eyes. "Does anybody listen to me in this house?" she said with a faint laugh. "I , I have to go out this evening – another committee meeting with the interminable Mr Hollingsworth – so I thought it would be nice if you two did something together?" Judging by the way Meg spun around with a sudden guilty expression on her face she had been thinking much the same thoughts as him. Her dressing gown was wrapped around her body tightly, but he could still see the shape of her tits, straining against the silky fabric. She caught his look and deliberately crossed her arms provocatively, deepening the cleft between her breasts. He groaned inwardly and tried to think of something else other than his cock, there. Maelstrom Ch. 02 "Sure, that would be nice," Zach murmured before taking a bite of the toast in a desperate attempt to distract himself. He chewed it methodically and waited for Meg to respond. "I have a date with Danny," she said coldly without looking at him. "I invited him over to watch a DVD." Zach swallowed the toast with difficulty. The thought of her spending time with 'Danny' made him feel sick, despite the knowledge that he had no right to feel that way. He was sick when all was said and done. "Danny?" Sylvie repeated. "Have I met him?" "Yeah, he's Sarah's cousin - the one who's studying Engineering at Uni." "Oh I remember, nice lad, good looking." "Very good looking," confirmed Meg before shooting a glance at Zach which clearly said, better looking than you. "Oh well, maybe you two can do something another evening." "Sure, I'll check my rota at work," agreed Zach as he pushed the plate of toast away. There was no way he could stomach another morsel. "I so can't wait." Meg smiled sweetly and Sylvie looked happy. Zach tried to smile too, but his mouth wouldn't obey and it became more of a grimace. * * * Before Sylvie dashed out of the house that evening, she pulled Zach to one side and said, "Unless you have plans, can you stay in and keep an eye on things?" She smiled apologetically and Zach could do nothing but nod encouragingly. He had had no intention of spending his evening listening to Meg and Danny whisper sweet nothings to each other, but now it looked like he was stuck playing big brother/babysitter. "Thanks," Sylvie said gratefully. "I know she's not a kid or anything, but this Danny is four years older and I would hate for him to lead her astray if you know what I mean." Zach stared at her in disbelief. Did she have no idea what her daughter was like? Meg was far more likely to be leading Danny astray, never mind the other way around! It was all he could do not to burst out laughing, but he smothered the thought and simply nodded again. "Sure, no problem," he said. "I'll use the time to check out rental stuff on the internet if that's okay." "You can stay here as long as you like," she reminded him gently. "Yeah, I know, it's just that I would like my own space." And seeing Meg every day is driving me insane. "Well it's up to you." She smiled a little sadly before. "I'll be back about eleven," she said before she left. There was no sign of Meg, so Zach disappeared into the study and turned the computer on. He closed the door and set his mind on searching for somewhere else to live. * * * He finally gave up around nine. There were loads of places, just hardly any he could afford. The piece of paper he shoved into his pocket listed three potential bed sits. Tomorrow he would ring the numbers and hopefully one would work out. If not, he was going to have to stiffen his resolve a while longer. When he walked through the hallway, heading for the kitchen, the living room was ajar and he heard the muted volume of the television. Unable to resist, he paused in the doorway and peeked in to see if Danny had turned up. In the light from the small lamp on the table, he could see a tall bloke half lying across the sofa with Meg sitting rather stiffly beside him. To say she was supposedly dating this guy, she didn't look too interested. This instantly cheered Zach up, although he preferred not to question why that was the case. Meg must have sensed him watching for she abruptly turned around and saw him on the threshold of the room. "What are you doing?" she asked. "Nothing," he replied vaguely, annoyed that she had caught him staring. She suddenly smiled and Zach instantly tensed up. He was beginning to recognise that evil smile: it indicated she was up to something and he probably wouldn't like it. "Come and join us," she said sweetly. "The film hasn't been on long and you'll soon pick it up." "I err..." "Yeah, mate, we don't mind," Danny called. Since he couldn't think of a good reason to say no, Zach walked in and took a seat on the chair across from Meg and Danny. He turned his attention to the screen and attempted to make sense of the film. It only took him a few minutes to realise he had seen it before. It was a decent enough film, however, and he would have watched it again with little complaint, but his attention was distracted by Meg. Now that he was there, she had suddenly warmed up towards Danny, much to his evident surprise. As Zach tried to focus on the screen, he was horribly aware of Meg shifting position so that she was lying across Danny's lap, her hand stroking his upper thigh suggestively. Judging by the tense expression on his face, Danny was enjoying her ministrations rather too much. The lad shifted uncomfortably and Zach almost felt sorry for him. Meg slipped her fingers even higher until she was touching the bulge of his crotch. Over and above the soundtrack of the film, even Zach could hear Danny's harsh breathing. "Shall I fetch us some drinks?" Zach jumped up, unable to bare the sight of Meg touching another bloke. "That would be good, thanks, bro." Zach could hear the sarcasm in her voice, but he chose to ignore it. "What would you like?" he asked solicitously. "Ooh, let me think..." she said as she arched her back and pushed her tits out. Zach resolutely watched the action sequence playing on screen and pretended not to notice. "Coffee?" he suggested. "That's boring," replied Meg. "Mum has vodka in the freezer – I'll have some of that with lemonade." Somehow he doubted Sylvie would be too thrilled at Meg drinking vodka, but he couldn't be bothered to argue. "Okay. How about you, Danny?" "I'll have a beer if there is any," Danny said in a strange voice. He was stroking Meg's neck, edging ever closed to the swell of her breasts and Zach felt like killing him. "I'll have a look." Before he committed any violence, Zach left them alone and headed out into the welcome cold of the garage where the freezer was located. Meg was right – there was a small bottle of vodka in the bottom rack. He removed it and briefly touched it to the hot skin of his face. He actually felt like shoving it down his trousers in an attempt to quell the raging hard-on he had, but common sense prevailed. Instead he took the ice cold bottle into the kitchen and added a tiny measure to a glass before topping it up with a large amount of lemonade. Allowing Meg to get drunk was a terrible idea and if she thought he was going to let that happen, then she was mistaken. There were some tins of beer in the fridge and Zach grabbed a four pack for Danny and himself. He might not want Meg to drink too much, but there was no reason why he couldn't. If nothing else, it might enable him to sleep for the first night in ages. Tucking the cans under one arm, he picked up the glass and headed back through to the living room. * * * Danny's hands were groping her tits with all the finesse of a gorilla and under different circumstances she would have slapped him. But Meg wanted Zach to see them when he returned from the kitchen, so she responded enthusiastically to Danny's clumsy attempts at seduction. It wasn't his fault exactly. If Zach hadn't appeared in the room, Meg would have kept him at arms length all evening. She wasn't even sure why she had invited him really. Although their paths had crossed a few times over the years, Meg wasn't all that interested in Danny. He was a little insipid for her tastes; boring if truth be told. He had been rather surprised when she had called him that morning and hurriedly invited him round to watch a film. "Err, yeah...I'd love to!" he had blurted eagerly. "Great, we can have some...fun," she'd promised huskily, "My mum's off out so we should have the house to ourselves..." He dropped the phone at that point and she had to shove her fist in her mouth to smother her laughter. Meg knew from Sarah that he was seeing some girl at university, but she also aware that he had he had always had a serious crush on her. Ever since Sarah had found some photos of Meg in a bikini, hidden in Danny's journal, the two of them had teased him mercilessly. Poor lad, she thought gleefully as she squeezed his cock through his jeans. He has no idea he's being used. Trying to make Zach jealous had not been a conscious decision exactly, but she had to admit that his rejection of her had hurt a great deal. As much as she knew it was wrong to want him, she ached for his touch, and the more she tried to analyse it, the more her head hurt. It was a horrible situation and it was all her mother's fault. So if she could score a few points, then so much the better. See how he liked being rejected. Although the film was still on, Danny seemed to have forgotten all about it; he was more interested in trying to slide his hands inside Meg's bra. He also appeared to have forgotten that Zach was still around, allegedly fetching drinks, although he had been ages and Meg was beginning to wonder if he had disappeared upstairs instead. "God you've got great tits," Danny groaned when he finally found his target. Meg rubbed her pelvis against his erection and was rewarded with another groan. "And you've got a nice, hard, cock," she commented teasingly, arching her body towards Danny's mouth as he kissed her collar bone. "Oh Meg, I want you so badly," Danny confirmed. Meg hid her smile in his neck. Like I don't know that? His fingers tweaked her nipple and she was surprised to find that she was actually being slightly turned on. Just for a moment, she pictured Zach's face if he walked in now and saw Danny playing with her tits, and a surge of heat flooded her pussy. On screen a car chase was in full throttle and the sound of explosions partially masked Meg's encouraging moans as Danny pulled the soft cup of her bra down to expose her nipple. He took the hard nub in his mouth and bit her in his efforts to suck, causing Meg to wince slightly. His other hand burrowed inside the crotch of her knickers and probed about somewhat ineffectually. "Oh yeah, that's good," lied Meg, silently wondering if Danny's poor girlfriend ever let him near her. Given his obvious inexperience, it seemed unlikely. "Get your fucking hands off my sister!" Danny nearly leaped off the sofa in shock at Zach's furious outburst. Meg raised her eyes innocently, recoiling instantly at the angry expression on Zach's face. He looked like he wanted to murder somebody and for a heart stopping moment Meg wondered if she had pushed him too far. "I'm...I'm...sorry!" Danny was babbling like an idiot as he tried to retrieve his hand from between Meg's thighs. Ignoring Meg, Zach grabbed Danny's shirt and yanked him to his feet. Although Danny was the taller one, he still seemed scared to death. Hardly surprising, thought Meg, given the homicidal way my brother is behaving. "She's only eighteen, you bastard!" Zach shoved him against the wall and several ornaments rattled ominously. One hand slid around his throat. "Get out of here now and if you ever lay another finger on her again, I'll kill you." Despite the calm way Zach made his threat, Meg saw the fear written all over Danny's face. She knew exactly how he felt – she was scared too...and more than a little bit aroused. * * * Zach was not a violent person, but he knew how to handle himself. When he had walked back into the living room and seen Danny's hands and mouth all over Meg's body, he had lost it completely and the only thought in his head had been to drag the bastard off Meg. If Danny had attempted to fight back, Zach would have taken great satisfaction in pummelling him into a bloody pulp. Jealousy at seeing another man with Meg had cut through him like a serrated blade and the ensuing pain was excruciating. He just wanted to kill Danny. Knowing that Meg was still lying there with a triumphant expression on her lovely face only served to exacerbate the rage inside. When he came back into the living room after forcefully ejecting Danny, the closing credits were rolling on the film and Meg was languidly sprawled out, drinking the vodka he had so helpfully fetched her. "Satisfied now?" she said scornfully as she surveyed him through thick lashes. Her top was still hanging off one shoulder and he could see the edge of her nipple. The sensual picture she made did nothing to calm him down. "Pull your clothes back together," he snapped. Picking up a can of beer, he opened it and knocked back a third of the foamy liquid. He needed something to take the edge of his temper. Unfortunately, they both knew beer wasn't the something he really wanted. "Anyone would think you were jealous of him," she taunted as she stood, still drinking the vodka and smirking. "I'm your brother, so let's not go there," he reminded her. But he couldn't walk away, even though he knew he should. "You were jealous, weren't you?" She stared at him and he felt his eyes drawn to her lips. Cherry red and moist... She stepped into his space and her arms slipped around his neck. Then he felt her breath on his cheek, warm and vodka scented. "Go on, admit it," she whispered softly. "Yes," he sighed. The anger seeped out of him slowly, only to be replaced with the crushing knowledge that he was doomed forever to want a girl he couldn't have. Then she began to laugh and he pushed her away in disbelief. "It's all a game to you, isn't it?" he said in disgust. After knocking back the rest of the vodka, she dropped the empty glass on the carpet. "I can't help it if I'm a horny little slut," she said. Then she yanked her top off over her head and stared at him provocatively. "But no, let's not forget that you're my brother and you don't want me, so I'll just have to amuse myself now you've thrown Danny out." Zach watched, helplessly, as she hitched her skirt up higher and higher, until he could see the black crotch of her knickers. He knew damned well she was teasing him, but he was powerless to stop her. "Don't you like what you see?" she asked in a low, husky voice. Her breasts swayed slightly as she leaned forward and he felt his cock straining against the zipper of his jeans. When she slid a scarlet tipped finger inside her knickers, reason and common sense deserted him as raging desire blocked every last thought from his fevered brain. He picked her up easily and threw her on to the sofa, kissing her until they were both breathless. "Please," she moaned as he pulled her bra down and found her breasts with his hungry mouth. "Please...I need you..." Her hands grappled with his jeans and eventually made contact with his cock. "Just fuck me," she pleaded, rocking her body against his desperately. Before he could really think it through, he was inside her, enveloped in moist heat and moving towards a crashing climax. Her hands clutched at his back, nails digging in painfully as she cried out her pleasure. He felt her body tightening around his cock and he thrust harder. "Oh Meg," he gasped as his orgasm blasted over him. Her mouth found his and they kissed. It was only then that he tasted salt and realised she was crying. The weight of what they had done threatened to crush him. It was like he was spiralling down into a black vortex of guilt and shame and there was no way out. He had known what would happen if he came here, but he had stupidly thought he was strong enough to resist. How wrong he was. "Meg, I'm..."he began to say, but they both jumped when a car pulled up outside. Meg wrenched her body away from him, averting her tear-streaked face. She was gone before he had a chance to catch his breath. When the a key turned in the front door, Zach suddenly realised how bad it would look if Sylvie walked in the living room and saw the state of him. He hurriedly pulled his jeans together and grabbed a can. "Have a nice evening?" Sylvie asked when she came in and found him watching television. "Yeah, it was okay," he managed to say without choking. "Did Meg behave herself?" That gave Zach pause for thought. He nodded and took a huge gulp of beer. Sylvie glanced at him curiously and eyed the empty glass sitting on the table. "Has she gone to bed already?" "Yeah, I guess so. Danny left a while ago." Zach wished she would leave him alone. This line of questioning was making him feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. "Okay, well I'm tired so I'm off to bed. Make sure you switch the lights off before you come up." Zach smiled. "Sure, I won't be long myself." I just need to have a few more beers to help me sleep first,he added silently. He sank back against the cushions after Sylvie left him and closed his eyes. It now looked like finding somewhere to live was not something he could afford to ignore - whatever Sylvie might want him to do. It wasn't fair on Meg to put them both in such an untenable position. The more time they were forced to spend together, the harder it was becoming. Only with distance between them could they ever hope to move past this. Despite the years he had spent yearning for a family, Zach wished for the first time he had never gone searching for his mother. The pain that had been caused in the process was almost too intense to bear. Eventually the clock reminded him it was gone three in the morning and Zach reluctantly turned the television and lights off before heading to bed. He had had a few cans of beer, but he still felt wired and jumpy and he knew that sleep was unlikely to come easily. Meg's bedroom door was firmly closed when he walked past and although he wanted to talk to her, he didn't dare knock. It would be too dangerous and he had no desire to make things any worse than they already were. Instead he climbed beneath the cool sheets in the guest bed and closed his eyes. As expected, all he could do was think about Meg over and over again. It didn't matter that he had had her but a few hours earlier. He still wanted her again. His body refused to forget the feel of her flesh around his and the taste of her skin. She was a drug and he was an addict. He turned on to his side and faced the window, watching the shadows flicker across the wall as leaves on a tree outside fluttered in the wind. The sound of faint traffic noise from the main road a mile away wafted intermittently through the open window despite the late hour. It was almost soothing and Zach slowly started to drift off into a restless sleep. Then his bedroom door opened softly and he froze. It could only be one person. He turned around with a sense of finality to see Meg standing beside the bed like a forlorn ghost. "Please?" she whispered hesitantly. He pulled the sheet back with a sigh and she climbed in beside him, curling her body around his. For a while he said nothing. He just listened to her breathing and wondered what on earth he could say to make things right. Then she spoke. "I'm sorry," she said softly. Her fingers drew small circles in the light sprinkling of hair on his chest. "You have nothing to be sorry about." "I shouldn't have done what I did. It was wrong." He turned over on to his side and stared at her in the darkness. When he rubbed his thumb across her cheek, it was wet. "It's not your fault all this has happened. It's not anyone's fault really – it's just fate I suppose." He just wished that fate wasn't so twisted. "I just wish that you weren't my brother," she said finally. "So do I," he replied bitterly. "So do I." "Do you?" Her voice was so faint he barely heard it. "I always wanted a sister," he said almost to himself. "I pictured a cute girl with blonde hair, somebody to look after as she grew older. I never for one second thought I really had a sister and that one day I'd meet her. When that sister turned out to be you, I was devastated. Not because I didn't want you as a sister, but because I care about you in a different way. If I could change things, I would, but I can't." Maelstrom Ch. 02 "I always wanted a brother, too," Meg admitted. "I don't know why mum and dad never had any other kids. I asked her once, but she just said I was enough." She laughed softly. "I think I was a spoilt brat most of the time." "I'd have never guessed," Zach said teasingly. "Well I suppose we both got what we wanted, just not in the way we wanted." Isn't it ironic, he thought humourlessly. * * * Meg was disoriented when she awoke. For second she couldn't work out where in the hell she was, then she realised – she was in the guest room and Zach was curled around her body like a glove. The fear of discovery almost gave her a heart attack. Then she saw what time it was and she relaxed slightly. It was barely six o'clock and there was no way her mum would be up yet. Besides, the bedroom door was closed and Sylvie wouldn't dare come in and disturb Zach. She thought back over what had happened last night and tried to make sense of it all. Coming to Zach's bed was hardly the smartest thing she had ever done, but lying in her own bed, tossing and turning, had driven her insane. She just wanted to be with him. Her emotions were all over the place and she simply didn't know what to think any more. He made her feel things she had never felt before and she was scared of the way she was falling for him. It was madness. If only they could run away and forget about the rest of the world – that way they could be together as she wanted. And the more she thought about it, the more she realised that it was what she did want. Meg knew that once Sylvie found out about their relationship, she would never be allowed to see Zach again. He would be banished from her life forever. The thought of that happening was unbearable to her. Zach murmured in his sleep and his hand moved up her rib cage until it was resting just below the curve of her breast. Although she was wearing a cotton slip, it had ridden up while she had been asleep and was currently somewhere around her hips. He on the other hand was naked and she could feel his erection semi hard against her bottom. Aware that she ought to leave, she couldn't quite manage it. It felt too good lying in bed with him, pretending they were a couple. If she forgot about all the crap, she could almost imagine how it could be between them. It would be perfect, of that she was certain. But she knew that was impossible, so she concentrated on the only thing that she could have for now. Time was running away, so she had to make the most of this moment. She knew she was wet; she could feel the moisture, slick and creamy between her thighs. Parting her legs slightly, she pushed back until she felt him rubbing against her. He groaned slightly, still asleep, but rock hard now. Her body welcomed him home, eagerly taking him inside as deep as she could manage. Rocking gently, she reached down and rubbed her clit, sighing with pleasure as she took what she wanted. It was selfish, she knew, but she wanted to feel close to him and this was the only way she knew how. His breathing grew harsh in her ear and she felt him moving with her now, no longer a passive participant. Sensing that he was finally awake, she grabbed his hand and turned her face towards him. Sure enough, his lips nuzzled her cheek and he squeezed her breast. She rolled on to her stomach and he followed her, staying embedded deep inside her. The bed began to squeak softly as Zach thrust harder, but Meg was past caring. She felt her body rushing towards orgasm and she held her breath as it hit, her cries blessedly muffled by the soft pillows. Zach reached beneath her body and grabbed her breast as he groaned into her hair. She felt him pull out as he came, hot spunk splattering her bottom cheeks before it oozed between down her thighs. He rolled away, but his hand stayed resting lightly on her back. When the heating pipes began to shudder with the onset of morning, Meg knew that the sand in her timer was about to run out. Trying to keep a lid on her emotions, she dragged herself away from Zach. "I gotta go," she muttered, refusing to look at him. "Meg," she heard him say just as she grasped the door handle, "Come to the pub tonight so we can talk?" She half turned towards him and nodded. He looked almost as miserable as she felt and part of her felt vindicated that at least she wasn't the only one suffering. Allowing a small smile to brush her lips, she was rewarded with one in return. As she reached her bedroom door, her mum appeared, yawning. "What're you doing up so early?" Sylvie asked in surprise. "Needed the bathroom," Meg said quickly, hoping that Sylvie wouldn't notice her red cheeks as well as the damp patch on her night dress. Her mum looked at her hard for a moment. Then she said, "Do you want a coffee?" "No, I'm going back to bed." Meg shot inside her room and closed the door firmly. God that was close. Another minute and she'd have caught me leaving Zach's room. Adrenaline flooded her system as Meg considered just how appalling that would have been. She threw herself on her bed and tried to control her thudding heart. Is this worth the risk? But she knew the answer. * * * The bar was half empty which was a relief considering how tired Zach was. He had heard Meg talking to Sylvie shortly after she'd left his room and for ages he had held his breath certain that they had been caught out. But nobody came to hurl abuse at him and eventually he fell asleep again. He had finally dragged himself out of bed at lunchtime, but despite the extra few hours sleep, he had still felt like death all afternoon. Meg was absent when he wandered downstairs and a passing comment from Sylvie told him that she had gone out with Sarah. There was still no sign of her by the time he left for work. He could only hope that she appeared this evening; they really needed to talk and that was impossible at home. A large group of girls walked in and Zach immediately looked up, anxiously scanning the faces to see if one of them was Meg. His heart fell when he realised she wasn't there. But a familiar blonde approached the bar and he smiled despite his tension. "Hey, stranger!" she said with a huge grin. "Long time no see." "Hey yourself," Zach replied. "What you doing in these parts?" The blonde rolled her eyes and threw a glance back at her friends. "My best mate is getting married in two weeks. I came up for the weekend; her hen night and wedding preparations, you know, all that crap I so enjoy." Zach laughed. "Come on, Anna, I thought a white wedding was your dream?" "Bugger off!" Anna sat down on a chrome barstool and watched as he made a cocktail for another customer. "How's life been treating you since we parted?" It had been three years since he and had Anna split. She had ended up in the same care home as he and although it was a shit hole, the two of them had become friends and, eventually, lovers. She had been his first love and he had missed her dreadfully after they parted. He took the cash and rang the transaction through the till. "Okay," he said vaguely. He wasn't sure how Anna would feel about the news that he'd finally traced his birth mother. Her own birth mother had turned out to be a drug-addicted prostitute when, at the age of eighteen, Anna had tracked her down. The news had almost destroyed her and in the end it had been the death of their relationship as Zach hadn't had the maturity to cope with Anna's subsequent depression and downward spiral into self-destructive behaviour. By the time they split, Anna was out of control. Her last words to him as he boarded a coach to London were, "Fuck off!" But all that was obviously in the past for she seemed genuinely pleased to see him. She was certainly looking well and the clothes she wore indicated that a change in fortune. The slashed denim and streaked pink hair had been replaced by designer gear and an expensive blonde style. "You're looking well," he commented as he opened a bottle of wine for her. "I sorted my life out after you left," she said. "You did me a favour really," she added ruefully. "Without you around to clean up my mess, I was forced to do it myself and I realised I didn't like living that way anymore. So I went off to college and did my exams. Now I'm a PA working for an exec, and I get to travel and earn shit loads of money. It's great!" "I'm pleased," Zach said. And he really was. "So come on," Anna asked, ignoring the loud comments from her waiting friends, "What exciting things have you done in the last five years?" "Nothing much." He thought about his life and wondered what the hell he was doing working in a dead end job for peanuts. Finding his mother had been his driving force for so long that it felt like he'd run out of steam now he had actually found her. Maybe it was time to reassess his goals. "Is there a girlfriend?" Anna sipped her wine contemplatively. Before he could answer, something made him look up and he saw Meg walking towards the bar, her hair damp from the relentless drizzle that was falling outside. Tiny droplets sparkled like jewels on her naked shoulders and he felt the familiar cramp of desire in his groin as she sidled up beside Anna. "I'm waiting for an answer," Anna reminded him. "No, not at the moment," Zach replied with one eye on Meg. He saw the hostile look Meg gave Anna when she realised the blonde was talking to Zach and he groaned inwardly. This was likely to get awkward if Anna carried on asking personal questions. Her friends were trying to catch her attention and he prayed that she would give him a moment alone with Meg. "That's a shame," Anna said huskily. She leaned forward and smiled seductively. "Maybe if you're not busy later, we can hook up – for old times sake?" Under different circumstances, Zach would have jumped at the opportunity. Anna was still sexy as hell and the thought of reacquainting himself with her body was hardly an unwelcome one. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Meg's face turn pale. She practically threw her bag on the bar, deliberately aiming it in the direction of Anna's glass of red wine. The glass tumbled sideways as they all watched helplessly. Ruby cabernet spilled out and Anna's pale blue dress instantly blossomed with a vibrant red stain. Anna swore angrily. "I'm supposed to be going for a meal in half an hour!" "I'm so sorry!" Meg apologised in a saccharine sweet voice. "Never mind," Anna replied tightly. "I'm going to have to go back to the hotel and change now. There's no way I can go out for a meal looking like this." She reached inside her purse and pulled a business card printed on thick card and dropped it on the bar. "Give me a call sometime," she said. "It'd be good to catch up..." Her voice trailed off meaningfully and Zach heard the veiled promise behind her innocuous words. He also saw Meg grab her bag and storm off in the direction of the toilets. "Yeah," he said, wishing his life could be simple. "I'll do that." Anna blew him a kiss and rejoined her friends briefly before leaving the bar. He watched as she disappeared from his life again and he wondered why he didn't feel terribly bothered. But he didn't have time to dwell on that. He needed to find Meg. * * * Even the grubby mirror couldn't disguise the dark circles beneath her eyes. Meg stared at her reflection with disgust and wondered why she had even come here. It was hopeless. She was tired and depressed. The near miss with her mother this morning had frightened the living daylights out of her. She'd always been a risk taker, but the stakes were just too high with Zach. The realisation of what would happen to both of them if they were caught out was gnawing away at her insides like a vicious rodent. This morning, in the golden glow of spending a few brief hours with him, she had managed to push the doubts to one side. But after an hour or so lying in her own bed trying to come up with a way of making it work, she was back to feeling like shit again. It didn't matter which way she looked at the problem, there seemed to be no way out. But she couldn't stay in here all evening. Talking to Zach wasn't going to achieve anything, so she may as well go to Sarah's house or something. At least there she could relax. Zach could go and find his entertainment with that blonde bitch. Meg scowled at herself in the mirror. Seeing that blonde cow flirting with Zach had twisted her guts with jealousy. It had been childish to knock the wine over, but Meg was past caring. The bitch deserved it. The entrance door to the toilets banged open and she jumped at the sudden intrusion. "Can't you fucking read?" she said sarcastically, "It says 'ladies' on the door, not 'tossers'." "Very funny," sighed Zach. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist, his chin resting on the top of her head. For a minute she tensed and tried to fight the urge to melt into him, but it was useless. Eventually she gave up the futile struggle and leaned back in surrender, closing her eyes. "Has your bimbo gone now?" she murmured. Zach nuzzled her hair with his lips. "Were you jealous?" "No. Not at all. Redheads have way more fun." "You have nothing to be jealous about," he said softly. "I don't want anybody else." "Well you should." Despair hung over her like a death shroud. "I know that, but it doesn't make any difference," he said firmly. "I can't seem to see past this at the moment." They stared at each other in the mirror, her red hair almost brown in the dull light. "Maybe I should go with Sarah," she said eventually. "Go where?" "She's going travelling next month. Her friend dropped out and there's a plane ticket if I want it." Meg had dismissed the idea when Sarah first mentioned it, but the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. Staying here and seeing Zach all the time was only going to lead to them being caught out. It was obvious neither of them had the will power to resist temptation. A quick text to Sarah earlier had ascertained that the plane ticket was still up for grabs. Her mother would freak, of course, but Meg had enough money in her savings account to last her a while if she was careful. But could she leave Zach behind? "I think you should go," he replied. Her eyes darted up to his in shock. How could he be so callous! She tried to rip his arms away from her body, but he held her tightly, refusing to let her go. "I always wanted to travel," he said. "Maybe now would be a great time to see paradise?" * * * Sylvie watched Meg throw a few last items in her rucksack before she fastened it up. She still couldn't get her head around the fact her little girl was going away for what could be months. It was all happened so quickly she could scarcely make sense of it. Meg had come home a week ago and calmly announced she was taking a gap year from college and that she would be flying to Malaysia with Sarah and another girl the following Tuesday. "What are you talking about?" Sylvie had asked after a stunned silence. "I just said, didn't I?" Meg tossed the airline ticket on the kitchen table and wandered over to make a drink. "But how on earth are you going to afford this trip? I'm not paying for it!" "I've got Nana's inheritance in the bank and I have some money saved up. I won't need a lot – everything is relatively cheap out there. Sarah's done the research and she reckons she has a couple of jobs lined up in Australia for us, once we've bummed around a bit." Sylvie flopped down on a chair and tried to think. "But I'll miss you!" she cried when all other arguments seemed pointless. "It's not forever," replied Meg with a slightly softer expression. "I'll be back in a few months and then you'll be wishing I'd stayed away!" Now that Meg was actually about to leave, Sylvie could barely keep her emotions on check. It wouldn't have been so bad if Zach was sticking around, but he too was off on his travels. He had disappeared three days ago, saying he had taken a job in the States at a kids' summer camp. After that he would be visiting some friends in Texas. She had no idea when he would be back, but he had promised to keep in touch via email. It was so unfair really – she had only just found him again and now he had left. But, she supposed, he was a grown up with a life of his own. At least he was happy. Things had certainly been a little easier in the days after he had left. Meg at least had been more cheerful and relaxed. If only the two of them had seen eye to eye, lamented Sylvie as she placed Meg's bags in the car. It was a shame that they couldn't have found some common ground in which to bond. "Come on," Meg urged as Sylvie stood thinking about the last few months. "I'll miss my flight if we don't leave now!" Hopefully when more time had passed, they would be able to form some kind of relationship. She smiled to herself at the thought. It was something to look forward to, at least. * * * The setting sun painted the sea with fiery red colour as it slowly sank below the horizon in flames. Meg sat on the pale sand, her knees tucked below her chin as she stared across the bay. Voices from the nearby beach bar were carried on the hot breeze, but she tuned them out, preferring to listen to the lapping waves on the shoreline instead. Ko Samui was like paradise with its endless white beaches and turquoise sea. Every morning when she woke up, she had to pinch her arm to make herself believe that it was truly real and not just a scene from a movie. But they weren't staying here forever, even if she would have enjoyed it. In another week, they were flying to Cambodia, and then on to Vietnam. They had left Sarah and the other two in Hong Kong last week. It had been a drunken farewell, but the girls had promised to meet them in Vietnam in two months time. Meg was looking forward to that, but she had to admit she was happy that now it was just the two of them. A sound behind her made her look up and she grinned with pleasure as she turned around and took the beer he had just bought for them. "Would you rather be anywhere else in the world at this moment in time?" she asked before she sipped her beer. Even though the drink was not as cold as she liked, it still tasted wonderful and she sighed with pleasure. "Well yeah, of course," Zach replied, contemplatively drawing patterns in the sand with his toe. "I'd rather be in our beach hut fucking you." "That's not what I mean!" she laughed before putting her beer down and diving on top of him. "I meant would you rather be back in wet and cold England." "Err no!" He looked at her like she was stupid before pulling her down for a long, heated kiss. "Here we can be whoever we want to be," he reminded her when they broke apart. "You're right," she said softly. "Here we can be lovers." It had all been so easy really. Zach had flown out a few days before her and met them at the airport in Kuala Lumpar. As far as Sarah knew, he was a friend of her distant cousin who had arranged to spend some time with them. The fact he had the same name as her long lost brother had been a mere coincidence and after an initial comment, Sarah had forgotten all about it. She had even been pleased for Meg when she realised that they were an item. "Hey you have fun – he's hot!" she'd said as they drank beer in yet another backpacker bar. "He's not my type anyway," she said as her attention was caught by a tall blonde guy staring at her. She surreptitiously adjusted her bikini top so that her tits were almost falling out, and winked at him lewdly. "Don't you dare bring him back to our room," warned Michelle, who was travelling with them. "I'm not entertaining his friend – he's a fucking freak!" Meg noticed the short skinny guy smiling hopefully at the statuesque Michelle and started giggling. Maelstrom Ch. 02 "Don't dismiss him just yet, I saw him swimming this afternoon," she whispered in Michelle's ear. "He's very well endowed judging by the way his trunks were filled out." Michelle immediately perked up. "Really?" she said with sudden interest. "You know, I quite like short guys." She too adjusted her top so that her tits were better showcased and the short guy nearly passed out. "Jesus, there should be warnings about you lot in the fucking guide books!" snorted Zach when he reappeared with their drinks. "Those poor blokes don't stand a chance." The girls merely grinned evilly and downed the rest of their beers before snatching the fresh ones and sauntering across towards their conquests for the evening. Lying in the sand with Zach, Meg could only speculate what her friends were currently up to. They had been keeping in touch via email from cyber cafés and so far Sarah had clocked up an impressive collection of assorted men. Meg just hoped she was being careful. She certainly wasn't jealous. Whilst she would have given Sarah a run for her money once upon a time, now the only man she wanted was Zach. He gave her everything she needed, and more. "I wish we could stay here forever," she whispered as she looked down at him, her beer forgotten. "So do I," he admitted. "But our beach hut isn't too far away," he added with a grin. "Don't you think of anything else?" she scolded, enjoying the way his hands moved up and found her breasts. "Actually, no." He rubbed his thumbs across her nipples and groaned when she pressed down on his hard cock. "Well I guess we better move before you get us both arrested," Meg said as she stretched out on top of him, shuffling forward so that her nipples were in line with his lips. He yanked her bikini top down and captured a swollen teat in his mouth, sucking gently as she closed her eyes in ecstasy. It is just as well, she thought deliriously, that this section of the beach is deserted. She had no desire to move at the moment. Zach's hand slid beneath her short skirt and she moaned when he found her wet and ready for him. Unzipping his shorts, she released his cock and sank down on to it before kissing him again. They rocked together, finding their own rhythm as the music from the bar ebbed and flowed. She came with a muffled cry as the last pink rays from the sun faded and the sky darkened into inky blackness. In that shining moment, her life was perfect. Maybe this couldn't last forever, but at least they were happy for the moment. It was all that mattered.