Off The Cretan Track chapter 15

A Chapter by Repgreece

Excited to be in Matala

It was half an hour after their last stop when Nick and Sal arrived in Matala. They had left the national highway and followed the signs down a series of small, winding roads until they reached the main area of the tiny town centre, situated mostly around the famous beach. During the last part of their journey, the sun had set and their first sight of Matala was in darkness, but the moonlight beach, the illuminated caves in the cliffside and the twinkling lights of the sea front tavernas offered them a heart-warming welcome.

On the way into the town they had discussed finding a hotel room as soon as they arrived, however in their excitement at first seeing the place, they jumped off the bike and ran towards the beach, cheering and jumping up and down in excitable abandon.

“I can’t believe we’re finally here!” Sal shouted.

“Woa, it’s pretty damn amazing!” Nick yelled, running towards the sea. Sal giggled and ran after him but stopped and watched, a little startled when Nick continued to run fully clothed straight into the sea!

“What is it with you and swimming fully clothed?” she laughed.

“It’s great Sal, it’s really warm too. Come in,” he called, falling backwards with his arms outstretched to float on top of the water, staring up at the stars.

“Not a good idea. We’ve got to find somewhere to stay remember. It’s getting late,” she shouted back. Nick appeared not to have heard. “Nick… Nick, come on get out of there!”

Eventually he replied. “Can’t hear you Sal!”

She put her hands on her hips. “Yes you can! Come on, out!”

He disappeared under the water and came up closer to the shore, wading towards her.

“You look like the man from Atlantis,” she giggled.

He grinned. “Is he incredibly good looking?”

“Hmm, yes. On second thoughts you look more like Merman,” she said when he had reached her.

“What does he look like then?”

“All scaly with webbed feet and hands,” she teased.

“Grrrrr!” he growled, holding up his imaginary webbed hands and chasing her up onto the beach.

She screamed and ran from him until he caught her moments later and tackled her onto the floor.

“Surrender to the mighty power of Merrrmannn!” he commanded, tickling her senseless.

She squealed and tried desperately to wriggle free but remained defiant for as long as she could. “Stop Merman! You cannot harm me… for I am Aqua Woman, Queen of all the seas,” she announced in between fits of hysteria.

He paused for a moment to look at her and then burst out laughing, continuing the attack. “Surrender or you die Aqua Woman!” He could barely get the last few words out for laughing so much.

“Stop or you will regret this Merman, for I shall call up all my fishy friends to…”

“Fishy friends?” He howled with laughter.

She tried to look serious but couldn’t stop the giggles. “Yes and my allies the snappy crabs who will come and nip you like this.” She pinched him in his side. “And this.” She pinched him again. His eyes widened and he growled, grabbing her taunting hands and pinning them above her head.

“Now you are at my mercy,” he exclaimed, smiling down at her in triumph.

The moment Nick had moved her hands above her head something in Sal’s brain clicked and she felt a rising panic at the way she was trapped against him. The panic wasn’t from fear of being hurt or having to admit defeat; in fact it was quite the opposite. Sal felt a sudden thrill at being helpless underneath his hard demanding body and it was this that filled her with fear. Fear that he would see it in her face, or feel it from the heat that was spreading through her body.

Damn it! She needed to find a man, and quickly! Her hormones are running riot!

The smile on Nick’s face slowly disappeared when Sal turned her face away from him. Something was wrong.

“Sal? Sal, what’s the matter?” he said softly.

He suddenly became aware of the intimacy of their position and his pulse raced. Maybe that was what was wrong. Maybe she had sensed it and he had frightened her. He released her hands.

“Sal, are you okay? Look at me,” he said, tilting his head to look into her face. She couldn’t let him see her like that; she had to get away from him.

“We have to go now Nick…to find a hotel,” she replied in a quiet voice.

He rolled off her and lay next to her on the sand with his face directly in front of hers. She went to turn away again but he stopped her by placing a hand on her cheek.

“Wait, are you okay?”

His eyes were searching hers, looking for answers, but it was dark. Maybe he couldn’t see her expression.

Nick tried desperately to pick up on any signals that Sal might have been sending him at that moment. More than anything now, and since the first day he’d met her, he was hoping to see some kind of physical attraction towards him. He knew that she enjoyed his company, that she thought he was fun and that they could share inner thoughts and feelings together, but her insistence that they were just friends bothered him. In fact it hurt, because he felt so much more, and if she didn’t, or couldn’t, feel more then where did that leave him?

What was that look on her face? Was she afraid, annoyed, uncomfortable, embarrassed or…aroused? As her eyes held his for a split second he had real hope. She was hesitating; she wasn’t moving away.

“Let’s go now,” she said. But still she lay beside him, her face so close to his.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because…because,” she faltered, trying desperately to focus, to come up with a sensible reply. His heart thundered as he watched her struggle for an answer. She eventually found one.

“Because someone is coming.”

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