So Close (a James Hetfield story)

Chapter 5

Bonus chapter for the week. Enjoy!

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Some part of me was aware, even in sleep, that somehow I'd ended up in Jamie's arms again during the night. Opening my eyes, I was looking down at his t-shirt covered chest as I lay half sprawled on top of him, while his arms were wrapped around me, one large hand settled snugly on my ass. Shifting slightly, I felt something rubbing insistently against my thigh, and looked down in surprise to see that he had a hard on. Desire rushed though me, and for a split second, I was tempted to take it as a sign that he wanted me too. Immediately, I tamped down on those thoughts and scolded myself harshly for reading into it; all guys got morning wood, it had nothing to do with me. Swallowing my disappointment, I eased out of his arms. Though he resisted for a moment, I was able to pull away and slide off the other side of the bed without waking him. Quietly grabbing a change of clothes, I went into the bathroom for my morning shower, turning the temperature setting to cold and standing in the frigid water until my overheated libido calmed down. By the time I showered and gotten dressed, James was awake and waiting for his turn. I avoided looking at his lower region, knowing I'd blush bright red at the memory from earlier, but he gave me a sleepy smile and I knew he had no memory of cuddling together.

Heading out to the living area, Ron and Lars were attempting to make breakfast, so I offered my help and we had pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit, and coffee ready to go by the time the rest of the group stumbled out of bed. We made our plans for the day, deciding to go to a secluded beach called Playa Bonita. It was surrounded by high cliffs and only reachable by water, but there were plenty of chartered boats available down at the docks, so we packed up all the stuff we'd need, changed into swimsuits, and piled into the van for the short ride down to the pier. Mike and Hugh spoke the best Spanish out of the group and negotiated a good rate to take us to the beach, and we loaded the boat with snorkel gear, blankets, food, beers, and headed out. It was a gorgeous day, mid 70's, and just a few puffs of clouds in the sky. It wasn't that long of a boat ride, but we were stoked to see a few whales frolicking on our way there.

Since it was spring break and everywhere in Baja was busy, we weren't surprised to see a dozen or so other boats anchored nearby, but it was by no means crowded. Wearing only our suits, we carried everything through the waist deep water to shore and set up quickly, laying out blankets and setting up umbrellas to keep the iced coolers of food and drinks cold. A couple of the guys immediately opted for a nap, but James, Lars, Jim , Melissa and I chose to go snorkeling. Slathering on the sunscreen, I turned to ask Mel if she'd help with my back, but she was helping Jim; biting the bullet, I asked Jamie.

"Can you put some on my back?" I asked, holding out the bottle.

"Um, sure."

I could hear him squeeze the lotion onto his hands and tried to keep from tensing up when he stepped close and settled them onto my back. I lifted the hair off the back of my neck as he massaged my shoulders, my eyes closing in pleasure. Involuntarily, I let out a little moan and he froze. Holding my breath, I waited for his response. He started back up again, only now his hands were moving slower, pressing deeper into my muscles and flesh. I could have sworn there was a sensual undercurrent, but I dismissed the thought almost immediately, clearly he was just being thorough and I was stupid to read more into it.

Finishing up, he handed me back the bottle and then presented his back to me. Smiling to myself, I worked the sunscreen into his back and shoulders like he's done for me, taking my time and massaging the lotion deep into his skin with my hands. I felt a smug sense of satisfaction as I heard him groan softly under his breath.