Read Online All Inclusive by Judy Astley - Free Book Online

high, grabbing hold of the back of her calf and pulling down. She felt as if her blood was coursing fast into every sinew, and that muscles were loosening properly for the first time in months. In front of her, she caught sight of Gina’s left leg, rising high then going all the way on down till it lay against Gina’s ear. How did she get to be so bendy? Had she been a child star gymnast – did she represent the USA in some long-ago Olympics? Or was it from years of highly adventurous sex? Impossible not to think about that, what with Gina so obviously taunting poor Sam, and her crotch practically pushed into his face.
    Unwelcome thoughts about Ned and his mystery woman came to mind, however much Beth tried to stop them by concentrating on getting her hands over the baby-pink soles of her feet. She was doing her best; she honestly believed Ned when he promised it was all over months back, and she’d promised herself, after the initial fury and a cool spell of only the crispest communication between them, that she wouldn’t rake it all up again. What would be the point? Delilah and Nick would be bound to pick up the atmosphere and worry they were about to become maintenance children. She especially didn’t want to drag it into this holiday – the one where everything was supposed to fall back into place. So no pressure there.
    All the same, as she watched Gina effortlessly change legs and haul her other foot down so far she could kiss it, if she, Beth, was able to do physical tricks like that, would he have felt the need to go off and experiment with someone else? Or was the urge to copulate on extra-mural premises so very much more basic than a matter of having fantastic sex: some thrillsparked off by a different perfume, different shape, different conversation? And if it was conversation, was it down to the fact that much of Beth’s evening chat repertoire involved sharing with Ned World Wide Wendy’s unpalatable plans for buffalo fricassee, or wondering if they should opt for
Newsnight
or
Satan’s Supermarkets
?
    â€˜And . . . relax now, legs down together on the floor. Lying flat out and still, close your eyes, just concentrate on breathing and feeling the peace.
Melt
that body into the ground.’
    â€˜Mmmm,’ Gina moaned voluptuously. Sam switched off the music and everyone adjusted their limbs into flat relaxation. There was no sound but the gentle swoosh of the drapes, the soft splash as the stream from the hillside met the water of the ornamental lake over which part of the pavilion was built, and the deep, even breathing of at least six different nationalities gathered together to doze on this dark wooden floor. Then came a loud snort like a huffing horse and the bride’s mother shook herself awake with a start, sitting up abruptly and staring around, wide-eyed.
    â€˜Yo, we have a sleeper!’ Gina sat up and pointed at the woman. ‘Here’s the snorer, everybody!’ No-one, Beth thought, could ever describe Gina as quietly spoken.
    The bride tittered and her mother glared around her as everyone turned to stare.
    â€˜You’re
supposed
to be totally relaxed,’ she hissed at Gina. ‘That’s if you’re doing it properly and not just here to
show off
and flex your muscles at the hunky instructor.’
    â€˜Hey, sorry and all!’ Gina pulled her hair free of her elastic band and shook it out, flicking her head rightback so the hair cascaded prettily across her shoulders. ‘No big deal, lady – don’t wreck the chill vibes!’ But she was talking to a broad hunched back as the bride hustled her decidedly un-chilled mother out of the building and in the direction of breakfast at the poolside restaurant.
    Beth could feel Delilah giggling beside her, and Gina came over to the two of them. ‘Come on you guys, let’s get breakfast,’ she murmured. ‘We’ll take a seat close beside that uptight witch