Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
Narelle Hennessy looked at the outstretched hand of the sexy stranger whose muscles had bulged when he’d pulled the guy off their table.
She’d been in Bali for a week, and Andy was the best-looking man she’d seen her whole trip.
Then again, it wasn’t as if she’d gone out of her way to seek the company of another person.
Most of the time she’d lazed by the pool with her Kindle, while her co-worker, Camille, had been notching up conquest after conquest. She’d told Andy the truth when she’d said it had been a last-minute trip.
Camille’s best friend had found out she was pregnant, had terrible morning sickness, and didn’t want to travel to Bali.
Narelle also happened to be taking some vacation time.
Camille had found out and asked if she wanted to go with her.
Even now, she still wasn’t sure why her work colleague had invited her along.
They’d been competing for the same promotion, which Narelle had gotten, and Camille hadn’t been too happy about it.
Thinking about it, it was weird how it all came about.
As it had been a few years since she’d been on vacation anywhere, she’d said yes.
Now here she stood in the middle of a noisy bar, with a very sexy man who wanted to spend time with her, and maybe something even more.
How is this happening to me?
She’d read so many romances where the characters had holiday flings which turned into a forever kind of love. She always thought it sounded amazing. Here was her chance to be like them. Not that she imagined having a forever love with Andy, but why not live a little?
“Sure, getting out of here sounds like a great idea.” She took Andy’s hand, doing everything she could to stop another full body shiver from being obvious.
What was it about this man that had her body reacting faster than fish in a feeding frenzy?
The crowd seemed to part for them, and as they made their way past Camille, she caught her co-worker’s eye. Camille sent her a thumbs up when she saw Narelle was walking out with a man.
She’d never had a one-night stand. All throughout the trip, Camille had been pressuring her to “let her hair down,” but Narelle hadn’t even given it a thought until now.
Could she do it? Could she do something risky like take a total stranger to bed?
That was something she still didn’t have the answer to. A simple touch of hands might have her body singing, but she wanted more than that when she went to bed with a man. Most of her sexual encounters had been with guys she’d been in a relationship with.
The humidity hit her as they exited the bar. “Ugh, I’m not going to miss this,” she mumbled.
Andy chuckled. “This is mild in comparison to some places I’ve been.”
Once again, his answer intrigued her, like she’d been when he said he’d come to Bali for work.
Who did that, unless it was for a work conference?
But there hadn’t been any signs of a conference happening in the hotel.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t one someplace else.
Perhaps that hotel had been full, and that was why Andy was staying at the same one as her.
Or maybe he did business with a local artisan and imported their products. Now that she thought about it, there could be many reasons why he was in Bali for business.
There was a chance he wasn’t even staying at this hotel. He could’ve just stopped by to have a drink.
More to the point, why was she giving this so much thought when it didn’t even matter? He was here, and now she was with him.
Her feet sunk into the sand as the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow around them. Like he had at the bar, Andy expertly steered her toward a couple of free loungers on the beach. They could sit and watch the day drift into evening.
“Hope this is okay?” Andy waited for her to sit before he did.
“It’s nice. Perfect way to end my holiday.
” Even though she hadn’t really done much, the break was exactly what she needed.
She hadn’t known how stressed she’d been until the day she’d arrived and the gentle swish of the waves against the shore had soothed her.
Tension seemed to seep out of her with each wave rushing back out to the sea.
“Have you had a fun time?” Andy’s attention was on her, but his eyes were now hidden behind black lensed sunglasses. He could be looking anywhere, but she suspected his gaze was trained on her. He had an intensity about him that should’ve frightened her, but didn’t.
“It’s been relaxing. I haven’t done much more than get up and laze by the pool. I did a tour to an animal sanctuary one day. That was fun.”
“Did anything of yours get swiped by a monkey?” His smile below his glasses was bright and happy.
Narelle laughed. “No, everything of mine was safe, but I did see a monkey swipe a woman’s hat. Her shriek set off all the other monkeys. It took a while for them to calm down.”
Andy chuckled as well, the sound deep, and a shiver rippled through her again.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
Of course he noticed her reaction to his laugh. “No, I’m fine. You said you were here for work. Was it a conference?”
She wanted to get the attention off her. Would he run with her change of subject?
“No.” For the first time since they sat down, he turned his focus off her and toward the ocean.
Clearly, the subject of his work was something he didn’t want to talk about. She would respect that and not bring it up. It wasn’t as if she’d see him again.
Why am I sitting on the beach with him then? A total stranger. Am I safe?
Narelle mulled it over as she tapped her fingers on her leg.
Her instincts had gotten her out of trouble on a few occasions in the past. She’d been on a date, and the guy had been giving off a bad vibe.
The feeling had proven to be correct, and she’d escaped what could’ve been a dreadful situation.
She wasn’t getting anything like that from Andy—even with his intense aura.
They sat in silence and watched the sun dip lower and lower until it slipped below the horizon.
“There’s no green flash,” she murmured, referring to a movie series.
“Not tonight.”
What happened now? Did they go their separate ways? It would be the sensible thing to do, seeing as she still had to pack for her flight the next day.
Yet somehow, even though they hadn’t really had much of a conversation, she didn’t want the time with Andy to end.
“Do you want to have dinner?” Narelle pressed her lips together, shocked she’d blurted out the invitation.
“Sure. I’d like that.” His quick agreement had to mean he wanted to still be with her, didn’t it?
“Um, great.” Now she didn’t know what to do. This was the first time she’d ever asked a guy out. She’d been on plenty dates before. Even had a couple of serious relationships, but making the first move hadn’t been usual for her.
Although technically, Andy had made the first move by asking if she wanted to join him for a drink. She was now just continuing with it.
Whatever it takes to justify your actions.
Narelle ignored the mocking voice in her head. She was overthinking the whole situation.
“How about we eat at the bistro in the hotel? It’s casual, because I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend time changing.
” He’d taken his sunglasses off and was watching her, that intensity of his shining through again.
She could drown in his blue eyes. Everything about this man called out to her in a way that had her thinking of what it would be like to be held by him.
To kiss him. To feel his hands roam over her body.
It was her last night. She’d never done anything reckless in her life, and yet, right this second, she wanted to. It was so out of character for her that she should take the time to think it through. But she was tired of thinking instead of acting.
“I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t we go to my room and order room service?”
Andy stood abruptly, sand flying around him. Was he about to walk away? Had she pushed too far?
God, what was I thinking?
“I’m sorry.” She stood as well. “Forget I said that. Dinner at the bistro sounds good.”
In two strides Andy was in her personal space. His arms by his side when she wanted them around her.
She hadn’t even had one whole glass of wine, so she couldn’t blame that she was drunk and making bad decisions. The thing was, it wasn’t a bad decision. Everything about this encounter felt right.
Like she had when she’d asked him to dinner, Narelle took the initiative and touched him first. She rested her hands against his hard chest and lifted her head so their gazes met.
It was as if she’d given him all the permission he needed. He lowered his head until his lips were almost touching hers. “Going to your room is a great idea.”
His mouth landed on hers, and Narelle jolted at the burst of energy going through her. She pressed her body against his and gave herself over to his kiss.