Chapter Seventeen
Liam
W e arrived back at the hotel not long after our swim. The horizon turned dusky with a tropical storm on the horizon. My headache faded, but it left me weirded out. Perhaps Nina was right, and I should get it looked at.
We drove into the car park. I left the engine idling as Nina clambered off. Her hands rested on my shoulders for balance, and my skin clenched. The kisses we’d shared were imprinted on my very existence. Every moment with her was better than I could’ve imagined. And who would’ve thought it—I’d found a flaw to the faultless Nina: she was a hopeless swimmer. For some reason, knowing she wasn’t accomplished at everything made me relax a little. It still didn’t help knowing she danced as well as Nikolai and fit into his embrace perfectly, but I was the one to kiss her. So take that.
Nina was my Kryptonite. I never thought I’d become so besotted by someone so fast, nor stoop to the levels I’d gone to find out things about her. But every kilo of guilt was worth it. She liked me, too.
“Aren’t you coming into the hotel?” she asked as she rearranged her bikini top, jiggling her boobs in the process.
My mouth went dry. As much as I didn’t want to say goodbye, I had work to do. The thought of leaving her was hard. What if she started thinking about what I’d said? She accepted me at the waterfall; it didn’t mean she couldn’t change her mind. If she had time to think, she might re-evaluate and categorize me as a stalker after all.
Damn plane investigation.
I reached out, caressing her cheek. “I have to speak to operations. They want regular updates on the engineer’s progress, and the Civil Aviation Authority arrives today to oversee the investigation.” That meant going to the airport and seeing Nikolai again. Awesome. Not.
Disappointment shone in her eyes which made my heart do some silly stutter. She’d miss me.
“Oh, okay. No problem.” She turned to leave; my fingers dropped from her cheek. I had every intention of letting her go, but my hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. With a sharp tug, I jerked her back. She landed in my lap. Her ass fit snugly against the one place she shouldn’t touch. Not yet, anyway. I wanted her to know me, and she had a lot of catching up to do. Holding the motorbike up with my legs, I wrapped my arms around her. “One goodbye kiss.”
Her lips tugged into a shy smile and my breath caught. Eyes-locked, I kissed her. She tasted of fresh water and temptation. Her lips parted, and my arms squeezed tighter as her tongue darted into my mouth. My eyes snapped closed as I threw myself into her. She moaned as I massaged her tongue with mine.
It was true what people said: that there was one perfect person—a soul mate. I never believed in such flowery stuff, but kissing Nina was unlike kissing any other girl. She fit; even without learning each other’s preferences and quirks. She kissed me as if she’d kissed me all her life.
My thoughts disintegrated, and she became the focal point of my everything. Why was I leaving again? Work? Screw work. I’d much rather hold her hand and stroll on the beach, or sip a cocktail while watching the pending storm chase the last tendrils of sun into hiding.
But I had to go.
Not only would the CAA expect me there, but I was an obsessed idiot who needed to reign himself in and get a grip.
She sighed as I broke the kiss and pushed her upright.
“Can I see you tonight? Dinner perhaps?” My way of subtly making sure she wouldn’t see Nikolai.
Her face brightened. “Sure. Dinner sounds great.” Giving me an endearing wave, she disappeared up the lobby stairs.
Sighing like a lovesick fool, I revved the bike and darted out of the hotel grounds.
I didn’t fancy being cooped up in a car when I could zoom wherever I wanted. Not that it was a fast bike. I doubted the Honda would excel above sixty kilometres per hour.
The airport was a lonely building as I pulled up and parked. As
Liam
W e arrived back at the hotel not long after our swim. The horizon turned dusky with a tropical storm on the horizon. My headache faded, but it left me weirded out. Perhaps Nina was right, and I should get it looked at.
We drove into the car park. I left the engine idling as Nina clambered off. Her hands rested on my shoulders for balance, and my skin clenched. The kisses we’d shared were imprinted on my very existence. Every moment with her was better than I could’ve imagined. And who would’ve thought it—I’d found a flaw to the faultless Nina: she was a hopeless swimmer. For some reason, knowing she wasn’t accomplished at everything made me relax a little. It still didn’t help knowing she danced as well as Nikolai and fit into his embrace perfectly, but I was the one to kiss her. So take that.
Nina was my Kryptonite. I never thought I’d become so besotted by someone so fast, nor stoop to the levels I’d gone to find out things about her. But every kilo of guilt was worth it. She liked me, too.
“Aren’t you coming into the hotel?” she asked as she rearranged her bikini top, jiggling her boobs in the process.
My mouth went dry. As much as I didn’t want to say goodbye, I had work to do. The thought of leaving her was hard. What if she started thinking about what I’d said? She accepted me at the waterfall; it didn’t mean she couldn’t change her mind. If she had time to think, she might re-evaluate and categorize me as a stalker after all.
Damn plane investigation.
I reached out, caressing her cheek. “I have to speak to operations. They want regular updates on the engineer’s progress, and the Civil Aviation Authority arrives today to oversee the investigation.” That meant going to the airport and seeing Nikolai again. Awesome. Not.
Disappointment shone in her eyes which made my heart do some silly stutter. She’d miss me.
“Oh, okay. No problem.” She turned to leave; my fingers dropped from her cheek. I had every intention of letting her go, but my hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. With a sharp tug, I jerked her back. She landed in my lap. Her ass fit snugly against the one place she shouldn’t touch. Not yet, anyway. I wanted her to know me, and she had a lot of catching up to do. Holding the motorbike up with my legs, I wrapped my arms around her. “One goodbye kiss.”
Her lips tugged into a shy smile and my breath caught. Eyes-locked, I kissed her. She tasted of fresh water and temptation. Her lips parted, and my arms squeezed tighter as her tongue darted into my mouth. My eyes snapped closed as I threw myself into her. She moaned as I massaged her tongue with mine.
It was true what people said: that there was one perfect person—a soul mate. I never believed in such flowery stuff, but kissing Nina was unlike kissing any other girl. She fit; even without learning each other’s preferences and quirks. She kissed me as if she’d kissed me all her life.
My thoughts disintegrated, and she became the focal point of my everything. Why was I leaving again? Work? Screw work. I’d much rather hold her hand and stroll on the beach, or sip a cocktail while watching the pending storm chase the last tendrils of sun into hiding.
But I had to go.
Not only would the CAA expect me there, but I was an obsessed idiot who needed to reign himself in and get a grip.
She sighed as I broke the kiss and pushed her upright.
“Can I see you tonight? Dinner perhaps?” My way of subtly making sure she wouldn’t see Nikolai.
Her face brightened. “Sure. Dinner sounds great.” Giving me an endearing wave, she disappeared up the lobby stairs.
Sighing like a lovesick fool, I revved the bike and darted out of the hotel grounds.
I didn’t fancy being cooped up in a car when I could zoom wherever I wanted. Not that it was a fast bike. I doubted the Honda would excel above sixty kilometres per hour.
The airport was a lonely building as I pulled up and parked. As