John Keats had handpicked Caitlin Harper for the job of Xander’s future wife himself. She was the daughter of one of his friends who had the same social status and business assets as himself; something that mattered to him above all else. John did not care that his son lacked any feelings for Caitlin.
The decay of two further marriages since John’s bitter divorce from Xander’s mother made the son realise how emotionally hardened his father had become. He believed John only gained enjoyment from ruthless business takeovers and making his current wife’s life a misery. Xander felt sorry for the woman, especially after the discovery of his father’s latest deceptions just before he set off on this holiday.
The villa in Sicily was the first piece of property that Xander had ever bought with his own hard-earned cash, not wanting its acquisition to be tainted by the family fortune that his life was otherwise hindered by. He loved hearing the sound of the crashing waves just a few hundred yards from his bedroom and the tranquillity of the secluded beach. It represented Xander’s escapism from what he viewed as the hollowness of duty and honour, which his father continuously lectured him about whenever he saw yet another made-up newspaper article about the musician’s life.
Striding determinedly into his bedroom, Xander grabbed his mobile from the top of his dresser and started to dial John Keats’ number. Predictably, the call diverted straight to voicemail. After leaving a strongly worded message, he threw the handset down on the wooden surface and headed into the bathroom to take a long shower. Sometime later, he emerged from his bedroom, dressed and ready for a drink.
Noticing Hayden and Adam make a move to grab their jackets, he announced, “I don’t want any company tonight.”
“Xander, going out alone without us is probably not the best way to be alone. What if someone recognises you?” asked Adam, persuasively. “At least, if we’re in the background, we can get you out before a crowd shows up.”
Xander nodded with a sigh. “Okay, you can come,” he agreed, “but I want you to keep out of my hair. I need some space, rather than feeling that I’m being babysat, understood?” He did not mean to sound such an arsehole, but lately the lack of privacy had been getting to him more than usual.
“Of course, Xander,” Adam agreed.
“Fine, then let’s get out of here.”
***
Arriving outside the seafood restaurant by car, Xander asked the men to drop him off. He instructed them to remain nearby for a couple of hours and then to head back to the villa unless he messaged them otherwise. Reluctantly, they agreed to his request.
The restaurant was one that Xander visited whenever he was on the island. Stepping inside, he was greeted warmly by the owner, who had been talking with another customer near the entrance. While he and the waiters knew who he was, thankfully they never drew attention to it.
The place was buzzing with activity and patrons chatting in a variety of languages. Apologising profusely, the owner explained that he had just given the last table to a lone English woman. Determined to enjoy a quiet meal, Xander pressed the man to ask if she would be willing to share her table. He would rather risk one person recognising him than heading into an unfamiliar restaurant where a whole crowd might.
The owner caught a passing waiter’s attention. “Renzo, please go see if the lady on the terrace is willing to share her table with this gentleman.”
After chatting briefly with the owner in Italian, the waiter soon returned with the lady’s consent to share. Xander followed him outside to the covered terrace where he stopped at a secluded corner overlooking the sea.
As his eyes drifted over to the table in the vicinity to seek out who he would be sharing with, Xander’s mouth curved into a satisfied smile. His unplanned dinner partner was instantly recognisable as the woman from the adjacent villa and the newly established resident of his waking thoughts. He took a moment to drink in the endearing way in which she wound one of her thick curls around one of her fingers as she browsed some papers in front of her, looking thoughtful.
Coughing gently enough to draw her attention, Xander watched as the woman finally lifted her eyes to meet his. Two beautiful pools of emerald glistened against her near-perfect complexion. Flashing a gleaming white smile at her, he stood by the vacant chair with his hand resting on the back of it, feeling hesitant for the first time. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “I had no idea that it would be you here.”
It was the first time he had seen her close-up. He had known she was a beauty, but nothing had prepared his body for how gorgeous she would be with only a wooden table between them. A whirlwind of images flashed through his mind of all the things he would like to do to her across the said piece of furniture.
Zoning back to reality, Xander composed himself as he realised the woman was still staring at him, expectantly waiting for him to sit down. “Do you still not mind sharing?” he asked.
As much as he wanted to accompany her while she looked so delicious in her yellow sundress, he felt a glow of embarrassment overcome him at all the lustful reactions she was causing his body to feel. He noted her make a slight gulp before fixing a smile upon her kissable lips and replying, “Please sit down. I honestly don’t mind.”
Xander enjoyed the way she spoke; her voice did crazy things to the inside of his stomach. Feeling a rush of relief and anticipation, he took his place opposite her. “I’m not sure if you remember my name, but it’s Xander.” He couldn’t help but stare at her with the same inquisitive expression he had worn on that first day, waiting for her to offer her own name.
“I-Indi, my name is Indi.”
Xander detected a touch of nervousness in her voice as she stumbled over her words. “It’s lovely to meet you, Indi,” he said, offering his hand across the table and showing another glimpse of his perfect teeth.
The woman accepted his hand confidently, and Xander felt a jolt of energy pass between them as they touched, catching him unawares. It caused an explosive sensation along his nerve endings, which passed up his arms, down his body and into his belly. Indi’s green eyes stared into his own for what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few moments, before she exhaled a breath, looked down at her hand and pulled it away, blushing.
“So, are you planning to take some tours while you’re here?” he asked, pointing to the leaflets lying open in front of her.
She nodded. “Yes, a couple of them appear interesting.”
“I would recommend Cefalù. There is a museum there with an extensive collection of art and archaeology; an insightful place about local culture. And, of course, seeing the volcano, Etna, is a must.”
The arrival of the waiter to take Xander’s food and drink order briefly interrupted the conversation. He decided upon the chief’s special dish of swordfish with a nutty wine sauce and side vegetables, which Indi had requested earlier.
“I take it that you’ve been to Sicily in the past?” the woman asked once the waiter had left.
He nodded. “Yes, I’ve been here at least once a year for the past five years, and during my childhood. It’s a place I like to visit when trying to escape the fast pace of life.”
Xander was sure the woman would notice the faraway look in his eyes that he often had when he thought back to happier holidays here. As he spoke, he could not help but focus on her mouth. Indi’s full lips curved upwards naturally. Though she did not appear to smile much, when she did she displayed two dimples. He wondered what it would be like to press his own lips against them, tasting her.
“This is my first time here,” she told him. “The travel agent highly recommended it as a place to have a secluded holiday, which is why I choose the villa in contrast to a hotel in the centre of town.”
Indi’s soft voice penetrated his thoughts of how enjoyable it was to have a carefree conversation with a woman without worrying about Caitlin showing up. Since the pre-nup had been signed, she had developed an unfortunate habit of appearing whenever Xander went to any promotional dinners with femal
e executives from the record label, and then embarrassing him by accusing him of sleeping with them.
He had to hand it to Caitlin though; she played the role of jealous psycho girlfriend well, but he wasn’t fooled. The woman had just as much of an ulterior motive in agreeing to the marriage as his father did in pushing them together. Xander had the photos to prove it, and he was just biding his time before playing his trump card when he returned to England.
Returning his attention to his dinner companion, Xander mused how Caitlin would certainly have something to worry about if she knew the effect that Indi’s body was having on his own. When the waiter had first led him to the table and he discovered his sexy neighbour sitting there, Xander had been thankful for the light jacket he was carrying. He’d barely been able to contain the reaction that sprung from his groin as his eyes lingered on the low neckline of Indi’s tight, yellow summer dress as it exposed a generous amount of bronze cleavage.
“You were recommended well,” he told her. “You can spend the whole of your holiday undisturbed in the villa if you only explore the beach and surrounding area – well away from the bustle of the tourist trail.” He offered a small smile. “I hope my presence next door won’t disturb your solitude too much. I promise I won’t be having any wild parties!”
Indi giggled. It was the first time he’d experienced her laughter; its sweet sound brought a joyful expression to his face. “I don’t mind wild parties, as long as I’m invited to one,” she replied.
Her tone was flirtatious and Xander raised an eyebrow in surprise, caught off guard by her sudden playfulness after a subdued beginning. “I’m sure that could be arranged,” he countered.
A wild party, with just the two of them, involving a Jacuzzi, her bare skin and some champagne certainly sounded delightful, he mused to himself. Xander’s body reacted with a spreading of warmth in his groin area, making the fabric of his trousers feel much tighter than before. He was relieved that he wouldn’t have to get up from the table for a while.
The waiter had the forethought to hold off on the food that Indi had ordered before Xander joined her table so that their meals arrived at the same time. They spent the following fifteen minutes eating in silence. Xander sought out any opportunity to admire his companion’s body whenever she was looking down to place her next mouthful of food on her fork, so she wasn’t aware that he was observing her so blatantly.
His male cravings heightened to a painful level as his gaze moved over her slender neck, thankfully noting her naturally pert breasts, from what he could tell. Fake ones truly turned him off – just another reason to feel distaste when he saw Caitlin. His future wife was slender and pretty enough, but he could not abide the plastic Barbie look that she and many of her model contemporaries put their bodies through. He also appreciated Indi’s slim waist, but he felt equally drawn to discovering the hidden depths of her personality.
Chapter Three: Starstruck
Indi
Indi felt a powerful pull toward the handsome stranger staring at her across the dinner table. Despite her longing for solitude ever since arriving on the island, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the idea of getting to know her neighbour better, much better.
She certainly wasn’t looking for anything meaningful, but she would not be adverse to spending time in Xander’s company. He seemed to genuinely want to seek her out whenever they were on the beach at the same time and from the looks he’d been giving her over dinner, she presumed he found her attractive. The idea of cleansing her mind of her anxieties about strangers by getting down and dirty with her sexy neighbour could turn out to be the craziest or sanest thing she’d ever considered doing.
The sense of familiarity that Indi had been experiencing since first setting eyes on the man still hadn’t dissipated; in fact, being in his company had only intensified it. At first it had been disconcerting to be in the company of a stranger while feeling so at ease with him, but that had quickly passed. Now she seemed to be sharing an easy flow of effortless conversation.
With the main course out of the way, Indi decided to find out more about Xander. So far they had only discussed tourist excursions. Her curiosity had been steadily growing as to why a man on holiday alone needed bodyguards to shadow his every move.
“So, did you have to go on the run to lose your friends tonight?” Indi asked. As she nursed the rest of her non-alcoholic drink, she couldn’t resist bantering now that her earlier nerves had subsided enough to allow a glimmer of her old confidence to shine through.
A frown creased over Xander’s forehead and he looked puzzled for a moment. “Oh, you mean my security guys? I did have to negotiate a release of sorts,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Do you mind if I ask what you do?” Indi knew she was being nosey, but the buzz from being in this man’s company and having him admire her so appreciatively made her eager to know more.
Another crease of his forehead was followed by a lingering hesitancy. “I’m involved in music.”
“Are you famous or something that you need security to keep the fan girls away?” she asked.
Indi had meant the question as a joke, but as soon as she said it, everything began to click into place in her head and her mouth nearly dropped open as realisation hit her. He was Xander Keats! She darted her gaze down to her drink so that he wouldn’t guess that she was one such fan girl. The man wasn’t just involved in music; he was music as far as she was concerned.
Clamping her lips shut, Indi tried to keep a calm front while her thoughts were screaming oh, my god, oh, my god, I’m sharing a table with XANDER KEATS! When she recovered enough courage to raise her eyes to meet his gaze again, he was looking at her inquisitively with a self-assured smile playing on his lips.
“You recognise me, don’t you?”
Indi smiled coyly. “Was I that obvious?”
A blush rose over her cheeks as she realised just how unsuccessful she’d been at hiding her reaction. Had he been able to read all her reactions to him so easy – her racing heart when she first saw him standing beside the table or the tingling nerves that swept over her body when he touched her hand? How embarrassing that would be, she thought.
“It comes with the territory,” Xander replied. “It seems there are three types of recognition. One is the in-your-face screamer. The second is the hang-backer who politely waits their turn for an autograph or photo. And the third is someone who pretends they don’t know who you are at all.”
Indi relaxed at the man’s easy manner and they fell into the same free-flowing conversation as before. This time it involved music in between spoonfuls of the tiramisu that Xander had convinced her to share with him.
“So now you know I’m not some strange guy from next door, but a rock star with a reputation to upkeep, can I convince you to accept my offer to show you some of the lesser discovered delights of Sicily?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with humour.
Indi’s heart soared at the thought of spending more than one evening with her idol, but at the same time her brain tried to insert a wave of caution. She decided to experience more of Xander’s company before venturing into a less public environment with him. “I would be interested in doing that once I’ve covered this part of the island first,” she replied. “Maybe we could discuss some places over dinner in a few days.”
Xander nodded in agreement. “Sounds reasonable to me. Do you want to get some coffee or should I get the bill?”
“No, thanks, I’m ready to leave.”
He attracted the attention of the waiter, who promptly returned with the bill. In exchange, Xander, who had been poised with his black Amex card, handed it over.
“Hold on, I want to pay for what I ordered myself,” Indi interrupted, handing over her own black Amex. He might be a rich rock star, but she was not going to let him think he could buy her dinner just like that.
Xander smirked while the waiter glanced between them in bemusement. “You seriously won’t let me buy you dinner?” he asked.
Indi shook her head. Despite the bubbling chemistry between them, she wanted to remain out of his debt, and she always paid for her own dinner on dates. Wait! A date? Wouldn’t he have had to ask her out first for this to be classed as a date? You’re getting ahead of yourself if you think a sex god like Xander Keats is going to want to take you out on a full-on dinner date, Indi inwardly chastised herself.
Holding his hands up in mock defeat, he replied, “Fine, you heard the lady, let her pay for her part.” Xander chuckled again as he shook his head. “You’re really a refreshing change, Indi,” he added when the waiter walked off to split the bill. “I think you’re the first woman to ever refuse anything from me.”
His voice sounded velvety as his eyes licentiously drank in her features before moving down to her neck and beyond. Indi swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry due to the powerful hunger exuding from the man’s gaze. She watched his eyes linger on her exposed cleavage as he licked his lips with his tongue provocatively, causing her nipples to contract and tighten at the gesture. Was Xander Keats truly giving her the come-on? Not in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined that!
“It’s a quite a turn-on,” Indi heard him add, in the same seductive tone as he’d used in one of his many music videos that she’d seen. Blinking, she met his now-lifted gaze. Catching his enigmatic smile, she wondered if she had imagined what he just said.
“Shall we head out?” Xander asked with his voice fully in control, unlike her own.
Indi nodded, unable to get a simple yes out of her mouth. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, she wondered whether to offer him a lift back with her, just to prolong being in his company. Despite herself, she felt strangely safe with him. His voice and the lyrics of his songs had been such an intricate piece of her life throughout her troubled teenage years. It made her feel that he was a returning friend who could be trusted with her deepest secrets.
Starstruck (Fusion #1) Page 2
