Travel, Live, Love - A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 5)

by Gray, Jessica

  And her voice…Wait! He listened intently and heard that same deep, sexy voice again, that sent shivers racing up and down his spine. He turned around, almost afraid to look, but there she was, standing at the other counter big as life just a couple of yards away from him. His heart fluttered and he for some reason he was happy.

  She was arguing with the sales clerk behind the counter. Apparently, they had lost her reservation and now they didn’t have the car for her she’d wanted. He listened as they offered her a replacement car, but she just shook her head. “That won’t work. I need four-wheel drive where I’m headed. That car wouldn’t even get me half the distance.”

  After a look up at the ceiling, she asked in a much calmer voice, “How long before you have another four-wheel drive vehicle available?”

  The clerk shuffled papers around and typed something into her computer, then shook her head. “I’m very sorry, but the earliest one we have is in five days from now.” When Angela didn’t say anything, she added, “But you can always check back to see if someone returned their car early.”

  Patrick waited for Angela to get angry, but surprisingly, she didn’t. He watched as she thanked the woman and then turned around, bumping right into him. Patrick hadn’t been any more prepared for their collision than she, and for a short moment, he enjoyed holding her in his arms, not knowing what else to do.

  Her body was so soft and smooth, and she smelled terrific. Like fresh flowers. He took another breath of her exhilarating scent before he remembered his manners and stepped back.

  When she retracted from his embrace, he could feel the heat in his body, and as he looked into her eyes, he believed he saw a spark of reaction there. Or is that just wishful thinking?

  Patrick grinned at her and asked, “Where are you headed? I couldn’t help but overhear your predicament.”

  Angela gave him her gorgeous smile before she answered, “I was planning to stay at a teahouse near Ilam about five hours from here.”

  She’s going my way! Patrick held back his glee and told her, “What a coincidence. I’m staying there tonight, before I continue to a village nearby tomorrow morning. I could take you, if you want.”

  He watched her weigh his offer, comparing waiting in Kathmandu for the next five days to accepting. Staying in Kathmandu seemed like the worse of the two choices.

  “I would like that. Thank you.”

  Patrick gave her his best grin and then gestured towards the exit. “After you. It will be nice to have company on the drive.”

  Patrick led her towards the rental jeep and then told her, “I’ve got to return to last night’s teahouse and grab my gear. Did you leave yours there as well?”

  Angela grinned at him and lifted the small gray carry-all. “I’m already packed.”

  In wonder he eyed the one small bag that could convert to a backpack. “That’s all of your luggage?”

  She nodded her head, and her ensuing smile almost knocked him over. “This is it.”

  He shook his head and marveled at her once more. Angela was definitely a minimalist. In contrast, he also had one backpack – that is, if he didn’t count the three additional suitcases that housed his camera equipment!

  He normally wouldn’t have brought them all along, but he would require all of his equipment for the video footage. While he’d done a thousand photo shootings, it was his first big video documentary and he didn’t have the knack yet for knowing which of his cameras he’d need. So he’d packed them all.

  Now he felt bad for being a luggage glutton compared to her.

  Chapter 4

  The drive towards Jarughat was almost four hours long, and Angela enjoyed every minute of it. They had a lively discussion about their various travels and the mishaps that always seemed to occur, no matter the precautions and planning that went into a trip.

  Just like today, she informed him. “I made the reservation for the rental vehicle by Internet and received confirmation back. But still, they couldn’t find it.”

  He laughed, nodding his head in agreement and sympathy. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. I call it the travel monster.”

  “What?” she asked, not quite following his part of the conversation.

  He explained that the travel monster always showed up, during every one of his trips. “The travel monster relishes messing up schedules and plans.” He glanced over at her and then grinned. “Part of the fun for me is outsmarting the travel monster and seeing who wins in the end.”

  She laughed. “You almost have me believing that such a thing as a travel monster actually exists.”

  “Can you say for sure it doesn’t?”

  Angela shook her head and laughed once again. Patrick was nothing like any other man she’d ever met. And the fact that you’re very attracted to him, more than is good for you? She stopped the voice in her head and forced herself to think about Jasper – her fiancé. Or at least, she tried to.

  The other little nagging voice in her head wouldn’t be quieted and kept reminding her that giving up her dreams for a man was the stupidest thing she could ever do. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

  “You realize that since the travel monster didn’t win, with me offering you a ride and all, it now has to come up with something else to hit you with next time.”

  She nodded her head, still wrapped up in her thoughts.

  “Don’t you think that’s part of the joy of traveling? That you can’t rely on everything working as usual? That you’re confronted with surprises every step of the way? Some good ones and other not so good ones?”

  These words rang a bell with her. It was true. Why would you want to travel in the first place, if everything functioned the same way as at home?

  “I’ve never thought about it that way, but you’re spot on. The surprises are the main reason I travel – albeit the good ones.” Like sitting in the car with you, she added in her head.

  Her attempt to put Patrick in the “friend zone” failed miserably every time she so much as glanced over to his side. That man pushed all her buttons – soul, mind, and body – without even trying.

  Gosh, any other man she knew would’ve gotten pissed when their rental reservation got lost, and he told her to look for an opportunity to outsmart the travel monster. She enjoyed being with him far too much. I can enjoy the pleasure of his company without compromising anything! Can’t I?

  She recognized immediately the answer was “No!” and her spirits sagged. Her body was literally humming in anticipation now that he was within touching distance. The big jeep felt small all of a sudden. The intelligent thing to do would be to thank him gracefully for the ride once they arrived in Ilam and to never see him again.

  To stop thinking of Patrick and her insane attraction to him, she distracted herself with thoughts of the next blog post she wanted to write up. But even that didn’t help, because he showed up in one way or another in every one of her ideas.

  After some minutes of silence, she asked him, “I love your idea of the travel monster. It’s perfect. I’d love to write about it—if you’ll allow me, that is?

  His hot-as-sin lips curved into a smile. “Sure you can, it’s not my travel monster. In fact, there might even be lots of them, because how can one single monster wreak so much havoc?”

  Now it was her turn to laugh out loud. That man was hilarious. But her good mood didn’t last long, because her phone beeped the familiar sound. She ignored it. She should have known that ignoring him wouldn’t work, because her phone continued to beep persistently. But she definitely wouldn’t engage in a phone argument with Jasper when Patrick was setting mere inches away from her. A girl needed some privacy.

  When it beeped again, she pulled her phone out and sent him a text message: Skype you when I’m in Ilam. Bad connection on the road.

  Patrick’s concerned voice startled her,. “Is there a problem?”

  Angela sighed. “No. Just my family worrying about me.”

  The realizati
on that she’d just lied to the nicest man alive shocked her. She hated lying, and he of all persons didn’t deserve it, but for some reason she didn’t want him to know she had a boyfriend. Besides, it was only half a lie. Jasper is basically family.

  She wasn’t successful in convincing herself of that fact; that awful nagging voice in her head kept reprimanding her. She tried to quiet her conscience with the reminder that these were her last two weeks of freedom, and she had every right to enjoy that time. Once she returned to New York, life as she knew it would end. I hate this!

  Her frayed nerves made it difficult to breath, and every inhalation carried his woodsy scent into her body and set her feminine parts on fire. Help was needed and she resorted to her favorite vice – chocolate. She reached into her backpack, pulled out two bars of the sweet confection, and offered him one.

  Patrick glanced at the candy in her hand with incredulous eyes. “Where did you get these? They’re almost impossible to buy in Nepal.”

  She grinned at him. “I have my secret suppliers.”

  He took the offered candy and stuffed it into his mouth, obviously enjoying it, and said, “I believe you’re the first woman to ever offer me chocolate.”

  Her heart jumped at that simple statement. “This is a special day indeed.”

  “Oh yeah?” Patrick questioned.

  Angela nodded at him, opening her treat and taking a bite. She closed her eyes and let the sweet taste burst upon her tongue, sighing in pleasure before telling him, “Just because you’re a nice guy and offered me a ride. Because I normally don’t share my sweets. I am a little stingy when it comes to my chocolate stash.”

  They both shared a laugh and she wondered what he would say if he knew half of her backpack was full of chocolate bars, granola bars, and Dextro energy.

  She watched him from the corner of her eye, continuing to enjoy her chocolate and amused to see Patrick doing the same. The threat of never seeing him again squeezed her heart tight and the words tumbled out of her mouth, “I’d like to invite you for dinner this evening at the Ilam teahouse…because you came to my rescue.”

  Patrick glanced at her before tossing his empty wrapper in the trash bag hooked to the dashboard. There was little to do in the village, and unless something had changed, the small diner attached to the teahouse was the only place to acquire food as a trekker. “Sure, sounds good.”

  She felt his smile all the way to her toes and quickly looked away, turning her attention to finishing up her own chocolate bar. When the jeep took a nasty bump in the road, she glanced outside to see the road was in extremely bad shape in this area. Patrick would need all of his concentration for the miles ahead. A companionable silence filled the interior of the vehicle for the remainder of their drive, and she was actually happy about that. She was busy enough trying to ignore the palpable chemistry between them, and keeping the reactions of her body to his nearness at bay. Not good, Angela! You’re not a cheater!

  She battled with herself, continuing to remind the little devil sitting on her shoulder that just because she was mad at Jasper, that didn’t give her the right to cheat on him. He doesn’t deserve you. Why don’t you deserve to be happy? Patrick could make you very happy. Jasper would never need to know.

  That last thought sparked a new wave of heat in her body as the possibilities took shape. But she wasn’t a cheater! Or would a little flirting really be all that bad?

  Chapter 5

  At the teahouse they entered the small establishment and located their assigned rooms.

  Patrick made several trips, stowing his gear in his room before making use of the communal shower to rinse the dust from their trip off his body. The cold water ran down his body, but rather than gripe about it, he found it refreshing and a welcome relief after the heat his body had been experiencing. Angela had him hot and bothered, and now he was joining her for dinner. The least he needed to do was cool down before meeting her again.

  He pulled on some clean clothing and prepared to head down to the small dining room. He’d always loved the food at this particular teahouse and was looking forward to sharing a nice meal with a beautiful companion.

  Ilam was one of those teahouses he looked forward to visiting. It was frequented by travelers and trekkers alike—those interested in hiking one of the wonderful trails in the nearby national park. Tourists interested in the adventure of reaching the summit of Everest stayed elsewhere.

  The cold shower had done its job and helped him regain control of his body and his mental faculties once again. The last hour of their drive had been brutal – not only because of the dangerous road conditions, but mostly because he couldn’t keep his mind focused on driving. He found his eyes constantly straying to her face, hoping to see her bright smile.

  Her sexy voice had sent tingles across his skin, and his heart had missed a beat whenever she laughed out loud. Which she’d done often. Very often. Her laughter had filled the car, and he couldn’t remember a time he’d felt better than in her company.

  Under different circumstances he would have kissed her luscious lips or at least touched her slender arm to feel her soft skin. But there was something off about her.

  Sometimes she withdrew into herself, and it was as if she’d put up a fence with a “Do Not Enter” sign around her. During those times, her appearance changed completely. Instead of the easy-going, funny, lovable person, he saw a distant, sad, and even bitter woman. He’d tried to pinpoint some common theme in their conversation that sent her to that dark place, but he couldn’t find anything.

  Deciding to table that investigation, he joined her in the dining room. She was already waiting for him at a small table and when she waved him over, his heart took another jump and the heat rose in his body. Man, you really have it bad for her. Over a delicious local meal with steamed rice, black lentils, and fresh vegetables, their conversation centered around their past trips. It was refreshing to talk to a woman who actually understood his love for traveling and didn’t ask at the first opportunity, “But don’t you get homesick after a while?”

  At one point Patrick said, “There’s this travel blog I absolutely love. ‘Travel. Live. Laugh.’ It’s written by a woman whom I greatly admire. She’s got to be one of the most interesting people in the world, and I envy the lifestyle she’s created for herself. She’s kind of my heroine. I even subscribed to her site and read her new blog posts whenever I have Internet access

  When Angela said nothing, he continued, “It assures me that there are other travel-crazed people like me out there in the world, I just haven’t met them yet. If I’d have the chance to meet that woman just once in my life, I’d be the happiest man alive. Can you imagine, her sitting here with us? Telling all her fascinating stories?“

  He paused for a moment and glanced at her and noticed her intense blush. “Oh my god, I’m sorry. I’m raving about another woman in your presence. That’s not polite.”

  “Don’t worry. I actually enjoyed your raving.”

  He started thinking of her name. “What’s her name, again? A…something with an A…”

  She completed his sentence. “Angela Halliwell.”

  “Oh, yes. How funny, your name is Angela as well.”

  When she flushed an even deeper red and felt obviously uncomfortable, it finally dawned on him. “Oh my god, this is you?”

  “Yes”.

  Now it was his turn to flush. “Whoa! I…well! I guess I sound all like a crazy fanboy, right?”

  “It wasn’t that bad. I could get used to that fanboy thing you did.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. It’s funny, I’ve been a fan of yours for such a long time and boom, I get to meet you, and the real you is even better.”

  “It is?” she asked.

  “You definitely are amazing and one of the most interesting persons I ever met.” He didn’t add that he could see her being the perfect woman for him. Not only had he wanted to kiss her from the first moment he’d set eyes on her, but
also he’d immediately admired her for her intellect and personality. Something he couldn’t say about many women he knew.

  Angela looked embarrassed and changed the topic. “Now that you know who I am, what do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a photographer, doing mostly nature and people pictures and documentaries for big magazines like National Geographic.”

  “That’s explains why you carry all this equipment. Can you give me an example of your work?”

  He thought for a moment and then told her about a documentary he was especially proud of. “One of my stories about some traditional Maori natives in Australia was featured a while back in the Geographic.”

  Her eyes lit up when she said, “I remember that piece. It was fantastic! I loved how you captured the soul of the people without making them look like objects.”

  “They are an amazing group of people. That was one of my favorite adventures.”

  “I think it’s super cool how you can go to a remote location, live among the people until they trust you to take pictures of them and their surroundings. You bring parts of the world we’d never learn about to life for the rest of us.”

  Patrick’s pulse sped up, her praise making him uncomfortable, but not because of the praise itself. He loved that she admired his work as he did her own. No, her glowing terms were making him hard. He found his eyes drawn to her face, her eyes, and her lips. I wonder what it would be like to kiss her?

  That idea set off a whole new level of attraction, and his body became rock hard in response. He was having trouble focusing on their conversation, and when he noticed she was just sitting there staring at him, he swallowed and tried to focus on discussing his latest project.

  “My latest project is a video documentary. It’s the first time I’ve used video as the main medium, and it’s been interesting to say the least. I’ve been focusing on a small, minority village, about one and a half hours from here, for the last several months.”