“Sure.” Finally. She wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. She was happy to be here in Phuket, but she was happier when she was with him.
Hayden was quiet on the stroll down the path. A few feet from the water he kicked off his sandals and sank into the sand. Anna joined him. She leaned back and stared up at the stars.
“The sky is so pretty here,” she said.
He nodded. “I’m told it’s even better away from the city. Did you go out today?” he asked.
“No. I stayed in. Really, I’m not interested in going out. The beach. Thai food. Una. What more do I need?”
He started to argue, but a rather large man and pretty woman interrupted him. Hayden moved to stand, but the guy called out.
“Don’t you dare get up, old man. I’m coming to you.”
Hayden chuckled as the guy collapsed next to him and handed him a bottle.
“I brought you a beer.” He handed another bottle to Anna. “We wanted to see who the pretty lady you’re entertaining is.”
Anna stuck out her hand. “I’m Anna.”
“I’m Liam, and this is my trophy wife, Julia.”
Julia rolled her eyes and settled on the other side of Anna. “Don’t listen to him. He’s had a little too much to drink tonight. One of the nannies called in sick, so he had a rough day.”
“They’re terrors, I’m telling you,” Liam said.
“They’re angels. They’re just kids. That’s the way they are supposed to behave.”
“How many do you have?” Anna asked.
“Just the twins, but sometimes it feels like there are six of them,” she said with a grin.
“So Hayden didn’t tell us he was going to have a guest,” Julia said.
“It was a last minute trip. I’m grateful Hayden let me stay. We’re friends from Michigan.” Anna didn’t want Hayden to think she thought there was more to their relationship than he did.
Julia nodded. “Do you like it here?”
“It’s hot, but pretty.”
“What have you seen so far? I know a great tour guide.”
“Nothing yet. I’m just relaxing.” She was getting so tired of saying that. In truth, she’d looked over those magazines, and she was dying to go ride an elephant.
“Atta girl,” Liam said.
“How long are you staying?” Julia asked.
“A couple of weeks.”
“Well, if you want, we can go shopping sometime. I know all the best places. I work a lot though, so it will have to be in the evenings.”
“Thanks. Maybe.” Anna didn’t know how to tell her she was broke. “What do you do?”
“I’m a plastic surgeon, but I work at a different clinic than Hayden.”
“She’s the one who warned me about Chloe and Victoria,” Hayden said.
Julia frowned. “So you’ve met the witches, huh? Don’t listen to anything they say. Also, don’t go anywhere with them. Before you know it, they’ll have you in a doctor’s chair getting botox and laser treatments you don’t need, and they might suggest procedures that actually make you look worse. If you need girl time, come on over. Anytime.”
“Thanks,” Anna said, and she meant it. She hoped that while she was here, she and Julia would be able to hang.
Chapter 11
Friday afternoon, Hayden prepared to leave the clinic early. No one scheduled appointments after noon on Fridays. Mike popped into his office. Damn. He hadn’t gotten out of there fast enough.
“You busy tonight?”
“Yeah, I have a houseguest.” Thankfully he could use Anna as an excuse. He wasn’t sure what he would’ve said if she wasn’t there. Probably used Liam and Julia again.
“We’re all going to a show tonight. You can bring your guest. I’m sure Maria would love to meet her.”
Hayden picked up a couple of files and moved past Mike to the file cabinet. “We already have plans, but thanks.”
Then he ducked out before Mike could say anything else. He didn’t have plans, but he wanted to figure out Anna’s deal. So far, they’d successfully avoided discussing anything that had to do with that night they’d spent together. If they talked about it, they’d end up in bed together again.
He didn’t understand what she was doing here. She’d showed up to his house, thousands of miles from her own home. Probably the first time she’d even been out of the country, and she didn’t go anywhere. He offered his driver, and she hadn’t taken him up on it. She seemed happy just hanging out at the house, but why spend that kind of money going somewhere and not do anything?
He’d held her at arm’s length, and he liked her far more than he should, and if he invited her up to bed, he wouldn’t be able to let her go. So instead, he made sure she was safely tucked into her little cottage, and he went upstairs to watch those Disney movies she told him about. He’d watched a new one every night he’d been in Phuket.
He found her sitting on a beach wearing nothing but a skimpy bikini, her long bronze legs spread out in front of her. She didn’t even look up from her book. He sat on the end of her chair and had to resist touching those legs. Maybe if he waited until it was nearly time for her to leave, then he could sleep with her again. He wanted to. But he couldn’t risk his heart.
“What’d you do today?” he asked, his fingers itching to touch her.
She held out her book, completely oblivious to the thoughts in his head. “I have five pages left. Also, Una and I went swimming. She’s a great dog, by the way. I think I’m going to get a Doberman when I get home.”
“I can recommend a good breeder.” But he wasn’t about to let her change the subject that fast. “That’s what you’ve done all week.”
“I know.” She gave him a look that dared him to argue with her.
He took the dare. “Why don’t you go somewhere?”
“Why would I need to? This place is paradise. I’ve never been so relaxed in my entire life.”
He saw the sincerity in her eyes. What kind of life had she lived? Maybe she was scared to be out on her own in a foreign country. He could call Julia up and ask her to take Anna out, but he hadn’t been out much himself, and he could use the company. At least that’s what he tried to tell himself.
“Get dressed. We’re going out.” Though he wouldn’t mind if she never changed out of her bathing suit. It was one of those ridiculous two pieces that didn’t show nearly enough.
“Where?”
“It’s a surprise. Come on.”
She stood, and he nearly pulled her close and kissed her on those gorgeous lips of hers. Dammit. He had to get ahold of himself.
“Casual or dressy?” she asked.
“Casual.” He’d planned on checking out the night market. No time like the present.
She blinked up at him. Then she put a bookmark into her book, pulled it close to her chest, and strolled to her little house with him watching her hips move the whole way.
He took a deep breath. In the guesthouse she was out of reach, where she should stay. She reminded him too much of Faith before she changed. There was no way he would do that to Anna as well. He wondered for a second, though, what she must think. She’d made no moves on him, but she probably expected him to treat her as more than a friend.
He changed into a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. Then he waited for her. He hoped she understood what he meant by casual. Phuket was a beach town. Flip-flops were the norm.
Thirty minutes later she came out in shorts and a sleeveless button down. It was fancier than what he had on, but still casual. She was stunning. He was not going to make it through this next week without doing something dumb with her.
He pulled out his phone and texted Ubon. No need to make dinner. We are going out.
Ubon frowned, but she nodded.
His driver opened the door for Anna. She slid into the car and didn’t say a word as they drove out of his neighborhood, her eyes plastered on the sights around her. Hayden had gotten used to the crazy power lines, thou
sands of motorbikes, and occasional exotic animal on the side of the road. She certainly hadn’t.
“Pretty different from America, huh?” he said, just to make conversation. Things had not been as easy as they were that night in Michigan. But that could be because they didn’t want to discuss the elephant in the room.
“What? Oh yeah, I can’t quite get over it. Oh look, monkeys.”
There were two monkeys sitting on the power lines.
“I see that all the time. You must be an animal lover.”
She nodded. “I love them. I was serious when I said I wanted a Doberman. Though I’ll probably get one from a rescue instead of a breeder. I think Una is my favorite person in Phuket.”
“I’m offended. I thought that was me.”
Her smile faltered. “Well, I spend all day with her. I only see you in the evenings.”
He chuckled. “True. You know there are all kinds of animal encounters here. You can ride elephants, play with tigers, feed the monkeys, and watch crazy men tease cobras.”
Her eyes widened, but there was sadness there too.
“Have you done all that?”
“No, I’ve been too busy working. But I plan on it while I’m here. I’ve got six months. You only have another week. My driver can take you. If you don’t do this stuff, you’ll regret it.”
She shrugged. “I’m enjoying myself.”
He didn’t believe that for a second. Something was going on, and he would get to the bottom of it. Though he wasn’t quite sure why he cared. In just over a week, she’d be on a plane to Michigan, and this would all just be a memory. Maybe he’d look her up when he got home.
The driver pulled onto a street packed with cars.
“What are those?” Anna asked pointing to a tiny three-wheeled open air taxi.
“They are called Tuk Tuks. You should definitely take a ride in one sometime, but be careful, those guys drive like maniacs.”
People dodged in and out of the cars. It was chaotic and crazy, and Hayden loved it. He should’ve come here earlier. Maybe it was good that Anna was getting him out of the house. The driver stopped in front of a small building.
“This is the closest I can get. The entrance is over there.” The driver pointed to the end of the block.
“Fair enough. Thanks,” Hayden said.
“What time do you want me to pick you up?”
Hayden glanced at his watch. “Three hours. This spot?”
“Yes, sir. See you then.”
Hayden helped Anna out of the car and didn’t let go of her hand as they weaved in and out of people. He did it so he wouldn’t lose her. She didn’t seem to mind, and his heart tightened.
“What is this place?” she asked.
“Night market. Biggest one in Phuket.”
The smell hit them first. Fish and fried food. Hayden grinned and pulled Anna toward the food section. A man waved scorpions on a stick in her face, and she recoiled.
“You sure you don’t want those?” he asked.
“I didn’t see you whip out your wallet.”
“True. I’m pretty brave where food is concerned, but no scorpions for me. What do you want to eat?”
She glanced around at the various stands. Meats on a sticks, noodles, and rice filled every stall. Anna studied the different dishes. “I have no idea what is safe.”
“None of it. That’s part of the adventure. You might get something tasty, spicy, gross, or something that will keep you stuck in the bathroom all night.” He winked at her, walked up to a stall, and pointed to two sticks that might’ve been chicken. The man running the stall slathered on some yellow sauce and handed him the two sticks. He took a bite of one and gave the other to Anna.
“Try it. It’s good. Curry of some kind. Not too spicy.”
She took a small bite, and her eyes widened. “That is amazing. But what is it? I don’t think it’s chicken.”
He gave her a grin. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t actually know. Don’t think too much about it.”
They wandered through the stalls and tried a noodle dish and pancakes on a stick. One place had the best fresh pineapple juice he’d ever had in his life.
After they ate, he led Anna into the merchandise section of the market. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but there were stalls for everything. From kitchen supplies to clothes to any souvenirs you could want. He’d eventually have to get things for his family. He might as well do it now.
He bought a wooden elephant for his brother, a scarf for his mom, a picture of the beach for his dad, and a couple of t-shirts for himself. Anna looked but didn’t buy a thing.
“If you are going to buy souvenirs, this is the place to do it.”
“I’m okay.” Her eyes lingered on the display of fat Buddhas.
“Come on, I’m sure you want to get something for your mom.”
“My mom’s dead.” Her face grew hard, and she hugged herself.
Dammit. He’d forgotten. Not only were her parents dead, but she mentioned her grandfather had just died. He wondered if she had any family left at all.
“I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be snappy. It’s just... I spent all my money on the plane ticket. I don’t have anything left for stuff like elephant rides.”
Oh shit. She looked like she was about to cry. But at least he finally understood.
He took out his wallet and handed her a stack of cash. “No strings. Seriously. Buy what you want.” The thought that she wasn’t going out because she was broke never even occurred to him. Which was stupid. It should’ve. He had to be more aware of the needs of those around him. He supposed that was why he liked the work he did as a doctor. The needs were easy to spot.
She sniffed and took a deep breath. “I don’t want your charity. I’m already staying at your house. I won’t be indebted to you for anything else. Put your money away.”
He hesitated for a half second then put it away. She wouldn’t look directly at him after that. He watched her as she perused the stalls. She didn’t look at many souvenirs, but she browsed the clothes. He studied the things she was drawn to. He had to play this right, or she wouldn’t accept his gifts.
She was daring. To up and leave on a plane and show up at a strange man’s house and ask for a place to stay. He’d risk pissing her off, but she might play into his plan. She should accept his money to enjoy herself. Though he might get in too deep because this involved him pretending like he was interested. Not that it was really pretending. Not by a long shot, but he had to somehow distance himself from her emotionally.
He took a chance and placed his hand on her back, which he enjoyed far more than he should’ve. “You’re here for another week, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, if you aren’t going to leave the house, at least you can give me something nice to look at.”
“What are you talking about?” Her face flamed red, and for a second, he wondered if he’d done the right thing.
He waved the stall owner over and pointed to the pink skirt he’d seen her checking out a few minutes earlier. “I want that in her size and that shirt.”
“You can’t do this,” she said, pulling away from him.
“I'm not doing this for you. I’m doing this for me. Now come on, we’ve got seven outfits to pick out.”
She held his eye for a second, but didn’t say no. He wanted her to do this so she’d at least have something to take home from Phuket. He planned on showing her some of the sites. He wanted her to go home with no regrets.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the next stall. She didn’t complain, and he knew he’d won.
Chapter 12
Anna had never had so much fun shopping. Of course she wasn’t doing much of the picking out, but it was interesting to see what Hayden wanted to see her in. Everything he picked out was shorter and tighter than the things she would normally wear. But he had good taste.
They walked past a stall that had nice
men’s clothes.
“You want to pick out anything for me?” Hayden asked.
She shook her head. He had such an innate sense of style that she worried she’d pick the wrong thing. It didn’t matter if he was going to work or hanging around the house, he always looked fantastic.
“Come on, help me out. What about this one?” He held out a hideous t-shirt with an elephant on it.
She laughed. “No.” Though he’d probably still look good in it. Hayden looked perfect no matter what. This felt oddly like the night they first met. Things had been so easy that night. Though she’d had three shots of tequila, but still.
“Then what? Pick something, seriously.”
What she wanted was for the night to end like it had first time. With him naked. He closed the distance between them, and she had to resist reaching out and touching his chest. His eyes never left hers. She swallowed.
“Honestly, I prefer you in nothing at all.”
His shocked expression revealed that she had actually spoken out loud. She hadn’t meant to say it, but it was all she could think. Her stomach twisted in embarrassment. She had no idea how to recover from that. It was something Eileen would say. Something bold. Anna never said things like that out loud.
Hayden was quiet as they moved through the next few stalls, but recovered when they found a stall with a bunch of string bikinis. He bought three of them and handed them to her without a word. She wished she could tell what he was thinking.
When they arrived home, he helped her carry her bags to her house. Throughout the night he’d been affectionate and friendly, and she wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but when he dropped her bags on her couch and looked at her, her face burned with the memory of the night they spent together in Michigan. She was desperately hoping for a repeat. Did he even think about her, or was she one girl in a string of many?
Instead of dragging him into the bedroom like she wanted, she walked him to her door. She didn’t want him to think she was desperate. Especially in light of her earlier comment.
Though that ship might have sailed when she showed up on his doorstep. He leaned on the open door frame looking altogether too yummy. She sighed. She wasn’t quite sure how to say goodnight to him.
Monkeys and Mayhem (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 4) Page 7
