by Jessica Gray
A few minutes later, he glanced at her again, but instead of the light of laughter in her eyes and a smile upon her face, she was staring out the window, her brows furrowed. He’d seen her repeatedly like this, lost in some dark place where all her happiness disappeared and her whole body seemed to shrink as if she were trying to hide in a mouse hole. The hint of pain in her eyes squeezed his heart, and he had the urge to console her and make her pain go away. But he didn’t.
It bothered him. A great deal. He attributed it to a man – Terrence. What kind of asshole boyfriend did she have? The man must be blind and stupid to have stood up his girlfriend in such a way. Didn’t that son of a bitch care at all about her? Wasn’t he the slightest bit afraid something could happen to her, traveling alone through the Australian Outback? Worse, traveling with another man?
He would never have allowed her to do that. But then he’d never stood her up in the first place. A twinge of jealousy stabbed his heart, but then he grinned. The stupid idiot doesn’t deserve her. But I do. And he’s not here to do anything to stop me from going after her.
Chapter 15
Just after lunch, they decided to take a hike to some cliffs about two miles away. According to the travel guidebook, at the top was an outlook point with the best view across the breathtakingly beautiful King Leopold Range.
Nik grabbed his backpack, filled it with some basic supplies, dried food, water, and a few other items. He wanted to be prepared, and even though they weren’t going very far, even a hundred yards in the wilds of the Australian Outback could be dangerous and unpredictable.
After walking about half an hour in the heat, Nik pulled his t-shirt off and tucked it into his backpack. He didn’t mind walking around bare chested, because his naturally dark skin didn’t burn quickly, but he did mind walking around in a sticky, sweaty shirt.
Reese stayed a few steps behind him and whenever he turned to wait for her, she quickly averted her eyes from his naked back. So she was interested.
As they reached the outlook point, they both were absorbed with the beauty of the panorama in front of them. The red and gray mountains, the vast green plains leading up to them, and dark brown or green rivers cutting through the landscape like a snake. All of this against a dark blue sky dotted with just a few clouds.
Lost in admiration, he heard an ominous crack of thunder echoing overhead and he looked back to where they’d come from, shocked at the sight of a dark, angry gray sky. In theory, he knew that the weather in the mountains could change within minutes, but he’d never experienced it in real life.
“We’re about to get soaked.” He pointed to the darkening sky.
Reese followed his gesture and gasped. “Let’s hurry back to the camper.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth, but it started raining. The wind kicked up, and within moments, buckets of water were falling from the sky.
“Come on,” he hollered above the howling wind. He took off for the cliff, running around the bottom and looking for an overhang or a small cave where they could take shelter.
They were getting drenched, and it took a full ten minutes before he finally found a small cave opening in the rocks. The rain was pelting his bare back and the wind was kicking up the sand, adding to the terrible conditions they now found themselves in.
“In here,” he shouted, pulling Reese into the cave opening. He sluiced the water from his hair and then turned to look at her.
She was dripping wet and shivering. Gooseflesh appeared on her arms and legs, and as his eyes traveled down her person, he groaned. Her thin, white t-shirt was sopping wet – and completely transparent. It hugged her chest, outlining every curve and leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. The cold had hardened her nipples and he was in acute danger of hardening as well.
He swallowed and forced himself to look away, and then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a microfiber towel. Handing it to her, he said, “Dry off with this.”
She took the towel and did as he suggested, rubbing the towel over her face, her arms, and down her legs. A puddle of water formed beneath her beautiful feet. When she gave back his towel, she was still shivering.
Her mahogany hair had curled tightly, clinging to her wet shoulders in a wild mess that added to her vulnerability. An unfamiliar emotion stabbed him and an urge to protect her overcame him. You can’t leave her like that. She’s freezing to death. He reached again into his backpack and pulled out his t-shirt from earlier, handing it over to her.
She looked at the oversized garment with a strange look and asked, “What is this for?”
His lips curved up, this woman sure was difficult. “What does it look like? Put it on.”
“No way.”
“You’re going to catch a cold in your dripping wet clothing.”
He could barely contain his grin while he looked at her, taking in the sight of her sexy body. She still didn’t move, instead she glared at him with her mesmerizing green eyes, that were now dark. After what seemed like endless moments, she looked down at her clothes and shivered once again.
“Okay, but you have to turn around.”
Nik nodded, handed her the shirt and turned around. He heard her struggling to remove her wet clothes, hearing them make wet plopping sounds as they dropped to the rock floor of the cave. His imagination ran wild.
“You can turn around now. I’m done.”
She looked so small in his oversized shirt. It hung halfway down her thighs, and she was so beautiful it took his breath away.
And she’s wearing my shirt. God, that is so sexy.
An angry sound from her had him looking at her face and realizing he had just spoken those last thoughts out loud. Shit!
Chapter 16
Reese fumed. She needed to get away from his arrogant smile and his one-track mind. But when she took one step towards the entrance to the cave, he reached out and grabbed her arm. Immediately, electricity coursed through every cell, making her shiver even harder. God, why can’t I control my body’s reaction around him? I’m furious, not turned on.
Sheer willpower helped her not to shower him with curse words and push him with her fists – or jump at him and kiss him senseless. She didn’t understand what was happening with her, and that augmented her anger. Frustrated beyond reason, she needed to take it out on someone. On the very someone who caused this turmoil of emotion in her.
Nik only grinned at her, his oh-so-kissable grin and said, “Reese, calm down. It’s irresponsible to go out in that thunderstorm.”
White-hot anger gave her the strength to shake off his restraining grip, and she stepped outside, instantly becoming soaked once again. She needed to get away from him, even if that meant she had to walk back to the camper in the storm.
“Reese! Come back here!”
She heard him holler at her, but she continued her march. A few steps later, she was spun around as he grabbed her. She reacted instantly, shouting at him and beating her fists against his chest. “Let go of me!”
“Reese. Stop it.”
“Let me go. I don’t want to be here.” She was angrier than she’d ever been in her life. Even angrier than when she’d first walked in and seen Alec in bed with his wife. Her life was such a mess and she railed against Nik because he was there and available. She hated messes. She hated being out of control. And her body was always out of control around Nik.
She was sobbing and shouting at him, letting the anger and frustration pour out of her soul. First Alec had come along and shattered everything she believed in. Now, here she was, standing in the middle of a thunderstorm, crying like a stupid baby.
“Reese, stop this. You’re being irrational. You need to get back inside the cave.”
His words set off another round of self-loathing and anger. He called her out on being irresponsible for the second time in a few days. And she attacked him because he was correct. Reese Paxton didn’t need to be rescued by a man. The fact he’d done so again hurt her ego even more th
an the cheating of her ex.
She balled her hands up and hit him with her fists, but just once. After the first strike, he grabbed her wrists, transferring them both to one hand and holding them up above her head. With his other hand, he grabbed her around the waist and pressed her up against his hard chest.
How embarrassing was this? She was pressed from shoulder to knee against his hard body, the thin white t-shirt he’d lent her dripping wet and probably revealing everything to his gaze as soon as he let go of her. And I’m not even wearing my bra anymore.
That thought sent heat waves through her body and blushes of shame into her cheeks. She started to sweat despite the cold and punishing rain hailing down on both of them with force. She didn’t have another option than to stay plastered against him, shuddering as the last of her emotional outburst burned away.
After a few seconds, he asked her, “Are you going to hit me again if I release your hands?”
She opened her mouth to answer him, but a crack of lightning a short distance away from their position had her jumping in terror. She looked back at him and found him observing her carefully. Behind the amusement in his eyes, she could see the concern for her. And the burning desire.
“I think we should go back into the cave. It’s too dangerous out here.”
She said nothing, but nodded her agreement and he released her hands. He kept a hand on her elbow as they walked back to the cave entrance. When he moved further back into the cave and she stayed at the entrance, he said. “We need to wait out the storm here.”
“Here?” The prospect of staying in this small cave with him, barely dressed, frightened her.
He nodded and grinned at her, but not with his usual arrogant-amused grin. She could clearly notice the hidden warmth and concern in his eyes. Reese wrapped her arms around herself, unsure what to do or say. She took another step closer to the entrance, but without stepping back out into the storm.
“Of course, you’re welcome to try and make it back to the camper, if you like. No one’s keeping you here. But staying with me here is the best option right now.”
She looked at him, tears filling her eyes once more. Since when was staying in a cave in the middle of nowhere with a half-naked man who looked as if he wanted to devour her the safe option? And dressed in nothing but a wet see-through t-shirt? Please, gimme a break.
“How long?” she asked without turning around. He wouldn’t get the full view of her breasts if she could avoid it.
“I don’t know. It all depends upon the storm. The rocks are slippery and the lightning is dangerous. We might even have to stay for the night.”
The whole night? Reese was about to attack him again, but then she remembered what happened the last time. Pressed against his hard body, she’d felt the heat radiating from him and she’d been tempted to kiss him senseless.
Not that she actually wanted to kiss him, he was so not her type and she was done with men anyway. But just to wipe the grin off his face.
Who was she kidding? This man was gorgeous and she was dripping wet – not only on the outside – after being plastered up against him. It was such a strong attraction. One she’d never experienced before. I hope I can make it through the night without jumping on him.
Chapter 17
Nik watched her shoulders shake as she started crying once again. His heart broke for her and when she wouldn’t stop, he became outright concerned. What could have caused her meltdown? It was so unlike her usual behavior and he was at a loss as to what to do next.
He didn’t dare touch her again, because his body was still recovering from the waves of desire rushing through him when he’d pressed her soft curves against him. He would never be able to stop once he held her in his arms. And she deserved more than being devoured on the hard rocks of a cave. A lot more.
His gaze fell on his backpack and he remembered the food inside. “Reese, come sit down and let’s eat something.”
Trail mix and granola bars from his backpack, along with two bottles of water would have to do for their meal. Reese had come a few feet into the cave and was lowering herself down to the floor.
He handed her the food and a bottle of water and then sat down a safe distance away from her. They ate their food in silence, neither of them in the mood for lighthearted conversation.
During their days together, he’d successfully avoided telling her anything too personal about himself, especially his real name. Nikos Petridis. That name inspired awe whenever he mentioned it. True to Greek traditions, he’d been given his grandfather’s first name. And his grandfather was maybe the richest and most powerful of the Greek shipping tycoons.
It was none of her business to know who he really was. Even though he hated not telling her the truth, he couldn’t risk any leak. Nobody knew he was here, and it better stay that way.
On the other hand, he feared she’d change her attitude towards him, when she knew who he was. Would she still be the sassy girl giving him shit when he deserved it? Or would she agree to everything he said like most everyone else did?
Nik’s thoughts floated to his life back in New York. He would one day inherit the multi-billion dollar imperium his grandfather owned. While his grandfather still liked to reside in Athens, Nik had grown up in New York and Paris and now lived mostly in New York. It had so much more to offer for a young billionaire like him.
During the last several years, one of his tasks had been getting to know the American culture, as he called it. In his mind, that had interpreted to girls, drinking, and parties.
His grandfather had not been amused by his antics, and after watching his scandalous lifestyle for several years, he’d put a halt to it by summoning Nik back to Athens.
He had promised his grandfather he’d start taking things more seriously and his grandfather had made him CEO of the US branch of the family shipping empire. Nik had returned to the States and while he still liked to party and hang out with beautiful models and actresses, he’d been smart enough not to neglect his work. His grandfather was not someone to be taken lightly. And Nik had no intention of living without his billions for the rest of his life.
Everything had been going smoothly until that fateful day two months ago. He’d been attending one of those infamous parties where his ex-girlfriend Cindy Banks, a super successful model and the current Face of Silueta, had been a headline guest.
The party had been over the top. Nik had been having a great time when a whole bunch of police officers burst through the door. They’d been tipped off and knew there would be lots of drugs at the party. Sure enough, they’d recovered close to a million dollars worth of cocaine and other drugs. Everyone in attendance had been arrested.
Nik had made no secret of the fact that in his early twenties he experimented with drugs. But he’d long since given up on them and nowadays the only substance he used was alcohol.
Unfortunately, he’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. While he’d done nothing illegal, he’d been arrested along with everyone else, and the subsequent bad press had been a huge publicity disaster. Of epic proportions.
And it had come at absolutely the worst time possible. He was in the middle of very delicate negotiations with the American government in regards to being awarded a multi-million dollar contract and license to build a new harbor for super oil tanker ships.
To say his grandfather was not amused would be the understatement of all time. Nikos Petridis Sr. had personally climbed aboard the company jet and flown to New York. His grandfather detested the cold winter climate, but he traveled to New York during the worst weather in a decade and ripped the negotiations out of Nik’s hands. Two months later and Nik still cringed, thinking about the humiliation.
His grandfather had exiled him to the outback of Australia, not to come back until the shit storm he’d created was history.
“I hear or see nothing of you for at least three months or…” Those were his grandfather’s last words.
Nik sighed and looked o
ut at the raging storm. He’d love to return to New York and prove to his grandfather that he’d changed.
In response to the incident at the party, he’d broken up with Cindy almost immediately. It had been the last in a whole string of events that had made him want to get as far away from her as he could. She’d never really loved him; she’d only been with him to achieve her goal of fame and fortune.
Thinking back, he felt grateful for all that happened. It had given him the time to see what was truly important in his life and to understand where his grandfather had come from. He was a truly self-made man. Without going through this exile, Nik doubted he would have ever appreciated the hardships his grandfather had lived with.
He looked out and realized the rain had finally stopped. “Hey, it’s quit raining. We need to get out of here and back to the camper as quickly as we can.”
“Why the hurry?” she asked, standing up and turning her back on him once again.
“We don’t know if it will start raining again, and we definitely don’t want to get stuck out here all night long.”
She nodded and stepped out of the cave. They carefully made their way back along the slippery rocks and muddy trail, the red dirt kicking up onto their calves and caking in their shoes.
Nik spied the camper up ahead and felt a huge sense of relief. “Almost there,” he said, seeing that Reese was starting to drag. Her emotional outburst and the cold had taken its toll on her.
He opened the door to the camper, just as another crack of thunder shook the ground and large raindrops started to fall once again.
“Just in time,” he commented, watching as she took off her shoes and attempted to wipe the caked mud from her calves. “Don’t worry about the floors. We can clean it up later.”
