Guide My Heart

by Caroline Swart

  “Everything here is beautiful.” I searched in the small cupboard, digging out a clean pair of shorts and a tank top. “Hurry up and get changed. I’m starving, but I’m not going out wearing this again.” Armed with a towel, I shooed Meghan from my room.

  Taking extra care with my makeup once I’d showered and dressed, I rapped my knuckles on her door. “Are you done?”

  “Yeah,” she drawled as she opened the door. Her room was the mirror image of mine.

  Squatting in front of a small bar fridge, she searched for a drink. “Apparently, the legal drinking age in South Africa is eighteen,” she said, smiling over her shoulder. “I guess at nineteen, we’re legit.” Her grin couldn’t get any wider as she presented two miniature bottles of whiskey. “Ta-da!”

  I laughed as she fished for bottles of soda and mixed the contents.

  “Oh, Meghan. This is the life.” I exhaled a happy sigh as I flopped back onto her plush white quilt. “Can you imagine our friends at college?” Closing my eyes for a second, I smiled. “The weather forecast says it’s snowing in New York today, and here we are in the middle of summer, having the vacation of a lifetime.”

  “I know.”

  As Meghan beamed at me and dropped a few ice cubes into the glasses, I thought again about how lucky I was to have her in my life.

  Her dad and my mom had met and double-dated when they were in veterinary school, then later stayed close as couples. After my dad passed away, we’d moved next to them, and Meghan and I had become best friends. When her dad learned about the safari trip my mom was booking for me, he paid for Meghan’s ticket under the pretext we’d keep each other out of mischief. Hah!

  Meghan’s silver bangles jingled as she handed me a drink. “We also get to see all the amazing guys here. Cheers.” Clinking her glass against mine, she smiled. “I wanted to call dibs on Thor, but I can see he’s yours.”

  “Hmm, he disappeared too quickly. I don’t think he likes me anymore. Cheers.” I took a big sip and spluttered, holding the glass away. “Gosh, how much alcohol is in this?”

  “The chef is kinda hot,” Meghan said, ignoring my coughing. “Did you see how he ogled me at dinner last night?”

  I snatched a tissue from her bedside table and dabbed my eyes with it. “The bearded guy with the bun?”

  “Yeah. What’s with the man-bun and ponytail craze here, though? Don’t get me wrong, they know how to rock it.” She sighed dreamily. “I think it’s so alpha male.”

  The whiskey went down more smoothly with my second attempt. “Must be the lack of razors in the bush. I don’t know.”

  “You’re such an idiot.” She pushed my shoulder. “Finish up, BFF. I’m starving.”

  We downed our drinks, and I grimaced as the rush of alcohol fired through my veins. After a quick appraisal in the mirror, we left her cottage and headed back to the lodge, our cheeks slightly flushed.

  Two handcrafted wooden doors opened into the dining area that was large and airy with tables scattered beneath a high-beamed roof. A few guests were already seated close to sliding-glass doors that opened onto a full-length deck.

  “The view here is better than the room.” She pointed at Kaneba Lake, sparkling like a diamond in the afternoon sun.

  “It is pretty cool,” I agreed, popping a dinner mint in my mouth that I snatched from the hostess stand.

  Waiters bustled in and out of swing doors carrying platters above their shoulders, and a buffet table to our left seemed to groan under a heavy weight of food.

  Sarie stood nearby with a Santa hat perched on her head. She walked over, pointing at the smorgasbord on display. “What do you think?”

  Meghan laughed. “If the food tastes as good as your hat looks, I’ll be first in line.”

  “This old thing?” Touching it self-consciously, Sarie smiled. “Only a few more days until Christmas, thank goodness. This hat so uncomfortable. I can’t wait to pack it away with the rest of the decorations in the store room.”

  When I looked at her in mock horror, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one hand. “Oh no, it’s not that I don’t like Christmas or anything.”

  “Calm down.” I gave her a teasing grin. “We’re here on safari. The time of year is just a bonus.”

  “Good grief, I thought I’d offended you.”

  Meghan raced to the buffet. We joined her, and as she stared at the food like a greedy child, Sarie offered to explain a few of the dishes.

  “Yeah, that’d be cool.” Meghan nodded without looking at us.

  “The only dishes you won’t be familiar with are over here.” Sarie motioned to one side of the table. “That bowl contains lamb curry, and those crispy things are called poppadums. You eat them together with a chopped-tomato-and-onion dish called sambals, over there.”

  I glanced hungrily at the ceramic dishes, inhaling the fragrant aromas. My eyes almost closed in ecstasy as cinnamon and a host of unfamiliar spicy scents wafted in the air.

  “We have a hot carvery with grilled chicken breasts and roast gammon.”

  Feeling guilty, I rubbed my stomach. No matter how good the food looked, I’d have to save room for dinner. Central Park was far away, and I couldn’t chance jogging in the bush. Until I could find a way to burn off the calories, I’d have to watch my diet.

  “I thought you said this was a light lunch,” I said to Sarie.

  She smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.” Spotting another couple entering the room, she walked over to greet them.

  My bestie was already standing in line, so I joined her. The foreign girls we’d seen earlier were ahead of us, piling their plates high with meat and vegetables.

  Meghan peered back at me, wrinkling her nose. “Promise you won’t act like a teenager if I tell you something?”

  “I am a teenager,” I said, raising a brow. “For another few months, anyway.”

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Her eyes sparkled. Sneaking a glance over my shoulder, she whispered, “Thor’s at the door, and he’s watching you again.”

  Chapter Three

  Oh crap.

  I couldn’t help myself. Without thinking, I looked back at Chris.

  My gaze fixed on his, and a thousand butterflies took flight in my stomach. With a strangely possessive stare, he moved toward me.

  Meghan snickered before whispering “incoming” in a singsong voice. The foreign girls noticed him at the same time and nudged each other with excitement.

  Oh my God. I couldn’t move. He advanced on me with a predatory gait like a sleek, golden-haired lion. My heart leaped in my throat as he stopped so close, the material of his shorts brushed against my knee.

  “Hi.”

  “Hey,” I mumbled back, captivated by his smile.

  Broad shoulders blocked the light from the veranda doors as I tilted my head to look up at him. He smelled so good, but not from aftershave. No, he carried his own natural scent of sunshine, grass, leather, and maybe a hint of vanilla. I tried not to close my eyes as I breathed deeply.

  “My name is Chris de Lange.”

  “Hey, Chris.”

  “What’s yours?”

  “What’s my what?” I said, and Meghan exhaled in frustration behind me.

  “Your name.” His lips curled in amusement

  “Oh.” I let out an embarrassed chuckle. If only my brain would kick into action, but it was frozen. Still, I had to try.

  “Britney Adams. You can call me Brit.”

  “Nice name.”

  “Yeah, it’s like the singer, but I don’t sing . . .”

  Meghan shoved her hand toward him, obviously trying to save me from embarrassing myself further. “Hey, I’m Meghan Tait. So nice to meet you.”

  Jeez, get a grip, Britney.

  White teeth flashed as he shook her hand. His blond locks were loose, parted in the middle with the ends brushing his shoulders. A silver lion-paw charm dangled from his neck, and a faint line of stubble darkened his jaw.

  �
�Did you enjoy the game drive today?” he asked, releasing her hand.

  “Yes, absolutely.” Meghan grinned. “Although Brit wanted to ask you about some of the animals we saw.”

  “You do?” he said as I sputtered “I do?” at exactly the same time.

  Meghan rolled her eyes as he shot me a curious look, so I quickly added, “I mean, yes. Yes, I do.”

  “Why don’t you guys grab a table over there?” She pointed to the glass doors. “You can ask all the questions you’d like,” she said to me. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the food.”

  Gritting my teeth, I tried to glare at her, but Chris had already maneuvered me toward the deck by placing a hand at the small of my back. His fingers splayed over the waistband of my shorts, brushing the bare skin under my top. A rash of goose bumps prickled my arms at that slight contact.

  “Is this table good?” he asked, pinning me with forest-green eyes.

  Nodding, I waited as he pulled out a seat and gestured for me to sit. He angled his chair beside mine and swung himself into it before focusing on me.

  “So, what would you like to ask?”

  For a second, my mind went blank. How could I concentrate when all I could see was tanned skin and white teeth? He was so close, the hair on his bare legs tickled my calves.

  Come on, Britney. Think!

  “I’d like to know why the lioness stared at me today.” Yes, the question was stupid, but it was the first thing that came to mind.

  A glint of humor shone in his eyes, and his lips curled into a half smile. “Maybe she’d like to eat you.”

  Laughter burst from me before I could stop it. “Yeah, I bet.”

  “Seriously. She has good taste.” His gaze turned to my arm as I ducked my head to hide my burning cheeks. Reaching out to lift my wrist from my lap, he whispered, “Nice tattoo.” With almost reverent care, he ran the back of his knuckles along my birthmark.

  As his fingers caressed my skin, a current of sensation hit me, a swoop in my belly like the first big drop in a roller-coaster ride. I had to be dreaming.

  Chris leaned forward as if he were going to kiss me, and my eyes dropped closed. But instead of the darkness I expected when I normally closed my eyes, a vision sizzled behind my eyelids. A thick golden chain appeared, sparks flying from it as it floated in the air. Before I could move, one end of the metal slid over my arm and wrapped around my wrist. I tried to pull away, but my hand wouldn’t move.

  What was happening?

  In the vision, I tried to scream at Chris but my mouth wouldn’t open. All I could do was watch as the edges of his body glowed and the other end of the chain settled in his hand. A rich vanilla scent overwhelmed my senses, making my head fuzzy.

  Chris tugged the chain gently, and I lurched forward. A second later, the glow around his body faded and the golden chain disappeared. Opening my eyes, I found myself leaning against him, the side of my face pressed to his chest with his large hand cupped against the back of my head.

  What on earth?

  Mortified, I tried to pull away but he tightened his embrace. His muscular arms enfolded me, drawing me closer, and I had to place my hands on his thighs to stay upright. A moment later, he released me with a soft smile, brushing strands of hair away from my cheek and tucking them behind my ear.

  “Are you okay? Is it jet lag?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

  Floor, please open up and swallow me now.

  Nodding, I removed my hands from his thighs, sure I must be imagining a flash of hunger in his eyes as I sat back in my seat.

  The bit of whiskey I’d had with Meghan earlier. That was it. It was the only explanation for my behavior. What else would cause me to act this way?

  “Look at all this food.”

  Meghan broke the tension when she hooked her foot around the leg of a chair, dragging it toward her. With a plate in each hand and another balanced precariously against her chest, she wiggled into the empty space and smiled at me.

  Chris hopped up to help Meghan, leaving me dazed and reeling. “You shouldn’t have brought food for me.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “You’ll get me fired.”

  How could he speak normally when my legs were like Jell-O?

  Meghan’s mouth fell open. “Oh no. I’ll take it back.” She reached for his plate but stopped when he laughed.

  “Just kidding. My parents own the lodge. I was going to have lunch in the kitchen before I saw you two at the buffet.”

  Meghan cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

  If I weren’t so flustered, I’d be more interested in the fact that his parents owned the lodge. Slowly, the buzz in my stomach calmed and my mind cleared. As the world shifted into focus, I made myself a promise not to touch African whiskey again. A tiny shiver ran through me when I thought of how close I’d been to Chris. His unique vanilla-and-leather scent lingered in my nostrils, and I could still feel the heat of his thighs on my palms.

  With casual ease, Chris finished his food while I pecked at mine, too conscious of his closeness to do any justice to the delicious meal.

  Meghan kept the conversation going as if nothing had happened. She must have seen him holding me but she kept her composure, chatting about our long flight and how awesome the animals were. The interrogation would happen later, of that I was certain.

  He was about to have the last mouthful when one of the foreign girls approached our table. As luck would have it, she was the one I’d almost scalped on the game drive.

  “Hello.” She gave him a wide smile. “My name is Milla.”

  “Great,” Meghan whispered in my ear. “This place is full of movie stars.”

  When she saw my blank look, she huffed. “Jovovich, get it? Resident Evil? Argh!” Shaking her head, she concentrated on finishing her meal.

  I stared at Milla again. Her voice was high-pitched and heavily accented.

  Pushing back his plate, Chris gave the girl a panty-melting smile. “Hi, Milla. How can I help you?”

  In full flirting mode, she twirled a curl of hair around her finger and dropped her chin, reminding me of a little girl asking her daddy for candy.

  Meghan snorted softly as she took another bite of food.

  “I would like to join the wildlife volunteer program.”

  Milla’s w and v sounds were switched, so what she said came out like, “I vud like to join the vildlife wolunteer program.”

  Chris nodded. “When would you be free to join? Now, or in future?”

  “I’m free now . . . or later.” Her lips tilted up as she gave him a coy look.

  Meghan tapped my arm, and with a start, I released the death grip I had on my steak knife.

  “Right. I’ll get the forms, and you can fill in the details.” Chris stood and slid his chair under the table. “Thanks for the meal, ladies.”

  He leaned toward me so we were almost cheek to cheek. “Get some rest this afternoon, and meet me at the barbecue tonight,” he whispered softly. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  And just like that, his vanilla scent enveloped me, drugging me again.

  Holy crap.

  Although I was still confused about what had happened before, my goofy grin reappeared as he left with a wink.

  Chapter Four

  “Oh yes!” I groaned. “Just there.”

  The masseuse dug her fingers into a stubborn knot under my shoulder blade. With delicate precision, she rubbed and kneaded the spot before patting the bunched nerves into submission.

  “This is the best,” Meghan said dreamily from the table next to me.

  “Mmm, best vacation ever.”

  We were in a small massage room with dim lighting, towels wrapped around our waists, and music piping softly through hidden speakers in the ceiling.

  “So, what happened at lunch?”

  I lifted a lazy eyelid. “What do you mean?”

  Meghan let out a chuckle. “Oh, come on, Brit. When I got back to the table, you were practically sitting on his lap.”

  T
he masseuse began a series of chops along my buttocks, giving me a minute to gather my thoughts.

  “I think it was the whiskey,” I said after the chopping subsided.

  Meghan grinned. “Don’t give me that.”