She felt herself being sucked into the vacuum right away. Scott smiled, and the world around her melted away. There was something so boyish about that grin, and so adorable that she couldn’t help but smile back.
If Ava was her old self, she would have pushed the proverbial reverse button on this situation. It didn’t make sense for her to be so attracted to someone she’d known for less than a day. There was nothing about Scott that fit into her plans, present or future.
But Ava wasn’t exactly her old self now, was she?
She held her hand out, brushing a fingertip against his bicep to see how he would react. His eyes trailed to where she had touched him, waiting for what she would do next. Ava’s other fingers followed, tracing the shape of his arm, flittering over his skin. She hated to admit this, but Scott had a body worth writing home about. Long and lean, with taut and firm muscles she wanted to touch.
Then, feeling just a bit braver, she moved her hand to caress his lightly bearded cheek, tracing a line along his jaw before she let her hand rest on his throat. Something throbbed in her chest in counterpoint to her temples. The room was swimming around her, but her hand on Scott kept her anchored. He didn’t move, he didn’t even draw in a breath. He was patiently waiting for her to tell him what to do.
“I’m not boring,” Ava said suddenly, and Scott blinked, breaking the tension in the room. His eyes flickered to her, asking the question without saying anything.
“I’m not,” she insisted, her eyes trained on the rise and fall of Scott’s chest. “I have plans, and I don’t know why he couldn’t … and I just left him there,” she continued, letting her hand drift down to his collar, then trailed over his chest. “He was right. I’m heartless.”
Scott moved forward, brushing a stray hair away from Ava’s face before wrapping his arm completely around her, letting her sink into his chest as she found herself sobbing. This was not what she had in mind when she started this. She told herself that Scott was never going to see her as boring again, but with this little stunt, Ava was sure she’d nailed the coffin shut on his little assessment of her.
Suddenly she felt Scott’s chest rumble against her cheek as he started to laugh. She looked up, and he was stretching his neck back in an attempt to get a view of her phone plugged into the speakers. He laughed even more when he looked down and saw her frowning at him. Suddenly she was out of her own head, and Scott cherished his little victory.
“Sorry,” he said, loosening his hold on her. “But what the fuck are we listening to?”
Slightly confused, Ava tilted her head to listen to the song that was playing. It was instrumental, a playful piano building up to a guitar solo, then a crash as Freddy Mercury began to sing. She smiled, closing her eyes for a moment.
“It’s Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy,” she told him, humming along with her lips against his neck. “Shut up and give it a listen. It’s a classic.”
“I am, and it’s ridiculous,” he said, resting his hand on her hip. Ava chuckled, and he could smell the Bintang on her breath. He brushed her tears away with his fingertips, peppering her face with light, meaningless kisses as he tasted salt.
“So Freddie Mercury gives you the horn,” Scott commented. Ava actually snorted.
“Oh yeah,” she admitted. “It’s all in the singing.”
Scott smiled, but said nothing more to let her take control again. He prided himself in being a one-night-stand kind of guy, and when Ava touched him, he knew that was the only thing she wanted from him. Scott only aimed to please.
“Would you like me to put on some tight white trousers like Freddie?” he asked, moving closer to her. “I’ll grow a moustache for good measure.”
“Losing your shirt will do for now,” she said impatiently, kissing along his jaw and helping Scott throw off his shirt. Her eyes flickered towards a long, shiny scar over his left breast, jagged and angry like lightning.
“May I?” she asked, pointing at the scar with her lips. Scott’s scraggly brown eyebrow quirked in amusement, but he gave her a wordless nod. Ava’s fingers traced around the scar, her eyes wide in fascination.
“What happened?” she asked, like she’d known about it the whole time.
“Angry ex with a fork, mad with love,” Scott joked, looking away from her, and Ava snorted.
“A likely story, laddie,” she teased, moving her hands lower to his hips. Smiling to herself, Ava pulled him close. Scott couldn’t help the groan that escaped his throat.
“You should at least have me down to my undercrackers if you want to do that,” he pointed out, and Ava started laughing hysterically, snorting at “undercrackers.” He could see her eyes twinkling, her worries and anxieties melting away. She was probably never going to look him in the eye again after tonight, so he might as well make the most of it.
“I know a heart when I see one,” he spoke in a low rumble, sliding the robe off Ava’s shoulders. He sat up to plant hot, wet kisses on the hollow of her neck. “And I see you, Ava.”
“I wish you could,” she sighed, placing a hand on his scar before finally capturing his mouth with hers in a kiss. The blood rushed into Ava’s head, and she was spinning.
Suddenly, like he had been waiting for her permission, Scott kissed her deeply, making Ava push him back and kiss him harder. He used her momentum against her and flipped her on to her back. She tried holding back her desperate whimpers and pleas, but Scott seemed determined to pleasure her until she screamed. She tried to grab him, to direct him, but he was having none of that.
Ava had to admit, this was fun.
CHAPTER FOUR
You Drive Me Bonkers
AVA WOKE UP the next morning with a dry throat and a sore back. Flying seven hours to Indonesia did nothing good for her posture. She stretched languidly in bed, wondering why the sheets felt incredibly cool. Her room curtains were pulled open, and the whole suite was glowing in the morning sunlight, making her blink owlishly.
That was when she remembered that she was naked. Memories of the night before rushed back into her head like a sledgehammer, and she rolled over to bury her face with her pillow. Holy shit, she thought to herself. I actually had sex with a stranger!
Ava sat bolt upright in bed, surveying the room for any sign that last night hadn’t happened. No such luck, because Scott’s shirt was still draped over the couch, his shorts by the bed where she’d tossed it last night. Ava made a quick sign of the cross and apologized to the Lord above for what she had done, thanking him profusely when she found the used condoms in the trash bin. The door to his adjoining suite was open, and she made a quick grab for her robe to cover up her body before fumbling with their shared Balinese double doors. She took a quick peek into Scott’s side of the villa (his was bigger, the cheat). It looked empty.
Not that it mattered. Why should it? He’d been drinking, she’d been singing. (Or had it been the other way around?) Not exactly a reason for a breakfast invitation.
Shaking her head, Ava grabbed her pre-planned clothes for the day and started to get ready for her tour, draining the water from the tub she never got to use the night before.
She decided to get some perspective on her life as she stood under the warm sprays of her ceiling shower. She had been looking for an escape from her plan, and now, she had run so far and so fast from her plan that she’d actually fallen off a cliff, like one of those cartoons standing in midair before they realize that there was nothing underneath them.
“I will go on the tour and forget this ever happened,” she told herself. “I will get my life together. I am not a slut. I am not stupid, and I will go to law school next year. I will no longer sleep with Scottish men,” she concluded, turning off the shower and making her way to the sink to brush her teeth. “Scottish men who happen to be really good …at…” she spat into the bathroom sink. “At making me feel good.”
Ava glared at her own reflection in the fogged mirror.
“Stop that,” she scolded herself, spitting minty foam
into the sink. She grabbed the complimentary toiletries and promptly tucked them into her luggage so housekeeping could give her new ones. Then she picked up her travel backpack, already loaded with her essentials—camera, sunglasses, phone, sunscreen, bottled water (with compliments of the hotel), wallet, her itinerary, her passport, and a hat—and headed off to the restaurant for her complimentary breakfast.
As she walked through the grassy courtyard, she already felt better, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. If anything, she had Scott to thank for that. Not that she ever would. Thank God he was apparently here for Gabbie’s party—surely they would have some big pre-event hoopla that would require Scott’s presence. If she was lucky, she would never have to see him again.
“Good morning, Ava!” Gabbie and her perky voice came up to Ava as soon as she entered the restaurant. She was wearing a little white dress and a huge sun hat, her gorgeous tan legs on full display as she hugged her hotel guest. “Wow, I love your outfit! Tourist chic,” she nodded in approval, eyeing Ava’s tennis shoes especially. “You’re going for a tour today, right?”
“Yes?” Ava said, her voice raising at the end of her answer. “How did you—”
“I know everything that goes on around here,” Gabbie said, winking at Ava and grinning, like she knew something she wasn’t supposed to. Ava swallowed thickly, despite her dry throat. “Oh, you’re going to love it! Wayan is the best tour guide in Sanur, I promise. He usually doesn’t do private tours on short notice, but he was willing to make an exception after I asked. Anyway, I’ll see you later for my party, right? I can guarantee beer, champagne, and a really good time!”
“Uh, about that—”
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” Gabbie said, squeezing Ava’s arm lightly as she led her to an empty table in the restaurant, where other guests were having breakfast.
Thankfully, Scott wasn’t there, and neither was Charlie. Gabbie rattled off her breakfast order to a waiter she knew by name, while Ava just smiled and ordered the eggs and fruit platter.
Someone was playing a traditional instrument by the koi pond, the red flowers from the trees behind him floating on the water. Beside him, a large white cloth was laid out with dozens of delicate, hand-painted eggs for sale, with the artisan himself working nearby.
“Terima kasih,” the waiter smiled at them, giving Ava a little wink before going to the kitchen to ring up their order. Ava found herself observing Gabbie as one of the guests came up to talk to her. She was bubbly and animated, with a kindness and warmth about her that made her approachable, and it made her openness seem more natural. As Gabbie returned to her guest, she leaned back and observed Ava as well.
“How do you like Bali so far?” she asked, and the question hung in the air like a test. Ava wasn’t sure if she had the answer Gabbie was looking for.
“The hotel is gorgeous,” Ava answered, sipping her water. “I wish I could stay here forever.”
Gabbie laughed. Then she leaned forward, placing her clasped hands on the table.
“Okay, I have to admit my motives this morning aren’t exactly altruistic,” she admitted nervously, already trying to see if Ava would get upset with her. “I have a favor to ask you, and you can totally say no, of course. But please hear me out first.”
Their food arrived before Gabbie could say what the favor was. Ava repeated “terima kasih,” to the waitress. Gabbie chewed on a piece of toast, and observed the woman across her. Her eyes trailed from Ava’s clean, manicured nails, her polished look, to her neatly arranged hair. Gabbie must have seen something satisfactory about this and nodded to herself.
Once the waitress was gone, Gabbie put down her toast and watched Ava patiently.
“You were saying?” Ava asked, rearranging the utensils on the table to make them even.
“Right,” Gabbie said, clapping her hands together. “Again, you can say no to this.”
The corner of Ava’s lip twitched at that. There was no way that she could say no to Gabbie. She was a guest at Gabbie’s hotel, staying in a gorgeous twin villa. Gabbie had extended her an invitation to her birthday party because she was the only person in the hotel who didn’t come for the big event.
Plus she was a Filipino. She could never really deny anyone a favor, especially if the favor made her a gracious guest. Which she totally was.
“What’s the favor?” Ava asked, chewing on her omelette.
“Well,” Gabbie said, poking at her fruit platter. She had a pomegranate, some dragon fruit, several melon slices, and a few mangoes. It looked pretty good. “Charlie and I were wondering if Scott could come along with you. On the day tour.”
Ava nearly choked on her omelette, spluttering. The way Gabbie said it was like she was asking Ava to carpool with her son on the weekdays.
So much for avoiding Scottish guys.
Gabbie sensed her hesitation, and immediately explained herself.
“Of course we had tours arranged for the other guests,” she explained, “but Scott missed them yesterday because he and Charlie flew in with you last night. I would hate for him to be here and not see anything.”
“It’s okay,” Ava said, calming down a little. Her conscience would never allow her to say no to her host on her birthday. She smiled at Gabbie, even if she was panicking inside. “Scott can come along. Consider it my birthday gift to you.”
“Oh, thank you!” Gabbie exclaimed, leaping out of her seat and throwing her arms around her guest. To say that her relief was palpable was an understatement. Ava laughed as Gabbie settled back into her seat.
“You know you could just tell me if you want him out of the way. I’ve met Scott. He’s a bit of a handful,” Ava joked, stabbing a melon with her fork as Gabbie offered her some fruit. The birthday girl laughed, but said nothing about Ava’s little criticism of her friend.
“I’ll make sure he’ll be here when Wayan arrives,” Gabbie said, standing from her seat despite having eaten only a bit of toast and fruit. “Thanks again for this, Ava. I’ll see you tonight at the party!”
“See you,” Ava said weakly, waving as Gabbie bounded back into the hotel building. Once she was gone, Ava huffed a sigh and leaned back on her seat. It was going to be fine. So what if Scott was coming along on the tour? It wasn’t going to be a big deal.
“It’s not a big deal,” Ava declared, shoving more omelette into her mouth. The waitress from earlier smiled at her with what Ava assumed as pity.
In the middle distance, she saw Gabbie already wrapped in Charlie’s arms, talking animatedly to Scott about the fantastic day she had planned out for him in Bali. Ava had to squint a little to see more clearly—but she didn’t miss the way his scraggly eyebrows practically flew off his forehead, the way he laughed and ran a hand through his brown hair and freshly-shaved face. If Ava thought he looked good with scruff, he looked even better without it.
The Scottish vacuum of charm had sucked her right up.
Then he looked up at the restaurant and right into Ava’s eyes like she’d spoken the thought out loud. She squealed, covering her face with a menu before he could realize she had been watching him. I am better than this, she told herself, lowering the menu to face him. Scott was laughing at her, his entire face just lit up at the thought of her embarrassment.
“Good Lord,” she grumbled, sighing. She was not cut out for this.
It was a lovely day to tour. The sun was high in the sky, and a breeze swirled around them to kept the atmosphere cool. Ava was already waiting at the hotel driveway when Scott arrived for the tour. While Ava looked all packed up and ready for adventure, Scott had nothing on him but his faded orange shirt with a print of a man’s ribs, his khaki shorts, and his espadrilles. She looked him up and down, and he grinned, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.
Blushing, Ava looked down, pretending to study something on the ground—a bunch of trampled-on flowers in a small flower-shaped bowl made of banana leaf. She’d seen it all over the hotel as well. Curious. (Is
it really though?)
Scott chuckled. He wondered what magic words Gabbie had used to convince Ava to let him come along on this tour. She certainly didn’t look comfortable with the whole arrangement. If anything, she was even more tense now than she was last night.
“See anything you like, Miss Bonifacio?” he teased, standing next to her in the driveway. He looked over at her with his tongue pushing the back of his teeth, and his eyebrows wiggling at her. Ava glared at him from behind her sunglasses.
“Oh stop that,” she hissed at him, looking around to make sure nobody heard that. Not that anyone here knew her. “I’m doing this as a favor to Gabbie, so I think we have to lay down some ground rules.”
“Ground rules, a’right,” he answered, chuckling as he crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a serious look. “Go on then, Madame. What are the ground rules for today’s adventure?”
“Okay,” Ava said hesitantly, slightly surprised that Scott was relenting so easily. She fished something out from her bag and handed it to him. It was a sheet of tissue paper from the restaurant. Scott looked at the list and studied it. It took him a whole minute to read the entire thing before he sighed, shaking his head.
“You’re going to drive me bonkers, Ava,” he said, taking the pen Ava had already handed him and signed the contract, which went as follows:
WHEREAS, both parties agree to the set of ground rules below, effective for the duration of April 19. These ground rules may be extended or amended as the parties see fit.
(1) That there will be no further mention of the events that transpired on the night of April 18.
(2) Parties agree to act civilly toward the other party at all times.
(3) That they will no longer pretend to be engaged in a relationship. Ever.
(4) That they arrive back in the hotel at no later than 6P.M., Indonesian Standard Time, for Gabbie Chan’s birthday celebration.
As soon as Ava had the signed document in the deep recesses of her travel bag, a black sedan pulled into the hotel driveway. Out of the car stepped a very groovy-looking Indonesian man, with deep brown skin and a mop of curly hair on the top of his head. He was wearing a loose blue Hawaiian shirt, baggy slacks, and a pair of sandals. Spotting Ava and Scott already waiting for him, he held his hands out to his guests, smiling.
Midnights in Bali Page 4
