Читать книгу Tempted By Her Island Millionaire - Nina Singh - Страница 11

CHAPTER THREE

IF HER TEETH chattered any harder, Rita was sure to crack a molar. Given that they were supposed to be in one of the warmest climes on the planet, she hadn’t expected it to be this chilly at any point during this trip. But being on top of one of the world’s tallest volcanos, it made sense if one thought about it. Especially at about four thirty in the morning. Well, that particular bit of wisdom wasn’t doing her any good at the moment.

Their tour bus driver said they had to get here this early or all the viewing spots would completely fill up. If she’d known about the biting chill, she might have argued to take the risk. People around her were bundled up in coats and scarves. A few had thick, plush blankets. Even members of the wedding party had somehow come prepared. Had they received some kind of memo she hadn’t?

Probably not, Rita thought and hugged her sweatshirt tighter around herself. They had just somehow planned better than she had. Story of her life. It wasn’t even a terribly thick sweatshirt.

She heard a shuffling behind her and turned to find Clint approaching. She knew it was him, though it was somewhat hard to see in the predawn darkness. He had a thick leather jacket on. Yet another person better prepared than she.

“You’re shivering,” he stated, noting the obvious.

“Ye-e-es. I—I a-a-am.” Okay, so the stutter was a bit exaggerated. But not by much. Her lips were practically flapping together from the cold.

He started shrugging off his coat. “Here, take this.”

She stopped him with a hand to his chest. “No way. I am not that s-selfish.” The cold stutter made the word sound like she’d said shellfish and she had to stifle a laugh.

“I don’t know you very well, but that’s the last term I would use to describe you.”

The words took her aback. In fact, she’d heard herself described that way countless times over the last several months. By people she cared for the most. When all she’d wanted to do was find her own way and discover what made her happy. Correction, she’d wanted to discover what made her feel.

Though she didn’t want to examine exactly what it was she was feeling right now. Neither did she want to admit that she’d been hoping Clint would find her at some point on top of this mountain.

“I can’t take your coat,” she insisted through the chattering.

“Well, I can’t take watching you succumb to frostbite.”

Before she knew what he was up to, he’d stepped behind her and enveloped her in his embrace, the coat wrapped around them both. “Here. In the interest of compromise.”

A cocoon of heat suddenly surrounded her, along with his woodsy masculine scent. In her desire for warmth, she didn’t bother to stop him or step away. Right. Like that was the only desire driving her at the moment.

“This is supposed to be one of the most spectacular sunrises on the earth. You don’t want to turn into a frozen popsicle before you get to see it, do you?”

“I suppose not.” She resisted the urge to snuggle her back closer to his chest. “Thank you.”

He shrugged against her. “It’s the least I can do. After the way you helped me the other night.”

“Ah, you mean your evasion mission.”

“It seems to have worked. Ms. Campbell seems to be wrapped around one of the other groomsmen at this very moment.”

The way he was wrapped around her. “I’m sure she’s simply trying to stay warm too.”

“No doubt.”

“She wasn’t terribly happy with me that night after the luau when she came in,” she told him, remembering the slamming of the suite door as she was brushing her teeth. Rita had felt somewhat guilty. She had nothing against Tessa; they’d actually been study partners for some core subjects back in school. “I got a bit of the silent treatment before we both retired for the night.”

“I think she may forgive you pretty soon. If she hasn’t already. Judging by how she’s moved on and all.”

“I hope so. She did say one thing that night though.”

She felt his warm breath against her cheek when he responded. “What’s that?”

“She mentioned being surprised you were alone to begin with.”

“So you guys were talking about me.”

Uh-oh. “I won’t deny it. Tessa said there had to be a story to explain why you were here stag at your own sister’s wedding.”

“Not really. Just one argument too many. Considering it wasn’t a serious relationship, this seemed as good a time as any to end things. Rather than pretend during an island wedding full of activities. Some things simply aren’t meant to be.”

“I see. So it was mutual?” Rita wanted to bite her tongue as soon as the words left her mouth. She was giving Clint every indication that she was interested in his personal life. When she had absolutely no reason to be. No logical reason. She had to be careful. It would behoove her to be more guarded about such things, now that she was single again. “I’m sorry. It’s not really any of my concern.”

He remained silent at that. A strong gust of wind suddenly whipped through the air and she reflexively nestled closer against him.

Mistake.

A current of electricity shot through her core. She was no prude; she’d been a married woman for heaven’s sake. But being in Clint’s arms was triggering a reaction she hadn’t been expecting. One she couldn’t relate to anything else.

She’d loved Jay. She really had. But she couldn’t recall feeling an electric jolt in the pit of her stomach when he held her. Not like she was feeling this very moment.

“What about you?” Clint surprised her by asking.

“Me?”

“If I recall, Lizzie mentioned a couple of years back attending a traditional Indian wedding. I believe you were the bride.”

“You would be correct.”

“But you’re here alone.”

“It’s like you said, some things simply aren’t meant to be.”

He was silent for a moment, then she heard him take a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“For?”

She felt his arms tighten around her. Sympathy? She certainly hoped not. “It’s one thing when a short-term, frivolous relationship ends. A marriage failing is a bit more life altering.”

He had no idea. The end of her marriage was only part of it. Someone like Clint would never understand. He could never grasp how someone like her had never truly felt untethered. She was a daughter first. Then a wife. Her identity had always been tied to someone else.

She’d never felt like just Rita. Just herself.

No, she wouldn’t even bother to explain. There would be no point.

“Was it one particular thing?” he asked above her head. “That led to your split, I mean.”

His question wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface. There were so many particular smaller issues. And one major underlying one. “Yes. And no.” It was the most honest answer she could give.

“So you’re saying it’s complicated.”

She could repeat her answer and be correct once again. “Only in that we wanted different things.” Things she was in no way ready for. While Jay wanted them more than anything. Things like a family, children, a house. Things she wouldn’t be able to walk away from and then it would be too late, making her stay for all the wrong reasons. “So yes, in that way it was complicated.”

She couldn’t get into any more than that, despite Clint’s charm and the effect he was having on her when he held her this way. How could she explain something that she hadn’t fully grasped herself yet?

And what about him? What exactly was his story? The way he’d talked earlier about his relationships sounded as if he expected them all to come with predetermined expiration dates.

She was trying to come up with a way to ask when a small sliver of reddish-orange light broke through the surface of the clouds in the distance. The sun was finally beginning to rise. A collective hush suddenly fell over the murmuring crowd. In slow motion they all watched as more and more streaks of breathtaking hues of red broke over the sky.

The scene took her breath away. Any hint of her earlier cold or discomfort was completely forgotten. This view, this image would stay with her forever.

As would the thought that she was unexplainably happy that she’d been able to share it with Clint. While he held her in his arms.

* * *

The woman pulled at him like a magnet. Clint had fully intended to stay away from her on this trip. He really had. But then he’d seen her shivering in the dark with nothing but a flimsy, hooded sweatshirt and some type of thin fleece headband. The windchill up here had to be below freezing at the least. How was he supposed to walk away?

He wasn’t made of stone after all.

Now he was beyond happy that he’d ignored the warnings in his head and gone to her. He couldn’t imagine taking in this scene any other way. Tomorrow he might think differently. But right now, watching the brilliant colors slowly explode across the dawn sky above the crater, he was more content than he could ever remember.

Spiritual. It was the one word that came to mind. The most spiritual thing he’d experienced in all his years. And he had the pleasure of doing so with the extraordinary woman who happened to be in his arms.

A few feet away, an elderly gentleman with long white hair dressed in traditional native garb began chanting.

“It’s a prayer and salutation to the sun,” Rita whispered below his ear. The chanter’s deep, rich voice added yet another magical element to the extraordinary moment. Clint allowed himself to simply relax, to simply take in the majesty surrounding him. Rita was breathing steadily and deeply against his chest.

They remained that way several moments even after the sacred chant ended.

“That was amazing.” Rita finally broke the silence but made no effort to move out of his embrace. And he couldn’t remember when he’d ever felt so at peace, so serene.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind them made them both jump. Clint turned to see his sister and her groom both staring with their mouths agape. Reluctantly, he pulled his arms away and let Rita go.

“I was really cold,” Rita offered by way of explanation.

Lizzie blinked, then focused her intense gaze on her brother’s face.

“She was shivering.”

“Right” was Lizzie’s only response but she dragged out the word so long it was almost comical. His soon-to-be brother-in-law made a dramatic gesture of coughing into his hand in order to hide his laugh.

Rita adjusted her top and stepped away. “That was quite an amazing sight to behold.”

Clint had to tighten his fists to keep from reaching for her again. As silly as that notion was under their current circumstances. But he couldn’t deny that his fingers itched to do that very thing.

“Uh-huh. Sure was.” Lizzie’s double meaning was as clear as the new dawn sky behind them. He’d have to set the record straight with her at some point. Explain to her that he had no long-term sights on her school friend.

She really should know him better than that.

“So anyway,” Jonathon finally said, “there’s some hot chocolate and coffee waiting on the tour bus. The van with all the bikes is up here now. We’ll be heading out shortly to ride.” He tugged on his fiancée’s hand. Lizzie finally moved and they both walked away.

Though Lizzie shot one more questioning look at him as they left.

“I’d almost forgotten,” Rita said, not meeting his gaze. “About the biking.”

Part of this excursion was to be a group bike ride back down the mountain. Apparently, it was the thing to do when you came up here.

“All part of the adventure.”

Rita bit down on her lip and glanced up at the road ahead. “I might have to skip that part of the experience.”

That took him aback. “Whatever for? Can you ride?”

She nodded. “Yes, of course. But I’ve never actually ridden down a high, rugged mountain before.”

He shrugged. “I’m guessing very few of us have.”

She didn’t respond.

“What will you do instead?” he asked her, suddenly beyond disappointed that she wouldn’t be participating.

“I’ll just ride down with the driver in the van.”

He gave her a shrug. “I’m going to skip riding too then. I’ll just drive down in the van with you.”

“What? No. Why would you do that?”

“Well, I’m certainly not going to let you sit by yourself in the back of a van following the rest of us down as we ride. It’s just not in my nature.”

Her eyes clouded with concern. “I don’t want to be the reason you miss out on this, Clint.”

“Then reconsider. Come on, it will be fun.”

Rita glanced at the road once more, apprehension clear in her expression.

“We’ll go nice and slow.”

She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her forehead. “All right. If you insist.”

Clint couldn’t help his smile of relief. He really hadn’t been looking forward to the idea of being stuck in a van as everybody else got to enjoy the outdoor weather and mountainside sights. Not to mention, he figured he could use the physical exertion right about now.

* * *

Clint seemed to be exerting himself far more than the rest of them. Rita glanced behind her to check him once again. He was barely keeping up with the group. She was glad he’d talked her into going. She wasn’t even sure why she had hesitated back there. Bike riding wasn’t a new experience for her. And she’d always been pretty adventurous. Though something had changed within her since the divorce, something that made her second-guess her decisions as well as her abilities. She’d have to work on that.

Now there was no denying that the fresh air and the physical activity were serving to clear her head and invigorate her spirit.

But Clint seemed to be struggling behind her. Despite pedaling furiously and clearly straining, he seemed to consistently lag behind them all.

That made no sense whatsoever; the man was clearly fit. He appeared that way. Though, she’d have to admit, she’d seen more than her fair share of large muscular dogs like pit bulls and Dobermans who lacked stamina and energy.

Great. Now she was comparing the man to various breeds of canine.

Still, it was quite surprising. Especially considering they were going downhill and all. He didn’t strike her as the type to fall behind when it came to anything. Let alone a physical activity. But hey, looks are deceiving. She knew that firsthand.

He’d certainly felt lean and muscular earlier this morning. Her mind darted back to the feeling of being held in his arms, snuggled against his chest. Stop it.