not crumple into a mindless mess. She even managed a smile—not too difficult when escape was just beyond those doors. ‘I hope you enjoy your vacation. Goodbye.’
‘I’ve got a car waiting. At least let me give you a lift to your hotel. Where are you staying?’
‘I’ve organised for a car from the resort to collect me. In fact, he’ll be wondering where I am.’ She started walking, made a show of looking at her watch while noticing most of the passengers from their flight had already left the terminal.
‘I’ll walk you out.’
Trailing her suitcase, she headed for the exit, not looking at Nic walking beside her. While she scanned the area for her ride, she saw Nic signal a shiny limo, which immediately drove to the kerb. The chauffeur who stepped out was middle-aged and wore smart traditional clothing.
He grinned, teeth white against his dusky skin. ‘Hey, Nic.
Bula vinaka!
’
‘Malakai,
bula
.’
Charlotte watched on, surprise mingling with confusion as the pair clasped hands and greeted each other as if they were old friends. ‘Another resort guest on your flight is riding with us,’ she heard the chauffeur say, looking about. ‘I don’t see her yet.’
Nic looked her way and said slowly, ‘Vaka Malua Resort by any chance?’
Oh, no. She couldn’t believe it. Then she noticed the colours of the hotel’s logo in the man’s attire—turquoise, black and ivory. Of all the resorts she could have chosen … She nodded once. Fate was truly punishing her.
Nic said something to the other man in a low voice, then stepped up and took her bags, swung them into the limo’s boot and said, ‘Charlotte, this is Malakai.’
Malakai flashed his wide smile for her and opened the car door. ‘
Bula
, ma’am. Welcome to Fiji.’
‘Hello.
Bula
.’ She forced a smile for him but her mind was scrambled as she walked towards the vehicle.
Maybe she’d make some sense of it when she could finally close the door to her suite and block out the rest of the world. Vaka Malua was a new luxury resort and, according to its website, spacious and private. She had her own personal plunge pool and a view overlooking the sea. If she chose, she could avoid the other tourists. Nic, for instance.
Nic waited until she’d climbed into the vehicle, then made a snap decision and slid in beside Charlotte, ensuringplenty of space between them. She was giving off vibes that would have most fellow passengers diving for the seat next to the driver, and under normal circumstances he would have enjoyed catching up with Malakai. But he knew it was all a front designed to keep him at a distance when what she really wanted was for him to touch her again.
As they headed south from Nadi towards the Coral Coast and Natadola Beach he carried on a running conversation with Malakai, but his mind was on the passenger sitting stiffly beside him.
He didn’t believe Charlotte’s talk about a convenient fling for a second. He knew women and she wasn’t the type. He’d manipulated the situation to his advantage. So she was understandably annoyed with him, but even behind her invisible shield he could feel the pull between them.
Unlike him, she obviously came from old money. A rich babe with something to hide? He’d seen the emotion cloud her pretty grey eyes when she’d talked about her mother’s pearls and the family holiday in Hawaii. Family was obviously important to her.
She claimed she didn’t want anything to do with him. He had forty minutes or so to work on that. He pressed the button and the limo’s window slid partway down, letting in the welcome fragrance of the tropics. ‘Have you been to Fiji before, Charlotte?’
‘No.’
He laid an arm across the back of the seat and angled himself so he could see her better. ‘First impressions?’
‘Friendly. Relaxing … I hope.’ She sniffed the inrushing air. ‘What’s burning?’
‘Sugar cane. They burn off before harvesting.’ Her hair was tied back but strands were
‘I’ve got a car waiting. At least let me give you a lift to your hotel. Where are you staying?’
‘I’ve organised for a car from the resort to collect me. In fact, he’ll be wondering where I am.’ She started walking, made a show of looking at her watch while noticing most of the passengers from their flight had already left the terminal.
‘I’ll walk you out.’
Trailing her suitcase, she headed for the exit, not looking at Nic walking beside her. While she scanned the area for her ride, she saw Nic signal a shiny limo, which immediately drove to the kerb. The chauffeur who stepped out was middle-aged and wore smart traditional clothing.
He grinned, teeth white against his dusky skin. ‘Hey, Nic.
Bula vinaka!
’
‘Malakai,
bula
.’
Charlotte watched on, surprise mingling with confusion as the pair clasped hands and greeted each other as if they were old friends. ‘Another resort guest on your flight is riding with us,’ she heard the chauffeur say, looking about. ‘I don’t see her yet.’
Nic looked her way and said slowly, ‘Vaka Malua Resort by any chance?’
Oh, no. She couldn’t believe it. Then she noticed the colours of the hotel’s logo in the man’s attire—turquoise, black and ivory. Of all the resorts she could have chosen … She nodded once. Fate was truly punishing her.
Nic said something to the other man in a low voice, then stepped up and took her bags, swung them into the limo’s boot and said, ‘Charlotte, this is Malakai.’
Malakai flashed his wide smile for her and opened the car door. ‘
Bula
, ma’am. Welcome to Fiji.’
‘Hello.
Bula
.’ She forced a smile for him but her mind was scrambled as she walked towards the vehicle.
Maybe she’d make some sense of it when she could finally close the door to her suite and block out the rest of the world. Vaka Malua was a new luxury resort and, according to its website, spacious and private. She had her own personal plunge pool and a view overlooking the sea. If she chose, she could avoid the other tourists. Nic, for instance.
Nic waited until she’d climbed into the vehicle, then made a snap decision and slid in beside Charlotte, ensuringplenty of space between them. She was giving off vibes that would have most fellow passengers diving for the seat next to the driver, and under normal circumstances he would have enjoyed catching up with Malakai. But he knew it was all a front designed to keep him at a distance when what she really wanted was for him to touch her again.
As they headed south from Nadi towards the Coral Coast and Natadola Beach he carried on a running conversation with Malakai, but his mind was on the passenger sitting stiffly beside him.
He didn’t believe Charlotte’s talk about a convenient fling for a second. He knew women and she wasn’t the type. He’d manipulated the situation to his advantage. So she was understandably annoyed with him, but even behind her invisible shield he could feel the pull between them.
Unlike him, she obviously came from old money. A rich babe with something to hide? He’d seen the emotion cloud her pretty grey eyes when she’d talked about her mother’s pearls and the family holiday in Hawaii. Family was obviously important to her.
She claimed she didn’t want anything to do with him. He had forty minutes or so to work on that. He pressed the button and the limo’s window slid partway down, letting in the welcome fragrance of the tropics. ‘Have you been to Fiji before, Charlotte?’
‘No.’
He laid an arm across the back of the seat and angled himself so he could see her better. ‘First impressions?’
‘Friendly. Relaxing … I hope.’ She sniffed the inrushing air. ‘What’s burning?’
‘Sugar cane. They burn off before harvesting.’ Her hair was tied back but strands were
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