ELEVEN
‘Are we nearly there yet?’
Adam braked to avoid a scooter that had swerved out of nowhere onto the dirt road, then gave Olivia a very swift, fleeting glance from the corner of his eye. ‘Seven and a half minutes,’ he said.
‘Sorry. I’m stupidly excited about these caves. Especially as you won’t tell me anything about them and you’ve made me promise not to research them online. So, yes, I am bouncing up and down like an overgrown child. I’ll stop now.’
Three days in and this holiday was unlike any Adam had experienced. Truth be told, holidays for a man who had travelled the world and then built up a global empire of hotels had always been problematic.
This time it was different; it couldn’t be compared to any of the most decadent, sex-filled sojourns in the penthouse suites of many of his hotels. And surprisingly enough not just because of the lack of any sex—decadent or otherwise.
Because, whilst frustration was his constant companion, putting lust aside, Adam was enjoying himself.
No doubt it was the novelty factor, but he loved Olivia’s interest in everything—her relish of every bite of food, the way she had spent hours discussing music with Saru, turning his friend into her devoted admirer.
There was also her attitude to both shopping and money. Utterly appreciative when he had held a shop door open for her, she’d bristled into fury when he’d tried to pay for her holiday clothes.
‘You’re already paying for accommodation and you flew me out here. Our deal doesn’t extend to new clothes. In fact I’ll pay for your clothes. Seeing as I’m making you buy them.’
So for the first time since...well, the first time ever...Adam had stood back and watched someone else pull out a credit card. A novel experience, and not one he could see happening again in a hurry. It was hard to imagine his conveyor belt women going Dutch, let alone paying for him. As for purchasing him a selection of slogan-laden T-shirts—one depicting a reggae band, another saying ‘Keep Calm and Play the Drums’ and another blue number with an underwater sea scene and the caption ‘I swim with the fish’—Adam knew that would never happen again, either.
Which was all fine. Predictability and decadent sex was definitely the way forward on future holidays. Unless, of course, frustration killed him first.
He pulled up at the side of the road. ‘We’re here.’
‘And you’re sure it’s OK for us to do this by ourselves?’
‘I’m sure. I know the family who runs the tours. I worked for them as a guide for a whole season, so they know I can do it safely. I’ve spoken to them. It’s all good.’
Though for a moment Adam wondered why on earth he hadn’t suggested they join a normal tour. Maybe because he wanted to see the wonder on her face when he introduced her to a place that was special to him? He really hoped not. Because that would be worrying. To say nothing of dumb.
A sudden shot of alarm zinged his synapses and he climbed out of the Jeep and inhaled deeply, sucked in the pure forest-scented air as he walked round to open Olivia’s door.
He knew exactly what was going on. This was all about the frustration; he wasn’t used to spending time with a woman he fancied the pants off and being unable actually to remove said pants. So all the lust had nowhere to go and it was affecting his brain. Big time.
Once she’d climbed out he looked her up and down. Keep it clean, Adam.
She gusted out a sigh. ‘I’ve got comfortable, sturdy footwear, long sleeves and loose long trousers and I’m smothered in insect repellent. The only way a mozzie will come close to me is if all its nasal tubes have been extracted. Which isn’t very likely. So can we go?’
* * *
Olivia entered the forest and breathed her appreciation as she looked around the vast canopy of verdant trees. The spectrum of green ranged from vibrant to dark, catching the dappled sunlight so that motes speckled the trailing fronds and leaves.
The path was gentle, almost meandering, and Olivia felt a peace and tranquillity that could only be exploded by... Crashing right bang into Adam’s broad back. Damn. She’d been trying to hang back; the past few days had shown her all too well the disaster of getting too close. But in her gawping admiration of Mother Nature she’d taken her eye off the ball and now here she was. Back in the danger zone. Up close and personal with the breadth of his shoulders and his scent that won out even over that of the forest.
It took every ounce of her self-control to step backwards—especially as she was sure his body had given a small ripple of appreciation at her touch. Delusional.