Destined

by Sarah Doren

  I only had an hour, before I needed to be on campus with my ass in my first class of the day. I had an essay due today, and it was nowhere near finished yet. I swung my legs off the bed, danced around my room as I grabbed a fresh towel from my closet and slung it over my shoulder. I grabbed some clothes and rushed to the bathroom, careful not to wake-up my host family as I turned on the water.

  I took a quick shower, letting the hot water wash over my voluptuous body. The steamy liquid ran down over my curves, warming me up as I washed my hair. The scent of lavender lingered in the air, filling in my nostrils as I dried off and brushed my teeth. I had never been late back home, and I wasn’t about to start now. I spit out the toothpaste and quickly rinsed my mouth, spit out the water, and got dressed.

  By the time, I emerged from the bathroom, a sleepy-looking Isaac was waiting outside. His dark mane was rumpled and he looked like a zombie from a low budget movie.

  “What are you doing up?” I asked, rushing past him.

  “I have to go to school,” he mumbled, before closing the door behind him.

  I was surprised to see my host family up and about. Anthony was bent over the stove, his hands busy flipping eggs and bacon. The strong aroma of coffee beans made my stomach rumble. I hadn’t realized I was so hungry until the smell of food hit me.

  “Morning, Anthony.” I greeted.

  He turned to smile at me. “Morning, Tina. Early start?”

  I nodded. “Yeah”

  I went back to my room and retrieved my bag, quickly stuffing my books and school supplies inside. By the time I walked back into the kitchen, the table was set. The food was on the table, and the boys were waiting.

  “Let’s eat breakfast,” I said, sitting down at what was becoming my usual chair.

  This time, I paid no attention to the conversation, as I wolfed down my breakfast, knowing full well that I would have to either hurry or be late. My host dad seemed to have read my mind, because the moment I placed my plate on the sink, he was out the door, opening the car door for me. I hopped inside and the vehicle roared to life.

  I managed to find my classroom after asking for help, thanking the senior student before he rushed off to his own class. I stepped inside, thankful that my professor couldn’t see me. It was only after I had sat down on my chair and taken my books that I look up from my seat to notice a pair of hazel eyes watching me.

  I felt that familiar tingle starting at the base of my breasts, slowly making its way to my jutted peaks. My nipples hardened at the sight of Wiremu watching me, his eyes never leaving mine as I sat immobile, unable to look away. He looked incredibly hot today. With his dark mane styled in an upward flick, his body reeking from some expensive cologne. I couldn’t help letting a tiny moan slip past my lips. I was thankful that he wasn’t sitting real close to me, because the last thing I wanted was to come off as some weird, creepy girl.

  Not that I would deny that I was.

  It was abundantly clear that my body was attracted to him. I was attracted to him and his good looks. I lowered my eyes and inspected his strong chest. It was heaving and pushed forward, making him look cocky. Damn, if my panties didn’t grow wet from the sight of him once again.

  The prior day’s event rushed back into my mind. The reminder of me offending him sent the blood rushing to my face. I felt myself feeling hot at the memory. My pale skin became flushed, and I would not be surprised if my cheeks were red.

  I looked away suddenly, my eyes shutting tightly in embarrassment. I was so humiliated. So mortified from knowing I had insulting that beautiful man.

  Please, floor, open up and swallow me whole, before I just die from mortification.

  I slid farther into my seat. I stared straight ahead, and I couldn’t bring myself to look back at Wiremu. I was so embarrassed, so ashamed that I had said those words. It was only now that I realized he had misunderstood what I meant.

  “Tina!” A female voice whispered.

  I looked around, trying to discover where the female voice was coming from.

  “I’m right beside you, you know.” Chelsea said flatly.

  I turned to my side, clutching my chest. I swore this girl was weirder than I was, but at least we got along, and it was nice to have found somebody who shared my weirdness.

  “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” I said, still clutching my chest.

  She grinned. “That was the idea.”

  I rolled my eyes at her. “What are you doing here?”

  She rolled her eyes back at me. “Duh. I’m in this class too. I noticed you were late. Second day and you’re being irresponsible already?”

  I flushed. “Sorry. I woke up late.”

  I felt a nudge on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I was just kidding. I’m not your professor. Some of them care about your being late, while others don’t really. It’s really up to you. Teachers here are strict. But you need to be responsible for yourself.”

  “Got it,” I said.

  Chapter Six

  “Call me when you need a ride, okay?” Anthony said.

  I nodded and slammed the door behind me. I looked around and took in the unfamiliarity of the neighborhood. I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling slightly self-conscious in what I was wearing.

  Tonight, I was wearing a mini-skirt that showed my smooth, pale thighs. My upper body was covered in a thin sweatshirt. The soles of my shoes clapped against the pavement, my eyes intently focused on where I was going, as I heard people calling out to each other.

  “Yo, mate! Take a shot. Don’t be so uptight.” A male voice said, sounding incredibly drunk.

  “Yeah, bro. Take a shot!”

  This started the group chanting a continuous ‘take a shot’ that could be heard from inside. I stepped into the house, looking around as I tried to find a familiar face. The lurid sound of contemporary music filled in my ears, rolling into Chris Brown’s song Fine China as I scanned the room.

  I felt slightly out of place as I took in a bottle of alcohol that met my gaze. My arms were still curled around my waist, and my fingernails were digging into my flesh.

  “Hey, you’re here!” Chelsea exclaimed, appearing in front of me.

  “Do you make a habit of doing that?” I asked, feeling my heart rate increase.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

  She grabbed my hand and guided me outside. The cool breeze caressed my thick blonde mane, rustling it as I followed Chelsea. In back of the house, I could see a small group gathered around a table. Their hands were wrapped around small shot glasses filled with liquor.

  “This is Mike.” Chelsea said, introducing me to guy with shaggy dark hair.

  “I’m Anika,” said a girl with curly brown hair, stretching out her hand to shake mine. “And this is Robert.”

  Anika—the girl with curly hair—pointed toward another guy, who seemed to be in his late twenties. “Anika’s boyfriend,” Robert added.

  I nodded at everyone. “Nice to meet you all.”

  “You’ve got an accent. Where are you from?” Mike asked.

  “Germany,” I answered, as I took a seat next to Chelsea.

  “Where abouts in Germany?” he asked.

  “Munich, maybe you have heard of the famous Oktoberfest, which takes place there every year” I said.

  “Are you one of the international students?” he prodded.

  I nodded, accepting the shot of alcohol Chelsea offered me. I opened the cap and took a swig from the bottle, loving the heat of the liquor as it ran down the length of my throat.

  “How do you like New Zealand so far? You enjoying it here?” This time, it was Anika asking.

  “Yeah. It’s actually amazing. I’ve never seen so many sheep and so much green countryside, like you have here.”

  “Yeah, we do have a lot of those.”

  “So, you’ve our famous rugby captain?”

  I frowned. “Who?”

  “Wiremu. Wiremu Tone.�
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  I cleared my throat, squirming under his gaze. “Uh, yeah. I have. I didn’t know he was on the rugby team.”

  Mike nodded. “Not many do, though.”

  “Is it, like, a secret thing or something?” I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

  “Nah.” Mike shook his head. “It isn’t exactly a secret with some people knowing, you know? And it’s a sweet as position to be in. He’s on a scholarship.”

  I nodded here and there, wanting to come off as fascinated though I wasn’t really.

  For the next few minutes, I just stayed in my chair. I watched my friend Chelsea, as she danced around the room, her massive butt jiggling against the thin material of her short dress. She came back to me a few moments later, clearly buzzed, and reached out to me. I tried to tell her that I wasn’t interested, but she pulled me in anyway. I eventually gave in and started rolling my hips in time to the music.

  I threw my hands up in the air, feeling carefree as I mimicked Chelsea’s dance moves. I had always loved dancing, it was one of my hobbies. But it felt a little bizarre to be dancing in the house of some stranger. No one seemed to care, though, so I kept at it. My hips moved and sashayed. My long blonde hair reached the middle of my back. I threw my head back in complete abandonment.

  “Yeah, girl! Keep it moving!” I heard Chelsea cheer.

  I laughed at her, inviting her to move with me, as I threw my hands up in the air. I heard cat calls from the background. I didn’t care. I couldn’t. Not with my head pounding with alcohol. My blood was rushing to my ears. I was aware that I was very near drunk—definitely tipsy. But no one seemed to mind, as I continued throwing my hands up in the air like some lunatic.

  People were egging me on, and I was basking in the attention. Basking in the wolf whistles and the loud hollering of their voices. For once, I was having fun. Sure, there might be hell to pay tomorrow, and I was sure I would have a huge hangover later, but for now, I was having a good time and I was loving every minute of it.

  Another song started, and I pulled Anika out onto the floor with me. She tried to dodge me, but I got her onto the dance floor eventually, her petite body moving along with mine. The world was a million miles away, and right here, right now, I didn’t have to worry about job rejections, boyfriend’s cheating on me, or finishing my damn essay.

  The only thing I could focus on right now was the alcohol that sizzled in my bloodstream. My fun came to an abrupt end, when I felt a pair of strong hands gripping my waist and stopping my movement.

  “I think it’s time for you to come home, don’t you?”

  The sound of the voice made me shudder.

  END OF BOOK 1

  The story continues with Tina who couldn’t find herself in a much more complicated situation. She is determined to discover who she really is and the real meaning of being a Kiwi. She soon finds herself distracted by the hot, mysterious Wiremu, who has been haunting her dreams forever ... and suddenly is torn between two men.

  Fated - New Zealand Bound Series Book 2:

  http://goo.gl/q6L2wq