Summer Down Under

by Pensy, Alison

  Sam eased herself off the bike, accepting Daniel’s steadying hand as she did, not wanting to trip and fall again, thereby, adding a companion to the bruise blooming on her behind. She decided her butt had protected her quite enough for one day. Unwittingly, she hissed a breath as Daniel took hold of her hand. He gave her an odd look and turned her hand over to reveal the scrapes there. Sam noticed him wince and heat rose in her cheeks. She pulled her hand away, tucking it safely behind her back and gave him a rueful smile.

  “Thank you,” she said, looking up at him and noticing a look of concern still visible on his face.

  “No worries,” he replied. “You looked like you needed a little help.”

  “Yeah, well, I think I may have to rethink my whole Miss Independent strategy. I was not prepared for that onslaught.” She gave him a wry smile. “There was no way I ever thought I would get that much unwanted attention.”

  “Sam, you are blonde haired and blue eyed,” he warned.

  “Yeah, and what’s that got to do with the price of cheese?”

  He raised an eyebrow at that comment. “Those attributes are much sought after over here, especially by the men.”

  Sam gave a derisive snort at that revelation, and as she turned her back on him, whispered under her breath “Don’t be stupid, why would anyone in their right mind be interested in someone as ugly as me?”

  She hadn’t expected him to have such good hearing.

  He turned her around to face him, placing his hands on her shoulders willing her to look up at him. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just gently pushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. When she couldn’t resist any longer, she brought her gaze up to meet his.

  “How could you think that, Sam?” Daniel whispered. “Whatever would make you say such a thing?”

  Her face burned with embarrassment. She pulled out of his embrace and turned to face the ocean. His kindness was completely alien to her; she didn’t quite know how to respond to it. He’d heard her; he wasn’t supposed to have heard her. She squirreled around in her head for a topic to change the subject, not wanting to open up a wound that still had stitches in, especially to someone who was almost a stranger. Not that she intended opening up to anyone, for that matter.

  She didn’t need anyone’s pity; doubted she could handle it even if they gave it. Not even her closest friends back home knew what she had been through at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. But, as strong as she tried to be, she knew if she started talking about it, the tears would start to flow, and she wasn’t sure she would have the power to stop them.

  Taking a deep breath, she turned around with a big smile that she hoped didn’t look too false, and said brightly. “You never did answer my question.”

  Daniel’s brow creased.

  “What were you doing there?” Sam asked again. “I thought you were staying on the other side of the Island.”

  Now it was his turn to look slightly sheepish. She noticed a flush color his cheeks. He cast his eyes to the ground for a second, probably in an attempt to not look like a crazy stalker.

  “I came looking for you,” he said, raising his eyes to meet Sam’s incredulous expression. “I stopped by your hotel, and a couple of people in the restaurant knew you and told me where you were headed.”

  She goggled at him. Did she just hear him correctly? He came looking for her? But he was gorgeous, why would he want anything to do with her?

  “Why would you come looking for me?”

  His cheeks flushed again, but he held his gaze steady.

  “Okay. I admit it,” he said, hands raised. “I can’t get you out of my head. I wanted to find you because I would kick myself if I didn’t give you my phone number.” He looked down at the ground again and toed a pebble. “Just in case there was the smallest chance you may want to call me when you’re in Australia.”

  “Oh.” Words failed her at that point and she just stared at him.

  “Um, would you like to go for a walk along the beach?” he asked after another moment had passed and she still hadn’t said anything more.

  Sam hesitated for a moment and cast a glance up and down the beach. It was still deserted. She hardly knew this man, even if he did just rescue her from a rowdy mob of vendors. Sam looked into his eyes and decided to listen to her instincts. They told her he wouldn’t try to hurt her, so she took a deep breath, trusted them, and agreed.

  “Okay, why not?”

  Daniel’s smile lit up his face. His hand started to move towards hers and she quickly crossed her arms over her chest. She was definitely not ready for something as intimate as hand holding. Not yet, maybe never.

  She noticed a flicker of disappointment in Daniel’s eyes but it was gone almost instantly, he replaced it with a smile and fell into place beside her. When they got to the sand, Sam kicked off her sandals and scooped them up, holding them in the hand that was closest to Daniel. That way she had an excuse not to hold his hand, should he try again.

  The sand was warm and soft under her feet as they wandered down the beach to the edge of the shore. Another beautiful island rose out of the ocean in front of them. Sam took a moment to soak in the beauty of her surroundings before turning her attention to the man beside her.

  “So,” she said. “Tell me what it is that you do on a sheep station?”

  “Well, there is a lot of riding about on motorbikes,” he started to explain. “We have to muster the sheep into holding pens for a variety of different reasons.”

  “Muster?” Sam interrupted.

  “It means herding or gathering. We muster the sheep into pens and do whatever we need to, depending on the time of the year.”

  He could see the look of confusion on her face and continued with his explanation.

  “You see, there is lamb marking after the lambs are born. We won’t get into that, though, it’s not the most pleasant job on the station. Then there is jetting just before the fly season. Basically, we spray the sheep with a pesticide that kills the blowflies. Nasty buggars they are. Then lots of maintenance, mending fences, etcetera, and the finale of the year for any sheep station...shearing.” He finished his explanation with a “Phew”

  “So, you’re basically a cowboy who works with sheep?”

  “You could say that. Actually, blokes are called Jackeroos, and Sheilas, meaning the girls, are called Jillaroos.”

  His description of work on his parent’s sheep station fascinated her once more. He talked about it on the plane, but now he was going into more detail. Daniel kept her captivated with many interesting tales of things that happened to him in the outback, and before she knew it, they had arrived close to the entrance of the beach where they had left his bike.

  They walked and talked for what seemed like hours. Sam began to realize that talking to Daniel felt as natural as breathing. He made her feel at ease, and that was something she had never experienced around a man; she had certainly never experienced the sensations welling deep within her at his close proximity.

  They stopped and he turned to face her, his eyes burning with what she could only assume was passion. She’d never actually seen a look like it before; she had only one other experience to draw from and certainly couldn’t gain any clarity from that.

  Walking side by side with him, it had been easy and natural to avert her gaze from his. She had been constantly looking all around and taking in the stunning beauty of the area.

  Sam diverted her gaze again, “It’s a pretty beach.”

  “It is. I come here whenever I’m in Bali. It’s impossible not to relax with surroundings like these.”

  Sam had felt his eyes burning into her for most of their walk, but hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it before this moment.

  “Sam?”

  Reluctantly Sam turned, feeling she had no choice but to look at him now or appear just plain rude. Her stomach knotted up into a ball when her eyes met his intense gaze. She dropped her head to look at her toes that were now unconsciously digging int
o the warm sand. Anything remotely resembling intimacy made her feel like a cornered animal.

  Fingers caressed her chin, easing her head up gently until she had no choice than to meet his sensual gaze. She swallowed hard, but couldn’t move. Frozen to the spot, her legs were refusing to take her anywhere. Fat lot of good she’d be in a fight, she told herself ruefully. Although, this was hardly a fight. Maybe an internal one between her brain and her heart.

  Daniel lowered his head. His lips brushed against hers, tender and full of compassion. The softness and warmth of his lips took her by surprise, so much so that she let them linger there for just a second until panic took hold and she jerked her head away. The fear that filled her took over. She couldn’t allow herself to get close to another man, wouldn’t allow anyone to have that kind of control over her again.

  Daniel’s expression turned to one of concern at the sudden extrication of her lips. His expression registered the fear filling her beautiful eyes, again he softly took hold of her chin.

  “P-please, don’t,” Sam stuttered, choking back tears that were threatening to spill over.

  “I won’t,” Daniel whispered, searching her panic stricken eyes. “Someone really hurt you, didn’t they?” His soft voice echoed in her mind.

  Was she that easy to read? She was losing the battle with her tears and could feel her eyes glisten, but could not pull her focus away from the warmth that exuded from his gaze as he looked down at her. A tear escaped and trickled down her cheek. Daniel brushed it away with his thumb. She didn’t need to answer him, it was a rhetorical question. Although, the answer was screaming at him through her eyes.

  They stood for a moment in silence, neither one knowing what to say next.

  “Would you like to sit here with me and watch the sun set?” he asked after a moment of silence. “It’s beautiful from this beach.”

  Sam hesitated.

  Sensing her anxiety, Daniel added, “You have my promise, Sam. I’m not going to try anything. Not all men are pigs; some of us can be quite charming, if given the chance.”

  She pondered his statement. She’d love to believe him, but that kind of trust had been ripped away from her, and she wasn’t sure she would ever get it back.

  Daniel sat down and offered Sam his hand. She cautiously accepted it and lowered herself to sit on the sand beside him. They sat in silence for a while, not an awkward silence this time, more a silence of mutual understanding. The only noise was coming from the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the crickets singing in the vegetation behind them.

  A soft balmy breeze caressed Sam’s face like a sheer silk scarf, and it felt wonderful. He was right, the sunset was stunning. Just like everything else this island had shown her, it didn’t disappoint. Daniel slowly, cautiously, wrapped a protective arm around Sam’s shoulders. The gesture sent a little shiver down her spine.

  She was longing to let go and snuggle into the body that was inviting her so openly to enjoy his attention, but self-preservation was keeping her mind in check. She didn’t accept his gesture, but didn’t pull away this time, either.

  Sam enjoyed his warmth, but tomorrow he was flying home and she doubted if they would ever see each other again. It was for the best, she thought, as the sun dipped into the ocean in front of them.

  Chapter Five

  Sam woke up with a start to an urgent knocking on her bungalow door. Groaning, she looked over at her travel clock to see what the time was and wondered who would have the audacity to be waking her up at 5 a.m.

  She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, threw her robe over her shoulders, and walked to the door tying it as she did, all the while muttering something that was best not repeated in polite society. “The building better be on fire,” she grouched as she approached the door, then called, “Who is it?”

  “It’s me,” the voice on the other side replied.

  Her eyes widened and she looked down at herself. Her robe was paper thin and she had nothing on underneath. It certainly wouldn’t leave a lot to the imagination. There was no way she could let him see her like that.

  Having to find things that would not take up much space in her backpack, she had chosen a thin cotton robe, intending to wear it over her pajamas in the hostels, but didn’t need to sleep in anything in her hotel room; she was completely alone, until now.

  “Just a minute,” she croaked.

  Sam scurried around until she found some clothes and threw them on. Then she ran to the bathroom, quickly smoothed down her hair, squeezed a dollop of toothpaste on her finger and rubbed it over her teeth. She collected her composure and headed towards the door again.

  Taking hold of the door handle, she took a deep breath and opened it. A beaming smile greeted her from the other side.

  “Do you make it a habit of turning up out of the blue at five o’clock in the morning?” she asked, voice tinged with irritability.

  “Only for someone special,” Daniel replied, grinning at her with that beautiful smile, completely nonplussed by her rather snotty welcome.

  Part of her melted; it was an affect he had on her that was completely beyond her control and it alarmed her at the ease with which she now just accepted this fact.

  “So, would you care to tell me what you are doing here?” The irritable tone still audible in her voice. “I thought you were going home today.”

  “I put it off for a day. There is something I have to show you and we don’t have much time.”

  He grabbed her hand and all but yanked her out of the room. Sam squealed and just managed to grab her bag before the door closed behind her.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asked when they were standing next to the motorbike he had rescued her on the previous day. He got on, started it up and flipped up the kickstand, completely ignoring the question.

  “Well, don’t just stand there. Get on,” he said. “You’ll see when we get there.”

  Much to Sam’s surprise, she did as he asked without hesitation, resuming the familiar position with her arms holding tightly around the handsome Aussie’s waist. He pulled back on the throttle and they sped off into the cool morning air.

  The streets were empty. No one was around at that time in the morning, and a stillness hung in the air. It was lovely and cool, a prelude for the muggy heat that would envelop the island by midday.

  “You are going to love this,” she heard him shout over his shoulder. “I promise you will never forget this morning.”

  Well, that was for certain, Sam thought as they went zooming down the road with her arms wrapped around his waist. Breathing in his spicy scent at five in the morning was not something she was likely to forget in a hurry. She was still trying to get over the previous day.

  They rode for about half an hour before pulling up in front of another beach. Although it was dark, Sam could tell they were at the beach because she could hear the soft lapping of the waves against the shore and smell the salty tang of sea air, a smell she now loved.

  They stepped off the bike and, no sooner had her feet touched the ground, her hand was scooped up again and Daniel began dragging her down a narrow pathway. It was lined by shadowy palm trees that loomed up on either side and crickets were still singing their frenzied aria.

  “Hold on,” she complained. “I’m going to trip, I can’t see anything.”

  “You’ll be fine, I know where I’m going.”

  “Well, I’m glad you do,” Sam snapped impatiently, nearly falling over her own feet, something she accomplished with relative ease on frequent occasions.

  They eventually came to an opening in the palms and were now standing on the edge of a beach.

  “Now, just wait. It will only be a few more minutes.”

  “What will be only a few more minutes?” she asked, trying to hold back an irritable retort, not yet being fully awake and not her best at that ungodly hour. She fleetingly wondered if Daniel could tell she wasn’t a morning person, and then dismissed the notion. Why should she care if he
cared that she wasn’t a morning person? He was nothing to her. Yeah, she could try and keep convincing herself of that fact, but deep down even she didn’t believe it.

  “You’ll see.”

  They stood for what seemed like ten minutes, then something started to appear before them. The sun was rising, and with it a silhouette rose out of the ocean in front of them.

  “Wow, it’s beautiful.” Sam gasped. “What is it?”

  “It’s called Tanah Lot. It’s an ancient temple built in the sixteenth century. It was built to be surrounded by the ocean at certain times of the day and pays homage to the spirits of the sea.” Daniel explained.

  She had to admit, it was a sight to behold. The temple seemed like it was majestically rising out of the sea in front of them. As it got lighter, she could see that it was shrouded with vines that must have been growing over several centuries.

  “Can we go and look around it?” she asked, itching to see inside the historic building.

  “Unfortunately, no. This one is reserved for the monks alone, but there are plenty more we are allowed to look around.”

  Sam was feeling blessed to be able to see something this beautiful, she looked up at Daniel.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for bringing me here. Even if it was at some ungodly hour in the morning.”

  He smiled. She felt a squeeze around her hand and looked down. They were still holding hands. It had felt so natural to Sam that she hadn’t even noticed. But now that she had, the familiar ball started to knot in her stomach. She gently released his hand. Daniel looked at her, his eyes unable to hide his disappointment. She quickly grabbed her camera. “Need to take some photos,” she said and then threw in a sheepish grin for good measure.

  After some incredible photos had been snapped, they wandered back up the narrow path, at a more suitable pace this time, and got back on the motorbike.

  “So, where are you going to take me now?”

  “Today is going to be a surprise. A magical mystery tour by yours truly.”