When he bowed his head, ripples of glee shot through her. She slipped the lei over his head. There was no kiss. Only a brief “thank you” before he turned on his heels and joined the other bachelors back in line. That was okay, though. He was still here and that was all that mattered. She could make it up to him later when they were alone.
Melody selected the next six bachelors; then Henry came forward and asked the ten eliminated men to say a quick good-bye before they had to leave the island.
The bachelors shook hands; then one by one they came over to Melody. The men were very polite, and she didn’t sense any heartfelt regrets to be leaving the show. She hadn’t made a connection with any of these men, so she felt sure they were anxious to get home and get on with their lives.
Once they departed, it was time for her to select the order of her individual dates. There was no question that she wanted to spend some alone time with Guy. And the sooner the better. So it was a no-brainer when she gave him the first date. After the other selections were made, Henry asked Melody to draw a paper from a basket, then he announced that she and Guy would be visiting a traditional Fijian village and their date would begin now.
Daniel yelled, “Cut,” and left his director’s chair to pull Melody aside. “This is your first alone date. We need it to be dramatic and emotional. Remember, this isn’t real life. Things have to move along quickly. Be sure to show us how you feel about this bachelor.”
Before she could answer, Daniel had left her and was back in his chair. “Okay, everybody, places,” he announced.
When Melody was in position beside Guy, shooting resumed. Henry led them down a path, where an all-terrain vehicle waited with its engine idling. Guystof offered Melody a hand getting into the truck, then climbed in beside her.
The driver, a small native man, turned from the front and smiled at them. “Bula! My name is Solomon, and I’m your guide today.”
Before either Melody or Guy could return Solomon’s hello, the driver stepped on the gas and the truck sped along the dirt road, nearly tossing Melody into Guy’s lap.
“Sorry,” she said, clinging tightly to the handrail above her head as they jostled over the rough terrain.
“No need to apologize.” Guy draped his arm across her shoulders and flashed her a dazzling smile.
Her heart lurched. The ice between them seemed to have melted, and she knew she was in for a fabulous day. Melody sat back and enjoyed the pristine scenery. Off to the right lay the rainforest. In amongst the thick vegetation, beautiful bright tropical flowers bloomed.
“About yesterday…” Melody shifted her gaze to Guy. “What you saw with the professor, it’s not what you think.”
Guy lifted a brow at her. “And what is it exactly that you think I’m thinking?”
Melody tensed under his grasp. He was playing games with her. He knew exactly what she meant. Was his ego too big to admit she’d hurt him? “Never mind. I only wanted you to know I didn’t kiss Johnny. Just like I didn’t kiss you.” She turned her head and redirected her gaze out the window.
Guy chuckled and squeezed her arm. “But did you respond to him as you did to me?”
Melody glared at him, then simmered when she saw the sparkle lighting his clear blue eyes. “I don’t like it much when a man comes on too strong, even if I find that man very attractive.”
“I never would have thought the professor to be your type, but then again, I don’t know you well enough to wager a bet on that. I suppose only time will tell who’s right for you.”
Melody straightened her back. “I’m not the only one allowed to make decisions around here. The men have a say in this game. You have a say.” She looked directly into his eyes. “I hope anyone who doesn’t feel I could be the one for him would be honest and not accept a lei if I offered it.”
“That would be the honorable thing to do,” Guystof agreed.
“Would you?”
“What?” he asked, knowing perfectly well what she meant.
“Turn down the lei if you felt we weren’t compatible,” she spouted quickly.
“And just what do you think constitutes compatibility, Melody?”
A frown wrinkled her brow. “That’s an odd question. Whether a man and a woman get along. Whether they have things in common.”
Guystof held her gaze. “Is that so important? Having things in common? Isn’t enjoying each other’s company more important?”
“Well, yes that matters too. But having the same interests—”
“People can develop similar interests,” he said, cutting off her words. “But the spark, the passion has to be there right from the start. And that’s what really matters. Don’t you agree?”
Melody’s face grew warm as she thought back to their meeting on the beach and how his touch, his kiss made her feel as electric as if standing out in a thunderstorm. “Yes.” Her voice was low, barely audible.
He reached over and cupped her chin in his hand, tilting it up. “What did you say?”
She swallowed hard. “Yes. Sexual attraction needs to be there.”
He leaned in toward her, his mouth just inches from hers. She could see flecks of gold in his eyes she’d never seen before. “Is it”—his lips brushed hers—“there between us?”
This is exactly what Daniel wanted, but her face grew hot with embarrassment that this intimate moment was being filmed for the world to see. Before she could answer, however, Guy’s kiss deepened, and against her will, she found herself drowning in his caresses. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close so that she could hear the rapid beating of his heart. So much for the cameras and her earlier protests against aggressive men. This one could be forward with her anytime he wanted. With the tip of his tongue, he gently probed her lips apart, and she gladly welcomed him in. His kiss took her where she’d never ventured before. And this body—her body—was responding in unfamiliar ways. But instead of feeling betrayed, she relished the new giddy feeling. Lord, what this man did to her! If this was how she reacted to a simple kiss, what else might be in store for her? My, my, to think that this was what she’d been missing all these long, lonely years.
It took Melody a moment to realize the truck had stopped. Solomon was looking out the window, trying not to appear self-conscious. When she cleared her throat, he slowly turned around.
“We’re here,” he said. “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were busy.”
“Oh, um, sorry,” she mumbled, running her fingers through her tousled hair.
“Ah, to be young again.” Solomon jumped down from his seat while Guy came around and opened her door.
They were in the midst of a small village with bures encircling them. People emerged from their huts, dressed in native costume.
An elderly man with a crop of tightly curled gray hair came forward and bowed. “Ni Sa Bula,” he said.
“Ni Sa Bula.” Melody and Guy spoke in unison.
“I’m Kari, and I welcome you to my home.” He held his hand out, pointing to the bure on the left.
“Thank you, Kari. I’m Melody, and this is Guy.”
The old man nodded and led the way toward his hut. Solomon bid them good-bye and climbed back into the truck, telling them he’d be back later in the day to take them back to Malaku.
It was cool inside Kari’s home. His family sat on the floor around a large wooden bowl filled with a muddy-colored liquid. Melody knew from studying the travelogues that the drink she was looking at must be yaqona, the national beverage. The drink was prepared from the pulverized root of the kava plant and a member of the pepper family. She imagined the drink probably needed some getting used to.
Kari motioned for them to sit and an elderly woman, most probably his wife, patted the ground beside her. Melody and Guy sat.
The old woman drank from half a coconut shell then refilled it. “E dua na bilo—try a cup?” She passed it to Melody.
The act of sharing a bowl of grog created an invisible bond between the part
icipants, and it would be considered extremely rude not to do so. Melody accepted the coconut but hesitated before putting it to her mouth.
Guy leaned closer and spoke softly so only she could hear. “If it’s any consolation, I’m a bit nervous, as well. One swallow and you’re done.”
Melody gathered her courage and drank. Her tongue tingled and then went numb. The taste, though not unpleasant, was one she hoped to avoid again anytime soon. “Your turn,” she whispered, refilling the coconut. As she handed it over to Guy, a fuzzy-headedness took hold, and she swayed.
“I wouldn’t plan on standing anytime soon or I may have to catch you when you fall.”
“I wouldn’t mind. I like being in your arms.” Through her foggy euphoria, she realized what she’d just said. Wow! That grog really packed a punch. She’d better be careful, or who knew what might come out of her mouth next.
Guy swallowed the yaqona quickly, giving no indication of like or dislike for the drink. Outside the hut, someone played the guitar. Its hauntingly sweet melody increased the calming effect the kava was having on Melody. She leaned against Guy and he wrapped his arm around her waist.
She closed her eyes and relaxed, breathing in the masculine, sexy scent of his cologne and finding it perfectly intoxicating. Or maybe she was just intoxicated. Either way, she was in heaven.
“Do you think it would be rude if we went outside?” he asked.
Melody looked up into his smiling face and instantly knew what he meant. Spending time alone with him was exactly what she wanted too. “I don’t think they’d mind.”
He stood first and it was a good thing, because when Melody got to her feet, it felt as if the ground moved beneath her.
Guy helped to steady her by placing his strong arms around her. “Whoa. I think you’re going to need some assistance.”
She nodded, thanked Kari and his family for their hospitality, and left the hut with Guy holding her up. She wondered why the grog seemed to have no effect on him, then brushed it off on account of how much bigger he was than she.
They strolled down a dirt path with the camera crew following behind. Soon they came upon a lagoon, and although Melody would have loved to get closer to it, the sides were ringed with mud flats and thick vegetation. Guy took hold of her hand and led her to a grassy spot where they could relax by the lake and get to know one another better. He sat first, and then pulled her down beside him. He sprawled his long, muscular legs out in front of him, then turned on his side to face her, leaning on his elbow and resting his chin in his hand. With ice-blue eyes, he stared at her as if he wanted to look deep into her soul.
“I don’t envy you your position here. All the men vying for your attention, and you have to try to figure out who’s sincere and who’s not.”
Melody blinked in surprise. That seemed an odd thing for him to say. She knew there might be bachelors who had other motives for being on the show besides finding true love, but she hadn’t been focusing on that and to have it brought up by Guy made her wonder if he might not be referring to himself. Her heart lurched. She prayed that wasn’t the case. “I suppose some of the bachelors might be here for the fame. Though I hadn’t spent much time worrying about that. But since you brought it up, what are your reasons for being here?”
Guy chuckled softly. She loved the sound of his laugh. It was deep and throaty and extremely sexy. “You need to ask me that? Didn’t I tell you the first time we met that you were going to be my wife? That was no joke, Melody.”
His gaze penetrated right down to her toes, and she tingled all over. “How could you have meant that? You didn’t even know me.”
He lifted one ebony brow slightly. “Ah, but I knew of you. I knew you weren’t a frivolous person, that you have high moral values. You love your family and friends and the fortune that you won has been bringing you more problems than happiness.”
Melody gasped. “You knew all that about me? How?”
He sucked on a blade of grass before answering. “Some I learned from the newspapers, but the rest I learned from watching you on the beach. A first impression can tell a lot about a person.”
Hmmm. That was true. Her first impression of him had been mixed. Though she’d found him extremely attractive, he also was aware of his allure and he used it to his advantage. That kind of self-assurance she was unfamiliar with and not quite sure she liked. So, if her first impression had been one she’d stuck with Guy might have been eliminated from the game already. Thank goodness, she didn’t put much stock in them.
“How did you know the money had been a problem?” she asked.
He rolled onto his back and looked up at the sky. The sun highlighted his high cheekbones and square jaw. Gosh, he was handsome.
“A woman like you,” he said, almost as if speaking to the wind, “beautiful, intelligent, kind, should be able to have any man she wants, but when you add a fortune to that combination a problem occurs. How does she know if the man that she wants is in love with her or her money? Men no doubt would have come out of the woodwork to meet you. Am I correct?”
She sighed. The memory of the headaches she and her friends ensued because of the endless stream of gold-digging men was still very fresh. “Yes.”
“And that, my dear, is why you are here.”
“So you think you know me?”
He smiled, exposing his white teeth. “Not nearly as well as I’d like to.”
Pat answer, she thought, though she did like it. “And what more would you like to know?” She lay down beside him, but instead of watching the clouds pass by, she watched him.
He shifted his gaze back to her. “What are you looking for in a man, Melody?”
Although that was not an unusual question, she thought hard about it. There were many qualities she’d look for in her future mate, but one stood out above the others. “Honesty. Without that, a relationship has nothing. And how can one expect to build a life with someone if it’s based on lies?”
“I agree.” But his gaze dropped, and she thought she sensed him withdraw from her.
Could he be hiding something? Maybe there was more to his wanting a wife than he let on. But then as if reading her mind, he moved closer to her and picking up a strand of her hair, rolled it between his fingers.
“Since we’re talking about honesty, would you be willing to leave your loved ones behind and move across the world?” he asked. “After all, Romania is a long way from New York.”
He’d caught her off guard. She didn’t know how to answer that question. She’d never considered leaving Hope before. She’d always assumed that was where she’d stay. Maybe because she’d just never had a real reason to leave before. But faced with having to choose between her hometown and the man she loved, well, that was a difficult decision, indeed.
“I-I don’t know.” She chewed her bottom lip and thought best how to explain her feelings to him. “I really don’t think I can answer you. I mean, I suppose if I were really, truly in love and that man asked me to marry him, I think then, yes, I would move to the ends of the earth for him. I think. But I really can’t say for sure, unless I was actually in that situation.” Oh Lord. She must have sounded like a fool.
“Thank you. You were honest, and I appreciate that too.”
She studied his fabulous eyes. They were filled with tenderness and passion. He reached for her, and she went eagerly into his arms. Gently, he brushed her hair back from her forehead, and the feel of his hand on her skin sent spasms of desire through her. She wanted him to touch her, caress her in places that couldn’t be shown on TV. If only they weren’t being filmed…
Melody lifted a shaky hand and stroked the side of his face. She was surprised by its softness. No rough stubble scratched her fingertips. She ran her lips along his throat, tasting his skin. When her mouth covered his, he pulled her closer, their kiss deepening. She closed her eyes, losing herself in desire.
“Ah, Melody, you are so lovely,” he murmured against her ear, then kissed her again
with such intensity that she was left dizzy.
Waves of passion rolled over her. Their chemistry was insane. Daniel and the producers would be thrilled, but if she didn’t stop now, this PG-rated show might become too hot for family viewing.
She ended their kiss, then said, “I’ve had a wonderful time, but it’s getting late. We should go.”
He glanced briefly at the camera crew and whispered so that only she could hear, “We’ll pick up where we left off later. In private.”
CHAPTER SIX
As Guystof helped Melody to her feet, his stomach rumbled and a nauseating feeling took hold. This problem was happening more often and he kept taking more of the potion. Yet, it didn’t alleviate the sickness, at least not altogether. Taking hold of Melody’s hand, he walked with her back to the village. Solomon stood by the truck. He waved at them, and they hurried over to the vehicle.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long?” Melody asked.
“Not to worry, Miss Melody. Once I take you back, I go home to wife and ten children.” He winked at her. “So no hurry.”
Guystof and Melody climbed into the truck. Once they were seated, she placed her small hand in his and he squeezed gently. They rode back in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. He was more at ease in her company now, feeling he had secured his position in the game until the very end. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d receive a lei at the elimination ceremony tomorrow night. She had more dates to go on but he wasn’t worried. Guystof had developed a bond with Melody that the other bachelors would be hard-pressed to break.
Back at Malaku, he kissed her good-bye. It was a sweet kiss void of the passion they’d shared earlier, but just as nice. “Thank you. I had a wonderful day. I hope you did as well.”
“It couldn’t have been better. And there’s no one I’d have rather spent it with.” Melody smiled, then turned and walked in the direction of her bure.
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