Travel, Live, Love - A Contemporary Romance (The Armstrongs Book 5)

by Gray, Jessica

  Angela looked intrigued, and at her urging, he continued to discuss his project. “Last week in Kuala Lumpur I revised the material with a cutter and found that I needed more footage to finish things up. That’s why I’m back in Nepal. I’m heading to the village first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter 6

  Angela listened to Patrick talk about his project and found it fascinating. “So, your entire documentary is about the villagers in Jarughat?”

  “Yes. They are such an interesting group of people and live so simply. It was an eye opener the first time I visited them. I kind of expected them to be standoffish, but they accepted me and they treat me like family now.”

  “That’s pretty cool.”

  “So what about you? What brought you to Nepal? I’m guessing it’s not because you want to write about climbing Everest.”

  She laughed, “You have that right. No, actually I’m going on a five-day hike. It will end up at an altitude of around 20,000 feet, and I’m hoping to write a few blog posts about the hike.”

  Patrick looked at her. “Have you arranged for a local guide to go with you?”

  She shook her head. “No. Just me. Kind of like a rite of passage, or something like that.”

  “Angela, you can’t go off on a trek like that by yourself. It’s too dangerous!”

  Yet another man who assumed he had the right to tell her what to do. Her expression hardened and her voice took on a cold tone when she answered him, “I can and I am. I can very well look out for myself. And besides, it’s none of your business.”

  Patrick must have noticed that he’d hit a nerve, because he quickly backtracked. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, but going on your own might mean putting yourself in unnecessary danger.”

  “I’ve been looking after myself for the last fifteen years. I can handle it. Thank you.”

  She could feel the angry frown on her forehead and tried to calm down, when he lightly touched her arm. He looked deep into her eyes, with genuine regret and told her, “Please don’t be mad at me, Angela. I was overreacting here. I have no business telling you what you should and should not do.”

  His words melted her anger away and his touch sent tingles racing through her body. She could see how sorry he was for overreacting and was ready to forgive him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to snap at you.”

  He sent her a relieved smile that warmed her all the way through. “Look, I really admire your independence, I do. But I’ve been here long enough to know that this place is not like anywhere else in the world. I’m afraid something might happen to you.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “Well, I don’t know that I could say the same. See, I’m deathly afraid of heights. Always have been. Just the image of being 20,000 feet up makes my blood run cold. I’ve seen some of those narrow trails and the sheer thought of you tackling them makes my stomach clench. I wished I had the courage to go up one of those many mountain trails. I tried, when I first came to Nepal, but each time I froze and had to go back down.”

  “You’re afraid of heights?” she asked incredulous.

  Patrick nodded at her. “Yeah. I’ve tried to conquer it over the years, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be curable.”

  “Did something happen, or…”

  “Not that I can recall. I panic every time when I get someplace high.” He moved uncomfortably and Angela’s heart squeezed for him. It must be awful to have such a strong fear and not being able to conquer it.

  “Lots of people have fears. They’re nothing to be ashamed of. We feel what we feel.” She touched his arm while saying those words and the zings burnt a trail through her body. Gosh, we feel what we feel. Where did you come up with that? You better stop feeling like this for him.

  When she glanced around she noticed they were the only people left in the small dining area. Angela glanced at her watch and told him, “I should head off to bed. I want to leave early tomorrow morning.” And if I stay any longer here with you, I can’t guarantee anything.

  Early the next morning, Angela grabbed her backpack and went downstairs to the dining room for breakfast. Against her better judgment she hoped to see Patrick there, and when he wasn’t she sighed—disappointed and relieved at once.

  Thirty minutes later she headed out for the trailhead. Normally she relished hiking in the wilds. She loved the solitude and the quietness of the early mornings, and walking alone gave her the inner peace to appreciate the wilderness and the majesty of the scenery. Angela inhaled deeply to smell the fresh and clean morning air, with a hint of the heat that would come later in the morning.

  Nature had a way of teaching humility that Angela always felt grateful for. Her own life felt unimportant, and her mundane problems fell into perspective against the greatness of the earth.

  But today, something was different. The eagerly awaited tranquility and inner peace didn’t arrive. Her thoughts kept revolving around Patrick.

  She’d spent a restless night, tossing and turning in her sleeping sack, each dream hotter than the one before it. Patrick had, of course, been the star attraction and she’d woken more than once feeling guilty. Shouldn’t I have been dreaming about Jasper? My boyfriend! What’s wrong with me?

  At one point during the wee hours of the morning, her inner voice had reminded her that Jasper wasn’t the man for her and that she would never be truly happy if she went through with marrying him.

  She’d turned a deaf ear to the voice, audibly reminding herself that Jasper was a nice guy and that once she stopped traveling and moved permanently to New York to lead a normal life, the constant nagging and fighting would come to an end.

  Her inner voice, though, refused to be quiet and posed questions she didn’t want to answer. Do you really think it’s that easy? Won’t he find another reason for fighting? You’ll be giving up your dreams, but what is he giving up?

  She’d told herself to shut up and tried to go back to sleep. Jasper was a nice guy, and after a long trip, she enjoyed having someone to come home to. Someone to talk to about her trips and just to be there. Hot passion never lasted long anyway, and Prince Charming was nothing more than a fairy tale. If you wanted to be with a man, you had to accept the fact that some way or another all of them turned out frogs.

  She ignored the fact that lately, coming home to Jasper had been more trouble than joy. He’d been nagging her constantly. She had been at the point of breaking up with him when he’d surprised her with his proposal. In a weak and romantic moment, she’d agreed. And now she was getting married in four weeks. I should be happy, shouldn’t I?

  Now as she hiked along the trail, her doubts of the early morning had raised their nasty voices again. You are stupid! Why do you insist on staying with Jasper? Because he’s nice? That’s an idiotic reason to tie yourself to someone for the rest of your life.

  She paused for a moment and took in the scenery before her. Snow-capped mountains rose majestically into the dark blue sky with a few scattered, fluffy white clouds here and there. By now the sun had risen and shone brightly, heating up the cool morning air. I wish I could stay here forever and never have to face Jasper again.

  Shaking her head at the foolishness of her thoughts, she started walking once again. Staying in Nepal was nothing more than a dream, but she dealt in reality, and there wasn’t such an easy way out. In her reality you had to face your problems head-on and tackle them.

  Angela was so distracted by her morose ideas and the doubts that were plaguing her mind that she didn’t pay attention to the trail. When it veered sharply to the left, she almost walked right off the edge of a cliff. God, I can’t even keep focused on where my feet are going. If this keeps up, I’ll kill myself.

  She pulled herself together and sat down on a large rock at the side of the trail. Inhaling deeply, she waited until the goosebumps of shock vanished and her heart rate slowed down to normal.

  She was an experienced hiker; she had no business being out on the trail in her co
ndition. It was dangerous when she had all of her faculties functioning. In her current state, she’d be dead before lunchtime.

  Angela looked back towards where she’d just come and debated with herself what would be her best option. With a deep sigh and still trembling hands she stood up to return to the teahouse and try again tomorrow. If she pushed forward, she would end up getting herself in trouble. The one thing she’d always prided herself on was making wise choices. Going ahead with her hike in this mental condition was foolhardy.

  Tomorrow will be a better day.

  Chapter 7

  Patrick entered the dining room and looked for Angela. When he didn’t see her, his heart filled with sadness. He had looked forward to seeing her smiling face and now wondered how he could miss her already. He’d known her for a little more than a day.

  Deciding that their meeting was ill-fated, he grabbed his camera equipment, loaded the jeep, and set out to take pictures around Ilam. He shot lots of video footage for his documentary, but his mind wasn’t on the task. Somehow a certain blond and sexy woman had crawled into every crevice of his being and more than once he had to stop what he was doing, because he believed he’d seen her.

  He called it a day early, because it made little sense to continue when his mind was stuck on thoughts of Angela. By noon the sun was burning mercilessly from the sky and the humidity of the tropical climate had him hot and sweaty. It didn’t help that images of what he’d like to do to and with Angela constantly flashed through his mind and heated him on the inside as well. By the time he arrived at the teahouse, Patrick was about to explode from heat and arousal. I need a shower. A cold shower.

  He hit the shower as soon as possible after he dropped his camera gear in his room. When he pulled his sweaty shirt over his head, a breeze touched his naked skin and he wished it was Angela’s fingertip, caressing his back. Hot thoughts like these certainly didn’t help to cool him down. The cold water at least washed the dust and sweat from his skin and refreshed his body, but couldn’t ban the sexual desire.

  Before he left the shower room with dry and clean clothes, he looked at himself in the mirror and said, “I need to see her again.”

  He heard her sexy voice as he approached the dining room. Man, you definitely need another cold shower or some handwork if you not only see her everywhere, but also hear her voice.

  A shiver of joy ran across his body when he spied her sitting across the room. For the moment he didn’t care why some woman he barely knew had such an effect on him. With the happiest smile, he made his way over to her and stated the obvious: “You’re here.”

  She directed her dazzling smile at him and her deep voice was full of irony when she answered, “I believe so.”

  “I believed you hiked out to the trail this morning.”

  “I did, but I had difficulties concentrating on the terrain and decided to return and try again tomorrow.”

  Patrick felt a surge of emotion and gratitude that she had been cognizant enough to know she wasn’t up to the hike earlier. Just the idea of her getting hurt turned his stomach. “I’m glad.” When he saw the frown on her forehead he quickly added, “Not that you couldn’t concentrate, but that you’re back.”

  “So what did you do today?” she asked, inviting him to join her at the table.

  “I never made it to my destination either, because I got sidetracked with some beautiful scenery.” And the most breathtakingly beautiful woman. “So I stayed around Ilam and got more video footage for my documentary. “

  They laughed and talked and ate, and Patrick fell more and more for her with every passing minute. He was into that woman, more than he’d ever been before. Apart from his obvious sexual interest in her, he could just sit and listen to her all day long. And she loved to travel. What more could a man ask?

  She abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence and waved her hands, looking around in excitement.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing! I got a terrific idea. I have to get it down on paper.” She was so excited, and when she looked at him he could see the gleam in her eyes, before they were overshadowed with guilt, as if she expected him to reprimand her.

  She was so cute with her enthusiasm; he had to stare back at her, unable to utter a word.

  “I need paper and something to write with!”

  Patrick plucked his eyes from her lovely face and pulled a pen and a small notepad from his shirt pocket. He’d gotten into the habit of always carrying pen and paper when he first started taking pictures in remote locations. She stared at the instruments like she was hallucinating, and he couldn’t hide a grin when he said, “Go ahead. They’re yours.”

  He was rewarded with the most brilliant smile ever, before she dropped her head and started scribbling notes on the paper.

  Patrick would have given anything to make that woman happy; the least he could do was to offer her pen and paper. From experience he knew how much it ached mentally, and even physically, if he couldn’t write down an idea that needed attention.

  For the next ten minutes he sat and watched her, loving how the expressions flitted across her face as she put her ideas down on paper. He watched her bent head, comparing her to the other women he knew. She was different in so many ways and he loved all of them. He wanted to tell her how unique and special she was.

  Angela was everything he’d ever wished for, and everything he’d feared he’d never find. He hadn’t known her long, but he was sure in his heart and soul she was the perfect woman for him.

  His libido kicked into overdrive once again, heating his body to a painful state as he imagined taking her into his arms and running his hands and lips all over her soft curves. Erotic images playing out in his brain consumed him, and he took a minute to notice she had put down the pen and fixed her eyes on his with a satisfied smile.

  His heart suddenly felt too small for his chest and he could barely breathe.

  “Finished?”

  She looked at him with the cutest smile upon her lips. “Thank you for letting me do that. I had to get that idea out of my head. This is the perfect blog article about what to pack for an extended trip.”

  He lost himself in her eyes and nodded his head, telling her in a soft voice, “I know that feeling. When I get an idea, I have to write it down immediately, otherwise I risk losing it.” He wanted to say more, but his best friend had his own ideas about the next steps and demanded immediate attention. It’s way too soon for that, buddy, I better go for another cold shower.

  He’d repeatedly sensed some kind of resistance in her and didn’t want to ruin everything by making a premature move. While they had a wonderful time together, she stiffened whenever he got too near.

  Not sure if he could trust himself to be the gentleman she deserved, he quickly stood up from the table. “I guess I better edit today’s video footage so I’ll have a better idea what I have left to shoot. I’m glad you’re safe. Sleep tight.”

  Chapter 8

  Angela watched Patrick leave, a look of disbelief on her face. He had devoured her with that unmistakable look of sexual interest in his eyes, and the sparks flying between them had been hot enough to start a forest fire. So why, after doing one of the sweetest things ever – handing her pen and paper – had he gotten up and left?

  It didn’t make any sense. What did you expect? He’s actually done you a favor. You’re engaged to be married, remember? This is for the best.

  She wished the voice in her head would stop being so practical. It was wrong to lust after him, but there was a part of her that felt so connected to him. She longed to see where their mutual attraction might lead. That was the bad part of her: the one where the little devil wearing a red pantsuit sat upon her shoulder urging her to do the wrong thing – the thing that would set her body on fire and bring her pleasures never experienced before.

  The other part of her, the one pretending to be an angel, shamed her for even thinking of cheating on her fiancé. This part of her was reasonable a
nd thankful that temptation had taken itself away.

  Frustrated and confused, she returned to her room, intending to get her scribbled notes down in paragraph form and published on her blog. The humid and stale air inside her room made any clear thinking impossible, so she grabbed her iPad with the small external keyboard and headed to the large porch outside.

  The stunning mountain scenery calmed her down and she soon was in the zone, where the words flowed like water onto the screen. She barely noticed the ringing of her phone, the distinctive tone announcing the caller was Jasper. She didn’t want to interrupt her train of thoughts, so she ignored it and went right back to writing, with the intention of calling him back as soon as she finished.

  But she wasn’t even halfway done with her article when the cell phone beeped again. She grimaced in despair and was tempted to ignore it yet again, but that would only anger Jasper.

  Sighing, she answered the call, holding the phone with her shoulder so she could keep on typing. “Hi, Jasper. I’m in the middle of an article. Can I call you back in a few minutes?”

  Jasper exploded on the other side of the line: “You’re always in the middle of an article. Your stupid blog is much more important to you than I am.”

  Angela wasn’t in the mood to fight with him and sighed into the phone, “Fine. Let me finish this sentence. I’ll Skype you.”

  He growled his displeasure, but disconnected the call nonetheless.

  She finished the sentence and called him via Skype. The voice quality was okay, but the picture was so fractured and snow-covered, they had to switch it off.

  “So, I started my hike this morning…”

  “Frankly, we have more important things to discuss. And who knows how long the connection will last?”

  “Jasper, it’s not my fault we had to switch off the video.”