She moved closer, wondering if she should give him a hug or something. Shaking hands seemed weird, and a kiss was out of the question. He’d given her no indication that he thought of her as more than a friendly houseguest.
To her surprise, when she reached him, he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. They burned, but she didn’t want to make him think she was too eager. She took a step back.
“Thanks. Tonight was nice.” Her voice was a little breathless.
His eyes flashed with desire, and before she knew what had happened, he pulled her into his arms and crushed his lips against hers. His hands wove into her hair and clenched into fists. She wrapped her arms around his waist. He trailed kisses down her chin and nipped at her neck. She let out a squeak of surprise and met his eyes.
“Care to reassess tonight?”
“What?” She couldn’t think straight. Her heart was racing.
“Tonight was more than just ‘nice.’ Wear the red dress tomorrow.”
He swept out of the room and slammed the door behind him. How dare he lead her on like that and then leave her here, desperate for more.
She almost laughed out loud. She’d never gone out with a man like Hayden, and already she was wanting more of him. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t sure what she was wearing tomorrow. But it wouldn’t be the red dress.
Chapter 13
Hayden sat on the patio for a long time. Anna had got into his head. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. Her light still hadn’t gone out, and he kept hoping she’d come outside. Not that it would be a good thing. If she did, she might go upstairs with him instead of back into her own room.
Anna wasn’t the type of girl he could sleep with and forget. He thought of her constantly and not just about her body. That worried him. He wanted to know why she came all the way out here. What her past had been like. What she loved to do and what would make her happy.
Una nudged him, and he was momentarily distracted. He threw her tennis ball into the pool and watched her for a few moments.
The problem with Anna was that she was too perfect. She was beautiful, smart, witty, and sweet.
Though, she had joked about plastic surgery. Maybe she’d be immune to the wives claws. But since he began practicing, he’d never met a wife or girlfriend of a colleague that he liked. He’d known a few colleagues for several years, and even if the wife started out nice, they didn’t end up that way. Hayden didn’t understand how it happened, but once the other wives got their hooks into them, they were never the same.
No, those women would tear Anna apart before she even knew what was happening. At least Chloe and Victoria didn’t see her as a threat yet. If they did, Hayden was certain they’d be over here every day chipping away at her personality.
Anna would be here for another week, and then she’d go home. He’d make it very clear that he never wanted to see her again. It’d be easier if he didn’t sleep with her. But he’d make sure her trip was memorable. He wanted to do that for her even if he couldn’t have her. He’d keep her busy enough during the day that she’d be exhausted at night. As long as he kept her physically at a distance, he should be fine.
He whistled for Una, who had curled up outside Anna’s door, and he went to bed thinking of her smile and those legs.
Saturday morning Hayden got up early and called his driver and the tour guide Julia recommended. Then he knocked on Anna’s door. He waited and heard her stumbling for the door.
She blinked up at him sleepily. Her hair went in every direction; he thought it was adorable.
“What?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“The driver will be her in an hour. Get dressed. We’re going out today.”
She nodded and moved to shut the door, but he stopped it. “Also, Ubon will have pancakes ready soon. And don’t forget, the red dress.”
She glared up at him. “Will I need my suit?”
“Bring one just in case, but no, we’re doing the beach tomorrow.”
He sat down at the table and browsed through the things he had planned for today on his phone. He figured he’d get the touristy stuff done while she was here. That way when his friends came at Christmas, he’d know where to take them. Ubon brought him coffee, sliced fruit, and her usual stack of pancakes.
“Thanks, Ubon.” He sent her text telling her not to worry about dinner. She’d have dinner prepared for them anyway, but he could always try.
His head jerked up when Anna’s door opened. Damn. When had he started reacting to her? This was bad.
She didn’t wear the red dress, and he had to smile at her obstinacy. She had on a pair of deep blue elephant pants. It was the one thing he bought her that wasn’t sexy, but every tourist in Thailand had to have one. They came in all different colors, were loose fitting, and had elephants all over them. They were ugly as hell, but she’d had her eye on a pair, so he bought them anyway. She’d also worn a white cropped tank top. She had a long torso, and most of her stomach was revealed. Somehow she’d managed to make even those ugly elephant pants look sexy.
He was so in for it. One week. He could do this for one week.
She collapsed into the seat next to him, sunglasses in hand and a wide grin on her mouth. “What are we doing today?”
“Not telling you.” He loved surprises. Well, not necessarily receiving them, but he loved giving them.
“You do that a lot. What’s wrong with a little information?”
He glanced up from his phone, which he had been staring at to avoid looking at her. She had a crooked smile on her face, and he wanted desperately to crawl across the table and kiss her. He took two deep breaths.
“We’re going to ride elephants, do some zip lining, and check out the tiger zoo.”
“Zip lining?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Yeah, are you afraid of heights?” He hadn’t pegged her for a girl who was afraid of anything, let alone a few heights.
“No, but you wanted me to wear a dress.”
“The monkeys would enjoy the view.”
She threw a grape at him, and he laughed.
“I would’ve had you change before we left. I just wanted to see you in that red dress.” This was too relaxed. Too easy. He should back out now while he still could, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to be with her.
She devoured the pancakes. “Man, I’m not looking forward to going home and having to cook for myself again.”
“What are you going to do when you get home?” He hoped that maybe today she’d open up a little bit to him. Let him in.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I blew my college savings on this trip. I’ll find a job or something. I’m not that worried about it. How can I worry about anything here?”
“This is true.” He liked her more than he should. He was already trying to work out how to help her when she got home. He’d have to do it anonymously of course. She’d never accept his charity. That was a lesson he already learned. Maybe he could call the college and set up a scholarship for her or something.
His driver came in the gate, and she jumped up with a wide smile.
“You seem excited.”
“Are we really going to ride elephants?”
“Sure are.”
“Then yes, I’m excited. Come on.” She tugged at his hand. He took another sip of his orange juice and made his way over to the car, appreciating a little too much the way she moved in those elephant pants.
Chapter 14
So far, all Anna had seen of Phuket was Hayden’s beach and the market. The buildings as they drove out of the city to the elephants fascinated her. They looked so different from the ones in America. Mostly made of concrete, they seemed to be in a constant state of construction or disrepair. Very few had glass windows, just openings where the window should go. Clothes hung out on lines attached to the buildings. In the yards of every home was a small shrine that looked like a miniature Thai temple. They often had red Fanta’s and oranges sitting on them. In
cense was common too.
Anna spun around to Hayden. “Why do they have pop sitting on their alters?”
Hayden chuckled. “This is another question I asked Ubon, but she couldn’t give me a clear answer. Her message said, ‘Because the spirit likes it.’”
Slowly, the houses got farther and farther apart. Everything was very green.
“We’ve still got a bit of a drive,” Hayden said.
“That’s okay. It’s incredible.”
“That it is. Have you ever traveled at all?”
She shook her head. “I did when I was a kid, but that was only to Chicago or Cedar Point. After my mom and dad died, we didn’t go much of anywhere. Grandpa liked the beach, but only if he didn’t have to drive more than an hour. What about you?”
“Oh yeah, Mom and Dad made sure we saw the world. Dad works for the schools, so every break we went somewhere.”
“What’s your favorite place?”
“Italy, probably. The food is amazing, and the people are incredible.”
Anna felt a twinge of jealousy. She’d doubted she’d ever have a life like that. “That sounds nice. Have you ever been anywhere you didn’t like?”
“Only one. India. Never going back.”
“No way. I want to go to India so bad.” She wanted to go to a lot of places, but India always seemed to top her list.
“Why? It’s filthy.”
“The colors. The food. It seems so foreign and exotic.”
“Well, you’ll have to go with someone else then, because I’m not going back.”
“Fair enough. I’ll go with your brother. On our honeymoon.”
He laughed. “You know that’s not a bad idea. He’s a nice guy. You should consider it.”
She dropped her eyes. She found it odd that he was putting her off like this. His brother?
“You know, you’re a good guy.”
He snorted. “No, I’m not, not really.”
“Yeah, you are. You gave me a place to stay when I showed up out of nowhere. You bought me all those clothes last night.”
“That was for my benefit, not yours.”
She rolled her eyes. “You and I both know that’s not true.”
He stiffened. She hadn’t planned on having a conversation like this at all. It would make everything extremely awkward for the next several days if this went south.
“Anna, I don’t know what you were expecting when you showed up, but we’re never going to be anything but friends.”
“Why not? We seemed to get along quite nicely in Michigan.”
His eyes flashed with desire, and she knew she’d hit her mark. He looked past her out the window.
“Several years ago I dated this girl. Faith was a lot like you. Sweet, pretty, innocent, and fun. But then the wives got to her. Women like Chloe and Victoria. She changed so much that I didn’t even know her anymore. I’m never going to get involved with someone again. I can’t risk another Faith.”
Anna twisted her hands. She was about to say something rather daring, and she didn’t know if she’d do it. She put her hand on his and leaned forward a bit. “You know, I’m not looking for a relationship.”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. The driver slammed on the brakes, and her seatbelt jerked her back. She stared out the front window. At least thirty monkeys filled the street in front of them.
“Oh my word! Look,” she said.
“I know.” Hayden tapped the driver on the shoulder. “Can we pull over?”
The driver pulled the car to the side of the road, and the monkeys moved toward the car. The driver handed Hayden a bag with a bunch of bananas.
“Throw them. Monkey’s bite,” the driver said.
Anna snatched the bananas out of Hayden’s hands, unbuckled her seatbelt, and rolled her window down. The monkey’s stayed a little ways from the car.
“Do I peel them?”
“No. They can do that themselves,” the driver said.
Anna leaned out of her window, and Hayden pressed up against her. She tried not to think about how close he was.
She tossed one of the bananas, and monkeys went scrambling for it. The one that won the banana skittered up a tree and opened up the banana with his teeth. The other monkeys sat up taller, and all eyes were on the car. Hayden took another banana from her and threw it into the middle of them.
Now the monkeys were getting excited. A few ran for the car. Anna got scared and tossed the rest of the bananas out at them. A few stopped to go after the bananas, but others still bounded for the car.
“Quick, the window,” Hayden said. Anna rolled it up as they both dissolved into laughter. The monkey’s swarmed the car, and the driver had to slowly drive out of them.
Hayden sat closer to her. “Do you remember how you asked me what my favorite Disney movie was?”
“I do. And you told me you’d never seen any.”
“Well, I’ve been watching them at night.”
“Here?” The last thing she’d want to do here was stay inside and watch movies.
“Yeah. I have trouble falling asleep.”
“Ah, so you’re saying they’re boring.”
“No, quite the opposite actually. I usually stay awake until the ending. Except Snow White. I fell asleep for that one.”
“So which one is your favorite?” She wasn’t sure what to think of this. Up until now, he’d given no indication that she’d been on his mind.
“Cars.”
“Really?” In Anna’s opinion, Cars was a stupid movie.
“Yeah. What about you?”
“Aladdin.”
“Haven’t seen that one yet.”
Anna faked offense. “You must watch that one tonight.”
“Okay. Maybe we should watch it together.”
“We should.”
The conversation after that was easy. They talked about movies, books, and their families. Anna was surprised how close he was to his family, especially his brother.
After about forty-five minutes, the driver turned onto a small dirt road. The jungle rose up around them. After they parked in a grass lot, Hayden got out of the car and offered Anna his hand. She took it and slid out. The air smelled like a zoo. She could see a few elephants off into the distance.
Their driver talked to a few of the Thai boys standing around, and before Anna knew what was happening, she and Hayden were climbing up stairs to a large rickety platform with a thatched roof. Several Thai men sat on one side, smoking cigarettes and talking. A little ways off, she could see the head of an elephant, with its trunk flicking up every once a while.
Hayden put his hand on her back. “You ready?”
“Um. They are really big.” An irrational fear crept over her. What if she fell off? It was a long way down.
He laughed. “Come on, ladies first.”
She held on as she climbed into the basket on top of the elephant, and Hayden followed her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. Maybe what she said about not wanting a relationship had gotten to him. Could she do that? A week with him and then never again. She liked him, and she was a little nervous how her feelings would develop. She was fairly certain she could recover, but a heart was a fragile thing.
The path was wide and open, but a few trees rose up around them. A Thai boy climbed up on the back of the neck of the elephant and settled behind her ears. He turned to face them with a wide smile. He patted the elephant and said, “Dao.” Then he patted his chest and said, “Kiet.”
“I’m Hayden, and this is Anna,” Hayden said.
Kiet wiggled his eyebrows. “Anna pretty woman.”
Hayden chuckled, and Anna blushed. Kiet turned around and steered Dao by pushing on her ears with his feet. The ride was bumpy and rough. They rocked back and forth in the seat. They rounded a bend, and the elephant started down a hill that Anna wouldn’t have dared to even take a bike down, let alone a massive beast. She gripped Hayden’s arm, and he laughed at her. Falling to one’s de
ath from atop an elephant was not a laughing matter.
As they neared the bottom of the hill, the dirt path turned to gravel, and a wide river spread out in front of them. Kiet climbed off, and Dao lumbered into the water and took a deep drink. Kiet pointed to Anna and then patted Dao’s neck.
“He wants to know if you want to ride behind her ears.”
Anna shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.” Riding an elephant was a lot more uncomfortable than she thought it would be.
But Hayden was already undoing the latch on the chair they were riding in. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”
“What if I fall off?”
“Good thing I’m a doctor.” He winked. “You won’t fall off. Come on, I’ll go with you. But you need to go first.”
She slid down the elephant’s neck, the rough hair catching at her pants. She settled her knees behind the ears, and Hayden pressed up behind her. Anna had to concentrate on the elephant because she liked the feel of him against her way too much. Even if it was hot and sticky.
Hayden wiggled behind her and handed his phone to Kiet.
“Smile.” His voice was harsh, almost commanding. She wondered if he was always this bossy or only with her. Though if he hadn’t been, she’d still be sitting at his house reading books and swimming with Una.
“I can’t believe I’m in Thailand riding an elephant. This is the stuff of dreams.”
He gave her a squeeze. “Careful. Lifestyles like this can be addicting.”
“Then I suppose I better make my career choices carefully.” She wondered what she could do that would allow her to travel like this.
The ride back was better than the ride there. Anna kept her hands on Dao’s head. Her skin wasn’t quite as rough there, and Anna was still in disbelief that she was on an elephant. Hayden held her tight and helped her when they climbed off.
They went to the tiger zoo after that, and once again, Anna marveled at the things she was able to do. She got her picture with a tiger’s head in her lap, and she fed the cubs. Hayden was attentive. Touching her a lot. He said his lifestyle was addictive, but Anna was more concerned about becoming addicted to him. She liked him a lot more than she should. At this point, he’d basically told her that although he might be open to a fling here, he wouldn’t be open to anything beyond that.
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