by Harlow Layne
I was happy to see there wasn’t a crowd. From where we were, I could see only one area was set up, and they were likely diving. Maybe next time I was here, Aspen and I would be diving in the water and exploring.
“Cal,” she gasped, not taking her eyes off the sight before us, “this is beyond anything I could have imagined. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I don’t think I’ll ever want to leave.”
“We’ve got all day. Once the sun starts to set, we’ll head back, but until then, we’ll have lunch and hike on the trail.”
She looked down at her sandal-clad feet. “I’m not sure I’m up for too much of a hike.”
“We’ll walk—nothing too strenuous or difficult in your shoes. I probably should have told you to wear tennis shoes, but I was too happy you agreed to come with me that I didn’t even think. I’m sorry. If I have to, I’ll give you a piggyback around the entire lake to save your feet.”
Aspen cracked a smile. “What should we do first? Should I hop on now?”
I wanted her to jump on something, and it wasn’t my back. It took everything in me to keep my comments to myself so as to not push her away again.
“Be my guest. I think a walk would be good, and then we can come back and set up to eat lunch.” I bent over so she could hop onto my back if she really wanted to.
Instead of jumping on, she swatted my ass, causing me to let out a low moan. Yeah, I was in deep need of help. I wanted this woman so fucking badly. Maybe one night, I should find someone else so I wouldn’t be on edge all the damn time. Maybe then every little thing she said or did wouldn’t cause my dick to get hard.
Maybe that was all I needed, and she’d be out of my system. It had been just before my wreck that I’d been with a woman for the night, and now Aspen was the only woman around. It made sense why I wanted her so badly. I laughed to myself. I was fooling myself if I thought that was all it was that had me enthralled with her.
Keeping my pace slow so Aspen could easily keep up with me, I kept looking for her reaction as we walked down the trail. There was a cool breeze keeping the heat from the sun at bay.
“What’s the name of this place?” she asked as she bent down and ran her hand through the clear water.
“Grüner See or in English, Green Lake,” I answered, watching as the reflection from the sun made her face sparkle and look ethereal.
She stood and wiped her hands on her skin-tight jeans. I’d tried to keep my eyes off how they accentuated her curves. Walking around with a hard-on wasn’t ideal.
“That’s a perfect name.” Her big brown eyes glittered as she took it in and started to walk again. “This country is so beautiful and magical. I definitely want to explore more of it someday. I’d be happy to stay in a cabin and stare at this water for a week.”
Tucking that nugget of information away for another day, I was about to suggest we head back when Aspen tripped over a rock and landed on her butt.
“Whoa there, Doc. Are you okay?” I held out my hand for her to take and helped her up. Once she was upright, something in me couldn’t let go of her hand. When she started to pull it away, my grasp on her hand tightened. “I better keep ahold of you, just in case you trip again.”
Her eyes narrowed, but just as quickly, she was back to her wide-eyed self as we started back the way we came. When my fingers laced with hers, she didn’t pull away, but said, “Friends, Cal. We can only be friends.”
“For now, Doc.”
Aspen
Singapore
We stood at the front desk of the Ritz-Carlton for what felt like forever. It had been at least ten minutes with the man on the other side of the counter typing away at his keyboard. Looking up at us, his gaze lingered on Callum for a few seconds, and then he went back to typing.
“What seems to be the problem…” Cal shifted his gaze to the man’s name tag. “Aiden?”
“We only have the one room. Your suite…I can’t find Ms. Belle’s reservation anywhere in the system,” he stuttered.
I pushed forward to lean against the counter. I didn’t care where I slept, but I needed sleep. “It’s fine. I’ll take whatever room you’ve got available.”
“That’s the problem, Ms. Belle. Our hotel is full because of the Grand Prix. I can try another hotel, but I’m afraid they won’t have a room either.”
“How did this happen?” Cal fumed.
“I’m really not sure, sir.” He flushed and then went back to typing.
“What am I going to do? Do you think there’s an Airbnb available?”
“You can stay in my room. It’s a suite, correct?” He directed the last to Aiden.
“Yes, sir. It’s got two bedrooms and a living area with a view of the bay and the track.” He smiled nervously. I was sure he hoped I would take Cal up on his offer, so we’d get out of his hair. We’d taken enough of his time.
“I can’t do that, Cal. I’m sure I can find somewhere else to stay.” In all honesty, I knew that there was likely no place for me to stay since, during our travels, I’d learned how many fans traveled to come to the races. Some traveled around the world to every race. It didn’t help that we’d grown closer after he’d taken care of me while I had a horrible headache. No longer could I ice him out and only be professional with him. Each day that passed, it became harder and harder for me to tamp down my growing feelings for the man who was quickly becoming my world.
“Please stay in the extra bedroom. It’ll make me feel better about the price of what I’m sure is an expensive suite. I promise I won’t do anything untoward.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, hoping he’d change his mind.
“Absolutely positive,” he answered as a bellboy came and started to place our luggage on a cart.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but you don’t need to thank me. It’s what friends do for one another.”
Cal followed me around one of the shopping stalls as he looked at the figurines that were carved out of wood and stone. “Maybe if you told me what you’re looking for, this would go faster.”
The only problem was I didn’t want to tell him what I was looking for. I wanted to buy him something for taking me to Green Lake when we were in Austria, and I tried to keep it a surprise. I hadn’t been able to get it out of my head since we left. Secretly, I’d hoped he would have taken me back before we left Austria for Singapore. Instead, he took me to old but incredible buildings and told me their stories. I had a sneaking suspicion that he also loved history, going by the amount of knowledge he could rattle off about each location.
“I’d like a souvenir and a present for a friend,” I answered and walked further into the marketplace. It was busy with stalls everywhere. I could have easily spent hours there going down each row, but I had a feeling Cal wasn’t big on shopping if his constant need to look at his watch was any indication. “Are you in a hurry?” I smiled to myself when he only shook his head.
Cal took the lead as we weaved in and out of people. I saw a beautifully carved Formula One car with a green stone as the steering wheel. The green was almost an exact match to the color of his car and suit he wore when he raced. I tried to yell for Cal to stop, but he couldn’t hear me from the commotion all around us. Hopefully, he’d figure out I wasn’t right behind him and head back my way. Quickly I picked up the car and inspected it so I could get back to Cal. The body was smooth and shiny, and the stone was even more beautiful up close. It was so green it had to be an emerald.
“How much?” I asked the sweet old man behind the table.
He pointed at the car and seemed to tell me a story about it, except I had no idea what he was saying.
Not wanting for the distance between Cal and me to grow further, I didn’t bargain with the man. Instead, I pulled out my wallet and paid probably too much money for the car, but I didn’t care. I loved it, and I hoped Cal would as well.
Stepping away from the stall, I started to put my wallet back in my purse when I felt something sharp in my side. G
asping, I turned my head to see a man wearing an oversized hoodie that covered most of his face. He wasn’t much taller than me, but I could feel the menace rolling off of him before he spoke.
“Hand over your wallet, and you won’t get hurt,” a gruff accented voice demanded.
I didn’t want to give up my wallet and lose everything that was in it, but I also didn’t want to be stabbed to death.
“Stop thinking and hand it over,” he growled, pushing the knife against my skin until I felt a sharp bite of pain.
With shaky hands, I handed over my wallet only for the man to snatch my purse from my shoulder and run off.
I cried out, knowing all my important documents were in my purse. How would I travel without my passport? One moment tears were filling my eyes as I watched the thief zig-zag around the surrounding people, and the next, I saw Callum run past me hot on my attacker’s heels, disappearing into the crowd.
As my body started to shake, I wrapped my arms around my middle while keeping my eyes trained on the direction Cal ran off. My fingers brushed against the sting where the knife had broken my skin. I didn’t dare to pull my fingers away to check to see if there was blood on them.
After what seemed like an eternity, I saw Callum’s head pop up over the crowd. He was easily the tallest person here being over six feet. My body trembled harder when I saw the stern set to his jaw. When I saw my purse clutched in one of his hands, I wanted to sob. I watched as his steps ate up the distance between us, and when he was only inches away, I launched myself into his chest and hugged him. When his strong arms engulfed me, I let the tears loose.
His strong arms moved up my back and landed on my shoulders. He pulled back enough to look down at me. “Are you okay, Doc? I should have checked on you first before I went after that asshole.” When his eyes fell down to my side, they went wide, and his jaw ticked. “Shit, you’re bleeding. We should get you to the hospital.”
My hands came to rest over his rapidly beating heart. “I’m fine, Cal. I don’t need a hospital. Only a hot shower, a Band-Aid, and some antibacterial ointment.”
One of his hands moved to hover over the darkened fabric of my shirt. “I’d feel better if you went to the hospital.”
“It’s really not that bad. I promise.” I looked around the area and all the people who continued to move through as if nothing had happened. Nothing had happened to them, but for me, I wanted away from all the people and to be somewhere I felt safe. “But I do want to go back to our hotel. Is that okay?”
Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, Callum pulled me into his side. “More than okay. We can get you cleaned up and order some room service.”
I wasn’t sure I could be around a large crowd of people in that moment. My body still shook as we stood in the middle of the marketplace. Wanting to regain some sense of normalcy, I dug into my purse and pulled out the car figurine I’d bought only moments before all this happened. Smiling as best as I could, I held it out to Cal.
“Is this for me?” He took it in his big hand and inspected it with a large smile on his face. He looked so happy. I wondered when was the last time someone bought Cal something just because.
“It is. I hope you like it. I wanted to get you something, but I didn’t know what until I saw it.” I tried to smile, but I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. I was still reeling over the last twenty minutes of my life.
“You’re the best, Doc. I more than like it. Thank you.” He wrapped me in a warm hug and held me for a long minute before he started to guide us through the crowd.
I knew he liked to be constantly on the go, but I wondered if he stayed on the move to avoid the fact that he was alone when he didn’t want to be. Callum was a great catch. I couldn’t imagine it was hard for him to make friends or find a woman who wanted to spend time with him.
With my arm around his waist, we made our way out of the marketplace to a line of taxis where he found one who would take us to our hotel. As we rode up the elevator to our room, I locked eyes with him in the mirror. “You know you don’t always have to entertain me. I can explore on my own or stay in my room if you ever need a break.” Not that I wanted to venture out on my own after what happened tonight. From now on, I was going to keep my belongings close to me and where no one could see them when I was out. I needed to be a smarter traveler.
His lips quirked up. “I like showing you around, but maybe a night at each location, we could just chill.”
Callum guided me down the hall and into our suite. I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea for us to be sharing the same space. It was hard enough to keep my distance the more I got to know him, and now knowing he was only across the living area from me had my resolve weakening—especially after what had happened earlier.
“Why don’t you take a shower or a bath while I order us some food. Is seafood okay with you?”
He hovered close as if he was afraid I’d bolt at any second. The opposite was true. He was lucky I hadn’t attached myself to him like a barnacle. Cal made me feel safe and protected. I knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.
“You haven’t let me down so far, so show me what you’ve got. Order me some amazing food.”
Instead of taking a shower, I opted for a nice hot bath. I wanted and needed to melt some of the tension away. I could relax in the hot water and meditate to get myself in the right headspace. I didn’t like being afraid. I wanted to be able to continue traveling and not be looking over my shoulder for danger at every corner. The bathroom in my room was perfect. There was a large window in front of the big enough for four, bathtub.
Slipping into the hot water, I leaned back in the deep tub, stared at the sky in front of me, and visualized myself on a beach at sunset. It was what others would call my happy place. The sound of the waves crashing, the movement of the water, and the sky as it turned colors calmed my mind. It wasn’t hard to do with the visual outside my window. The suite was amazing, with huge windows that overlooked the bay. All I had to do was imagine the sound the waves would make.
A soft knock on the door brought me out of my reflection before the door cracked open. “Hey, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay in here.”
Turning my head to look at him, I saw his eyes in the mirror as he looked in through the smallest crack. It was almost comical. He’d been hitting on me from the beginning, and now when he had the chance to get his fill, Cal kept his distance. It showed what a good man he was. Not that it was ever in question. Everything I learned about the dreamy racer made it harder and harder to keep our relationship professional.
“I’m okay as I can be.” I gave him a tight smile.
“Yeah, I thought so. You’ve been so quiet. I wanted to let you know dinner should be here in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be out soon then. I need to clean up this…scratch.” I wanted to say wound, but calling it that would worry Cal more.
“Can I come in and see? You can cover up, but I want to see with my own eyes that it’s nothing serious and not beat myself up all night thinking I should have taken you to the hospital.”
Even though I knew it was a bad idea, I agreed to let him inside the bathroom. Taking the washcloth, I covered my breasts and waited with my eyes closed. I didn’t want to see the heat in his eyes as he took in my wet, naked body. I was holding on by a thread.
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel him moving in. My body thrummed to attention at his proximity. The water sloshed right before I felt his hand ghost along my side near the cut.
“It looks like it stopped bleeding,” he murmured too closely to my ear. I felt the energy shift right before he growled. “Don’t ever do that to me again, do you hear me, Doc? We stay together, no matter what. I don’t care if it’s to go tampon shopping, I’m going to be right by your side.”
There was a thump and then a groan, causing me to open my eyes. Cal was slumped against the side of the tub, staring at himself in the mirror. “If anything more had happened to you, I’d never be able to f
orgive myself. Hell, I want to kick my own ass right now for getting separated. How did I not notice you weren’t right by my side? And what the hell was wrong with everyone? Not a single person tried to help or protect you. How could they let a man put a knife to you and just stand there?” he growled and slammed his fist on the marble floor.
“They were probably as afraid of him as I was,” I answered quietly. Moving to the side of the tub, I rolled to my side and placed my wet hand on his shoulder.
Turning his head to look at me, his nostrils flared. “I hate that you were scared. If I had been there, it wouldn’t have happened.”
Probably not, but we couldn’t turn back time. It was my fault for letting him go so I could look at the car. In the end, the only thing that mattered was no one was seriously injured.
My hand slid to cup the side of his neck. “I can’t believe you got my purse and wallet. Everything was in there.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I felt my body start to shudder. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to fly to Sochi, and then…”
“I wouldn’t be able to race.” He hung his head for a moment before it popped back up. “I can’t believe that’s what you were worried about while being held at knifepoint.”
He opened his mouth again, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the hotel room door. I jumped at the noise, and Cal’s face tightened at the sight.
“That would be the food. I’ll go answer while you get dressed.” He hopped up and was out of the bathroom before I could even respond. I started to let the water out and turned on the sprayer to rinse off the soap. Looking down at my hands, my fingers were a pruney mess. I hadn’t realized I’d been in the bath for that long. Putting the hotel’s fluffy robe on, I let it envelop me in its softness and slipped on a pair of hotel slippers.