‘Not for me. I have to be somewhere.’ Karolina was already beating a fast retreat, adding to Alesha’s guilt about messing up her evening. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow probably.’ She hesitated. ‘Add Kristof’s number to your phone as well just in case.’
‘Just in case what?’ Alesha asked Karolina’s retreating back.
‘In case I’m unavailable,’ she called over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.
‘What did I say?’ The cork popped with that delightful sound that meant delicious wine. At least she’d pushed it back in tight. One thing in her favour.
‘Nothing wrong. She’s a busy lady.’ Kristof took the bottle from her unsteady fingers. ‘Let me.’ He filled the glass she’d found and handed it back to her.
‘You’re not joining me?’ A jolt of disappointment rocked her when it shouldn’t. Had to be because she was feeling so down.
‘I haven’t finished my beer, and I’ve got another bottle in the bag.’
Okay, she’d go with that. But her tongue got away from her. After all, she was exhausted. ‘You prefer beer to this?’ She held her glass up after taking a long sip.
‘Different drinks for different occasions. I was hot and frazzled walking home, and looking forward to a cold one.’
‘What are you frazzled about now?’ Her tongue had loosened up over the last few minutes. The tiredness was taking over, making her body ache and her head light. She should really say goodbye to Kristof and take that shower she was hanging out for before climbing into bed and catching up on sleep.
Kristof downed the rest of the beer in the first bottle and placed it in the bin under the sink. ‘I’m going to get you something more than bread and cheese for dinner. Why don’t you have a shower while I’m out, get into clothes that fit?’
That made sense. She had to change, give his gear back. ‘Good idea. I’ll get you some money for my food.’
‘That won’t be necessary. Anything you don’t like?’
Alesha didn’t expect strangers to shout her dinner. But were they still strangers? She was wearing Kristof’s clothes, had drunk his beer, and he was here in her apartment. ‘I eat most things.’ Now he’d buy something she couldn’t stand. ‘I hope.’ The champagne was going down nicely, untying some of the knots in her stomach. Not a bad medicine. Especially now that it was chilled to perfection.
‘Relax. I won’t buy anything unusual.’ He was already at the door. ‘I’ll be about half an hour.’
‘How are you going to get into the complex?’
When his eyes widened his eyebrows almost disappeared under the thick dark-blond waves lying on his forehead. ‘What’s your number?’
She rattled it off. First night in Dubrovnik and she was already giving out her details. She spluttered into her wine. Not bad at all for an uptight, I don’t do overly friendly woman. Then, ‘Take my keys. If you’re a friend of Karolina’s I’m sure I’ll be safe.’
His eyebrows disappeared completely this time. But he did take the keys.
When the door closed behind Kristof she took her glass and headed for the small bathroom off to the side. One look in the mirror had her gaping. Red cheeks, sunken eyes, hair that looked as if she’d been dragged through a gorse bush backwards, and skin on her neck and shoulders the colour of strawberries. Very pretty. Her skin matched the bikini, which was something positive, she supposed.
Taking a deep drink of her champagne, she stripped away Kristof’s jersey and jeans, then folded them to put in a bag for him to take home. Bringing her, a stranger, clothes had been kind. But kindness might be his middle name. He hadn’t hesitated to help her out when he was apparently in a hurry to get home.
And changed circumstances or not, she shouldn’t be hesitating over getting on with her holiday despite everything, should instead turn it into an opportunity. She had to stop overthinking the hurt going on in her heart.
But was the hurt really in her heart? Or was it her pride smarting because once again she’d got it wrong? She hadn’t been good enough for a guy she’d been halfway to being in love with? Her shoulders drooped. She was trying too hard to find someone to love her unequivocally.
A sip of champagne didn’t bring any answers, only the reminder that she needed to be busy and make the most of what she did have. Starting with another mouthful of champagne and then washing her hair. Those bruises from tripping over that step were already colouring up. Serve her right for not watching where she was going. What a day. Suddenly Alesha was ravenous. Hopefully her saviour wouldn’t be too long with the food. Another glimpse of him wouldn’t go astray either. So much for being unhappy about Luke.
* * *
Kristof stared at the shapely butt in front of him as Alesha reached up into the cupboard for plates. His jeans and jersey had been covering a figure that had his blood thickening and his manhood tightening. Now wearing fitted white jeans with a sleeveless turquoise top and thin-strapped sandals, Alesha looked stunning. Beyond beautiful. There were curves in all the right places, making his mouth water. But he already knew what those curves looked like, had felt their power on his libido. He could imagine those long legs wrapped around him when he should not be imagining anything of the sort. They didn’t know each other. How long did it take to be attracted to a woman? Especially one as beautiful as Alesha?
She’s a Kiwi; we’re from different hemispheres. It wouldn’t work even if I tried.
Mixed relationships, as in each partner being from a different country, did not work. Hadn’t for his parents, or for him and his German wife.
‘What did you get?’ the woman causing his body all sorts of problems turned to ask.
‘Deep fried squid and salad.’
‘Yum. Exactly what I need.’
‘Glad to oblige.’ He looked away to gather his equilibrium around his overheated body. He did not want Alesha noticing his reaction to her. She wouldn’t thank him. In the circumstances, she might find it disrespectful, if not down and out lecherous. He didn’t do lecherous, thought it despicable. Women should be respected. Make that most women. Not his ex-wife, who had emptied his bank account and ramped up his credit cards to max while he was lying in a hospital bed recovering from surgery to fix a broken collarbone, damaged while saving her dratted dog from the ledge it had fallen over.
‘I put your beer in the fridge while you were gone.’
Back to practical things. Food and beer. Excellent. Not sex. Excellent. Breathe. ‘The fish restaurant was the closest and I know they do fabulous meals, having eaten there often.’
‘Would you prefer a glass of champagne now?’ Alesha asked. Her glass sat on the bench nearly empty.
‘I’ll take a pass, thanks. Shall we eat outside? There’s a table under cover around the corne
r, and the wind’s dropped. I like getting out in the fresh air after a day at work.’ He didn’t like the idea of being cooped up in this small inside space with Alesha. Not now he’d begun noticing more things about her best avoided. As lovely as she was, a short fling was probably not a wise move. There again, why not? Because she’d very recently been dumped. That was why. She was hurting, didn’t need a rebound affair.
‘Outside’s good. I’m warm after my shower.’ There was a slight slur going on in her speech.
He set plates and forks on either side of the table and opened the container from the restaurant. ‘After you,’ he said, indicating the chair opposite.
When she pulled up a chair next to the one he was going to use his first instinct was to move to the other side, but she’d be affronted and he didn’t want that. After the day he’d had and spending the last hour sorting out Alesha’s problem, he craved peace and quiet to eat and then he’d go back to his mother’s house, hopefully for an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Although that wasn’t guaranteed—no one ever knew when the next child would arrive on the doorstep, brought in by the police or a distraught neighbour.
It was draining enough doing this work for a week at a time. How his mother coped year in, year out, he had no idea, except she was resilient and had come through a lot in her life, including putting up with his father’s affairs to be there for her son until she finally couldn’t take any more. He had nothing to complain about really and next week he’d be back in London working every hour available dealing with his scheduled list of patients that was endless.
‘You’ve gone quiet,’ Alesha commented as she loaded her plate with salad. Her shoulder bumped against his. Deliberate or accidental?
‘Just letting go of the day.’ He shifted his chair sideways.
‘Tell me more about this place you’re helping out at. It must be quite big to have an operating theatre.’