How had she forgotten the zip? Because Kristof stole the capability to think, to remember, to act normally. ‘Sure.’ Heat tiptoed into her skin where his fingers brushed, and even where they didn’t. A quick tug and she was all done up, and free of him. This was going to be a very long night. She spun around. ‘Let’s go.’ Being unpunctual was not her.
Kristof took her hand and placed it on his arm. ‘Let’s.’
On the short drive to the Old City Kristof pointed out landmarks and the quickest way for her to walk from the apartment when she wanted to go on the tour she’d missed out on that day. So far so good. The tension gripping her since he’d appeared at her door backed off, making it easy to chat with him. When she wasn’t trying to ignore how handsome he was, or how sexy those black trousers, white shirt and black dinner jacket made him look, that was.
‘You have to make time to wander around this city, day and night. It’s special,’ Kristof told her as they walked hand in hand—so she didn’t slip on her heels apparently—down the sloping ancient road into the centre of the city where tables had been set up under large sun umbrellas outside a restaurant.
Stopping to stare around at the buildings and parapets, and the paved road, Alesha nodded. ‘I can never get enough of these old towns. Back home old means weatherboard houses and simplistic churches. Nothing as beautiful as this.’
He laughed. ‘I hear there are wonderful mountains and green hills for miles, and the sea is never far away.’
‘Yes, there are those.’ Another pang of homesickness knocked. Why? It wasn’t as though she had family or close friends hankering for her return. But this going it alone meant being lonely at times, which was when she usually made the mistake of trying to get close to a man. Sucking her stomach in and tightening her shoulders, she got on with enjoying the evening with Kristof. ‘Home is where the heart is—’ though hers had gone AWOL ‘—and all that, but at the moment I’m having a great time discovering the northern hemisphere.’
Kristof nudged her towards the restaurant. ‘So you’re out to conquer the world? Or running away from home?’
Too close to the mark to acknowledge. ‘Definitely conquering.’
‘Let’s find our seats and get a glass of your favourite tipple, then you can tell me about the places you’ve been.’
They were shown to the top table, and as Kristof held out her chair he was grumbling under his breath.
‘Problem?’ she asked.
A spark flared in his eyes as he leaned close. ‘If we were seated at the back we could escape early. Now we’re stuck to the bitter end.’ His gaze seemed fixed on her, which didn’t go with the bitter bit of his comment. That was a very heated gaze, stirring her in places that didn’t need stirring, and twisting her stomach into knots that could make dining difficult.
Breathing deep did her sensory glands a whole load of good and made her smile back at him. ‘We’ll have a good time regardless.’ She was determined to. It wasn’t often she got to go to a fancy dinner with a gorgeous man at her side to help raise funds for a worthwhile cause. Let’s face it, she’d never done anything like this. Making the most of Kristof’s mother’s generous gesture wasn’t going to be hard. ‘Where’s your mother?’
‘Over the other side of the room working the crowd. When it comes to her strays, she’s very good at getting people to put their hands in their pockets, or wave their credit cards over a machine.’ Pride was mixed with resentment in his voice, in the tightness rippling off his shoulders.
What had he missed out on that he resented his mother giving so much of herself to those children? ‘Has she always run the shelter? Or is it something she’s started recently?’
Kristof took two glasses of champagne from the hovering waiter and passed one to her before sitting down. ‘I thought we were talking about your travels.’
Shut down just like that. Go with it or up the ante? She glanced at Kristof’s profile; his jutting jaw warned best to go with him if this evening was to be the fun she’d decided to have. Though that jaw was quite sexy with its implied strength and determination. ‘I arrived in England two years ago with a six-month contract in the children’s ward in Bristol’s main hospital. While there I bought a car so I could get out and see places. At the end of that job I went to Wales for another short-term position.’
He listened with an intensity that seemed to cut out everyone and all the noise around them. Warmth stole over her. No man had shown such courtesy, or even interest, in her exploits before. Usually they only ever wanted to talk about themselves.
‘Go on.’
It wasn’t happening. His mother appeared between them and leaned down to kiss Alesha on both cheeks. ‘Thank you for coming. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful evening. Now I’d like to introduce you to the other guests seated with us.’
When Alesha glanced behind this formidable woman she saw three couples waiting to be shown to their seats. She stood up at the same time as Kristof.
He placed his hand on her waist in a proprietary manner and nodded to everyone, taking over from his mother. ‘Hello, everyone. This is Alesha, a nurse from New Zealand who’s on holiday in Dubrovnik. Alesha, I’d like you to meet Filip and Nina Babic.’
As her hand was warmly shaken Alesha smiled and hoped everyone spoke a little English, but if not then she’d still enjoy the ambiance. Handshaking over, everyone sat and soon the noise level had increased to deafening.
Kristof leaned in close. ‘Not sorry you came?’
She shook her head, breathed in his spicy aftershave, and smiled. ‘If that’s your get out of jail card, then sorry, but this is fun.’
‘How much are you understanding?’ He grinned.
‘Very little but I’m fine with that, though I will need you to interpret the menu.’ She could see it lying by her setting and it was impossible to read.
‘Be nice to me or I’ll extract revenge.’ His breath was warm on her neck.
She could go with his revenge if that meant getting closer. Looking around, because looking at Kristof was too disturbing, she was shocked to find everyone with them was watching her and Kristof with indulgent smiles on their faces. ‘Kristof,’ she hissed into his ear. ‘Sit up.’
He did, slowly, and gave her a wide smile before turning to talk to the woman on his other side.
On her right Filip asked, ‘Have you come all the way from New Zealand to see our city?’
At least that was what she thought he asked in his scrambled English. His effort was appreciated. Any English was better than her Croatian. ‘Not quite. I’ve been living in England for two years, visiting different European countries as work allows.’ This was getting repetitive.
‘You’re fortunate you can do this.’
‘I am,’ she replied and sneaked a look at Kristof, who was watching her with a speculative gleam in his eyes. ‘What?’ A delicate shiver strolled up her spine.
‘Nothing. Just keeping an eye out for you in what must be a strange setting.’
He had her back? She also couldn’t remember anyone doing that for her before. She’d been mixing with the wrong crowds. Kristof was setting her a new benchmark. Not that she’d be getting any ideas regarding her and Kristof. Tonight was only about enjoying the moment, and this moment was with Kristof and his mother’s friends. Turning to Filip, she told him, ‘Having no ties back home allows me the pleasure of travelling wherever I choose.’
‘You don’t have family?’
She shook her head. Not really. Not one that acknowledged her, at any rate. ‘No.’
‘Djèca?’
‘Pardon?’
‘He means do you have any children?’ Kristof spoke over his shoulder.
The guy was involved in another conversation and listening in on hers at the same time? She needed to be careful around him. Focusing on Filip, she said, ‘I don’t have a partner so no children.’ Having children of her own would be wonderful and something she hoped for in the future. She’d love them unreservedly, never push them away or make them feel unwanted. Never.
Kristof turned his attention back to her. ‘This guy who called off your relationship the other week? How serious were you about him?’
She preferred it when Kristof had his back to her. While this had nothing to do with him, she answered anyway. ‘I wouldn’t have agreed to come here with him if I wasn’t.’ But was that really true? It had been the romance of the occasion that had sucked her in, excited her, because no other man had ever promised such an exciting wonderful holiday for her, with her.