“Coffee would be great. Thank you. No brandy though. Not before I’ve had something to eat.”
“Right, cool.”
He began making the drink and she fled inside the bathroom with her dressing gown. The click of the lock sounded. She obviously wasn’t taking any chances. After all, they were virtual strangers.
Chapter 5
Maya
After pinning her hair up on top of her head, she poured bubble bath in the tub and filled it almost to the brim with water. She worked out the settings and sank down inside it, sighing her contentment. The bubbling water massaged her tired joints, which ached after sitting for so long. There wasn’t time to wallow for too long, unfortunately, as Cater would need the bathroom.
Maya reflected on the events so far. It really was like something out of a rom-com movie. Only in the movies, there was always a happy ever after outcome. This was different. Carter was not someone she wanted to be involved with, no matter how hot he was to look at. Stu had burned all her trust away with his antics.
She let the water out of the bath, quickly dried herself, rubbed in her body lotion, and donned her dressing gown. It was fortunate they were in the bridal suite because she wasn’t certain they’d have dressing gowns in other rooms. When she left the bathroom, Carter was already wearing his dressing gown.
“It’s all yours.” She inclined her head towards the bathroom door.
“Thanks.”
When she heard the shower running, she strolled over to the wardrobe.
“Hmm, what to wear.” She tapped her finger against her chin.
Finally, she decided on a light blue jumper and a navy skirt. She teamed it up with thick black tights and black ankle boots. After putting light make-up and clear lip gloss on, she was ready to go. Now, did she wait for Carter, or did she leave? She elected to wait for him.
“That power shower was amazing.”
Maya turned at the sound of his voice. Her eyes bulged and her mouth went slack. He stood in the doorway, with steam all around him. His hair had been towel-dried and was slightly mussed up. That wasn’t what caught her attention, though. He stood with his bath towel tied low on his hips. There was a small sprinkling of chest hair and a happy trail which led underneath the towel. The man was ripped. As he dried his torso with another towel, she could see the outline of something moving underneath his other towel.
No. No. No. Stop looking.
A bemused smile ghosted his lips. Bugger. He’d noticed her ogling him.
“Glad you enjoyed it,” she mumbled, turning to the bed where she rummaged around inside her handbag. “The bath was sublime too.”
Carter walked past her, grabbed some clothing from the wardrobe, and headed back to the bathroom. She caught the scent of his shower gel; it was woodsy. For some reason, it comforted her.
“Maya?”
She turned to face him. He was leaning his hip against the doorframe.
“Yeah?”
“You look lovely.”
Then he was gone, leaving her in stunned silence.
Carter
While he put on his black jeans and a matching sweater in the bathroom, Carter reflected on the way Maya had eyed him. He wasn’t stupid, he saw the appreciation in her expression. Why he wasn’t annoyed, he didn’t know. This woman was accident prone around him, but something about her drew him in. She was vulnerable, he already knew that. When he heard the jacuzzi bath bubbling, he had a fantasy image in his mind of joining her. Well, there was enough room for two.
“Carter, what the hell is wrong with you?” he groaned.
Ten nights of torture sharing a bed with a woman who looked mighty fine. This was going to be a struggle. He wondered if she might have gone down already. It was a surprise to see her still in the room. She sat on the sofa, punching furiously at her phone. From where he stood, he could see tears glistening in her eyes.
“Everything okay?”
Her head shot up. “I’m deleting some pictures, that’s all. Are you almost ready? It’s just gone seven.”
“Yeah. Hang on. I need to grab my wallet.”
Carter wanted to know more, but it wasn’t his place to ask. As they headed for the bar area, the sound of many voices melded together. Most of their coach mates were there, apart from Sid. No surprise there. He laughed softly. Maya came to an abrupt halt in front of him. Instinctively, he put his hands out to prevent her from falling. They landed on her hips. A tremor ran through her.
His head moved of its own volition until his mouth hovered close to her ear. “Steady. This is getting to be a habit,” he teased.
She stiffened at his words, pulled his hands away, and turned to face him. Her amber eyes flashed first with anger and then something else he couldn’t quite decipher.
“What’s so funny?”
Her harsh tone was like a slap to the face. He had to rescue this situation. Fast. “Sid.”
“What about Sid?” She frowned.
Uh-oh. Her hands were now on her hips.
“He’s the only one from our coach party not here.”
She laughed. Thank God for that. Situation saved!
“Maya. Carter.”
Esme’s voice broke the tension. She was standing up, indicating that they should join her. Doug, Jean, and Annie were with them. There were also two empty seats.
“Looks like our babysitters are watching out for us,” Maya joked.
“Hmm, I guess so.”
“You both look lovely. Are you settled in? It appears that the six of us are at the same table for our meals. We’ve checked the seating plan.” Esme smiled at them.
Knowing they were all on the same table was good. Their coach mates were lovely, fun people. Easy to talk to. He noted the parents with the teenagers and the other couple in their forties were drinking heavily already. With any luck, they wouldn’t become too rowdy.
“What do you want to drink, Carter? I’ll let you fill everyone in on our situation,” Maya said.
“Okay. A pint of lager, please.”
He watched Maya head for the bar. She looked so relaxed as she interacted with others from the coach. When she laughed, it softened her whole demeanour.
“So,” Jean asked. “What have we missed?”
Carter proceeded to fill them in on the fact that he was sharing a suite with Maya. The looks they shared between one another weren’t lost on him. They obviously hoped this would bring them closer together. Absolutely no way. He became distracted as he watched her at the bar. Maya leaned in closer to place her order. The barman engaged her in conversation, and they shared a joke. It was clear he was interested in her; he could see the gleam in the man’s eyes from where he was seated. Plus, there were a couple of men, possibly from the other coach party, who took more than a passing interest in her.
“Jealous?”
That one word from Esme made him jump. How long had he been studying her?
“No, of course not. She’s a single woman. And I have no claim on her. Maya can date who she pleases.”
“If you’re not bothered, why do you sound jealous?”
“Did I?”
Esme tittered. “Yes.”
Maya headed back to the table and all talk of whether he was jealous or not was cut short.