StealingThe Bride Read Online Free Page A

thank you, I wish
you the best”. The last one she was told was very important to decline local
peoples encroachment or offers of help.
    There
was a loud bang and someone growling, “Shit!”
    Rushing
in, thinking someone might be hurt, she saw a man coming from a closet rubbing
his head. She could see other oxygen tanks inside. He must have been putting
them away. Above the tanks was a beautiful surfboard hanging horizontally from
the ceiling; it was swinging a little and she understood what the man had
cracked his head on.
    As
he moved toward her, he lifted his head and everything inside Leya froze; her
heart, her breathing, and her mind. Her chest felt tight as if her body had forgotten
how to function and she couldn’t think of an intelligent thing to say. The man
standing before her was either an American man or a fair-skinned Indonesian man
with European features; the latter was doubtful. He was a sight to behold. Leya
could not recall the last time she’d seen a man as handsome as the specimen who
stood before her.
    Dressed
in a wet pair of Bermuda shorts with a dry T-shirt pulling against the broad
width of his shoulders, his shoulder-length brown hair had highlights that she
was sure came from the sun’s kiss. His calves and arms were thick, muscular
with a deep tan, the evidence of a man accustomed to physical labor.
    The
most striking part of him was the steelly gray-blue eyes that captured her and
seemed to stare into her soul. The way they darkened, and the corners crinkled
she would’ve sworn he recognized her. However, that was ridiculous; she’d never
met this man before; she would remember.
    She’d
seen gorgeous men before, but none of them pulsed with hypnotic energy like this
man. Leya slipped her tongue out and licked her lips; she felt thirsty. The
only thought that came to her mind was how she’d enjoy drinking the water from
his body. She’d never liked men with beards before, but something about his
rugged good looks called to her in a primal way. Her chest loosened enough for
her to drag in a strangled breath into her lungs.
    The
air of the cabana was permeated by his scent. He smelled of the sea with the
robust undertones of male sweat. Visions of them, limbs tangled, on the beach made
her body sweat in the evening breeze.
    His
lips were moving, and she was pretty sure he was speaking to her, but her
hearing seemed to be a sense that still had not returned.
    “I’m
sorry; I didn’t understand you.” She lifted her hand and stroked the back of
her neck; her skin felt foreign to her, itchy and tight.
    “Is
my English that bad?” he asked with perfect enunciation.
    “You’re
American,” she said more out of relief than a question of his origin.
    “Last
time I checked.” He smiled, just a slight cocking of the left side of his lip,
but enough to make her head spin.
    Damn, how could
this man become any more attractive? A giggle slipped from her lips. Embarrassed, she wanted to reel it back in. She
wasn’t a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl. She was a grown woman who was
independent and strong enough to take a vacation by herself.
    “Can
I help you with something?”
    “Um,
yes, I wanted to sign up for the scuba diving class for tomorrow.”
    Arching
an eyebrow, he said, “It’s awfully late to be trying to get into the morning
session.”
    Her
face felt warm; she was uncomfortable under his intense gaze. “I know. I guess
I’m not really following a clock while I’m here, which is unusual for me
because I’m exceptionally punctual when I’m in the States.”
    “I’m
sorry but tomorrow’s already booked. You really need to sign up early in the
morning for the next day. Most tourists get their names on the list quickly.”
He folded his arms over his chest.
    “It’s
just me.” She gave him a small smile, hoping to flirt a little and get herself
a spot. “I promise not to be a hassle.”
    “The
problem is not if there is a spot to put you in. Everyone who is going