Walk on the Wild Side. Natalie Anderson
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to get there in one piece.’
She blew out a big shot of air and finally realised she had to take the brake off as the car behind tooted impatiently. Irritatingly, it was easier to drive barefoot—but she wasn’t going to admit it to him. ‘That was really dangerous.’
‘No more dangerous than you combing your hair at a red light. At least this time you had your handbrake on.’
‘Where are we going anyway?’ She chose to change the subject.
‘Straight ahead for now.’ He gave her a sideways look that was full of a charming smile. ‘Are you OK driving on the hills?’
‘Stop trying to get into the driver’s seat. I’m fine with hills.’ She bit the inside of her cheek. OK, so she wasn’t that fine with them, but damned if she was going to let him know that.
‘There are a few hairpin corners. I can take over if you want.’
In response she trod harder on the accelerator. In only a few minutes they were heading up the hill out of town towards the peninsula that curved out from the mainland. The hills were barren and brown—no trees or scrub covering them, just tussock that leaned away from the wind. Against the bright blue sky the hills were majestic. She liked their stark smoothness and the contrast against the clear sky and blue water. But then came one of those hairpin turns.
‘You want the air conditioning on?’
So he’d noticed she was sweating.
‘It doesn’t work.’ One of the many idiosyncrasies of the car that one day she’d get fixed.
‘You should walk in town anyway.’
She sent him a look.
‘Carbon footprint,’ he said mock piously.
‘My heels don’t leave much of a footprint anyway.’
He laughed and didn’t talk more, didn’t need to direct as there was only the one road to follow. And she needed to concentrate and not be further distracted by the giant hunk of man making her car feel like a matchbox toy. But after the worst hill bit she began to relax into it, able to take in the expansive view of bronze earth and blue sky and sparkling water. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was nice—as if they were leaving all the clutter and noise of city life behind them.
‘So why do your batteries need recharging, Kelsi? What do you do that’s made you so worn out?’
‘Computers,’ she said. ‘Website design.’
‘You sit in front of a screen all day?’
‘And you want to know the shocking thing?’ She grinned and touched the accelerator with a heavier tread. ‘I like it.’
He shook his head. ‘Crazy.’
He told her to take the left when the road forked. The gravel road dipped, leading down to sea level. And then it ended. She pulled in, parking beneath one of the few trees around. She stepped out of the car, uncomfortably hobbling on the one shoe. He got the bag off the back seat and pulled something from it.
‘What is that?’ She stared at it.
He twirled it on his finger and grinned outrageously. ‘It isn’t obvious?’
‘And you think I’m going to wear it?’
‘The store didn’t stock sunscreen. And I’m betting you don’t have any in that uselessly small bag of yours.’
No, she didn’t. Because she always, always, always stayed in the shade. Resigned, she took the wide-brimmed monstrosity of a hat from him and slapped it on her head.
‘I have a wrap for your shoulders, too.’
She took the long stretch of cloth and reminded herself to avoid looking in his eyes. They made her want to smile too much. And they were filled with a fire she longed to feel on her flesh. Crazy—she definitely needed a day to recharge.
‘I had the feeling you’d like the colour.’
It was jet black. Like every item of clothing she already had on.
‘How astute of you.’ She wrapped it around her shoulders and walked a few paces. Then she stopped. ‘How am I supposed to walk on this?’
‘Maybe you should take your other shoe off. Get your feet wet.’
‘Get my feet dirty, you mean.’ She looked at the sand and barely suppressed a shudder. ‘I hate the beach. All the little biting insects come to get me. You can see them circling overhead, ready to dive-bomb and sink their teeth in.’
‘You must have sweet blood.’
‘Now who’s the one sounding like a vampire?’ She had to send him an arch look. ‘I don’t like sand either. It sticks everywhere and my skin gets itchy.’
‘Guess we won’t be rolling in the waves, then, huh?’
‘Pardon?’ She stopped walking.
‘Surfing,’ he explained, the twinkle gleaming brighter in his eyes. ‘You don’t want to surf? I know where I can get a couple of wetsuits.’
‘I don’t surf and I definitely don’t wear wetsuits.’ She shuddered even more obviously.
He laughed. ‘Next you’ll be telling me you don’t even swim in the sea.’
‘Never,’ she admitted with embarrassment. ‘I’d rather be in a private pool.’
‘With all those chemicals?’
OK, so she knew she was pathetic. But she couldn’t resist sparring with him a little. ‘Isn’t the sea more polluted?’
‘Not this bit of beach.’
She put her hand to her heart in drama academy style. ‘But there might be sharks.’
‘Or friendly dolphins.’
‘Jellyfish.’ She fluttered her fingers in his face.
‘Starfish and shells to admire.’ He caught her hands and held them still in front of him, smiling widely. ‘Face it, you can’t win on this. Nature might bring its dangers, but its beauty makes them worth the risk.’
Kelsi couldn’t think of another argument—too distracted by the marvel of nature right in front of her. What with the sea/sky-blue eyes and the slightly shaggy dark hair and the golden skin, he was quite the gorgeous surfie type. Easygoing and relaxed in nature but with no fat, just pure, lean muscle in his body—she could feel his potential strength even from the light grip he had on her.
Anticipation licked through her. She hadn’t been in the company of anyone so attractive in a long, long time. OK, ever.
Pure guy candy.
She suddenly realised she was breathless—almost panting—and they hadn’t even begun the slight climb over the sand dune down to the water. She pulled her hands free of his and made herself stop visually feasting on him. It was a wonder she wasn’t drooling. She knew she was blushing so she made a show of looking around so he couldn’t see the stain rising on her cheeks.
There wasn’t another car in the car park, and not another soul on the small curve of beach. No boats in the distance on the horizon. They could have been the only two people on all the earth for all she knew.
It was a surprisingly liberating thought.
When she turned back he kicked off his shoes and pointedly stared at the one left on her foot. She sighed but removed the darn thing, ignoring how nice the soft, warm sand felt as her toes sank into it.
This was crazy. Totally crazy. She was at a remote beach with a complete stranger. She was in the sun.
But it was heavenly.
She glanced at him as he strolled easily beside her. His limp was almost