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“Dio, that’s right.” Zeta rolled her eyes, and shook her head. “I forgot. I’m brain dead from that long flight.” She pulled an apologetic face. “We can’t just abandon them for breakfast no matter how incredible it is.”
The Australian chuckled. “It’s all good. Next time, eh?”
Elisa’s stomach clenched. Not from anxiety but something else. Excitement? Way too many years ago, any trust she had in peoplenother family had been utterly shattered by a simple act of betrayal that almost broke her. She didn’t do social interactions. Not really. Bria’s and Owen’s engagement party here in Australia was going to be the biggest thing she attended since the Halloween rooftop party where they’d met.
So why was the ludicrous notion of having a fantasy breakfast with a complete stranger sending an unexpected tickle of a thrill through her?
“Next time,” she said, letting her lips curl into a soft smile.
He smiled back, his gaze holding hers. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Another tight flutter bloomed in her stomach, and she flicked her tongue over her bottom lip. “Okay.”
His eyes tracked the slight movement. The flutter in her stomach intensified. Was she…was she actually flirting? She didn’t knowhowto flirt. Oh wow, was she flirt—
“Maybe you should give my sister your number,” Zeta said.
Heat flooded Elisa’s cheeks.
Ice-blue eyes held hers. “I think I’d like—”
AC/DC started singing about a highway to Hell from inside his suit jacket.
“Damn it,” he muttered, shoving his hand into his jacket and taking a step back. “Sorry. Give me a sec…” He pulled out a smartphone, and swiped his thumb over its screen. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this,” he said, raising his phone to his ear. “Hi Kara. Sorry, yes. I’m back. Still going through customs.”
Kara.
Elisa swallowed. A cold itch crept over her. The flutter in her stomach twisted into a knot.
Kara.
Gripping at the strap of her carry-on bag, she shook her head. “We’ve have to go,” she said to him, her smile wobbly. “It was nice meeting you.”
He frowned, phone still pressed to his ear. “I won’t be—”
Pivoting on her feet, she grabbed Zeta’s arm and hurried toward the international arrivals custom stations. “Let’s go.”
“What’s going on?” Zeta asked, stumbling into a scurry beside her. “Did I miss something?”
Elisa shook her head, increasing her stride. “Bria and Owen will be waiting for us.”
“That’s why we’re suddenly running away from the cute Aussie who was about to give you his number?”
Grinding her teeth, Elisa walked faster, heading for the custom station farthest away from the returning Australian citizen stations.
“It was nice meeting you as well,” a male voice with an Australian accent called behind them. Quite a way behind them.
Okay, so he wasn’t chasing them. Good.
Really?
Zeta kept pace with her, her confused stare a prickling weight on the side of Elisa’s face. “What’s going on, Lis? Talk to me.”
“I just…” She shook her head.
How did she explain without sounding like a freaking nutjob. The moment she’d heard the Australian sayKara, she’d thought of the way Bria’s ex had cheated on her, and that made her feel sick in the stomach, and feeling sick in the stomach made her heart hammer and, what if she was responsible for someone feeling the way Bria had felt and how could anyonewanther number, especially after she had an obvious breakdown over a customs official and he was probably only just being nice and whowasKara and…
Oh my God, stop. Stop it. Take a breath. Kara could be anyone and it doesn’t matter anyway.
