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Inwardly scolding myself, I lie on the beach and grunt at the pain that overwhelms my body. Grains of wet sand cling to every inch of my hair and body. With each breath, I’m reminded I nearly didn’t make it out alive. On my first visit to Canggu’s infamous Echo Beach. On my second attempt to tame the water. On the third day of our late June vacation.
Overwhelmed, I shake my head and pop my eyes open to take in my surroundings. High-pitched screeches. Small crowd. Hypnotic eyes. Getting lost in them sounds much more appealing than being stuck in the near-death limbo I just experienced. Irises the color of honey circled by a ring of dark grey scrutinize my exhausted body.
Kneeling beside me, the guy’s nearness unsettles me. The drumming of my heart is evidence enough. If I weren’t in such a pitiful state, I’d chuckle at the sight of his dreadlocks caressing my skin.
Our faces are so close that I could easily capture his mouth and steal a kiss. I shiver at the enticing thought, but I’m way too drained to act on it. My upper lip trembles as the beautiful stranger’s face exits my personal space.
Am I delusional?
It all comes crashing back. His strong arms. His powerful body. His sinful lips… or his upper lip rather. He saved my life. The secondthatplump lip came into contact with mine and electrified my slack body. The minutethatblessed lip touched mine and gave rescue breaths while he performed CPR. The momentthatmagical lip brought me back to life.
My head lolls to the side at the realization, further grinding the sand into my wavy dirty blond hair, which is now dirtier after spending too much time glued to the sand.
Who cares? I’m alive!
I have so many questions for him. What happened? What made him come to the rescue of a complete stranger? What about him puts me at ease… and not? I should pace myself. Otherwise, this will devolve into Twenty Questions, and I doubt he’s prepared for my nerve-induced babbling.
A round of applause assaults my ears that are less muffled than they were an instant ago.
“Were you Poseidon in another lifetime, Nino?” a feminine voice inquires in English.
A low rumble leaves my savior’s mouth, and despite my stupor, I make a mental note of his name… and other attributes. Broad shoulders. Sculpted abs. Breathtaking face.
Speaking of breathtaking, I take a shaky breath, relieved that the burning in my lungs has diminished. I wonder if my state is due to what happened in the water or my first encounter with the caramel-skinned merman with pale amber eyes with flecks of sea-glass green.
“Ça va,timal?” His husky voice sends tingles to all the right places, although I only understand his intonation, implying a question. My brow knits. “Désolé.” He winces and switches to English. “You okay?”
Incapable of caring that my semi is on full display, I reassure the stranger to whom I owe my life. “I’ll be fine.” My disoriented body is roaring back to life; surely it has nothing to do with the guy staring at me with concern written all over his face.
Why is he using a nickname for me? What does it mean?
He grabs a nearby towel and slides it behind my head as I nod, doing my best to grin at the scantily-clad all-female crowd. I’m definitely not dead; my version of Heaven would include hot men, not their female counterparts. Well, I shouldn’t complain. Even my gradual recovery can’t prevent me from noting that my savior is to my liking. Guilt overwhelms me as soon as the thought crosses my mind. Granted, being saved by anyone is a treat, but finding your rescuer attractive is the perfect perk! I’m simply stating a fact: Nino is hot and I dare anybody to refute that. Once I’m done lusting over a man that I’ll never have, since I’m otherwise attached and he might be straight, I blink to break free from my reverie.
Did the traumatic experience make me horny?
“You were so brave, Nino. Did you hear us cheering you on?” The redhead juts her chin my way. Her British accent is unmistakable, as is her attraction to him, although he seems immune to his harem.
Nino looks her way, breaking eye contact. “Yeah, thanks, Bridget. I couldn’t have done it without you ladies.” His English is flawless. From where I’m lying, I have the perfect vantage point to watch his stare quickly flicker between the six gorgeous women. “Let’s take a half-hour break and give our friend here some privacy.” Without another word, the girls scatter. Who are these people who appear to have stepped straight out of theSports Illustratedswimsuit edition? It’s too early for tourists, for which I’m grateful. I would have hated to be the center of attention on a crowded beach. His intense stare cages my greyish-blue eyes. “How are you feeling?”
Heat settles in the back of my neck, and I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m okay… I think.” My voice sounds hoarse—a stark contrast to my boyish looks. “Thank you, Nino.” He narrows his gaze, shooting me a funny look, but doesn’t comment. “It’s the least I can say, don’t you think?” I shrug. Carefully lifting my upper body to prop myself on my elbows, I feel a bit woozy but remain tight-lipped. I’m sure it’ll pass. Then, I extend my hand to shake his. He complies; his handshake is firm yet gentle. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nino. No matter the circumstances.”
“Enchanté; Nino Toussaint,” he offers. “Likewise...” His hesitation tells me that I forgot my manners yet again.
“Ashton Cooper.”
CHAPTER2
RAISE VIBRATION
Nino
“Nice to meet you alive and almost kicking, Ashton. You scared the shit out of me there. You’re a long way from the US! First time in Bali?”
“Busted! I guess my accent betrayed me.” He clears his throat. “Yes, first time… Please, call me Ash. I’m really sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
“Come on,timal! You almost drowned. Don’t apologize!”
I offer a reassuring smile and shake my hand to dispel his apologies. All that achieves is making him blush. I wince and look down, berating myself since I’m well aware that my peculiar eye color can make people uncomfortable. Many say that I resemble Jesse Williams fromGrey’s Anatomy. Honestly, I don’t see the resemblance. My skin is a bit darker, and my eyes aren’t blue. My mom says they’re a caramel color, but the outside of my iris is grey with specks of pale green; all in all, I would call them burnt caramel.
