Page 39 of Tempt Me

I opened the door to my room, went straight to the bath, and turned on both faucets. I poured in a generous dose of Moroccan Rose Bath Oil. According to the bottle, by the end of my bath, not only would I smell lovely, but my mind would be free of stress and notably relaxed.

I’d like to see that miracle.

I didn’t think my mind ever relaxed—too much crap swirling around for any vacant space to survive.

My growling stomach reminded me how hungry I was, and I headed to the kitchen. I glared into my sparse fridge until I decided on peanut butter on toast yet again.

With my toast in hand and a bottle of water under my elbow, I opened the glass doors and stepped out onto the balcony. May had brought the cooler weather with it, but I wasn’t complaining—this was my ideal temperature. Not too hot, that sweat would break out of every pore the moment I stepped outside, and not too cool that I’d need to carry a jacket everywhere. If you asked me, which nobody ever did, this was the best time of year to hit the sunny Gold Coast.

Knowing the bath took forever to fill, I slipped into a chair, and as I ate my simple breakfast, I admired the view. The sky was a beautiful blue, dotted with several puffy white clouds. Down on the beach, seagulls swooped and ducked as they fought over their breakfast and dodged the waves. It was such a peaceful setting, reminding me of how lucky I was to live overlooking one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

My phone rang, and as I headed toward my handbag, I contemplated who’d be on the end of the line. Only two people called me—my mother and Lolita. And only one of them made me smile by the end of the call.

I glanced at the number on the screen, and my heart leaped to my throat as I pressed the green button. “Aunty Ann, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, dear.”

“Oh, it’s just you never call me.”

She tutted. “That’s not true. I call you occasionally.”

Okay, I’ll give her that. “Are Mom and Dad okay?”

“Yes, yes, everyone’s okay. Will you let me talk?”

“Sorry.” The worry evaporated, and I sat on the edge of my bed. “What’s up then?”

“Just a bit of juicy gossip.”

“Ooooh, do tell.” I could count on Aunty Ann to keep me up to date with what was happening back in my hometown.

“Turns out Chelsea-Lee is pregnant.”

I sucked the air through my teeth. “Really?”

“But there’s been a few rumors that Alexander may not be the father.”

“Holy shit! Are you serious?”

“Sure am. Apparently, she’s four months pregnant, but if that’s true, then her conception coincides with Alexander’s annual trip to Singapore for work.”

“Oh, my god. That’s gold.”

Aunty Ann broke into laughter that was quickly followed by a coughing fit. As I waited for her to catch her breath, I pictured Alexander, the man I was once puppy-dog in love with. He’d never shown any remorse after I found out he’d cheated on me with dozens of women while we were engaged.

“You know what, Aunty Ann? This is Karma.”

“It sure is, sweetie. Karma’s a bitch that bites.”

I chuckled. Aunty Ann was the queen of interesting sayings.

“Now, tell me.” She grew all serious. “Are you getting a bit?”

Getting a bitwas an understatement. This year, I’d been getting a lot. “I have men lining up.”

“Good. Have a root for this old duck, will you?”

We laughed together, and after a bit more idle chitchat we said our goodbyes. I’d spent the first twenty-five years of my life in Mildura and Aunty Ann was the only person I missed from back home. Including my parents.

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