Page 23 of Journey to You

He’s moved closer, his murmured words feathering her cheek, and she held her breath, wanting to move away, powerless to do so.

If she turned her head a fraction, he’d kiss her. He’d made his intentions clear—with his words, his closeness, his bodylanguage—and she exhaled softly, her body quivering with the need to be touched, her heart yelling, ‘no, not him.’

Rivers of heat flowed from her fingertips to her toes, searing a path through parts of her she’d forgotten existed. Her body blazed with it, lit up from within, and in that instant her resolve to hold Ethan at bay was in danger of going up in flames.

“Tell me what you want, Tam.”

The fire fizzed and spluttered and died a slow, reluctant death as reality hit. She knew what she wanted: to build a new life, to move forward without the encumbrance of a man.

Yet she wavered, contemplating giving in to her irrational attraction for this man; not just any man, a man totally wrong for her.

The thought of their incompatibility snapped her out of the erotic spell he’d wound around them and she stepped back, forcing a laugh to cover the relief mingled with regret that she’d come to her senses in time.

“I want to take a look at that gorgeous brochure. So, hand it over.”

He let her get away with her diversion, but not before she saw the glitter of promise in his eyes.

This wouldn’t be the end of Ethan’s charm offensive, far from it.

Ten

“Your chariot awaits.”

Ethan bowed and gestured to the rickshaw he’d hired to take them around Keoladeo Ghana National Park—Bharatpur’s famous bird sanctuary—and Tamara smiled at his theatrics.

“Does that make you a charming prince?”

She accepted his hand to step up into the tiny rickshaw, her relief at being sheltered from the relentless sun under an awning instantly evaporating as he swung up beside her and she realised how small the rickshaws was.

His rakish smile had her heart flip-flopping against her will. “Only if you want me to be.”

She ignored the ‘yes’ hovering on her lips. “Let’s get moving. I don’t want to spend too long here, considering we’ve got the Taj this afternoon.”

After instructing the driver, Ethan leaned back, his thigh brushing hers, his arm wedged against hers, and she wished her fickle body would stay with the program. They shared a transient attraction, a natural reaction of her hormones considering she hadn’t been with a man for almost two years. Richard hadn’t touched her during the last year of their marriage and she hadn’twanted him to. It made her skin crawl thinking about where he’d been at the time; more precisely, who he’d been with.

“The Taj Mahal is the highlight of this trip for you, isn’t it?”

She nodded, grateful to banish her hateful memories and return to much more pleasant surrounds. “My mum always talked about it. About its inception, its history, despite never seeing it in person. This was going to be her first time…”

Her breath hitched at the thought of her mother not being beside her today to share in this momentous occasion. They’d talked about it for so long. Life wasn’t fair sometimes.

Thoughtful as always, Ethan slung his arm across her shoulders and cradled her close. “You’ll get to see it through her eyes, through her stories. You may be the one standing before it today, but she’ll be the one bringing it alive for you.”

She raised her gaze to his, emotion clogging her throat, tears stinging her eyes. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Always know the right thing to say.”

He cupped her cheek briefly, trailing a fingertip down it with a tenderness that took her breath away. “Part of my charming prince persona, I guess.”

Her smile wobbled and before she could second guess the impulse, she broached the short distance between them and brushed a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you.” She lingered for a moment, inhaling the subtle sandalwood scent from the hotel’s complimentary toiletries, savouring the illicit pleasure of being this close to him. “For being the best travel companion a girl could wish for.”

Darkness flickered in his eyes before he blinked, banishing the shadows. “You’re welcome.”

Embarrassed by her impulsive display, she pulled a guidebook from her bag and opened it. Most travellers preferredapps for their sightseeing info these days but she still favoured paperbacks.

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