Azure (Drowning In You) (6 page)

Panos’ smile slipped. “You not like this beach?”

“It’s lovely. I just want to explore the area.” He was frowning now and it made her want to know more. “The barman said something about an accident. What happened?”

“Matt? He talk a lot.” Panos thick brows cast shadows over his hazel eyes. “Talk and talk. Accident is old.”

“What sort of an accident, then?”

He didn’t seem so pleased to see her anymore. He turned slightly sideways, moving papers below the desk. “Boat sink.”

“The wreck?”

“The wreck on beach is old. The accident years ago. Sudden storm. Wind. Current.” He made a sweeping motion with his hand. “Boat crashed on rock. People die.”

She shivered. “I wouldn’t go deep, just splash in the shallows. I’d like to see the beach, if it’s so beautiful.”

“You no go there. Bad. Danger. No.” He seemed to lose all grammar when he was upset.

“Then I’ll just wet my feet and walk along the water. No problem.”

He shook his head and muttered something in Greek. She thought she caught the word “tourist” as she turned to leave.

 
The hotel beach was relatively empty when she went down and spread her towel on a deck chair. She dutifully applied sunscreen and tugged on her big straw hat. She wasn’t going the same way as Markus. No way was she spending her vacation in bed.

As soon as her skin began to heat up, she donned her goggles and plunged into the rippling sea. With strong, even strokes, she started toward the island she could see in the distance. Setting out in a front crawl, turning her head to the side to breathe in, then to breathe out, she let the rhythm of the exercise clear out her mind. The chain around her neck pressed into her skin. She didn’t let it distract her, although she should probably have taken it off. Her legs kicked at the waves and she felt free.

When she stopped to catch her breath, the beach was a colorful line, the umbrellas tiny white tufts like flowers, the hotel a massive presence behind. The sea spread around her, heaving and dark. A current tugged at her legs. Both the island and the beach looked now far away.

Fear pricked her chest. She was a strong swimmer and had often swum deep, but maybe it was Panos’ uneasy gaze, his words of danger, or this unknown water that made her turn and knife her way back toward the beach as if the devil snapped at her heels.

 
She couldn’t recall ever swimming so fast. She lost track of time as she struggled to keep her strokes even, to take deep breaths on the upstroke. Still, by the time she made out the people on the beach, the colors of their swimsuits, she was lightheaded and exhausted.

Stupid,
Liv
.

She finally stumbled into the shallows, her legs like rubber.

There had been no real danger.
You made it dangerous by hurrying
. There was no reason. Listening to stories and scared shitless.
You’re not three years old
.

Someone stood at the water’s edge, hands fisted at his sides, staring at her. A mop of dark, glossy hair and wide shoulders was all she made out before he spun on his heel and started climbing up the beach toward the bar.

She trudged wearily to the beach and dragged her feet to her deck chair where she proceeded to flop, face down, until her gasping breaths evened out and the stars faded from her eyes.

Jeez
. She was so out of shape.

A silhouette cast a shadow on her face and something glass-shaped was placed by her head.

“Are you all right?” Kai’s deep voice asked and she squinted up to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. “I brought you some water.”

Whoa
. Dressed in ripped jeans and a white t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest, his hair falling into those shining eyes, he was definitely a ten. Ten plus, maybe. She wasn’t sure. Her brain had blanked.

His eyes seemed darker than ever, pupils dilated even in the glaring sunlight. They rested on her face, moved down to her breasts, then back up. His scrutiny made her catch her breath.

She curled her wrinkly fingers around the glass and sat up. “Thanks for the water.”

“You shouldn’t swim that far in,” he said and looked out at the sea. His jaw clenched so tight a muscle ticked. “It’s dangerous.”

“You’re worried about me?” she asked, the words slipping out before she realized how flirty and teasing they sounded.

He huffed, mouth flattening into a line, and turned around. “I need to get back to work.”

Wait, whoa again. Work?

Gripping the glass of cool water, she watched him stride toward the beach bar where people sat at the tables, sipping coffee and lemonade. Kai disappeared behind the bar, swallowed by the dimness.

Oh
. Right, a glimpse into the mystery named Kai: he didn’t just deliver groceries to the hotel. He was the daytime barman.

Now you’re telling me
.

Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her towel around her hips, hung her goggles on her arm and went to get a table.

***

Kai marched up to her table and whipped out his notepad, not looking at her. He stared at it as if it held all the secrets in the universe. “Why aren’t your friends with you?”

His cold tone was like a slap. “Do I have to answer the question or will you get me something to drink anyway?”

He glanced up, brows arching, and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I was just... When I saw how far you swam...” He shook his head and lowered his gaze. “Never mind.”

Hell. He’d been really worried about her. The anger left her as fast as it had come. “Markus had a heatstroke. He’ll be fine. Kirsten is nursing him back to health.”

He nodded, a jerky movement. “What can I get you?”

“A lemonade, please.” She waited but he didn’t look up, only nodded again and turned to go. “So you’re Panos’ little cousin.”

He stopped, his broad back to her, muscles bunching across his shoulders. “What did he tell you?”

“That I should hook up with him because he’s a man and you’re still a boy.”

His stance relaxed and he shook his head. “He’s an idiot.”

She snorted. “He’s very funny.” Damn, she felt weird, talking to his back.
And ass. His cute ass.
“And he’s nice. Like you.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Sure I do. You help me. Look out for me. You seem nice.”
And hot. And
kinda
sad.

He turned around, his pretty lips pressed tight. “Appearances can deceive.”

“Then yours is particularly deceptive.”

A smile flickered at the corners of his mouth and she took it as a good sign. “Look, I know appearances aren’t everything. That all that shines isn’t gold and all that.”

“Is that why you threw your gold ring into the sea? Was it a fake?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. The ring had come from a true place, a true feeling — only not hers. At least she thought so. “It’s a long story.” And she didn’t feel much like talking about Justin, especially to Kai.

He took a step toward her, his gaze intense. “I have to work.”

“Oh? Sorry I’m keeping you.” She glanced around at the other tables. Nobody seemed to be looking for a waiter. “You’d better go, then.”

“I finish my shift at four.”

Was that what she thought it sounded like? “So you
wanna
go for a coffee afterward?”

“Yeah, sure.” He tapped his pen on the notebook, head cocked to the side, his eyes gleaming. “I want to hear the story. Will you be here?”

“I’ll come back,” she promised and watched him go, biting her lip nervously.

Holy hells, was that a date?

***

No, of course not a date
, she told herself as she fretted about what to wear. Having a coffee with a hot guy wasn’t a date.

It was half past three and she was nervous like a schoolgirl. The full length mirror in her room showed her a skinny girl with practically no boobs, disproportionately fat thighs and limp blond hair hanging past her shoulders.

He had looked, though. He’d checked out her barely existent cleavage. Had he been disappointed? Had he thought it okay?

Should she fucking care?
Not a date
, she repeated to herself. The project was back on. Find out about him, make him laugh.

Maybe she should try tickling. That would require running her hands over those perfect abs.

And he’d call the cops to press charges for sexual assault.
Yeah
.

Thank god she’d gone shopping the previous day. The dress looked good on her, and...

Too fancy. Too obvious
. Four o’ clock was afternoon, not evening. Maybe she should wear exactly what she’d been wearing at the beach.

Yeah, your bikini and a pink towel. Ingenious,
Liv
.

She ran her fingers through her hair, tugging. The contents of her suitcase lay on the bed. Her hotel room looked as if a wardrobe had exploded in the middle of it. She picked up her sandals with the butterflies and tied them on.

Good. We have the shoes.

She looked down at herself. She was still in underwear.

Okay, now clothes
.

The desired outfit, however, didn’t magically appear. She waded through the blouses she had brought along, and lifted a white of-the-shoulder one. She dragged it on, then picked a pair of cut-off jeans and a wide leather belt.