Vengeful Love: A Summer Love Story (contemporary romance) (Sizzling Summer Romance) (3 page)

I pushed him in the chest, breaking our kiss. A feeling of emptiness washed over me.

“I have to go.”

I unwrapped myself from his arms and ran away from him, across the beach towards the resort. My head was spinning, my heart pounding. Something had happened just now, something that made me furious, and at the same time, exhilarated. No other man had evoked these feelings in me before, not even my cheating co-star. Lust, I was no stranger to, but this— this warm, tender feeling that was dangerously close to touching my core, filled me with a deep fear.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to lead him on and make a fool of him. Now it seemed like I was the one who was made the fool. Ryan had played the part so well, I had very nearly believed in his performance. I had to remind myself what this was about: fifty bucks and a good laugh, that’s all he was after. If I didn’t want to face humiliation, I would have to keep myself under control.

I just hoped it wasn’t too late.

Dizzy and bleary-eyed from exhaustion, I stumbled into the make-up trailer the next day. Almost all night, I had been tossing and turning, thinking about the kiss. It had been so divine, so thrilling, so completely captivating, that it had made me forget every other kiss I’d ever had.
 

When I’d finally fallen asleep, I dreamed how it had gone further, how I was losing all control, and how Ryan was taking me to the brink of ecstasy… until the alarm clock woke me up. Ryan’s seductive smile was slipping away from me, and soon after, a throbbing headache came in its place.
 

I had dreaded going to the set; how was I ever going to face everyone—face
him
—looking like a wreck? Fortunately, there was nothing that the make-up technicians couldn’t fix. In no time, I was in front of the camera again, my usual perfect self, with all signs of fatigue, including the bloodshot eyes, completely erased.

Thankfully, Ryan had not arrived at the set yet. I wondered how I would feel looking him in the eyes again. Would I be able to act as if nothing happened? Or would I be reduced to an emotional wreck like the night before?
 

But when he came on set a few minutes later, he merely gave me a quick glance and a polite “good morning”, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The scene we were shooting didn’t require much interaction between us, so I had no problems concentrating on my part.
 

Filming went so well that we finished earlier than expected. I gathered my things and started walking back to the hotel. I planned to spend the rest of the day sunbathing by the pool, trying to work out what my next step should be, especially after last night’s fiasco. Of course I was still enraged by the ridiculous bet, but revenge might not be as easy as I had thought.
 

“Kate.”

I turned around. It was Ryan, wearing a serious expression on his face.
 

He said, “Look, I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean for it to end that way.”

“Don’t be sorry, it was nothing. I just—I don’t know what came over me.” Thinking back about what had happened and worse, my reaction to it, made me cringe.
 

“I shouldn’t have pushed you into it. Maybe I should have taken it slower. Do you know, I tried calling you, but since you didn’t pick up, I reckoned you didn’t want to talk to me. I guessed you needed time for yourself.” Surprisingly, his voice was comforting, almost tender. This wasn’t at all what I had expected from him. I thought he would have come up with a sneer or a sarcastic comment - that wouldn’t have surprised me. But him being thoughtful of my feelings was harder to deal with. It would have been so much easier for me if he had acted like a jerk.
 

“It wasn’t your fault, really. You didn’t exactly force me.”

“I still feel bad about it. Will you give me a second chance? I want to take you out and show you this fabulous place.”

Drinking him in right then—sweet, good-looking, and wicked, all at the same time—, I wanted nothing more than spending the day with him. But after what happened the night before, I couldn’t fully trust myself to keep my feelings in check, and I didn’t want the whole thing to blow up in my face.
 

“I’m not so sure. I was thinking of relaxing by the pool today.”
 

“I promise you’re going to love this. And if at any time, you feel uneasy, I’ll drive you back to the hotel straightaway. Deal?”
 

Ryan’s irresistible smile caused my stomach to lurch, and I heard myself say, “Alright then.”
 

Ten minutes later, we were on the road, driving out of the town into the lush tropical countryside, passing cane fields, small settlements, and isolated houses. It wasn’t long before we stopped in front of one of those houses, a low cream building with a tin roof. Surrounded by a wire fence, the slatted wooden structure carried a simple sign: “Happy House”.

After helping me out of the car, Ryan opened the boot and brought out a big carton board box, which he carried to the entry gate. When he opened the gate, we heard voices emanating from the building, and before long, a flock of local children of different ages, from toddlers to teens, were racing towards us.
 

“Mr Ryan, Mr Ryan! What’s in that box?”

“It’s a surprise, kids. You’ll have to wait till we’re inside.”

We walked into the building, and a heavy-set woman with an Afro hairstyle, which I assumed was the children’s teacher, greeted us with a warm smile.

“Mr Ryan, it’s good to see you again. And you’ve brought a friend.”

Ryan put his warm, strong hand on my shoulder. “Everyone, this is Kate. She’s a famous movie star.”

Uttering excited “oohs” and “aahs”, the kids crowded around me, and stared at me with their big, brown innocent eyes. I wasn’t used to being around children and I felt self-conscious by all their attention, but a cute six- or seven-year-old girl with pigtails broke the ice by asking, “Can we touch your hair?”
 

When I nodded and squatted down, tens of little fingers were touching, stroking, and pulling my hair, and little bodies were trying to climb onto my lap. A surprising warmth filled me, and a strange thought entered my mind: would I ever start my own family? I’d never thought about it before, having been completely focused on my movie career. Unlike my stable and responsible sister Jessica, I thought of myself—as did the men I dated—to be the non-marrying type. Besides, I enjoyed the short-term flings, especially the lack of emotional attachment that came with it. My bed partners were too shallow to be worth keeping, anyway.
 

“So, does anyone want to know what’s in this box?” A deep voice distracted the kids’ attention away from my hair. Ryan stood at the table, pointing a pair of scissors at the box. The children shrieked, jumped up, and rushed to him with eager faces.

“Can anyone guess what’s inside?” Ryan kept his hand on top of the box to prevent them from peeking inside.
 

“I think it’s full of puppies!”

“It’s a huge dragon egg!”
 

“No, a mountain of lollies!”

“Barbie dolls!”

“Racing cars!”

He slowly opened the box.
 

“Ta-da.”

Out came colorful balls in different sizes, skipping ropes, cricket bats, badminton rackets, and other sports equipment. The kids went crazy—screaming, grabbing, pushing. In a flash, the box was empty and the kids had flown to the grassy yard, trying out the equipment.
 

The friendly teacher, a wide smile on her face, came to stand next to Ryan, her hands on her hips. “Thank you so much, Mr Ryan. You’re really too generous. Last time you came with the books, and now this. We are ever so grateful to you.”

“You’re very welcome, Ashmita. I’m just happy to see the kids so excited.” His gaze followed a group of boys kicking a soccer ball.

“How about showing your friend around the orphanage?”

I drew in a sharp breath. This was an orphanage. Not a school or a childcare center, as I had assumed. Those cute, happy-looking children had to grow up without parents, without a family. It broke my heart just thinking about it. And when Ryan gave me a tour of the modest building, I was confronted with the reality of orphan life: bedrooms with multiple bunk beds, a baby room with a dozen cots pushed against one another, two simple bathrooms to share among twenty-odd kids. I could imagine how they would be fighting over them in the morning.

Swallowing hard, I counted myself lucky that I had grown up in relative privilege, with my Mom providing a small but adequate two-bedroom apartment for me and my sister. I turned to Ryan, who was picking up a scruffy baby doll from the floor. “How did you find out about this place?”

“I read an article about it in the local paper when we arrived. It said that they needed donations of essentials like baby bottles, toys and books. So I thought I’d visit some time and when I did, I fell in love with this place, with the kids. They’re wonderful.” When he spoke about the children, his deep-blue eyes lit up.
 

“Mr Ryan! Come outside, I want to show you something.” The cute pigtailed girl grabbed Ryan’s hand and pulled him outside. Two girls were spinning a long skipping rope around, and the girl jumped in, up and down with the rhythm of the rope. Without skipping a beat, she twirled round and round, and finally jumped out again.

“Wow, Rosie, that’s fantastic!” He lifted her up high, causing her to giggle.

Rosie pointed at me. “Is she your girlfriend?”

Ryan kept his eyes firmly on the girl’s beaming smile. “I’d like to think so, yes.”

A blush crept up my cheeks. Calling me his girlfriend - the nerve of the man! I wanted to set him straight there and then, but before I could object, Ashmita called out, “Kids! Snack inside!”

Her call had an immediate effect: the children, squealing and jostling each other, were racing to get back in, and the yard was whisper quiet within three seconds flat.
 

“The kids are great, aren’t they?” Ryan waved to Rosie and her friends, their noses pressed against the window.
 

“Yeah, they are. Thanks for bringing me here.”

“No problem. I knew you were going to like it. It’s just so rewarding to see them happy with the little they have. That reminds me, I think it’s time for me to make
you
happy.” He turned to face me, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Oh yes? How’re you going to do that, I wonder? By being my kind and considerate boyfriend?” Still annoyed with his earlier remark, I couldn’t suppress the tone of sarcasm in my voice.
 

He chuckled. “I’ll be a lot more, I’ll promise you that.”
 

My gaze slid down from his cocky grin, down to his broad shoulders, down to his solid chest. I remembered how hard and strong his muscles had felt when I was pressed against him during our kiss. An involuntary shiver ran along my spine. “You better make good on that promise. I can hardly wait what your plans are for me now.”

“Are you hungry? Dinner?”

“As long as we’re not going to be mobbed by your crazy fans again.”

“Don’t worry, I can assure you they won’t bother us tonight.”

He took out his phone and dialed a number. “Hi, it’s Ryan McFarlane. I’m coming over to pick it up, I’ll be about twenty minutes.”

He flashed a mysterious smile, and after saying goodbye to the kids, helped me into the car. Before long, we reached the town and stopped in front of a little local restaurant, where Ryan picked up two paper bags. After parking the car, we walked through the resort’s lush tropical gardens to his
bure
. The thatched-roofed cottage had the same hardwood floors, handwoven mats, and lofty ceilings as mine, but was laid out in its mirror image.

He poured me a glass of red wine and directed me to the dining table on the wooden deck. It had a spectacular view of the shimmering private plunge pool, and beyond, the Pacific Ocean. The sun was setting in streaks of orange and yellow. I sat back, sipping my wine, while a light breeze caressed my face. To my amazement, I had thoroughly enjoyed spending the day with Ryan. He had been funny, kind, and caring. And he seemed to be genuine, especially with the kids. It didn’t seem like he had been putting on an act.
 

Soon, he came out with plates of traditional Fijian food: fish, prawns, taro, curry, and salad. He spooned a little of each dish on a plate and passed it to me. Taking a bite of the spicy
kokoda
fish, I said, “I had such a great time today. The kids were so cute.”
 

Ryan spooned rice on both our plates and sat next to me. “You can’t tell, but some of them come from troubled backgrounds and had a really tough start to life. They don’t just need a roof over their head and food on the table, but they also need to feel safe, to feel loved.”

“I think they’re in good hands with Ashmita.”

“Yeah, they’re taken care of well. A lot of kids aren’t as lucky.” He stared into space, as if this had triggered a painful memory.
 

“I read somewhere that your parents died when you were young.” I wasn’t sure if it was too sensitive a topic to bring up, but I had a sudden desire to know more about him.
 

“They were killed in a car accident. My older brother basically brought me and my little brother up. It’s sad to see those kids grow up without parents. At least I knew my parents till I was fourteen. I still have great memories of them. Those kids have nothing.”

“I agree. When you visit a place like that you find yourself grateful for what you have. My parents split up when I was little, and I haven’t had much contact with my Dad after he left my Mom for someone else. But at least I had a family, a home to come back to. My Mom has always been there for us, even though my Dad wasn’t.”
 

Ryan nodded. “That’s how I feel about my brother. You have a sister, right?”

I winced. “I haven’t been very close to her. She’s so different from me. She’s the older, responsible one, and she still lives in our home town with a job in some call center. I think she’s perfectly happy with her life. Mom keeps on rubbing that in. And although I’ve had some success in Hollywood, sometimes I’m more jealous of her than the other way around.”