Finding You (Finding You Series Book 1) (8 page)

I looked at his robe, running my eyes down the length of his body and then back up. He looked down, suddenly laughing fully. “Oh! I see what you mean. I was so comfortable I didn’t realize I was still in the robe.”

He walked into the bathroom and returned a couple of minutes later, fully dressed in his damp clothes.

He kissed my forehead and whispered, “See you tomorrow, beautiful girl.” And then he was out the door and away as if he had only been a figment of my imagination.

Locking the door, I dropped my robe onto the end of the bed and snuggled under the covers, happy beyond words.

My slumber was sound and undisturbed, filled with pleasurable thoughts. Tonight the nightmares stayed hidden.

***

Upon waking, a goofy smile morphed onto my face. Memories of last night washed over me, lighting me up from within. I bit my bottom lip. I could still feel his coffee-flavored tongue inflaming my mouth. I couldn’t stop the sigh as I sailed out of bed and out onto the balcony to bask in the glory of morning.

Something on the outdoor table caught my eye.

There, in all its glory was a native wildflower, handpicked from the garden outside with a note attached to it.

Focusing properly, I picked it up and began to read.

Hey beautiful girl,

I have a full day of filming but still want to see you. You are amazing. Come by the set today. It’s on the hilly part of the island. I’ve left directions with Ramah. I can’t last a whole day without seeing you.

Kyle

xxxx

I read it over and over, savoring each and every word.

Holy crackers! He thought I was amazing. Not just him, but Kyle Rutherford the actor. I was absolutely busting with joy, hanging on to each and every word. He wanted to see me today during filming. Wow!

The note and the flower brought a huge smile to my face as I inhaled the heady scent.

It was early days but there was no denying the chemistry between us. Not just on my behalf but on his as well. He made my stomach do flip-flops whenever he looked at me, which seemed to be all the time. Anyone else would have probably made me uncomfortable but Kyle was different. I liked him looking at me with his intense eyes.

It felt like we’d known each other longer than mere days. He just had that easy-going way about him. He was so likeable. Forgetting about the rest of the world would be so easy right now.

What will happen when it’s time for me to return home, though?
How will I ever leave?

They were questions that didn’t have to be dealt with yet. I’d only just begun this incredible journey, if it could even be called that yet. There was still so much more to experience, so many more feelings to uncover.

Taking the flower with me, I walked back inside, setting it onto the kitchen counter before deciding on a shower where I leaned up against the tiled wall, enjoying the hot water pelting down on my skin.

Chapter Five

Dakota

By about ten o’clock I couldn’t wait to see Kyle and decided to take him up on his offer of visiting him on set. Ramah gave me the directions just as Kyle had mentioned
.

“You go up the main road for a while until you’re past the shops. You then veer off to the right. This road will take you up to the highest part of the island. Once you’re at the top, there’s a little lane leading off to the left. You follow that right down to the end and that’s where they’re filming. Be careful not to miss the little lane though or you’ll end up on the other side of the island.”

“Okay. Thanks, Ramah. I think I’ve got that. Follow the main road, then right, then left.”

I let the directions sink in for a while, silently admitting that following directions wasn’t one of my strong points. After mulling it over for a few minutes, I went out the front and stepped into a waiting cab.

I had on the new top and shorts that I’d purchased the day before and had done my hair up in a messy bun. Hey, I was on holiday, trying to blend in as a beach bum!

The driver already knew where to go so before long we were rocketing towards Kyle.

“Everybody on the island is talking about the movie, which is quite understandable as nothing like this has ever happened here before,” he went on to say. “It might put us on the map and bring more tourists, which would certainly benefit people such as myself.”

It would be a crying shame to let the tranquility of the island succumb to the masses. Commercialization would ensue at some stage, spoiling the essence of the island but I didn’t let on to the man who probably struggled to feed a family and could use the extra business.

The road soon narrowed further. Stones flicked up and ricocheted off the car as we sped along the gravel road. Dust billowed in our wake. I hoped we didn’t encounter a vehicle coming in the other direction because one of us would have to stop to let the other one past.

The terrain grew lush with giant ferns lining the banks and gullies. It was hard to believe that the ocean was only a breath away. The contrast in scenery was magnificent.

Veering off to the left just as Ramah had directed, it wasn’t long before the road ended and we were in the thick of it. Cars, trucks, bikes and any other mode of transport had haphazardly parked on the grassy verge. Equipment, including cameras, tripods, and props littered the clearing. We had arrived.

Exhilaration filled me as I anticipated the reunion with Kyle. He would be so happy to see me, probably not actually expecting me to take him up on his offer.

I paid the driver, who almost looked like he wanted to stay and nose around for a while. I walked over to a small gathering of people.

“And whom might you be?” insisted an attractive blonde woman who eyed me up and down as though I was some sort of insect. “You do understand we’re filming a movie here? We’re not meant to have spectators, you know?”

Her makeup was caked on and she wore skimpy clothing. There had definitely been a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Kyle invited me,” I was more than pleased to announce, obviously causing a bit of a stir in the woman who appeared too big for her boots.

The woman flinched. It was only slight but it was there. She had no idea that I had been spending time with Kyle and no doubt figured I was just another one of his female groupies who had followed him here to swoon and croon all over him. Well, the last part wasn’t far off.

The director’s call cut my retort short.

“Hey Gina, you’re on!”

With that, the actress turned on her heels and walked away, leaving me a little miffed. Who the hell did she think she was? Obviously someone far better than I.

Trying not to let her get to me, I followed her to where the cameramen were set up. I watched the woman walk down to a small lagoon and wait for another call.

“Action! Scene 12, take 1!”

At the director’s cue, I spotted Kyle already in the lagoon, treading water. His face was wet and he looked sexier than ever. A yearning to get his attention washed over me but I didn’t want to interrupt the filming so I hung back in the shadows to watch the scene unfold.

Suddenly, my smile turned to a frown. The pompous mutton-bird that I’d just met only seconds ago, dropped her skimpy outfit and walked stark-naked into the water and swam over to Kyle. She’d been in full view of him and he had watched her intently. They grabbed each other and kissed passionately. Kyle’s hands moved over the woman’s breasts with fervor. I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them to make sure I was seeing clearly but when nothing changed, my head spun out of control. He was kissing this woman as keenly as he’d kissed me and he darn well looked pleased about it! I tried to tell myself that it was just a movie but then remembered how the woman had sneered at me earlier.

Did she like Kyle? Did he like her? Had they shared a history? They certainly appeared comfortable with each other.

Clouds of jealousy welled up inside me that had no right being there in the first place as the two actors pretended to make love in the water. They looked pretty darn convincing.

The director called “Cut!” and their lips parted. The woman whispered something to Kyle that made him smile. He still had his hand around her waist and she made no effort to swim back to shore. They were in the zone.

I hadn’t come up here to watch Kyle film a love scene. He must have known what part of the movie they would be working on when he’d left me the note this morning. Did he assume I wouldn’t be bothered by it? I felt sick.

I couldn’t watch any more. I didn’t want to be the third wheel and I’m sure Gina wouldn’t be letting Kyle out of her sight while I was hanging around. The more I looked around at the people on set, the more I believed that the woman in the water belonged in Kyle’s world. I didn’t. I was so far out of his universe that we weren’t even on the same planet. How would I ever fit in? I certainly didn’t have enough money to keep up with the lifestyle that came with Hollywood, or the upbringing. For God’s sake, I still lived with my parents at thirty-two years old.

Not being able to think straight and not wanting to witness any more, I turned and ran. It didn’t matter where to but anywhere was better than staying to watch Kyle fawn over the bleached blonde, big breasted starlet.

The tears came, stinging my eyes, causing my mascara to run. I knew I was being overly dramatic but I couldn’t help it. The feelings of lost beginnings seized me. An end of something that had barely started. It shouldn’t have hurt so much, or more to the point, I shouldn’t have let it. Maybe that’s how pathetic I was. I’d come up here to have Kyle hold and kiss me and tell me how much he missed me, not to witness a porn movie. I really didn’t need this.

It was all new. We didn’t know each other well enough yet for it to be called anything other than a hook-up. I needed to accept that and forget about the sensations of his lips on mine. The desperate need to have a man care about me for reasons other than sex.

My heart weighed heavy like lead. This roller-coaster of emotions was sapping me already.

I slowed down to a walk and gasped for air as a result of the running and crying, when a van drove up and slowed down. I looked up to see a cleanly shaven man maybe in his forties wind the window down.

“Can I give you a lift, Miss?” the voice offered in a strong Southern American accent.

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” I lied to the man, who could obviously see through the charade.

“Well, you don’t look fine to me. I don’t mean to pry or nothin’ but you look like your heart’s achin’. This sun beating down on you will dehydrate you in no time, but if you don’t want a ride, that’s okay. I’ll just be on my merry little way.”

He started to rev the engine to take off and I thought that maybe he was right. I hadn’t brought any water with me and already felt thirsty. Getting back to the security of the resort seemed like the best idea.

Just as he was taking off, I yelled out, “Wait! Don’t go! All right, you may give me a ride.”

The tires screeched to a halt again and he waited for me to run over and climb in. It was a stupid thing to do, getting in a stranger’s car, but he’d come from the movie set so I assumed he could be trusted.

“What’s a pretty lady like you doin’ all the way out here, anyways? You ain’t part of the movie crew, are you?” he drawled.

“I was here to visit Kyle on the set but I saw he was busy, so I decided to walk back to the resort.” That’s two lies in the space of as many minutes.

The driver eyed me for a while as if seeing right through me and then added, “Honey, if you’ve got a romantic interest in Kyle, forget it. He’s been seein’ Gina now for a while. They did split up recently but word around the set is that they’ve been gittin’ closer again. In fact Gina has been goin’ around tellin’ people that they’ll be engaged before the year is out.”

My mouth dropped wide open as I spun my head around to glare at the large man with what I could only imagine would be raccoon eyes as I struggled to absorb the stinging lash of his words. He continued to ramble on and on about the movie, barely stopping for a breath but it was met with deaf ears. I’d heard all I needed to.

What the fuck? Engaged? Jesus! He lied to me. All of it was lies! What a jerk!

Inside I was seething.

To hell with everyone! I didn’t need Kyle. I didn’t need anybody. I had myself.

Winding down the window, I turned my head into the breeze and sucked in air, feeling like I was cursed. Maybe happiness was reserved for others. It sure appeared that way. I acknowledged the familiar pain. It had almost been expected.

How could he have lied to me while being so sweet?

All had seemed perfect. He’d told her me I was beautiful when all the while he’d obviously been thinking of Gina. Betrayal cut deep.

The journey back to the resort felt like it took a week. I totally blocked out the ramblings of my driver but managed a meek, ‘thank you” as I stepped out and trudged through reception.

Back in the confines of my hut, a thousand teardrops soaked my pillow and any residual mascara bled into the puddles. Sapphire Island had squeezed every emotion possible out of me in just a few short days. My vulnerability had ensnared me in a passionate moment with a stranger. It was too sudden. Now things had come full circle and my fragility was expanding.

It suddenly dawned on me that the reason I was feeling so hurt was because I really liked Kyle. I mean, really liked! I’d thought he felt something too but obviously that assumption was false.

Day merged into evening in a flurry of regret. How quickly events could morph. The love scene from that morning turned over and over in my mind until it nearly drove me crazy. I analyzed it from every angle, overthinking it. The old withdrawn Dakota was poking her head through, trying to distress the new, more confident one, so as a distraction, although I wasn’t the least bit hungry, I ordered dinner.

When Ramah arrived, the first question she asked was, “Why Dakota, I thought you’d be going out with Kyle tonight?”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story, but if you’ve got a moment to come in, I’ll tell you.” The caring woman had offered good advice before, so maybe she could do so again. Ramah appeared only too glad to try and help.

“We had such a wonderful time last night,” I went on. “Everything seemed perfect and he made me feel like I was special. He suggested I go up and visit him on the set today and when I got there I found him doing a love scene with a very attractive blonde woman. He appeared to be enjoying it, too. When I left, because I couldn’t watch anymore, one of the crew offered me a ride back to the resort. On the way back he told me that Kyle and the woman are practically engaged!” My voice cracked but I managed to pull it together.

Ramah set the tray down on the table and turned to me, a look of compassion spreading over her features. “My dear, you may be listening to a lot of gossip. The movie industry, from what I’ve heard, can be very fickle. I think you need to talk to Kyle and find out firsthand what’s going on. If you two got on as well as you say you did, then maybe this Gina woman is trying to cause trouble. As for them making love in the lagoon, it’s only a movie. That’s something you’ll have to get used to if this friendship blossoms into anything more. They’re both actors and very good ones, by the sound of it. They’re supposed to make the scene look as real as possible. I’m sure you’ve worked yourself up into a state for nothing. Now have something to eat and then go soak in the hot tub. You’ll surely feel better. But you must talk to Kyle. Don’t listen to any gossip unless he tells it to you himself. You two look so good together, it would be a shame to throw away something wonderful.”

Talk about emotional turmoil. I came here to get away from all that and since arriving it’s been worse than ever before. Maybe I am being a little too harsh.
At least I owe Kyle the decency to explain. I’ll just have to be prepared for the outcome. I came to this island with nothing, so I need to be prepared to leave with nothing.

“Thanks, Ramah. I guess I owe him the chance to explain.” Like that would make any difference.