THE NEXT MORNING, Elena awoke to bright sunshine. Autumn weather in Sydney was mild, so she’d planned to go for a morning walk on the beach. She loved this time of year at the beach—there were fewer tourists, and it was quieter and less crowded.
Honey came into her room as Elena was lacing up her shoes. She’d already made breakfast for her parents, who were early risers, and spent time with her dad playfully arguing over a crossword puzzle in the morning paper.
“Going for a walk?” Honey peered from the window. “Don’t dawdle, I hear a storm is moving in later.”
“What’s a little rain?” Elena plunged her arms into a windbreaker.
“You’ll need your sunnies for now, but should be a big one.”
Elena pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. She’d started for the front door when she heard a knock. “Expecting someone?”
Approaching the door, she was surprised to see Jake through the screen. He was wearing shorts and a sweatshirt and looked awfully good. Great legs, she thought, casually noting his muscular calves.
He grinned when he saw her. “Wanted to say good morning. Lana told me where you lived.”
“It’s my parents’ place.”
“Hope I’m not too early. She said you’d all be up at the crack of dawn and that I should stop by.”
“That’s Grams.” She smiled and leaned against the doorjamb. “I was just going for a walk. Want to join me?”
“Sure. I’ve never seen Bondi Beach.”
“So, is this Jake?” Honey appeared behind her.
Elena wondered how much Grams had told her. She introduced them, and they chatted for a few minutes before her mother invited him inside.
“Come meet Gabe,” Honey said, guiding him into a sun-filled room adjoining the kitchen where Gabe was spending a lot of time during his recovery.
“Awfully glad to meet you. Heard a lot about you,” Gabe said.
Not from me, Elena thought but said nothing. Grams must have been filling in her parents. She folded her arms and watched in amusement as her parents peppered Jake with questions as if they were dating. He handled them all with easy banter.
Elena leaned against the door jamb. Dating? Maybe I’ve agreed to one date. Now that she was finally getting to know him, she sort of hoped it wouldn’t be their last. He seemed a lot less abrasive than when they’d first met.
But should she trust him yet? Or was he still merely trying to find out information about her for the insurance claim?
Her parents were still asking questions, so Elena finally cut in, laughing. “That’s enough. Poor Jake probably hasn’t even had his morning coffee yet.”
As she pulled him through the hall, she glanced back at her mother, who was silently clapping with glee.
Mothers.
Once outside, Jake said, “Your parents seem nice. I really enjoyed meeting them.”
“We get along well now,” Elena said, heading toward the beach. “I was a pretty feisty teenager, but they saw me through it.” She grinned, kicking up sand as they jogged down to the beach. A few surfers were coming in on waves. She wondered if she knew any of them, though it had been a couple of years since she’d surfed here. Preferring to wait for her dad, she’d decided not to surf on this trip. “I spent too much time on surfboards and not enough on books. Dated too many surfers…that sort of thing.”
“Hmm. Like Shane Wallace?”
Elena stopped. “Why do you ask about him? Do you even know him?”
“He was at Bow-Tie that night,” Jake said, looking a little guilty for bringing up his name. “I saw you talking with him.”
“If you’re still investigating me,” she said, putting a hand on her hip. “Then you can leave right now. I don’t care how busy Grams and Gramps have been putting us in each other’s way.”
“Point taken.” He looked truly regretful. “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
She reached for his hand. “Can we not talk about the robbery for just one day? All I’ve done is think about the loss and what it means to me and my family. I could use a break before I have to go back to L.A. and face it.” The stress of the robbery and her father’s condition had frazzled her nerves. She really needed a day of respite.
“I’d like that, too.” Jake stretched his well-defined arm across her shoulder and watched the sets of waves coming in. “Tell me more about Bondi Beach. What was it like to grow up here?”
“Pretty great, I have to say.” The feeling of his arm warmed her, and she leaned easily into him. She went on to tell him about how she learned to surf and the Australian tradition of celebrating a second Christmas in July with a winter fest. Pointing, she added, “That’s where the ice skating rink is set up for winter fest.”
Jake laughed. “Ice skating with a beach view. Now that’s interesting.” He nodded toward a rock swimming pool built into the sea and filled with ocean water. “So is that.”
“We call those ocean baths. They’ve been around forever. The sea washes protect the littlies, and they’re great for swimming morning laps.”
Pausing, they removed their shoes, and then resumed walking along the water’s edge where foamy saltwater kissed the white sandy beach. “So what was it like growing up in Beverly Hills?” she asked.
Jake shrugged. “Pretty much like anyplace, except with more Porsches and parents who made movies.” He laughed as Elena made a face. “You still had the same teenage angst, pressure to fit in—or not—and study and make grades. It was nice, don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t necessarily the lavish, dramatic lifestyles the reality shows would have you believe.”
“I live there, too. I understand.”
“Walls can hide a lot of tragic circumstances, believe me.” He shook his head. “Still, my mother is an artist and performer. She thrives on the location and the history, and she has tons of friends there.”
She realized she didn’t even know where he lived. “Do you live nearby?”
“I have a house in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue.” He glanced around. “Can’t compare to this beach though.”
The Santa Monica beach community in Los Angeles was a well-known haven for those seeking a beach lifestyle in L.A. “I have friends there,” Elena said. “We often meet for lunch at one of the cafes on Montana Avenue and then go shopping.”
“Where do you like to go?”
Elena named a few places, and soon they were sharing their favorite restaurants and talking about where they liked to go, and what they liked to do on weekends. She realized they had a lot more in common than she’d thought.
Wanting to spend more time with him, she asked if he liked to hike. “The Federation Cliffs have amazing views.”
“Lead the way,” he said, playfully spinning her around.
They traversed a raised wooden path that hugged the cliffs, stopping to take in the views. Leaning on the wooden rails, she shaded her eyes as she looked out over endless ocean waves.
Elena thought about the surprising turns her life had taken in the last few weeks, and the man who stood beside her. Looking overhead, she saw a few clouds on the horizon, but nothing to be concerned about yet. She was having such a good time that she never wanted this day to end.
Jake seemed different once he opened up. Maybe that’s the armor he has to wear in his line of work, she thought. He definitely had a softer side that she really liked.
Turning to Jake, she looped her arm through his. “Would you like to see more of Sydney?”
A smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “If it means seeing more of you.”
She caught his hand. “Let’s head back. It’s easy to get around in this city. Lots of water taxis and ferry boats. We can start at the Royal Botanic Gardens.”
Elena loved showing people the gardens, with its giant, two-hundred-year-old watergum and hoop pine trees, aboriginal heritage displays, and lush flowers of every description. She led him into a private tour of the Glass House, thanks to Grams, where they lingered over the vast array of tropical plants, including an incredible of collection of orchids, ferns, bromeliads, lilies, palm trees, and so much more.
The heady aromas were intoxicating. Jake moved closer to her and caught her hand, sending a thrill through her.
In the misty warmth surrounded by the sweet scent of lilies, Jake twirled her into his arms. “Thanks for giving me a second chance.”
Elena slid her arms up his shoulders, entwining her hands around his neck. “And me, too.” She gazed into his eyes, where she saw the desire growing in her reflected in his. Arching her neck, she brushed her lips along his jaw, teasing him.
Turning into her, Jake caught her lips with his own and enveloped her in his arms.
Warmth gathered in her chest and spread throughout her limbs. Nothing had prepared her for the intensity of his kiss, to which she fully responded, feeling the heat of his passion.
Deepening their kiss, they formed a space all their own in this magical surrounding of nature, and she sank into the soft fullness of his lips. When they finally parted, Elena rested her head against his chest, dizzy with yearning for more.
Jake ran his hands down the length of her back, tracing circles with the palms of his broad hands. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” he said. “Think they’d find us here if we decided not to leave?”
Elena smiled up at him. “Eventually we’d start growing moss. Wouldn’t be a good thing.” Far from being sated, the tension she’d felt around him had morphed into a deeper level of longing.
“Guess not,” he said, trailing his lips along her neck and pausing to nibble her earlobe. “I’m starving, how about you?”
She giggled. “Are you saying you’re hungry for me?” She’d love to lose herself in his arms. Instead, she pressed her fingertips lightly against his chest, putting a little space between them.
“That too. First things first.”
“I have an idea. Let’s go to the Rocks.” One of her best friends from school ran a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast with her husband there.
“I like the sound of that already.”
Laughing, she pulled away and led him outside into the cooler air. Clouds had gathered above. “We still have plenty of time.”
They took a water taxi to Circular Quay and walked to the Rocks, meandering through a harbor side market of vendor stalls where local artisans were selling crafts and clothing.
Jake paused by a white-tented stall, admiring a flowing, indigo blue dress paired with a soft pashmina shawl. “This would look incredible on you. Like it?”
“I do.” The dress was casual and looked comfortable, and it had sexy cut-outs on the shoulders. Judging by the style, she knew it would fit well. “You have good taste.”
“We’ll take it,” he told the shopkeeper, before hugging Elena to his chest. “It might not be diamonds, but I’d love to see you in this. Oh, I nearly forgot,” he said, eyeing high-heeled ankle boots and sandals. “We need to put you in a pair of heels so we can have a proper date.”
The shopkeeper overheard his remark and threw a quizzical look their way.
“Inside joke,” Elena said, chuckling. She pointed to a pair of deep blue high-heeled booties with lace insets and peep-toes. “What about this pair?”
“Sexy,” he said, whistling. “From your nose to your toes.” He tapped her nose, and she crinkled it in response. “I love this tiny bling. Blue diamond?”
“But of course,” she said, poking him.
“I think it’s beautiful.”
She grinned. What she didn’t say was that in ancient Ayurvedic science, nose piercing was related to women’s reproductive systems and believed to make menstrual cycles and childbirth easier. She turned to the shopkeeper. “I’ll try those.”
She tried on the booties while he helped her zip them up, looking like he was enjoying the whole process. “Perfect,” she said, spinning around. “And I have to get you something authentic, too.”
“I have what I want,” he said, his voice husky.
The shopkeeper wrapped up their package and Jake paid for it. “Need umbrellas?” she asked.
“I have a hoodie,” Elena said.
Jake grinned and kissed her on the cheek. “And I don’t mind getting wet.”
“Suit yourself,” the woman said, shaking her head. “Storm should be coming in soon.”
Taking Elena’s packages in his hand, Jake peered from the stall. “Now, about that promise of lunch.”
“I know just the place,” Elena said, shivering slightly. The temperature had dropped and the scent of rain was blowing in over the water. “A friend of mine has a bed-and-breakfast, and her husband is a trained chef. They have a café that’s really popular, if we can snag a seat.”
“Use your influence,” he said as they started off.
They hadn’t walked far when sprinkles began to dampen their hair. Elena jerked her hoodie over her hair, while Jake brushed drops from his hair and face.
Seconds later, larger drops began pelting their shoulders. As the sound of rain intensified, people in the market dashed for cover under awnings.
“We should’ve taken that woman up on the umbrella offer,” Jake called out.
“Probably just a quick shower,” Elena said, trying to stay positive while trotting for a covered area.
Suddenly, the sky flashed with a bolt of lightning, closely followed by a crack of thunder. A sheet of rain swept over the market area, sending people scrambling for overhangs.
“Run for it!” she cried, stretching her hand out to him through the torrential downpour.