Andrew leaned closer. His eyes sparkled with mischief. “If I tell you, I’d have to kill you.”
I shifted, making the space between our faces even shorter. “I’d like to see you try.”
A smile tugged at a corner of his lips, and his gaze did this slow sweep over my face, carefully lingering on my lips for several heart beats and finally returning to my eyes, but not before a pleasant feeling spread through me, making my toes tingle. I shouldn’t have, but I enjoyed that look.
I should stop. Starting now.
“OMG.” William returned to his spot, pulling us apart. My face was on fire as if I’d swallowed ghost pepper. I picked up the glass of cold water and pressed it against my cheek. “I just ran into the most gorgeous man with a sexy accent. Maybe Australian? We only had a brief chat, but he was so cute.” He twisted in his chair and glanced over his shoulder at the restaurant. “Shoot, I didn’t catch his name or where he was from.”
“You should go catch him,” I said.
“Nah, he was in a rush leaving. If it’s meant to be, we’ll run into each other.”
Everything I tried at breakfast was out of this world good. The sausage had unique spicy seasoning, sweet bread rolls melted in my mouth, and the small, orange, round berries were so remarkable I moaned when their tart, tangy flavor exploded in my mouth.
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. “What are these?”
“Physalis peruviana or golden berries,” Andrew said. “They’re native to Colombia.”
“From now on, this is my favorite fruit,” I said.
“Every fruit is your favorite,” William said. “Adriana spends most of her money on wine and fruit.”
“Don’t forget cheese and bread.” I pierced the last berry on my plate.
“How could I?” William chuckled. “The key to this woman’s heart is to shower her with superb wine, cheese, and fresh bread.”
“Noted.” Andrew pushed his chair out, dropping the napkin on the table. He’d only eaten an omelet and fruit, leaving his sweet dessert rolls untouched. “I’ll see you in the lobby in twenty minutes.”
“Wait,” I said, and he turned to face me, “I only brought clothes for two days. I need to go shopping.”
“We can find a store later. Right now, we need to keep moving.”
ChapterSix
Fifty minutes later, William and I found Andrew in the lobby near the exit, talking on a phone. He noticed us and nodded to follow him outside, his iPhone pressed to his ear. “They’re here,” he said to whoever was on the other side of the line. “Kiss Lulu for me.” He ended the call and slid the phone into his pants pocket.
“I’m sorry we’re late,” I said.
“Next time, I’m docking your delay from the agreed-on price.”
“Hey, don’t be a dick to her.” William dabbed his sweaty forehead with a napkin. “I couldn’t find the sunscreen.”
We stopped at an old, red Jeep Wrangler. Andrew hoisted my luggage into the back of the car next to his bag.
“Is this our ride?” William stepped back and scrutinized the open-top car.
“Yes.” The muscles in Andrew’s back strained against his shirt as he reached for William’s first suitcase. I knew I should turn away and not stare. But I didn’t want to. “Is it a problem?”
“Well, yeah.” William deadpanned. “With all the money you’re throwing around, this is what you rented?”
“Dr. Garcia let me borrow it.”
“Oh Jessezzz. Too much sun. I need my hat if we’re going without a roof.” William pressed his fingers to his temples. “I just don’t remember which bag it’s in.”
Andrew took the next bag and piled it on top of the others. “You’d better hurry and check.”
William closed his eyes and wrinkled his nose. To avoid ogling Andrew’sdespicableforearms as he secured ratchet straps around our bags, I climbed into the passenger seat and waited for William to inevitably discover that he hadn’t brought a hat.
