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Thomas has it all: nobility, money, the girl, and a position waiting for him at the family business. But when he thinks about the life ahead of him, he can't breathe. So he takes a gap year backpacking.
Nadia...
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The Mid Coast, Adelaide, South Australia — April.
Photographers called this the golden hour. Khai had taught her that.
Nadia sat on her surfboard, her body jittering. Around her, the late afternoon sun radiated off red-orange cliffs in a warm glow, skimming across the deep-aqua water and highlighting the tips as they moved across the surface in serpentine lines.
Where is he now? she wondered.It would be midnight in Latin America — she knew that much. His contact had become sporadic since he'd left Mexico months earlier. Does he miss me? Her stomach clenched and her chest tightened as she considered the possibilities. Is he with other women?
They'd been dating for a few years, ever since they'd met at the same beach and he swept her off her feet in a whirlwind summer romance.
Khai had been a flirt since the day they met. One to enthral people — usually attractive young women — with tall tales of his adventures abroad. The thing was, his stories got repetitive, and she was no good at pretending to be interested when she wasn't. Standing on the outside, watching in, his behaviour had always left her with a hollow feeling in her gut and the sensation of something stuck in her throat. Khai didn't like this reaction. He'd never actually done anything to break her trust. She put it down to her insecurities — and so did he.
She shook the images from her mind, reminding herself of his broad smile and adoring eyes. Soon they would have their own stories to share.
To distract herself, she pressed her hands against her board and leaned back, letting the lumps of combed wax dig into her skin. Her legs kicked the water and droplets flew into the air, sparkling in the light and changing colour as they moved across the horizon. She tasted the salt of the sea, mixed with a dry, earthy scent from the shore.
Tucking her hands under her armpits, she wiggled her fingers and regretted her decision to wear a bikini. With the onset of autumn, the temperature of the water had plummeted. Yet the crystalline brightness held the memory of summer, despite the crisp snap that caused her spine to tingle from the first duck dive. Even so, she had put off wearing her wetsuit. She didn't want to say goodbye to summer — not just yet, and as she felt her skin gulp down vitamin D, she decided the choice had been worth it.
"Hey!"
Nadia jumped, turned her head and looked at the black-haired man who had paddled up beside her. He was about thirty, with tattoo sleeves almost lost in his tanned skin.
"Umm, hey."
"Getting much?"
"Er, a few."
"I've been watching your style."
She groaned under her breath. The downside of wearing a bikini was attention. She could imagine Khai chastening her for inviting it. Best to keep her responses brief. That should give him the hint.
