Chapter Five
Bree couldn’t remember ever being this exhausted after a flight. Probably because she rarely flew commercial. If she’d been smart, she would’ve taken her father’s plane to Bali, skipping the annoying layovers. All she wanted was to bathe and then stretch out on the deck in one of the Blue Fin’s luxurious lounge chairs.
When Ketut pulled the buggy up in front of her favorite villa, she barely waited for it to stop before hopping out. The driver shot her a worried look, but she was already racing to the front door before he could say anything. She slipped her key in the lock, and upon opening the door, the breeze from the ceiling fan cooled her sweat-soaked skin, and the intoxicating scent of essential oils soothed her senses.
A minute later Ketut was behind her with her bags. “Miss Wilson, where would you like these?” he asked.
“Right here in the hall is fine, and you don’t need to show me around. I’ve been here many times.” She set her coconut drink down on a table, tucked the manila envelope she’d been given at check-in under her arm, and then reached into her handbag to take out a ten dollar bill. “Please accept this,” she said, handing it to Ketut.
“Thank you much, Miss Wilson.”
After Ketut left, she grabbed her carry-on bag—she’d come back for the other later—and headed toward the stairs. As she was about to take a step, she thought she heard a voice. Was she so tired she imagined it? Bree set her bag down on the first step and then headed into the living room where she now could hear water running. Was someone else here? As she stood there too stunned to move, she heard the voice again. It was a man’s voice, and he was singing if she could even call it that because it was so off key. What in the world was going on here? Had they double booked her villa?
Bree groaned. Just what she needed after her horrible flight. Well, this was going to get straightened out and now. She went over to the wooden chest where the resort cell phone was always kept and groaned again. It wasn’t there. The other guest must have it. She snatched her phone out of her handbag, but before she could dial, she spotted a tall, well-muscled hunk coming down the hall wearing nothing but a resort towel. Her face grew warm, and her pulse quickened. He didn’t see her at first, but when he did, he stopped cold and tightened the towel around his waist. His tanned skin was still damp from the shower, and it glistened from the sunlight streaming in through the skylights above like molded bronze. Deep chocolate eyes held hers; then his gaze shifted down to the envelope in her hand. His brow furrowed, marring his handsome face.
“You’re in the wrong villa.” His tone was pleasant but firm.
“I don’t think so,” Bree responded as firmly. “I always stay in this one. The Royal Villa is always available to me.”
“Well, someone’s made a mistake.”
“Obviously.” Bree tried redialing the Blue Fin but her mind went blank, and she couldn’t remember the number. In frustration, she tossed the phone back in her handbag. “It’s easier to use the resort cell phone. Do you have it?”
“Yep.”
The man disappeared down the hall, returning a few minutes later clad in a pair of well-worn jeans that emphasized the slimness of his hips, and the rich outlines of his shoulders strained against the fabric of his white T-shirt. Along with the phone, he was carrying an envelope similar to hers. She swallowed hard. He couldn’t be her match, could he?
Without waiting for another second, she tore open her envelope and pulled out a picture, along with a Perfect Match profile. Oh, yeah! It was him all right, but as she read her heart sank. Jayce Owens was from Nebraska. He was thirty years old, owned a dairy farm, and was looking for a sweet country girl to share his life with. Hardly her match. Had Dawson lost his mind? Why would he pick this hottie, knowing he was the complete opposite of what she wanted? Her breath burned in her throat, but when she looked over at Jayce, her anger subsided some. He’d opened his envelope too, and the expression on his face portrayed his disappointment equaled hers.
“I’m not exactly what you were hoping for, am I?” she asked.
“I don’t like to prejudge people, but I gotta be honest. New York is a long way from Nebraska, and a city girl like yourself most likely won’t enjoy milkin’ a cow.”
“You’re right about that. I can’t say that’s anywhere on my “to do” list.”
“So what now?” he asked.
“I could call Dawson and tell him to get us flights back to the states as soon as possible.”
He stared, complete surprise on his face.
“What? You don’t like that idea?”
He ran his hand through his golden blond hair. “I never go back on my word. I promised to stay a week, and that’s what I’d like to do.”
“Oh! Okay. Well, enjoy Bali.” She turned to get her bags, but his hand on her arm stopped her.
“Wait. We might not be a match, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a week here. I’d love to have someone to see the island with. We’re already here, so why not?”
He had a point. Besides, if Bree left now, she’d be breaking her promise to Dawson, and despite being upset with him for selecting someone the complete opposite of her type, she didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship. And she’d never convince her dad that she didn’t come home early because of him. Plus she did want to check on the progress of the Wilson Cliffside Resort. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be right to leave now. But I am going to call check-in to get the villa situation straightened out.”
“Here.” Jayce handed her the cell phone.
She dialed zero and said, “I’d like to speak with the front desk manager, please.” A few seconds later, he was on the phone, and she began to explain the situation. However, she was caught off guard when he told her it wasn’t a mistake. Perfect Match had booked the Royal Villa for them both, and unfortunately, there weren’t any additional residences available.
Her voice was hoarse with frustration when she relayed the manager’s response to Jayce.
“I don’t mind that we’re sharing the villa. It’s certainly large enough. And there are two bedrooms.”
Bree puckered her lips. “I’m going upstairs to freshen up and unpack.”
“Is there anything special that you’d like to do later?”
“Yes. Order dinner in and then go to sleep.”
“Sounds good to me. Here, let me help you with your luggage.” He followed her into the hall.
“You don’t have to. I can do it.” But when she tried to lift her suitcase, and it barely budged, he scooped it up effortlessly. Of course, it was easy for him to pick up, he was a big strong guy, she thought as she headed toward the stairs. At least she could handle the carry-on case she’d left on the step earlier. Picking it up, she then followed him up to the bedroom.
“Where would you like this?’ he asked, holding her suitcase up in front of him as if it weighed no more than a feather.
“In front of the closet is fine. Thanks.”
His powerful body moved with a surprisingly easy grace as he walked across the room. “There you go,” he said putting the bag on the floor. “I’ll be out on the deck. Let me know when you’d like to order dinner.”
Once she was alone, she put her carry-on case and handbag on the bed and then plopped down beside them. “Thanks for nothing, Dawson,” she mumbled to herself while fishing in her purse for her phone. When she found it, she dialed his number but got voicemail. “I’m not surprised you’re not answering. I’m sure you knew I’d be calling. You’d asked me to trust you. You’d find my perfect match. Well, it’s sure not a dairy farmer from Nebraska. I wanted someone who could travel the world with me. What were you thinking?” She let out a long sigh, then hung up the phone. “Despite what you’ve done, I’m going to try to enjoy myself.” With that proclamation, she marched into the bathroom.