smidgen of Sophie's confidence. She'd always been envious of Sophie's easygoing nature and her ability to have men eating out of her hand; it was just a pity that she never stuck with any of her conquests after the deal was done. Surely, one of these days a man who could captivate her for longer than it took her to get re-dressed would come along, until then, Sophie would keep being 'Sophie'.
"They're certainly getting along well" Jack laughed, bringing Anya back to the moment as she looked up to see Finn throw Sophie over his shoulder and head into the waves.
"Soph has always been laidback" she offered, sitting down on her towel and scooting over to offer him some space next to her. As he shuffled his bulk onto the towel beside her, the smell of his sunscreen and the heat of his body so close to hers engulfing her senses, "I've never quite understood how she does it, but she seems to have an awful lot of fun" Anya laughed awkwardly, looking out to watch them frolicking in the waves.
"What about you?" he asked, turning his body to face her, "what do you do for fun, Anya?"
Anya considered him for a moment; with his dark hair and even darker eyes, deliciously tanned skin, and shoulders so broad that even covered with his Lifeguard shirt they screamed for attention, arms that were bulging from beneath his shirt that she'd just die to have around her, keeping her safe and secure. No doubt about it, Jack was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. And, judging by the filthy looks she was been shot by women far more beautiful than her, she was definitely out of her depth. Yet, he hadn't once looked at any of them, hadn't once broken her eye contact.
"Aah, well not that" she laughed nodding to Sophie and Finn who were now lip-locked in the waves oblivious to all around them. "I, ah, I don't really know to be honest".
"You don't know what you do for fun?" he questioned. "Anya, have I imposed on you, would you like me to leave?" he asked genuinely as he began to rise to his feet.
"No, don't leave" she replied, quickly resting her hand on his knee to stop him. "I'm just not very good at this" she said, waving her finger between them both as way of explanation. "I've just moved to Sydney, well six months ago now, but I've just thrown myself into work and I don't really have any pastimes, I don't really know anyone except for Sophie" she revealed honestly.
Nice one Anya, no friends, no fun, no life… What man would find that interesting? she chided herself—if that didn't make her seem like the most boring and pathetic person in the whole of Sydney she'd be surprised.
His silence was monumental; it felt like minutes had passed before he finally replied, "Sounds like you need another friend" flashing her a warm smile and a wink adding "I'd like to get to know you Anya, if you're interested?"
His smile warmed her from deep inside and she felt the resultant blush hit her cheeks almost instantly. "Really? Anya with no family, no friends, no life— you want to get to know me?" she replied unbelievingly.
"You don't believe me?" he quizzed her, lowering his voice and causing Anya to lean in closer to hear him, "Why wouldn't I want to know you?"
"Well, I mean, look at you and look at me" she scoffed, "Every woman on this beach is death-staring me right now just for daring to talk to you. Even they can tell this is the mismatch of the year!"
"Anya, I don't care what they think. And, for the record, we" he said just loud enough for her to hear, "we're not a mismatch" before flashing her a smile that momentarily stopped her heart from beating. "So, what brought you to Sydney?"
"New beginnings" she offered, meekly. She'd come to despise telling her life story and was even more reluctant to do so with Jack lest he run in the opposite direction from fear of her 'baggage' as it was so often called.
"Right, new beginnings… You're not going to give anything away are you Anya?" he replied, sounding almost disappointed with
"They're certainly getting along well" Jack laughed, bringing Anya back to the moment as she looked up to see Finn throw Sophie over his shoulder and head into the waves.
"Soph has always been laidback" she offered, sitting down on her towel and scooting over to offer him some space next to her. As he shuffled his bulk onto the towel beside her, the smell of his sunscreen and the heat of his body so close to hers engulfing her senses, "I've never quite understood how she does it, but she seems to have an awful lot of fun" Anya laughed awkwardly, looking out to watch them frolicking in the waves.
"What about you?" he asked, turning his body to face her, "what do you do for fun, Anya?"
Anya considered him for a moment; with his dark hair and even darker eyes, deliciously tanned skin, and shoulders so broad that even covered with his Lifeguard shirt they screamed for attention, arms that were bulging from beneath his shirt that she'd just die to have around her, keeping her safe and secure. No doubt about it, Jack was the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. And, judging by the filthy looks she was been shot by women far more beautiful than her, she was definitely out of her depth. Yet, he hadn't once looked at any of them, hadn't once broken her eye contact.
"Aah, well not that" she laughed nodding to Sophie and Finn who were now lip-locked in the waves oblivious to all around them. "I, ah, I don't really know to be honest".
"You don't know what you do for fun?" he questioned. "Anya, have I imposed on you, would you like me to leave?" he asked genuinely as he began to rise to his feet.
"No, don't leave" she replied, quickly resting her hand on his knee to stop him. "I'm just not very good at this" she said, waving her finger between them both as way of explanation. "I've just moved to Sydney, well six months ago now, but I've just thrown myself into work and I don't really have any pastimes, I don't really know anyone except for Sophie" she revealed honestly.
Nice one Anya, no friends, no fun, no life… What man would find that interesting? she chided herself—if that didn't make her seem like the most boring and pathetic person in the whole of Sydney she'd be surprised.
His silence was monumental; it felt like minutes had passed before he finally replied, "Sounds like you need another friend" flashing her a warm smile and a wink adding "I'd like to get to know you Anya, if you're interested?"
His smile warmed her from deep inside and she felt the resultant blush hit her cheeks almost instantly. "Really? Anya with no family, no friends, no life— you want to get to know me?" she replied unbelievingly.
"You don't believe me?" he quizzed her, lowering his voice and causing Anya to lean in closer to hear him, "Why wouldn't I want to know you?"
"Well, I mean, look at you and look at me" she scoffed, "Every woman on this beach is death-staring me right now just for daring to talk to you. Even they can tell this is the mismatch of the year!"
"Anya, I don't care what they think. And, for the record, we" he said just loud enough for her to hear, "we're not a mismatch" before flashing her a smile that momentarily stopped her heart from beating. "So, what brought you to Sydney?"
"New beginnings" she offered, meekly. She'd come to despise telling her life story and was even more reluctant to do so with Jack lest he run in the opposite direction from fear of her 'baggage' as it was so often called.
"Right, new beginnings… You're not going to give anything away are you Anya?" he replied, sounding almost disappointed with
Similar Books
