Tall, Dark & Distant Read Online Free PDF Page A

sight, and she slowly raised her head to see who they belonged to. Her eyes took in the athletic legs and the striped shorts. Her heart beat faster. She saw the pale blue shirt, open at the neck, displaying a hint of tanned, muscular chest. By the time she got to his face, and those green, green eyes, Georgia was starting to feel dizzy.
    ‘Looking for someone?’ the guy said with a slight grin.
    Georgia stood facing the object of her obsession, aware of what had just taken place. While she and Ella had scurried up and down Hastings Street like a pair of novice spies, he had known exactly what they were up to. While they watched him, he was watching them. Georgia felt absurd. She struggled to think of some way to explain her stalking. Ella would’ve had an instantly believable story at her disposal. But Georgia had no idea.
    ‘I’m Nik Ledbury,’ the guy said, breaking the awkward silence.
    ‘We met on the track a few days ago? You might not remember me.’ With his well-chosen words, the guy with green eyes had turned the situation on its head. For this drop-dead gorgeous guy to pretend that she might not remember him was modesty in the extreme. Georgia was falling in love. And all she knew about him was his name.
    ‘Hi. Yeah, I remember. I’m Georgia.’
    A flicker of something odd flashed across his face as she said Georgia .
    Georgia hesitated. She wondered if instead of saying her name, she’d just told him she was Osama bin Laden. It wasn’t out of the question. She felt like anything was possible in her current situation. Only she could make such a mess of saying her own name. Things were starting to fall apart already and they had only just begun. Then Ella wandered over and Georgia offered a silent prayer of thanks, knowing she was saved.
    ‘This is my friend, Ella,’ Georgia said.
    ‘Great to meet you,’ Ella said to Nik, perfectly normally, as though they hadn’t been stalking him for forty-five minutes. ‘Are you here on holidays?’
    Nik nodded. ‘Yes. Just arrived.’
    Ella glanced sideways at Georgia, and Georgia knew she was willing her to continue the conversation. Ella had done her bit to get things moving. Now it was Georgia’s turn.
    She took a breath. ‘Are you from England?’ she asked, hoping that she had correctly interpreted his polished accent. His tan looked anything but English, but his vowels were unmistakable.
    ‘Sort of,’ Nik replied. ‘But I’m not rushing back there.’
    Ella shot Georgia a look of encouragement that was so blatant she could have danced down the street naked and Georgia would’ve been less embarrassed. But then Ella made up for it, moving things on in a way that would’ve taken Georgia ten years.
    ‘We’re having a barbeque this afternoon,’ Ella said, ‘if you want to come.’
    Nik bit his lip. He looked at Ella and then at Georgia. There was a three second silence as Nik weighed up the invitation; it felt like three hours to Georgia. ‘I’m … pretty busy this afternoon.’
    Georgia looked at Nik’s magazine, the shopping bag. He didn’t look like a busy guy, but even she could spot a polite rejection when she saw one. She lowered her eyes, trying to cover up her disappointment.
    ‘I’m pretty busy, but I’m sure I can come by,’ finished Nik. ‘Why not?’
    Georgia’s eyes flicked up with the unexpected response. She controlled an urge to jump up and down, but she couldn’t stop a smile spreading across her face. She waited patiently as Ella went into great detail about how to get to her house, which roads to take and which ones to avoid. Georgia tried to keep her eyes on Ella, but they kept drifting back to Nik. His eyes transfixed her.
    She felt herself drifting out of Hastings Street, floating in a clear lagoon, with no-one around except for her and Nik …
    ‘See you later,’ Nik said, waking Georgia from her daydream.‘Nice dress, by the way. It really suits you.’ He smiled playfully.
    Georgia looked down at her attire.