CHAPTER ONE.

   DANIELLE'S P.O.V

      The waves, unlike the turmoil in my being, were calm and peaceful. They slowly rolled and crashed; their white caps cresting over and plunging back into the water, displaying the beauty of the sea from the shoreline. I buried my bare feet deeper into the sand on the shoreline which was wet from the sea water. I took in a deep breath of the fresh salty air and sighed. As I had hoped, walking along the beach had successfully cleared my head, calmed my nerves- somewhat, and reduced the tension which I still felt.

    After what I assumed were hours of enjoying the serenity of the beach, I decided to return to my hotel room. In my right hand were my sandals and my left hand held on to the shawl draped across my shoulders. The receptionist greeted me with a smile as I made my way into the lobby and I returned the gesture. On nearing the elevator, I realized its doors were closing and quickly wedged a foot between the doors to prevent it from completely getting shut.

    The elevator was occupied by a man whose unbelievably good looks caught me off guard, but the glare he shot at me told me that he did not appreciate my company. I quickly uttered an apology, made my way into the elevator and checked what floor the elevator was headed to; and thankfully, it was headed towards the same floor as I am. The silence in the elevator was so stifling, it caused my toes to wriggle in discomfort.

    Curiously, I took a look at the stranger behind me. His attention was directed towards the phone on his right hand which was busy with texting. His left hand, decorated with a Rolex watch sat in the pocket of his perfectly tailored suit pants. From the looks of it, he was a man of material substance and I seized the opportunity to gawk at him. As he started to raise his head, I looked away so fast, I think I gave myself a whiplash. I could feel his eyes boring holes into my back so intensely, that I loudly sighed in relief once the elevator came to a stop. I hurriedly exited the elevator, not minding that I might have looked undignified.

    My hotel room eased open with a satisfying beep as I swiped the key card across the lock. I dumped my sandals and shawl on the floor as I made my way to the queen sized bed which I dropped onto. My phone vibrated, notifying me of a new text message. As I reached for it on the bedside table, I mentally prepared myself for the barrage of messages that were sure to have bombarded my phone.

  57 missed calls and 28 new messages from Dad.

    "Holy moly" I whispered in exclamation as I went through the messages.

     Where are you?

     We need to talk about this!

 

     You can't hide forever.

 

  Stop being a child, Danielle! Behave like the lady that you are.

  "Lady, my ass!" I scoffed.

  Why should I listen to what he has to say when he won't listen to me?

  I dropped my phone in annoyance not bothering to read the rest of the messages. I looked around the hotel room, not quite knowing what to do. I have spent the past two days locked up in the room, neither seeing nor speaking to any one and living off of the junk and bottled water in the fridge.       

    Deciding to make the most of my time at the resort, I picked up my make shift diary which is a souvenir jotter that I found alongside a pen inside one of the bedside drawers. The first five pages of the jotter were filled with my written thoughts which had been driven by my anger towards my father. I turned to a fresh page and wrote out the possible fun things to do at the resort, using the hotel map as a guide.

1) Diving?

     Sounds fun.

2) Bungee jumping?

    Hell nah! I'm terrified of heights.

3) Swimming?

    Sure thing.

4) Beach lounging?

    Yasssss!

5) Clubbing?

   Definitely!

     I went through my haphazardly packed suitcase for an outfit. Unfortunately, because I had been in a rush to leave the house, I had picked only the pieces of clothing that were within arms length. At least now I know to be better prepared the next time I decide to run away from home.

     Taking out my wallet from my purse, I looked through it and saw that I had only a few hundred dollars in cash which was not enough to purchase the swimming suits and dresses I would need for my stay at the resort. The only other option I had was my credit card.

    

      I eyed the card, contemplating whether to risk using it or not. I have seen several movies where people are tracked with their credit cards and I could not afford for my father to find me. I had taken a risk already by using the card to pay for flight tickets and the hotel room. After a few minutes of thinking, I concluded that I would have to risk using the card if I was to enjoy my getaway.

   I rung up the reception to get me a cab heading to the city.

  "Let's go clubbing" I say, ticking the option on the jotter.

   ******

        THE CLUB was packed tonight, the heat causing my dress to cling to my body like a second skin. The disco balls lit up the dance floor in bright and flashy colors, and the dance floor was crowded with both couples and lone dancers moving in time with the beat of the music which blared from the overhead speakers. 

   I threw back my shot of vodka, grimacing as I fetl the liquid burning as it slid down my throat. I signalled to the bartender to get me another glass.

    "This is your sixth shot" he said as he slid the glass across the table.

     "Are you stalking me or what?" I asked.

    "Something like that"

       

   He smiled at me and I gave him a flirtatious smile in return. He is good looking; not usually my type, but there was no one that particularly caught my attention.

     I threw back my new shot of vodka and looked around for the bartender, intending to further our interaction. I noticed him attending to another person across from me. The new customer, who was male and dressed in a blue tailored suit, piked my interest. His handsome side view made me wonder how good looking his face really was. As he sipped his alcohol, I willed him to look at me so I could see his face better.

    He looked around the club and finally his eyes landed on me. His ethereal features made me catch my breath in awe. He seemed familiar and I tried to place where I must have seen him. I sifted through my memories until I recalled. He was the guy from the elevator.

  He kept staring at me and for some reason, I felt an intense connection as I stared back at him from across the room. Feeling tipsy and wreckless, I approached him, not once breaking eye contact, sat beside him, and greeted him with a flirtatious smile. My plan to flirt with the bartender was long forgotten by that time.

  "Hi" I greeted.

  "Hey" he greeted back.

   His voice is so husky, it caused my heart to beat faster. I loved his voice and decided to engage him in a conversation just to keep listening to it.

  "You remember me?' I asked.

   "Hmm" he replied, taking a gulp of his drink.

  "What are you having?" I asked him, tracing my fingers across his glass.

   "Rum and coke" he answered.

  He was still staring at me and his mesmerizing blue eyes felt like they were piercing my soul.

   "Big boy" I purred while boldly moving my index finger across the length of his hand.

   His eyes turned a shade darker as he looked at me. I ran my tongue across my upper lip and watched as he gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. The movement of his Adam's apple was so enticing, that I felt a pool of warmth between my legs. The influence of the alcohol caused me to be brazen.

  "Dance with me?" I asked him.

   I stood up slowly and walked towards the dance floor, not waiting for his reply. At that moment, I congratulated myself for taking the risk of purchasing my outfit tonight.

   I had on a black strapless dress which enunciated my wide hips and backside, and silver pumps which make my legs look longer than they are. My natural brunette waves were packed up in a simple hairdo framing my small face. From my ears, diamond earrings dangled, and clasped around my left wrist was a simple diamond bracelet. I knew I looked sexy and I felt even more sexy as I seemed to be successful in my attempts to seduce the absolutely handsome stranger.

   The dance floor was dimly lit while slow and sensual music played. I watched as he walked towards me, his gaze intensifying as I moved my hips seductively, in time with the beat of the music. He pulled me close to him and placed his hands on my hips while I wrapped my arms around his neck, our intense staring starting all over. His eyes became hooded as I grinded up on him and he breathed in sharply. Knowing that I was pressing the right buttons made me giddy.

    And maybe it was the sweltering heat in the club, or the alcohol messing with my head.

   

    Maybe it was the way his arms felt, wrapped around my waist, or the way he looked at me like I was a treat he could not wait to taste.

   

    Maybe it was the intensity of his gaze, or the way he made me feel like the sexiest woman in the room.

   

    Maybe it was for one of these reasons that I leaned towards his ear and whispered,

   

    "Let's go somewhere...private."