Oceans Apart (Ocean Dreams Book 1) (3 page)

“I can do this,”
Annie said to herself. I know how to swim. I’m going to be fine. She kept reassuring herself. She waded out into knee-deep water. Gaining confidence as she moved out further, she dived into the water. The refreshing temperature made her feel alive. She came up and continued to swim without a care in the world and felt free for the first time ever.

Annie didn’t notice that while she was swimming, she was being pushed further out into the open water. Starting to become tired, Annie decided it was time to head back to the beach. She tried her hardest to swim back to where her belongings were on the beach, but she was getting nowhere. The harder she swam, the more tired she became. Her arms felt like lead weights, just wanting to hang by her sides. She was treading water but even that wasn’t helping. Annie started to panic. No, what do I do? She thought this could be it. This could be the end. Her mind was spinning, she couldn’t think straight. A wave dunked her deep under the water. Annie swam as hard as she could, up to the surface, not knowing if she was going to make it or not. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw something coming toward her and then a splash. It wasn’t something but it was someone. She was lifted out of the water and thrown up onto a surfboard, her mind all a blur. Lying on the board, not having the energy to move at all, she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was racing a million miles a second. Next thing she knew, the board jerked as it hit the sand of the beach. Her rescuer came over and put a hand on her back.

“There you go. Just take it easy. Deep breaths in and out,” the male Australian voice told her.

Annie did as she was told, sucking in as much air as she could and slowly letting it back out. ‘
What the hell just happened?
’ she thought.

“You okay now?” her rescuer asked. A nod of her head was all the reply Annie managed.

“Do you think you can turn over or sit up?”

Annie tried to push herself up onto all fours but couldn’t. She opted for just rolling over onto her back and onto the sand.

“Um…you lost your…” stuttered the man.

“Sorry. What?” Annie questioned him while rubbing her eyes. She needed a good look at her rescuer and the salt water had made her eyes blurry.

“You lost your, um…it appears you’ve lost your top,” he said while trying to hide an amused smile.

“Oh, my gosh, I’ve lost my bikini top!” exclaimed Annie. She had found what little energy she had left and hurried to cover herself with her hands.

“I can see that,” he chuckled.

“Turn around. Turn around!” Annie raised her voice at him.

“I didn’t notice anything. Honest.” He did what she asked while having a quiet laugh to himself.

“Ooh, what am I going to do? I didn’t bring a shirt. The weather was so pleasant that I just didn’t think. Oh, Hell!”

“Calm down. Give me a second.” He ran over a few yards picked up a shirt and ran back. “You can have my T-shirt.”

Annie sat up, took the T-shirt from her rescuer, and threw it on as quickly as possible, finally getting a better look at him. He seemed familiar but she couldn’t place him. Dark brown hair, muscles from top to toe, and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. But it was his last statement that was sticking in her mind at that moment.

“What did you mean? Why didn’t you take notice of them?” asked Annie.

“Notice of what?” Her hunky rescuer looked puzzled.

“My boobs.” Annie was being cheeky and enjoying watching him sweat a little.

“Wait. Now, I didn’t say I didn’t take notice. I just said I didn’t take a good look. I mean, what’s the use of a pair of fine looking breasts if the chick who owns them is dead.” He winked at her.

Annie wasn’t sure what to make of that comment. “Thank you. I mean it. If you hadn’t seen me in the water, I could have drowned.”

“Didn’t you know not to swim out here when the lifeguards aren’t on patrol?” The man turned serious all of a sudden.

“No. I had no idea. It’s the first time I’ve been to a beach.” Annie felt like a fool.

He scoffed. “C’mon. Are you joking?”

“You don’t believe me?”

The man sighed and looked up and down at her. “I think I do. The sign over there says to watch out for rips off this beach. I mean it’s a safe beach to swim at most of the time, but when there are rips out there and if you don’t know how to handle them, they can prove deadly.”

Annie took what he said in and thought for a moment. “Well, thank goodness you were around then. I’m very lucky.”

“I happen to think I’m the lucky one,” he said cheekily.

“Pardon me?” Annie wasn’t sure she heard him clearly.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, “I’m Cameron Hart, but call me Cam. Pleased to be your rescuer today. And you are?”

She looked him up and down. “Annie…Scott.”

“Your accent is American, but I can’t quite place it?”

“Why would you place it?” she asked him

“I’ve travelled a lot. I do travel a lot. All over the world including the States,” Cam told her.

“Really? Well, I’m from Tennessee, Nashville to be exact,” Annie said.

“So, are you feeling okay now?” Cam knelt down in front of Annie and looked at her.

Annie was staring right into his eyes and briefly forgot everything else but him. “Ah… yeah. I’m okay. Thank you.” She looked down at her hands and started wringing them together.

“You’re sure? You still seem a little shaken to me,” a concerned Cam asked Annie.

“I’ll be fine.” Annie sighed. “I should probably go. I need to find my things and see if I can work out where to catch the bus back to my hotel in the city. Thank you for everything, Mr. Hart.” Annie placed her hands at her sides to help herself up but a wave of nausea washed over her. Sitting still for another moment was probably a better idea. The hunky surfer crouched down next to her.

“Let me walk with you, just to be sure that you’re okay? I’ll help you find your gear, too,” Cam offered.

His closeness made her heart race almost as fast as when she was caught in the water. What was this guy doing to her sensibilities? “That’s very kind of you but I’m fine. Thank you,” a flustered Annie replied. She turned her head away from his so she could scan the beach for her things.

“Yeah, you said that. Look. I live just up across the road from here. We can pick up your things, walk up to my place, and I can drive you back to the hotel. What do you say?” he asked her. Annie turned and looked at him. Her eyes found and locked on his. She could get lost in those blue pools so easily.

Mentally shaking herself, Annie said, “I, I…I’m not sure.”

“I’m not some serial killer. Promise,” laughed Cam as a huge grin spread across his face.

“Well, of course you are going to say that. How the hell would I know if you were or not?” Annie exclaimed.

“Okay. Listen. I’ve seen people become caught in rips before. They’re exhausted after. Let me just help you back to the hotel. I’ll even drop you right out front.” Cam was trying his hardest to be helpful to Annie.

Annie took a minute to think about his offer. “I guess. Okay, fine. I mean you look pretty harmless.”

Cam grinned at her. “I’m just like a puppy dog.”

“You do know puppy dogs can get into all sorts of mischief,” remarked Annie.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t mischievous.” Cam laughed and winked at her. A giggle escaped from Annie’s lips. He was cute and he rescued her. How much trouble could he be? They both stood up but her legs were still shaky and she swayed from side to side a little. Cam grabbed her by the elbow to steady her. They both looked up at each other, knowing that the touch between them was heated.

“Careful there. Let me help you. Lean on me while we walk up to the road and hell…you can even wait there while I get my car. But I am driving you back to the hotel. No discussions.” With his firm tone, she knew he was serious.

Taking a deep breath she said, “Fine. I can see you aren’t going to take no for an answer.”

“I won’t. It’s not every day I’m able to save a gorgeous girl. I’m not letting this chance go to waste now.” His cheeky side was starting to show again and she wondered if it ever went too far.

“Watch it! Look, Cam, if you want to give me a ride back to town, that’s great, but it’s going no further than that. Got it?”

Cam held his hands up. “Whatever you say, Nashville.”

Cam picked up his board, lifted it up and under his left arm, and then held out his right arm. Annie took the support from Cam gingerly as they walked toward the spot where she believed she left her things. It was a silent amble down the beach. Annie thought she would be uncomfortable being helped by a guy she didn’t know, but somehow the usual butterflies that would fly around her stomach weren’t there.

After finding her things, they continued up to the road and Cam stopped at a bench. “Just sit here and I’ll be right back.”

“Where’s your car?” Annie asked while looking around.

“I live just across the park there. See the house with the wood-panel fence? Anyway, I’ll put my board in the garage, grab another T-shirt, and bring the car here…where I expect you to be here waiting,” he said firmly to Annie.

“Geez, you are bossy. Who made you my lord and protector?” Annie said, slightly affronted.

“You did the minute you got caught in the rip, sweetheart.” Cam winked at her again.

“Don’t call me sweetheart,” she said as seriously as she could but a little smile seemed to make its way to her lips. Cam let out a laugh that made her smile more. He wasn’t easily discouraged.

“Are you getting the car?”

“Sure. Be back in five.” Annie watched as he jogged away with his board under his arm. She noticed the tattoo that covered his shoulder and top part of his right arm.

‘Wow!’
she mouthed to herself. She was starting to process everything that had happened in the last hour. Annie was scolding herself for how stupid she had been when it hit her. Cam was the guy who just made the plane from L.A. The man with the Pacific blue eyes. Holy shit! Was this fate or plain dumb luck?

Cam opened the wooden gate to his house and entered his yard. Before closing the gate, he looked back over his shoulder at Annie. Yeah, that has to be her. Cam said to himself as he closed the gate. He hadn’t forgotten those pink lips and deep brown eyes. They were the same pair of fine eyes he first saw on the plane to Sydney the other day. He could feel someone staring at him and was pleasantly surprised with what he saw. She looked a little worse for wear now, but that night on the plane, he went to sleep dreaming of her face. He had fantasized about the petite blonde ever since. Having now seen her gorgeous breasts, there were sure to be pleasant dreams in the future.

Cam walked around the back of the house and leaned his board on the wall. He retrieved the hidden key under the rock in the garden and opened the back door. He ran up the two flights of stairs to the second floor. Entering his bedroom, he opened the chest of drawers and grabbed the first T-shirt he laid his hands on. Cam walked over and picked up his wallet and keys from the bedside table. Heading back downstairs, he stopped in the kitchen and got two bottles of water out the fridge, before heading out the back door again. Cam pressed a button on his keys and the garage door rolled upward to reveal his three cars. Jumping into his Jeep, Cam turned the key in the ignition and sighed.

Annie was still thinking about Cam, the plane trip, and the probability of him being the guy to save her when she heard the engine of the Jeep pulling up next to her. Cam got out and walked over to her.

“Your chariot, my lady.” He waved his arm in the direction of the black SUV.

“Thank you.” Annie stood and her legs wobbled a little.

“Whoa there, Nashville!” Cam grabbed her around the waist. Annie was sure her heart stopped. He towered over her, which would intimidate many people, but Annie felt safe with him. This was a new feeling, something she had never felt with anyone before.

“Um. Thank you,” she whispered, unable to find her voice. Annie snuck a quick glance up at Cam. His eyes were set firmly on hers.

“No worries,” he replied just as quietly.

An unsettled Annie backed away and walked over to the right hand side door, but she was greeted with the driver’s side. Realizing her mistake, she looked behind her and caught Cam trying to hide a smile. Annie couldn’t help blushing and scurried around to the other side of the vehicle. Cam was right behind her, so she got in as quickly as she could, trying to hide her embarrassment.