Elizabeth Lennox - Her Secret

Woah! Kate whispered, unaware that shed spoken out loud.

Not that it mattered. The courtyard area of the small restaurant was deserted at this time of the day, most of the other patrons heading indoors where it was cooler.

The towering man glanced her way and her heart lurched! Kate wasnt sure if she should feign indifference orhide under the table. Since there werent any tablecloths to conceal her, she was probably better off pretending indifference.

Hard to do when a man like that approached! Magnificently tall, with lithe, muscle bound arms and shoulders, plus deliciously slim hips! Not an actor. Kate knew all of the actors in Hollywood and he was definitely not one of them. Besides, they werent in Hollywood. In fact, shed purposely found an island as far away from that place as she could.

He took off his sunglasses to look her over. Kate suspected he wanted her to do the same, but she couldnt move. She was frozen by the weight of his gaze. He had the most piercing eyes shed ever seen! Actors could feign it but this guyhe was the real deal.

He stopped a foot away from her table and Kate held her breath, stunned by the power oozing off the man even from twelve inches away.

Marhabaan , the man murmured politely, bowing slightly.

Kate knew she should respond in kind, but her mind blanked, she couldnt remember a single phrase in Arabic. Hello, she finally spouted, feeling silly.

Ah, English, he smiled, changing to the language. May I? he asked, indicating the other chair at her table.

Kate knew her mouth was hanging open. Snapping it closed, she managed a nod. Please, she stammered, the word sounding six or seven syllables long since she stumbled over every letter.

You are American?

She blinked, not really sure. But then the question registered and she blinked again in surprise, although he couldnt see her eyes behind her sunglasses. Yes. Yes, Im American. Again, more stammering, which made her feel silly. Why was she stuttering like an anxious teenager? She didnt understand it andwell, she intensely disliked it. Normally, she was cool and confident, priding herself on being elegantly composed at all times. But something about him was throwing her through a loop.

He smiled slightly, his eyes warming, and her stomach clenched in reaction. We dont get many Americans out this far. This is a beautiful island, but remote and hard to reach. Most guests to Altair stay in the capital, soaking up the tourist attractions.

She smiled faintly and shrugged. I wanted to get away from the crowds. True enough, but Kate bit her tongue, wishing she hadnt said anything. Now he was going to recognize her and the inevitable flood of annoying questions would begin, as they always did as soon as he realized she was the famous actress. Bowing her head, she sighed softly and braced for the onslaught.

Do the crowds bother you?

Startled, she looked up into dark eyes filled with understanding. That wasnt the question she expected.

She looked away, noticing that the few other patrons in the tiny restaurant were surreptitiously watching the two of them. But their perusal seemeddifferent somehow. This was all very odd, including her reaction to the man. He was incredibly tall, but so were about half of the other Hollywood actors she worked with. The other half had to stand on platforms to appear taller than she was. It was a little known fact of the movie industry that most of the well-known actors in Hollywood were ridiculously short.

His muscles made themselves known underneath that loose, linen shirt. But then, most actors had muscles. She was used to buff guys flirting with her, but they had never made her feelfeminine. Pretty. Yes, he made her feel pretty simply by the way he was looking at her.

She shrugged without looking up, mentally chiding herself for being so silly. Crowds are fine, but I prefer my privacy. The views here are amazing. Although neither of them were aware of the azure seas reflecting the face of the sky. A few puffy clouds drifted across the sky, but they went unnoticed, as ones eye was constantly drawn to the peaceful views of the beaches that made up the edges of the tiny island.

Never in her life had she met such an enticing man, and shed definitely met her share of beautiful actors. Kate had worked with just about every major actor in the industry. As the youngest actresses to win two Oscars, she was one of the most sought after celebrities in the industry. An actor that appeared on her arm was almost guaranteed a movie deal. Night clubs paid her over one hundred thousand dollars just to show up in whatever skimpy outfit her manager had delivered earlier that night, dance to a few songs, and smile for the cameras as she left. Shed just finished another movie, one that she was sure would be another blockbuster, had gone through all of the pre-release interviews and all of the crazy publicity stuntsshe was exhausted.

Which was why shed come this remote corner of the world to hide out and relax.

May I buy you another cup of coffee? he asked, glancing down at her empty cup.

She looked as well, startled to find that shed finished it without noticing. Oh my, umno, she replied, shaking her head. I dont think that would be a good idea.

A bit stronger than what you are used to, no? he teased.

She laughed as well. Yes, definitely stronger than American coffee, she agreed, tilting the cup slightly, watching the last dregs of the thick brew ooze like syrup. The amount of caffeine in the tiny cup was probably ten times what she was used to. I probably wont sleep at all tonight after just the one cup.

The man chuckled and Kate thrilled at the sound, thinking that it was richer than the coffee shed just finished.

It takes getting used to, he replied. Why are you here instead of in the city, dancing the night away at a club?

She looked out at the ocean, smiling as a playful breeze teased her hair. Oh, club scenes really arent all that interesting to me, she admitted candidly, although, if one were to look at the tabloids, another impression could be derived.

What does interest you? he asked, snapping his fingers. When the waiter arrived, the poor man almost tripped over himself as he hurriedly approached their table.

The tall man across from her turned to watch the waiter, obviously irritated, but said nothing.

I apologize, the waiter said stiffly, bowing slightly. How may I serve you?

Yanzi, the man ordered and the waiter nodded, bowed again more deeply, backed up a couple steps and bowed again, repeating the gesture until he was at the kitchen doorway. At that point, he turned around and stumbled over a chair in his exuberance before vanishing into the kitchen.

Youre quite intimidating, Kate observed, turning back to the fascinating stranger.

The man lifted an elegant hand, dismissing the waiters bumbling efforts. He is young.

Kate laughed. Yep. Hes young and youre she stared at him for a long moment, trying to find the right word to describe him. In the end, she settled on, Terrifying.