Way to a Stranger's Heart

By Margy Millet

Jason Westbrook is the leader of an armed, private security team searching the Australian Outback for a stolen flash drive that holds vital information for the future of his familys company. But he is distracted from his search by the thoughts of the stunning woman he saw bathing in the river just before they entered the village.

Dr. Johanna Smith is an environmental researcher on a missionary project, working with a village in the Australian Outback. When armed men enter the village looking for stolen informationblaming two men from the research groupthey take the group captive, but Johanna manages to remain hidden. As she searches for a way to liberate her team, she finds herself drawn to a handsome stranger whom she meets nightly at the riverunaware he is the same man holding her colleagues hostage. As their feelings for each other grow, only time will tell whether the secrets they keep from each other will tear their love apart, or whether their all-consuming passion will bring them back into each others arms.

In this romantic thriller, a research scientist and a man on a mission to recover stolen data find themselves falling in love under unlikely circumstances in the Australian Outback.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491771983

Margy Millet

Margy Millet was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and she moved with her family to Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1973. She holds an associate’s degree from Quinsigamond College, and she and her husband, David, have three children and five grandchildren. Her passions include writing, Latin music, dancing, reading, and sports. She currently lives in Massachusetts.

Book preview

WAY TO A

STRANGER’S

HEART

Margy Millet

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WAY TO A STRANGER’S HEART

Copyright © 2015 Margy Millet.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Cover Design By Jackie Smash

ISBN: 978-1-4917-7197-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-7198-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912633

iUniverse rev. date: 8/25/2015

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter One

BRIAN WAS TALKING INTENTLY to the stranger who sat across from him at the restaurant table. The man placed a palm-sized case on top of the table. What’s this? Brian asked.

I can’t get into any details with you two right here and now, the man said looking around nervously, Too many ears. Meet me at the bar next door in twenty.

He looked away from them for a moment and saw Johanna coming toward the table. He remembered her from their college days. I have to go. Anyway, you’ve got company coming this way, he said. Put it away, he said to Kevin.

Wait, we need to talk, said Kevin with distress in his voice. The man hurriedly stood up from the chair. Now, he demanded. Brian quickly grabbed the small case and put in his pocket and the stranger turned around and rapidly walked away.

Brian and Kevin looked at each other, intrigued by the man’s behavior. Rick was an old college friend whom they had not seen for years, and all of a sudden he had shown up at their table.

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Johanna walked through the restaurant on her way to the patio. She stopped in the doorway and looked around for Brian and Kevin. She spotted them at one of the back tables talking to a man she didn’t recognize. She walked slowly out to the patio towards their table. She arrived at the table and patted both of her friends on the back. Hey, who was that? she asked.

Hey, gorgeous. An acquaintance from the states, answered Kevin.

No one you know, added Brian.

She looked at them, noticing the frowns on both of their faces. Once again, she was struck at how different they were from each other, even though they talked and behaved almost exactly alike. Brian was a little taller than her, with sandy hair and green eyes. He was thin, with a noble nose, which hooked just a bit at the end. Kevin was a bit shorter, with a round face. His physique was sturdy and muscular. Oh, she replied, becoming more curious. Well, the guys need you. The equipment and supplies are ready to be loaded onto the trucks.

Both men stood up and each wrapped an arm around her body. They smiled at her as they walked from the patio into the restaurant. Johanna sensed that they were uneasy. She looked at them with curiosity. What are you two up to? she asked.

Us? they said together, each holding one hand over his heart.

All three burst out laughing and walked out of the restaurant. They got back to where the trucks were parked where some men were loading the equipment cases. Brian and Kevin let go of Johanna and went to help the others. Johanna stared at them for a moment, and then went to help the women with the small stuff.

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It took another two hours to load the trucks. After everything was done, they took a break. Brian looked at his watch. The chances that their friend was in the bar were slim, but he knew they still had to check. They approached Johanna who was talking to some of the women. Johanna finished the conversation with the group and looked at them. We’re going for a drink; we’ll be right back. Okay? said Brian.

Okay, don’t take too long. Remember, we have a long drive ahead of us.

Okay, Brian answered.

He moved close to her and stole a quick kiss, and then Kevin did the same. She smiled at them and went back to talk to the women who had big grins on their faces. No one said anything but they all broke into laughter.

Brian and Kevin walked fast. They hoped that Rick had waited for them. They made it to the bar within minutes and quickly searched the bar, but he wasn’t there. They sat down at the bar, ordered beers and drank them in silence. When they finished, Kevin paid the tab and they walked back to join the group.

Brian and Kevin got in one of the trucks with Johanna and three others, who got in the back. Johanna sat in the front between Brian and Kevin. Brian shifted the truck into drive and they took off. The other trucks carrying the rest of the team followed.

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Johanna couldn’t believe that they had been staying in this village for an entire month. She looked around and saw everyone still working very hard; another day of research was coming to a close. She finished the weekly staff meeting with the group and went back to the hut where she was staying.

Johanna had grown close to the villagers while she was there. She had befriended one family in particular, and they honored her by asking her to sleep in their hut and take her meals with them.

That evening, like most every evening, she helped the grandmother, Mama Nimia, with the cooking. When dinner was ready, everyone sat down on the floor around the food and ate. The children finished quickly, brought their plates to the small sink, and left the hut. Johanna stayed behind and helped with the dishes and tidying up. She went out to check on the group one last time and found them all in their tents relaxing for the night.

She hung out in each tent for a bit, said her goodnights, and went back to her hut. She gathered her towel and soap pouch, put them in a bag, and left the hut one more time that night, walking out of the village and taking the path towards the river.

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Jason hoped that he was close to the river. His 6’2" body ached everywhere; his muscles were tired from sitting in the SUV all day. He was full of dust from the road and his shirt was drenched in sweat. He walked another half mile into the woods to find the river, but it was nowhere in sight. Sighing in frustration, he stopped and combed his sweaty hair away from his face. He didn’t have the energy to keep searching and would be very pissed off if he had to go back to the camp still dirty. He decided to continue in the same direction for just a few minutes more.

He stopped when he heard running water and quickly turned towards the sound. He walked another fifty feet or so and emerged from the woods into a clearing. He stopped in front of the river—it was a beautiful place. The view was breathtaking with the tall trees and beds of the most colorful wildflowers carpeting the ground, making this a perfect picture for a travel magazine.

He was amazed at how peaceful it felt just standing there. The place was so calm and secluded, and the sound of the water running was so soothing. He could hear all the night noises in the woods—the night birds and other animals scattering around looking for food, the whisper of the wind in the tree tops.

He walked around the clearing a bit, loosening his stressed muscles. The drive to the village had been long and hot, but the breeze made him feel refreshed and relaxed. The waterfall rushed down onto big rocks that reached out of the river, forming large platforms.

He walked a couple feet more and was close enough to dip his toe in the water, but he still had his boots on, so instead he bent down, and with both hands, he took a handful of water and poured it on the back of his neck. The water felt cool and refreshing. He went over to a small rock and unbuttoned his shirt and unbuckled his pants, and leaned over to take off his boots and socks and put them on top of the rock. He was about to take off his shirt and pants when he heard something moving through the woods. He cursed himself for not bringing his weapon or phone with him.

His first reaction was to pick up his boots and socks from the rock and hide behind a large bush next to the rock where he was standing. He went down on one knee and stayed quiet so he couldn’t be seen. He looked around without giving away his hiding place and tried to see who was coming.

The footsteps came from a path in a dense wooded area to his right. He saw her come out of the woods on the other side of the river. The moon was full and high in the sky so he could see everything clearly. The sky was shining with the brightest stars he had ever seen. He moved very slowly and turned towards the other end of the clearing to get a better look.

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Johanna was so happy to be at the river. She stopped suddenly at the edge of the woods in front of the clearing because she sensed that someone was there. She looked around the area but couldn’t see anyone. Damn it, she muttered out loud. She was a little alarmed, but she didn’t even contemplate going back into the woods.

This was her favorite spot to come swimming and her only time to feel free and relaxed. She had been coming to this spot every night for the past three weeks. She loved getting into the cool water at night—the way it caressed her skin and took away all the strain of her aching body. She wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from her. She walked out of the woods into the clearing, took her sandals off, and put down the bag she was carrying.

She walked to the water and stood there for a few seconds dipping her toes into the water. She walked back to where she left her bag, took out the small pouch with the soap and put it around her wrist and then took off the wrap dress she was wearing.

She took small strides into the water, bent down and touched it with her hand; with a twist of her head, she looked over to the place where she sensed someone was hiding and watching her. She walked into the river up to her waist and dove into the water.

She felt so refreshed in the water; she didn’t care if someone was watching her. She floated for a while, then turned and swam to the big rock where the waterfall came down into the river. She pulled herself out of the water and onto the rock and positioned herself directly under the waterfall, looking up at the sky again to admire the bright stars. She took out the soap from the pouch, gathered all her hair together and lathered it, exposing her beautiful long neck and round breasts.

She brought her hair to the front and combed it with her fingers. The moon was so big tonight that it felt like it was right on top of her, like she could reach out and touch it with the tips of her fingers. The water massaged her aching shoulders and back muscles. She turned to face the woods where she knew the stranger was still watching her. She finished rinsing her hair and lathered her body with slow sensual movements. She took some extra time on her breasts, soaping them with small circular motions and stopping at her nipples.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this. It wasn’t like her to act like this; she had always been a reserved woman, but right now she didn’t care. Maybe what she was doing was wrong, but there was something different about this perfect night, and she felt an adrenalin rush from being watched.

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Jason watched the woman move to the water and dip her toes into the river, his eyes following her as she went back to her bag. With a swift motion of her hand she took off her dress. Her hair was long, dark, and full of curls, falling all the way to the top of her buttocks. He took a deep breath and slowly let it go.

Wow, she’s beautiful, he thought. Questions ran through his mind: Who is this gorgeous woman? What is she doing alone at this time of night at the river?

He couldn’t stop looking at her; her beauty amazed him. When she moved closer to the water, he covered his mouth with his hand so she wouldn’t hear his gasp for air. Her beautiful olive-colored skin shimmered under the bright full moon. Her body was slim, but with luscious curves at the hips. She was well built with defined muscles in her legs and arms, but not bulky. She was a gorgeous, flawless beauty of a woman—totally hot.

His body’s reaction was instant and completely out of his control. He couldn’t stop his shaft from getting hard any more than he could stop a newborn baby from wanting to suckle at its mother’s breast. He couldn’t move because his shaft was bulging in his pants, pushing against the zipper with a throbbing that was pure torture. He shifted his lower body slightly to take some of the pressure off.

He watched her swim around in the river with sexy and languid movements of her hips, and then she turned and floated on the water, showing him her luscious breasts. He could neither move from the spot nor keep his eyes off of her. He felt his body getting hotter as his shaft continued to hurt in his jeans.

When he saw her come out of the water and pull herself up to the top of the rock, he nearly fainted. All he could think about as he watched her on the rocks was how much he would like to taste the droplets of water running down her body.

He wanted to rip the rest of his clothes off and jump into the water with her. He was so hard and hot he was hurting all over. He couldn’t stand the pain any longer as she turned to face him. He gasped for air, his heart beating fast. She moved her head back under the waterfall and he watched her luscious body move under the rushing water, her curved hips and tight ass swaying from side to side, then back and forth. She turned her body again, moving one of her hands slowly back to her breast, while the other slowly went down to her mound. She took her soapy hand and washed her inner thigh, then her mound.

Her nipples were a beautiful cinnamon color, the size of quarters, and they stood up stiffly from the effects of the cool water. He had never seen anyone as stunningly beautiful as this stranger. He wanted to reach out and touch her breasts. He wanted to go over and help her soap every part of her body. He was aching so much, I can’t stay away from her any longer, he thought.

He moved from behind the bush when he heard someone coming from behind him. He stopped and turned to see who it was.

Jason, Jason, where are you? called Patrick moving towards the river. Hey, Jason. Where the hell are you? he yelled again.

As Patrick passed Jason’s hiding spot, Jason reached out and grabbed him from behind, pulling him into the bushes and covering his mouth. Patrick struggled to get out of his