KARMA COLADA

Chapter Seventeen

LEON took in the surroundings, peeved out of his mind.

As far as his eyes could see, there were stone temples and structures, their surfaces weathered by nature throughout the years.

Unlike Leon, Naomi was more than thrilled to be rubbing shoulders with the other tourists; flitting around from one corner to the other, ooh-ing and aah-ing at every detail.

When Spivey said they'd meet the person who could lead them to Gabriele, he wasn't expecting to be dragged all the way to a fucking tourist attraction.

He snapped his eyes to the portly Aussie. "Is this some kind of trick? Why did you bring us here?"

Spivey threw his head back and chuckled. Leon was beginning to think laughing was his in-built defense mechanism.

"You're an awfully serious bloke, aren't ya?"

"Yes. But that doesn't answer my question," Leon growled. "I paid you to take us to Gabriele's ex-girlfriend, not a tourist pit stop."

That's when Naomi re-appeared, bobbing her head from behind Spivey, the Aussie's large frame eclipsing her completely.

Black eyes rounded into full moons, she lectured, "This isn't a tourist pit stop. You're standing in a historical site protected by UNESCO."

He gave her a look that said 'I don't give a flying fuck'.

Spivey shrugged his shoulders. "I did bring you to her! She's a tour guide, alright? She'll meet us here after she's done with her tour."

Although Leon was still a little skeptical, he didn't say anything else. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Leon trudged off to sit at a nearby bench at the edge of the vast courtyard.

Leon hated surprises. And unpredictability.

This whole trip was starting to become a chaotic mix of both.

Ignoring the clear murderous aura emitting from his every pore, Naomi plopped down next to him on the bench.

"The sun is different here," she casually commented.

Leon was fully-prepared to refute the statement until he caught Naomi lifting her face into the sunlight, basking in the golden rays with that charming smile etched on her face.

Dear God, were those dimples?

While Naomi's eyes were closed, Leon allowed himself to conduct an indulgent study of her features, in hopes of finding the mysterious reason behind why he found her so goddamned attractive.

She was nothing like his usual type, that's for sure. Like Francine, all the women he went out with in the past were all blonde, statuesque, and blessed with faces fit for the front pages of Vogue.

Naomi was the exact opposite of that. Everything about her was petite, from her body to her face. There was a stunning lack of harsh edges in her visage, but it worked to her advantage instead.

Naomi's facial features had a softness to them, granting her a certain wholesomeness that the women he dated before could never emulate, no matter how hard they tried. But for Naomi, it came effortlessly. As easy as breathing.

Not to mention a smile like hers could weaken any man's resolve.

"Do I have something on my face?" Naomi yanked him back down to Earth.

Leon blinked furiously, scrambling his brain for a proper excuse to explain the creepy ogling. Heat rushed up his neck as she waited patiently for his reply, dark eyes inquisitive and a little confused.