AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A wave of heat sweeps through my body, beginning where his skin touches mine. I’m burning up from the inside and suddenly hyperaware of the blood rushing through my body. In my ears, it’s as loud as a mountain stream in spring when the ice has melted and fills it to the brim. And my heart? It has to work doubly hard to keep up with the gushing torrents.
“Is that why you haven’t settled down yet?” I whisper, his intense gaze on me making my stomach flip.
“I’ve never even had a girlfriend because of it.” Tiero winks at me.
My eyes widen and my mouth falls open. I retrieve my hand to cover my mouth in surprise. “You’ve never had a girlfriend? How is that possible?”
He shrugs his shoulders and smirks.
“So you date a lot?”
“I wouldn’t say that either. Dating isn’t really my thing,” Tiero replies.
Ah, the picture is becoming clearer.
“Of course… because you’re waiting for your One who, I presume, you will recognize right away?”
“Are you mocking me, beautiful Ella?” Tiero asks as he pushes a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. It makes my heart rate spike. I’m frozen like a deer in the headlights. This is too intimate.
“I wouldn’t dare,” I whisper, my voice suddenly hoarse.
I drown in Tiero’s intense gaze. He holds me captive with his sheer presence. It’s unnerving and accelerating at the same time.
“My guess is that you don’t date a lot, princess,” Tiero challenges.
God, is my inexperience that obvious?!
Duh, you blush at every turn.
What other conclusions could the man draw?
“You’re right, I don’t. I hate going on first dates… Hence I have little practice with them. Both my previous relationships evolved naturally without the awkwardness you often get in the early stages.”
I was so nervous when Rhia sent me on my first and only blind date after Marco. I cringe just remembering it.
“You’ll probably laugh, but I actually Googled ‘first date questions’ when Rhia set me up with someone after my breakup.”
“Ah, that sounds interesting. Ask me one of those questions,” Tiero invites.
I chuckle. “The only one I remember most likely doesn’t apply to you.”
“You’ve made me curious now,” he says. “Humor me. Ask me anyway.” And that sounded more like an order. His authoritative tone has my insides quiver.
Ah well, here it goes. “If you were given ten million dollars, what would you do with the money after you do the usual, like quit your job, go traveling and buy a house?”
Tiero laughs, “You’re right. It doesn’t apply to me. I’ve got already plenty of money and I would never quit my job… but, if I didn’t have all of my responsibilities, I’d retire with my One to an island and make many babies. I’d be a very happy, relaxed family man,” Tiero muses. “What about you, princess?”
And there is his reference to his One again. He truly seems to believe in the concept. Or is it to justify his playboy ways? Sleep with a woman and then tell her the next morning‘Sorry, but you’re not the One’, so he can move on to the next girl? How many women jump into bed with him in hopes they are his One?
I hate admitting it, but the same hope has crossed my mind once or twice tonight. But I will not sleep with him.
“Well, I wouldn’t quit my job because I love it. And yes, I’d go traveling some more and buy a house. Beyond that, I’d get a massage every week, perhaps even splurge and have one twice a week. That would be really fabulous.”
“You are easily pleased, beautiful Ella,” Tiero says with a smile.
“I take that as a compliment. Often it’s the simple things in life that bring the most joy.”
And I really mean it. Watching a sunset or a rainbow, or even better, a shooting star… it puts a smile on my face that comes from deep within.
