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My hands wanted to explore the muscles underneath, and I envisioned them lowering until they met the waistline of his dark jeans. Ilias caught my attention with his icy blues. The intensity brought chills over my body. I wanted to learn more about him, read, and explore more of his life.
And that made this pull more real, more than just fascination. It allured feelings that held more than physical attraction.
“Are you ready?” Ilias asked, his brows raised. Straightening my mid-thigh flowy black dress, I nodded. “We’ll be back shortly, Bo.” He ran his hand over Bo’s head when he whined, and turned his attention back to me. “You look all dressed up,” Ilias joked, waving his hand ahead for me to step out of the house.
I grasped my thin pillar bar necklace with a smile as I waited for Ilias to lock up. “Thank you, the weather is nice, and I know it may get cooler soon.”
Ilias looked over the sleeves and the high neckline of my dress in suspicion. “Yeah, I believe it may.”
Dropping my hand from the bar pendant, I looked away from Ilias’s watchful eyes and walked down the front steps. He matched my strides, staying close by as he steered us toward the street and crossing until meeting his car.
“The store is only a few blocks down,” I said, confused.
“I figured a real store with a larger selection would be better. Plus, I’m hungry.” Ilias opened the passenger door for me, I slid over the black leather cushions. His rich scent spiked inside the small confinement of his car, leaving only him to invade my mind.
Without glancing my way, he slid inside the car. His eyes remained ahead as he shifted the gear to reverse and sped out of the driveway. I admired his hard jaw lines with the dusted scruff, the small faded scar by his chin. It was faint but visible, adding another question about his past, about who he was. His nose set in a straight angular line, and another dull scar sat just above the corner of his right eye. It could easily pass as a crease made from a smile, but with our close proximity, it was hard not to notice the small blemish that added to his rough exterior.
Temptation taunted with the desire to run my finger over it. I clasped my hands together.
Ilias had scars out in the open, while I kept mine hidden under clothes.
Do you have hidden scars, Ilias?
Do you have scars that keep bleeding inside?
“Do I have something on my face?” His blue eyes briefly met mine before they returned to the streets.
I looked away. “Sorry, I was staring.” With a grin, I peered out the window. Streets passed by in a blur as the sun retreated, parting hues of orange that mixed with the dark violets of the night.
“Hmm,” he murmured, but I could see his lips fighting a grin. “Then you should stop, Ms. Davina. You make it hard to concentrate with just your stare.”
I wanted to tell him my last name. I trusted him, but the word still sat at the edge of my tongue. It wouldn’t come out. I turned away, allowing the scenery to distract me.
I’d been in Florida for over two months now. Until now, I hadn’t had the pleasure to appreciate the pool of diversity and life that poured across every vibrant inch.
“Miami really is beautiful,” I murmured as we passed by a colorful mural that had been painted on a beachfront brick wall.
“Don’t let it obscure the hidden dangers of the city,” Ilias replied with a deep chuckle.
“You don’t think it is?”
“I think I’ve just seen too much to think of it as beautiful.”
“Well, that’s sad,” I murmured.
“Is it though?” he challenged, and I faced him.
“It is. Look at all the smiles, the culture, the life that walks by. It’s painted in every corner.” My hand extended toward the window.
“When you see a pretty mural, all I see are landmarks for a homicide, an overdose, a robbery. Take your pick.”
“You are right, that’s not sad. It’s depressing.” I shuddered at the thought.
“It is.”
“I meant the way you don’t notice past the hard exterior to appreciate its meaning.”
“Or maybe I lived through too much to see it for what it truly is.”
