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“I can do that, yes.” I blushed at the intensity of his gaze. I could see the seriousness of his words through his eyes, and it did things to me.
“Good girl.” He smiled, and I got up to change.
The day had been a whirlwind. Only a couple of hours ago, I had decided to leave the city, and now here I was, going on a date with a billionaire. I still needed to run away, but one date with Sebastian wouldn't hurt.
Chapter eight
Sebastian
I watched curiously as Alexandra grabbed a scarf from the hook by the door and quickly wrapped it around her neck as if doing so was second nature. Something as simple as this would have gone unnoticed by me, but the idea that she used a scarf to cover half of her face is intriguing. She smiled and I smiled back, unwilling to make her self-conscious.
Who are you trying to hide from, Alexandra?
“After you,” I said, moving aside as I opened the door for her and she stepped out.
I placed my hand on her waist and swiftly guided her along the hallways, making sure to stay in places I know will be deserted. If she wanted to hide from someone, I would make sure she remained unseen. Her distrust of me was apparent in her apprehension to tell me what she was running from, but Iyearned for her trust. I needed to know everything about her and I would stop at nothing to find it out.
“The lobby is that way,” she said as I took a different turn, avoiding the hotel lobby and its public elevators.
“I know, Alexandra. We’ll use the private elevator.” I smiled, and she visibly eased as if her trust was being tested. I couldn’t blame her. She had known me fewer than twenty-four hours, and it would have been naïve of her to have blind faith.
I had fallen in love with her at first sight and had marked her as my mate, but she was not the werewolf. Not yet at least. Her senses were not heightened enough to come to these conclusions, so to her, I was just another man.
“Oh, alright,” she replied and moved with me as I swiped my card to open the elevator doors. She raised an eyebrow at the gold interior, and I felt embarrassed by the obvious indulgence of the interior. Her thoughts of me become foremost in my mind.
The doors closed, and I looked at her silky waves falling around her shoulders trapped in place by the scarf. The tension between us thickened enough to be cut with a knife, but I refrained from kissing her. I was a gentleman and would act accordingly. Our start had been sexual, but now, I wanted to build a connection. I wanted her to get to know me for more than my sexual prowess. I wished to gain her trust and respect, and this was the first step. She stared as if throwing a challenge my way, but I stood determined despite her tempting pout. It took every ounce of my self-control.
“We’re here,” I said as the elevator stopped, and I backed away, allowing her to exit first.
“Too bad; I thought you would have kissed me at least once before we reached the top,” she replied, walking out with a quick backward glance. Her playful smile melted my heart as I followed her, casually bringing her to my side as we walked onto the rooftop. “We will dine here?” she asked, turning her head to me, and I kicked myself for not stealing a kiss.
“Yes,” I nodded, and she adjusted her scarf to remove it from her face, no longer feeling the need to hide. I had the urge to ask what forced her to wear it in the first place, but I knew it was too soon. I couldn’t risk our new relationship with a wrongly timed question. I needed to wait for her to open up.
“Excellent,” she smiled.
I led her to a small greenhouse on the rooftop where a table was arranged for us with several waiters waiting nearby. Her eyes widened at the setup, the flowers around us making the setting even more beautiful. I hoped she loved it. I did not know what it was about her, but making her happy felt like an accomplishment. As if I had a purpose in life.
Is that what being in love feels like?
“This is beautiful, Sebastian.” Alexandra sighed happily, sitting in the chair I’d pulled out before taking my place across from her.
“I am glad you like the greenhouse. It’s one of my favorite places here, and sometimes, I come here to tend to the flowers.”
“You enjoy gardening?” she asked, surprised, and I couldn’t help but laugh at her expression. I don’t remember the last time I felt this way. I was captivated by the grace in her step and the way her face beamed with delight at the flowers. I was unable to take my eyes off her face.
“Never as much as right now.” I shook my head. “My mentor has the green thumb. He’s the reason I’m blessed with the greenhouse. I water it, and he has shown me a thing or two. But it would not survive without him.”
Carlos was a gifted gardener. He was good at everything he put his mind to. He had a gift for healing and knew more about medicines and herbs than anyone else. This was the reason I had hoped for him to have a cure for Alexandra’s wolf bite. I wanted nothing more but for her to be better and remain human.
“Who?”
“Carlos,” I replied unhesitatingly. Had it been anyone else but her, I would have never told the truth. “He has been like a father figure.”
“So how about your real father?” she asked, her face still innocent. I hid how deep her curiosity cut as buried, long-forgotten memories flooded back.
“My parents died when I was very young,” I replied truthfully. I had no intention of lying to her about anything, but I quicklypushed the images away. Then, I looked down at the now-healed bite mark on her neck that was visible with a magical tint. I loved to see the mark on her skin that claimed her as mine and set the stage for the mating bond. It was the very thing she needed to know the most because her life depended on it.
You are becoming a wolf.
