Page 26 of When Hearts Surrender

Anna grins, the tips of her white teeth flashing in the dim space. I rake in a ragged inhale. She’s like a cup of hot chocolate and a roaring fire in the middle of a blizzard.

My fingers twitch with the ache to paint again.

“Definitely agree with you on that. If it weren’t for the year of yeses, there’d be no way on earth I’d go anywhere near you. You, mister, you’re bad news.”

“Regretting getting in my car already?” I bite back my grin before polishing off the rest of my sandwich, finding her plate already empty. She shakes her head and smiles shyly at her plate.

“Your favorite artist?” I ask.

“Frida Kahlo. Her work is vibrant, her style is impeccable. She marches to the beat of her own drum with a courage I hope to copy someday.”

“Favorite color?”

“Hmmm…” she murmurs, her forehead pinched as she considers my question carefully. “I don’t think I have one. They’re all beautiful shades of the world. Even brown, which many complain is ugly, represents nature to me—the soil, tree trunks, and branches. But if I have to choose one, I’ll say it’satrovirens.”

My brow flies up high. “What?” Even I haven’t heard of that color before.

“It means dark green in Latin, but it’s really more of a deep teal. You know what’s interesting? Most people don’t know there’s actually five percent red in the color.”

She looks up and grins. “It’s like the red is a secret you’ll only discover if you care enough to look past the blues and the greens.” She sighs happily. “It’s a beautiful, soothing color.”

“You know your colors.” The inner artist in me is pleased.

“I do.” She frowns. “Hold on. Why has this conversation become a one-sided interview of me?”

“You are interesting. Far more interesting than me.” And I’m a greedy bastard, wanting to absorb her warm rays of sunshine on this stormy night, bathing myself in brightness and warmth before I embark on my uninspiring, dismal future.

“What excites you about your future?” I ask.

She takes the hair tie off from her ponytail, and her thick, silky black tresses tumble over her shoulders. My fingers clench with an urge to wrap those strands around my hand and pull, baring her slender throat to me.I’m going crazy.

She lifts her eyes and stares at me as if knowing the insane thoughts in my mind. The tawny greens of her eyes glow in the candlelight.

Wild moors in spring. Wildflowers in bloom. Irresistible magic.

“Carving a future for myself. Saving unwanted animals one at a time. Creating sustainable clothing for the public that doesn’t harm the environment. Making my own choices without worrying about what other people think. If I’m lucky, having a family of my own.”

She frowns at the last sentence and my chest squeezes.She wants a family too, just like me.

Anna blows out a breath, excitement slowly seeping back into her voice. “Anyway, the avenues are endless, don’t you think? At least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself. What about you?”

I pause, and the chasm that has receded in the background for the past two hours rises to the forefront. I watch the light from the flame dance on her face. This fairy must be a mirage of my swirling mind. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I want to find an answer for her, something as inspiring as her passionate speech, but I come up empty.

“To survive.”

Beads of sweat form on my forehead under her scrutiny, and I have the strongest urge to look away from her inquisitive stare—I don’t want her to see right through me, right to the deep, dark secrets haunting me, keeping me up at night.

Standing up, I toss a few bills onto the table and reach for her hand. “Come. One last adventure before your night ends.”

Chapter 9

A dull ache settlesinside my chest as I twine my hand with his, a motion that seems as natural as breathing even though I only met him a few hours ago. Normally, when men tell me to do something without asking, like going on adventures with them, I’ll rebel. But there’s a soulful gentleness that draws me to him.

He said he’s taking me on my last adventure for the night, but I don’t want tonight to end. I want to know more about this quiet man who seems to hold the depths of the ocean inside him yet unwilling to share his burdens with the world.

I want more adventures with him.

He leads me out of the diner onto the dark streets. The temperamental rain has now receded into a light drizzle, not heavy enough to drench my clothes, but enough to mist my hair and face.

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