Page 19 of The Book Reader
“Please… don’t go.”
The tone of his voice, sad and a little lost, makes me stop and pull in a breath. Turning, I smile at him. “I really need to get back to my aunt.”
He strides towards me. His tall frame eats up the distance; he must be over six feet tall; his shirt pulls tight over his muscles with each step he takes. He has an elegant air about him that screams power. “Then may I walk with you?” he asks me. An odd feeling of déjà vu sweeps over me, so strong that I don’t answer. I could swear we’ve been here before. He stops just in front of me. “I don’t bite.” He grins and those dimples almost make me wish hewouldbite me. I take a deep breath, trying to ground myself. It is absolutely insane to be feeling this much attraction to a man I met five minutes ago.
“Okay,” I managed to force out. “You can walk with me. I just need a moment.” I brush past him, pausing as a cheeky thought crosses my mind. I smile and look up to where his eyes are still hidden behind sunglasses. “How do you knowIdon’t bite?” I tease, making him chuckle.
“I’ll refrain from answering that,” he says, though his grin tells me he wishes he could.
I make my way back over to my grandfather, placing my hand on top of his gravestone and closing my eyes. “I love you, papa. Look after them all.” I feel a warm breeze pick up around me,making me smile. I glance over at the stranger as I say, “Yes, papa, I’ll be careful.”
Walking back over to the stranger, I hold my hand out. “Hello. I’m Ari Jay. If you’re going to be walking with me, I think it’s a good idea we know each other’s names.” I smile as he reaches out to take my hand. His touch is warm, his skin soft, and a feeling of familiarity wraps around me. I feel safe, like we’ve taken this walk my whole life. Why does it feel that way?
“I’m Gaelan Illis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He doesn’t let go. I’m surprised to find I don’t want him to.
We start walking side by side, our shoulders brushing every so often. It’s quiet with neither of us talking, but it’s nice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that way as I can never remain silent for long.
“So, you were going to tell me how you knew my grandfather?”
He looks down at me. “We had some business; I was looking to buy something from him.” I feel my curiosity spike. I begin to wonder how old Gaelan is, since he doesn’t look that much older than me.
“What was it?”
He chuckles. “Still want to know it all, I see.”
I frown, confused. “Still?”
He looks taken aback. “Sorry, a slip of the tongue, I meant to say… That you wish to know it all.”
I look away, taken aback. Was I prying too much? Before I can respond, he stops walking and reluctantly pulls his hand from mine. “Ari, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude.” He blows out a breath and continues, “You make me nervous.” Shocked, I glance up at him. He looks away, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. Oh my god… heisnervous.
“It’s okay. People tell me all the time I’m too nosy,” I joke.
He leans in, his face a breath away from mine. The proximity threatens to send me into a tailspin. If he kisses me now, I think I might end up in a puddle at his feet… my panties are already damp with need.
“You’re not nosy. You can ask me anything you wish to my-” He stops himself. I lick my lips, wondering what he is going to say. “Ari.”
A wave of disappointment runs through me, and I have no idea why. Ari is my name, for fuck sake, it’s not like he got it wrong. I step back and resume walking. I’m not sure where we’re headed at this point, but I do know I can’t take him home. Not only would my aunt have a fit, but I’m pretty sure the house wouldn’t let him in. So, I head towards the village church.
“So, did you buy what you needed? From my grandfather?”
“No, he didn’t have it, and he didn’t know where I could get one from.” His shoulder bumps mine.
“What was it?” I ask again. He hesitates, and something about that hesitation has warning bells going off in my mind.
“It was a book.” He says, his voice so low that I almost missed what he said.
“A book? What kind of book?”
He opens his mouth to answer me, but his phone rings. He glances at the caller ID and sighs. “Sorry, I have to take this.” But as he turns away to answer, I catch what I think is a look of relief. With his back to me, I can’t help but notice the shape of his body and how nice his firm, round ass looks in those pants he has on—I really need to get laid, if I’m just about ready to jump this man. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and ask him out. I mean, it doesn’t have to be weird, right?
My thoughts come crashing to a halt when he turns back to me. He’s taken off his sunglasses, and what I see has me frozen to the spot—the most perfect pair of blue eyes staring back at me, a very familiar pair of blue eyes.
“It can’t be…” I whisper, unable to look away. He grins as he walks closer, and my whole-body melts. His dark hair contrasts with his blue eyes, dimples standing out against his sun-kissed skin. No human can be this gorgeous.
“I have to go, I’m afraid. Business calls,” he says, his tone regretful.
“Have we met before?” I blurt out. He studies me for a moment, as if trying to find the right words.
