I will show you to the terrace. The weather is too nice to dine inside." He

saw the sugared stoned floor perfectly aligned and stretching throughou

the sparkling water of t

ng me how half of it was indoors. "The glass goes down into the water to form a tunnel you can swim through from the outside to the inside," he explained. As beau

a rock wall aligned on one side and water flowed down into the

iful, Mr. R

in and his enthusiasm

I did notice that you en

inside his house. "You have a lovely home. Thank you for inviting me."

e dining table. "We should get seated so that dinn

e on the small table. Hints of gold shimmered in his hard hair as the light from

the time to get a grip on myself before I did something stup

from my thoughts. She placed the salad

ed for you?" I asked aft

nce I was a child. She worked for my parents before that, but when I bought this house, I asked her to

her. I took a bite of the salad and eyed the glass of wine within my reach. E

catching up with what was happening. Perhaps my clarity of

ee y

efore I could say

ut his elbows on the table. He

t about yours

bout me already." He had sent Virgil to do a background check on me. Of course, he knew

ework. But there is a lot

the smug smile away. Or

more frustrated with my

ut?" I asked with a hint of irritation. I point

d what you would look like when you talked

lost my appetite but I still thanked her. It wasn't her fault that the man she worked for was frustrat

s fill my glass back up and arched a brow when he went back to hi

try the food, Willo

" I took another sip of the wine and f

a side. "You haven't

ything out. If you could please tel

leaned forward. "It's sim

ir. My head was spin

I couldn't dismiss how fast my heart race

and Lory's flight of f

I grabbed the glass of wine with shaky hands and downed it at once. I was well past being tipsy. It seeme

of wine and poured myself more. Who cared? I n

f me wanting you di

lievable... impossible. But not disgusting."

rk on your self-confidence some other time," he said f

ad. Ask

d so you could get out of Atkins and

ave said it b

ation and that you fought for wh

few times as a few thoughts popped

eeping you at Atkins. The only person c

said te

e coming to Quentin to

es

e yourself in five years' time? What d

d doing something with my life. I had never wanted to

ticular subject I had a desire to pursue. I knew I liked reading so the thought of studying literature or getting a teaching license would suit me just fin

sure of

thinking. "May I share what I thought wh

I would receive critici

ant something different, I can see what. And then it struck me

erfectly? The need for affectio

continued, "We are more al

e of food but didn't say anything. After the dishes were cleared, only a

He sat down close enough that our knees touched. The butterflies in my

ed my eyes and bit it. I almost moaned at how good it was. When I opened my eyes, I

much. Are you scared of me, Willow?" His tone was soft and h

n my head, I was beggi

uching and our eyes were

I kis