Chapter 30 #3
“Everyone just stares at you as they walk past.”
“They do not.” I smile.
“Yes they do, and whenever Edward touches you, nearly the entire party turns and watches.”
“They do not.” I laugh, embarrassed.
“Hey, it’s a good thing.” He smiles as he looks around.
“How is that a good thing, everyone probably can’t believe that I snagged the bachelor of the universe.”
“They can’t believe that he snagged you.” He taps his glass with mine.
“Alora,” a voice from the side says.
“Pascal.” I smile in surprise. “How are you?”
“I’m good, how are you?” His eyes hold mine and he’s all doe in the headlights as he stares at me.
What is he doing here?
“I’ve been thinking about you, nonstop.”
“Pascal.”
“I’m sorry,” Thomas interrupts us. “Who are you?”
“Please excuse my rudeness. This is Pascal.”
“Her ex-boyfriend.” He cuts me off.
“Oh.” Thomas nods as he sips his drink. “Hi.”
“I really miss you,” he says as his eyes search mine. “I can’t sleep. I can’t eat….”
Thomas rolls his lips as he listens in.
“Pascal,” I say softly. “It’s not like that between us anymore.”
“I can’t accept it,” he says angrily as he grabs my hand in his. “I won’t.”
Thomas steps forward. “I think you should move along,” he tells him.
“And who the fuck are you?” he demands as I weave my fingers out of his. “Stay out of our way, we’ll get through this.”
“Ah, no you won’t, and I’m the guy who’s about to beat you to a pulp, that’s who.” He steps forward again. “Leave her alone.”
Edward walks back through the crowd. Edward sees Pascal and narrows his eyes and then without another word Pascal turns and practically runs away.
“That’s what I thought,” Thomas calls after him.
I watch Pascal cross the room with a deep sense of regret, it’s a terrible thing to break a heart, especially when I’m so happy.
THOMAS
I stand against the side wall as I watch him watch her.
Pascal, hiding in the shadows, hasn’t taken his eyes off Alora all night.
Something is off with this guy.
I turn in Alora’s direction to see what he’s watching. Edward has his hand around her waist and they are smiling as they talk. Edward leans down and kisses Alora and I turn back to Pascal, his face is stone cold and I get an off feeling.
This guy is a weirdo.
I walk over to Edward and Alora.
“Hey.”
“Hi.” Alora smiles.
Sinclair leans in to talk to her and I walk beside Edward and subtly lean in. “You need to watch Pascal.”
Edward frowns. “What do you mean?”
“He’s here.”
Edward’s eyes shoot up and scan the crowd. “Where?”
“He’s a fucking weirdo and he hasn’t taken his eyes off Alora in the last two hours.”
“How did he get in?” Edward’s eyes come back to meet mine.
“How would I know?”
“He must have come as a plus-one.”
“Don’t trust him.”
“I don’t.”
“She’s too nice, she thinks he’s harmless.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
Alora grabs Edward’s hands. “Let’s dance.”
“Okay.” He walks her backward and winks at me as they disappear.
I’m going to go for a walk and see if I can see him, I don’t trust this fucker for a second. I walk around the bar and through the dance floor. Edward and Alora are dancing and laughing; they look so in love. I smile as I keep walking around.
I go out onto the veranda and out into the garden and there, sitting on the side of the fountain, is a sight so beautiful that it stops me in my tracks.
A blond woman, with peachy cream skin and dimples. The biggest, most perfect blue eyes I have ever seen.
The air leaves my lungs as I stare at her, riveted to the spot.
She looks up at me and I swear, the earth moves beneath me. Our eyes are locked as the air crackles between us.
What is this?
She stands and walks to me. “Hello.”
“Hello.” My stomach flutters in excitement, I don’t ever remember having such a physical reaction to someone before.
Visceral.
“Have we met?” she asks. Her voice is soft, and angelic…. Ethereal.
“I….” I stare at her, lost for words. “Unfortunately not.”
She puts her hand out to shake mine. “My name is Amaya.”
“Hello, Amaya.” Before I can stop myself I have her hand lifted to my mouth and I kiss the back of it. “My name is Thomas.”
She smiles and puts her hand up in a stop symbol, I glance around in a daze, what’s she doing?
“Let’s go and talk somewhere.” She takes my hand in hers and pulls me through the garden.
“What are you doing?” I ask as we walk.
“Giving us privacy. Just around here.” She pulls me into another courtyard, it has a smaller water fountain and a stone bench, which she sits on. “Sit with me.” She taps the bench beside her.
I sit down, my heart in my throat, confused by the effect she has on me.
We stare at each other and it’s like I know her…but I don’t. Her eyes linger on my face. “You’re beautiful,” she whispers.
“My god,” I whisper, embarrassed. “It’s you who is beautiful.”
Her eyes drift to my lips as if she wants me to kiss her.
The air leaves my lungs and for the first time in my life I think I’m too nervous to actually pull this off. There are no words in my head, none.
The air between us is electric and I don’t remember anyone having this effect on me before.
Unable to help it, I lean in and takes her face in my hands and kiss her softly, her lips a gentle whisper across mine. Her eyes close and oh….
Thump.
Thump.
Thump, blood rushes from everywhere to the erection she’s incited.
Fuck….
We kiss again, this time with a little tongue, and I feel it all the way to my toes.
“Dear lord,” she murmurs against my lips.
My hand snatches around her waist and I pull her to me with hunger as our kiss deepens and she pulls out, flushed and panting. “I have to go.” She stands in a fluster. “I have to go now.”
“What?” I stand. “What do you mean?”
She leaves the courtyard in a rush and I follow her out, trying to think of a way to make her stay. We get back out to the main party and she walks straight up to two bodyguards, who appear that they were looking for her.
As I blend into the crowd I watch her, mesmerized by her beauty. After chatting briefly, she walks inside with the two men and out of view.
Who is she?
ALORA
4:30 A.M.
Edward, Thomas and I totter up the private road toward the waiting cars.
“Oww.” I bend down and slip one high heel off. “Wait a minute.”
They turn back as they wait for me.
I slip the other one off and pass them both to Edward. “Carry these.”
He holds them by the straps in one hand and takes my hand with the other.
“My biggest takeaway from tonight was,” I slur, “that stupidly expensive shoes are even more stupidly uncomfortable than cheap ones.” I tiptoe over the cobblestones.
“That is your biggest takeaway from that whole night?” Edward slurs back.
Boy…we are all very tipsy, those cocktails were lethal.
“Uh-huh.” I nod. “What’s your biggest takeaway from tonight, Mr. Prescott?”
“It’s confirmed that I have the hottest woman on earth.” He grabs my behind and bites my neck as I giggle.
“Ugh, make it stop.” Thomas groans. “You two are fucking pathetic.”
“What’s your biggest takeaway from tonight, Stone?” Edward asks.
“That love at first sight does actually exist.” He smiles proudly.
“You fell in love tonight?” I smile as I stumble over my feet. “Oww.”
“I do believe so.” He rolls his hands out and does an overexaggerated bow.
“With who?” I screw my face up. “I didn’t see you with anyone.”
“The most beautiful woman on earth.”
“Couldn’t be,” Edward slurs. “She’s taken.” He grabs me roughly again and we laugh like idiots. I swat him away. “Behave, Prescott.”
“Who was she, Stone?”
“She has blond hair and blue eyes. So fucking perfect.”
“What was her name?” I ask.
“Amaya,” he says. “Didn’t quite catch the surname yet, it’s a work in progress.”
Edward’s eyes meet his. “Blond hair, blue eyes, white dress, Amaya?”
“That’s her.”
“Ha.” Edward tips his head back and laughs, a deep belly laugh. “Fucking yes. Hilarious.”
“What?” Thomas and I frown.
“Did you talk to her?” Edward thinks this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard.
“Yes I did, actually.” Thomas puts his hands on his hips, indignant. “We even made out.”
“You made out?” He laughs hard again. “Oh, this is the fucking best.”
“What the hell is so funny?” I frown.
“Do you know who he made out with?” he slurs as he points to Thomas.
“Who?”
“Princess Amaya of Switzerland.”
“Huh?”
“Hermione’s little sister.” He widens his eyes.
“Why is that funny?” I frown.
“Because the king will fucking kill him.”