I haven't realised until a week ago how long it's been. Don't actually have an excuse for that and I'm sorry. I've been sewing a lot lately but I've also binged a LOT of project runway. My bad. Anyway, I pushed myself to get this out finally. I will also fully edit the previous chapter in the next few days. I'd planned to do this when I upload this but it is a convention weekend. If you're interested feel free to follow me on twitter (link on profile). It's kinda my fandom account (so cosplay, art, and writing) plus whatever catches my fancy.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who commented, faved, and followed this story. Especially my reviewers YourAlphaWolf, Clarinetgoddess62, Eyilin, Missy Rain and potatoqueen. Don't want to sound like a beggar but feedback really makes my day!

Without further ado, happy reading!

Chapter THREE

"You can't be serious," she grumbled at no one in particular. Fate perhaps? Karma? Not that she normally believed in either of those. Just about an hour before reaching her destination of the day, Olivia's car had started acting up. After an agonising phone call with a local breakdown service, she leant against the head rest. It would take the tow truck at least 20 minutes to reach her, allowing her to wind down a little. She was exhausted. Not only had this been a long day on the road, she had barely gotten sleep last night, if any. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a movement outside her window, much too close to be a passing car, causing her to turn her head.

Perhaps she was getting delusional in her fatigue. Could she have dozed off and this was a very realistic dream? Outside was the handsome stranger she'd met at the beach. It had to be. It may have been dark, but those flawless and angular features were unmistakable. Making her feel drawn in like a moth to a flame despite every instinct telling her to run for the hills.

She didn't understand what he was doing here, though. How had he found her? In her head she thought of the traces she might have left. After checking out she'd paid in cash at the café she'd gone to for breakfast. She'd paid in card at the gas station, however. Could it be that he'd been tailing her all day long? Had her gut feeling been right? Was that his game? She felt sick.

"My apologies, I never intended to scare you," he said calmly, interrupting her thought process. He must have noticed the look of horror on her face - if there was one thing she'd never been able to muster it was a poker face. Her brother had been teasing her about that since she was about seven years old. Slightly in panic, she had to figure out how to bridge the time until the tow truck guys showed up. The street was deserted at this time of the evening. "Please, it seems like you're having car trouble. I only wish to help."

Was that supposed to be reassuring? For all she knew he could have sabotaged her car in the first place. It wasn't unthinkable considering he'd possibly followed her across the border. And halfway through another country. As inconspicuous as possible she locked the doors, cursing the clicking sound that it made. "I'm all right, actually. But thank you for the offer," she replied, proud that her voice sounded a lot less wavering than she felt on the inside. "Really, they'll be here to tow my car any minute now and I'll get a ride into town."

Genuinely seeming concerned though, he chose his next words carefully. "I realise my being here must be alarming for you, and I will explain this in time if you let me. For now I promise you, though, that I mean you no harm."

Olivia wanted to believe him. Not only did she hope for the best given the situation, he truly appeared sincere. Never the less, she had to ask, however much she dreaded the answer. "Did you follow me all day?"

The young graduate saw him hesitate for a split second. "After we parted ways I felt like… I just had to get to know you. I couldn't rid my thoughts of you. I picked up your trail after concluding my business and then I followed you for the last few hours." He trailed off, returning her scrutinising gaze. She was still suspicious, but honestly confused. Somehow, the whole situation seemed less threatening tonight, despite his very direct confession. There was also the question of how he found her. Admittedly, her card payment and the tolling stations did leave some digital trace, but it required some mad skills to get past those security systems.

"Picked up my trail? How?"

"Is this really a conversation you want to have through a closed car door?" His frustration seemed to grow at the continued awkwardness of the situation. When she opened the window for just an inch, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I already promised that I mean you no harm."

"Well, I'm not sure whether to believe you." She didn't even convince herself on that one, but she repeated the question.

"I'm good at finding people. It's what I do," he replied curtly. She could tell that there was more to this but she'd likely be disappointed if she'd press the matter further. It was her turn to ruffle her hair in frustration. What should she make of this situation?

"Did you sabotage my car?" The question just blurted out. 'There goes my filter,' she thought. That he denied, visibly amused, as if he, too, sensed that she didn't believe her own accusation. "This isn't funny, you know. This is a rental."

That hint of a smirk grew wider, although he apologised. Silence fell over them, when something occurred to the fresh graduate. "Hey, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'handsome stalker' in my head."

"Handsome, huh?"

Bloody hell.

Not knowing who she wanted to slap more, herself for making a fool out of herself, or him for being so handsome and cocky about it, she didn't dignify that with an answer. "Your name."

"Only if you open that door. It's a terrible way of having a conversation."

"No way. A) You creepily stalked me across the country, b) I don't know you and this isn't the most public place, and c) you probably know mine, so you can at least tell me yours," she insisted.

"You're wrong," he retorted, tilting his head slightly, a confused look which reminded Olivia of a puppy seeing its reflection for the first time. Like he was presented with an insoluble puzzle. He let his gaze drift to the sky then, still lost in thought.

Watching him stare up at the sky was inexplicably fascinating, making her nearly forget about her question. He moved with such an ethereal grace, it was positively surreal to behold. She caught herself again when he caught her staring. "Wrong about what? You looked for and followed me, so that does make you a stalker."

"I don't know your name."

Before she tried to make sense of that, however, a bright light approached her peripheral vision and she turned to the approaching car. It was slowing and she assumed – correctly – that the breakdown service was finally here. Thank god. And she made it alive with her stalker. Wasn't that what she'd been waiting for? Shaking her head, she grabbed her phone, her purse, and a half empty water bottle from the passenger seat before unlocking the door and stepping outside.

"I'd just assumed… never mind," she trailed off.

He took her hand with a startling swiftness, making her nearly drop the things she was carrying in the other, and blew and icy kiss on her knuckles, similar to his gesture last night. She'd been too much in shock to notice just how eerily cold his skin was. It sent a shudder down her spine. "Demetri. It's been a pleasure."

"Ehh.. I'm Olivia," she said lamely.

As she turned to retrieve her backpack from the boot and meet the people from the breakdown service, she stopped in her tracks and faced him again. "You're going to follow me again, aren't you?"

"Please, let me ensure you that you arrive safely at your accommodation. If you'd allow it, I would love to talk to you some more. Perhaps in an environment that makes you more comfortable. Or if you wish me out of your life, tell me and I-"

The insecurity in his voice threw her off a little and it felt impossible to turn him down. She suggested breakfast at ten at a charming looking place near her hotel, that she'd found on tripadvisor. Hesitantly, he nodded and suggested they exchange numbers, in case something came up.

What was she thinking?

After saying their goodbyes, she hurried to get the rest of her luggage and went to talk to the service to get her car towed and a ride into town as quickly as possible.

She truly needed a good night's sleep.

"Gracias." Olivia smiled at the server, as she sat down a small wooden tray with her café con leche and a portion of Eggs Benedict, before walking off with a warm smile. She stared back at the thick layer of clouds she'd woken up to this morning and sighed before checking the time again. With the drizzle that had just started, she was glad she'd left her hotel room a few minutes early, though she had still no idea why she was even here in the first place.

Rationally, she should have just cancelled the whole thing. No one in their right mind would indulge their stalker by going out with them. Not that this was anything but casual.

Was it?

It had looked like she would have broken his heart had she refused. 'What do you care, though? He's a stalker!' Her gut feeling, however, had been very different than the night before. He'd seemed less threatening somehow, although nothing about him had been visibly different and the deserted street had provided no sense of security like an open public space would. Not to mention that his behaviour was beyond inacceptable.

"Daydreaming?", a deep melodic voice that unmistakably belonged to her strange stalker pulled her out of her thoughts. It made her smile involuntarily and she looked up to greet him, only to be rendered speechless for just a moment. Now that she could properly see him in daylight, handsome no longer seemed like an adequate description. He was extraordinarily beautiful with impossibly flawless skin and, for the lack of a better description, an almost glowing pallor, reminding her a little bit of the elves in The Lord of the Rings. Safe for the pointy ears. His dark blonde hair was richer in colour than she could originally make out and his eyes were a dark brown, though there was something off about them she couldn't quite put her finger ob. He dressed simply but elegant in an expensive looking charcoal dress shirt, the top two buttons left undone revealing the chain of a necklace or pendant of sorts hidden underneath, and an impeccably tailored light grey coat.

Catching herself quickly, she gestured for him to take a seat. "Good morning to you, too," Olivia said.

"My apologies that I kept you waiting," he said with that gentlemanly charm he mastered to perfection. "Good morning. You look lovely if I may say so."

Although she didn't lack confidence and she'd finally had the chance to put on a dress and some makeup – he'd so far had seen her in her ratty PJs and after a full day of driving on very little sleep – the compliment was spoken with such adoration that it made her blush. She tucked a strand of her curled hair behind her ear. "Thanks. You know, you're not so bad yourself. Oh, you're on time, by the way. I left a bit early because I didn't want to get caught in the rain." Which was true. Not checking the weather forecast she'd put on her favourite sundress, white with a subtle blue floral print and lacing in the back which may not be the smartest choice on a day like this but fashion wasn't always about practicality.

He was going to say something but was interrupted by the waitress who'd served her earlier. He simply ordered a cup of black coffee in perfect Spanish and assured the waitress that this was all he wanted.

"I'm not much of a breakfast person," he offered when he met Olivia's questioning gaze, once they were alone again. "I was just happy that you gave me a chance to talk to you. I now realise what kind of impression I must have given you."

Unsure how to respond, she took the ornate sugar jar and a spoon, put three sugars into her coffee, and stirred longer than necessary, carefully avoiding eye contact. Nothing about the whole situation made any sense to her. "Right. It's just…" she trailed off in search for the right words. "None of what happened yesterday makes any sense. You'll have a lot of explaining to do."

He nodded. "Of course. I promise to explain everything in time. For now I will answer your questions to my best abilities, as long as you allow me to be around you."

It was a promise. A promise to be sincere, yet at the same time, the gravity in his voice also guaranteed her that the part of his story he was omitting was not to be taken lightly. There was hope, too. That she would stick around to the end.

She cracked up. If she told her friend Kate of this, she'd ask her where to get thw stuff she'd been smoking. This was hands down the weirdest person she'd ever met, and everything about the last 24 hours puzzled her. When he moved to ask her about her outburst she simply shook her head, trying to regain her voice.

"Sorry, it's… Where do I start? You hang out at the beach at 4am, sober, and in a suit. You tell me you're on a business trip, but you somehow got time to follow me over 300 miles to a different country because… yeah, why did you follow me? To spend time with me? To be honest with you, I should have never agreed to meet you again."

He winced.

"But since I am here, why don't we try and uncomplicate this whole mess? Are you actually on a business trip?"

A nod on his part. "I was. I was able to wrap things up yesterday."

When he didn't elaborate further she asked him what his work entailed. Finding people wasn't exactly a job. Head hunters looked for skill rather than finding someone's location and trailing them. "Wait, don't say anything. Are you, like, a secret agent?"

"No."

"Private investigator?"

He shook his head.

"A bounty hunter?"

Another negative. His smirk, however, had grown with each guess and to her surprise, so had hers. If she overlooked this epic clusterfuck of a situation, she found it easy to enjoy his company. It was effortless.

"I cannot give you specifics about my work right now, unfortunately, but in due time I will tell you more about me."

Again, there was a foreboding undertone which she wasn't sure she was particularly excited about. She buried that anxiety, though, for now. Maybe she could at least clear up a few mysteries today. "What makes you so sure there will an 'in due time'?"

He was going to speak but the waitress interrupted him, as she brought him his coffee, and once again asked him whether he'd like anything else, which he politely declined. He hardly noticed the way he enamoured the young server.

"I just hope there will be," he said quietly, as if it was as much directed at himself as it was at her, when they were alone again.

"Then tell me, why you decided to stalk me across the border?" Oops, this came out snippier than intended.

"I couldn't get you out of my head for even a minute yesterday and I hoped I could find out why that is. I—" He seemed to be looking for the right words again, though from the brief time she knew him, she could tell he was quite well-spoken, apparently in several languages. "You mystify me and I can't help but ache to learn more about you."

The intensity of his gaze, the soft lilt in his voice sent her struggle for her composure, but she steeled herself keeping in mind their past two encounters. A small smile stole itself across her face, telling him that the feeling was mutual. If anything, he was a complete mystery.

"Will you answer me one more question then?" She didn't expect anything but a maddeningly evasive answer but it couldn't hurt to ask. He nodded for her to as away. "You know I do cyber security. How did you find me?" Had he followed her to the hostel? Gotten her name from their systems? No, he hadn't known her name. Did he have her credit card details?

Before she could get any further down that paranoid wormhole he took her hand across. She was shocked again by how cold his skin was, and the surface of his skin, though she hadn't paid attention before was oddly smooth and firm. The gesture was soothing, though, as was his voice as he answered her. "I wasn't lying yesterday. When I said I didn't know your name. I also don't have any sensitive information about you."

"Then how—"

"I understand you'd track someone down that way, but my talent works differently. I can't reveal much more without saying too much I'm afraid. I apologise for speaking in riddles."

She nodded absently. For every answer she got, Olivia felt like asking ten more questions. So she went back to her half eaten breakfast in silence, pondering on what she was about to suggest. It seemed mad, but felt right at the same time.

"I don't get this. Or you. I really don't understand you. Had someone asked me to judge your character yesterday, serial killer and stalker would have been on my mind. But now? I don't understand myself here at all, so don't read too much into this. I feel like asking if you want to hang out the rest of the day. Casually. I was gonna explore the town a little. I mean, if you don't mind the rain. I need to grab a raincoat. Oh, did you know they filmed Game of Thrones here?" Could someone please shut her up already. Luckily, he put her out of her misery.

"I'd love to." And that eager smile sent flutters through her stomach.

"Great."

Great.

What had she gotten herself into?

Love it? Hate it? Please leave a comment if you can spare some time.

Just a note at this point. In no way do I want to romanticise (or encourage :')) stalking. I know the novels kind of do, unfortunately. He'll get in more trouble for that throughout the story. And perhaps for general sneakiness, even if it's not his fault entirely, he's got crafty vampire abilities. ;)

NOTE TO MY FELLOW GERMANS: If you got time to read fanfiction today you also have time to go vote!