Sand surrounded Alec's feet dirtying them. It felt cool and firm against his warm skin. He watched Eliann wade into the water of the lake only up to her ankles.
"Aren't you a little cold?" he called to her.
She turned to look at him. "Very, but I don't get to indulge myself much." Gliding out of the water, she stood beside Alec and they stared out over the lake.
"Can I take a guess at something?" Alec asked not looking away from the lake.
She glanced at him sideways. "Sure."
"You were very sheltered as a child."
A light laugh escaped her lips. "You're good. Yes, I was very sheltered. I had a very limited and restricted childhood. My parents thought I was special, and they didn't want any harm to come to me."
"That explains why you're so timid and shy." Alec smiled to himself. He just wanted to get a reaction from her. And he did.
Facing him astonished, she got defensive. "I am not timid nor am I shy. You don't know anything about me."
"But I'd love to," he replied.
Her face softened. "Well, we definitely know you're not timid or shy." She squinted her eyes at him. "Why do you want to know anything about me?"
"Because you're mysterious. You seem to have a lot of secrets that I'd like to find out. What can I say? I like sticking my nose in other people's business." He wagged his eyebrows at her goading her to take the unspoken challenge. Getting to know someone new is always a little frightening, and he wanted to see if she was afraid.
Before she answered, her gaze roamed over his body, and for a moment, Alec became uneasy. "Okay. I'll let you get to know me on one condition."
"And what's that?"
She lessened the distance between them. Six inches separated their bodies. "I get to know you as equally well as I let you know me."
His voice dropped a few levels. "That seems fair."
She winked at him. "Good. Twenty questions." They started walking down the shore shoeless.
"All right. Last name?"
"Siruksoona."
"Ethnic."
"Egyptian," she replied. "Yours?"
He visibly hesitated. He didn't have a last name. Max had neglected to provide him with one. It wasn't really important at the time. For some reason, he didn't feel like making one up either. "I don't have one."
She cocked her head. "You don't have a last name?"
"I was ... sort of orphaned as a child and no one knew my name."
She reached out to touch his arm. "I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I've gotten over it. That's two by the way, and it's my turn. Parents?"
She felt her body stiffen at the question. "They're ... I have no idea where my mother is, but my father's dead."
"I'm sorry," was all he could offer.
She smiled a small smile. "It's okay, I've gotten over it just like you." Eliann
needed to lighten the mood. "Favorite color?"
"Blue. Favorite food."
"Ice cream thanks to you." She elbowed him.
He grinned. "My pleasure."
"When did you lose your virginity?" She eyed him slyly.
That didn't turn him away. "Eighteen. You?"
"Same. Do you find me attractive?"
He glanced down at her. "Do you find me attractive?"
Wagging a finger at him, she shook her head. "I asked first."
"Fair enough. Yes, I find you very attractive. And you?"
"I find you attractive too. Are you gonna kiss me?" She stopped their walk and stood extremely close to him.
"Absolutely." Give him a break, he couldn't help himself.
Slowly, deliberately trying to work his charm, Alec brought his hand under her sleek chin. Taking his time, he pulled her face to his. Elation filled him when her eyes drifted close in anticipation. He couldn't wait to feel those perfect lips against his own but he didn't dare rush it. The instant their lips made contact, Alec lost all sense of the surrounding world.
And the instant their lips touched, Eliann lost herself. This wasn't disgusting at all! She had thought that kissing Alec would have been messy and revolting. But it proved to be far from that. His lips felt soft yet strong. And he definitely had experience. If she ever left that moment, she didn't know if her body could handle it.
Much to Eliann's dismay, Alec broke the kiss. Her mind failed to give her mouth instruction so she stood there speechless.
Alec smiled lightly. "Are you okay?"
"I ... I've never had a kiss like that." She inhaled deeply, inadvertently smelling his wonderful scent. "How did you do that?"
He hooked arms with her and continued their walk. "Well, contrary to popular belief, I don't kiss that many women, especially on the first date." He shrugged his shoulders, then threw her a sidelong glance. "I guess it's my gift. You've asked seven by the way. I get two now. How old are you?"
Still trying to put herself back together, Eliann answered. "Twenty-two."
"Where do you work?"
Her mind easily recalled the concocted lie she needed. "I work at a diner about four blocks away from here as a waitress." By now, the sun had set and stars meekly poked through the semi-dark sky. Eliann smiled apologetically to Alec. "It's getting late. I really should get going."
"Can I walk you home?" Alec hoped he didn't sound to eager.
She smiled. "No, that's alright. I'll be fine."
"Well then can I see you tomorrow?" Alec's eyes pleaded to her.
Even though she should have played hard to get, she found herself unable to deny
him. "Yeah, that'd be wonderful. How about lunch? I'll come by Jam Pony around noon." She began walking away, but turned back to him. "That's nine, by the way."
"Aren't you a little cold?" he called to her.
She turned to look at him. "Very, but I don't get to indulge myself much." Gliding out of the water, she stood beside Alec and they stared out over the lake.
"Can I take a guess at something?" Alec asked not looking away from the lake.
She glanced at him sideways. "Sure."
"You were very sheltered as a child."
A light laugh escaped her lips. "You're good. Yes, I was very sheltered. I had a very limited and restricted childhood. My parents thought I was special, and they didn't want any harm to come to me."
"That explains why you're so timid and shy." Alec smiled to himself. He just wanted to get a reaction from her. And he did.
Facing him astonished, she got defensive. "I am not timid nor am I shy. You don't know anything about me."
"But I'd love to," he replied.
Her face softened. "Well, we definitely know you're not timid or shy." She squinted her eyes at him. "Why do you want to know anything about me?"
"Because you're mysterious. You seem to have a lot of secrets that I'd like to find out. What can I say? I like sticking my nose in other people's business." He wagged his eyebrows at her goading her to take the unspoken challenge. Getting to know someone new is always a little frightening, and he wanted to see if she was afraid.
Before she answered, her gaze roamed over his body, and for a moment, Alec became uneasy. "Okay. I'll let you get to know me on one condition."
"And what's that?"
She lessened the distance between them. Six inches separated their bodies. "I get to know you as equally well as I let you know me."
His voice dropped a few levels. "That seems fair."
She winked at him. "Good. Twenty questions." They started walking down the shore shoeless.
"All right. Last name?"
"Siruksoona."
"Ethnic."
"Egyptian," she replied. "Yours?"
He visibly hesitated. He didn't have a last name. Max had neglected to provide him with one. It wasn't really important at the time. For some reason, he didn't feel like making one up either. "I don't have one."
She cocked her head. "You don't have a last name?"
"I was ... sort of orphaned as a child and no one knew my name."
She reached out to touch his arm. "I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I've gotten over it. That's two by the way, and it's my turn. Parents?"
She felt her body stiffen at the question. "They're ... I have no idea where my mother is, but my father's dead."
"I'm sorry," was all he could offer.
She smiled a small smile. "It's okay, I've gotten over it just like you." Eliann
needed to lighten the mood. "Favorite color?"
"Blue. Favorite food."
"Ice cream thanks to you." She elbowed him.
He grinned. "My pleasure."
"When did you lose your virginity?" She eyed him slyly.
That didn't turn him away. "Eighteen. You?"
"Same. Do you find me attractive?"
He glanced down at her. "Do you find me attractive?"
Wagging a finger at him, she shook her head. "I asked first."
"Fair enough. Yes, I find you very attractive. And you?"
"I find you attractive too. Are you gonna kiss me?" She stopped their walk and stood extremely close to him.
"Absolutely." Give him a break, he couldn't help himself.
Slowly, deliberately trying to work his charm, Alec brought his hand under her sleek chin. Taking his time, he pulled her face to his. Elation filled him when her eyes drifted close in anticipation. He couldn't wait to feel those perfect lips against his own but he didn't dare rush it. The instant their lips made contact, Alec lost all sense of the surrounding world.
And the instant their lips touched, Eliann lost herself. This wasn't disgusting at all! She had thought that kissing Alec would have been messy and revolting. But it proved to be far from that. His lips felt soft yet strong. And he definitely had experience. If she ever left that moment, she didn't know if her body could handle it.
Much to Eliann's dismay, Alec broke the kiss. Her mind failed to give her mouth instruction so she stood there speechless.
Alec smiled lightly. "Are you okay?"
"I ... I've never had a kiss like that." She inhaled deeply, inadvertently smelling his wonderful scent. "How did you do that?"
He hooked arms with her and continued their walk. "Well, contrary to popular belief, I don't kiss that many women, especially on the first date." He shrugged his shoulders, then threw her a sidelong glance. "I guess it's my gift. You've asked seven by the way. I get two now. How old are you?"
Still trying to put herself back together, Eliann answered. "Twenty-two."
"Where do you work?"
Her mind easily recalled the concocted lie she needed. "I work at a diner about four blocks away from here as a waitress." By now, the sun had set and stars meekly poked through the semi-dark sky. Eliann smiled apologetically to Alec. "It's getting late. I really should get going."
"Can I walk you home?" Alec hoped he didn't sound to eager.
She smiled. "No, that's alright. I'll be fine."
"Well then can I see you tomorrow?" Alec's eyes pleaded to her.
Even though she should have played hard to get, she found herself unable to deny
him. "Yeah, that'd be wonderful. How about lunch? I'll come by Jam Pony around noon." She began walking away, but turned back to him. "That's nine, by the way."