SANDOR
It seemed that from her uncle in California to her brother and uncle in New York, the little bird came from a loaded family. She had hardly blinked an eye as they stepped into the luxury building that her brother resided in. Even the lobby of the building screamed wealth. Now Sandor reclined on a couch in a condo situated high above Manhattan. Rather than walls, it featured floor to ceilings windows that provided unparalleled city and skyline views. Although the view was stunning, his attention was drawn back to the girl with the auburn hair standing a few feet away.
The little bird was in good hands he could tell, but a part of him was reluctant to leave her. The way that she'd longed so desperately for her brother since the first day he met her, he would have imagined that her brother would be a grown man, capable of protecting her, and worthy of her admiration. But her dark haired brother was little more than a boy himself. Youthful, privileged, and distrustful as he stared at Sandor with a glare.
"If you're hanging with my sister to get money, you're wasting your time. None of our trust funds are accessible until we reach the age of twenty-one."
The boy scowled darkly at him and Sandor stared back in relaxed amusement.
The little bird jumped in, trying to ease the awkward tension. "Jon, don't worry. Sandor's my friend. He was only helping me and looking after me so I reached here safely."
Her brother's gaze immediately went to her and stuck. The novelty of having his sister back seemed to wash over him anew and he held out his arms to her. The little bird immediately stepped into her brother's embrace, snuggling against him.
Sandor felt a burning jealousy spread through him unbidden. How easily she melted into her brother's arms even though they'd only just reunited after being separated for years. The only time the little bird had willingly touched him was when they arrived to her brother's building. And the kiss.
He remembered the way she had sat herself on his lap and hesitantly pressed her lips to his. Her kiss had been so innocent and inexperienced, yet her action seemed like something she'd done often.
"This apartment has its own personal terrace, would you like to go outside?" The question cut through his thoughts and he looked up.
"I would love to," Sandor answered, even though the question had not been directed at him.
Her uncle who seemed less of an uptight ass than her brother, chuckled, before leading the way out to the terrace.
The full breathtaking beauty of New York City from high up in the air left him at a loss for words. From up here, the breeze caressed his face, the noise of the bustling city was distant but still present. Tall skyscrapers rose up all around him, their lights bright and inspiring, and the sky now painted a vivid pink seemed close enough to touch. The whole experience seemed surreal.
The little bird made her way over to him, sitting down and scooting close as she whispered, "I'm glad that you're here."
A powerful urge rose up in him to kiss her. But Sandor had a feeling that indulging this urge might result in him leaving the terrace in a manner that would result in immediate death. He settled for memorizing her flushed happy face and sparkling eyes.
"Are you going to stay in New York for a while?" Her pale eyes seemed to glow against the darkening sky.
"I need to get back to my workshop and see to orders that my customers have placed."
"Just for a few days," she begged.
He smirked. "You barely could stand my presence the whole time that we were traveling here. Now you don't want me to leave."
She blushed and rolled her eyes, choosing to study the scenic city skyline rather than reply to him.
He wanted to run two finger down her soft cheek, but her brother was still scowling, and her uncle shot discreet looks over at them every few minutes. Sandor couldn't really say that he blamed them. She was a treasure to be guarded.
"Little bird, I have to go," he informed her a short while later. He rose to his feet and she shot to hers, looking alarmed.
"You're not leaving New York, are you? You said you'll stay for a few days. Just until I go back to Uncle Petyr's." A pout formed on her lips.
Sandor dragged his gaze back to her eyes and gave her a pat on the head. "We'll see," he told her.
"Let me walk you back to the truck," she suggested, walking alongside him.
He found her reluctance to part ways adorable. If he was the type to delude himself, he would have smugly believed that it was because she wanted him the same way that he wanted her. But deep down he suspected the little bird had abandonment issues. It was expected after nearly losing her entire family.
Her brother trailed behind them as they entered the elevator and went down to the lobby.
"I'll call you!" the little bird promised.
And the last sight that Sandor caught before stepping out of the building's front doors, was her brother's thunderous expression as he glared after him.
Stay away from my sister. It was a look that he knew well.