Chapter 4: Drake POV

***Back to Present***

That was ten years ago and the woman standing at the base of the stairs now, is a vision. So different from the girl I once knew. She now has a perfect hourglass figure, which is showcased by her dress; she is slim and fit, but still curvaceous in all the right places, with a trim waistline.

From this distance her bright, large, emerald green eyes, are the only things that have stayed the same about her. Her mask hides the top half of her face and her hair, so I can't tell if she has changed much there. She isn’t short, but she isn’t tall either and my eyes are drawn to her large breasts, noting the feathers that, give her modesty and make the look classy.

I cannot believe the reaction I am having to seeing her there; I feel an immediate pull towards her and a warmth spreading to my loins that will be downright embarrassing, if I don’t get a grip fast.

Suddenly I am giddy as a schoolboy, and I want to rush over, but I hold myself back not wanting to embarrass her. It has been seven years since I last saw her and five years since we last spoke, so I have no idea if she will even recognise me, the black mask I'm wearing also covers the top of my face, so that won't help.

I decide to wait and see what she does first, as she moves through the room I catch the odd ‘who is she?’ and ‘do you know her?’ from the others around me.

She certainly knows how to get the attention of a crowd, and something in the way she walks strikes me as odd. She walks with purpose, just like the nobles do, but I put that thought out of my mind as soon as I think it.

She would have told me something that important, we always shared everything about each other.

But there isn’t a sign of the tomboy that she once was, in the way she holds herself now, and for some reason, that makes be a little sad. A few more people approach her, and she talks to them politely, but I can tell she is searching the room with her eyes.

Could she be looking for me?

I find myself holding my breath, waiting to see if she will notice me. April finally leaves my side, clearly curious and a little annoyed, that she isn’t the centre of my attention. Rex and Tony come over to me, as I watch her approach Lilli, and what I witness, is nothing short of hilarious.

April extends her hand with an introduction full of confidence, Lilli takes it and shakes once, telling her who she is, and I see April’s whole demeanour change immediately. She goes from self-righteous confidence, to utter disbelief in a matter of seconds and the whole time Lilli doesn't flinch.

The others stood around her, seem to be a little shocked too and I can’t restrain my laugh any longer. When I recover, I realise one or two people are looking at me and when I look at Lilli, I see her freeze in place, her eyes locked to mine.

As we stare, I nod to acknowledge her, and a smile slowly spreads across her face. I stop breathing, again, momentarily caught by it. I can hardly believe that she is that happy to see me, but then she pushes through the crowd and runs over to me, throwing herself into my arms, to give me a hug.

I am stunned and unable to move, at first, but I come to my senses fast and give her a hug back, enjoying the warmth of her. I lift her slightly in my enthusiasm and I hear a sound of pure joy escape her, we release each other soon after.

She takes a single step back and looks at me, her head cocked slightly to one side. Looking at her face, with her looking at me, I realise that I'm finding it hard to speak, just like that first day. Something passes in her eyes and then she speaks.

“Hi there, tall dark and mysterious. A bit tongue tied, are we? I didn't think a hug, had the power to squeeze a voice, out of a person.”

She flashes that killer smile and there is a knowing, twinkle in her eye. Her voice rolls over me like a summer breeze, warm and inviting, deeply seductive. My face cracks into a smile that answers hers, it’s the largest, most genuine smile to appear on my face in years and we both start laughing, leaving the others around us confused.

The sound of her laugh has me struggling to maintain my control, I am seriously hard for her right now and deeply shocked by my body’s reaction. However, having her here is the best thing I could've hoped for tonight and my wish came true, so I decide to make the most of it and I promise myself not to let her disappear from my life again.