Chapter 5

Allessia 

We didn’t end up going to McQuinns although Aiden did ask me to point it out before steering me down a narrow alleyway and into the smallest quaintest coffee shop I had ever seen.

Looking around as he pulled out my chair I smiled. It was adorable and me in every way. I didn’t know how I had lived in the city for this long and missed it.

“I can see by your face that you approve.” Taking the seat opposite me, he reached across the table for my hands and trapped them between his. Rubbing his thumb back and forth over the back of them. 

When he looked up at me his eyes were soft. “You’re not shaking anymore but your fingers are still cold. Are you sure you are ok?”

Mutely I nodded. Not because I was in shock or scared any longer but because of the way he was looking at me. No man, not in my entire life, had ever looked at me the way this handsome stranger was.

Men looked at me and felt lust. Their lust for me and for the power I promised them but with Aiden he looked at me and it felt like he actually cared.

Which was just plain nuts because we had literally just met. 

“Maybe I should have got you checked out.” He mumbled and then fell silent as I turned my hand in his , entwining our fingers.

“No.” I said softly. “There’s no need for that. I’m honestly fine.” Lifting my chin I met his eyes. “I actually feel pretty safe with you.”

His fingers squeezed mine before letting my hand go completely. His, disappeared under the table. “I’m glad you feel safe Allessia but you really should keep your guard up. I mean a woman in your situation-“

Frowning, I dropped my hand to my lap. “In my situation?” I asked. Did he know who I was? Was that what he was talking about?

“Yes a beautiful woman, you probably shouldn’t have followed me here. I could have kidnapped you.”

Paranoid. That’s what I was. Completely and utterly paranoid. This wasn’t a man if my fathers circle, he hadn’t even reacted when I had said Moretti. 

This was just a man who looked at me with soft eyes.

“Are you going to kidnap me?” Gazing at him from beneath my lashes I fought back the urge to grin.

He eyed me fully. “That really depends.” His accent really was something to swoon over. Melodious and masculine in equal measures. I fought the urge to fan myself.

“It depends on what?” 

“On whether you want to be kidnapped.” He said smoothly and my core clenched.

Across the small table Aidens eyes flashed. “Or how many cream scones you’re about to put away.” He teased lightening  the mood with a wink. “Because I’ve seen you eying them.”

“I- uh-“ Heat crept up my cheeks and I hung my head. “I guess I would be a bit to heavy if I-“

Aiden cut me off instantly. “If you wanted to be  kidnapped I’d manage it easily Allessia. You could stuff yourself with cream cakes and scones and I’d still pick you up and,” he trailed off as my cheeks flamed. “Well I probably shouldn’t say anymore because your blushing.”

“Am I?” I feigned innocence. 

“Yes.” Reaching across the table , he stroked his fingers down my cheek and I shivered with the contact. I’d had boyfriends, very casual ones because no one wanted to mess with my dad but Aiden wasn’t a boy and he didn’t touch my face like a boy either.

He touched me like a man who wanted to own a woman in every single way possible. 

“And it’s adorable but I still shouldn’t have said it.” 

“I don’t mind that you said it.” I whispered. “I like-“ stammering I fell silent. “Well you know.” A small self conscious shrug.

“You like that I was thinking of picking you up , wrapping your legs around my waist and kissing you or the idea of being kidnapped?”

He said it so casually. Like he said things like that to women all the time and for all I knew he did. Aiden was definitely a charmer and a smooth talker.

“Yes.” I whispered. Glancing around I half expected everyone to be looking at us. At the very least for them to be listening in but it was like we were completely on our own. No one cared what he had just said to me.

Well no one but me.

One dark eyebrow shot up. “Yes to which one?” He probed.

Slowly I met his eyes. “Yes.” I murmured agai. And this time I was rewarded my a booming laugh.

“Keep your secrets then Miss Moretti and I’ll keep mine.” He winked. “For now.”

“Do you have many secrets?”

“Hundreds.” He admitted without any hesitation. “Maybe even thousands.”

Leaning across the table I lowered my voice to a whisper.

“Will you tell me one?” 

The moment I asked I realised how stupid it was. I’d just met this man and here I was asking him to tell me one of his deepest darkest secrets. 

Ok it didn’t have to be a deep dark one but i had still asked something deeply personal.

He caught my hands up again, leaning over the lacy tablecloth so our faces were just inches apart. “You really want to know?” He smiled. “Allessia.”

The way he said my name was like a promise. My eyes locked themselves to his lips. To the shape they made when he said my name and my core clenched again.

“Yes.” I whispered.

“I want to kiss you. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment I saw you. Your lips-“ reaching up he brushed his thumb against my bottom lip. 

Sucking in a breath I fought the urge to close my eyes. “I-“

He cut me off. “That’s my secret right now. That I want to kiss you but I know now isn’t the right time so I’m going to do the gentlemanly thing and -“

My eyes snapped open, and the little coffee shop with all its noise and smells snapped back into view. As much as I would have enjoyed the feel of his lips on mine, he was right. Here and now wasn’t the place. 

Like he had read my mind he settled back on the chair. “I’m going to ask you to have dinner with me tonight?”

“Dinner?” Out of all the things he could have said that was not what I was expecting. “Me?”

Chuckling low in his throat, He nodded. “Yes, food, drinks, some amazing company and if I am lucky you will let me kiss you goodnight.” His eyes darted to my lips again and this time they lingered there.

It was the way he looked at them that made me sigh happily. 

“If I am very very lucky.” He added with a smile. 

“You seem like a lucky kind of person.” I teased and was rewarded with a wide almost cheesy smile.

“I like to think so-“

In my bag my phone began to ring. Loudly. “I’m sorry I need to get this. It’s my roommate.” I flashed him a rueful smile as the tune began again. Something about big Ds and things I had never experienced. “She programmed the song and-“

Aiden motioned for me to answer it.

“Hey what’s-“

Her screams were loud and deafening. Growing out my greeting. 

“What’s wrong? Hello?” I tried again. A mounting panic rose up in my chest. Aiden leant forward his own face confused but my roommate didn’t say a word,

She was screaming too loud for that to happen.