Page 16 of His Stolen Queen
A noise from the kitchen caught my attention, and I strolled quickly toward it, eager to introduce myself to Mr. Angelou so I could wrap up this meeting and head home.
I stopped short at the sight of a tall blond man standing behind the island. He was engrossed in his clipboard, flipping through a stack of papers. Somehow, I knew he wasn't the mysterious Angelou.
"Hi," I called out.
The man lifted his head, and I instantly became tongue-tied. He was gorgeous. He had piercing dark eyes that seemed to shimmer. His skin was pale, but instead of looking sickly, he appeared to be glowing.
"Errr…hi," I repeated before shaking my head, relieving my brain from its temporary stupor. I walked forward and held out my hand with a friendly smile. "I'm Alice Harper, owner of Spaces by Alice."
He stared at me, frozen and wide-eyed, like a deer in headlights. My smile faltered at his odd demeanor. "Um…we're doing the interior design work for Mr. Angelou."
Slowly, he lowered the clipboard he clutched and glanced behind me.
I felt silly standing there with my arm extended, so I let it drop.
"Um…okay."
The silence stretched between us, and I wasn't sure how long I could hold my smile for.
"So, is Mr. Angelou about? I've been dealing with his assistant, Von, but I was told the owner would be here today. He requested a meeting."
I was startled when Mr. Hot and Silent bent his head low in what could only be described as a bow. He straightened but still avoided my gaze.
"He is here. I shall fetch him." His voice was deep, with an English accent and a hint of something else European. His speech was weirdly formal for such a young guy. I figured he could be Slavic or perhaps Scandinavian. During my travels,I encountered a slew of different cultures and ethnicities, and often, their English speech was more formal than mine.
Without a word, he turned and quickly strolled through the double doors behind him as if the hounds of hell were chasing him.
"Was it something I said?" I mumbled to myself in amusement.
Von had also been stiff and abrupt with me. His emails were always formal and professional. I tended to match my clients’ tone, so I always replied in kind. But when I eventually met them, we usually fell into a more casual and friendly rapport.
Yet the few times I'd met and spoken with Von, he retained his stilted resolve.
Maybe it was a European thing? Or a rich-person thing?
My nose twitched again with that bewitching scent. It was heavenly and addicting and I made a mental note to ask Von whether he knew the source. It was a masculine smell, and with so many male workers around, it could be any one of them. It definitely wasn't Mr. Blond and Silent though.
With nothing to do but wait, my attention was again drawn to the darkening skyline, and I glided toward the glass windows to peer out into the sunset sky. I placed my hand against the cool glass and focused on a spot in the distance: a tall tower with bright lights. I could see a group of tiny people gathered on the balcony, undoubtedly some after-work drinks or a party. The last thing I wanted to do was be social right now. I craved a long soak in the bath and a cuddle with David—my safe space.
Over the past few months, I'd felt more out of sorts than ever before. Not even my husband's sweet lovemaking could calm the storm raging inside me.
The dreams had begun again and had become more intense and persistent. Exhausting. David had started to notice and begged me to begin taking my sleeping pills again. I refused.Even though they knocked me out, they always left me bone-tired and weary. They blurred my dreams, forcing me to stay in their walls until I woke at dawn, bleary-eyed and somehow more drained than ever.
And still with a gaping hole in my memory.
Except blue eyes. Searing, icy-cold blue eyes that pierced my soul and haunted my waking thoughts.
I clenched my thighs as I felt the familiar pull deep in my groin, making itself known. My nipples pebbled, and goose bumps pricked on my arms. I leaned my head against the glass, hoping to cool the heat on my skin. I could feel my heart racing and curled my fingers against the coolness. My breath panted, fogging the glass as I fought to control the onslaught of fiery emotions building inside me.
What was happening to me? The feeling was so powerful. It had never been this sharp before. Another hot ache had me biting back a moan. Of pain? Or was it pleasure? Jesus, maybe I was coming down with something.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the glass before me, and I jerked back in fright. I whirled around, an apology ready on my lips, but the person standing before me ripped all thought from my head. My breath sucked in on a sharp inhale as I took him in.
Ice-blue eyes.
They were so piercing that I would've stumbled back in shock if it weren't for the glass pane behind me.
Ice-blue eyes.
