Page 8 of Divine Violence
“Echo.” He murmured my name as if he was trying the taste of it on his lips, and slowly moved back from me, letting my hand drop.
I felt cold and dizzy without him holding me, and I loved and hated that this man had such a strong influence on me.
“My name is Alexander.” He grinned. “Alexander Hale.”
I paled.
Hale came from the Eastern World, just like my family did. They were practically royalty back in my home country, having ties with the actual royal family now. And I didn’t mean the distant cousins who had just a smidge of royal blood in their veins.
The head of the family was second in line for the crown itself. If that didn’t make me step away, I had no idea what would.
His oldest son, Alexander, was the CEO of Hale Industries, having his fingers in the retail fashion industry as well as lodging. This man standing in front of me wasn’t just out of my league—he was from a different universe.
“Well, Mr. Hale—”
“Mr. Hale is my father, Echo. Well, royal pain in the ass as well, but I am just Alex.” His eyes twinkled as if he found it amusing how flustered and lost for words I was.
“Okay,” I mumbled. “Just Alex. It was nice meeting you.”
“Come on now, Sparrow. I would like to think that it was more than nice.”
Was it? Or did I imagine the way his eyes couldn’t leave mine and the way his body, as if having a mind of its own, started coming closer to me as if he too couldn’t bear to stand too far away?
“Why do you call me sparrow?” I blurted out, curious beyond measure. No one had ever given me a nickname. No one had ever had a chance to do so. Having it come from him made it so much more interesting.
“People often overlook them, searching for swans, hummingbirds, and doves, but sparrows… they are stronger than all those pretty little birds that are trying too hard to be noticed. Sparrows would much rather go unseen, small but resilient. Even though they might seem fragile, I believe that there’s fire in those little bodies waiting to be released.”
Once again, I was rendered speechless.
Maybe I should’ve been angry that he’d compared me to a plain looking bird but hearing why and his reasoning made me look at it in a completely new light.
“Well.” I gulped down the nerves that were threatening to surface. “No one has ever described me in such a manner. I kinda like it.”
“I like it, too,” he said, but there was a deeper meaning behind those plain words.
I wanted to stay here and chat with him the entire night, but things like that weren’t reserved for me. I could already feel the daggers being sent my way from the crowd behind us. The last thing I wanted was to have some other girl destroying my night just because I dared to speak with the man that half of them wanted to have.
I wanted to see what this party was about. It was a public secret. I always wondered what it would be like feeling like a princess for at least one night.
And now I had my chance.
I gathered my dress again. I didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye when he saw my plain black boots beneath the beautiful lace tickling my legs, but he kept his mouth shut and so did I.
“It was truly nice meeting you, Alex.” I smiled at him as I took two steps closer, trying to pass next to him. “I hope you have an amazing night,” I said, just as I was about to walk away.
But he stopped me.
His warm hand wrapped around my bicep, halting me in my steps.
A very un-ladylike squeak erupted from me when he pulled me closer to his body. The side of my breast brushed against his hard front and as I looked up at him, I gasped at the fire brewing in his eyes.
“Why are you running away?” he whispered. “Did I say something wrong?”
“N-No,” I stammered. “But I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Did I say you were bothering me?” He narrowed his eyes at me as I shook my head. “Then don’t assume something. Trust me, darling,” he let go of my arm and instead wrapped his arm around my shoulders, “if I don’t want to talk to somebody, I simply ignore them. You, on the other hand,” he looked down at me as we walked toward the boat, “you fascinate me.”
“I fascinate you only because I am not like the rest of them,” I bravely said, regretting my words as soon as they left my mouth. “Shit.” I stopped and moved away from his embrace. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it in—”
