HEIRS: THE PRINCESS AND THE HUNTER

Chapter 10 - Different

Ashton Varnat

She walked out looking like that, and I f*****g froze. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. I know the guys want revenge. I am sure they won't let me live out of it if I don't follow the plan, but f**k me if I don't want to see if this could be real.

She was wearing a short jumpsuit, her shoulders bare, no cleavage. Black, elegant, and with big sequins that made her glow, and absolutely the focus of my attention. This was supposed to be dinner, play the field, get under her skin, but f**k it if she is not getting under mine. Isla Smith, I wanted revenge, but suddenly. I want her to look in my direction, and instead of muttering the usual ´Not Interested,´ I want her to say, ´I choose you.´

She walked towards me, giving me a few seconds to recover from the impact of seeing her looking like that. She greeted me, “Hey,” simple, sincere, and annoyed. I was forcing this on her, and certainly her tone showed her displeasure.

“Hello, gorgeous,” I took her hand, and instead of shaking it, I leaned forward and kissed her knuckles.

I have never been in this position. I have always been the guy girls chase after at the games, at the bars, the player who gets what he wants and then tosses it away. Always, except now… somehow, I feel she is different.

I pressed my lips to her soft knuckles, and after the kiss, she removed her hand as if she had been shocked by the electric current.

“Let's have dinner… apparently, you have extra calories and a special diet is a matter of national security.” Her voice sounded stern. Underneath, I could hear something different… nerves. That kiss on her knuckles had an impact, and I could feel it deep in my bones.

I opened the passenger door and offered her my hand to climb into my G-Class. She didn't take it, swiftly climbed, and sat on the leather seat.

I took the seatbelt and leaned into her body, crowding her space a bit, and I buckled her. I felt how she let a shaky breath out. I moved away, closed the passenger door, and moved to the driver´s seat. I couldn't remove the smile I was sporting, because her reaction gave me something I had never sought — hope.

I buckled up, turned off the engine, and drove to the restaurant. This was not a date, but I wanted to impress her, so I chose a cute Mexican restaurant tucked at the fancy edge of the town. The place was everything you could expect from a place with Mexican decor. It was colorful, cozy, and it had live music and a dance floor. If I can get my way, I will have the chance to take her to the dance floor and hold her in my arms.

The drive was quiet, and somehow I felt desperate to hear her speak, even if what she had to say was sarcasm and edgy remarks. “So, are you this talkative, or am I the one getting the shy side?” I said, and she sighed.

“I have a rule of thumb. Silence is better when you don't have anything nice to say,” she said, and I looked in her direction and sighed.

“I was hoping that this dinner would get us to a fresh start…” I paused. Isla was not a woman I could charm with lies, so, against my better judgment, I decided to do something I had never done with a woman before… I opened up.

“I know that we have a certain fame and a reputation that, for girls who are worthy, is not appealing,” I said, and she gave me a small nod.

“Not at all,” she mumbled, and I nodded. A silent understanding passes between us. She was seeing a piece of me that I wouldn't let anyone else see.

“It is hard for us to let anyone close,” I said, and that made her look up at me. I was driving, so my profile glowed with the passing streetlamps. “Ever since I was a teen, girls threw themselves at me, because my last name represented power, money, prestige…” I said, and she nodded. It was another silent understanding, as if she knew what I had been through. Her reaction was unexpected and refreshing. “So…” I paused, and she smiled, for the first time, a relaxed smile.

“So you built this mask around yourself,” she said, and I nodded.

The rest of the drive was quiet, not awkward, but both of us allowed the moment to sink in. I have never been this open to anyone, and suddenly, I was pouring my heart out to a stranger. Not even my friends know how I feel about the whole facade we have to play on around campus. Deep down, it is not me. I want more, and maybe that is why I am completely mesmerized by her.

I parked at the Mexican restaurant, killed the engine, and rushed to her door to help her out of my truck. I reached out to her, offering her my hand, so that she could climb down safely. She looked up at me, took a deep breath, and slowly slipped her hand in mine. She sighed, then said, “Alright, let's start over.” After she said that, I took a deep breath. The relief I felt deep inside my bones hit me like a wave.

I nodded, and after she stepped out of the truck, I led the way inside the restaurant with her hand in mine. She tugged at it once, trying to release her hand from my hold, but I held her firmly. She looked up at me, and I gave her a small smile. I didn't want to upset her, but once we reached the door, I released her hand and opened the door for her. “Sorry, the parking lot is dark, and the pavement uneven… I didn't want you to trip,” I said, and she nodded.

“Reservation for Varnat,” I said at the front podium. The hostess looked at the list of reservations and slowly nodded at me.

“This way,” she said, giving me a flirtatious smile, and then leading the way to the cozy table beside the dance floor I had reserved for the night.

I opened a chair for Isla, and she gracefully took it.

“May I take your drink order?” the hostess said. I lifted my eyebrow. That was not the job of a hostess.

“We will wait for our waiter,” I said dismissively.

“But, I hope you know, I can be of service,” she said. I shifted uncomfortably. This is also one of the reasons my friends and I behave like complete assholes in public. I had a ton of things to say, many of them borderline rude, but I refrained from them because I didn't want Isla to think I am what everybody thinks I am. I know I can be better.

“We are good,” I said, and Isla chuckled.

The hostess turned around, and Isla sighed.

“Though life, Ashton,” she said, and I chuckled. After seeing the woman flirt, even when I was with her, after all I had explained, she just laughed about it.

“The toughest,” I chuckled.

The waiter walked towards us, handed us a menu, and took our drink orders. She ordered a lemonade, and I ordered a drink called ´Michelada´

She looked at the menu, and I distractedly stole glances at her. She scrunched her brows and nibbled at her lower lip when she was deep in thought, and suddenly, I wondered why I was noticing every single thing about her.

She looked up, and I quickly lowered my eyes to the menu. “The beef tacos are excellent,” I said, and she smiled.

“Well, Tacos it is,” she said, and I chuckled.

I lifted my hand, called the waiter, and ordered our food. The night was progressing nicely… and I knew that somehow I was standing at the edge of something big, something I couldn't pinpoint.