Chapter 9
1051 Words
She was the level-headed and reasonable one. She should not have been surprised by Anna's dramatic performance in this regard.
"Do you call this place home?" she queried.
"Does that come as a shock to you?"
It did, but she told herself that the fact that he was not part of the media pack was the only thing that truly counted. He could not possibly be. On Kiribati Island, the only forms of media that existed were a monthly newsletter and a handful of private i********: groups.
Stella came to the conclusion that the briefing she'd received from Anna's lawyers was the source of her jitteriness. She dreamed that she was surrounded by journalists. She was losing sight of the fact that there were regular people in the world. individuals whose jobs did not require them to pry into the affairs of others.
"I was surprised to have guests drop by. Nevertheless, I am thankful that you checked in on us. Me. I mean myself." She could tell by the slight constriction of those eyes that her slip hadn't gone unnoticed, and she wondered if he'd noticed the little girl peeking from the window. She could see the slight constriction of those eyes. "What a beautiful island this is!"
“It is. Which leads me to wonder why you're looking at it through a door that's only partially open. "Except if you're Little Red Riding Hood," she replied. The merriment that could be seen in his eyes was disturbing.
When she beheld his large, alluring mouth, she had no doubt that he could transform into a wolf when the occasion demanded it. If you were to lay the hearts that he'd broken end-to-end across the bay, she was willing to bet that you would be able to walk the fourteen miles to the mainland without getting your feet wet. In fact, she was willing to bet that if you did this, you would be able to do so.
"Explain to me what's going wrong."
It was clear from his query that she did not have the same acting talent as Anna.
As his stare stayed on hers, she felt a sudden increase in the rhythm of her heartbeat. She brought it to her mind that he was probably not interested in a stressed out former management consultant who could freeze water without the assistance of an electrical appliance. She reminded herself that this was highly unlikely to be to his liking.
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
"Are you sure? Because I have the ability to kill a dragon if it is of any value."
She was shaken more by the warmth and the humor than by the speculation and laziness in his expression.
"Since this home is in the middle of nowhere, I just did not anticipate having any guests. My personality leans toward being cautious." Especially considering that she was now responsible for her half-child. sister's
"Sophie requested me to check on you in case anything was wrong. You didn't hear it from her, did you?
"So, you're friends with Sophie, right?" Because of this knowledge, a circumstance that should not have had any intimacy ended up having it. They were no longer strangers because they had established a connection with one another. She was confused as to why Sophie would have made such a request, but then she recalled the frantic message that she had left on her friend's voice mail the previous evening. It was evident that she hadn't waited a second longer than necessary before dialing for assistance.
Her heart raced, but then it calmed down since she was confident that Sophie would never tell anyone about her secret. If she had included this man, it must have been because she had confidence in him.
"Both of us were raised in this town. She was a classmate of one of my sisters while she was there. They would spend their summers at Camp Kiribati , participating in activities such as sailing, kayaking, and marshmallow roasting.
It sounded both heavenly and foreign at the same time. She did her best to picture herself attending summer camp during her formative years.
"It was very thoughtful of you to stop by. I'll let Sophie know that you called and that you did what was required of you.
His grin was seductive in its leisurely pace. "If you ask me, doing the right thing has never seemed more appealing."
Something about the way he stated it, as well as the look on his face that showed complete appreciation, roused her senses. The conversation was brief but sufficiently detailed to give her the impression that, if pressed to do so, he could have confirmed each and every one of her measurements.
It took her by surprise.
Men typically found it difficult to approach her. When Leo first met her, he made the remark that she reminded him of the polar ice cap but without the melting.
If I were to marry you, I guarantee that I will spend the rest of my life shivering and wearing thermal underwear.
He believed that her issue stemmed from the fact that she was unable to express her feelings.
Stella did not see this as a challenge at all. It was a deliberate choice to do so. Love filled her with dread. Because she was so afraid of it, she made the decision when she was young that she would rather go without something than put herself through the anguish of experiencing it. She was at a loss to comprehend the motivation behind the desire for it. She was able to lead a secure and protected life at this point. A life in which she could live with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that no one is going to plant a bomb in her chest and detonate it.
She did not desire the things that the majority of people desired.
She made a gesture that suggested she was self-conscious as she pulled her hair away from her face in response to the look he was giving her. I'm sure you have a million different options for how you could spend your day. I am also certain that babysitting is not on your list of activities that you would like to participate in.
- Writer
