Page 198 of Nobody's Girl

Her breath pulls in deep as she turns her head to look down at me. “There is nothing you can say that can make this better. I need more time, Eden.”

That is the one thing we don’t have and it kills me. “Should I leave you alone?”

Her eyes glisten as the tears threaten further. “I fear it would kill me if you did. Even as you said the words, my heart felt as if a sharp dagger had been plunged into it. I’m a mess with a boyfriend. You should want none of what I have to offer, which is nothing but a lot of drama.”

The fact she thinks she has nothing to offer makes me furious at myself. I did this to her.

“You have much to offer, Alyssa. Stop talking down about yourself. It’s beneath you. You’re special and will do amazing things with your life. You were not born to be ordinary. Not one day of your life should have been spent that way. Set him free, and he’ll begin to heal and so will you.”

One tear rolls down her pink cheek. I quickly brush it away with my thumb. “I can’t do that, Eden. I just can’t hurt him like that.”

The softness in her heart, which she was born with to fulfill her destiny, has taken in that boy and I doubt it will ever release him. The capacity to hurt people is not something she was built with, nor was I.

It’s obvious our protectors will have to deal with this situation, and now I fear for the boy.

Sitting back down in the seat beside her, I put my arm around her and gently push her to lie her head on my shoulder.

“This is not how I want this evening to move forward. Put this out of your head and let us have an enjoyable evening out.”

One of her silky black tendrils tickles my nose and I sneeze.

With a small giggle, she lifts her head and looks at me. “Deal! Show me your world, Mr. Fontaine. I’m eager to see how the other half lives. Show me all I’ve been missing. I hope the chef can beat the lobster I get at the Lobster Shack. It’s pretty dang great and it’ll be hard to beat.”

A turn in her attitude has taken place. Although cheery, I know she’s repressing emotions and thoughts, which is never good.

I’ll go along, though. Once our protectors deal with Kyle, she’ll have no choice but to move on. She’ll need me more than ever then.

CHAPTER19

ALYSSA

This place is beyond anything I imagined. The instant we arrived, we were seated in the most elegant, small, private dining room. The waiter placed a napkin on my lap and later tied a bib around my neck so I would get no lobster juices on the gorgeous dress my parents gave me.

Eden shines like an angel across the table from me. He was right. This is so much better than Trixie’s or the Lobster Shack.

The stewardess on the private jet, an adorable woman with a warmth about her which makes her easy to like, said something disturbing about us. She said we glowed.

If that’s true, which I pretty much think it is, then Kyle will see it as well. Though I’m trying my hardest not to, I’m falling hard for Eden.

The lifestyle he leads is so different from mine that I don’t understand how we’ll work out anyway. Yet I find myself thinking maybe we could.

This place is something I could get used to. The food is another thing which would make me happy.

The man who sits across from me, making me laugh like I never have in my life, would definitely make my life more enjoyable.

My high society skills are sorely lacking. Instead of embarrassing me about my shortcomings by telling me how I need to do every little thing, he’s made light of my inexperience.

I just about slapped the waiter when he leaned over me, placing a linen napkin on my lap and smoothing it out in what I thought was an attempt to cop a feel. Eden joked with the waiter about it, leaving my dignity intact.

Carelessly, he pops a mint into his mouth. His luscious caramel-colored lips open to accept the dainty pink thing. A flick of his tongue as it runs quickly over his bottom lip makes me bite at mine.

“So, better than the burger at Trixie’s?” he asks.

I blink and look from his lips to his eyes. His gorgeous emerald eyes. “Uh, yeah,” I mumble like an idiot.

What he does to me is insane.

He rises and comes to my side, holding his hand out to me. “I would be very pleased if you would come and dance with me, princess.”