“Please excuse me, I need to make an urgent call,” he lied. He needed to check if there was danger around.
“Sure, I hope everything is fine, Stephan,” His friend asked.
“Yes, everything is good. I just forgot some office work, so I need call Thomas.” His friend nodded and Stephan walked down to the main hall.
Actually, it would be a good idea to call Thomas first, before taking any action,Stephan thought.
He stared down at his phone as he moved towards the entrance. His eyes flickered from side to side as he slid his tongue across his lower lip. There was something vibrant about that girl, the one who had slammed herself into him. He knew it was somewhat his own fault, but seeing her had been so incredibly unexpected.
He had been stunned what just had happened. Never in his life had he imagined that a glimpse of any living woman would bear so uncanny a resemblance as the one that woman seemed to bear. Because the woman she resembled, Aiyana, had long been gone from his life, and it was almost impossible to imagine the brief meeting he’d had with her could even have occurred.
Her image fluttered through his mind, so real, so concrete that he knew he would never forget it. And because he hadn’t uttered a single word to her, and stood there like a fool, he’d missed out on the chance for a proper introduction.
He regained his conscious as the she moved towards the elevator, and he quickly went out to call Thomas.
“Hello, Stephan,” Thomas answered.
Thomas was his personal assistant, and Stephan viewed him much more as a father figure than the man even recognized. When Stephan’s uncles, George and Dale, killed his parents and brother Vincent, Thomas was the one who saved Stephan and settled in Australia with him. Thomas had worked for King James, Stephan’s father, and James had deemed him the most trustworthy person.
“Thomas, there is a cat around. It could be dangerous. I need your thoughts on that, what do you think I should do?”
“Oh, did it hurt someone?”
“No, I mean, I don’t know yet.”
“Son, I would suggest you don’t do anything until you witness something. The cat might work there at the office; as you know, they lead their lives like normal humans. Just like we dragons try to do.”
Stephan took a deep breath and said, “I think you’re right, Thomas, it’s just that I have been constantly thinking about the past.”
Colorado was the last place in the world Stephan wanted to be at. It was suffocating as the bitter memories and ugly truth from the past flashed back in his mind since he had landed here. If it was not for his friend, he would have already rejected to contribute the wedding event, no matter how much money he may have lost.
“I’m coming back to Australia; my work here has finished here,” Thomas said.
“Wow, really? When do you leave?”
“Thursday morning at nine o’clock. The flight is supposed to arrive at four o’clock in the afternoon. Will you be able to pick me up?”
“I don’t see why not,” Stephan replied. “Give me a call when you depart. I’m also heading back tomorrow morning, as my meeting has finished.”
“Of course, looking forward to seeing you. And don’t stay there too long. I don’t want you to get into any fights. They could have grown more dangerous. It is not a right time and we need to work on proper plans and preparations,” Thomas warned.
“Yes, Thomas, please don’t worry. I will be back soon.”
Stephan ended the call and let out a loud sigh. He thought about his parents and brother; they’d all been so happy here in Colorado. He shrugged off the thoughts and headed back to the third floor and sat on the chair near the big glass window. Still, his mind kept coming back around to settle on her once again. He had peered into the depths of her striking and beautiful eyes, and what he’d seen there was magnetic without a doubt.
Every detail about her was so perfectly etched into his mind’s eye, perfectly managed long waves of her hair, luscious lips and oceanic eyes made his heart sink in his chest. Indeed, everything about her was like a breath of fresh air, like hope had once again been breathed deep into his lungs.
Stephan had never experienced love, or even feelings of attraction towards any other person since he had lost his mate, Aiyana. He was a quiet and distrusting person, and it wasn’t something he was at all used to.
Chapter 2
Stephan stared out the big window glass from his friend’s cabin as he blew a light breath out over his steaming coffee. His eyes widened as his eyes once again spotted the enticing female who he’d bumped into earlier. But she was walking through the parking lot with another man. Stephan watched with a curious smirk as she slid into a car and the man hopped in alongside her. The car pulled off and he watched it until it disappeared down the long drive and out over the horizon.
The woman and her male accomplice were long gone, but he couldn’t help but wonder about her. Who was she? What did she do? And why did she have to so strangely resemble Aiyana? Suddenly, Stephan wished he could stay for just one more day. Maybe then he could get another chance to see her. To actually meet her properly. For the first time, Stephan actually wanted to stay in Colorado, even though he hated it, but he knew it just wasn’t possible. Especially not with Thomas coming back home so soon. With a sigh, he resolved it was best to go back to his hotel room and catch up on some much-needed rest.
Soon, he would be heading back to Australia, but the thoughts of that luscious woman and her divine scent, a fragrance he couldn’t decipher… Like a bouquet of fragrant wildflowers. The thought of it alone made him break out into a smile, happy and content in ways he hadn’t been in ages… hell, years.
???
