Page 22 of Dark Soul

She felt somebody staring at her, and looked up, and up—he was huge, taller even than he’d seemed when she was on her knees, more than a head taller than her—to meet the man’s gaze. His eyes were the penetrating blue of a mountain lake in summer.

He hesitated for an instant, then finally seemed to make up his mind. Those alluring, masculine lips opened, and he spoke.

“I’m Luke,” he said, offering her his right hand. “Luke Dark.”

Alexia filed the name away. It suited him. There seemed to be a toughness to him, a kind of darkness. But there was light as well. And she’d spent enough time recently with a truly dark man, to not recognize the difference. Dark had shown nothing but kindness to the boy.

“Alexia Miller. And this is Nikolai,” she replied, knowing better than to share the boy’s last name. “Thank you, Mr. Dark,” she said, again. Because it didn’t seem like she could say it too many times.

He didn’t try to shrug this time, but nodded. “I prefer just Dark.”

“Dark.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Nikolai,” he said.

The boy blushed, was about to say something else, when suddenly Dmitri ran up. He shouted something in Russian, and she didn’t need to understand the language in order to understand the tone—or the way Nikolai froze, once again, like a deer in headlights.

Alexia positioned her body subtly between Dmitri and the boy. She didn’t think the security man would dare touch Nikolai in anger, but she wasn’t about to risk it.

“What the hell happened?” Dmitri asked her.

“We almost had an accident, but this man helped us,” Alexia said.

Dark stood by—he’d moved closer to her shoulder, without her noticing, and though his expression was neutral, his body was tense. But he didn’t say anything, and for that Alexia was glad.

“Are you okay, Nikolai?” Dmitri finally asked, his voice gruff.

The boy nodded quickly. “I lost the sled,” he said.

Dmitri nodded. “Come. I see it. Let’s go find it, and I’ll drive you home.” They headed off together, for a moment forgetting about her.

She knew she had to go, but inexplicably found herself wanting to look into his eyes a little while longer.

“I have to go,” she finally said, unnecessarily.

“You’re American,” he said.

She smiled. “So are you.” She’d been able to hear it in his accent. From somewhere in the mid-West, most likely.

“I just arrived in Gstaad a couple of days ago,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful town,” she said, noncommittally. And it was. The bits she’d been able to see, at least. She was allowed to go out in the evenings, once Nikolai was done for the day, but most days she was too tired to go out.

“The boy. He’s … you’re …”

“Not my son,” she said, laughing. She could see where his thoughts were going. “I’m his tutor. I teach him English and math.”

Dark nodded. He looked behind her, in the direction in which Dmitri and Nikolai had gone, and she realized they must be back by the car. “They’re waiting for you,” Dark said. There was a pregnant pause, and then he spoke again. “Can I see you again?”

She looked at the car, and at Dmitri, who was glaring at her. She really had to get going. “I’m working.”

“Later, then.”

And it’d been so long since she’d done something for herself—truly for herself, but she found herself nodding. “I’d like that.”

“I don’t know any place in town,” he said. “Name somewhere.”

She didn’t know what kind of place he had in mind, if he meant a restaurant, or somewhere else, somewhere less formal.