Page 131 of Mr. Aster
I smiled, thankful I wasn’t a melting pile of goo standing before this man. That was a good and bad thing. The good part was that I felt like my old self again, holding her own and unafraid of a ridiculously handsome man, and the bad part was that the last man I was able to do this with was the cause of all my grief. Sebastian had captured my heart, which was obvious now because even these temptingly gorgeous men couldn’t get my eyes, mind, or heart off him.
“Your eyes are stunning,” I said, unable to stop the words.
He offered a bashful smirk that made me miss Sebastian. His skin was a sun-kissed, warm olive tone, and his dark hair was thick and wavy. Now that he and I were eye-to-eye, my eyes roamed over his face, examining his high cheekbones and strong jawline, which gave his face a striking, chiseled appearance.
But it was his eyes that truly captivated me. They were a deep golden color, shimmering with this bashful smile like molten amber. I tried to allow his smoldering stare to draw me in and away from Sebastian’s handsome features, but even this Adonis couldn’t do the trick. My heart had betrayed me and continued to sabotage me on all fronts. I was so fucked if I couldn’t get over Sebastian Aster.
“Well, I have Spanish roots to thank for these eyes. They seem to garner more attention than anything else about me,” he chuckled, his full lips highlighted by a carefully shaven mustache and beard. “My family is from Madrid. I assume you’ve heard of it?”
I knit my eyebrows together. “I mean, it’s the capital of Spain, so, yeah. I’m familiar,” I laughed. “Are there people in the world who don’t know where Madrid is?”
“You’d be surprised,” he grinned. “I meant no offense, of course.”
“No worries. I’ve never been to Spain, but your fortunate genes make sense now,” I said. “It’s not every day I compliment a man I do not know.”
“I’ve been told you are quite hard to impress,” he said with a very subtle Spanish accent.
“That’s true,” I laughed. “Can I ask who told you this?”
“I was recently in Ibiza with a close acquaintance of yours, Sebastian Aster,” he said. His golden eyes probed into me, practically searching my soul for a response.
“Were you?” I said, more curious about this little talk he wanted to have than I was mesmerized by his eyes.
“Indeed,” he nodded.
“How is he?” Might as well find out if the man is devasted or not.
“He’s the same arrogant bastard I’ve known since Oxford,” he cracked a small, menacing laugh.
“I wonder what you want to talk about,” I said, confused.
“Well, after hearing through the rumor mill that he was with Darcy Burke, a woman whose station was beneath his usual standard, I was intrigued. Then, when I was in Ibiza, the rumors shifted, and I can only assume they are true. You and he are no longer together?”
“No,” I said, feeling a knot twisting in my stomach. “I guess he’s acting single?”
“Well, you don’t seem to be acting like you’re in a relationship with him?”
“What is that supposed to mean? I’m not running around flirting with anyone, and I only complimented your eyes.”
“Suddenly defensive?” he smiled as warmly as his tone was.
God, this guy was a panty-melter.
“I’m just going through a lot right now. It should come as no surprise to people in your elite circles that Sebastian and I couldn’t work.”
“Well, the females who pine over him have a lot riding on your misfortune in love with Sebastian, so their opinions come from a different place than mine.” He looked at me sympathetically, “I formed baseless opinions of you before I met you in person tonight, and I must apologize for them. You seem incredibly lovely, and I understand why he fell for you. He may rival me in business, and I can honestly say there are times when I hate the man, but he and I can agree that you are a stunning, very attractive woman.”
“Thanks?” I said, totally perplexed by this conversation. God only knew the look I must’ve had on my face.
“I’d like to take you out sometime,” he said. “Perhaps I can help you move past that relationship and onto a better one.”
“Oh, God,” I said, refraining from rolling my eyes. “Okay, thanks for all the flattery, but I’m all used up by gorgeous, wealthy men who want to date me for my looks.”
“I like your style, Darcy,” he said with a cheeky grin. “Most women would jump at the chance to date me.”
“Well, Idon’tlike your style, Titus,” I answered bitchily. I didn’t like these advances, especially when I was not even close to being over Sebastian. “I’m not like other women who easily fall for men’s charms.”
“That’s what Seb said when he spoke about your relationship over drinks one night,” he said with a low laugh.
