Page 14 of Stealing the Star Stone
Instead, he swiveled in his seat and scanned the menu.Fruit teas held some appeal, their flavors mitigating the bitterness.Well, he assumed.After all, this was his first try at drinking tea.He skimmed over rose, hibiscus, lavender, butterfly pea… Lady Grey?He sliced a glance at Nova.
He caught Arell’s attention with a wave.“Milady, I’d like to order a pot of Lady Grey and mango passionfruit.”
She beamed and disappeared into the back room.When he faced forward, Nova was smirking at him over the rim of her cup.
“What?”he asked before he took a gulp of tea.
“Charmer.You just proved pretty people have an easier life.”
“And you’re not…pretty?”He arched a brow, blaming his warm cheeks on granadilla-scented steam.
“Apparently not,” she mumbled, downed her tea, then reached for the next pot.Gone was her earlier teasing.He’d hit a nerve.
She waved the pot, waiting for him to finish his tea.He hurried to do so while wracking his brain for a safe topic.Even better would be something that would bring back her smile.
This tea, though floral and sweet, was like the taste of a woman’s perfumed skin.He grimaced.
“Y’donna like?”Arell asked, her eyes wide with concern.
“I prefer the granadilla.”
She shoved aside the jasmine and fetched another cup.With a surprising grace, she poured the mango passionfruit, her fingers not once trembling until she set the pot down.
He cradled the cup and took a sip, his gaze on her.A hum slipped free.
She beamed and scampered off.
When she was out of earshot, he leaned across the table to whisper, “Where did she come from?”
What he wanted to ask was why hadn’t Nova warned him?
Why would she?
That thought stiffened his spine and made him realize he had far to go to woo this woman.And why he bothered, he couldn’t say.Perhaps because if she did like him, it wasn’t because of his fame, fortune, and sex appeal.Her affection would be genuine.
His breath seized in his lungs.If she liked him, it would be for the man he was.
“I wonder,” he started, “what this artefact looks like.”Safe enough subject and sure to spark a response from her.“Metal with engravings and glowing blue?”
She grinned.“Probably.”
“Wanna take a peek?”
“And risk getting spotted?”She eyed him, her cup in one hand as she flicked the other.“The security should be tight.You might have to charm your way in.”
“We can ask.If it’s a no, then we’ll pick apples or strawberries.”
She placed her cup onto the saucer, the fragrance of Lady Grey reaching him.“If you get swarmed by your fans, I’m leaving you.No one pays me enough to save your ass.”
He studied her, not sure if she was serious, especially after her efforts to get him off Auralis.“Ten minutes.And I’m the client.You’re supposed to be doing what I want to do.Nowhere did I sign up for fruit-picking of any sort.”
She scowled, huffed hard enough to flare her nostrils, then grumbled, “Fine.We’ll go see this silly idol.”
Seeing as he’d won that battle, he could be gracious.“I don’t want to pour another cup; may I?”He gestured to hers.
With an extended index finger, she nudged her saucer over, the tea barely rippling.
“What do you think of the décor?”he asked, cradling her cup and rotating it slowly, hoping she wouldn’t realize what he was up to.It was creepy as all hell, but he ached to place his lips where hers had been a moment ago.
