This instantaneous attraction I feel for him seems to be mutual. His eyes roam hungrily over my body, taking me in like I’m something he wants to devour. Is it possible that he’s feeling the same heat coursing through his veins, the same sudden obsession overwhelming him?
Never in my life did I ever think something like this could happen to me. An instantaneous connection with a stranger and a handsome one at that. I never knew that I could feel this way. I’ve been teetering on edge, waiting to fall in love for so long…but I never knew it would be so sudden. This man…I don’t even know his name, yet I know that he’s the man I want – the man who can change everything for me.
I can’t stop staring at him. I know I’m being rude, but I can’t seem to stop. Is he the owner of this place? If so, has he got rooms to rent available? I’d do anything to spend the night under the same roof as him.
Maybe I’ll get my chance to speak to him, to explore this connection that seems to threaten to overwhelm me entirely. If I do, what will I even say to him? I can’t tell him that I’m falling for him without us even saying a word. I can’t tell him that he’s made me come alive while I was scared that some part of me had been extinguished. I can’t tell him that this is what I’ve been waiting my entire life to feel.
I guess I should start with “Hello.”
I approach the man slowly, and he straightens up, his torso rippling with muscles. My heart is racing so hard that it feels like it might burst out of my chest. But I don’t want to turn back.
Now that I’ve got this man in my sights, I never want to be without him again. I see things that no woman should see in a stranger – safety, happiness, love. I’ve never seen a man in this light before, perhaps because none have ever shown me kindness. But this man seems different somehow. His eyes lit up, his stare was intense, and he had what you would call a warming half-smile on his face.
I could read his thoughtfulness through his body language and that’s how I know I have to follow my heart.
“Can I help you?” he says in a deep and gravelly voice. It sends a shudder down my spine, but I keep his gaze steady even though I have never been more nervous.
“I…I’m looking for a place to stay tonight. Are you taking in guests?”
“Yes,” he says so quickly that it feels like he would have let me in no matter what.
Does he want me here as much as I want to be here? I eye him up and down, wondering how this electricity between us may have surfaced so quickly. This man is clearly older than me, wiser. It’s possible he’s even twice my age. Maybe he’s even got a wife, a girlfriend. Am I crazy to think that he might be feeling this too?
No, I don’t think so. Something about the way he looks at me says that he seems to be on my level. My eyes move to glance at his finger. No ring. Is he available? Is he mine to take if I want him bad enough?
And I want it. I want it so badly that it feels like an ache inside me. I look at him shyly.
“I need a room for tonight, at least….”
“Then let’s get you settled. I’ll give you our best room,” he says, already walking up toward the Inn. I begin to protest.
“I don’t really have much money for a suite.”
“You can stay for free. I’ve got you covered,” he growls. “And the room is yours for as long as you want it. You look as though you could use somewhere to lay your head.”
I blush. Do I look that rough from the road? Is this man simply taking pity on me? But as he leads me inside and upstairs with a key hooked around his finger, I find I don’t care. Any excuse to be around him is fine by me.
Upstairs, he shows me into a large bedroom with a view of the garden around the back. It’s clearly the nicest room in the Inn, and I feel terrible about taking it. I begin to shake my head.
“Really, I’m not sure I can cover the costs here.”
“I told you, it’s on me. I want you to be comfortable here,” he says sternly. He reaches out his hand for me to shake. “I’m Elijah.”
“Olivia.”
“Olivia…it’s nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your stay here,” he says in a husky tone that has another shiver running down my spine.
Then he leaves me behind in my new room, slipping the key into my hand, and it makes me wonder what the hell just happened.