CHAPTERFIVE
Melody
I open my eyes slowly.
Strangely, I had a good night’s sleep even after the events of last night.
Maybe it’s the luxurious bed I slept in...or the lingering fragments of the obscure dream of the handsome man in the painting.
I stared at his picture for the longest time last night before I finally dragged myself into the nearest bed.
His image had helped me calm down, leaving me with only the feeling of dejected exhaustion.
I try to recall the dream, but the memories slip from my head. It doesn’t make sense, but it left a good feeling.
I turn on my side with a small content sigh.
My eyes clash with familiar blue-green depths, the same turquoise eyes I just dreamt of.
I shake my head slightly, wondering if I’m not fully awake yet.
I close my eyes and open them again to his piercing gaze.
I gasp loudly and sit up sharply, pulling the bedcover over my chest. I lean forward, trying to confirm the reliability of my vision.
There he is, lounging lazily in a chair directly in front of me, legs crossed leisurely. His handsome face zooms in and out of my vision, a thousand and one thoughts running through my hazy mind.
“Oh my God!” I gasp softly. “Is that... Are you...You’re real?’
His mouth curves in a slightly amused smile that does nothing to dispel the intricate hardness of his eyes.
“Are you finally awake?” he asks surprisingly gently. His deep voice is mesmerizing, leaving goose bumps along my skin.
I blink at him, still unable to wrap my head around the fact that he’s here in the flesh. The man from the painting. Somewhere deep within the confused recess of my mind, I couldn’t help but notice that he’s better looking in person.
I’d thought he looked like a Greek god in the painting, but now, even that analogy doesn’t seem to do him justice.
A handsome devil...that seems better.
Maybe it’s the glint of wickedness in the depth of his phantom eyes...or that lazy smirk that seems like a permanent fixture on his handsome face. There’s nothing angelic about the man sitting in front of me.
Daring. Dangerous. Exciting.
Those are the words that come to mind.
He’s exactly the kind of man I should never have anything to do with.
He’s the kind of man that would never want anything to do with a girl like me, anyway.
“Wh... What are you doing here?” I stammer, awkwardly clearing my throat.
His brow gently shoots up, the only reaction to my seemingly audacious question.
“You’re in my bed, darling,” he said mildly. “Shouldn’t I ask you that question?”
My heart starts a low thrum in my chest as the indication of the whole situation begins to dawn on me.
It seems like my senses suddenly become aware, all at once. I bite my lower lip in apprehension and lower my eyes as my face reddens.