The Darkest Temptation ✔️

ONE

~Tove

I never do this.

Ever.

Dating doesn't exactly come naturally. Not when my luck has been abysmal, and my only companion recently is my talented fingers.

Tonight, that changes.

I'm unsure what to expect. My friend Mary practically begged me to come on a date with this stranger after she met him at her work.

She wouldn't tell me much, although insisted I wouldn't regret it.

We'll see.

The restaurant it quiet tonight, the storm gathering outside having chased off most of the potential patrons. The gentle glow the fireplace on the far side of the room emits is alluring warm, as I shrug off my wet coat.

And then I see him.

He sits at a table tucked into the far corner, watching me.

My mouth dries.

If that's him, I'm in trouble.

He leans back in his chair, amidst the shadows, a dark, almost cruel look about him. It should frighten me back out the door, and yet, I'm compelled to stare back at him.

Slowly, the corner of his sensuous mouth tilts up in a knowing smile.

Fuck.

Cautious steps lead me toward him. Men like him don't exist in this part of the city, nor do they agree to go on blind dates.

They don't exactly need them.

"You're not Keo, are you?" I ask breathlessly. I half expect him to say no, to brush me off to summon his beautiful wife over.

"Surprised?"

He's not a Territory One native, I can hear it in his strange accent. His voice is like a silken caress, as if it should only be reserved for nights of raw passion.

One's I'm sure he is very familiar with.

"Kind of."

Mary. What have you done?

He stands swiftly, making me painfully aware of his towering height, rounding the table to pull my chair out for me.

I shift as his shoulder brushes against mine, his mouth coming close to my ear.

"Sit down, Toven," he murmurs.

Elegance be damned, I sink unceremoniously into the chair, unsure I'll ever regain the ability to control my legs again.

"You can call me Tove." I let my coat slip to the floor, surveying him as he sits back down.

His eyes are the most striking aspect of him. They are a dark green, like what I imagine Territory Four forests to look like.

And his face. Well, the shadows accent his cruel beauty, settling beneath his sharp cheekbones, under his eyes.

I feel like I'm staring at a painting. He can't be real.

"Beautiful name." His voice pulls me back to reality.

The way he says beautiful...It's as if I can feel him murmuring it against my skin.

"So, you know Mary?" I clear my throat, shifting my gaze down to the menu's, absently skimming over it.

He takes a long drink, eyes never straying from my face. "Somewhat. I've only spoken to her that one time, at the library."