Mischief's Sparrow

Chapter 1

Selene Moineau's POV

Exiting her apartment building Selene made her way down the street headed for one of her favorite places to go on her days off. The bookstore. Being a voracious reader since she was a child she loved reading anything and everything in any form, but at the end of the day her heart called out for a real-in-her-hands book. The texture and weight, the smell of freshly printed pages... Don't even get her started on old books and how they smelt. Popping in her ear buds, she deftly joined the flow along with her fellow pedestrians like salmon in a stream as she pulled up her walking playlist. Today was going to be a good day. She could just feel it, something in the air just felt..magical. Now that might just be the whimsical part of her that she tucked down. Like deep, deep, deep down but nevertheless Selene let herself enjoy this feeling as the spring sun shone down on her.

About a block away from her destination the light and breezy feeling that she'd been basking in all morning curdled like milk left in the sun when she spotted him. Her ex. Hunter Callahan. God, how did he know where to stalk her? Oh, that's right, because he knew her schedule since they still worked together and knew what she liked to do on her days off. Panicking because he'd spotted her, she tried to remain calm as he made his way towards her with two cups of coffee and a smile. Why wouldn't he just get the hint that she was over him and move on already?

She had to admit that he was handsome, charming and everything you'd ever want in a boyfriend who could one day potentially become your husband. But underneath all of that lay something dark and dangerous. He had never put his hands on her, thank God. She hadn't let the relationship go on that long for it to be a possibility, but she had a feeling that if she stayed with him the monster that was lurking under the surface would eventually come out. And Selene would never let herself be put in that kind of position. Not ever again.

Her frantic green eyes darting around for an alley or perhaps someone who might be willing to help her, Selene's eyes locked on a man sitting at a table outside the cafe next door to the bookstore reading. He was tall from what she could see of him. Refined looking with delicate but chiseled features that looked like it might slice your hand on his cheekbone should you ever have to slap his handsome face. Shoulder length raven colored hair with just the slightest curl at the ends was neatly tucked behind his ears. She couldn't get a good look at his eye color as they were focused on the page of the book he was reading, but that was neither here nor there. The color of his eyes didn't matter for her improvised plan to work. She just needed his attention for two minutes, five max, for this to work and then hopefully Hunter would finally leave her alone.

Practically tripping as she zigged and then zagged across the crowded sidewalk in her attempt to get to the man before Hunter got to her. Pasting a bright smile on her face Selene loudly called out to him. "Sorry I'm running late, chérie. I got caught up a few blocks back." She was so flustered she didn't notice the slip of her mother tongue that she's suppressed for the last two years.

The man glanced up from his book with a lifted eyebrow as she came to a stop beside him. His entrancing deep emerald green eyes silently inquired what exactly she thought she was doing invading his personal space. In those few seconds it hits her how handsome he really is and for half a second she almost reconsiders this plan. But the need to get Hunter off her back made it so that she followed through. Before he could verbally ask what she was talking about, she leaned down and pressed her lips to his. Now it must be said that her plan had initially been to kiss his cheek. But for whatever reason, his oddly tempting thin lips called out to be kissed, so that's what she did.

Caught off guard, the man didn't immediately push her away. If anything he leaned into her a little. Selene melted into him before finally pulling back after several seconds longer than she intended to kiss him for. Blushing as she sucks in a deep breath she plopped down on the seat next to him. She quickly but quietly begged him to play along. "I'm so sorry for assaulting you with my mouth, but there's a man. My ex. He's right over there behind you. No matter what I say he won't leave me alone. I'm hoping that if he thinks at all that I'm taken then he might finally get the hint. Please, please can you pretend for the next two minutes like you're my boyfriend or my date or whatever?"