Indisputably Yours

02.

"She frightened you, didn't she?"

I blinked, my heart pounding against my ribs ten times harder.

She?

Wait a minute,

She?!

"I'm sorry about that," Xavier implored, stepping forward and towering over me with a hissing snake curled around his arm.

Frightened, I shifted away from him quickly, all the hairs on my skin standing with alarm.

He chuckled softly, his eyes trailing over your befuddled face. "This is Ilse, Sienna, my pet python I told you about. She's harmless."

Jesus Christ, he owned a python? I thought he was joking when he said that to me!

"Here, let me help you." He invited, stretching out his python-free hand for me to take. But I was skeptical, I didn't want to touch him knowing-he grabbed my hand softly and lifted me swiftly from my fetal position on the ground.

I swayed. "Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

I opened my mouth to retort but the spotted python hissed at me, making me jerk back instinctively and almost fall to my ass again but his arm went around my waist, holding me firmly.

"I've got you." His voice was soft. He was sweating but smelt earthy. "Give me a moment and I'll put her away."

I nodded, completely disorientated yet somehow aware that his hand was still around my waist and we were chest to chest.

He pulled away slowly and walked towards the court, muttering something incoherent to his Python.

I took the time to access myself. Well, the pie was ruined, and so was my dress. God, could today get any worse?

Xavier returned shortly, snake free and with a cloth. "For your hand." He invited, nodding towards the pie smear.

I gracefully accepted it and wiped my hands clean. "Thank you," I said, a sense of relief washing over me now that the snake was gone. "And I'm sorry for ruining your pie, I was just a little startled."

"It's fine, a lot of people get like that when they see Ilse for the first time, but I assure you, she's harmless."

"Yeah well, I'm not going to take my chances."

He laughed. I chuckled. We stopped and we stared at each other. "You look a lot more stunning in person, Sienna, your pictures don't do justice to your beauty at all."

"Thank you." I smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I didn't know you were back, I thought you were flat out in Germany."

"I was but I finished my surgery on time and flew back early last night. I was going to surprise you with a visit once I was done putting this garden in order but I guess my mother already ruined that part for me." He sighed. "So how about we go in now and have coffee or if you're hungry, I could chuck some snags on the barbie and make us hot dogs, it's frankly the only thing I know how to do."

Alone in the house with a hot snake guy? Yeah, no. "I'm sorry but I can't," I declined. "I need to get back to the house, my mother is waiting for me." Obviously, she wasn't. "We have some errands to run together."

"I see." He nodded in understanding. "How about tea tonight then?"

Oh boy.

My stomach churned. He was asking me out for dinner. The last time I went to dinner with a man that wasn't Tristan, it didn't end well for both of us.