HIS PRETENSE BRIDE

CHAPTER 27

Xander's POV

I'm sitting on a chair in the patio where we have agreed to have breakfast today, and I'm awe-struck at the sight in front of me.

Alexa is standing by the sliding glass door, a cup of iced coffee in hand as she stares out into the courtyard, staring at a bird flying past.

The bird makes a squeaking noise, which makes the corners of her lips tilt up in a small smile.

The sun is out, and the reflection is directly on her face, creating a halo glow that I can't seem to look away from.

She is flawless.

Unable to help myself, I take my phone out and take secret snapshots of her in that position, ogling the bird like she's never seen one while wearing a crazily short cotton short and some throwaway top. Which brings me to the realization that I really need to take her shopping.

But even though the top has holes in them, it doesn't in any way reduce or diminish her look. In fact, I do think that it completes the aesthetic.

Brushing strands of her hair out of her face, I watch her turn toward me just as I put the phone away.

Since she has no idea what I have just done, she doesn't suspect a thing as I pick up my hot coffee.

“You like iced coffee, huh?” I ask her, pointing at the coffee she is holding on to.

“I do. I was going to request iced coffee yesterday, but that would take forever. I don't really enjoy my coffee when it's hot.” She tells me.

“And when it's cold outside?”

“It will still do,” she shrugs.

I smile and gesture to her to take her seat. She settles down on the chair and picks up her cutlery right after dropping her cup.

Cutting into the syrup soaked pancakes on her plate, she looks up at me.

“Do you have any hobbies, Xander?”

I stare at her for a few seconds, her question escaping me as I watch her plunge the fork into her mouth.

The syrup drizzles down the corner of her lips, and I follow her fingers as they wipe off the stain.

My eyes double, though, when she puts the finger into her mouth and socks it off.

Fuck, my dick is rising at that.

Such a totally unseducing, innocent action and yet I can feel my dick hardening in my pants.

That's certainly not like me.

“Huh, Xander?” She snaps her fingers twice and I come out of my daze.

With an awkward smile, I shift in my seat to adjust the bulge growing there before I take my cutlery again to start eating my waffles. We couldn't be more different; pancakes and waffles.

“I asked you a question,” she mumbles as she takes another bite of her pancake.

Forcing my eyes away from her to focus on my food, I begin to answer her unanswered question. “Yeah. Photography.”

“Really?” Her eyes double to the size of saucers.

“Yeah. As a kid, with my father always busy, I found comfort in taking pictures. I started with my mom's camera. Found it in the basement at our house in an old box where a pile of my mom's stuff were stocked. So, I just started playing around with it.” I explain as that emotion that always sneaks into my heart every time I talk about this making itself known.