Crooks and Castles

Chapter Three

Q: What is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth?
A: A smile.

Angel felt nothing like a predator as he stepped into the wide hall to meet the ladies. Strangely, he felt like the prey.

He didn't know why but he felt like he was stepping into their territory. A lion's den. Trouble. But he had to remind himself that he owned the place and so they were the ones who should be frightened.

There was something this woman did to him. He wasn't scared of her; he was never scared of a woman. He was just afraid of something. Something that a person shouldn't be ashamed nor afraid of, he was afraid because he wasn't just a person, he was him; Angel Stone and he was afraid of misbehaving. Adira was quite a character and he wasn't sure if he was ready for what she had in store for him.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted, one hand in his trouser pocket as he strolled in with too much air confidence.

Adira turned to stare at him with wide, questioning eyes. She didn't smile when she saw him. But he did.

Angel had expected confusion from her dark eyes. Those eyes that he had detected moments ago were stolid yet animated, like some kind of light was fighting to get out and yet enjoying the warmth of its cage. They were even more fascinating up close.

The innocence and purity of her face still baffled him. It made him wonder what she knew and what she didn't know and how much he could do to alter it.

He felt a hot tingling in his groin. The excitement was undeniable and by God, she was gorgeous.

He knew he had found a woman to think about every night, that was if she gave him the time to imagine the things he'd have to do to her. Women usually didn't give him the time. They were in his bed, trying to get into his trousers before he even had a chance to blink.

He stepped close and inhaled her lovely, delicate scent. She was pure invitation. Something impossible to ignore. Everything about her was pure seduction.

The longer he stayed, the harder it became to suppress the fire of raw desire that burnt his rigid muscles. She was too much for him. He breathed deep then forced himself to move back.

She turned to where she had heard the voice. Her heart sank like a stone. She was surprised to see him in front of her. It was the bored and dramatic man that surveyed the gemstones, but he looked very different now. He didn't look anything close to bored now but his eyes were still very much impassive.

He was tall, very tall. His skin was tanned and his body was encased in tailored magnificence - a lovely black suit that fitted him like a glove.

He stepped out and she took all of him in. He looked alive when he smiled. And his smile made his eyes glitter.

She stared.

Those grey things, they did everything to her. Her breath immediately got caught in her throat.

She was shocked at first, then she became nervous. But when her eyes caught his, she grew angry. She hated the way he looked at her; in a sex way. His eyes made her feel naked.

Her reply was a long time coming because it took all of her willpower to make her vocal cords work in their normal way.

Then: "Hello, yourself," she managed to say crossly, then she cleared her throat and looked away.

Angel cleared his throat also. "I believe we haven't met, formally. It would be a shame if I let you go without introducing myself," his voice was very deep and accented. "I am Angel Stone," he said with so much amount of self-importance and pride. His grey eyes sparkling with teasing. Then turning to Brenda with his impassive, heavy-lidded eyes, he whispered, "the idiot."