Page 27

"I never saw you as the type to go back on your word," Vincenzo said.

Just great!

Now he thinks she's a coward, the type to run away from the slightest inconvenience.

"I was going to get my purse. I can't go anywhere without it" Hazel replied

"Your purse," he asked in amusement

Hazel turned to face him.

Maybe she should have stayed with her back to him…

He was wearing the same pair of joggers and a matching grey top. His hair was messy, something that looked unbelievably beautiful.

"I believe you were saying something?" He asked, his eyes hooded under his bangs.

"I'm not going back on my word. I'll get my purse and be right back"

Hazel storms off to her room, earning a smirk from him.

She would never let him see her or perceive her as a coward.

Never in a million years.

He waited this long just to see her again and all he wanted was to have her in his arms again.

Just for the night.

******************************

She's not thinking straight.

No, she isn't.

She could regret her actions.

Yes, she will but never in a million years would she have him think of her as a coward!

Even if that includes doing something of this nature….

She made a deal! She should have thought about it before telling him to punish her instead…

She wasn't going to let Annie go through her father alone. She couldn't imagine it and she couldn't bear it.

She's doing this Annie. Nor because she wanted to touch his bare chest again or have an eye full of him shirtless once again…

Not to talk about that feeling she had the last time she was with him…

She felt safe and loved and like…..

She'd reconnected with someone she's been waiting for…..

And the strange thing was the sense of familiarity she felt around him. It was like nothing she'd felt before…

Hazel decided to focus on the real issue here, Chole.

Luckily for her, Chole wasn't in the room. Probably supervising the cleaning of the dishes maybe.

That's a good sign. It was better than having to tell her where she was going.

Hazel picked up her purse from her wardrobe. She pulled the zipper to make sure she had her things intact.

Her inhaler was the most important of the three things in the purse.

She pulled the zipper close and exhaled.

Here goes nothing.

Hazel hurried out of the room., avoiding Orna and Chloe along the way. She really can't explain to them where she's going right now…

She'll deal with that in the morning…

Maybe?

Hazel stared at the huge stairs that led to the second floor in fright.

Is she doing the right thing?

The first time they'd been together was because she wasn't in her right senses and since then, her life had been like a puzzle.

How could something so wrong in the real sense, feel right?

Should that be a warning sign?

Hazel found her way to the stairs and then to Vincenzo's room.

She stopped right in front of his door, gripping hard at her purse.

Breathe, breathe.

What's the worst that could happen?

Hazel knocked on his door.

"Come in"

Hazel froze.

Ohkay, maybe she isn't ready for this…..

Before she could change her mind, she pulled the door open and stepped into the room.

Annie was there. On her father's bed, talking to him non-stop about her recent findings during the tutorial.

Vincenzo was tucked in, watching Annie go on and on in silence.

There was a look of contentment on his face as he watched her. She must remind him of her mother and his wife….

"Zel!" Annie called in excitement

"Hello, Annie. I thought you were in bed already" Hazel asked with a smile

"I will head to bed now but I wanted to tell dad everything I've learnt so far! Chemistry is really exciting!" She cheered

"I'm glad you have a subject you love" Hazel replied

"What's your favourite subject, Hazel?" Annie asked

Hazel could see now that she caught Vincenzo's attention. His eyes were fixed on her, making her feel warm from the insides…

"Math" Hazel replied

"Math?" Annie asked in shock

"I came to love math because I believe it would broaden my mind for programming" Hazel replied

"You can program?" Annie asked, "like build robots and stuff?" She asked in awe.

"I have never done that before but why not?" Hazel asked

"Woah, that is cool!" Annie cheered

"You should head to bed Annie." Vincenzo placed a kiss on Annie's forehead.

"Ti Voglio bene," he said

"Love you too dad" Annie got off the bed and hips towards the entrance.

"Good night Zel" she hugs her

"Good night Annie," Hazel replied

Annie walks out the door and shuts it behind her.

"It's good to see her so happy" Hazel muttered

"It is" He admits.

Hazel stood at the entrance for a whole awkward 30 seconds.

"You're not planning to spend the whole night there are you?" He asked calmly.

"I have a few questions of my own" Hazel said

"Go on" Vincenzo steps out of bed, walking towards her.

Why does he always look at her like that? Like he's been waiting the whole day just to see her?

"Because I was" Vincenzo replied

Hazel arched her brows

"What?" She asked

"Your question?" He asked, pulling a stop an inch away from her.

His manly scent filled her nostrils, making it difficult for her to think straight…

What on earth is going on with her and him? Why does she always feel so close to him when they barely even know each other?

"Talk. Hazel" he ordered

"You're not going to do anything to me are you?" She asked quietly

"Anything? You'll have to be specific" he informed

Hazel glared at him but her anger vanished when she saw his eyes.

Green, lovely eyes….

How could she stay upset with him?

And is that even normal?

Hazel looks away.

"I mean, we…we never got to talk about that night….at the hotel," she asked

Vincenzo nods

"I know" he replied

Is that it? Are they not going to talk about it?

"What do you want us to talk about, regarding that night?" He asked

Hazel wasn't sure why she brought that up in the first place? But why shouldn't she?

"So, we forget it happened?" Hazel asked in amusement

Vincenzo chuckled

"I wish that was possible" he muttered

"You're not the type to be forgotten" he adds

Hazel steps back, earning a frown from him. An almost intimidating look that scared the wits out of her….

"Why do you want me here?" Hazel asked"

"We made a deal," he recalled, his jaw clenched.

This distance between them was starting to upset him badly. She noticed

"And that's all?" She asked

"You don't want to talk about that night and you want me here" she offered

Vincenzo chuckled

"I'm not going to make love to you Hazel. Yet" he assured

"Yet?" She asked

Vincenzo steps even closer to her, her hand leaning on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. She ended up giving to his warmth instead, leaning close to his body…

"Yet. We have an attraction." Vincenzo chuckled

"A crazy one that I don't understand," Hazel said, looking up to him.

He was enough to hover over her.

"In due time, you will understand" he assured

Before she could process what was happening, she was on his bed, staring at him.

Vincenzo had the most unreadable expression on his face as he traced all her features with his finger.

First her hair, then her eyes, her nose. He traced her lips with his fingers, making her shut her eyes briefly.

"It's been centuries" he muttered

"Centuries?" She asked, staring into his eyes again but he moved his finger to her shoulder blade and then lower.

Hazel shuts her eyes as her heart raced in excitement.

"Not today" he muttered

His hands went down to her waist, then her thighs. He stops midway and ran his finger through her hair.

"It's always been brown," he said, seeming more like a question.

"Since birth, yes" she replied.

"Yeah" he replied.

His eyes finally caught hers, gazing longing into hers. She could make out at least three different colours in his eyes, appearing one at a time.

She knew she ought to be scared but she wasn't, for some reason unknown to her.

She felt safe.

Each colour seems to show his innermost feelings…

"That's strange" she muttered

"There are a lot of strange things yet to come" he assured

"You have no idea," he said, studying her features once more.

"About what?" She asked

"How long….." He said with a sigh

He pulled her closer, her head on his chest. She felt so comfortable and warm too.

"Vincenzo" she called quietly

"Get some sleep" he replied

She bobs her head and just seconds later, she fell asleep.