Read with BonusRead with Bonus

CHAPTER 3

Kapittel 3

Allison's spine shivered the moment she heard her name roll off his tongue. She hated to admit it but it sounded so... sexy. A peculiar feeling from the pit of her stomach aroused. It felt strange. The man's warm, velvety voice felt like two large arms embracing her, making her feel safe and gave her the want to snuggle.

"Come, Miss Allison," the man invited her, using the same voice that gives the chills to her spine, offering his hand.

She shuddered once again, his voice repeated endlessly in her mind like a broken vinyl, "Where to?" she asked nervously. Why was this bear-like, handsome man inviting her? She wanted to go home now. She wanted to hug and cry on the life-sized teddy bear that Dane gave her on their third month and continue her plans for the night.

"To a table, of course," he answered her question as he placed his large hand on her drenched sweater. She flinched because of the cold fabric pressed against her delicate back but she could not help but think: 'Hadn't he thought that it's a little disgusting to hold me like this? Don't I smell stinky? Why in the world is he doing to me? Who is he?'

"B...but..." she tried to say something as a protest but Hades cut her off. Once again. For the nth time. With his velvety voice. Again.

"C'mon, we'll wait for the coffee." Hades pushed her gently using his hand that was on her back while striding effortlessly to a table on the corner, forcing Allison to walk with him. She looked up at him and saw his jaw tighten but his eyes held no emotion. Even though she could not see the emotion in his eyes, his tightening grasp on her wet sweater and tightening jaw were already enough proof to make her conclude that he was irritated. By the gawks and whispers of the people... maybe? When she realized that, her face heated up once again and the urge to cover her face with her small, cold hands surfaced.

When they reached the table, she was surprised when the man went behind a chair and pulled it swiftly with unsaid grace, then offered her to sit. Allison felt her face growing hotter because of the sweet gesture. What a gentleman. It made her heart flutter. Dane never did that. Not even once.

She painstakingly placed her small butt on the chair and the man took a seat for himself. She looked down, she didn't know what to say. She barely knew him, and, weirdly, she accepted his offer even though he was... well, a stranger. Nevertheless, he looks familiar, very familiar. She knew deep within her that she'd seen him before, but she couldn't muse when or where. Scrambling her brain to remember, she didn't seem to notice that the people had already gone back talking about themselves and already lost their attention to her and the man sitting across her. Not to mention though, the man had been staring at her intently with his curious, steel gray eyes. Allison scrunched her nose and gave up reminiscing. She really can't remember how she found him familiar so she decided to ask his name instead, maybe she'll remember once she would get to know a small detail about him. She bit her lower lip, earning the courage to ask. Moments later, she parted her lips.

"May I... ask for your name?"

Hades never expected Allison to ask for his name. Her sweet, small voice sounded so pleasing that a small gasp was great enough to render him breathless. Maybe because this was the first time he'd ever encountered a woman aside from his mother, sister, and cousins. This weird impact was making him confused. He mentally asked himself why he was feeling that way, utterly confused and damned.

He couldn't get his eyes off the woman in front of him right now. She looked so... beautiful. So vulnerable. He clenched his fists tightly, fighting the urge of wrapping his arms around her small body and nuzzling his nose on her neck, and inhaling her scent that he assumed to be very lovely and refreshing. He hoped that Jarred wouldn't come back yet. He wanted to take his time looking at the beautiful specimen before him. Though, a part of him wanted to know more about her. Everything about her. More than just her sexy name that complements her shy character. He's willing to kill for a small detail about her.

"Hades," he answered her question, breathlessly. He couldn't breathe properly because of her breathtaking beauty.

He saw her brow lifted heavenwards, "Hades? Like the Greek god of the underworld?" she asked curiously. He almost shuddered out of pleasure when his name rolled off her tongue. It sounded so right... so perfect.

He nodded in response. It seemed that his name has all of her attention. He mentally thanked his mom for giving him such a name. She parted her lips and was about to speak once again when the secretary came back, holding two smoking cups of hot coffee.

"Here is your coffee, Miss Allison..." Jarred offered the coffee to her and she took it, thanking him timidly. Hades stopped himself from growling at his secretary out of anger. He didn't want any man talking or walking near her.

"And here is your black coffee, Sir de Vries," Jarred said placed his hot coffee on the table. He only nodded at his secretary to show his appreciation, then noticed the lady before him stiffened like she was kicked hard with something. He laid his eyes on her hands which were trembling, he hastily looked at her face that had gone paler.

"Allison? What's wrong?" he asked. He tried to reach out a hand out to touch her but she hastily went on her feet. 'What's wrong?' he asked himself.

"I...I need to go. Thank you for the coffee, Mr. de Vries but I need to go now. Bye!" she said, and before he could stand up to stop her, she already scurried away and the door's bells had jingled. Hades stared at the wooden door with a pool of fury in his eyes. She was already gone. She already left him, without saying a proper goodbye.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter