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Blake’s mansion looked different from the last time she’d been there. He had renovated it and added modern touches. Most of the old bricks were gone, replaced with state-of-the-art metal and glass designs.
She’d seen many buildings with modern architectural designs throughout the town and she couldn’t deny that she was impressed. It was as if the other clans had remained stuck in the past, while the wolves of Yellow Cicada had moved on with the changing times.
Xander drove through the metal gate and parked in front of a glass fountain. Together they walked up the steps to the front door. A doorman answered the door on the second ring and led them inside.
“He’s in his den,” the doorman said, disappearing through a side door.
Xander led the way up the stairs and Eleanor followed slowly, taking in the lovely house. She loved the way light streamed through the massive windows, bouncing off the pristine white walls. She saw a touch of art everywhere she looked, and her opinion of Blake improved by the second.
Her brother stopped in front of a door and turned to look at Eleanor. His jaw was set and he had a pleading expression on his face.
Please, sis. Try not to tear off the man’s head before he has a chance to speak, the look seemed to say. If she wasn’t so upset about entering an arranged marriage, she might have laughed.
Xander knocked quietly and then turned the handle of the door. Together, they entered a room that faced the driveway below. The first thing Eleanor noticed was the ornate furniture and the way it fit with the shiny, dark-wood floors.
The room smelled of polished wood and something else. Something pleasant that she couldn’t name. She liked being here, she realized. She imagined sitting in the armchair that overlooked the window, sipping hot cocoa and reading a book.
The second thing she noticed was Blake.WOW!
He looked like a ball of fire, come down to consume the world. She stared at him, unrestrained and unashamed.
She watched him as he shook her brother and as they pounded each other’s backs lightly. She watched him as Xander spoke softly to him. She watched as he turned to look at her. She watched as he stretched his arm toward her in greeting, a sad smile on his face.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, and she didn’t know why. Belatedly, she noticed his outstretched hand and took it. “Hi,” she said, hating how soft and weird her voice sounded.
“Hello, Eleanor,” Blake said, still smiling. “It’s been what, four years?”
“Five,” she corrected, clearing her throat.Why do I sound like that?she thought in annoyance.
“Right. It really is nice to see you again. Please, have a seat.” Blake pointed to a couch beside the window.
She sat down and turned to look at Blake again. He was talking to Xander. She was sure, because she could see his mouth moving, but she couldn’t hear any words.
The setting sun was behind him, making a red man even redder. His hair looked like a flame, burning brightly in a dark room. His hazel eyes were the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. Simply put, he was hot. Had he always been this hot? She wasn’t sure.
She’d been so terribly young the last time she’d seen him, only a teenager. Still, she thought she would have noticed he was this attractive. Over the years, she’d spent more and more time away from home, traveling the world, so she hadn’t seen him in forever.
His muscles seemed to be leaping out of the white button-down shirt he was wearing, and his legs looked gorgeous in his cargo shorts. Everything about him was terribly beautiful and Eleanor struggled to stop gaping at him like a fish. The years had been good to him, it seemed.
She cursed silently. She’d come here frustrated and angry, ready to tear Blake and whatever proposal he was going to make to shreds. Instead, all she felt was a burning desire for him. She had no idea where it was coming from, or why it was happening, but she loved how hot she felt.
She squeezed her eyes shut with great difficulty, breathing hard. She could hear the blood rushing through her head. She was here for a reason. She needed to control herself, desperately. She swallowed and forced the wild thoughts and weird sensations she was feeling out of her mind.
When she opened her eyes, she found Blake standing in front of her. “Eleanor?”
She blinked rapidly. “Huh?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, visibly concerned. She nodded in reply, her throat squeezed shut. “I was asking if you’d like anything to drink?”
“Oh,” she said. “Water is fine.”
He smiled and walked to a bar at the end of the room. She saw Xander looking at her funny and ignored him. She exhaled deeply and shut her eyes again. This was going to be hard.Really hard.
Chapter 4 - Blake
She was not Xander’s little sister anymore.
That much was clear to Blake when Eleanor walked into the room. The sun had just begun to set, so its golden light poured through the massive windows behind him and bathed Eleanor.
