A Beauty Among Beasts by Melanie Gabrell

Author:Melanie Gabrell [Gabrell, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-09T05:00:00+00:00

After another delicious meal, Anna was stuffed. The kitchen always seemed to know what she was in the mood for and each time was better than the last. She couldn’t help but wonder, though, if this time her enjoyment went beyond the food and had something to do with the company.

“Are you ready?” Leon stood from his chair and offered his hand once again. She couldn’t help but notice the difference since the first time they sat at the table together. The first time, he scoffed down his food in an attempt to get it over with, as if he regretted his decision. This time, he had dragged out the meal much longer. In reflection it seemed, their nightly dinners had gone from casual companionship to almost date-like.

Not that Leon had ever asked her on a “date,” but there was increasing intimacy in their conversations and he was noticeably more affectionate towards her. Or am I imagining it? Regardless, she couldn’t ignore that fact that each time she saw him, she could feel her heart ready to burst out of her chest.

He offered to walk her back to her room after dinner and as they quietly made their way through the halls, she remained acutely aware of his presence. He was standing closer to her than usual and the proximity was overwhelming. She stood slightly behind him, where she could see his broad shoulders and the shape of him beneath his thin black shirt. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hand extended behind him, so that she could see his blue veins showing through ever so slightly. Her eyes trailed down a vein to his hand, which intertwined with her own, sending a warmth from her fingers right up through her arm.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they approached her door and he turned to face her, suddenly closer than before. He was still holding her hand. He leaned his shoulder into the wall, and she found herself following along, always maintaining the close range. His face was only a few inches away.

He leaned just the smallest bit forward and kissed her softly. Her lips tingled, and it spread down to her toes. He pulled away for a moment before leaning in once more; this time a little more confidently. He hadn’t struck her as a gentle man in the beginning, but he turned out to be exactly that—from his compassion to the tenderness of his embrace. Slowly, she dragged her hands along his arms and draped them around his neck. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her closer, so she could feel his warmth against her.

Anna wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that; it may have been barely a moment, but it was also an eternity.

She finally pulled back.

She studied his face. He was young like her, but something there, beneath the smooth texture of his skin, were old scars that matched that of his hands, and shadows that hid in his eyes.

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