Chapter 10

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Virginia

Recap

"So what're you doing here without that disgusting shadow you had last night?"

Does he mean Ronnie? I guess he must..

"Well. I kind of fooled him into thinking I'm taking a bath; it should take him a while to figure out that that is not the truth."

My voice trailed off. And I grinned cheekily with pleasure as I remembered my genius plan. He apparently found this amusing as well, for his perfect lips curled up, before he turned back around and paid the cashier. After receiving his change he wordlessly cracked open both drinks and handed me one, momentarily looking thoughtful. Then my heart leapt into my mouth at his next words,

"Well. If you don't have to worry about him, would you like to hang out with me for the day?"

End Recap

Alexanders POV

The girl in front of me consumed my attention; every minuscule detail about her screamed for my complete attention, putting every one of my senses on high alert. The gentle breeze that lifted a few satin curls every time the door was opened also swept the intoxicating scent surrounding her into my nostrils. The accelerated beating of her heart thrummed in the hot summer air like a gentle whisper, drawing me closer. The most irresistible thing about her was that strange aura of mystery that somehow surrounded her despite the open smiles, and the eyes that seemed as though they would show every emotion flashing through her mind.

Right now those expressive eyes of hers were staring up at me, wide as saucers. Adopting a faux concerned expression I mockingly waved my hand in front of her face,

"Hello? Roxanne? Anyone home?"

A lovely blush crept up her cheeks. I must say, it really is one of the few human characteristics I find charming rather than deplorable.

"Oh… Um… Right. Yeah, that'd be cool."

Slowly an excited grin made its way across her face, making me wonder what could possibly be so exciting for her about spending the day with me. I know why I want to spend time with her; I want to get to know this curious girl. I want to get to know who, and what she is. I want to know everything about her. And I mean that in a completely non-stalkerish way. Still, the fact that she didn't seem too terribly opposed to spending time with me would definitely been a boon in that task, so I allowed a grin matching her own to spread across my features in response.

I suggested to Roxanne that she just leave her car at the convenience store where I had found her, and we could just take mine, no use in the wasting of finite resources. She agreed, and I led her to the front of the store where I had parked my car.

Once I had her safely buckled into my white Camaro, a '69 with black racing stripes I'll have you know, I raised an eyebrow and sent Roxanne a playful smile – careful not to show off my incisors –

"How do you like arcades?"

I swear, if I had known the girl would have this kind of reaction to arcades I would have casually mentioned them somehow at the concert! Roxanne positively looked like a five-year-old who had just been told there would be two Christmas's this year. A dazzling grin lighting up her features and causing her eyes to turn up slightly and her body shook with the effort of not jumping up and down.

A few minutes later I parked on Ocean Drive by a Classic Cars exhibit, on the opposite side of the fence from where a matching Camaro was parked. Darting around the vehicle, a little faster than a human could, I opened Roxannes' door and swept her out of the car and onto my back – piggy back style. Hearing a little gasp of surprise come from her mouth I gave her a wide grin over my shoulder,

"I couldn't resist, I just had to continue our little tradition."

Apparently she accepted that and found it amusing to boot, because I could feel her giggles shaking her body as she twined her arms and legs around me, snuggly. As though I would ever let her fall. My own deeper chuckle rumbled through my chest at her and my thoughts, spilling out to dance around in the air with hers.

A few short minutes of walking later the arcade came within sight – just across the busy intersection. Roxannes' inner five-year-old returned, she was positively squirming – no doubt trying to get me to release her so she could across the street without looking both ways and get hit by a car. As if she could get away from me.

"Calm down crazy kid! We'll be there in just a minute. No need to have a heart attack." Switching to a condescending tone I continued, "And if you're a good girl I'll get you an ice cream cone when we get bored of the arcade!"

Suspicion colored her voice and she continued squirming as she questioned, "What kind of ice cream?"

Ah. The question of the ages. I glanced over my shoulder, observing her expression for a moment while I tried to figure out the correct response. Her eyelashes were lowered and she was peering at me from beneath them – such an unexpectedly seductive look I couldn't stop the shiver from running down my back before realizing that it must be from an attempt to keep the sun from her eyes rather than an attempt at seduction as I would have thought with any other girl. Her features had a classic 'Audrey Hepburn' feel as though she belonged in the early 1900's rather than the 21ist century.

The classic feminine look made me think of other female classics, my voice was certain as I answered,

"Chocolate."

Only the dancing amusement in her eyes kept me from feeling awful as she turned to face downward, dejection on all her features. When she spoke her voice was chocked and depressed.

"You… You don't even know my favorite ice cream! I just don't know if I can spend my entire day with you." She heaved a melancholy sigh, "Just. Just take me home."

Fortunately, I had seen the amusement within her expressive eyes before she had turned her face away, but I decided to play along. Softly, I unwrapped her legs from my waist, twisting her body to my front and letting her slide down my body to the ground in one fluid movement. Locking eyes with her I poured longing and want and passion through the gaze, taking small steps forward until her back was against a wall my body pressed to hers with my arms on either side of her body – effectively blocking escape

Her eyes held mine; entrancing, holding, enticing. She held this gaze despite the palpable beating of her heard against my chest. She was tensed up, but it wasn't a scared tense, it was more of a ready tense – though for what, I do not know. Aiming to turn the seduction hanging in the air on her I leaned down till my lips were just a few short inches from hers – my gaze pouring like molten gold into her eyes. Her face tilted towards mine, jutting her chin out almost imperceptibly in the universal sign of don't-mess-with-me. Leaning forward even more till my lips were moving against her hear I whispered,

"If I don't know your favorite ice cream love, it's not for lack of wanting to know you. Why don't you just tell me?"

The whispers of lips against her skin must have worked because her body seemed to melt into mine, her eyes widening and staring up at me through a luscious fringe of black lashes. For a few seconds we silently stared at each other in the way, then she parted her lips slightly, tongue darting out to moisten them, and she barely had time to murmur,

"Mint Chocolate Chip."

Before I finished leaning down and pressed my lips to hers.