Octavius

ii

FINLEY

I never knew how to properly converse with boys. Ever.

Charley was always effortless with it. Somehow, it just
clicked with her. She knew how to talk to them, she didn't - she never stuttered, she never hid behind large, rimmed glasses that covered her soft, delightful eyes or hid behind her sister that provided a thick blanket of comfort whenever boys approached her.

No, Charley did what she knew best. A shy, bashful smile would appear on her lips and she would eventually lure them into her good graces with a slight giggle, twirling her hair in a girlish manner.

And I watched.

Even as I stood, blinking as slowly as my brain could process, I couldn't the believe the enchanting sight in front of me. Except it wasn't a boy, it was a man. A full grown, large, ginormous, heart-shattering beautiful creature.

"Holy baloney." Was I dreaming? If I was or wasn't, it was fine either way.

I shook myself out of my rambling thoughts as I slowly watched a pair of striking, penetrating amber eyes like a splinter of amber fire caught in a viscous lantern that shined with such sweetness, eyes like a reflection of the sun, melted with the richest pot of gold and entrapped with the warmth of smooth honey.

He's so peng.

I tried to avoid his commanding gaze that slightly sharpened and shifted from the door, before capturing my frame in a period of time but I couldn't. I couldn't stop staring, drooling at the sexy competent man.

Goodness gracious. I have to breathe. Breathe, Finley.

Please send help.

My eyes remained fixated on his dark amber eyes, feeling the air around us thicken into something unexplainable, something I had never felt before.

Drawing a deep, staggered breath, I could feel my heart continued pounding as if it would break away from my chest and run. I rubbed my sweaty palms against the jeans I was wearing despite the dread feeling of coldness, I was sweating a bucket.

He was a man... strikingly tall in a dark suit, built like a stallion, lean and powerful and he looked a bit out of place with him standing in front of a ridiculously looking, scared and bedraggled girl wearing teal combat boots. He threw his head downward, bending slightly to avoid impact with the ceiling, reminding me of how tall he truly was.

This isn't a man, more of a tree.

Finley, what?

He was all gorgeous golden fair skin topped with longish black-as-night locks. Then I watched as his perfectly shiny hair flow down his back like black ink on a tilted piece of parchment but the faintest light made the black strands reflect an indigo blue by each curve.

Soft and silky, I could tell apart each strand.

There were enough of his luxurious, thick and silky curls for anyone to run their hands through, a few strands of locks were tied back depicting the path to his sculpted cheekbones that were beautifully accented to his perfect face. Stern straight brows furrowed deeply, dark deep pools of amber eyes that melted into mine, framed by lush, long lashes that curled slightly at the end.

His mouth had full curved sensual pink lips that pressed together in a stern expression, as he stalked towards me.

He was blindingly attractive and captivated my gaze, ensuring my focus was on him, and him alone. His walk and stare was as poisonous as the air after a nuclear bomb.