Thrill

CHAPTER EIGHT

(Anna's Pov)

This time, I arrived before him. The stable was empty, no light was on, apart from the small one near the lined up horses. I was surprised to find myself being the only one here, wondering where he could be.

Although I could truthfully say I was relieved to see him not present. I had the tendency to act quite foolish around him. My cheeks would turn red with heat, I would stumble frequently on my words and just feel nervous and anxious overall. 

So I was pretty relieved, blowing out a small sigh and walking inside. I flicked on the lights, turned the heating on and removed my shawl from me, hanging it up on the hook. I rubbed my hands together, hoping to warm up as I took a glance around the stable.

All six horses were longingly looking at me. I could tell they had been fed, earlier on, because there was an empty bucket by the door. There was also a new bucket filled with carrots in water, making me frown in confusion, realizing someone (Roman) must have come in before and most likely gone home or wherever after.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts to aside and approached the bucket of carrots. I picked it up and gently placed it down by Jane, the first horse in line. She neighed when she saw me, eagerly pushing her head forward as if she knew she would be getting fed.

A giggle escaped me and I placed the carrot in-front of her, Jane not wasting a second before hurriedly chomping it down. I ran a hand over the top of her head, absently biting down on my bottom lip when I remembered that was exactly how Roman pet his little dog.

The adorable little puppy with huge eyes. I still feared her. Although she appeared to be cute and small, I knew there was a side of her that was nowhere near friendly. It was just natural. Everyone had a dark side.

The way Roman gently raked his fingers through her fur, eyes stuck on me as he intensely spoke, quickly flashed through my mind. The intensity his gleaming hazel eyes had, made it seem as if he was looking right through me. Looking into my soul, almost.

The same, unusual feeling arose in the pit of my stomach. I snapped out of my thoughts, shaking my head as I reminded myself that I needed to stop thinking in such a manner. It wasn't acceptable and if anyone was to possibly find out, it would not end well for me.

I couldn't afford that.

The next twenty minutes paused by rather fast, most of it spent in silence. Though there were occasional neighs and hays sounding from the line of horses. They really seemed to be enjoying the carrots that I was feeding them.

The very second I was done with that task and picked up the empty wooden basket, no longer containing any carrots or apples, the backdoor to the stable opened. Alarmed, my body shot up and glanced at whoever the intruder was. The backdoor was only used rarely by Herman or my father, but both of them were gone into the city for business.

My pulse instantly relaxed when I saw the familiar face, but almost immediately rose back up when I realized who was standing there. A thick, dark brow of his was arched in a questioning way. His hazel eyes set on me, glancing across my face from a distance.

I could feel the warm, heat, burning up my face, making me resemble the colour of a rose. Only, I knew I didn't look as graceful. 

"Tutto bene?" He questioned, his voice low and raspy.

Everything okay?

I nodded, closing my mouth which had managed to part and nervously tucked a strand of curly hair behind my ear.

Brows still furrowed, he slowly closed the door behind him and ran a quick hand through his dark blonde hair, pushing it backwards. I couldn't help but watch as he did so, oddly finding the action so pulling. It was just the way his fingers softly moved through the hairs, so strangely satisfying to witness.