Chapter Seven.

Alex's POV -

It takes a few seconds for her to respond. She's staring at me like a fish out of water and I can't help but chuckle, she's adorable when she's shocked.

"Alex."

My name coming from her lips sounds so damn perfect and I clear my throat, surprised at the way my body responds to her voice.

"You know my name." I grin, the corner of my lips tugging upwards into a smirk. I let my eyes drift down her body and immediately regret it, my hands twitching to touch her. I don't even know this girl but damn, she's doing things to me. The entire time, she remains silent. I watch her chest rise and fall heavily as she simply stares at me, unblinking.

"Take a picture hermosa, it'll keep you company at night."

My words are intended to be a joke but she blushes red, the colour staining her neck and the tip of her ears. I like that I'm the one causing her to blush.

"How's your, - you know." She points towards my chest, her eyes meeting mine for a split second before dropping back down to the floor. I want to reach over the counter and place my fingers under her chin, lifting it up so I can see the beautiful swirls of grey in her eyes.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" I smile, desperately wanting her to smile back at me. I want her smile etched into my thoughts so when I close my eyes, I can still see it. She blinks at me once, twice before responding.

"I haven't stopped thinking about that night."

I suck in a breath at her words, noticing how the blush on her cheeks begins to deepen. She drops her gaze to the floor once again and her eyebrows crease slightly, almost as if she shouldn't have told me that. I push her words to the side, my confident front rising back to the surface.

"It's hard to forget such a beautiful face, isn't it?" I tease, waggling my brows at her to lighten the mood. The corners of her lips tug upwards and she lets out a giggle, two red dots staining her cheeks.

The other employee appears from the back and I want to tell him to go away, leave me alone with Ariana so I can get to know her more. I want to make her giggle again, watch as her smile widens. He takes one look at the spilled coffee on the floor before turning towards her, frowning.

"Ariana, what happened here?"

We're too busy in awe of each other to realise that coffee was seeping its way into the cracks of the tiled floors. I immediately cut in, holding out more than enough cash to cover the coffee's.

"That's my bad, I didn't get a good grip of the cups and dropped them."

I hand him the money and my gaze flicks back over to Ariana who's standing completely still, her eyes searching mine intently. She mouths a thank you from behind the guys back.

"Don't worry about it! Mistakes happen, I'll go fetch another two right away."

He disappears in the back once again and Ariana releases the breath she's holding, leaning down to clean up the coffee spill.

"You didn't have to do that but thank you."

Her words are quiet, shy.

"You saved my life hermosa, it's the least I can do." I respond, leaning down to help her clean up the mess. She stills as she notices how close I am and I want to reach out, run my fingers down her bare arm. Her scent is intoxicating, wrapping itself around me.

"What does it mean?" She asks quietly, avoiding eye contact at all costs. I notice she's deliberately cleaning up the coffee further away from me, is that so our hands don't accidentally touch? The idea excites me further. How will she react when I do touch her?

"Hermosa means beautiful." I explain, placing the dirty paper towels into the bin beside her. I turn to look at her, look into those dark eyes that hold so much beauty behind them. She's frozen in place, her chest rising and falling heavily as she breathes. I want to close the distance between us and press my lips against her plump rosy ones but decide against it.

She doesn't know me.

I clear my throat and stand up, holding out my hand for her to take. I can feel how hesitant she is, thinking hard about her next move. I want to laugh and tell her to take my hand, what has she got to lose?

*****

Ariana's POV-

Electricity. Desire. Butterflies.

The second my hand touches his, I feel it. I can feel it running through my veins, bringing my body back to life. The electric spark is almost unbearable, addictive. I almost gasp again but somehow, manage to stay quiet. My body on the inside is the complete opposite, screaming with nerves and excitement.

His large hand wraps around mine and effortlessly, he pulls me up in one swift move. The muscles in his arm tense and I allow my eyes to linger on them, drinking in his appearance. I realise how close we suddenly are, bodies almost touching. His scent seeps its way into my body, making me feel disorientated and dizzy.

I look up for a second and find him staring down at me with the most intense stare, it almost knocks me back. His chocolate eyes are dark, searching through mine. I want to ask him what he's looking for but my ability to form a sentence right now is poor. Alex doesn't let go of my hand, his warmth sending sparks of electricity running through my arm. I've never felt anything like it before.

It's dangerous, exciting. I like it.

He leans in close, his head dipping low so our faces are almost touching. I don't dare breathe, every hair on the back of my neck is stood up pin straight.

"Do you feel it too hermosa?" He whispers, his words causing me to shiver. I close my eyes and the desire to close the distance between us and feel sparks is too strong.

What is he doing to me?

I can feel his warm breath tickling my lips, inches away from kissing me, claiming me. Justin's face flashes through my mind and I immediately pull back, guilt filling me. I tear my hand away from Alex's and turn around, just in time to see Ben come back with the coffee's.

"Here you go, sorry about your wait." Ben smiles, handing them over to an emotionless Alex. The sparkle in his eyes has disappeared and he's watching me, head slightly tilted to the side. A lump appears in my throat and I push it down, pushing the guilt away.

Nothing happened Ariana... But I wanted something to happen.

Alex takes a hold of the cups and his fruit before nodding a thanks over to Ben. He turns back towards me, his eyes holding a glimmer of determination.

"I'll get you next time hermosa."

His words almost sound like a threat, each word dripping with confidence and desire. I blink and feel it again. The excitement, the danger. All I can do is stand there watching as he leaves, my mind clearing the further away he gets.