Read Aris: A Sexy Romance Novel (Thief of Hearts Series Book 1) for Free Online Page B

Her skin tingled in ways she didn’t want it to.  When she reached the end of the clause she had been typing, he put his hand on the laptop cover slowly closing it so she had time to remove her fingers from the keyboard.
    “I wasn’t done with that.”
    “Maybe not.  You can finish it later.  You said you’d eat.”  Aris pushed the bowl of soup in front of her as he moved back around to the other side of the table pulling her laptop into his lap.
    “I can do both.  It’s not that tough.” she was trying not to be rude.
    “That’s why you get heart burn.  If you take your time and only eat, you won’t get heart burn any more.”
    She folded her arms across her chest, “I thought you said you were a thief.”
    “I did.” 
    “So where’d the medical advice come from?”
    “It’s not medical advice.  It’s life.  Eat.” Aris pushed the bowl toward her.
    “And if I don’t like mushrooms?”
    “I brought you comfort food.  I would have brought you the mac and cheese, but on a flight this long you’d be uncomfortable by the time we land.”
    “She’s cranky now.” Denise let slip.
    “Alright over there, we heard that.” Aris smiled at Denise.
    “Yeah, Noah you shouldn’t be saying that sort of stuff.”  Denise turned bright red from holding her laughter as Noah made a face at her.
    “How corrupt is my paralegal going to be by the time I get her back?”
    “I don’t know.  I’ve never been referred to as a corrupting influence before.”  Aris turned on the charm. 
    The car was waiting on the tarmac when they landed.  The road heading out went through the village where people were starting to close their shops.  Some of them waved as the car drove by.  The village was plain with lots of colors but it didn’t look run down or poor.  There were children here and there sitting on shop steps eating or playing. 
    The road continued winding out of the village, then along the shore line, before it climbed the hillside entering what looked like any regular suburban neighborhood.  There were children playing in yards with women talking to each other.  Some of them smiled or waved.  One of them called out Noah’s name. 
    The road started up hill again until it stopped at a cul de sac with four houses.  Noah parked the car in the middle of the cul de sac.  There were lights on in a couple of the houses but the others were dark.  Aris carried Saoirse’s bag to a path on the far left that wound away to somewhere.  She followed him not sure of where they were going.  Noah took Denise’s bag, following Aris as well.  Aris offered his hand to Saoirse.  She hesitated, but since she couldn’t really tell where she was going, she felt forced to take it.
    The house itself was surrounded by palm trees not far from the shore of a small sheltered bay.  The water lapped against the shore carried in by a cool breeze.  A lone boat rocked peacefully out in the bay.  The house wasn’t fancy but it was enormous.  There were windows everywhere with some sets of windows having balconies.  There was an outdoor room on the side of the house they approached.  Saoirse looked around realizing that there were two other outdoor rooms off the back of the house from this part.  She could see a kitchen off to the left, with a courtyard beyond, that the rest of the house opened on to as well.
    “Mata?”  Aris called out, still holding Seer’s hand as he lead her through the house. 
    Noah was coming in with Denise,  “Is she not here?” 
    Aris shrugged, “The lights are on.  She normally doesn’t do that if she’s leaving.  Mata?” he called out again.  There were a couple of small lamps on in the other outdoor room.  In one of the overstuffed cane chairs were two small feet barely touching the floor.  “Mata?”  Aris approached the chair kneeling down.
    The old woman in the chair was tiny.  She might have been five feet tall at the most. Her gray hair was pulled back in a