Marisa Chenery: Mate for a King

She pushed back the covers and headed for the bathroom. She had two hours to get ready before Raed came to pick her up; a shower was definitely in order. Lexi thought about her supper date as she stood under the water. She didn't think she was ugly by any means, but Lexi knew she wasn't exactly drop-dead gorgeous either and she certainly didn't stand out in a crowd.

Her shower finished, Lexi dressed in a pair of jeans and a dark blue long sleeved blouse that matched the color of her eyes. She then went to the living room and made a quick call to her parents back in the States to let them know she had arrived safely.

Her father's grandfather had originally come from Norwich before immigrating to Florida. Her father would have loved to make this trip with her, to see where his ancestors came from, but with his heart condition, overseas trips were out of the question. Lexi had decided to make this trip mostly at her father's suggestion. As a teacher's assistant at an elementary school with the whole summer off, she hadn't exactly had to worry about the ramifications of booking a four week holiday.

After she hung up, Lexi went to the small kitchen and put on the kettle to make herself a pot of tea. Once made, she sipped on her tea and turned on the television to wait for Raed to arrive.

At exactly six, a knock sounded on her door. Lexi's heart started to pound as she crossed the room. She pulled open the door and smiled at Raed. "Come on in. I just have to grab my purse then we can go."

Raed stepped inside, making her small flat seem even tinier. He smiled as he looked around. "Nice flat."

"Thanks. I'm happy with it. I'll just be a sec."

Lexi hurried to the bedroom to get her purse. Once inside, she waved her hand in front of her face to cool her heated cheeks. Raed was even better looking than she remembered. Dressed in snug-fitting black jeans with a dark burgundy button down shirt, he'd presented an image she'd had a hard time not ogling. The man had a great build. Grabbing her purse off the dresser, she hurried back to Raed.

He turned toward her when she stepped back into the room. "All set?"

Lexi felt a shiver go through her at the sound of his deep, British accented voice.

"Yes."

Raed pulled open the flat's door and stepped aside for her to walk out first. "I thought we could go to one of the pubs, if you're all right with that suggestion?"

"I'd love to. Going out for an evening at a pub is one of the things on my 'To do'

list while I'm here."

"Well, I'm glad I can help you out."

Raed placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked down the flight of stairs to the entrance. Through her blouse, Lexi felt the heat seep into her skin. Her heart started to beat faster. She knew she was reacting to Raed like a teenager out on her first date, but she couldn't seem to get herself under control. She needed to pull herself together. She was an adult. Just because a gorgeous man had asked her out for supper did not mean anything would go beyond that. Knowing her, she would be lucky to get a goodnight kiss out of Raed, let alone a second date.

Raed's black Mercedes-Benz sat parked on the street across from the flat. He helped her into the passenger seat before he went around and climbed behind the wheel. The drive to the pub, The White Swan, took no time at all. Once they sat down at an empty table, a waitress came over and took their drink order. When Raed ordered a pint of dark ale, Lexi did the same.

As they looked over their menus, Raed asked, "So you'll be here in Norwich for a month?"

Having already decided to have the fish and chips, Lexi closed her menu and looked at Raed. "Yes. I have the time off so I thought I might as well come and see where my father's side of the family came from."

Raed closed his menu and met her gaze across the table. "Do you still have family here?"

"Not that I know of. My great-grandfather moved to Florida at the age of seventeen after he lost both his parents. He was an only child and didn't have any other family."

"What happened to his parents?"

"We don't really know for sure. He never talked about them, though there is a family story about what supposedly happened. The tale is a bit . . . out there." Lexi leaned in and said in a low voice, "The only time he said anything about how they died was when he lay on his deathbed. My dad figures he must have been more than a little out of it at the time, considering all the pain meds they had him on. He supposedly said one night his father turned into a werewolf and killed his mother. My great-grandfather was about to suffer the same fate when a man kicked in the door to his house, swinging a broadsword, and killed his father." She sat back, shook her head and laughed. "Like I said, he must have been completely out of it."

Raed looked away. "I guess he had to have been." In a serious voice, he added,

"Werewolves don't exist so there is no question your great-grandfather must have imagined the story about his parents."

His tone had Lexi studying him more closely. He still refused to meet her gaze as he looked around the pub. It almost seemed as if he felt uncomfortable with something she had said, or guilty. Lexi laughed. "Of course he made the whole thing up. And of course werewolves don't exist, everyone knows that."

Lexi had to kick herself. When would she ever learn not to bring up the subject of her great-grandfather's story? Not everyone was so tolerant; some thought she must be crazy when she told the tale.

The waitress returned with their ales and took their food order. After she left, the silence stretched between them. Lexi took a sip and looked around, unsure of how to get the conversation started again. She turned back to Raed, intending to say the first thing that came to mind, but she lost the ability to speak when her gaze locked with his.

Raed was staring at her as if she'd become something he wanted to devour. His expression held the promise of a night filled with hot, sweaty sex. No man had ever looked at her like that. She swallowed as her mouth suddenly went dry. Her blood surged through her body as an ache started to build between her legs and wetness pooled. With just one look, Raed revved her body into overdrive.

Lexi shifted in her chair, unable to pull her gaze away. His eyes drifted downward as he followed the line of her throat to her chest. Her nipples tightened beneath her blouse. She bit back a moan as he lifted his gaze to her face. Raed's nostrils flared slightly as he took a deep breath. His eyelids lowered to half mast as he stared at her lips. She licked them, noticing how Raed followed the movement.

As if he suddenly realized where they were, Raed's gaze became less intense and he took a sip of ale. He then asked, "What do you do in Florida?"

Lexi had to clear her throat before she spoke, and it took a few seconds to get her brain to start working again. How could Raed go from acting as if he wanted to devour her one minute, to Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected the next? Her body felt as if it would burst into flames any minute. "Ah, I work as a teacher's assistant in an elementary school. I guess it would be called a primary school here in the UK."

"Do you enjoy teaching?"

"Yeah, I do. I like working with kids. What do you do?"

Raed gave her a half smile. "I have no need for a job."

"So you're one of the idle rich, are you?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly. I would hardly call myself idle. I may not have to work, but I do have other pursuits that keep me busy enough."

"Like what?"

"Nothing very interesting. Stocks, bonds, those types of things."

Their waitress returned with their food, bringing a pause to the conversation once again. Lexi ate as she racked her brain to think of something witty to say. The only benign topic of conversation they hadn't touched on so far was the weather. She really didn't want to go there. That would take her from being a boring date to a mind-numbing and possibly crazy one instead.