Libra Ascending: An Epic Urban Fantasy Romance (Zodiac Guardians Book 1) by Tamar Sloan (adult books to read .TXT) 📗

in the direction Cassandra just left. “I’d never do that. Even if I had to bail for some reason, I’d let you know. I like to, at least, think I’m a gentleman.”

“You might be the only one left in existence,” she teases.

He chuckles, then pulls his phone out of his front jeans pocket. “It’s two-o-five. We’d better get going.”

He nods for her to follow him as he steps off the curb into the parking lot toward a sleek black truck. When they reach it, he opens the passenger door for her. “Your carriage awaits, m’lady.”

“Nice truck,” she says, the nervous ball in her stomach tightening as she lowers herself onto the leather seats. So this is what he meant when he said he got lucky. His parents must be loaded!

“Thanks,” he says, closing the door then jogging around to slip into the driver’s seat.

As he starts the engine, their proximity strikes her. She’s never been this close to a guy, and in such a private, confined space. A sort of claustrophobia sets in, though not entirely an unpleasant feeling. It’s all she can do not to devour every inch of him with her hungry gaze.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” he says, a welcome end to the silence. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable with all the parent questions. I get that the whole topic is a sensitive one, and I shouldn’t have drawn it out of you like that.”

“It’s okay, you couldn’t have known,” Brielle says with a shrug. “You said you’re adopted. How old were you?”

“I was a baby, so I’ve never really gotten to experience what it’s like to be an orphan.” He looks at her as he drives down the street, some unknown emotion darkening the blue of his eyes. “I’m sorry you’ve been one for so long. I imagine it could get quite lonely....” He offers a smile that seems sincerely sympathetic.

She looks down at her lap. “Thanks. But hopefully not much longer. That’s the meeting I have after school. With a couple who’s considering adopting me.” The reality of that weighs down on her once again, making her heart thump against her ribs.

“That’s great! I’m really happy for you.”

Thanks to her curse, Brielle can tell he means it. She slides a glance out of the corner of her eye. Handsome. Sweet. Nice car. Tristan seems too good to be true. If Cassandra hadn’t appeared on the steps of the school with her nasty lie, Brielle would be wondering if she’d stepped into an alternate universe.

The drive to Creamy Dreams is a short one, with the shop being only a few blocks down the road from the school. When they go inside, a handful of the more popular kids are already occupying tables. Tristan fills his cup with chocolate fro-yo, then piles on gummy bears and M&Ms. Brielle opts for blueberry fro-yo with no toppings, conscious of the whispering around them.

“Would you like to sit outside?” he asks after he pays the clerk at the register. “It’s a really nice day.”

“Sure,” she says, happy for the excuse to avoid the stares from her classmates.

The tables outside are all empty, so they have their pick. Tristan heads toward the one farthest from the sidewalk, and Brielle is grateful for the privacy it offers.

She sits opposite him, putting a spoonful of her fro-yo in her mouth as she frantically debates what to say. Her mind is a complete blank. What do people even talk about on dates?

“What would you say is your special talent?” he asks, ending her debate on conversation topics.

“My special talent?” she asks.

“Yeah, aside from being a wiz in the kitchen. What’s your superpower?”

Brielle pauses. She should say there’s nothing outside of making a mean cheesecake. But for some reason she doesn’t want to evade the question. This is her first date, and something about Tristan makes her trust him. “Okay. Well, I can always tell when someone is lying.”

“Really?” Tristan’s arms are crossed over the table, his gaze fixed on her, and Brielle notices he hasn’t touched his fro-yo.

“Try me,” she invites, surprising herself with how flirtatious she sounds.

Tristan purses his lips and tilts his head. “Alright. I’ll spout random things about myself and you tell me if they’re true or not.”

She nods, accepting the challenge.

“I’m seventeen,” he says.

“True.”

He nods. “I was in New Jersey before I came here.”

Her lie alarm goes off. “False.”

“Lucky guess,” he says. “In fact, I was in Twin Buttes before this.”

“Even though that sounds like it would be a lie, that’s true,” Brielle says with a giggle. “And it’s pronounced ‘byoots’ not ‘butts’.”

“I know, it’s just funnier that way.” He chuckles. “Okay, here’s another one: my favorite color is blue.”

The signal in her chest goes off again, and she shakes her head. “What is it really?”

“Wow, you’re good at this,” he says. “Don’t judge, but my favorite color is actually purple.”

His hand reaches up to his neck and fingers a smooth purple gem that she hadn’t noticed hanging from a cord around his neck. Is it her imagination, or is the gem glowing slightly?

“Alright, how about this?” She looks up from his necklace to his face, and though his expression remains playful, there’s a serious glint in his eyes. “I’m an alien prince from a far away planet, and I’m here on a mission to find others like me.”

Grinning big at his obvious lie, Brielle pauses and stares at him for a long moment, waiting for the lie radar to signal inside her brain. But it never does. Her grin fades. Something isn’t right. She replays his words again in her head, wondering if she could have possibly misheard him.

“Wait...what?” she asks, the nervous ball in her gut twisting for a new reason.

He leans closer. “I’m an alien prince on a mission to find others like me,” he repeats. “Is it true or a lie?”

Brielle shakes her head and leans back on the bench, compelled by the sudden urge to create distance between them. He isn’t lying.