Read Online Tall Dark Handsome Lycan by Anastasia Maltezos - Free Book Online
Authors: Anastasia Maltezos
Ads: Link
She flipped his page to a blank one. “I’ll draw it here and you can use it as a guide. I don’t want to draw directly on your picture. You have a very distinct hand.”
Surprise lit his young face. “Are you an artist?”
It was Sam’s turn to shrug. “I sketch when I can. It’s a hobby. Come, sit next to me so you can see what I do,” she murmured as she began to draw.
Alek sat next to her, and within a few swirls of her hand, a scene of the horizon appeared with the silvery look and feel of the light touching the water.
“ You did that in three minutes. You are an artist,” he said, his brown gaze glued to her picture.
Sam laughed softly. “Hardly, but I love to draw.”
Alek looked at her shyly. “Can…can you do that again so I can see exactly what you did?”
“Sure. It would be my pleasure.”
And for the next two hours she drew another four pictures for him of different aspects of the beach while Alek asked her tons of questions.
“Hey, thanks,” he said again.
“It’s wasn’t any trouble, Alek.” She reached into her bag and took out the two apples Maria had given her to bring to the beach. “Do you want an apple?” She handed him one without waiting for him to reply and she noticed how quickly he ate it. He seemed hungry, and Sam’s sixth sense started to rise. She took a closer look at him and noticed his dark hair hadn’t seen shampoo in a week and his hands were dirty. “Are you here alone, Alek?” She asked gently.
“Yeah.”
“Do you come to this beach often to draw?”
“Only when I can get away.”
She didn’t want to press him. “I’m here on vacation. I love Greece. The weather is remarkable.”
He shrugged indifferently. “I guess.”
“You must be hot in those jeans. You don’t like to swim?”
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
Tread carefully, Sam told herself. “Your parents should get you one. I can’t imagine living near a beach like this and not owning a bathing suit.” Sam crossed her fingers and hoped he’d answer.
He stared at the last picture she drew for him and said quietly, “I don’t have parents. I live in the orphanage on the hill.”
“I’m sorry, Alek,” she said softly , but she had expected that. It was all crystal clear to her now, and she wondered why she hadn’t picked up on it when she had first seen him on the beach. The only explanation she came up with was that she’d been thinking about Leo at the time. It disturbed her to realize how he affected her so much even when he wasn’t around. It bothered her even more that she hadn’t even been able to spot a troubled boy.
“It’s no big deal,” Alek said. “I don’t need anyone.”
He sounded like so many of the kids her parents had welcomed into their fam ily as foster children, and of the children who came to Somerset’s orphanage.
He rose abruptly. “I gotto go.”
“All right, but promise you’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll pack us both a lunch and we can draw some more.”
His face lit up at th at prospect. “Okay.”
“Promise?” She asked again as she rose and pulled her shorts and top out of her bag. Quickly, she slipped them on. Oh my God, she was running late and she’d promised Maria she had nothing to worry about.
“ I’ll be here tomorrow,” Alek said.
S he gathered all her things. “Great. If something happens and you can’t make it, I’m at the villa just a couple of miles up the road. You can’t miss it. Go down the private road across the street from the tavern with blue tables out front.”
Alek nodded. “Okay.”
She held out her hand. “Alek, it was a pleasure meeting you and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
His face turned red, but he grinned for the first time. “Me too. Bye, Sam.”
* * * *
Mo st of the walk back to the house was uphill and the sun was beating down her face the entire way.
Surprise lit his young face. “Are you an artist?”
It was Sam’s turn to shrug. “I sketch when I can. It’s a hobby. Come, sit next to me so you can see what I do,” she murmured as she began to draw.
Alek sat next to her, and within a few swirls of her hand, a scene of the horizon appeared with the silvery look and feel of the light touching the water.
“ You did that in three minutes. You are an artist,” he said, his brown gaze glued to her picture.
Sam laughed softly. “Hardly, but I love to draw.”
Alek looked at her shyly. “Can…can you do that again so I can see exactly what you did?”
“Sure. It would be my pleasure.”
And for the next two hours she drew another four pictures for him of different aspects of the beach while Alek asked her tons of questions.
“Hey, thanks,” he said again.
“It’s wasn’t any trouble, Alek.” She reached into her bag and took out the two apples Maria had given her to bring to the beach. “Do you want an apple?” She handed him one without waiting for him to reply and she noticed how quickly he ate it. He seemed hungry, and Sam’s sixth sense started to rise. She took a closer look at him and noticed his dark hair hadn’t seen shampoo in a week and his hands were dirty. “Are you here alone, Alek?” She asked gently.
“Yeah.”
“Do you come to this beach often to draw?”
“Only when I can get away.”
She didn’t want to press him. “I’m here on vacation. I love Greece. The weather is remarkable.”
He shrugged indifferently. “I guess.”
“You must be hot in those jeans. You don’t like to swim?”
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
Tread carefully, Sam told herself. “Your parents should get you one. I can’t imagine living near a beach like this and not owning a bathing suit.” Sam crossed her fingers and hoped he’d answer.
He stared at the last picture she drew for him and said quietly, “I don’t have parents. I live in the orphanage on the hill.”
“I’m sorry, Alek,” she said softly , but she had expected that. It was all crystal clear to her now, and she wondered why she hadn’t picked up on it when she had first seen him on the beach. The only explanation she came up with was that she’d been thinking about Leo at the time. It disturbed her to realize how he affected her so much even when he wasn’t around. It bothered her even more that she hadn’t even been able to spot a troubled boy.
“It’s no big deal,” Alek said. “I don’t need anyone.”
He sounded like so many of the kids her parents had welcomed into their fam ily as foster children, and of the children who came to Somerset’s orphanage.
He rose abruptly. “I gotto go.”
“All right, but promise you’ll come back tomorrow. I’ll pack us both a lunch and we can draw some more.”
His face lit up at th at prospect. “Okay.”
“Promise?” She asked again as she rose and pulled her shorts and top out of her bag. Quickly, she slipped them on. Oh my God, she was running late and she’d promised Maria she had nothing to worry about.
“ I’ll be here tomorrow,” Alek said.
S he gathered all her things. “Great. If something happens and you can’t make it, I’m at the villa just a couple of miles up the road. You can’t miss it. Go down the private road across the street from the tavern with blue tables out front.”
Alek nodded. “Okay.”
She held out her hand. “Alek, it was a pleasure meeting you and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
His face turned red, but he grinned for the first time. “Me too. Bye, Sam.”
* * * *
Mo st of the walk back to the house was uphill and the sun was beating down her face the entire way.