The Luna

Three

"I was looking for something," his eyes meet mine and his expression becomes serious, "And I found you, Mia." his head tilts slightly to the side and a small smile crosses his lips.

Maybe it was the way he said it or the situation in general, but a shiver went down my spine.

I looked around us, suddenly painfully aware we were the only ones, aside from animals, out here. I wonder if I had to scream if anyone would even hear me?

The look on my face must be easy to read because his hands fly up in surrender.

"I'm pretty sure I'm freaking you out and that's the last thing I want to do," he says carefully, taking a calculated step forward, "I'm not going to hurt you,"

He's hypnotizing and I can feel myself being pulled in even with all the sirens and flags in my head telling me to pull away. So why aren't I listening? Why aren't I suddenly more worried that he may drag me away to kill me?

"I'm sorry, what's your name again?" I have to pull my eyes away or else I'll forget my own name too. 

"My name is Caspian," he reaches for my hand and places a gentle kiss on my knuckles, his eyes never leaving my face.

"Like Narnia," I mumble, my mind flashing back to the book I read in fifth grade. If I'm being honest it wasn't my favorite but it's a story you can't forget.

"Yes," Caspian smiles showing all his teeth, "My mother wanted a name befitting a prince." pride seems to radiate from him at his words.

I'm not sure if he realized that he puffed his chest out like some sort of peacock showing his feathers - he's that proud to be named for a Royal - albeit a fictional one - and he is proud of his family. I can't help but smile softly at the love written across his face.

I shake my head, looking away from Caspian again to look out into the darkened woods. Why is it so easy to be distracted by him? I'm not one to usually be distracted by a pretty face. Appreciative, Yes, but to the point where I can't focus, no.

"I'm confused. What -" A twig snaps nearby and my gaze shoots towards the sound, but I don't see anything. Still, the feeling of being watched is back, unsettling me like the prey in the eyes of the predator.

Fear pricks at my skin, making me all too aware of how cold it is and how dark it has become. I can just barely see Caspian in front of me but he seems completely unfazed. Then again he was running around the forest naked like he's tanning in Florida, not Montana.

He steps forward, closing the last of the distance between us as if understanding the fear that just hit me. His body, although still shirtless seems to radiate an impossible heat.

His hands reach for me, pulling me closer to his warmth. Why does he smell so impossibly good? Like a mix of woods, spice, and danger. I keep my hands at my side, unsure what to really do with them or what is actually happening. His hands grip my biceps pulling me away just slightly to look at me.

"I don't mean to be so forward, I know we just met," his hands run up and down my arms, warming my skin through my jacket, "but is there somewhere else we can go to talk - you look like you're freezing to death."

My mouth drops open and my eyes instantly run over him. He's wearing nothing but jeans. No shirt, jacket, or even shoes! And he's worried about me freezing to death??

"Me?" I squeak out, my brain telling my feet to take a step back to gesture at him, but he doesn't let me go.

"Yes, you." Caspian chuckles and loops my arm through his. He turns us and begins to walk with me through the forest and back towards the diner - like he knew exactly where I had come from, "Who else? Come, let's go get you warmed up."

We aren't as far from the diner as I thought because it seems like only a minute has gone by before the back stairs that lead to my door appear.

"How did you know I live here?" my mind is kinda foggy as I try to make sense out of what's happening. It feels like I stepped into a dream world - where an insanely hot guy finds me in the woods and sweeps me off my feet. It's like some romance novel that I would have read online.

"Wild guess," Caspian laughs likely like there's a joke I'm not getting and gestures for me to lead the way upstairs.

I hesitate, looking from the stairs to Caspian. Am I really going to bring him upstairs - a man I just met under suspicious circumstances in the woods? Every school talk about stranger danger flashes through my mind and yet there is something different about Caspian.

Yes, there are a couple of red flags and yes that is concerning, but if he was going to hurt me wouldn't it have been easier to do it in the woods when we were isolated rather than taking me back to the diner?

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," I say unable to stop myself from fidgeting under his gaze.

Caspian smiles softly and moves slowly as he takes a step closer to me.

"I don't want to scare you and I don't want you to freeze to death either," His fingers graze my cheek as he tucks some loose hair behind my ear, "if you don't want to go upstairs - we can go into the diner and get some coffee."

"Okay," I breathe out stepping back so that we can walk around the building into the diner.

I can feel Caspian's hand rest gently on the small of my back, his large palm settling there as if he's known me for years. The gesture so intimate especially from a stranger - and yet I don't pull away, I don't even flinch.

I look up slightly at Caspian trying to figure out what is going on in his head, trying to think of his motive in all this. I get nothing from his face - he must be amazing at poker.

"Welcome to -" Justice stops mid-sentence, her eyes widening noticeably as she takes in Caspian.

Oh... maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring him here. Maybe I should have taken him upstairs where we could talk in private. Or maybe I should have run from a naked stranger in the woods. Only time will really tell how crazy I really am.

"Mia?" Justice looks from me to the adonis man beside me who I realize is still only in a pair of jeans.

My cheeks flame and I wish for the floor to open up and swallow me whole. I'm not thinking clearly and I can only blame that one the muscular man who seems to be able to hypnotize me -and apparently other women too - with just one look and a smile.

"Coffee," I squeak out, clearing my throat quickly, "Two coffees, please. We'll be over there," I point the booth towards the back window, the one furthest away from where everyone else seems to be sitting for now.

Justice nods absently, watching us as Caspian ushers us to the booth.