A Warrior's Heart: Marastin Dow Warriors Book 1

Chapter 7

Aaron wiped his sweaty palms nervously down the sides of his pants. He didn't know why he admitted to Hanine that he knew who she was or that he was the one leaving her the small gifts. It may have been the shock of seeing her stepping through the doorway or finally being so close to her. Either way, it didn't bode well for him.

He stepped into his and Ben's room, for once thankful that Ben demanded they keep it neat since it wasn't very large. He glanced at Hanine as she paused in the doorway watching him. He twisted to face in her direction and nervously looked at her.

She was even more beautiful up close. Her short hair swung around her chin as she looked around the cabin. It didn't take long considering the room consisted of two beds, a table just big enough for two chairs and the doorway leading to their bathroom.

Aaron let his eyes roam greedily over her while she was distracted. She was wearing a dark gray, form-fitting uniform that highlighted the pale purple of her skin. His eyes lingered on her for several long moments while he lost himself in the fantasy of having her close to him at last. He quickly glanced away when she turned her sharp gaze on him.

"You are the one who is leaving the gifts for me," she said more than asked.

"Yes," Aaron responded hoarsely before clearing his throat. "Yes."

"Prove it," Hanine demanded.

Aaron looked up at her, startled. His eyes lowered to her outstretched hand. She was holding the small pink triangle of paper he had made for her. He glanced up at her again, an amused smile pulling at the corner of his mouth when he saw her raised eyebrow. He reached out and took the creased paper from her, careful not to touch her.

He briefly nodded before he walked over to the bed and sat down. Smoothing the small square on his knee, he began refolding the fragile paper. He decided he had nothing to lose so he began speaking in a quiet voice as he recreated the swan.

"The first time I saw you, two women were calling you names. I wanted to reach out and slap them both upside the head." He glanced up to see that she had not moved from where she was standing near the door. Looking back down, he focused on what he was doing. "I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I loved the way you rolled your eyes at them and when you stuck your tongue out..." He chuckled softly but didn't look up at her. "... Let's just say, that was an incredible turn on. I wanted to know more about you so I started watching you."

"Why did you leave me these things?" She asked quietly.

Aaron paused, staring down at the small form that was beginning to take shape in his hands. He thought for several long moments before he shrugged his shoulders. He was already in too deep to lie to her now.

"I didn't have anything else to give you," he admitted. "If I could, I'd have given you the world. Instead, I gave you the only thing I had to give... a piece of my world in the form of simple shapes. I gave you the lioness first because you reminded me of how fierce they are when protecting their young. I gave you the swan for your grace. Each shape reminded me of you."

"Including the one with a long neck? What does that remind you of?" She asked with a hint of suppressed laughter in her voice.

Aaron grimaced, but he continued to focus on the swan. "I couldn't help but think about how much I wanted to kiss you there. You have a beautiful neck and with your hair cut short, it looks long and... I just wanted to kiss you," he admitted as a tint of red washed over his cheeks.

He finished refolding the swan. He stared at it for several long seconds before he looked up. His eyes widened when he saw that she had silently moved until she was standing in front of him.