Chapter Two
"I mean I wanted to see if you were ok," Allen corrected his statement, chastising himself for his wayward emotions.
"Oh, ok. Please come in," Hazel said, moving aside to let him in. He couldn't take his eyes off her. In the morning, she looked all the more beautiful, angelic and ethereal almost. Her eyes shone with excitement and her hair cast a shiny halo around her. She blushed at his close scrutiny as he passed her to go inside the room, brushing her bare arms in the process. Goosebumps erupted all over at his subtle touch. He lowered his eyes to see the effect of the light brush of his arms against hers. She was now too embarrassed. Why did she have to react to his touch?
Her grandma came out of the next room,"Who's there Hazel?" She enquired curiously, looking at the handsome young man who came into her house, and stood transfixed watching her granddaughter.
"Meet Allen McAllister grandma. He's the one who dropped me here yesterday night," informed Hazel.
"Oh, is it? Thank you so much, Allen," said her grandma, with a grateful smile.
"Oh, it's nothing, grandma," he said, blushing a little.
"Come and join us for breakfast," said grandma, "Hazel loves cooking and she's made her delicious scrambled eggs with cream cheese. There are waffles with maple syrup and blueberries too."
"I wouldn't want to miss it then, " said Allen.
Hazel smiled shyly, "It's nothing special. Just the regular stuff," she said leading the way to the breakfast table. She served him a plate and they all sat down to breakfast. He sat close beside her, his arm again brushing hers as he stared at her reaction to him.
Was he doing it on purpose? She started having doubts that he wanted to see how jumpy she felt in his presence. He was gorgeous, with piercing dark chocolate brown eyes and tall muscular physique. His soft short brown hair suited him so well. She dragged her chair away while eating her breakfast, aware of his eyes constantly on her.
"This is delicious," he said, his eyes not leaving her face.
"Why don't you come down with your family for dinner tonight? As a thank you gesture from us?" Said grandma. Truth was that she wanted to know whether he was available or had a wife. Then she could start experimenting her matchmaking skills on him.
Even Hazel looked at him to hear his answer. He looked around thirty-five, surely he had a wife whom he loved and children to take care of.
"It's just me and my son. We'll be glad to join you for dinner," said Allen looking into Hazel's eyes. She frowned slightly at his answer.
"I'm sorry," said grandma, thinking that maybe he was a widower.
"Oh no, don't be grandma. My wife left us after the birth of my son. She wanted to marry her long time boyfriend. Ours was an arranged marriage fixed by our parents for business gains," he explained. He was surprised at himself. He never spoke so much about himself to anyone. Why did he want to declare to Hazel that he was available for her?
Hazel simply stared at him with her jaws dropped. How could someone not fall in love with him? How could someone leave her own newborn baby and remarry?
"That's really heartbreaking, dear," said grandma.
"It's ok. It was expected, grandma, " said Allen, with a smile.
"What's his name?" Hazel asked him and he stared at her angelic face, at her soft lips.
"Who?" He asked her, still staring at her.
"Your son. What's his name?" She repeated, lost in his warm brown eyes.
"Axel. He's thirteen and very talkative. I've brought him up all on my own, " Allen said proudly.
"Bring him in the evening. I would love to meet him," said Hazel and Allen smiled.
"Ok," he said, quietly. He liked her immensely. She was the first woman who asked his son's name and wanted to meet him. Hazel cleared the table and Allen watched her hypnotised.
"Please save her Allen, " he was brought out of his hypnotic state by grandma's voice.
"Save her? From whom?" He asked, confused.
"Mafia Lord, Nicholas King is after her for the last four years. He forced her to marry him, but she ran away," she informed Allen who stared at grandma with his mouth wide open. So that explained why she escaped her own wedding, why she was so scared and why she checked whether she was stalked.
"Grandma, why don't you rest for some time while I do the dishes, " said Hazel as she came to wipe the table clean.
Grandma got up from her chair,"Ok dear, I'll rest. Allen, I'll see you and Axel tonight at 7 o'clock in the evening?" Asked grandma with the hope that he would agree.
"Yes, grandma, we'll be here," promised Allen. Grandma left the room and Hazel went to the kitchen to do the dishes and Allen followed her.
"Grandma told you, right?" She asked with a knowing look.
"Yeah, but you don't want me to ask you questions, " he said, with a sad face.
"I don't want you to get involved in the mess I'm in, Allen. You have a child to look after, " she said, dejectedly, turning to do the dishes.
"You can at least tell me everything," he said, holding her arm and turning her to face him.
"No, please stay away from me," she said, lowering her eyes.
"I can't," said Allen, looking at her face, her eyes, her lips with recklessness. He wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her. He wanted to be the one to save her.
"If not for yours, at least for Axel's sake, stay away from me. I beg of you," she said, looking down at her feet.
"I won't, Hazel. Tell me everything," he insisted.
She just shook her head,"I'm forbidden Allen. If he comes to know about you, he'll finish you," she said in panic. Then she extricated her arm and went about doing the dishes.
"Just come for dinner with Axel. It's a treat from grandma for saving my life," she said.
Allen reluctantly left after agreeing to arrive on time. He drove over to his office but he couldn't get Hazel out of his head. He wanted to know everything about Hazel and Nicholas King.
He reached his office room and called his private investigator. He asked him to find out everything that he could about Nicholas King and the woman he wants to marry, Hazel.
The whole day, he received no information whatsoever, so he simply completed his work and went home to convince Axel to go out with him to Hazel's house for dinner.
