Aris: A Sexy Romance Novel (Thief of Hearts Series Book 1) by Elody Knight

this.  Still, he drank more of the contents of his glass as he set up the fire.  Working with fire when having alcohol was bad too.  He sat back in the sand drinking more of the slushy alcohol from the glass.  The fire started slowly before the flames began to dance, twirling in the breeze. 
    Aris wandered back into the house for the rest of the concoction then back out to the fire.  The breeze had shifted forcing him to sit down against one of the logs used as seats.  He stretched his legs out angling them away from the fire.  Seven years weighed heavily on him.  He waited so long.  
    “What are you doing?”
    “I’m conversing with a monster.”
    Denise laughed at him,  “What monster?”
    “It doesn’t matter.  Did Anaya have something for your itching?” 
    “Yes she did!  I like her as much as I like Saoirse.”  Denise sat down on the log beside him.
    “Me too.”  Aris said quietly.
    “What are you drinking?”  Denise reached down for the glass in his hand.
    “Oh, it’s warm now.”  Aris said dismissively.  “Are you hungry?  Mata did all that cooking but there’s no one to eat it.”
    “I had some stuff at Anaya’s, but I’ll eat something with you if you need to put food in your stomach.”  Denise smiled down at him as she finished off what was in his glass, “I like that.  That could get you in a lot of trouble.” 
    “Not me.  I get sleepy long before I get drunk.  Maybe that’s a good thing right now.”  Aris stared into the fire.
    “Where’s Saoirse?  You’re sitting in the sand with a fire, I’d be out here.”
    “She’s in the house.  She asked something about TV.”
    “TV!  I’m gonna kick her ass!  She comes halfway around the world to a beautiful island, with great people, all sorts of weird neat stuff to do, a handsome host that would do anything for her, and she’s watching TV!”  Denise practically yelled standing up.
    “It’s okay, we get the Learning Channel.” Aris quipped, pulling himself off the sand,  “I think we’ve had enough fights for today.  What about you?”
    “I want one of these!”  Denise pushed the glass at him.
    “C’mon.  I’ll make one for you.” 
    “You don’t have marshmallows do you?”
    “No.  Marshmallows are disgusting.”
    “They’re not!  I love the burnt part.”
    Aris walked around the cabinet setting up the blender.  He was reaching for the coconut wine when Saoirse walked in.  Denise hugged her starting a conversation.  He forced himself not to look up.  It was hard not saying anything.  Instead, he put his attention on the drink he was making for Denise.  Aris set a papaya down on the cutting board.
    “That’s not a good idea.  You’ve been drinking.”
    He wasn’t sure if he was being scolded or if Saoirse worried about him.  In his current frame of mind he was more apt to think it was the former rather than the latter.  He arched both his eyebrows cutting the fruit.
    “I think we should get some work done.” Saoirse said to Denise offhandedly.
    “What? Now?” 
    “No. Not now.  In the morning, we should go over to the attorney’s old office and start getting those contracts in order.”
    “In the morning?”  Denise leaned over the counter at Aris who was pouring a drink,  “Aris, are you worried about those contracts?”
    Aris handed her the glass shaking his head no.
    “Seers, I’m going to the beach in the morning with Jerith.  He offered to teach me to snorkel.  I’m going to take him up on it.”  the grin on Denise’s face said snorkeling might be fun, but Jerith was more fun.  “Aris, do you know anything about contracts?”
    Aris shook his head with an expression that clearly indicated he didn’t particularly care that he didn’t know anything about them either.
    “Fabulous!  Son, you’re hired!”  Denise took a big gulp of the drink he’d handed her.  “Ooh, I like this.”
    “Hired for what?  He’s the client.”  Saoirse