His scent.
Her instinct suggested it was him that day. And her mind also nagged at her about an earlier incident. The presence she felt behind the trees.
It was him.
Her eyes stared at the man who still had to show his entire face to her. She wondered if she could recognize him from somewhere. But she doubted as she moved a step on the other side to get a better angle.
Was he stalking her? Following her. But why would he do that? But why not? Her enemies, her kind, and the witches must be starting to look for her by now.
"Uncle Adam!" Suddenly another voice entered the room, making her blink her eyes. His voice was full of excitement as he rushed toward their guest. The boy did not even look at her.
"Kiev!" The man on the stool finally turned, fully revealing himself to her as he faced the boy who had greeted him enthusiastically, taking the small boy into his muscly forearms.
Her eyes studied him since she did not vividly see his face that day. But his distinctive eyes and the green pigmentation on them made a big impression in her mind, confirming she could not be wrong about him.
"Ava, have you met Uncle Adam." The boy turned to her, pointing to the man four, or probably more times as big as him. Suddenly, the attention of everyone was on her.
She could only shake her head, continuing to stare at his face. He was indeed attractive in every sense of the word. As she initially thought, he had a great body to match that handsome face.
"Adam, this is Ava. She is staying with us..." Jace looked at her. "...for now." His voice was slightly hesitant about the time frame of her stopover.
She had not told him any of her plans, but he did not ask her yet either. Nevertheless, he did not seem in a hurry to drive her away.
On the other hand, Jace appeared to be content to help her get back on her feet. He did offer for her to stay for as long as she needed.
"Hi, there." Adam finally stood up from his full length and faced her. Still, holding the boy by the shoulder. "It is nice to meet you, Ava." Extending his hand.
When his voice reached her ears, his eyes held hers, and his lips moved to say her name, it had brought a different sensation all through her body that she could not explain.
Then, when she finally reached out to him, his hold was firmer than she was comfortable with, quickly pulling her hand away from him as if his touch scorched her skin.
"It is also nice to meet you, Adam." Somehow, the name also sounded familiar. But at the moment, what bothered her more was the way she reacted to the man.
Admittedly, she had a few crushes during her younger years. But it was never like this. She had never fixated on a person before. But when she first saw those eyes, it haunted her.
"Are you staying here for long?" Jace interrupted, making her breathe, when Adam turned his attention to him, releasing her from his intense stare.
She moved towards the other side of the counter, pretending to busy herself with the vegetables in the sink. She could still hear their conversation, but at least she was not directly looking at their guest.
"If that would not be a problem. I decided to take a little vacation. I thought about spending some time here." She heard the guest answer the doctor.
But despite standing with her back on him, she could still sense that he was gazing at her intently. As if he was also studying her. She suddenly wondered if he also felt the same way as her.
Then, hearing that he planned to stay, she suddenly felt a different apprehension. She had never been affected by any man in the same way as this. Could she handle being in the same place with this man?
"I have been inviting you to come and join us here for a long time. Of course, you are welcome to stay as long as you want." The doctor offered again, making her heart speed up a little more.
"You mean you will be staying for a while with us," Kiev interjected excitedly. Once again, the little boy jumped in his place, ecstatic about the news. "Ava, you hear that." The little boy stood beside her, tagging on her dress to get her attention.
She looked down at him with a forced smile, pretending to be happy with him. "I am glad to hear about that." But she avoided turning around to look at the man.
"Adam?" She quickly recognized her voice. "You are here." She heard Cathy run further inside the room. This time, she turned around, curious about her reaction upon seeing their guest.
Adam opened his arms to the young girl, pulling her into a tight hug, even twirling her around the room. It would seem from her observation that they had been friends for a long time, based on their interactions.
"You should have told me that you are coming." Cathy still held on to him, with her hands entwined around his neck as she clung to him for support. Their bodies barely had space in between.
She could not help but watch their interaction with envy, suddenly missing her family and friends. But these people were her friends now. Well, at least while she was staying here and planning her possible options.
But another part of her brain nagged at her. Or was it something else? She was not particularly enjoying the scene in front of her because of the way Cathy enjoyed his closeness.
But why would it bother her? Yes, the man was beautiful, like a God curved him to their image. But still, he was just a man, not a superior being she would worship from head to toe.
She might seem attracted to him because of his physical appearance, but she would not drool over him. She had more value than to fall for vanity.
Besides, she also had no time for romance.