Blind Passion: Intimate Encounters Volume I by Charisma Knight Page B

Her palms grew sweaty and her heart thumped against her ribcage. She shifted in her chair and crossed her legs. Ethan aroused her and she hoped he had not noticed. He was handsome, tall and he wore his hair in a ponytail. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and black dress pants. His black leather trench was old and worn, she noticed.
    Ethan appeared to be somewhere around his late thirties. Fine smile lines, and slight crow’s feet were etched into his rugged features. Trim sideburns adorned his tight square jaw. There was also something else she had never noticed until now since he’d captured her attention. Ethan was blind.
    Biting off a piece of her croissant, she observed as he rose to his feet, his left hand reaching for a black cane with a gold lion’s head. With his right hand, Ethan gracefully picked up his cup of coffee. Without a problem, he made his way over to Diane’s table. Sitting the cup down, he eased himself onto the seat facing her.
    At a loss for words, she shivered when Ethan’s eyes captured her gaze, sending chills throughout her body. Her nipples swelled and her insides melted, stoking the fire between her thighs. Even though he was blind, it seemed as if he was looking deep within her soul.
    “Is something wrong?” Ethan grinned, his left hand gripping the cane, and the right lifting the hot cup of coffee to his sensual lips.
    “What do you mean?” Diane gulped, and averted her gaze. She knew what he meant and hoped she had not offended him.
    “It’s okay, you didn’t know I was blind until now, did you?” He chuckled, making Diane squirm in her seat at his piercing blue eyes. Her slit creamed and she wondered why he affected her in that manner. Diane averted her gaze towards the window, pretending something had captured her attention, even though she knew he was blind. 
    “Um—well Ethan, I’m so sorry. You don’t look like you are blind. You appear to look right at me. Actually, I thought you were deep in thought, when I walked in, you acknowledged me right away.” Diane was ashamed over her apparent shock.
    “No worries. Try to relax. I won’t bite—much.”
    Diane shifted in her seat and clamped her thighs together. Was Ethan flirting with her?
    “When we pass each other in the hallway, the intoxicating aroma of your perfume often captures my attention. I was gathering the courage to actually talk to you this time and I’m glad I did. Also, I have become accustomed to the sound of your footsteps.”
    “My footsteps? Ethan, there are so many people walking in and out of this café. How can—
    “I can recognize your footsteps from everyone else’s because you walk in a unique way. You have a quick gait, and you tend to drag your heels. That’s something I look forward to every evening.”
    “Oh,” Diane moaned, feeling the heat rising to her face. “I do have a horrible habit of dragging my heels. I’m awful on shoes. Ethan, I still don’t know—wow, that’s amazing. You don’t even know me.” Diane became uncomfortable at learning how the man possessed the ability to observe certain characteristics about her.
    Ethan smiled. “I’ve been blind since birth, so my senses are very sharp. What I lack in sight, I make up for with my other senses. Forgive me please, it is not my intention to make you uncomfortable.”
    Diane released a breath and gripped her coffee cup with both hands, enjoying the warmth emanating from the Styrofoam cup. “Some people allow their handicaps to get in the way of them functioning properly. My grandfather lost his sight in his late sixties. Years later, his health deteriorated because he never got past losing his sight. Well, to make a long story short, he gained the ability to tell the difference in the amount of paper money. I don’t know how he did it, but he knew the difference between a five dollar bill and a twenty.”
    “Ah, I possess that same ability. You have to because there are some people who would cheat a blind