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

looking at the problem from the correct angle.  You are looking at it attempting to figure out what she is thinking.  You need to look at it from what has happened.”  Anaya said.  “Aris, tell me what you have done with her since you left to get her.”
    Aris related everything he could remember with Denise throwing in details.  Anaya sat listening quietly while Noah interjected with various noises indicative of his dislike for Saoirse. 
    “The answer is very easy.  You need to shut up and just be.” Anaya said.
    Aris looked at her like he understood the answer less than the problem. 
    Anaya sat on the coffee table in front of Aris, grabbing the fruit bowl as she went.  “Do you remember, when you were a little boy, being so hungry sometimes you were sick?”
    Aris nodded his head.
    “Good.  Concentrate on that feeling.  Bring it back to you.  Have you got it?”
    “Yes.”
    “Now, I am a vague acquaintance.  You have only ever dealt with me once.  Got it?”
    “Yes.”
    “So, I say to you, ‘Are you hungry?’” 
    “Yes.”
    “Would you like a banana?”  she took the fruit out of the bowl in her hand.
    “Sure.”  Aris was leaning forward to take the banana from her not sure where this was going.
    “Hm, no, this banana has a spot.”  Anaya put it down behind her,  “How about an apple?”
    Aris shrugged his shoulders, “Ok.” Again he leaned forward to take the fruit offered to him.
    “Ooh, no.  This one is bruised.”  Anaya put the apple down behind her, as Aris dropped back in the chair.
    She was looking at the other fruit in the dish,  “There are grapes.  Do you like grapes?”
    “Grapes are fine.”  Aris didn’t lean forward this time, he put his hand out for the grapes that she was holding.
    “There are rotten ones on a few stems.  This won’t do.” she set the grapes down behind her.
    Aris sighed looking at her. 
    “Now you’re getting it!  Think about how you feel right now.  Your body language says you are irritated with me.  You’re frustrated.  Are you anxious?  Maybe you want to say to hell with it or go find your own food, but you can’t.  You’re stuck in that chair, a little like this island.”  Anaya looked at him hoping the rest of it would dawn on him.  “Maybe you don’t trust me to give you what I offer.  Maybe you feel like I’m a liar?”
    “I’m lots of those things Anaya, but I don’t understand how that ties to Saoirse.” Aris was still frustrated.
    “You agree that Saoirse is here under duress.  She didn’t want to be.  You negotiated that with her.  That’s not the best place to start, but you know that.  You keep offering things to her, like the fruit I offered you, but then you don’t follow through.  Instead of accepting the answers she gives you, you ignore them doing what you think is best for her.  She doesn’t need you to do what you think is good for her.  She needs, what she needs.  Even a person’s favorite things can be annoying if they’re not wanted just then.  In our world, it is customary for men to order for women, or make arrangements for things, it’s even considered polite the way you handle it, generally.  In her world, it’s aggressive.  You’re pushing your will in front of her needs or wants.”
    “But what am I supposed to do?  She barely ate anything yesterday, she skipped breakfast this morning, she’s gone all morning, thankfully with Mata.  I haven’t gotten to spend any time with her, when I do catch up with her, she’s eating Koyn! ”
    “What’s that?” Denise broke in.
    “It’s lamb grilled on an open fire.  It’s the local equivalent of a hamburger.” Aris replied.
    “But that’s the whole point!  You’re worried about much higher issues.  She doesn’t care that it’s Koyn.  It was what she wanted.  She’d never had it before.  Mata saw her interest in it, then facilitated it.  You took her to Celeste’s.  That’s great, but you didn’t