Free The Crystal Circle: A Paranormal Romance Novel by L. Rosenman Page A

more and more from each dish, went to make coffee, and then casually said, “You were hungry.” She nodded and drank some more of the fresh orange juice, then settled back and looked around, and then looked at him. His place was neat, but it lacked a woman’s touch.
    “You live alone?” she fumbled. Dave approached her with two cups of coffee, put them on the table, and sat down heavily. She noticed that his disability prevented him from sitting down as normal people would, but rather a little on his side. Nevertheless, not a single drop of coffee spilled.
    “I’ve been by myself almost always.”
    “Meaning?” She was intrigued.
    He looked at her and thought that she seemed very interested and lacked the evil of people who sought to harass wherever they could. It had been several days since he’d had the chance to have a good talk. He swallowed and explained. “My mother died when I was eighteen. Since then, I’ve been pretty much on my own. Livelihood, housing... everything.”
    “And… a girlfriend?” She smiled shyly, and he replied honestly. “There have been some, they came and went. Those who came didn’t stay long enough. I stayed by myself, just myself and Tom...” She looked to where Dave was looking and saw the spotted cat, white with light-brown spots, like Dave’s eyes. Tom heard his name and rushed in a lazy, panther-like leap to approach his master. He threw a suspicious look at Lynn with slightly narrowed eyes and began to rub himself against Dave’s legs.
    “Tom the Cat,” she smiled. “Like the app.”
    He looked up at her. “Yeah, like the app. I looked for a good name, but couldn’t come up with any other ideas. Seems like creativity isn’t my strongest suit.”
    She looked back at the cat rubbing against him. Dave’s scars were barely visible on his leg, but once she saw them, they were hard to ignore. She was curious again. “Hope I’m not bothering you with my questions.”
    “No, of course not,” smiled Dave. “Ask.”
    “Where did you get the scars on your legs?”
    “An accident,” he said and added, “at a very young age.” He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t press. Dave was confused, but preferred not to encourage her to explore further at such an early stage of their relationship. To him, it was as clear as the Eilat sun that their relationship wouldn’t end with this breakfast. The energies hidden within this beautiful woman sitting across from him and the fragility of her situation, which objectively looked a little desperate, made him want to protect her and care for her. She stirred his blood. His heart pounded at a rate foreign to him.
    “Tell me, Lynn, you already know so much about me, but I… what do I know about you? Apart from the fact that you’re a beautiful young woman... genuinely beautiful, in fact.”
    Lynn blushed and thanked him. “I don’t have much to say... really.”
    “Everyone has a history, a place they come from, ambitions they want to fulfill in life.” Dave lowered his voice and gently went on, “A family...”
    “You’re right.” She sighed and moved the fork inadvertently on the table. “I’m alone. I had a boyfriend for many years, but recently, a few weeks ago, we broke up...”
    Dave put his hand to his mouth and tried to meet her eyes. He grabbed her hand instinctively and immediately let go and looked down. “I’m really, really sorry.”
    “It’s fine. Don’t be sorry. It had to end at some point. He was married.” Lynn said it aloud for the first time. The hope that once broke her heart was now gone. Fragmented images of the both of them appeared in her mind: she and Jacques on a ship, Jacques bringing her a pizza... but, suddenly, all that past didn’t flood her with emotions. It was as if she was watching a movie about a stranger. Odd. Seven years had evaporated. Was she so impassive?
    “Were you together for a long time?” asked Dave.
    “I’m sorry. I don’t want to talk about