Yannis chuckled softly, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Tallโฆ Iโm six-two. Richโฆ Iโve got more money than she could spend in ten lifetimes. Treat her wellโฆ Iโve never been anything but kind to her. And handsomeโฆ she once called me pretty, so I guess that counts. So, by her own criteria, I seem to fit the bill perfectly!"
They were stopped at a red light that felt like it would never change. Yannis glanced over at Zinnia, his expression teasing. "Are you sure you were not talking about me?"
Zinniaโs heart skipped a beat, and she felt a strange tingling sensation at the back of her neck. โWhat? No way,โ she snapped, trying to sound indignant. โI wasnโt talking about you.โ
Yannis leaned closer, his face suddenly serious. โTall enough? Check. Rich? Definitely. Treat you well? Always. And handsomeโฆโ He paused, his eyes locking onto hers. โLook at me, Zinnia. Do you really think Iโm not handsome?โ
His sudden proximity hit Zinnia like a waveโher breath caught, lips parting wordlessly. All she could do was clutch the seatbelt in front of her, trying to steady her racing heart.
Yannisโs face was dangerously mesmerizing. Whether or not others liked it, Zinnia knew one thing: she was utterly smitten. That face was just breathtakingly gorgeous.
If it hadnโt been for that, when they first met, Zinnia would have just called him out for being an idiot. Instead, she glanced at him sideways and swallowed her words.
She couldnโt bring herself to insult someone so good-looking. For someone who loved beauty like Zinnia did, she was always extra forgiving when it came to attractive people.
โDo I look good?โ Yannis leaned in, his eyes locking onto hers, a playful glint in them. His voice, smooth and low, sent a shiver down her spine. He knew he had her hooked. He was sure she was into his face.
โSure,โ Zinnia whispered, almost against her will, as if under a spell.
Right then, a blaring horn from behind signaled the green light. Yannis let out a soft chuckle, slid back into the driverโs seat, and started the car.
The moment Yannisโs laughter reached her ears, Zinnia felt her ears burn and her cheeks flush. Her heart skipped a beat, then raced even faster than before. She couldnโt shake the feeling it would only get faster and faster from now on.
She felt completely out of control. But when asked to describe that feeling, Zinnia found herself at a loss.
It was frustratingโbeing around Yannis often left her feeling helpless, like she could never quite grasp his true intentions. Even though he seemed to hold nothing back, she still felt she didnโt truly understand him deep down.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the seatbelt. She wasnโt sure about her other feelings, but right now, she knew exactly what she was feeling.
โUgh, this infuriating man is using his looks against me again! He knows Iโm weak for his face, and yet he still uses it to charm me,โ Zinnia fumed inwardly, cheeks puffing in indignation as she glared at him.
โYannis, thatโs cheating!โ she blurted out.
โCheating? How do you mean?โ Yannis protested, looking all innocent.
Zinnia puffed out her cheeks and accused, โYouโre totally using your looks to get your way.โ
He was just taking advantage of his handsome face. She was weak for good-looking people, and whenever she was around someone attractive, she just couldnโt help but let her guard down.
โSo, Zinnia, does that mean you admit Iโm good-looking?โ Yannis seized her words with a smirk.
Honestly, Yannis knew damn well he was handsomeโhis face had been turning heads since he was a kid.
Even when he was kidnapped and those guys beat him to a pulp, they still left his face untouched. Even thugs couldnโt bring themselves to mess up a face like his.
Sure, he knew he was good-looking, but heโd been worried she might not be into his type. Now, seeing her eyes drawn to him, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least there was something about him that got her attention.
โThatโs not what I meant at all! How does he always manage to read into things like that? Heโs good-looking, sure, but Iโm not about to compliment him,โ she thought.
โNo way! Nathan is way better-looking than you!โ Zinnia shot back, her voice tinged with determination. In her mind, Nathan was the hands-down winner. No matter how good Yannis looked, Nathan was the best.
Yannis froze, his expression visibly turning cold.
To be honest, he hadnโt even met Nathan yet, so it was hard to believe he was better-looking.
Heโd seen Nathanโs childhood photos, and if heโd grown up without any awkward phases, heโd definitely be better-looking than most people. But just how handsome? Yannis couldnโt quite picture it.
Nathanโs mom and his own mom had once been the famous beauties of Jinstonโboth stunning. Nathanโs dad, Richard, was a famous heartthrob. From the photos, Nathan had clearly inherited the best features from both his parents.
Yannis found himself thinking about hiring a forensic artist to recreate what Nathan looked like now, based on those childhood photosโjust so he could compare their looks and see if he needed to step up his game.
Maybe if he worked on it, he could end up looking even better than Nathan someday.
Yannisโs current mission was to figure out who was actually better-lookingโhim or Nathan. But he couldnโt rule out the possibility that the little girl beside him was just seeing Nathan through rose-tinted glasses.
While they were talking, before they knew it, they had already driven into the apartment complexโs parking garage. Yannis pulled into a spot, unbuckled his seatbelt, then leaned closer to her and asked, half-joking, "So, is Nathan really better-looking than me?"
He wasnโt being arrogant; it was just that heโd never met anyone who could outshine him in the looks department.
He knew there were always people out there who might be more attractive, but he didnโt really care about them. Right now, he just wanted to know if Nathan was one of them.
โTake a guess,โ Zinnia teased. Seeing Yannis getting worked up, she felt sheโd finally scored a point. She blinked her beautiful eyes, a mischievous glint dancing in them.
โI donโt think Iโm far behind Nathan,โ Yannis said, lost in his own thoughts about their appearances. He didnโt even notice Zinniaโs teasing.
Yannis thought, โI mean, I got the best traits from my parents. We probably look pretty similar. If thereโs a big difference, wellโฆ maybe itโs my dadโs fault for not being handsome enough.โ