Beholden by Marian Tee

screaming of reluctance, and it made Bobby grit her teeth. The glass of soyamilk on her tray slid a little to the left. Drat. “That’s my seat, mister,” Bobby said as she adjusted her hold on the tray. “So if you could please—” Bobby looked up and forgot the rest of what she had to say.
    Bobby blinked.
    Twice.
    Thrice.
    Beautiful was her first thought.
    Was it truly possible for anyone to be this beautiful? It didn’t seem fair. Midnight black hair and olive skin that spoke of a Mediterranean heritage as well as stormy blue eyes fringed with long dark lashes that she would personally kill for. He wore a simple white shirt and a rugged-looking pair of jeans, and he had what looked like a griffin tattoo wrapped around his arm.
    When she didn’t say anything, he turned his back on her.
    Beautiful…and rude!
    Bobby’s temper snapped. “Excuse me,” she said again, this time between clenched teeth. Her arms were beginning to ache at the weight of the tray as well, making her even more annoyed.
    What the hell was her problem? The sound of the pissed-off voice had Leandro Christopoulos closing his eyes. This girl seemed to be more insistent than most. Or maybe it was because he was in America and people weren’t yet familiar with his moods. Back home, girls had known by his reputation that Leandro didn’t care to have his privacy interrupted unless he had given the signal for them to approach him. Otherwise, he was left alone – like he should be now.
    “EXCUSE ME.”
    The words and how the girl was practically hissing at him had Leandro incredulous. He turned around again and demanded curtly, “What do you want?” He just wanted this over with.  
    He looked at her more closely this time. Auburn hair that had him almost snorting. Typical. Flashing green eyes and an oval face that was flushed with anger. His gaze traveled down. Oversized buttoned-up blouse – boyfriend shirt was how his younger sister described it, if he remembered correctly – paired with regular jeans and flats.
    She told him frostily, “You’re in my seat.”
    He made a show of looking around and even checking the back of his chair. “I don’t see anything here that has your name on it.”
    Bobby gasped, unable to believe someone so beautiful could be such an ass ! But she should have expected it , she thought, teeth gnashing. Beautiful people were always like this. She really should have known better.
    Juggling her tray because her arms were killing her already, “I left my book on the table so that people would know I reserved it.”
    Following her gaze, Leandro saw that she had indeed left a book on the table – something he had failed to notice because he had been too distracted with his thoughts. Leandro rarely found himself in the wrong, and the fact that he was now didn’t sit well with him at all.
    He said brusquely, “You may sit down on the other chair then.” He waved towards the vacant chair opposite him like a king bestowing a favor on a slave.
    May? She may sit down? Who the hell did he think he was? Fed up completely now, Bobby slammed the tray down on the table.   “Are you dense ? I was here first so I have the right to kick you out of the chair.”
    Leandro answered by slowly looking at the girl up and down. She was – what? Two inches over five feet? He was more than a foot taller than she was and probably double her weight. He said dismissively, “You can try.”
    Why, the—
    Without hesitation, Bobby kicked him in the shin. Hard.
    The sudden pain on his shin almost had Leandro cursing. His gaze snapped back to the girl, incredulity and rage lining his voice as he growled, “What was that for?”
    “You have to ask?” she snapped back. He suddenly shot to his feet and Bobby almost took a step back. He really was tall. And lethal. There was an air of danger about him that she was only beginning to realize and the words I take it back hovered on her lips.  
    If this guy went berserk and Hulk-smashed