Chapter 6

Memories of the night my mother beat the hell out of my brother because she thought she was hitting me flooded my mind. I was scared of thunder and lightning. Every kid was. But when I sought comfort from my parents, I was either ignored or abused, which aggravated the fear even more and developed into a full-grown phobia.

Thunder bellowed for the third time, and I covered my mouth, stifling a scream. My body started shaking.

“Hey, hey!” I heard Zach say beside me. He hugged me, and I buried my face on his chest. He caressed my head gently and bent his head so he could whisper in my ear. “Shhhh… It’s okay, baby girl. I’m here. I got you.”

I learned how to deal with my phobia over the years, but I had never been in an open field during a big thunderstorm before.

Another roll of thunder bellowed in the skies. I couldn’t help screaming, “Zachary!” Tears rolled down my cheeks, my thoughts drifted off to the last time somebody held me during a storm. It had been too long, it felt like it was a different lifetime. “Please don’t leave me!”

I felt him hug me tighter. “I’m here, baby girl. I won’t leave you. I promise.”

Shortly after, the heavens opened up in the sky and poured a wrathful of tears on us. The crowd around us went wilder, and even the band played louder. The rain added to the euphoria of the concert.

I stood there, locked in Zach’s embrace, scared to let go as my own tears rolled down my cheeks. He didn’t release me. He caressed my head and whispered soothing words in my ear. It was amazing how he used the same words I wanted to hear—the words that always comforted me.

When I finally calmed down, I felt him release me. Then he bent and carried me in his arms.

I finally stared up at him. He smiled at me reassuringly. “I got you, okay?” He walked toward the buildings, carrying me in his arms effortlessly like I weighed nothing.

We reached the inside of the first building. He settled me on my feet in a secluded area. It was dark, but at least I was assured that we were in a confined place, more protected than the open grounds.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked me.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to witness that.”

He gave me a reassuring smile. “But I did. And now, I know you have astraphobia.”

“You didn’t think I was just chicken shit?”

He chuckled. “I know the signs. And I can tell the difference.”

I smiled at him ruefully. “Thank you.”

I hugged myself to keep from shivering. My hair was dripping wet, and I didn’t even want to think about my makeup. I hoped it was as waterproof as it claimed to be. Otherwise, I probably looked like Alice Cooper right now. But it didn’t look like Zach cared at all. He seemed overwhelmed at his discovery of my weakness, and I was afraid that this turned him off.

He placed one hand on the wall beside my head. Then his other hand tilted my chin up so I could look at him.

“Would it be insensitive of me if I kissed you again right now?” he whispered.

I smiled at him. “Maybe that’s just what I need to calm my nerves.”

“Calm your nerves?” he asked, raising a brow. “Oh! You underestimate my kisses, baby girl.”

“No, I meant—” I didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. His face descended toward mine as he claimed my lips in one demanding kiss.

His tongue invaded my mouth, and his arms gripped my naked waist, pulling my tiny, fragile frame toward his hard, well-toned body.

I put my arms around his neck and kissed him back, as hungrily as he was kissing me. Thunder and lightning were soon forgotten. All that mattered was this guy’s arms around me, his lips devouring mine. I had never felt this free, this wanton with anyone.

I was spiraling into the abyss faster than I could ever imagine. His hands headed south, cupping my butt cheeks, lifting me off my feet. In perfect sync, I wrapped my legs around his hips as he pinned me against the wall. The movement caused him to thrust forward, hitting my sweet spot with the rock-solid length beneath his jeans.

“Oh my god!” I breathed against his lips.

I felt his lips curve into a smile as he sucked in a deep breath. “How are your nerves now, baby girl?”

“Raptured!” I admitted.

He gave me a satisfied smile before he leaned his forehead against mine and breathed in the scent of me. “You’re driving me crazy!”

He wrapped his arms against my waist, pulling me closer to him and, in effect, putting more pressure on our adjoined hips, on my pussy and all my sensitive spots. These sensations were brand-new to me. I thought I was incapable of feeling arousal. For years, I was afraid that I was frigid. But now I could feel hot liquid flowing from my core. Zach’s kisses were sending me in a frenzy. He nuzzled my neck, making me moan. His breath was hot against my skin. He was hitting me in all the right places.

Zach was not just hot and gorgeous. He was funny, smart, and comfortable to be with. Confident and yet unassuming. He was a gentleman. He just showed me how protective he could be. Now, he’s showing me another side of him. He could be possessive and fierce, claiming his stake when he needed to.

Maybe that’s why I felt he was different. He possessed most of the qualities I wanted in a man. You could find a cute guy, a funny one, or a smart one. You could get a protective or a possessive one or any combination of those qualities. But not all. Maybe that’s what I was waiting for—all those qualities rolled into one.

I stared back at him. His eyes were dark, and he looked drunk with desire. I could still feel his arousal between my legs. But the smile he gave me was gentle, and I knew that no matter how rock hard he was, he would never force me to do anything I didn’t want to do.

I smiled back at him. “I think the rain stopped now. We better go back outside.”

He nodded slightly. “I have better ideas in my head, but yeah… your idea seems wiser.”

He gently settled me on my feet and kept his hands on my tiny waist to make sure I could stand steadily. Then he leaned his forehead against mine, taking long, deep breaths. He kept his body away from me, except for his hands and his forehead.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I need a minute, baby girl,” he replied. He released my hips and placed his hands on the wall on either side of my face. He leaned back a little bit so that no part of his body was touching mine anymore. He looked down on the ground and took deep, steady breaths.

I stood there and watched him regain control. As he stood there steadily, I knew inside him, chivalry and testosterone were having an inner battle. I think I was falling for him more and more.

Finally, he looked into my eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked again.

“Yes. You?”

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“For being irresistibly hot and beautiful? Not your fault,” he asked. “I’ve never groped a girl in public—ever. I’m not a fan of PDA. But there’s something about you that makes me lose control. I think if you let me, I would have taken you… right here.”

I sighed. “I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t let you either,” I admitted, almost in a whisper.

He leaned forward to kiss me on the lips. “Then I think we better head outside before I can’t hold myself back anymore. Because I don’t want our first time to be in a dark corridor of an old, public building.”

Oh my god! Our first time?

That’s how close we came. Did I want my first time to be with him?

He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Wear this. I know it’s a bit wet, but it’s warmer than what you have on now.”

His jacket felt warm against my skin, and it smelled like him—fresh and minty… masculine.

As he took my hand in his and pulled me toward the exit, I felt warm, even though my clothes were wet; my skin felt hot, even though the cold breeze that greeted us outside was freezing as hell. When I stared up at his handsome face, he was letting out a shiver because all he had on was a thin piece of a long-sleeved shirt. But I could see the glitter in his eyes and the subtle boyish smile on his lips. I didn’t know it was possible to fall for somebody I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours, but I knew I was in so much danger of doing just that. And I didn’t know how I could tell. But somehow, I knew… he was falling for me too.

Zach looked at his watch. “It’s midnight,” he said. “Do you want to go back to your hotel, or… do you want to stay a little bit more?”

“What about you?”

He replied, “I prefer to spend more time with you.”

I smiled and nodded. “The concert’s not over yet.”

He smiled widely. Then he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “I can’t promise you that the storm is over. But I promise, I’m right here beside you, okay?”

“I know.” I meant that. I trusted him already.

We had a few more bottles to drink. I was feeling tipsy but still totally aware of what was happening around me. I was giving in to all the brand-new sensations I was feeling. I was welcoming all the emotions that only Zach was able to make me feel. And I knew it wasn’t just physical. It was the first time I actually was connecting with a guy.

At two o’clock, thunderstorms attacked again. At the first strike of lightning, Zach pulled me into his arms. He held my head against his chest, pressing my left ear on it and then covering my right ear with his palm. The minute the thunder bellowed, I barely heard it. I closed my eyes and savored the comfort that Zach provided. For the first time in years, I felt that it was okay to feel vulnerable. That it didn’t really mean you were weak. Sometimes, it simply meant that the people around you were worth your trust.

The rain poured angrily, causing many of the concert goers to run for cover, including us.

“I think it’s time to go!” I said.

We ran to the exits. The fight for a cab was fierce. We were getting drenched, even Zach’s jacket was unable to protect me from the rain. We stood in the rain for fifteen minutes, waiting for the next available taxi.

“I’ll take you to your hotel. Where is it?”

“It’s… it’s up north, half a mile away,” I replied.

“We can’t walk that far. Not in your heels, at least,” he said.

“You think?” I could hike, but not with this rain.

Zach took my hand and led me in crossing the street.

“Where are we going?”

“To my hotel,” he replied.

Oh god!