02| Male Tramp

LACY

"It's over, Brian," I gritted through clenched teeth, trying to use an inside voice.

I had asked him to meet me here, in the park, because I didn't want us to blow out into a full blown argument about this. I figured a public place would prevent him from acting like a fully fledged psychopath.

"The fuck it is, Lacy," he yelled so loud that I jumped back in shock. My back collided with the hard, scaly bark of a tree, "This is over when I say it's over!"

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and mustered every bit of self confidence that I had before I said, "Oh, so I'm supposed to marry you even though you're out here being a male tramp!" My posture straightened as a sudden boost of courage and adrenaline coursed through my veins. I might be a woman but that didn't make me weak.

Hell no!

I stared Brian down until, to me, he seemed like a little ant that I could squish in between my index finger and thumb.

What did I see in the nasty rodent anyway?

Oh yes, it was the fact my parents loved that he belonged to a wealthy family and he himself had a fair share of wealth to his name. It matched their status. Well, fuck his wealth and fuck their status. I wasn't going to marrying a pepperoni dick just to make them happy.

I had to admit, he had his looks going for him at one stage. He was slightly taller than me with firm muscles. His eyes, a cross of green and blue with specks of brown. His hair, dark brown with bangs and his lips, pink and very, very soft.

It was probably his looks that made me try to resolve our problems in the beginning of our so called relationship but looks could only get him so far when his personality was worse than the stuff I would find in a trash can.

Brian stepped closer to me, closing the gap between us to just millimeters, "What did you just call me?" His gruff voice pulled me out of my thoughts and reminded me of the near deadly situation I found myself in.

The veins on his head had now exposed themselves from hiding and twitched excessively. He was so close to me that the heat of his breath burned my skin and there were flames flickering in his eyes, flames that signified the intensity of his anger.

"What did you just call me?" He yelled this time and whatever courage I thought I had ran away at that and hid like a mouse hiding from a cat.

He lifted his hand and with that I squeezed my eyes shut, nuzzling into the hard bark of the tree for comfort. I waited for the blow he was about to induce, quivering to the extent where my knees felt like it couldn't keep me standing anymore.

But nothing came...

"She called you a male tramp and by the looks of it I think she's right," I heard a rather deep, husky voice fire in my defense.

When I opened my eyes a tall figure dressed in full black was standing in front of me. From the back the man looked like, well he looked like Lucifer but right now I didn't even care if he looked homeless, I was just grateful for his presence.

"And who the fuck do you think you are?" Brian snarled and it sent chills all the way down my spine.

"I think I'm the guy with the dick here and you're the guy with the cunt. I mean, it's the only explanation as to why you would think it's fine to hit a woman," the dark figure sounded as if he were about to laugh but held it in.

"That woman is my woman so back off you son of a bitch!"

"Let me think about that," the stranger paused for a second before a cynical laugh filled the air. His cynical laugh. "No, I won't back off so why don't you walk away like the pussy you are."

My eyes widened at the way this dark stranger seemed to be protecting me. A punch was thrown and I yelped as the stranger stumbled back onto me.

"You hit like bitch." The stranger seethed, swipping his thumb across his cut bottom lip.

The next thing I knew, Brian was on the ground while the stranger drilled his fists into Brian's face. The sight of blood dripping from Brian's nose and mouth made a high pitched scream escape from my mouth.

The stranger stopped. Got up. Clenched his fists to the side.

"Leave Brian! Now!" I demanded, feeling brave once again but their little brawl had me cowering within.

The moment Brian turned tail to leave the stranger visibly calmed down and so did I. Brian's presence just allowed tension to fill the air.

"Are you okay miss non-fat latte with soy milk and a quarter tea spoon of brown sugar," the dark stranger tried to catch his breath after the mouthful of words he had just spewed.

"Excuse me, what?"

"Every morning you come into Malik's coffee shop and that's your order," he shrugged. It was almost as if his beautiful bottle green eyes were laughing at me.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I took notice of the blood that dripped from his knuckles.

"I'm fine," he said wiping his hand on his black washed out jeans.

"I never asked," I heckled with a roll of my eyes.

He laughed yet again.

This fool must have thought I was a damn joke. Did I look like a clown that belonged in a circus?

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He quirked an eyebrow at me as a playful grin played on the soft features of his face.

The features of his face might have been soft but the stubble on his jaw accentuated his already defined jawline and gave him a rougher appearance. His hair was black, dark, shaggy and curled just below his defined jaw. His lips were curled into a smirk and were pink, giving me the impression of them being absolutely soft and delicious. His bottle green eyes looked cold as if they held the secrets of the world in them. His arms looked strong as if they could carry ten times his weight. I wondered how he looked without his solid black shirt on. I wondered how defined his body was. I wondered what he was packing.

I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip as my eyes lingered a bit too long in the region of his...

"Do you like what you see?" His voice a mere whisper, raspy and husky.

It cut off my thoughts, stilling all motion around us. His gaze was now stuck on mine and the undeniable amusement in his eyes made a rush of heat flow through my body. My face probably turned a bright hue of red due to embarrassment.

"Is there a place we could go to clean you up?" my voice was equally low, it could have almost been mistaken as seductive or maybe unknowingly that was the effected I intended on.

He never said a word after that. He just nodded gesturing for me to follow and that's exactly what I did.

~~~

"Be still would you!" I felt like a mother scolding her child.

I knew the antiseptic probably burned when it made contact with the open wounds on his fists but he kept flinching away from my touch whenever I tried to hurry the process along.

He guided me back to what I assumed was his apartment. It was barely half the size of my bedroom. Probably quarter the size to be more precise. The kitchen and lounge happened to be an open plan and the matchbox of an apartment had two small bedrooms.

The bathroom had barely enough space to fit the two of us but somehow we managed. He sat on the toilet seat while I stood in front of him, administering his first aid.

He was rather adorable. He was so brave and so courageous but he couldn't handle the simple sting of antiseptic.

"All done!" I beamed as I finished wrapping his hand in a bandage. I didn't think it was necessary but it made me feel better. The bandage would allow the wounds to heal and would not give him a chance to reopen them.

"Fuck, how am I going to write exams now?" I heard him curse under his breath.

I looked at him stunned, "Exams?"

"Yeah, I'm in college. My last year and you?" He cocked his head to the side allowing his eyes to meet mine.

It felt like a punch in the gut, his gaze I mean. I could feel the air getting sucked right out of me. If I wasn't such a pessimist I would have thought that this was what love at first sight must have felt like, but this wasn't our first meeting. He must have worked at the coffee shop I ordered my latte at every morning or he was always in line with me. Either that or he stalked me which I didn't believe.

It was strange how trusting I was of him considering I didn't know him. He could have been a serial killer but I decided to ignore all of my better judgement and follow him to his apartment. I never trusted Brian that way but then again I never liked the asshole.

"I'm done with college for now. I graduated and then my wedding was planned but now I just don't know. Father would not be pleased about this."

"You have to do what makes you happy," he mused, his eyes boring into mine. It felt as if he was tearing down my paper thin walls and weaseling his way in.

What a strange feeling to experience with a complete stranger.

"So what's your name, Lucifer?" I attempted to change the topic of discussion because the current one was unnerving.

He looked at me surprised as that playful smirk formed on his perfect face once again, "Lucifer?"

I shrugged out of embracement. My cheeks felt hot and I could feel an unstoppable smile forming on my face, "Yeah, because you're wearing full black and it kind of reminded me of him."

"I like it," his tongue darted out of the corner of his mouth, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth.

Damn, he looked so sexy. I couldn't peel my eyes off him even if I wanted to.

When I looked at him I immediately thought sex. He was the guy I wanted to give myself to no matter how much I knew I shouldn't. Every girl had that guy in their life and he was that guy for me. Unfortunately, I wasn't a girl who did the one night stand thing and sex wasn't something I was comfortable with just yet so having those thoughts about him made me feel confused and hormonal.

"Your name?" He asked. The short time I spent with him made me realise that he was a man of very few words.

"La... Lacy. Lacy Black," I stammered.

"Well that's easier than the name I kept for you," he chuckled to himself.

"Have you been stalking me?" My voice came out with a tone of suspicion.

This time his laugh was loud. He nearly doubled over the toilet seat laughing. The runble of his laugh woke something deep within me and my heart seemed to react by thudding violently in my ribcage.

"What's so funny?" I managed to ask through the little frenzy that he probably had no idea I was going through.

He got off the toilet seat, stood tall, posture immaculate. He slowly stalked toward me. His body emanated confidence and intimidated me.

I swallowed hard, taking small steps back as he took large steps forward. It was as if I wanted to get away but at the same time, I wanted to be right there.

Then I hit a wall. His beautiful lips curled into a cocky, mischievous smirk. He was so much taller than me that I had to strain my neck to look up at him. He was now barely a centimeter away from me. His breath was hot and smelt tropical, peachy. I couldn't help but wonder how it tasted.

He shoved his fists deep into the pockets of his jeans. Maybe to refrain from the urge of wanting to touch me. Then he bent down, in line with my ear and his hot breath made the sensitive skin around my ear tingle. Tingle with an unexplainable feeling. My breath hitched, my eyes shut. My nails dug into the dry wall imagining that the wall was his bare back.

Then he whispered in an almost cocky manner, "If I were stalking you, why would I tell?"

He pulled back, grinned mischievously and then left me alone in the bathroom feeling hot, flustered and a little bothered. He turned me on, there was no mistaking that. Even though I just met him he had a profound effect on me. An effect that made me desire him.

But...

I was bothered by the fact he never answered not one of my questions. He found a way to worm out of every one of them.

I stormed out of the bathroom, following the sound of rustling in one of the bedrooms.

"You can leave you know?" he didn't bother to turn around.

I decide to let myself in, plopping myself onto the bed. A scornfull, warning glare was shot my way but it didn't bother me, "You're a hard man to read you know?" I couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh.

I heard him mumble something under his breath but couldn't make out it was.

"I mean a few seconds ago you were busy flirting with me and now you're being an asshole," I continued.

Nothing. He said nothing!

It just made me more upset. Uneasy. Furious.