cologne.
“Thank you Zack!” I told him. “From my heart!” I relished holding his body against mine, because I knew he would pull away any second now. He did.
But he didn’t walk off. I needed to talk to him before he ran away like he had the knack of doing.
“So it’s only been a few days, but how are you doing? Any more panic attacks?” I asked him. Mama’s voice boomed in the back of my mind: Have you no shame child? Do not ask people about their private health conditions; it’s not polite! I bit my lip. Sorry Mama.
Zack frowned and I clamped my hand over my mouth. I had to remove it to apologize.
“I’m sorry! My mama was always telling me to shut my mouth before all my thoughts ran out of my head!” I put my hand back on my mouth before I started talking more.
Zack rubbed his eyes then resumed frowning at me. But the corner of his mouth turned up a little. Then the other corner turned up, and pretty soon he was laughing.
I was too afraid of scaring him away, so I just stood there with my hand over my mouth and my eyes wide, watching him laugh and carry on.
“You and that mouth!” he said.
I nodded. It was true. Me and my mouth.
“I saw you trying to talk Harley out of it. You must have had him spinning with your questions. And those fools last night! They’ll cross the street the next time they see you coming!” he said with mirth.
Wait a minute. Last night? He saw that? I slowly removed my hand from my mouth.
“Were you following me Zackory Daniels?” I asked him. I had to know. I mean, I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I needed to hear him admit he’d been following me. I guess it was possible we were just coming home the same way…
He stopped chuckling and realized his mistake.
“I, uh, yeah,” his gray eyes focused on my mouth when I pursed my lips. “And for Pete’s sake will you stop calling me Zackory? My name is Zack. Just Zack,” he said. He took my elbow, in a much kinder hold than Harley had done, and we began walking toward the station. I did want to catch my ride. “You need a protector, my lady,” he said in an affected English accent. “A noble knight to rescue you in times of distress,” he said. Then he kind of growled. “You attract trouble like flies to honey.”
I lifted my chin.
“Maybe. Or maybe trouble is all in the eye of the beholder. Those nice young men just changed their minds about whether or not they needed my help,” I said.
“Your help?” he asked, skeptical.
“My help getting into hell,” I finished with a straight face.
We both started laughing. Then we heard the train and had to run to make it in time.
I was secretly pleased that he got on with me and we sat, huffing and puffing, next to each other.
“This is like that first night we met,” I said. “Except I believe I almost passed out that first time,” I said when I looked at him.
Maybe it was my relief that he’d taken care of Harley for me. Maybe he was glad I’d dropped the panic attack discussion. But I tilted my face up to see his beautiful gray eyes, and I swayed a little bit…from wanting him? From the movement of the elevated car?
His eyes grew darker as he continued to look at me.
Kiss me , I thought to myself. Kiss me now . I was practically begging him with my eyes and my mouth. I gently parted my lips and let my tongue peek out and lick them quickly.
He reached a hand out to my face and cupped my cheek.
“When you were singing tonight,” he began. His voice seemed hoarse. “I felt something,” he said. He looked so uncomfortable I just wanted to hold him. But he was telling me about a feeling he was having. This was epic! This was bigger than a tornado in the middle of a trailer park parade!
I waited, holding my breath. I felt the heat from his palm on my cheek. I could soak that in for days. He let his thumb stroke my cheekbone ever so gently. I thought I was going to melt right into the vinyl bench. He’d have to scoop me up and pour
“Thank you Zack!” I told him. “From my heart!” I relished holding his body against mine, because I knew he would pull away any second now. He did.
But he didn’t walk off. I needed to talk to him before he ran away like he had the knack of doing.
“So it’s only been a few days, but how are you doing? Any more panic attacks?” I asked him. Mama’s voice boomed in the back of my mind: Have you no shame child? Do not ask people about their private health conditions; it’s not polite! I bit my lip. Sorry Mama.
Zack frowned and I clamped my hand over my mouth. I had to remove it to apologize.
“I’m sorry! My mama was always telling me to shut my mouth before all my thoughts ran out of my head!” I put my hand back on my mouth before I started talking more.
Zack rubbed his eyes then resumed frowning at me. But the corner of his mouth turned up a little. Then the other corner turned up, and pretty soon he was laughing.
I was too afraid of scaring him away, so I just stood there with my hand over my mouth and my eyes wide, watching him laugh and carry on.
“You and that mouth!” he said.
I nodded. It was true. Me and my mouth.
“I saw you trying to talk Harley out of it. You must have had him spinning with your questions. And those fools last night! They’ll cross the street the next time they see you coming!” he said with mirth.
Wait a minute. Last night? He saw that? I slowly removed my hand from my mouth.
“Were you following me Zackory Daniels?” I asked him. I had to know. I mean, I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I needed to hear him admit he’d been following me. I guess it was possible we were just coming home the same way…
He stopped chuckling and realized his mistake.
“I, uh, yeah,” his gray eyes focused on my mouth when I pursed my lips. “And for Pete’s sake will you stop calling me Zackory? My name is Zack. Just Zack,” he said. He took my elbow, in a much kinder hold than Harley had done, and we began walking toward the station. I did want to catch my ride. “You need a protector, my lady,” he said in an affected English accent. “A noble knight to rescue you in times of distress,” he said. Then he kind of growled. “You attract trouble like flies to honey.”
I lifted my chin.
“Maybe. Or maybe trouble is all in the eye of the beholder. Those nice young men just changed their minds about whether or not they needed my help,” I said.
“Your help?” he asked, skeptical.
“My help getting into hell,” I finished with a straight face.
We both started laughing. Then we heard the train and had to run to make it in time.
I was secretly pleased that he got on with me and we sat, huffing and puffing, next to each other.
“This is like that first night we met,” I said. “Except I believe I almost passed out that first time,” I said when I looked at him.
Maybe it was my relief that he’d taken care of Harley for me. Maybe he was glad I’d dropped the panic attack discussion. But I tilted my face up to see his beautiful gray eyes, and I swayed a little bit…from wanting him? From the movement of the elevated car?
His eyes grew darker as he continued to look at me.
Kiss me , I thought to myself. Kiss me now . I was practically begging him with my eyes and my mouth. I gently parted my lips and let my tongue peek out and lick them quickly.
He reached a hand out to my face and cupped my cheek.
“When you were singing tonight,” he began. His voice seemed hoarse. “I felt something,” he said. He looked so uncomfortable I just wanted to hold him. But he was telling me about a feeling he was having. This was epic! This was bigger than a tornado in the middle of a trailer park parade!
I waited, holding my breath. I felt the heat from his palm on my cheek. I could soak that in for days. He let his thumb stroke my cheekbone ever so gently. I thought I was going to melt right into the vinyl bench. He’d have to scoop me up and pour
Similar Books
