by Lauren Wood
Determined and driven by anger I shoved my fuzzy slippers on and walked over to his house. I knocked on the door but was met with nothing. I groaned in annoyance as I made my way to stand underneath his window. “Stupid pervert,” I mumbled to myself, talking about Eros.
I grabbed a pebble from the ground and threw it at his window in hopes I could grab their attention. The moaning was much louder and I could hear the bed squeak from their movements. I should be enjoying my night’s sleep instead of taming the noisy neighbor.
The woman with Eros gave out a shrill moan making me cringe in disgust. I looked around for more pebbles but then saw a rock as big as my palm. I couldn’t help myself as I threw the rock at his window, hoping this time it would grab their attention. What I didn’t plan on was for the rock to break his window. Both my hands flew to my mouth in shock.
“Fuck,”
I heard a male cuss. Within seconds I saw a silhouette in front of the window and I could feel their intense gaze upon me. Instant regret filled my every being as I heard the front door open and slam shut. A brooding man stood in front of me. This man couldn’t be Eros.
His body towered over me as his electric blue eyes stared at me with such intensity making my knees weaken. He has dark eyebrows that sloped downwards into a serious expression. Upon his strong and defined face was plumped lips drawn into a straight line. He also had high cheekbones and a crooked nose that seemed like he got into too many fights.
Muscles rippled across his sun-kissed body and my cheeks heated up when I noticed that he was shirtless and his shorts hung low on his hips that I saw his abdominal V. He had scars littered across his body making my heart reach out to him.
“Like what you see?” his husky voice spoke that you could tell that he was smirking. I shook my head out of my trance as I glared at him. “Excuse me! Do you know what time it is?” I asked angrily. He looked clueless as he stared at the sky and said “Midnight I guess,”
“Exactly! You’re making such a racket with your hooker that I can’t get a wink of sleep,” I patted myself mentally for standing up to the Adonis. What? I might be a goody-two-shoes but that doesn’t mean I’m not attracted to good looking men.
I was expecting an apology but instead, he asked “Why? Want to join?” the nerve on this guy!
I gasped at him as I poked him in the chest “I’d rather die than join the likes of you,” I hissed. “Besides what are you doing in Carmichael residence?” I wanted nothing more than to smack the smirk off his face. “Baby, don’t you know? I’m Eros Carmichael.” this made my body freeze as my traitorous heart packed its bags and left my body.
“Carmichael,” I spat his name. “I was much happier when you were in jail.” I remember the times he used to pull on my pigtails and called me names. He was the bad boy of this town—now I should say, bad man. He was my personal bully and for five years that he’s gone I was at my happiest, now with him back I’m not positive anymore.
His eyes widen as if he just realized who I am. “Grace Hawthorn or should I say little Grace,” I glared at the nickname he’s always given me. But something stops me from glaring even more, the smile upon his face. It’s that kind of smile that leaves you breathless but before I could tattoo his smile in my brain, his smile turned into perverted grin.
He folded his arms in front of his chest making his muscles bulge and flex. “Wow, you’ve grown into a woman,” he said as his eyes roamed up and down my body but then stopped at my chest.
Just realizing I came out here wearing just my matching pink pajamas, I wrapped my hands around my chest and said “My eyes are up here jerk,” his eyes then met mine. “You broke my window little Grace--” I cut him off by saying “I’ll pay for it.” not making eye contact with him.
I felt his hand under my chin as he lifted my head to look at him. “You see little Grace, I don’t want money.” I frowned and asked, “Then what do you want?” He lowered his head until his breath was upon my neck sending goose bumps on my skin. His voice was raspy as he whispered “You.”
He pulled away and smirked in triumph. But I wasn’t having any of it tonight, I was sleepy and at the same time irritated by this man whore. I pulled back my fist and punched his chest but it didn’t do any damage which made him chuckle. My fist started throbbing in pain so I did the first thing that came to mind, I kneed him where the sun doesn’t shine. He cupped his groin and fell to the ground. I smiled sweetly and said “I’m not an object Carmichael.” As I walked away.
Chapter 2
My eyelids felt heavy as I tried my best to stay awake in class. Thanks to Eros, I barely had any sleep. I mentally congratulate myself after our confrontation last night because I think I handled it maturely, except for breaking his window and kneeing him in the groin but it did stop them from their physical activity.
The bell rung signaling that school has ended for the day. I tiredly put away my books and slowly walked towards the exit. My best friend, Melissa caught up with me as she asked shyly “Did you get any sleep last night?”
I groaned as I leaned on her making her gasp. Melissa wasn’t like all the other girls here, she was sweet and shy which is why I love her. “Carmichael is back and he kept me up most of the night.” Melissa’s eyes widen at my words which made me laugh and say “Silly! Not in that way. Never in my life would I give Carmichael the time of day." as I slung my arm over her shoulders and continued walking out of the school.
"Just stay away from him Grace. You know how dangerous he is. Word has it that he's been doing illegal stuff." Melissa said timidly. I agreed with her. Even though Eros has suddenly become a Greek God of some sort still he is a man whore, bad influence, and most of all dangerous.
"Hey, I got a new joke. What's the difference between a cat and a comma?" Melissa asked. I looked towards her with a grin and ask her what. "One has claws at the end of its paws, and the other is a pause at the ends of a clause." this made me laugh. It's called Grace and Melissa humor. We were in the middle of laughing but it came to a complete halt when we walked outside the school. Parked in the parking lot was a nice Audi sports car but that's not the source that killed our joyous moment, it was the man leaning against it.
Eros.
Melissa's eyes widen as she trembled beside me while I glared at him like I was burning holes right through that thick skull of his. Everyone's eyes were on Eros, I mean he is the notorious bad boy and wherever he goes trouble follows, and not to mention his new looks. Whispers filled the air as people wondered why he was at the school when he graduated years ago. Once Eros' eyes met mine a grin made its way on his face, and pushed off his car and started making his way towards me.
My heart started beating ferociously since I didn't want people to see him anywhere near me. People's eyes started widening as they looked between Eros and I. "Hello little Grace." he greeted me. "What are you doing here?" I said with a frown. "I've come to settle your payment," he said casually. I rolled my eyes as I started taking my wallet out from my bag but then his hands pushed my wallet away as he said "I told you I don't want money. I want you."
"Want me to remind you what my answer was?" I growled. Melissa stayed quiet behind me as she observed the both of us. "I remember very well what you answered but I'm talking about dinner. Just have dinner with me and you can forget all about the window," he said.
"I'm sorry but Melissa and I have a chemistry project." I lied. "No we do--" but I shut Melissa up as I glared at her. Unfortunately, Eros caught on and smirked. Next thing I knew Eros dragged me to his car and it didn't help that his tough long fingers left a scorching trail behind. I looked back at Melissa, she's terrified that she looked like she was about to call 911. People scattered around the school either glared at me or looked at me like it was the last time they'll ever see me.
When we got to the restaurant I rested my chin in my hands trying to seem like I wasn't impressed. The restaurant was absolutely beautiful and the food smells delicious. How can he even afford this place? I be
t it had to do something with his illegal business.
"Alright Carmichael, why me?" I suddenly ask wondering why he wanted me "Is this some sick joke? Or am I some kind of project to you just so you can get into my panties?" I asked with a sweet smile on my face. "Honestly little Grace," I was seriously getting irritated with the nickname he gave me. "I've always been interested in you especially now that you've grown into one hell of a woman."
"Wish I could say the same thing... Roses are red, violets are blue, God made me pretty. What happened to you?" I told him with a smirk filled with pride on my face. He chuckled and said, "That's not what happened last night when you were checking me out." I instantly frowned but couldn't help when my cheeks turned red. "You're adorable when you blush," he added which made me turn even redder.
How can someone like Eros look like that? I can't deny that he's good looking. It's almost as if it was illegal to be that good looking. Once again Eros caught me checking him out, and he had that annoying smirk on his face. "Seriously Grace," this was the first time he used my name without little in it. He grabbed my hands across the table and I tried yanking my hands out of his but he had a strong hold on me. "I wanted to take you out to dinner because I wanted to go out with you," he said but I was more focused on his calloused hands that sent shivers up and down my hand but at the same time kept my hands warm.
"I... I..." I stuttered for a moment but when I looked into his mesmerizing eyes I remember what happened last night and my face tightened into a frown. "No Carmichael," I sternly said as I yanked my hands out from his strong hold. His eyes shut for a moment as he said, "Please my little Grace, call me Eros."
There was no way in hell I was going out with the notorious Eros Carmichael. The warning signs were everywhere from Melissa's warnings all the way to the worried stares of my fellow schoolmates. And remembering all of Eros' girlfriends back in the day, they were more bed buddies rather than actual girlfriends. But I was in no position to jump into a relationship. I had my studies and not to mention I'm applying for a scholarship in medical school.
I cannot have distractions but even Eros was not worthy of a distraction. I demanded Eros to take me home and I can't help but feel guilty because he had a certain look in his eyes, like he lost all hope. It was a quiet drive back to my home. Before I could even open the door to his car he pulled me by the arm and yanked me close to him. So close that I could feel the heat coming from his body.
"I will never give up on you, my little Grace," he whispered in my ear sending shivers down my spine. As I exited the car I felt pale because I believed in his words. For some reason, I believed that Eros would never give up on me.
Chapter 3
I've come up with millions of ways to kill Eros Carmichael. The bane of my existence. I was the talk of the school, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was even the talk of the town. Some say that Eros has kidnapped me and tortured me, others say that I was part of Eros' mafia group, but the last one is worse. People are saying that Eros and I have eloped.
The nerve of some people. Melissa, on the other hand, cried her heart out when she saw me the day after. She truly believed something bad had happened to me, and to me, going to dinner with Eros was already considered bad.
Melissa and I were placing fliers around town to advertise our school's Welcome back fair. "He really asked you out?" Melissa couldn't believe that the Eros asked me out. I gave her a simple nod and said "It doesn't matter anyways. Even if he bought me gifts or treats me like a queen, as long as he's Eros Carmichael I'll never agree."
"It's kind of scary to think how a guy like him is interested in a girl like you. No offense Grace, but we're both just plain Janes. It makes you wonder what he's really after." Melissa's words kept repeating in my mind the whole night even during the welcome back fair. Music and laughter filled the grounds of the fair but all I could focus on were Melissa's words.
I have good grades, great family, and a mind of a medical doctor. I had no riches, curves of a model, nor am I a great lover. So what is Eros really after?
I was walking aimlessly until I bumped into something solid. I then noticed that it was someone. "Oh, my apolog--" I cut myself off as I saw who it was. "Oh, it's just you."
"Come on, I deserve a better greeting than that from you little Grace." it's not a surprise that he said that while smirking. He then looped my arm with his and entwined our fingers together.
"The only thing you deserve is a knuckle sandwich." I growled which made him laugh, "That's so old school of you," he commented. "Too bad I don't have enough middle fingers to express how I feel about you." This time I'm the one who's smirking. "And what are you doing?"
"Taking you on a date," he said as if it was the most obvious thing. "I'd rather stab myself than go out on a date with you," I spat out and this made his smile widen. "Feisty little thing aren't you?" I wanted nothing more than to execute one of the ways I thought of killing him. He turned his head to look at me and smiled. I was taken back for a bit because this smile was different from his others. They didn't have the hint of mischievousness or a perverted grin nor was it a scheme behind a smile. This was a genuine Eros smile and it had my heart feel all sorts of wonderful. The last time he showed this smile was when he saw me on the night I broke his window. Little did I know that my heart was secretly yearning for this smile.
I shook my head and pushed aside those thoughts and shoved them in the garbage bin just where the likes of Eros belongs. "You either let me go or I'll scream," I warned him. He tossed his head back and laughed "Little, little Grace. What I'd do just to get you to scream my name," he teased which made me glare at him even more.
He then guided me to one of the fair's game stalls. "I tell you what, let's play a few games, ride a few rides and if you still don't want to go out with me then I'll leave you alone," somehow those are music to my ears. I smiled at him and said "Then what are you waiting for? Win me a stuffed toy," and once again I'm drowning in the butterflies of my stomach because of that addictive genuine smile of his.
I've lost track of time as Eros and I played games and rode a few rides. He even won a stuffed panda for me. And as I'm lost in our laughter and fun I forgot that this was only part of the deal for him to leave me alone. All my life I've strived to be a good student and good daughter that I've never let myself have any fun. It was like a breath of fresh air.
During our little fun as we laughed and shared cotton candy, a group of men wearing hoodies came up to us. "Boss," they nodded towards Eros. "We have a situation." one said, and as I looked at Eros he was no longer in a jolly mood. His carefree smile was replaced with a serious expression. "I'll be back little Grace," he said as he left with his men leaving me alone. It wasn't even minutes till I finally snapped out of the little bubble that Eros has created for us.
What the hell was I doing? He's in the freaking Mafia for all I know. I mean a group of men in black hoodies showed up and called Eros, the boss. My mood turned sour as I stomped out of the fair and started heading home. But before I could reach my car a hand tapped my shoulder. I spun around expecting to see Eros but instead it was a man wearing a white shirt. "May I help you?" I asked politely.
Suddenly three more men appeared behind him and all the blood has left my face. "That's Eros' girl, get her." one of them said. Two men grabbed me by the arms and tried lifting me but I wasn't going without a fight. The other two tried grabbing my legs but I was kicking like the day I was born. "Let me go! Let me--" I was suddenly cut off as one guy shoved a piece of cloth into my mouth. I tried screaming and shouting but it only became muffled.
I knew just being around Eros was going to get me into trouble. I heard tires screeching as they started dragging me towards the car. "Get off of her!" a familiar voice growled. I was dropped to the ground as the men who carried me started fighting with Eros. It wasn't much of a fight when it's obvious that Eros was winning. My body ached from the struggle but my focus was on Eros beating the men into pulps.
I was
in awe at the way he moved. He obviously knows what he's doing. He moves like a warrior would combine with gentleness. His eyes focused on his moves and his face full of anger. Once the men were down on the ground, Eros growled "You stay away from what's mine!" the men then ran away.
In a blink of an eye, Eros was right beside me checking for any injuries on my body. "Are you alright little Grace?" he asked. His eyes full of concern. I won't deny that I enjoyed his company today and saw a whole new side of Eros but I can't ignore the fact that's he's Eros Carmichael. The dangerous man who lives next door. Who claims that I’m his, when nobody owns me.
I pushed his hands away as I stood up. "I could've handled myself," I tried my best to stay angry. "Little Grace, I know you can handle yourself but I can protect--" before he could say anything else I stomped my foot and said "Enough of your games Carmichael," he flinched. Probably because he could detect the irritation in my voice. "The best thing you can do for me right now... is to stay as far away from me as possible."
I grabbed my stuffed panda but before I could leave Eros grabbed my hand. "I will always protect you even if you don't want me to," he said. I looked into his eyes and saw that he was hurt by my words but I shrugged it off and said "But how can you protect me from yourself?" my heart clenched by the way he looked at me. “As you wish,” he said emotionless. I turned around and left without looking back but the way he looked at me will haunt me for the next few days.
Chapter 4
I've underestimated when I said that 'the way he looked at me will haunt me for the next few days.' It's been a month since the incident and the way he looked at me still haunted me. He stayed true to his word because I didn't see a single glimpse of him. And I didn't know what irritated me more? The fact that he's not around and he could be planning something or my traitorous heart yearning for his presence.