by Leah Holt
The blue of his eyes exploded in silver sparks and teal fireworks, forcing me to hold my breath. There was something between us and I wasn't the only one who felt it.
Have you ever met someone and just known?
Could love at first sight really exist in the world, and not just in sitcoms and sappy love stories?
Could it be happening to me right now?
Chapter Six
Alaska
The sheets were tangled around my waist, coiling my upper thighs. Shimmying my hips, I freed myself from the choking cotton holding me down. Rolling to my side, I noticed that he wasn't laying next to me—not anymore.
Glancing around, Kealen wasn't in my bed and he wasn't in his. The bathroom door was open, but the light was off. Sitting up on my hands, I yawned really big and rubbed my eyes.
The room was dark, the curtains were drawn tight and not a glimmer of sun was coming through. I still felt warm and fuzzy from the night before, the weight of his tongue against my pussy was draped over my mind like a hot shadow.
It was incredible, he was incredible. The taste of his cock was sitting in the back of my throat, the sweet nectar highlighted every swallow. Smiling to myself, I stretched my legs and stood up.
Where is he?
Strolling around the bed, I started towards the bathroom, then stopped in my tracks. Twisting rapidly on my toes, I searched the floor and all the dark corners for his stuff. But it was empty.
Bolting to the door, I threw it open and looked up and down the walkway. Nothing. Leaning out the door like I might be able to see better, my foot kicked something light. A newspaper was sitting on the mat, the blue plastic that kept it dry and sealed from any disruption was blowing gently as an ocean breeze swept in catching the loose end.
Bending down, I swiped it off the ground and stepped back into the room. Closing the door, I fiddled with the paper, trying to make sense of it all.
He was gone. Not a trace of him was left in the room. I stood shocked and dumbfounded. The room was so quiet I jumped as the toilet made some strange sound, turning the eerie silence into a shit storm of questions.
Are you kidding me!
Are you fucking kidding me!
Why didn't he wake me up before he decided to ditch me?
Why did I let myself get wrapped up in a guy I just met?
Snapping my hands to my hips, I dragged my fingers through my hair and just gazed off into nothing. We didn't have sex, we didn't pour out our hearts and souls and promise our lives to each other. But I still felt something, and I felt as though he should have told me he was leaving.
Maybe he didn't want you to know.
Maybe this was his plan the whole time.
I had this sickening feeling of being used crawl up into my gut. Holding my belly, I walked in between the two beds and let the bag fall loosely in one hand. The paper slipped free, spilling open like a carton of knocked over milk. The edges rolled smoothly, flattening against the rug.
There was no mistaking the headline, no question in my mind that the dick-wad reporter had taken full advantage of what happened the day before. There it was, written in larger than life, bold black print: Vengeful Virgin Takes Swing At Local Reporter.
Cupping my head in my hands, I scraped my fingers down my face in frustration. My picture was plastered under the title, my arm in motion towards the guy's face.
I didn't remember seeing a flash or anyone with a camera around us. But that didn't matter now, the damage was done.
He knows who I am.
Maybe he knew all along. . . Did he use me to get a headline of his own?
Anger started to coarse through my veins, my blood curdled to tar, thickening and hardening my muscles. My father, that show, it had ruined any existence I tried to carve out for myself.
Dropping down to the edge of the bed, I let my body fall backwards. The mattress bounced as the springs creaked under my weight. Flipping to my side, I curled my legs in and tugged the blankets up to my face. I wasn't going to cry, I hated crying.
But I felt this heavy weight on my chest as my eyes tried desperately to fill and the tears tried to steal me away.
I thought I felt something and I thought he had too. Obviously, I was wrong.
His minty pine scent rolled in with each breath, mingling with fabric softener. I hated myself for being so insane, for believing that my gut was telling me there was something there.
Letting out a loud grumble, I threw the blanket away, letting my arms fall limp and dangle over the edge.
I was at a loss for words, I didn't know what the hell I was going to do. Where was I going to go and how was I going to get there? That was on repeat in my head.
How could he do this to me?
No—how could I let him do this to me?
That was the question I should have been trying to answer. I had been weak, I had let emotions and false feelings sweep me away and into his arms for one night. I had let myself be vulnerable and he took total advantage of my trust in him. When all along he just wanted to cash in on a night with the celebrity virgin.
Rolling up slowly, I eyed my bag in the corner. I couldn't just sit here and feel bad for myself, I had to do something—anything. I was going to need a job, a way for me to get some extra cash to get out of this small town.
My face was on the front page of the local paper, there was no more hiding, at least not here. And after being here with him, experiencing my first real step into the wonderful world of sex; there was no way I would look at this place the same ever again.
I'd think of him every time, regardless of how much I might want to forget him, no matter how much I wanted to hate him; he had been my first true experience. I knew I'd never forget Kealen, but staying here wouldn't help at all.
Storming over to my bag, I started to grab my clothes out for the day and stuff everything else in. Cursing under my breath at everything under the sun, a bright white piece of paper flapped against the air vent of the air conditioner, catching my attention.
Leaning in, the script was written in all block letters, neatly tapped to the top. Tugging it free, I flicked the lamp on and sat back down on the floor, crossing my legs.
Allie,
I don't know where you plan to go, I don't know what you plan to do, but I do know one thing; I want to see where this goes.
I can't explain why I feel so connected to you even though we just met, I can't tell you in words the way my heart thudded when you were close to me and how hard it was for me to find the air to breathe while I laid next to you last night.
I'm sorry I had to leave before you woke, my flight was early and I couldn't find it in my heart to tell you it was time for me to go. I'm not ready to just end things this way. I want to know more, I need to know more.
You said you didn't know where you were going next, I'd like to think I do.
There's a ticket waiting for you at the airport, but it won't be there forever.
Risks are everywhere, make this one yours.
-Kealen
My jaw dropped to the floor, hanging wide open. I had never had a man who was so sweet, so rough, and so romantic even look in my direction. Then there was Kealen and this ticket to him.
My belly spun with knots and butterflies, all slamming into each other at full force. The realization had started to filter through my fogged up and delirious brain.
He didn't run off on me.
Holding the letter, I glided the paper between my fingertips, unable to put it down. A small lump caught the edge of my knuckle, taped neatly to the back. Rolling the paper over in my hand, there was three hundred dollars all folded up and secured tightly.
Who is this man?
There was so much about Kealen I didn't know and so much I wanted to find out. He made my heart skip beats, he made my chest flutter and my head spin.
He had fallen into my world and wasn't trying to run away. There wasn't a second thought in my mind, I wanted to go to him.
I wante
d sweet, sweep you off your feet romance.
I wanted love and admiration.
I wanted it all.
And I wasn't going to give up on the dream. It was out there, waiting for me to find it.
Waiting for me to walk off a plane.
Chapter Seven
Kealen
The time on my watch read five-thirty, fifteen minutes longer and her plane would be landing.
Her plane. . .
Even as I thought the words, it felt right, but I wasn't sure if she would come walking out that runway door. I hoped she would, but hope ran thin.
It was a chance meeting and I wasn't ready to watch it slip through my fingers. There was no way for me to know that I would find her there. Yet I did, and now I wanted her in my life more than I could have ever imagined.
Leaning against a cement post, I twisted my watch into the skin around my wrist. It burned, the red ring was spreading higher and deeper, but I couldn't stop myself. I had gotten the email that the ticket was claimed, there was just no possible way for me to know if she had actually had the balls to get on.
Glancing back down, I watched the second hand tick in slow motion, each second seeming longer than the last.
What if she doesn't come?
I wanted Allie to step out into the brightly lit terminal, gracing me with that big beautiful smile. Nothing would make me happier than to see her face, her sweet lush body, and that ass I could ride for days.
When she told me she was a virgin—a full blown, never been touched virgin—I had to admit it turned me on. The idea of having a blank canvas really stroked my ego.
The animal in me wanted to show her what it felt like to have a cock buried deep inside her pussy. I wanted to feel her pulse around my length as her juice drenched our skin and her body rippled in waves of pleasure. The purity and innocence was begging me to steal it away, turning her into a sinful goddess.
I wouldn't force her to do anything, but damn, I was going to try like hell to make her mine. There was nothing I wouldn't do to have my way with her. But it wasn't just the thought of claiming her for myself that cemented my need to have her.
There was this rush, a spark that ignited someplace deep inside that was telling me to not let this one go. That small voice, that tiny distinct chirp that kept clicking in my ear, it wouldn't stop. So, I decided to listen.
Through the window, I spotted the nose of the plane as it rolled into position. The door lined up with the air-bridge, sealing around the edge. My stomach jumped into my throat, jumbling the air I tried to take in.
This is it.
Standing up straight, I tucked my hands into my pockets, waiting anxiously for the terminal door to open. I could feel my heart pick up, beating harder and faster than it ever had in my life. I had never really been someone who got nervous, but this was different.
I was putting all my faith in this gut instinct I couldn't shake off. There had been something missing from my life, and I knew from the first time I saw Allie, it was her.
So many years of my life had been spent building my name and business. Now it was finally time to get what I really wanted.
The realization that I needed her set in the moment I touched her, and I haven't been able to get her off my mind since. She was there every minute, smothering my brain and taking over when I should have been focusing on the next project.
But even as I let the beginning lines draft to paper and the lead strokes form my creation; her smile would build the arches, her broad lashes would stencil the details I wanted in the wood.
I had drawn up two buildings since the first time I saw her, and in each one bits of her existed. She became my muse, my vision, the art I drew life from.
Folding the cuffs on my sleeves, I cleared my throat as I watched the people start to flood the small terminal.
An older couple came off first, the man was pushing his wife in her wheel chair, leaning in to kiss her cheek as they crossed through the gate. The flurry of bodies pressed in behind them, squishing and squirming to squeeze past the two elderly travelers.
Lifting my head to look above and around the unknown faces, I tried to see through the crowd. It was hard as hell to make out one person from the next as they all tried to scurry through.
Where is she?
Come on, Allie, tell me you took the risk.
A heavy voice wafted up from the onslaught of meddled tones. “Move, Grandpa!”
From the corner of my eye, I saw the old man's shoulder get thrown with a sharp jolt. His wife let out a light screech, reaching up to hold his arm. Her voice came out soft and light. “Joel, let him by, it's alright.”
Hardening my stare, I tried to ignore what was happening and keep my eyes straight. But I'm not that kind of guy, and just being a fly on the wall was something I could never do. Flashing a look behind me and back at the gate, I did my best to keep my ears open while still keeping watch.
A gruff voice, filled with way too much anger, peddled the couple. “Come on already, just get the fuck out of the way.”
Turning to see what the hell was going on, I was honestly shocked by what I saw. A younger guy, most likely early twenties, was shoving the man in his back, trying to make him move.
He was standing directly behind the old man, with his teeth bared like a rabid dog as if these poor two people were impeding on him on purpose. The kid had this arrogance that soured the air around me.
And I didn't like it.
The old man's face was scrunched up in anger, ready to give him a solid lecture on manners and respect. “Hey, Buddy—”
Taking one last look at the crowd still flowing out of the gate, I rolled my eyes and started towards them. “Excuse me, is there a problem here?” I asked, eyeing the young guy, and gently laying my hands on the couple's shoulders.
I couldn't just stand there and watch this dick of a human being bully around these poor people. It wasn't right and I wasn't going to stand for it. Straightening my back, I asked again. “Is there a problem here?”
My voice came out harsh as I talked more to the bully than the couple. The cocky kid chuckled under his breath. “Yeah, get these two old fucks out of my way. That would solve everything.”
The woman cupped her jaw and let her head fall into her hands. Her husband wrapped his arms over her shoulders, leaning in to kiss her head. “Don't let the ass behind us bother you. He can either go around us or wait.”
“Did you just call me an ass?” The kid cocked his head, furrowing his brows. “Don't make me—”
“Don't make you what?” Lunging forward, I slipped myself between the couple and the guy. This kid really had no respect for anyone around him, and it pissed me the fuck off.
There are plenty of things in this world I can deal with, but royal fucking assholes are not one of them. Balling my fists, my teeth ground down as my back snapped straight.
I was waiting for him to answer, to say the words so I could put him in his place. Fighting in the airport wouldn't end on a good note for either of us, but deep inside I wanted him to just give me a reason to lay him out.
An assault charge and a night in jail wouldn't color my career nicely, but it would be worth it.
He seemed to me like the type of guy who needed a good ass kicking to drop him off the fucking pedestal he had put himself on.
I towered over the young man, glaring down, daring him to speak. If he knew what was good for him, he'd turn and walk the other way. Those people did nothing to him, nothing was done purposely to piss him off.
And if he couldn't recognize that, I was more than happy to show him.
His chest puffed up, the testosterone filling the space between us as we both refused to break eye contact.
Come on, give me a reason.
All I needed was for him to say one thing, anything, and he'd have a whole world of hurt coming his way. The thing I kept wondering was would he recognize he couldn't win this battle or would his tongue get the best of him?
; He honestly didn't have to speak for me to see the type of person he was. He was a spoiled rich kid, who had probably never heard the word no in his life. I could see by the way he held himself that he was used to people jumping as he spoke and bending over backwards to please him. He just spewed this stench of rotten asshole.
“Nothing to say?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest and arching a brow. “You had a whole lot to say to these poor folks, what happened?” Slowly, I rolled my sleeves up, never taking my eyes off him.
Fumbling his bottom lip with his teeth, he tried like hell to keep his shoulders from bending forward in submission. “Look, I'm just in a rush, I need to get by.”
“And that excuses how you talked to them?” Rocking my head to the other side, I lowered my chin into my chest. “Apologize, and then go on your way.”
Scrubbing his jaw, he blinked rapidly, shifting his eyes between my face and the room around us. He was rattled, either from me in general or because I wasn't going to let him get off easily.
“How about I just go on my way?”
Taking a small step in, I let my toes touch his, purposely scraping them together. “That's not what I told you to do.”
“I don't have to answer to you.” The kid made an attempt to walk around us, trying to keep his eyes on the ground.
Blocking his path, I snapped my hand against his chest. “Apologize.”
“And if I don't? What are you going to do?” His cockiness reemerged, staining the room around me in red.
Did he really just tempt me?
I thought he had seen how serious I was, that his actions weren't okay and he needed to stand up and say he was sorry to these to people. He didn't.
Leaning into his ear, I whispered. “If you don't, you'll be leaving here in an ambulance. Can you understand that? Do not fuck with me.”
His face drained to white as I watched him swallow a large lump down his throat. He heard me that time.
Turning to the couple, he nodded his head. “I'm sorry.” His eyes moved rapidly around from ceiling to floor and back again, never locking on mine. It was the reaction I wanted, even if I didn't get to smack him like he deserved.