Sara

                                                           

It’d been a week since I woke up next to Mr. Gorgeous, aka Alek Devera. An array of emotions conflicted me, streaming through me and confusing me at every turn. I was oddly excited, daydreaming of when I would see him again. If ever. Nervousness raced through me at how much I liked him. I hardly knew the man, yet I felt an unexplainable connection toward him.

His face was the one thing I kept picturing. His voice was constantly ringing in my ears. I didn’t like feeling that way, slowly being wrapped up completely in a man. A virtual stranger.

When I finally rushed into our apartment, dropping my keys a few times in my excitement, I threw my things on the couch and called for my best friend. “Lex!” I shouted. “Are you home? Alexa!”

“What the hell are you yelling for? I’m right here.” She came barreling out of the bathroom, half-assed wrapped in a towel thinking something bad had happened. That was until she saw my face.

 “I got it! My loan was approved for the shop!” I screeched, throwing my hands in the air like a crazy person.

 I was beyond words, beaming from ear to ear. It meant more to me than merely owning my own business, which was a huge deal in and of itself. After what I’d been through, I needed this to feel somewhat normal again. I’ll take all of the mundane day to day dealings with owning and operating my own business, the debt which has to be repaid, the long hours to get me started and everything else if it means I have a chance at a regular life for once. Well…in a very long time, anyway.

I had a normal life once upon a time…before I met him. But I won’t dwell on the past. It was a happy time for me, and I refused to let anyone ruin it, even myself.

Alexa rushed over and embraced me in a huge hug. “I’m so happy for you, Sara; I truly am. I know how much you wanted this. How many twenty-six-year-old women do you know who own their very own business?” She was smiling right along with me. “I know one. You. When did you find out?”

“I called today on a whim, it being Saturday and all, and actually talked to Mr. Hemsworth, the loan officer I’ve been dealing with. He was about to leave for the weekend when I caught him.”

My cheek muscles started to ache, the stupid grin never once disappearing from my face.

“Did you call Katherine yet and let her know she can officially retire?” she asked as she made her way toward the kitchen to grab a drink. Alexa liked Katherine almost as much as I did, viewing her as the mother figure, just like everyone else.

“No. I thought I would sign the paperwork on Monday, make it legit, and then bring them to work with me. She won’t be too shocked, though.”

I was excited the plan I’d had for myself was actually going to be my new reality. But to have someone near and dear to my heart express the same type of happiness for my new circumstance was amazing. I truly didn’t know what I’d do without Alexa by my side. The gratitude I’d felt toward her was so overwhelming I’d almost been reduced to tears. Thankfully, she hadn’t noticed, all too consumed with thoughts of going out that evening and having a great time.

“We have to celebrate. A girls’ night out,” Alexa sang, dancing around the kitchen island like a woman possessed. “Let’s get crazy tonight. I’m sure it’ll be the last one for a while since you’ll be working like mad in the weeks to come.”

She was right. I’d have to buckle down even more and learn the business inside and out. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin all of Katherine’s hard work. “Sounds like a plan, but where should we go?”

“There’s a small bar called Carlson’s about a half hour from here. Some of my co-workers were talking about it the other day. They really like it.”

“Okay, we’ll head out around seven for an early start to our celebration.”

“Sounds good.” I’d be able to take a quick nap, run some errands and decide on what to wear. Donning jeans and a nice sweater would be all I’d worry about. Maybe kicking it up a notch with some nice heels.

We arrived at Carlson’s closer to eight, a bit later than we had anticipated, but it was okay because we still had the whole night ahead of us.

Although it was nothing more than a corner bar, it seemed cozy and inviting. It was the kind of place you went with some friends to unwind after a hard day of work. A place I could definitely imagine going after a long but rewarding day at the shop.

On either side of the bar, there were numerous high tables, placed a few feet from each other, giving the customers plenty of room.

I liked that not everyone was crowded and squished in like sardines.

“Let’s sit over here for now,” I said, pointing toward the left corner of the bar which was presently empty.

Once we were situated, my gaze wandered around, checking out the types of people sharing the same space with us.

 “What do you want to drink, Sara?” Alexa already had her money out, waiting for my order.

“I guess I’ll have a rum and Coke for now. I’ll keep it simple.”

“Simple? Rum? We’ll see how simple that is after a few of them.”

Alexa knew me all too well. I was a lightweight when it came to alcohol.

 It was ten o’clock before the bar really started to pick up. Before I knew it, it was standing room only. There was a pretty uneven ratio of men to women, men making up about seventy percent. I couldn’t care less since I wasn’t interested in anyone there, but for Alexa, it was a dream come true. There were plenty from which she could choose. In fact, I think she already had her eye on someone in particular, an attractive blond guy with tattoos running up and down both arms. As he leaned over the jukebox, making his selections, he had no idea he’d just been targeted by my dear friend.

“I’ll be right back. You gonna be okay for a couple minutes?” she asked, eyeing me up and secretly pleading with me to say yes.

I laughed. “Go, go talk to him.” She hopped off the barstool faster than the words left my lips. She was in full seductive gear: her usual tight, low-cut top and short skirt, paired with the highest heels I’d ever seen. Honestly, I didn’t even know how she managed to walk in those things. Her outfit was a bit over the top for a local bar, but that was Alexa. Over the top.

“What’s so funny, gorgeous?” Who the hell said that? I didn’t have to wait long to find out as someone grabbed my arm, whipping me around on my barstool so fast I almost fell off. As I caught myself, I came face to face with a young, dark-haired man, who happened to be very drunk. He was the type of guy you could tell peaked in high school, the popular jock who never went anywhere after graduation. It was probably because those were truly the best years of his life.

In any other situation, I would have thought he was attractive, but not at that moment. There was something creepy and unnerving going on behind those light brown eyes of his.

He instantly made me uneasy.

“Excuse me,” I practically shouted, trying to rein in some of my rising temper so as not to cause an unnecessary scene. Even though I was clearly glaring at him, shooting him the worst kind of evil eye, he was still holding tightly. When I tried to shrug him off, his grip only intensified.

“Let go of my arm,” I said through gritted teeth.

He looked to where his hand was placed and smirked, slowly releasing his grasp.

“Can I buy you a drink?” He leaned in closer than was comfortable, invading every part of my personal space. The frustrating thing was I couldn’t turn back around because his knee was blocking the way.

“No, but thanks for the offer.” I was doing my best to remain civil with the creep, but I realized it didn’t matter. He was intent on hitting on me, delusional to think I would fall for him in some way. “Can you move your leg so I can turn around now?”

The look on his face was a mixture of shock and anger, because how dare I refuse him? “Why don’t you want to talk to me?” He was starting to piss me off the longer it took for him to get the damn hint.

“Because I have a boyfriend and I don’t think he would appreciate you hitting on me.” It was the only thing I could think of to hopefully placate his incessant behavior.

“Well, where’s this boyfriend of yours then? Let him tell me himself I can’t buy you a drink.”

Is this guy for real?

As if sensing there might be a problem, Alexa came over to save the day. She had more balls than I did when it came to dealing with arrogant drunk men.

“You okay, girl?” Thankfully, she didn’t say my name in front of him. I didn’t want the creep knowing anything about me.

“This guy won’t accept I refused his offer to buy me a drink.” Get him, Lex.

The dark-haired jerk looked in Alexa’s direction, was hit with the sight of her over-exposed flesh and stepped away from me so I could twist back around. I was never so thankful to Alexa for wearing her outfit.

“How ‘bout I buy you a drink, gorgeous?” Couldn’t he think of anything more original?

“Hell no!” Alexa shouted directly in his face. “You stand over here bothering my friend, then offer to buy me a drink? Like you’re not an obnoxious asshat? Take a hike, creep!” Her temper was rising the more he just stood there.

“Bitches, both of you,” he grumbled, trying to steady himself before tripping over his own two feet. He attempted to somewhat compose himself before he walked away, bumping into Alexa’s shoulder as he passed by her. I didn’t know if it was on purpose or if it was because he was staggering a bit from drinking.

I was praying it was the latter.

“Thank you so much, Lex. That guy was really starting to freak me out.”

“I was prepared to punch him if he kept giving you a hard time.” We burst out laughing. I wouldn’t put it past her to out-and-out deck the guy. We looked across the bar and saw him already back to his antics, trying to chat up an unsuspecting victim. I really hoped she had a friend with her to help her out.

“So…what happened with the hottie at the jukebox?” I tried to distract her enough to stop leering at McCreepy.

My question did the trick.

“Oh, he is quite the hottie indeed. You know I’m a sucker for a guy with tats. He gave me his number and agreed to hang out. I guess I’ll call him in a couple days, you know, when I get around to it.” She smiled and took a sip of her drink.

Shaking my head, I didn’t expect anything less from her. Sometimes I admired her self-confidence and courage. She didn’t seem to be afraid of anything or anyone.

I, however, was still re-building my trust in people, forever being the overly cautious one.

It was another hour or so later when we decided to head out and grab something to eat before going home. There was a charming little diner which was open late two blocks away from the bar. We’d only been there a few times, but we always enjoyed the food and appealing ambiance.

“I’m running to the ladies room real quick then we can go,” I said as I hopped down from my barstool.

“Okay. I’ll be here.” She was a little lit-up, but then again so was I. Not drunk, just pleasantly tipsy.

There wasn’t anyone in line for the bathroom, so I was able to take care of business relatively quickly. I had only taken a few steps into the hallway when I ran into someone.

To my horror, it was the guy from earlier. “Well, well, well. Look who it is.” His hungry eyes slowly cascaded up and down my body. Dressed in skinny jeans and a short-sleeved sweater, he made me feel exposed.         

Sucking in a deep breath to try and calm myself before I went into full-on panic mode, I tried to move around him. But he blocked my escape, instead taking a few steps toward me, backing me up against the hallway wall. His hand shot out and grabbed a lock of my hair, yanking me closer. Pain shot through me but before I could scream, his mouth tore at my lips, my sensitive skin pierced from the sharpness of his teeth. I tried to push him off, but my efforts were in vain.

He wasn’t budging.

My resistance must have been a turn-on for him, a low groan escaping from somewhere deep in his throat.

It was predatory.

It was dangerous.

Grabbing both my hands and pinning them above my head in one of his, he positioned me right where he wanted me. His free hand lowered until he was pawing at my sweater, trying to grope me. While his body fought with mine, he lowered his head again and tried to kiss me. Again. I kept turning my head from side to side, knowing if his lips touched mine again, I would retch all over him.

“Stop moving, bitch!” he hollered, pinning me harder against the wall.

“Get off me,” I yelled, or at least I tried to. My voice betrayed me, coming out as nothing more than a loud whisper. Terrified he would accomplish what he set out to do, I prayed someone would come and save me. Anyone. I just needed someone to round the corner and find me.

My heart hammered away inside my chest, threatening to break free if I didn’t calm down. But how could I? I was being attacked, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Before I was able to try and speak once more, I felt his fingers circle my throat, squeezing until I could barely intake the stifling air surrounding me.

I felt his hot breath on my face, the stench of alcohol making my stomach revolt. “I know you want this. I can see it in your-” He was torn off me before he finished his sentence.

I stumbled quickly before catching my balance. My hand pressed against the same wall I was being held against, trying my best to calm down. When I finally looked up, I saw someone pummeling the hell out of him. It was darker in the hallway than out in the bar, so I couldn’t really see who it was. All I could make out was a dark-haired, tall, broad-shouldered man. Other than that, my vision was working against me.

Before I had the chance to leave, I was hoisted onto someone’s shoulder then walked through the bar and straight outside into the night air.

Still confused about what the hell was going on, I started to panic all over again, not that I’d really calmed down from a few minutes ago. As my pulse threatened to explode, I was hit with a very familiar smell. Inhaling his sweet scent did wonders for soothing my frantically beating heart.

If I had any doubt who was carrying me, upside-down, I was reassured as soon as I laid my eyes and my hands on his perfect ass. How can I be turned on so fast by this man when something tragic almost happened to me?

“Alek! Put me down!” I yelled, surprised my voice was working for me. I was being jostled around on his shoulder, and it wasn’t mixing well with my startled mood and the drinks I’d already consumed.

Even though he’d saved me from a dangerous situation, he was still manhandling me.

When he finally put me on my feet, I almost fell. He reached out to steady me but I swatted his hands away. Retreating instantly, he looked volatile. I don’t know why he’s so mad. But then again, I didn’t know why I was upset with him.

He just saved me from probably being raped…or worse.

After a few minutes, he seemed to calm down, circling me and drawing my nerves to the surface again.

“Are you okay?” he asked as he continued to lock eyes with me. He had a mixed look of rage and worry on his gorgeous face. I didn’t know which emotion was winning out, though.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I whispered. Nervously shuffling my feet, I turned my head, looking everywhere but in those mesmerizing green orbs of his. “How did you know I was here?” It was a thought which hadn’t occurred to me until that very moment. Instead of thanking him, those were the words which escaped my lips.

“Does it matter, Sara?” What an odd response. He started cursing and roughly pushing his hands through his hair, pacing back and forth in front of me, occasionally glancing down to look directly into my face.

I didn’t know what to say to him. Why is this so hard for me?

“Where was your friend? Please tell me you were at least here with someone,” he barked, allowing all of his frustration to come barreling out faster than he could stop it.

“Yes, of course I was here with someone. She was at the bar waiting for me to come back from the bathroom. We were going to head out when that asshole grabbed me.” I hated he was making me explain myself, something I hadn’t had to do since I lived with my gram. “I guess he didn’t like the fact I rejected his offer to buy me a drink earlier.”

“You were talking to him earlier tonight?” He was back to yelling again. What the hell? Does he think I was flirting with that psycho?

“He offered to buy me a drink, and I refused. There’s really not much else to tell. Lex came over and told him to take a hike.”

As if hearing her name, Alexa came barreling out the front door of the bar.

“What the hell happened in there?” Her eyes went straight from me to Alek, looking him up and down, taking her sweet-ass time drinking him all in. I knew she couldn’t help herself; he was quite the sight to behold, broodiness and all.

“The drunk guy from earlier attacked me in the hallway outside the ladies room.” I quickly looked away, embarrassment creeping over me again. “Before I knew what was happening, Alek pulled him off me and beat the hell out of him. Then he brought me out here.”

Her eyes practically popped out of her head, disbelief evident in her look. She took a few steps closer, reaching out and putting her hand on my shoulder. “Well, he must still be lying in the hallway, because the only commotion anyone saw or heard was you being carried out of the bar over someone’s shoulder.” She turned her attention back to Alek and just like that, I was forgotten. “Thank God you were here, good sir.” She smiled at him and extended her hand. “I’m Alexa. And you are?”

“Alek Devera,” he replied, extending his hand in reciprocation.

I looked over as Alexa’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open as if she was privy to a juicy secret.

“You’re the guy from Throttle, right? The one who helped Sara carry the drinks over to our table?” Can she be any more obvious?

“The one and only,” he smugly said. I looked from one to the other. What the hell is going on here? Is she flirting with him? Is he flirting with her? I didn’t think so, but I knew I needed to be alone with him. Right then.

“Lex, can you give us a minute please?” I silently pleaded with her to leave and not cause a fuss. Thankfully, she understood.

“Sure, but I’ll be right inside the bar if you need me.”

“Thank you.” I watched her walk away before I turned my eyes back on Mr. Devera.

I didn’t have the chance to utter a single word before he started in on me. “What were you thinking? You should have reported him the first time he bothered you.” Anger started to take hold of him again, but I wasn’t convinced it was all directed at me.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal, just some drunk guy hitting on me. Plus, when Alexa told him off, he stopped bothering me.”

“Yeah, look where that got you,” he scoffed. “You have to be more careful when you go out, Sara. There are a lot of people out here who will take advantage of you, even hurt you.”

He doesn’t know how well I already know that last part.

“I know. I misjudged the situation I guess. It won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t. I won’t let it.” His breathing had slowed from before, but the look of anger was still very palpable in his stare.

“How are you going to prevent it? It was simple luck you happened to be here tonight. Right?” I watched his face, trying to gauge his reaction. “Please tell me it was just a coincidence, Alek.”

There was some hesitation on his part before he finally answered. “Yes, of course it was a coincidence I was here. But good thing I showed up when I did or who knows what he would have done to you.”

His words made me shudder, even though I had the very same thought not moments before.

Alexa poked her head outside the door again, saving me from saying something I might’ve regretted. “Hey, I called the cops. They should be here any minute, Sara.” Then she went right back inside without giving me any time to respond.

I started shaking my head, not wanting to deal with it anymore.

“You better not even think of not dealing with the cops. You’re going to press charges on that asshole.” He looked so resolute, I knew there was no use arguing with him.

“Fine, I’ll wait for the police and give them my statement.”

“And press charges!”

Huffing out a frustrated breath, I responded. “Yes, Alek. And press charges.” God, this guy never gives up.