He chuckles and the throaty sound reaches all the way inside me and twists my inner muscles, and my lips tremble as he reaches into his jacket. “Well, Alexandra, maybe next time we see each other, maybe you’ll be less suspicious of me.”
I freeze, “How do you—?”
And then I see him taking out my hospital ID. “You dropped this.”
A flush crawls over my neck, flooding my cheeks and my hand holding the mace lowers. “Is that why—?”
He gives me a calm look but I see the laughter dancing in his eyes. “I thought you might want it back.”
I suddenly feel like a fool. What did I think he was going to do to me?
Even as my hand falls, he’s suddenly grasping my wrist and before I know what’s happening, I’m being pulled into his arms, his hard body pressing against mine. Bewilderment makes me gape like a fish out of water and I don’t even get the chance to protest when his mouth slams down on mine.
My mind turns blank at the contact, heat and sizzling electricity coursing between us, making my pussy tighten. His mouth moves skillfully against mine, and he feeds me his tongue and my lips part, helpless against this assault on my senses, my own body betraying me as a soft moan escapes my lips.
And as soon as the kiss begins, it’s over and I’m stumbling back, dazed, the cold slapping me in the face, forcing awareness into me, the enormity of what has just happened rocks me to the core.
The Frenchman looks at me with a smirk and then licks his lips, murmuring, “You taste delicious.”
My breath is coming out in pants and I stare at him, not knowing how to respond. Common sense tells me to hit him or mace him, while another part of me sits up in interest, taken aback by the blinding chemistry.
“Go home, mon chéri,” he says, his voice low like velvet against a ragged blade. “If you keep looking at me like that, I might end up taking you home.”
His words make me whimper and then I’m turning on my heel and start running.
I keep running without looking back until I reach my building.
My hands fumble with the keys as I force my way in. The familiar musty smell of the carpeted hallway makes me let out a sigh of relief. My eyes turn toward the broken elevator that hasn’t been fixed since the day I moved in three years ago.
I begin the trek up seven flights of stairs and by the time I reach the top, I’m sweating like crazy. Who needs the gym when I have my own personal stairs from hell?
I quickly enter my apartment and switch on the lights. I lock the door.
Two steps in and everything hits me all at once and I groan in mortification.
A random stranger just kissed me after saving my life and I liked it.
I stand still in the middle of my small apartment and stare blindly at the window. What had I been thinking? Why had I let him get away with it?
Feeling uneasy, my hand creeps up to my neck and I remember the wound and a different kind of shock filters into my mind and my knees shake. I had nearly died today.
I take in a shaky breath and then make my way to the first aid kit. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I treat my wound, cleaning it for any infection, and after bandaging it, I look at my knees. Taking off my leggings, I wince on seeing the damaged skin. I use some antiseptic on my legs and I put on my sweatpants that are hanging behind the bathroom door.
My apartment has two rooms, a living room with an attached kitchen and a bedroom. The bathroom is right next to the entrance. I don’t have much furniture, what little I have is from the flea markets that I visit. I’ve sold nearly everything I had of value to pay for my father’s treatment.
Sighing, I exit the bathroom, realizing with a pang that I forgot to go to Chen Li’s restaurant. I glance at the phone. He lives underneath my apartment and I know his place closes at one. Hesitantly, I pick up the phone.
A friendly voice answers. It takes two minutes and Chen reassures me that he’ll come by with some food. I curl up on the couch, waiting for him. The television isn’t working or I would have turned it on to drown out the silence that’s grating at my nerves.
I can hear the ticking of the wall clock and I let myself be soothed by it, carefully keeping my mind blank, not wanting to think about the events that just transpired. A knock on my door a while later has me unfolding myself from the couch.
Chen Li is short and Chinese and has the kindest smile I’ve ever seen. He’s also ten years older than me, although he looks younger.
“Why didn’t you stop by?” he asks, entering my apartment with the ease of someone who has been here plenty of times.
I trail after him as he takes out a plate and utensils from the kitchen. “I got mugged or nearly mugged.”
My explanation makes him freeze and he whirls around, alarmed. “Are you okay?”
I’m about to nod but then I shake my head. “I need a hug.”
An affectionate look crosses over his features and he sidles up to me, wrapping his arms around me. “You all right, kid?”
I shrug, taking in his scent that screams of soy sauce and garlic. “It just hit me that I was alone in this world and then I decided to take a trip down depression avenue.”
He pulls back and studies my face. “You’re overworked. Don’t you have a day off tomorrow?”
I nod.
“Go out. Go to a café, read a book, watch a movie. Take a long walk. Come by the restaurant for lunch.”
His words sketch a painting of what tomorrow might look like and it’s oddly appealing.
“You need to unwind.”
An image crosses in my head of a tall Frenchman with an insolent smirk on his face and I bury it immediately, feeling horrified at even thinking of that man.
“A walk sounds nice,” I admit, slowly.
I could also go to the shooting range; work out some of the stress that’s been building up.
Chen keeps me company for an hour until we finish dinner. I recount the entire incident to him, leaving out the kiss part and he looks relieved. “Well I’m glad you’re safe. Next time, take a taxi or just stay at the hospital. Don’t walk home when it is so late.”
My mood is a little bit lighter by the time he leaves and I begin to look forward to tomorrow with some anticipation. I haven’t had a day off in weeks and I clean up with a small smile on my face. By the time, I’m done, I’m mentally exhausted and I crawl into bed. The room is cold and I shiver. Maybe it’s from the events of tonight. As I slip into an uneasy sleep, I dream of drunk men with knives and tall Frenchmen who touch me, setting my skin on all kinds of fire.
When I wake up in the morning, I don’t remember exactly what I dreamed of, but my skin is dewy and the place between my legs is throbbing.
Damn you Frenchman!
Chapter 2
“Well, aren’t you glowing?”
I smile at Annie’s comment and I turn to look over to where she is leaning against the nurse’s station, grinning. I flex my arms. “I needed a break I guess.”
Her eyes run over me, approvingly. “You sure did. You were beginning to look half dead. What did you do yesterday?”
I nod to a patient who hands me his filled in form and I start updating it in the system, all the while saying, “I watched a movie, went for a walk, cleaned my apartment and then just napped.”