Page 35 of Bryce

His character was somoving, so real, it drew her in. And she was not the only one. Theentire theater filled with young people were silent and enthralled.

“Childrenshould not be watching this,” William huffed beside her.

She turned to facehim and examined the florid complexion and the unimaginative look ona very plain face and wondered at the fleeting thought she had thatone day she might marry him.

She must have beeninsane. Not bothering to grace his outrageous comment with an answer,she turned back to the screen and forced herself to watch to the veryend. Her heart ached and her eyes blurred with tears as she watchedhim moving slowly, in the age-old act of lovemaking.

The scene changed tothem cradled in each other’s arms and with him promising tokeep her safe.

*****

He found himselfpacing the length of the library. Jessica had served up somedelicious chicken pot pie that he had not done justice. His stomachwas tied up in knots, as he wondered what the hell they were doing.

Was she with him athis place or out having dinner? He wanted to take his own vehicle anddrive around the blasted town until he discovered the vehicle.Surely, it would not take long, considering that the place was sodamned small.

And finding them, hewould drag her pretty ass back here with him and warn off thebastard.

Where the hell wasshe? He walked back to the window again and the need to have a smokewas choking him. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he staredbroodingly outside where the driveway was visible from this vantagepoint.

And a bloody stormwas brooding. Tilting his head up, he scanned the scatter of ominousdark clouds obscuring the stars.

Where the hell wasshe? He never thought he could get so hot and bothered over a damnwoman. But this was Zahra, and he should have realized that thingsbetween them had been left up in the air. That something so intense,could never die down just like that. His body tensed, as he recalledthe first time.

It had been at herplace, because her mother was always absent. They had been studyingfor a test, and she had invited him back to her place. At first theyhad stayed in the living room, before going up to her bedroom.

She was intense, herecalled whimsically. His Zahra had always been intense and focus onher studies. And annoyed when he continued to crack jokes anddistract her by trailing his fingers down her naked arm.

She had blistered himwith her sharp tongue and flounced from the room to get themsomething to eat. When she came back, he was lying flat on the bedwith the pillows bunched up at his head.

It was during apillow fight that things had turned, and he had kissed her. A wetsloppy kiss that had her pushing him away at first. But he hadpersisted and even after so many years, he could still remember herhoneyed taste and how much he had wanted more.

Closing his eyes andresting his head on the coolness of the windowpane, he allowed thebittersweet memories to wash over him. They had both been innocentsand not known what the hell they were doing. She had wept in hisarms, but not from the loss of her innocence, but from the intensitythat had taken them by surprise.

He had never beenable to recapture that. Nothing had even come close. And he had beenwith too many women to count. Lifting his head, he stared out thewindow and felt his anger growing.

*****

Zahra felt thefamiliar jolt low in her stomach when she saw him lounging on theporch. She felt another smaller one when she noticed he was smoking.Smoking? She had seen him in several movies enjoying the vice, butshe thought it was just for props.

And seeing him afterwatching him on screen, made her wish that she was vindictive enoughto invite poor William inside for a nightcap.

But after the movieand a miserable dinner at the Irish pub, she had just wanted to comehome and go straight to bed. And forget the entire night.

She could not evenallow him to escort her up the porch steps. The night had been adisaster and they both knew it.

“Well goodnightthen,” he murmured awkwardly, not commenting on the man sittingon the porch.

“Thanks for…,”she cleared her throat as she searched desperately for the rightword.

“Thanks fordinner.” Opening the door, she stepped out into the sharp windthat tossed her jacket and hair sharply.

He drove offimmediately and she had to steel herself to approach the steps andclimb up.

“What are youdoing out here?” She had intended to just sail past him and goon in. She should have known that was not going to happen.

“Here?”He blew smoke upwards, eyes narrowed against the smoke. “Justenjoying the weather.” He turned sharp eyes in her direction,gaze wandering over her. “Is that not allowed? Is the porch offlimits after a certain time?”

“Don’t beridiculous!”

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