Chapter 9 - House Guest

"Dude, you need to relax. You can not make me do something I don't want to. With how you are acting right now, I don't want to go anywhere with you." I protested, yanking my arm out of his grip.

He was getting a little too possessive. I wasn't the kind of girl that would let a guy push her around.

Zach slammed the door shut and glared at me. I crossed my arms and glared right back at him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Zach sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I just want to help. It's not safe here and-..." I put my hand up to stop Zach.

"I'm a big girl, Zach. I know how to look after myself. Besides, you barely know me. There is no need for you to put your life in danger for someone you don't know."

"When it comes to your safety, I will go to any lengths necessary to protect you. I don't care who it is, where it is, and when it is. No one will ever be able to wipe that beautiful smile off your face." Zach was towering over me, his piercing gray eyes staring at me as if he was looking into my soul. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

I stared at the devilishly handsome man before me. Why was my safety such a concern for him? How could a person feel so much for someone they barely knew?

"You have no idea what you're asking for, Zach. The storm in my life will destroy anything that comes in its path." I gulped.

Zach's honey-coated words and concern were starting to crumble that thick brick wall I had built around my emotions.

"And you have no idea what I'm capable of, Stacey. The power I have is unnatural. I have yet to encounter a storm that could shake the foundation I stand on."

I sighed, trying to pull my eyes away from its captor.

Zach leaned forward a little more, cupping one side of my face.

Zach's touch lit my skin on fire, bringing the tingles from earlier back with a vengeance. All my rational thinking was replaced by raging hormones.

"Please, Stace, get into the car. I'm not trying to get into your pants, although that was on my agenda earlier tonight. I genuinely just want to keep you safe. Or would you rather go with Derek to his shared room?" Zach's voice broke a little at the end. He clenched his jaws and pulled my face closer, gently rubbing his nose against mine. Zach's closeness had incapacitated me.

"Umm, guys, as much as I'm enjoying the PDA, maybe get a room for your first time," Keiran's voice broke the tension between Zach and me.

Zach let me go and cleared his throat.

"I was just asking Stacey who she wanted to go with" Zach rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fuck sakes, Stace, just get into the car, please. It's getting late, and I have a girl waiting for me in my bed. I get cranky without my daily dose of pussy. So, let's move this along" Keiran opened the passenger door for me.

I gave Keiran and Zach one last look and slid into the seat. I knew I wasn't going to win against Zach's charms, and I was definitely not happy.

Keiran gave me a wink before closing the door behind me.

"I'll see you in the morning. You guys better have clothes on when I turn up. Please try to keep all activities in the bedroom." Keiran laughed and headed for his car.

Zach shook his head and got into the car.

The car purred to life, and we headed back towards the city.

"Don't take Keiran and his nonsense seriously. He has the dirtiest mind on the planet" Keiran finally broke the silence.

"Don't worry. I find everything Keiran says funny." I looked down at my fingers.

"Are you okay? Not the way you thought the night would end, huh?"

"I definitely didn't expect this," I sighed.

"What kind of psycho would do something like this? Are you sure there isn't someone with malice for you?" Zach quizzed.

The hazel eyes and crooked pink lips that had haunted my dreams for the past two years flashed before my eyes. Psycho was an understatement for what he was.

"I don't know. Maybe I ran over someone's cat and didn't realize it," I joked, shrugging my shoulders.

Zach chuckled. "That would explain the doctor's coat and the words "Found you." They found the cat killer."

I laughed nervously.

I knew exactly what the doctor's coat and words meant. There was no one else besides that one asshole that knew what happened. It had to be him.

My gut churned at the thought of him finding me. I had seen what he was capable of. Lord knows what he would do to me once we were face to face.

In the middle of the dilemma plaguing my head, I remembered something.

"I forgot to ask. How'd you know my underwear was covered in urine?" I looked over at Zach. I hadn't seen him touch any piece of undergarments.

Zach tightened his grip around the steering wheel.

"Umm…I could smell the urine, and there was a wet patch on what was left of the mattress. It was quite strong, like the smell of a wet dog. So hard to miss," Zach stuttered.

I couldn't remember smelling urine at all. The only smell near the ripped mattress was the scent of my smashed perfume bottles.

"You must have a very keen sense of smell."

"I'm just very aware of my surroundings," Zach snickered.

I went back to staring at my fingers, letting my mind process tonight's events. But the most worrisome thing for me right now was staying at Zach's place.

I couldn't deny that there was sexual tension between us. Every time I was close to Zach, all my rational thoughts flew out the window. Our relationship was becoming very similar to a moth's with bright light. Just like a moth couldn't resist flying toward a light. I was having a hard time resisting Zach's advances. Logical thinking told me to stay away from guys like Zach. I knew better than to believe a few sweet coated words. But my traitorous heart and body had other plans.

I peeked at Zach through my eyelashes; his handsome features shone under the dim street lighting. I watched his hidden jawline move as he clenched and unclenched his jaws. He looked like he was deep in thought about something.

I quickly looked away, focusing my eyes on the buildings passing by.

It wasn't long before we had arrived back at the Golden IT building. Zach got out and quickly walked around to open my door.

"You know you don't have to open my door every time I get in and out of the car." I snickered.

"My mum used to say, "Every woman deserves to be treated like a Queen. The more love and attention you give her, the bigger and more luxurious she will build your Kingdom"." Zach smiled at me.

I had to make him stop. There was no future for us.

"I'm neither a Queen nor will I be building a Kingdom for you. Please understand I am only here because you didn't leave me another choice. If your intention is to do more than just help a damsel in distress, I will happily walk back to my ravaged apartment. Do not for even a second think I will jump into bed with you just because you are helping me through a bad situation." I looked at him squarely as I spoke, holding my chin up.

Zach stared down at me, his lips curled into a small lip. It was like there was an inside joke he was enjoying.

"Give me a chance, and you will be the Queen of every kingdom I build," Zach whispered. There was an emotion in his eyes that made my knees weak.

How could he feel this way about me?!