Arian

Arian's pov 

The rain was coming down harder and heavier than I expected. I knew better than to drive in this weather, but I thought maybe I could face my trauma by confronting my fears. Now I realize it was a bad idea, especially with this crappy car I own, which decided to die right in the middle of the highway.

I stood there like an idiot, trying to stop passing vehicles. But no one was going to stop for a soaking-wet guy with a dead car and no umbrella.

I was starting to lose hope when a dark blue Mercedes pulled up beside me. The window slid down, and I heard his voice, smooth and masculine.

“Trouble in paradise?”

I think time paused. I mean it actually paused and everything around me meant nothing when I saw him. His messy long hair and his perfectly shaped eyebrows. I nearly asked him if he had done them professionally. 

And his eyes were gray and sharp. Then my eyes moved to his nose. It was rigid, and a little arrogant. The kind of nose that could turn someone on just by breathing near them. And his lips… God, his lips. Everything about him screamed ‘dangerously perfect’. 

“I... I…” I stammered, my brain refusing to form anything meaningful and intelligent. “My car broke down,” I finally managed to say. “And I don’t really know much about how to fix a bad car.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Your car’s going to be towed if it stays here overnight. And I’m sure you know you can’t stay out here either.”

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at myself more than him. “Yeah, I know that already. What I don’t know is why you’re here if you only want to tell me things I already know.”

“Pardon?” he asked, amusement etched on his face.

“Did you stop just to state the obvious?” I asked, crossing my arms.

He chuckled. “You’re awfully rude for a prince in distress.”

Before I could reply, he opened the door and stepped out, unfolding a large black umbrella with the kind of casual grace rich people seem born with. 

Fuck, he was tall. Really tall, like a 6’6, his muscles were in all the right places, and his shirt clung to his chest just enough to make me notice. Compared to him, I looked like a wet leaf. Slim, small, and probably pitiful.

“I know a lot about cars,” he said. “But not enough to fix that disaster tonight,” he said, pointing at my car. “I’ll call my mechanical engineer to come get it.”

“Great. Except I’ve already been standing in the rain for thirty minutes, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep pretending to be fine.”

“Well,” he said, “you could come with me if you don’t mind.”

“To do what?” I asked, too quickly.

“Give you a ride to wherever you’re headed, smart-mouth.”

“Oh…” I looked away, flustered. “I thought…”

“Thought what?” he asked, too quickly.

“That... Never mind,” I mumbled.

He stepped closer, moving the umbrella to cover us both. I could feel something radiating off his body, and it was doing wicked things to my self-control.

He looked down at me. Well, he had to because I barely reached his shoulders.

“I can make your thoughts a reality,” he said, his voice dropping low. “That’s if you can handle it.”

My body flushed as my thoughts ran wild. Even in the cold, I could feel my body burn for him. Thank God it was dark, because I could feel myself getting hard right there. 

Just standing under his stupid perfect umbrella was enough to turn me on, not to mention his stupid perfect jawline and his perfect scent. 

I took a step back to put space between us, but my leg gave out like the clumsy traitor it is. I slipped, nearly fell until he caught me, one strong arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. 

He looked down at me. “Careful smart-mouth. You’ll need those legs tonight,” he whispered, his voice thick with meaning. “Don’t break them… before I break them.”

“Why? Are you a breaker?” I asked, immediately regretting why I said it.

“No, I'm not but you can call me Kael.”

Kael took me to his house.

His apartment was nothing like I expected. It was bigger and better than I had imagined. Modern interiors, ceiling-to-ground glass windows and enough warmth to make me feel at home.

I stood awkwardly at the door, dripping water onto the polished floor. He slipped out of his shoes and socks like he came out of the cover of a men’s fashion magazine, while I looked like the wet socks he just pulled off.

“Why are we here?” I asked him after checking him out, to my satisfaction.

“I don't remember you telling me your address.”

Why am I like this? Why do I become senseless whenever I see hot men? I mentally slapped myself for being thoughtless.

“You’ll catch a cold if you keep standing there,” he said, walking deeper into the house.

“Thank you for your concern, but I don't think I'm coming in,” I replied, hugging myself.

“Suit yourself,” he said before disappearing for a moment.

I was left alone with my thoughts. He is a fucking stranger, a hot one to be precise. What if he ends up being a serial killer or something worse?

“But he was the only one that helped you,” my inner voice said. 

He returned with a black hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. “Here,” he said, tossing them gently on the couch. “Bathroom’s down the hall. You can change there.”

Finally giving in, I walked into the house. I can't die from receiving help from a stranger. “Thanks if you are not a serial killer or an organ trafficker.”

“Fuck. Is that why you are acting weird?” Kael asked without raising his voice. I could tell he was dying to laugh at me, but he didn't let it out.

“I don't know. Is it okay to bring strangers to your house?” I asked.

“First, you are not a complete stranger. I've seen you around campus. Secondly, I don't bring strangers to my house.”

“You know me?” I asked, surprised to know that he had seen me on campus when I'd never seen him before.

“I don't know you, but I've seen you around,” he answered.

“But I've never seen you before. Not until tonight.”

“That's because you are too busy talking too much to see the people around you.”

I talk a lot, I know that. But for him to know that, he must be a student of our school. 

“Are you a student? You can't be a professor, so you are probably a student.”

“Talking too much like you always do,” he said, coming closer. 

“Just answer me.”

“I'm a student of the institution. I was supposed to finish last month.”

“Do you happen to know everyone on campus, or do you just have the urge to stalk me?”

“I will say you are an attention-seeker and you got mine. Congratulations to you,” he said with a smirk.