Chapter 4: Inside

The way he focused only on Anna, the way he seemed to care about nothing else, mirroring Anna’s desire, made her shiver and excited her. But the thought of having someone else see her naked... Made her uncomfortable. “Besides,” Zack added, his voice dropping to a whisper, “You are the one who is soaked and half naked. You started it.” Anna did not find this funny at all. ‘Her fault?’ Anger boiled in her gut. His hand left her breast to slide down her stomach, his finger hooking in the waistband of her red skirt, and he tugged at them playfully. “Maybe I should just take these off and show you how much I want you,” he suggested, his eyes gleaming with mischief and desire. “Right here, right now.”

Anna looked up at him, half angry, half shocked, "No, please Zack! Take me home right now!" she said angrily. A triumphant grin spread across Zack’s face. He finally got the reaction he wanted. His grin infuriated Anna, but she kept her mouth shut, hoping to take this somewhere less public. “There it is,” he said, his voice laced with satisfaction. "You want me to take you home and fuck you senseless." He did not wait for another response. With a swift movement, he adjusted his grip on Anna, carrying her bridal style towards her house. “Hold on tight,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear. “I am going to make you scream my name so loud the neighbors will hear.” The rain continues to pour down on both of them as he carried Anna. His steps were long and purposeful, driven by a single-minded focus, getting Anna home and into bed as soon as possible. “Can we just talk about this,” Anna complains, knowing that when they reach her house, she would be in the same position she was a minute ago, at his mercy and unable to resist.

Zack scoffed, tightening his grip on her as he continued walking. “Talk? What is there to talk about? You are mine, and I am going to prove it.” He did not slow his pace, his long strides eating up the distance to her house. The rain plastered his blond hair onto his forehead and dripped from the ends, but he seemed oblivious to the cold. “You can talk all you want once I am done with you,” he said, his voice a low growl. “But right now, all I want is to get you out of these wet clothes and into a bed.” He kicked Anna’s front gate open and strode up the path to the door. With one hand still holding her securely, he fumbled with doorknob to open the front door, finding the front door unlocked. “Do not bother struggling,” he warned as Anna wriggled in his arms. “You are not going anywhere until I say so.”

When the front door opened, Anna’s big brother was standing in the living room. Steve is a college student, back for the weekend to do some laundry. Steve cleared his throat and looked at us. He was standing in front of the fireplace, wearing a red, zipped-up jacket and brown pants. For a moment, Anna thought she was saved, that Steve would chase Zack away so she could recover from the whirlpool that had been that evening. Steve just looked down at his phone and said, “Tell me you sprained your ankle.” As if that was the only reason why someone would carry Anna into her own home bridal style. Zack froze in the doorway, his green eyes darting to Steve. A flicker of annoyance crossed his face but was quickly masked with a smirk. Anna opened her mouth to say something and then hesitated. What exactly would she tell him? ‘Please save me?’ Before she could think of something, Zack said casually, “Hey Steve. Your sister here had a little accident, slipped on the wet pavement.” Zack shifted Anna in his arms, making a show of supporting her supposed injured ankle. “Don’t worry, I am taking her up to her room to rest.” Anna waited for Steve to see through his lie. Steve just sighed heavily, as if Anna was a huge burden. “Just... Be careful with her,” he muttered before turning back to his phone. Anna felt disappointed at Steve's nonchalant attitude. ‘At least act like a protective big brother, you jerk,’ she thought angrily.

Zack did not wait another second. He carried Anna past Steve and up the stairs, kicking her bedroom door shut behind them. He finally set her down on her unmade bed, looming over her with a predatory grin. “See? No more distractions.” She sat up straight on the bed and said sternly, “Can we talk properly now, or I will call my brother?” Zack’s eyes narrowed at Anna’s threat, but he could not hide the flicker of amusement in them. “Talk? Fine,” he said, sitting down on the edge of the mattress. He leaned in close, his voice a low growl. “What do you want to talk about? How much I want to rip these wet clothes off you and fuck you until you can’t walk straight?” Zack reached out, his fingers tracing the hem of her soaked grey jersey. “Or maybe you want to talk about how you are going to be mine and only mine, from now on.” The words, only mine, from now on echo in Anna’s mind. The meaning of the words is still slightly unclear to her. Zack’s hand slid under her shirt, his warm palm pressing against her cool skin. “Because that is what is going to happen, whether you call your brother or not.” His confidence made him more attractive to Anna. She swallowed hard, determined to get more information out of him. “I do not understand. Yesterday you hated my guts, now... Is it just about sex?” Zack let out a harsh laugh, his hand still under her jersey, caressing her stomach. “Hated your guts? Is that what you think?” He leaned closer, his breath hot against her skin. “You really are naive, aren’t you?”