Chapter 4

Aunt Beth had always said that I was bad at telling lies.

The man moved closer and I saw that his nose had been broken at some point in time and had healed but not too well. It gave him a frightening look, the thin, well-defined lips that were set in a firm line, those grey eyes that looked as though he could see into my soul. The scarred and pitted face. Ugly but commanding.

His presence was unsettling; I wanted to keep my distance but like a moth, I felt drawn to him. Breathing shakily, I stepped back again and came up against the wall as he prowled closer, crowding me in. he was not very tall, but definitely bigger than me. But it was the breadth of his shoulders, the way he was built like a bull, that made me hold my breath.

He smiled, a sinister, humourless twist of that beautiful mouth. And then he slammed his hands, palms first, on the wall beside my face and I jumped as I gasped, turning away, squeezing my eyes shut.

His breath, whiskey-laden and hot, was on my face as he moved closer and snarled,

’I do not like liars, little girl.’

I was shaking in fear…and an excitement that made my nipples stand out like hard diamonds.

Hoping, praying that he would not see them, I babbled, turning to look at him,

’I …I’m so…sorry… I am eighteen years but I shall be…’

He flung himself away with a slew of oaths and vulgar words that made me tremble I shock.

Hail Mary, I thought to myself feverishly, what would happen to me…?

He was back, standing before me, his shoulders heaving with fury as he snarled again,

’An underaged little wh*re. Answer me, girl. Who sent you here, you little bi*ch?’

My eyes filled with tears at his abusive words and my mouth trembled as I looked at him in terror and said, shaking my head, the fight going out of me, I said in a broken whisper,

’ Please Sir. I …it was a mistake. And I am not a ...not a…’

 My face flamed as I saw the dawning realization on his face.

“So why did you come here, little girl?’ he asked gruffly, his expression stony, the thick hands clenching and unclenching..

I looked at him and said, “With …uh…friends…’

They are not your friends, said my heart, and my voice must have lacked conviction.

I yelped as he placed a hand on my throat, forcing me to meet his eyes, terrified. He was close enough for me to inhale the man, the musk of his body, the expensive cologne he was using, and I trembled, with a longing I did not recognize. His lower body was barely touching me but I shifted and my nipples brushed his hard chest for I could make out the outline of the huge bulge under his trousers.

’ Sir, puh…please…’ I began. I shifted from one foot to the other slowly, my hands reaching out for the wall behind me to support me.

'Please, Sir,' I said softly, 'I made a mistake. I...I would like to leave...'

His eyes glowed and he said through gritted teeth,’ Stop saying that girl.’

I stared at him, wide-eyed, aware of the heat from his body, rolling off in waves. Awareness swept through me, my stomach clenched and wetness flooded my core as I felt his nearness;  and I sighed.

*

He regarded me in silence. The lights behind him threw his face in shadow and I worried my lip anxiously as I watched him. I had a horrid feeling that the mascara had run down my cheeks when I had begun to cry but a furtive scrub at my cheek reassured me. At least I wasn't looking like a chimney sweep!

As he continued to stare at me, I felt my breath coming faster.

I was here, alone in a room with this strange man who exuded a careless mastery over my emotions. Although I had just met him, I felt a flutter low down in my stomach, a growing excitement...

He observed me impassively and I felt a strange warmth spreading through me. The overhead lights caught his silver-tipped hair and I caught myself becoming aware of a strange pull towards this person...

I can't, I thought in bewilderment...but I was beginning to feel attracted by his controlled, powerful presence. The room we were in was tastefully decorated like a man's den. The subtle aroma of the cologne he used, a faint yet pervading male scent filled the room.

What would it be like, I wondered dizzily, to have this man hold me, to ...kiss me???

*

But then he spoke, and it took me by surprise.

"Who brought you here to the Fight Club, little girl?' he said in a gravelly voice.

I stared at him in confusion. Overcome by the strength of my crazed hormones, I had totally forgotten about the dreadful encounter with Marianne and her friends.

'Uh…ummm,'I repeated stupidly and then, 'Oh, yea…yess! I came wi..with a friend. That is, a friend of a friend and ...'

I never completed my explanation for he jerked me to his hard chest and gritted out,

'Who sent you, eh? Answer me. And I want the truth. None of those fairy tales you're weaving in your pretty, empty little head.'

The coldness in his eyes should have scared me but since I had been trying to explain and since he had labelled me 'empty-headed', I was suddenly boiling with rage.

After all, I had managed to get into the University on a scholarship based on my merit!

A pounding rage flooded through me.

At the man who was holding my arms in a punishing grip,

At the obnoxious Salim Mustafa and the other over-entitled young men who had been leering at me.

At Marianne who had lured me here to make a fool of me.

At Life for having given me such a raw deal.

In fact, sick to the gills with everyone!

I tilted my chin and glared at him.

'Who would send me?' I snapped heatedly and then realised that it made me seem like an imbecile. I hastily rephrased my words.

'I came here to meet a boy...uh...man. To watch the …uh… fights. Whatever. Is that a crime? That does not give you the right to a..abuse me. I am not a … a wh..wh*re!’

I was really into the indignation now and barely aware of what I was saying anymore, as I went on impetuously,’ Alright, I might have turned eighteen just last month. ‘

The contemptuous look on his face made me straighten up in fury and I went on, passion taking over my intent, as I spat out,

“But that doesn't mean I don't know about men and...and what they like!'

The minute the words were out, I knew I had said something that was colossally stupid.

My knowledge of men was limited to a single night with a drunken teenager, in the back seat of a truck. And He had been in a hurry to finish the act before his friend's dad found us there.

The awareness of cold grey-blue eyes pinning me to the spot like lasers, brought me back to the present.

The man stepped forward; instinctively I moved back, only to find the hard panelling of the wall against my back. I was trapped.

'So you know all about men and what they like, do you little girl?' he said in a silky voice, like warm syrup. Shuddering I stayed where I was, imploring him not to come forward wordlessly although my traitorous body seemed to be swaying forward towards him.

I shook my head, the words coming out in a murmur,

'No, I didn't mean...I meant...'

He was beside me now, breathing heavily as his eyes went over me. A calloused thumb reached out to caress my full lips and I parted my lips helplessly, my eyes fixed on him, like a hypnotised rabbit. The tips of my breasts brushed against the fine material of his shirt and I felt them hardening in arousal. The sheer material of the dress I had on made my nipples stand out prominently and I felt to my shame, the man's gaze dropping to my buxom cleavage.

Dear God, I thought hopelessly, what was it about this man that had my body on fire? I didn't even know him!

Slowly I became aware of the fact that I was breathing faster but it wasn't fear. It was...excitement?

I pressed myself back against the wall in confusion, looking up at him dumbly;  but he moved even closer, eyes narrowing, taking in my reaction, my distress. His hard body was now pressing lightly against my soft curves and I stared up at him mutely,

'Little girl,' he said almost roughly, breathing heavily as he looked down at me.  Here he reached out and ran a thick finger down my cheek and throat to my low-cut neckline, tracing it slowly, over and over again, his fingernails gently rasping against the sensitive skin of my breasts till I was almost a frenzy.

A small moan escaped my lips and in a swift movement, he grabbed a handful of my hair and tipped my head back cruelly, as he brought his hard mouth down on mine, crushing, punishing...

I tried to squirm telling myself that I was fighting him; who was I kidding? I was fighting my own reactions.

It was an uneven battle- he was stronger and I was beginning to realize that I was trying to fight my own reactions to this mysterious stranger, while my body wanted him to take me, then, there!

Giving up the ghost of a fight, my arms went around him, trying to bring him closer and I felt him growl in desire as he ground his lower body against my soft mound.

Fretfully, I pulled open his shirt willing his body to get closer to mine.

The feel of his erect manhood made me whimper in longing.