CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

KNIGHT WITH AN UMBRELLA

DRYSDAN

My mind was telling me to sit there and not make any moves. I wanted to, after all, I didn't really care about the suffering of others. Instead, it made me feel like people deserved what they were getting. If they didn't, then why the hell would they be suffering in the first place?

All my life, I was trained to be cold hearted. Towards men and women alike. And that was the reason why men feared me, especially the ones who were stupid enough. And I made sure they remembered that for the rest of their lives, if they survived my wrath anyway.

But when I looked at her, the way she was vulnerable under the rain, it hit me differently. Why would such a thing happen to a beauty like her?

It was very obvious that she was stranded. Her car was old and there was no way she should even be moving around in that kind of thing. And there was the rain factor. She she would either have to sit it out in her car or stand out there in the rain. That was some trouble for her. And just look at where she had stopped. How would she react if she actually found out that someone was being eaten alive just some distance away from where she was parked?

Any other person could be lurking around.

And the thought of someone else getting his hands on her body was too much for me to handle. I'd feel like ripping those hands right from the shoulders.

Something had changed in me, even if it was for a split second, and that change didn't leave so easily.

My men returned to the car at that moment.

"Get me an umbrella!" I ordered.

They handed one to me and I got out of the car by myself. That was new anyway. I hardly ever did that.

I walked right to where she was still standing. For a moment, she looked scared, but when I offered her the umbrella and pointed at my car, relief flooded her face.

What a face! She was even more beautiful than I thought.

ROSE

I sat on a high stool in Cassandra's kitchen, my body wrapped in a dry towel, and my clothes drying somewhere.

Her house was the closest so I told the stranger to drop me there. I was so afraid at first, because I hadn't been expecting to even meet anyone there. My car had broken down along the way to Lowell's place and no matter how many times I called his phone and told him the situation and that he needed to come pick me up, his explanation was the same. That he was on his way, just got sidetracked by something he had to attend to.

Well, I got tired of calling until it was dark and there was no sign of my boyfriend. The the rain came, and out of it walked a stranger. My Knight in shining armor, figuratively speaking.

He handed me his umbrella and silently offered to give me a lift. The look in his eyes were intense, as if he could see through me. My whole body was drenched and even though I knew that I should cover my breasts, I didn't. He touched my nipples with his eyes and I found myself wishing he had used his fingers instead.

Cassandra walked in, took one look at me and said, "You do know you're blushing, right?"

I smiled.

"Wow. So you are blushing." She came over and brought another stool close, which she sat on. "And I know this is not because of your boyfriend. So who is he?"

"I don't know who he is, Cass."

"You don't know who he is and you're blushing here like he's been in your pussy? Come on, Rosy. Not even a name?"

"I told you already, Cass. He just came out of the blue and handed me an umbrella."

"A beautiful umbrella at that."

"Yeah. Then he offered to give me a lift. We didn't talk, Cass."

"So your asshole boyfriend left you out there all day even though he was aware you were going to his place?" Cassandra asked. She could be intense at times. Especially when it came to my welfare. I had a feeling that she was going to have some words with him. That was something I didn't want happening.

"Look, Cass. He hasn't done anything wrong, okay? Lowell got sidetracked and could not make it. Happens."

"Happens, huh?"

"Yeah," I said, and looked away.

"But this stranger seems like he's gotten under your skin."

"Lowell is nice to me, Cass."

"You know that ain't true, Rosy."

"Just let it be, Cass," I pleaded. She could go on and on. I didn't want it to look like I was with my mom, and Cass was far different from her.

"All right, then." Cassandra left me and started making dinner. I wondered if I would ever meet him again. But why would I even think of something like that?

We ate, then gossiped about other people and slept off. The next morning, my clothes were dried, Cass had gone out to get some groceries and I was in the living room alone reading The House in Amalfi by Elizabeth Adler.

I had to be honest with myself; I was really angry with Lowell. He hadn't called me again and I wondered why.

I couldn't concentrate much on the story because it was talking about love and I didn't know what was going on with mine.

I moved to get up and that's when I felt another presence. Like I was being watched. I looked around me then my eyes found the window and there he was.

Last night, he blended well with the darkness. What with the black suit he wore. But when I saw him looking at me through the window, he was wearing a white long sleeve, the hands folded up to his elbows.

His held his suit jacket in one hand and a book in the other.

Oh my, the feeling that rushed through me was one of need. Suddenly seeing him outside Cassandra's house, I didn't want him to leave.

I headed for the door immediately.