Chapter 7

"He basically tackled you?" Sara questioned, her face horrified at the thought of such a thing happening. However, the more the image set and replayed in her mind, a sense of amusement welled up inside of her. "I know I shouldn't say this, much less think it since we are striving to be independent no-nonsense females but...that's kind of hot." She responded softly smiling slyly into the phone.

"This girl." She muttered, rolling her eyes in the process. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me? He could've killed me!" Avril responded defiantly. In any other situation, Thomas would be the epitome of male brilliance but she couldn't help the resentment that seeped through her veins every time she thought of him. She had only just met him but his obvious, unhidden arrogance and exaggerated self-importance made her immune to his charms. And she was certain he had plenty, although he hadn't shown them to her.

"What bothers me is how he responded thinking you an intruder, what if you really were one? His methods are quite extreme, don't you think?" Sara ignored the anger in Avril's voice.
But Avril didn't want to think. In fact, everything 'Thomas' related should be banned from her mind. Whenever she thought of him she felt uneasy, her entire body and mind went into overdrive. To comprehend that he was the first and only man to see her butt naked made her cringe.

"Avril?" Sara repeated her name when she didn't respond.

"Yeah?" Avril immediately responded, her mind scrambled.

"Did you just ignore me?" Sara gasped in disbelief and Avril bit down on her lower lip and mentally slapped herself.

"No, I wasn't I just got distracted." She attempted to save face.

"Uh huh." Sara's tone lowered, the sound was slow as if she was thinking of something particular. "Anyhow..." and just like that her tone and emotions switched back to normal. "How was dinner last night, you only mentioned that you had to spend it alone with...him"

Avril thought back to last night. It was awkward and she would sooner walk over a mile of broken glass than to face that discomfort again. How does one sit across a table from a man who'd slammed them against a wall naked and be civil?

"The food was amazing, the company not so much. Thomas and I sat in complete silence for about two minutes, then he got a call and hurried out the house." Avril tried to keep the emotion out of her voice. It was ridiculous to think she even had an emotional reaction to him deserting her at dinner especially when she'd only met the guy and was pretty certain that the only thing she felt for him was utter disdain. Perhaps the reason she wanted to break a vase over his head for leaving was due to his actions being quite rude after all she was a guest and it was her first night in a strange place and to leave her in that huge house unprotected...well, let's just say she thought that a dick move.

"Hhmmm. You sure you don't want to come crash in my dorm? Your parents won't find out." Sara offered considered what Avril was saying. It was strange enough that her parents thought this house would be safe for her when in fact there was less supervision than in the dorms.
Avril smiled despite knowing that the effect would be lost to Sara. Her friends would never understand that every solution they came up with was something Avril herself had already considered and debunked. "I wish! But they call on the Lynne's house phone every night." The exasperation in her voice caused Sara to feel compassionate. She couldn't imagine living under such scrutiny.

Avril wanted nothing more than to be rid of this house and the mysterious Thomas Lynne, she was certain that man had more secrets than he cared to divulge. But people with secrets can be dangerous because in a realistic world secrets are never good hence the reason they are kept hidden from all but the bearer.

"Well then when are you coming out of isolation? We need to hang out and have you make your debut in the partying scene." Sara voice sounded strained and impatient. Avril parted her lips to respond but a voice heavier than her own, and dare she think it...hot and decadent like melted rich chocolate with a taste that excited your entire body, bounced off the walls of the room.

"Absolutely not."

Avril turned to where the sound emanated from. Thomas stood at her door, his lean, muscular body propped against the frame of her doorway. His arms folded across his chest and his face had this stupid expression that screamed authoritarian.
Avril froze. She'd been standing in front of the mirror brushing out her hair, the phone lay on her bed and there was no doubt that he'd heard the partying comment since the call was routed to the loudspeaker function, there was also no doubt that his comment was in response to the private conversation he had so rudely eavesdropped on.

Avril gathered her wits...well some of it anyway, and snatched the phone off the bed.

"Sara, I'll call you back." she muttered hurriedly into the phone.
"But—" she could hear Sara's interruption but it was too late. Avril disconnected the call before Sara could get any more words out. She turned her attention back to the intruder, before she had been startled now she was very much angered.

"Don't you knock?" She asked, her voice giving off a little too much attitude when she was attempting for neutral indifference. She fully recalled closing the door to her assigned room after she entered it. It had always been a habit of hers while she lived at home.

"Not in my house." He responded, making no attempt to move out of the way.

Avril shook her head...she was right, this man had danger written on his very soul. She found herself getting drawn into his stormy gaze. She shook her head and demanded her brain to focus.

"Besides, where do you get off telling me what I can and can't do?" She questioned hotly. Her parents had been strict, that was for sure, however, she drew the line at anyone else trying to dictate her pace.
For a second he appeared confused and his forehead cringed in the most appealing manner. This lapse of male toxicity gave his features such a soft and almost human look...almost, for she was certain no mere man could possess such bone-melting features.

"Oh, you mean the partying comment?" he questioned, understanding lighting up his eyes.
Avril just raised her eyebrows in response.

"First of, it's not where I get off on telling people what to do it's simply that I do get off on telling people what to do." he took two strides into her room. Avril couldn't move as he made his way closer towards her. " Control is a huge turn on my dear." his voice was a mere whisper. He was close enough for her to hear it without trouble.

His eyes glittered mischievously as his eyes lowered to her lips.
Avril's eyes widened and her lips formed a perfect O. No man had ever spoken said such things to her. The implications of his words causing her palms to moisten.

"Secondly, partying is not a becoming activity for a young woman, it's unsafe." he shrugged

"Forgive me for not buying that you give a damn about my safety." Avril shot back, her cheeks flushed. She had to get a grip on herself.

Thomas sighed. He hesitated a moment, thinking through his next move. He moved closer to Avril and her eyes widened even more than she thought possible. Suddenly the room felt too small as if they were jammed into a tiny supply closet.
He was mere inches away from her and Avril could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin as his head bent closer towards her, she turned her face away from his instinctively and his lips were millimeters away from her ear.

"If not for your safety," his voice a husky whisper. "then think of all the men I might have to kill for even looking at you. Having such a social life, having you exposed to all those hungry men out there would keep me up at night." his voice turned into a low growl.

Avril hadn't realized that her eyes were closed and her hands formed fists at her sides. It was only after she heard the thud of her room door closing shut did she realize that she's been clamping her lips closed. She looked around. Thomas was gone. She let out a huge breath and found that her heart was slamming against her chest. She sat at the edge of her bed waiting for the dizziness to subside.
After a few minutes, she recollected what just happened and she had to ask herself...what did happen?