Dark & Knockout

Chapter 9

“We need to go.”

Harry once again gripped my hand. We quickly neared the sweaty atmosphere of the dance floor and the empty booth at the back. I barely had time to put my jacket on and grab my bag before he took my hand once more. Harry now wore his blazer, pushing the sleeves up his strong forearms.

“Bo!”

Harry took no notice, but I turned to see Hayley looking worriedly at me. All I could do was mouth a sorry to her.  His strength vastly overpowered mine as he tugged me towards the exit. It was difficult to keep hold of Harry’s hand through the dense crowd. My fingers slipping from his. I let out a small shriek as someone caught hold of my waist. This just wasn’t my night. I looked up at the guy who was clearly drunk. But the taunting smile was quickly wiped off his face.

“Back off.” Harry growled.

He moved to aggressively shove the guy away but I quickly stepped in. Pressing my hands against Harry’s chest in an attempt to stop him.

“Harry.” I begged. “Please don’t.”

The image of him beating Jake was still fresh in my memory. I couldn’t stand to see it happen again. His chest heavily rose and fell under my touch. I sighed in relief as he gripped my hand and continued to move through the vast amount of people. We were soon out the door and into the cool night air.

“Come on.”

I looked up at Harry’s face, his jaw was tense as we walked back to his car. I struggled to keep up with his pace, his longer legs taking bigger strides. A short time later I recognised the road the black vehicle was parked on. A gasp escaped my lips as I bumped into his side. Harry’s abrupt stop left me confused. My fingers squeezed his left hand attempting to get his attention.

“Harry?”

He didn’t reply. I diverted my vision to where he was intently staring. My eyes squinted trying to see inside the vehicle that was curiously parked directly opposite Harry’s car. The thumping of my heart beat seemed to grow louder when I suddenly recognised the two guys sat in the front seats. Jake’s friends. Were they waiting for Harry to return to his car?

I was swiftly tugged into a narrow short cut between two buildings. Harry’s back leant against the cold brick, my hands flew up to his chest to prevent me from falling into him. All that could be heard was our heavy breathing. I closed my eyes, relieved that we were hidden from the people that intended to hurt us. It startled me when Harry’s fingers brushed my hair away from my face. I peered up at him. His dark curls flopped over his forehead, green eyes sparkling as he stared at me. Harry was one of the most beautiful guys I had ever seen. And yet he was one of the most frightening.

“We can walk back to my flat, it’s not that far.” He whispered.

I nervously gulped, not saying anything in reply. He pushed himself off the wall, catching me before I stumbled back. His left hand was held out for me to hold but I shook my head. I pushed it away, back to his side, before reaching for his right hand. Harry’s intense gaze stayed fixed on my movements. The knuckles were bloody. It was difficult to decide whether the dried red liquid belonged to Harry or Jake. Somehow I didn’t think it mattered. My breath hitched in my throat as he closed the distance between us. My back was forced up against the opposite wall in the tight space.

Harry’s hand reached up, cupping my chin and tilting it to the side. His lips made contact with the spot where my jaw met my neck, sucking on the warm skin. A wet trail of kisses were left along my jaw as his fingers fell away to rest on my hips. I didn’t realise my eyes were closed until they fluttered open. Harry’s touch had left my face. He paused, his vision flicking down to my lips. I felt his nose brush against my cheek before he placed a lingering kiss to the skin. Harry’s lips moved slightly, planting another kiss to the corner of my mouth. When he realised I wasn’t going to push him away, Harry caught my lips with his. The kiss was a little more urgent than the one previously. My fingers tangled into the curls at the back of his head. Harry’s hand began to wander up the inside of my thigh.

“No.” I gasped.

He pulled away smiling before brushing his fingers against my crotch. The rough touch made me flinch back into the wall. My breath came out in shaky puffs as I stared at him. Harry placed a final kiss on my lips then tugged me from the wall.

“Let’s go back to mine.” He winked.

***

We had been careful not to be seen by Jake’s friends. Harry was going to pick up the car in the morning instead, avoiding an inevitable confrontation with the angry men.

We didn’t have to walk far before he pulled out a set of keys from his back pocket. He draped a strong arm over my shoulder as he guided me up the steps to the front door. My chest quickly rose up and down, the fear setting in that I was going to be completely alone with Harry. In his flat. I glanced round to see the houses that lined the opposite side of the road. A second later and I would have missed the curtain that was hastily pulled closed. A nosey neighbour checking to see who it was this time. It made me think about how many girls Harry had brought back to his flat.

The front door was quickly unlocked and pushed open. Harry stepped inside turning on the hall light. I was frozen to the spot, still stood on the top step. He frowned as he turned to me, already slipping his blazer from his shoulders and kicking off his converse.

“You can come in, you know?” He smirked.