During the Thunderstorm (Natural Disaster) ✔

Chapter Six

For such a small hotel and the late hour, the lobby was full.

All the way down, Ally pondered over her situation. To eat delicious, hot meals; or to attack the vending machine and eat while watching a movie.

She picked the former, only because she was craving real food and something hot.

So, before she ventured into the night, she checked her phone for a good place to go and discovered a bar (with nice ratings) a few blocks away. She packed her wallet and a small sweater just in case and headed to the exit of the hotel.

She frowned at all the people hanging out in the lobby. Since she wasn't watching her front, she collapsed against a muscular body. Her hands moved to grab the first thing to push her body away from the stranger.

She ended up grabbing someone's biceps, and she might or might not have squeezed them (a bit, twice) from reflex. She was surprised to find them strong and lean. If this was an old person, she was going to congratulate and ask them for their diet and exercise routine because she wanted to reach her golden years by being able to intimidate people into allowing her to skip lines without complaints.

Now if this was the hottie Penny had been manifesting...

"I'm sorry!" She blurted out before she opened her eyes and saw the victim. The victim had some tantalizing cologne. Mouth-watering and familiar scent...

The victim, as it happened to be her lucky day, was no other than Federico.

Ally pushed back and blushed. She had just felt her sister's ex-boyfriend's biceps and fantasized a bit about them. Could it be more awkward? Of course not.

She prayed he didn't notice. And he seemed not to notice or care—she didn't know which was better—since his face lit up in her presence but then turned into an alarmed one. He moved to grab her arm when she backpedaled.

She was pushed back into his orbit with the delicious smell and taut muscles. She would have inhaled deeper in order to catch a strong hint of his fragrance, but she was too distracted by his reaction. A frown marred her face.

And then, he squeezed her bicep back. It was soft and fast, but all her nerves felt it all over her body.

Her eyes widened as a blush spread across her cheeks, neck, and cleavage.

How mortifying.

Of course he'd noticed. And he's returning the action, believing that it was a secret message or code. Or maybe he's just playing along because he didn't want to make her uncomfortable with how she had groped his arms, and he's too kind and polite to say otherwise. And now, she'd have to—

"Hey, you okay there?" His green eyes squinted at her. He had to crane his neck down in order to see her. Still, she refused to lock gazes and looked down at the floor. "Ally?"

Ally inhaled and whacked her brain. Her fried brain refused to come up with ideas to escape. But squeezing his biceps was the most awkward thing, wasn't it? Maybe she could run away, and it would be more normal...

"Good reflexes there," Someone commented behind Ally. The voice was close as if the remark was directed at her. Her scowl deepened.

What—

"Thanks," Fede chuckled. His body rumbled in waves and Ally could feel the heat emanating from it. It was powerful and scalding. It could warm up a bed during cold, lonely nights.

Ally didn't know why she was thinking about beds and cold nights and Federico in the same thought.

She blamed her discombobulated state on the late hour and hunger.