After Effects

Chapter 54 • After Effects

I bit my lip as I glanced down.

"It's really small."

"There's only one bed."

I looked over at Riddian who was drenched from head to toe and then down at myself who was no different.

"I guess it'll have to do," I murmured, stepping further inside the small motel room followed by a groaning Riddian.

The 'storm-off-into-a-city-you-don't-know' thing didn't work out so well in case that wasn't yet obvious. Turns out I had really left on the road going away from home and Riddian had knowingly followed me. Then, after walking for— we still have no idea how long— we had eventually gotten lost on a lonely road with nothing in sight apart from woods upon woods and no way of communicating with anyone since our things had been left in the car.

As if that wasn't enough though, the rain started pouring next and we had to run blindly until we found this little motel place. Much to Riddian's dismay, I had to beg the owners for a room for the night because we really didn't have any kind of valuables with us and they didn't recognise Riddian to trust in his oath to pay later. Plus to make matters even worse, it was a thunderstorm that was going on outside and so the power was out and light was only provided by some blindingly dull oil lamps they lit up.

"You know, this is all your fault," I heard Riddian grumble after I had released my heels from my hand and into a corner of the room, shrugging off his dinner jacket which he had leant me, into a chair. We were obviously still a little angry about the conversation earlier but the rain had beaten most of it out and now there were other things to argue about.

I rolled my eyes and turned to him with crossed arms. I may be a bit exhausted but I had some words for him. What I almost didn't have is composure when I turned to give him those words and looked at him...

He was freaking emanating the dark and handsome vibe at the moment with his hair wet and hanging over his eyes, the dim light of the lamps casting shadows over his God-blessed facial features and even giving his sea coloured eyes a stormy grey tint to them. The fact that his jacket was gone now and his wet shirt had the first three buttons undone and was showing all the features of his biceps and abdominal area was... stimulating. And we were in a small motel room... just us two... with dimly lit lamps surrounding us and creating the perfect starting of a sensual evening-

I screamed in my head.

What the heck was wrong with me? I needed to-

"I am sure I told you not to follow me and this is the exact reason for that," I argued, and yes it was a perfect distraction! Granted, I had to ignore how his arms flexed when he turned to close the door behind us and then turned back to me.

"If I had not followed you, you might've been dead by now. Running away without a thought of where you're going or what you're wearing?" he said back, running his eyes over me, even lingering in some places that made my heart flip. "A stupid move Ms. Harrington."

"And you care, why? If you were just going to follow me and protect me as you so imply, why did you do so just to complain about it?"

"Because whether you think so or not, I actually like sleeping at night and I'd rather do that than have to worry about who's going to get my coffee in the morning. You have already made my life hell, I don't need you making it any worse."

I scoffed. Well there goes the stimulation...

"Typical!"

"For saving your life? Why yes. I've been doing that for a while now haven't I?"