Allison

My eyes fly open, and I'm wrenching myself out of the bed before I can even draw a breath.

I whirl around in a circle checking the room and verifying that I am alone. I realize I'm shaking, my chest heaving with deep shuddering gasps.

What the hell happened?!

I can remember everything perfectly, and yet clearly exhaustion had raddled my brain last night because I was acting like a completely different person.

Slowly, I sit back down on the bed and try to gather my thoughts together.

At least I woke up alone.

My eyes flit to the old wooden desk next to the bed unwittingly, and I swallow in a way that sounds more like a gulp.

What was I thinking, I berate myself, I fell asleep in a room with a total stranger after I let him buy me a bed and dinner. Seriously. Just sign me up for an episode of Crime Watch Daily because at this rate I'm destined to become a statistic.

Thinking along those lines, I stand up and pad barefoot across the rough carpet and turn the knob of the door.

Satisfied its locked, I turn and slowly walk to my backpack leaning innocently against the desk chair.

My fingers unzip the bag, and then I dig through the dusty clothing until there, at the bottom of the bag, I find the socks that hold the entirety of my money. I pull out the bundle and count it, my disbelief rising steadily.

"Its all there," I say aloud to myself, not sure I can believe it. My voice sounds a little rough and scratchy and suddenly I realize that I am thirsty. Like stomach clenching, teeth aching, dry throat thirsty.

I stand up from where I was kneeling next to my bag after replacing the money and take stock of myself.

I feel ok, better actually than I have in a while. I haven't let myself sleep that soundly in so long.

I don't allow myself to think about the reason I felt safe enough to do so. Golden eyes flash through my mind with a curved smile and that rich raucous laugh. Nope, definitely not thinking about that.

I snatch up the water bottle sitting conveniently by the bed and down the whole thing, quieting the burning in the back of my throat.

What had happened this morning? I muse, starting to dig through the bag for clothing after I toss the bottle in to the waste basket. I pull some shorts and a t-shirt from my bag, my mind wandering off.

In fact, I pause momentarily struck, What time is it anyways?

I cross the room and pull open the heavy curtains to peer down to the street below.

This town is so weird.

The sidewalks are packed with people going about their day to day activities it seems, hollering back and forth, and raising up hands in greetings to friends passing by.

I can see cloth bags in several people's hands filled with groceries and across the street the customers mill about in front of the bank. Overall, it's a perfectly normal scene; except its like 9 o clock at night.

What is even open at this hour other than bars and fast food joints?

A whole town apparently.

I step back and let the curtains fall closed. Thoughtfully, I strip from yesterday's wear and pull on my new ensemble that exposes as much flesh as possible without looking trashy. New Mexico is so hot that my northern blood is starting to boil.

I suppose I'm not complaining though. I shrug to myself even though no one is around to witness it.

I am a bit of a night owl. When I get a place it would be kind of nice to be amongst like minded people.

Even the bank is open late!

Not that I have a bank account. I consider as I cross over to the bed and sit down again, but I could get one. Its as I am sitting down that I realize where my thoughts are leading.

I am thinking about staying.

It sounds right though, for the first time in my life I feel like I can belong somewhere. It's a strange feeling, one that doesn't make any sense. And yet its there, humming in my chest like a purring cat. A sense of deep contentment that is beginning to settle in my bones.

A sudden knock on my door jolts me back to the present and I jump up. Thinking about angry receptionists and potential hotel assaults, I open the door cautiously and peek out. And then groan quietly under my breath.

Warner stands there grinning cheekily at me in the dimly lit hallway with what looks like a box of pizza in one hand. I try not to let the delicious smell of melted cheese make me drool as I realize that once again I am starving.

"What a lovely surprise," I say dryly, opening the door wider to allow him in. I lean against the door way in an impressively casual display despite the fact that my eyes are drinking him in like a woman lost in the desert. Pushing that particular thought out of my head, I turn to follow him in to my room where he has sprawled out on my unmade sheets.

"Pizza?" He offers, opening the box to show me a large meat lovers dripping in grease and pepperoni. The smell of sausage fills the room and my eyes take in the bacon bits liberally decorating the cheese.

I think I'm in love.

With the pizza that is.

"Its my favorite," I say unexpectedly delighted, and I hop over to the seat next to the bed reaching for a slice. The pizza is hot and greasy and cheesy and I moan in heavenly bliss.

Heaven is made of pizza sauce and melted mozzarella by the way.

"I had a feeling it would be," He grins fiercely at me and leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists as he watches me devour the food. "I also had a feeling you would be hungry, you've been sleeping for more than 13 hours."

I nearly choke on my food, but I wouldn't dare sin against pizza like that so instead I reach for another slice. "So, what is the deal with this town," I say conversationally between bites, "I looked outside, and it might as well be noon on a Sunday out there right now."

            He shrugs watching me eat in a weirdly intense manner, "This town has a diverse population, enough that most places tend to be open 24 hours with plenty of folks willing to work to keep the businesses open."

            I absorb that for a moment and think about reaching for a fourth slice before I hesitate, wondering if I was supposed to be sharing. I may be small, but I can pack away my food. Honestly, it tends to make guys uncomfortable.

He pushes the box closer to me. "Eat," he commands, and I eagerly comply because, well, Pizza.

"What I really want to know is more about you," He tells me, leaning forward just a little bit more. His amber and gold eyes focus in on me and for a moment I wonder if this is what a rabbit feels like when it comes face to face with a predator.

I shift a little bit, "Um what do you want to know?" I ask thickly, struggling to swallow the pizza around a suddenly dry throat.

Apparently, the answer to that was everything.

We range in topics from my parents, or lack thereof all the way through to my many foster parents. We talk about my childhood, the places I grew up, the things I liked and the things I didn't. Old friends, old boyfriends, old enemies. He even seems interested in old pets.

It's flattering to feel like someone wants to know so much about my life, but I can't help but to wonder the motivation because lets face it. My life is not that interesting.

I'm chewing on the last slice when he asks a question I'm not expecting, "So that temper tantrum last night with the receptionist...You have those often?" My gaze flits to his, and I see the quiet laughter written all over his face.

My own heats up with embarrassment as I drop my eyes back to my food.

"Ehh," I hem and haw gnawing slowly and carefully on my last bite. "It happens sometimes, but I usually have better control," I grin weakly at him, "I was pretty cranky last night."

"Were you?" He feigns surprise and it makes me chuckle.

I toss the last bite of crust into my mouth and stand up and stretch. He mimics my actions and I definitely don't look at the smooth muscled skin that is revealed by his shirt lifting up over the hem of his jeans.

Feeling heat rising to my cheeks, I gesture awkwardly to the door unsure where to go from here with the mysterious stranger who seems to delight in feeding and interrogating me.

"So what are you doing tonight," He smiles disarmingly at me, and I feel him tugging at me with those gorgeous eyes again so I keep my gaze firmly planted on his sculpted jaw and shrug.

"Oh, I figured maybe I would go look around the town. I definitely don't feel tired anymore and its still a long ways before tomorrow when I can look in to getting another ride."

Something flashes in his eyes but its gone as soon as it appears and he reaches a hand out to curl around mine, tugging me unexpectedly close.

"Well then I guess you're free to come with me." My heart stutters painfully in my chest, and I avoid the piercing pull of his eyes since I am pretty sure this guy can do some kind of weird mind juju.

Its more than a little disturbing that I am not as disturbed as I should be by this.

Doesn't that mean that I must be a little disturbed?

My head hurts now and I try not to think about it. Instead, I attempt to wiggle free of the arm Warner has around my own and try to keep from opening my mouth and inhaling because, damn, whatever cologne he is wearing tonight is intoxicating.

He obligingly releases my hand and instead wraps a long arm around my waist grinning at my annoyed little grunts. Is he testing me?

This would be cute if it wasn't becoming obnoxious. Every time I shimmy free from one hold he wraps his arms around tighter.

It's becoming more and more clear that I'm slowly being brought closer and that he thinks this is just hilarious.

"Okay, seriously," I bite out through clenched teeth even as the corners of my lips are quirking, "This whole play the Octopus Tentacle game with Allison is getting frustrating and annoying as hell."

He is so close now that when he speaks his breath ruffles my hair and when he shifts his thighs I have to move mine accordingly to avoid toppling over.

"Its only annoying for you because you are the one losing." Abruptly, he pulls both of us backwards to fall on to my bed, and when I shriek and try to thrash away to regain my balance he only holds me tighter. Which is why I'm now splayed over him while his laughter causes both of our bodies to vibrate with the force of it.

Scowling, I put my hands on the hard planes of his chest and push up to a sitting position. I sit like this for a moment glaring at the ceiling while he continues to let out an uproarious yell of glee that really starts to tick me off since he is obviously pleased with himself

Deciding that feminist glory is at stake here, I counter attack suddenly with a pillow and promptly shove the thing into his face, still not sure if I plan to smother him or just make him shut up. Regardless, it definitely works and he lets out a muffled shout of surprise.

I brace myself as he wriggles underneath me, and now I'm the one shrieking with laughter.

Realizing that he literally might not be able to breath I relax my death grip on the pillow and allow him to pull it off to see me, arms crossed, lording above him with a smug look of my own.

Its at that moment that the AC kicks on in the hotel with a low hum and the curtains that are hanging over the vent begin to sway. There are beams of light slipping in from where I left the curtains ajar, and it hits me in the face causing me to look up mid chuckle, my smile sliding away.

The moon is breathtaking.

A heavy silver orb floating in the sky, its shimmering light feels like its caressing my skin where it touches me, and I feel a shiver creep through my entire being.

Suddenly, my head feels heavy, and when I look back down at a suddenly still Warner beneath me my desires shift.

I'm now distinctly aware of the heat of his hand resting on my waist, and the fingers that were curled around my wrist that are bracing me above him.

I lean a little closer realizing that delicious smell of his was so much stronger now and I dive into the molten gold pools of his eyes.

I'm licking my lips as my hair falls over my shoulder to curtain us from the world and the intimacy makes me shudder with a pleasure that continues to shoot all through my body.

I want to be closer, I realize dreamily, and my body moves of its own accord in a desperate bid to fulfill that need.

My thighs move to shift my hips lower, bringing my body flush against the hardness of his own, my mouth parts as I move closer to his lips and the promise that is held there.

One of his hands leave my waist to cup my face. "Allison," he growls softly, "Allison look at me"

"I am looking," I murmur throatily leaning in further to nuzzle his neck. I breath in deeply taking in the rich scent of pine and cinnamon and something distinctly male.

Distinctly Warner.

The thought makes my body send out a pulse of desire that rushes through me, inciting every nerve ending bringing tingles across my skin. I press my lips to the heartbeat hammering in his neck and I feel him stiffen beneath me as one hand pillows into my hair clenching into a tight fist.

"Allison," He growls again, louder this time, and the rich timbre and subtle accent of his voice makes my heart beat faster. My eyes are heavily lidded with pleasure as I draw back to look at him.

"Warner," I purr, pressing a kiss against his wrist. I feel his resolve weakening as the grip around my wrist lessens and instead slides around my waist to press against the small of my back, pressing me closer to him.

I hum in approval and lean in again to finally taste his lips when suddenly he flips us over so that his body is pressing me into the mattress, his face inches from my own. My legs wrap around his waist of their own accord and the grip in my hair tightens as his eyes bore down into my own.

"Allison," He snarls pressing into me with his golden  gaze.

I'm helpless to look away from the dominant power held there. "Allison, snap out of it."

The command rings through me, hammering into my mind with a force much more powerful than this morning and it finally cuts through the silver haze that was holding me hostage.

My restless body stills beneath him suddenly and he slowly lets go and backs away from me with his hands held up in a gesture of surrender.

I sit straight up off the bed, my heart hammering and my throat constricting convulsively as a slow, painful blush creeps through me.

What. The. Hell.

Unable to sit there for a second longer, I leap up off the bed and rush past him. I sprint out of the room, and past the hotel lobby that is blissfully empty, my bare feet padding on old carpet.

I heave myself through the glass doors and out in to the cool of the evening.

I need to leave, to go anywhere really. Anywhere that isn't around him.

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