A Terrible Misunderstanding (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 6)

A part of him was proud of her for her sheer strength and determination in the face of adversity, but he knew that feeling anything for this woman, even pride, was a foolish thing to do. What he did feel was frustration, and he tried to focus on that, and ignore the wild flurry of attraction that slammed into his midsection with more ferocity than the thug had ever managed to do. It swept aside his common sense, logical reasoning, and every ounce of self-preservation he had ever possessed. Without thinking, he stepped over the thug at their feet. Once standing toe-to-toe with her, Niall slid a hand around to cup the back of her neck with every intention of peering down into her face and re-iterating his orders, but as their faces drew close, an urge as wild as the thunderous night sky took hold.

The awareness that had appeared between them earlier sudden manifested into something different. Its ephemeral presence hovered and teased, wrapped around them and entwined them, drawing them together as one. It created a bond unlike anything he had ever realised was possible. While every survival instinct he had ever possessed warned him to focus on the thug, nothing could force him to put any distance between him and the woman before him. He was stunned by how much he wanted her, Clara Potter. The one woman in the whole of England he knew he couldn’t touch.

Despite everything screaming at him to release her and drag her back into the house, Niall remained where he was. He couldn’t release her. He couldn’t force either of them to move. He was held firmly where he was by the tense awareness which slowly but steadily bound them into a unit. It created a shield that protected them from the world around them, the storm they were in, the house that was achingly close by, and even the thug at their feet. Inside their little world of unity morphed a passion which cascaded over them and stole all thoughts. Common sense was tugged away by the relentless breeze swirling around them. Awareness of the raging storm, the dangers that lurked nearby only fanned the flames of desire, which roared into life and threatened to consume them both when Niall lowered his head.

Lips slid together, sampling, tasting, coaxing. When Niall knew he should push her away and leave, his traitorous arms slid around her and tugged her closer. His remaining thoughts were that he had to keep her at arm’s length, but while his head told him to leave, his heart refused to allow it. Wild horses couldn’t tear him away. The storm, the thug held little importance given the magnitude of what was happening right now with this woman who was so delectably tempting that resistance was futile.

As rain pummelled them both, drenching them, neither felt the cold. Neither of them was aware of any discomfort from any element of Nature’s storm. They were protected by the roaring flames of passion which warmed them both from within and encompassed them in a wildfire that was all-consuming.

A shiver of something startlingly like adoration shivered across her shoulders. Clara immediately dismissed any possibility that she could ever be attracted to someone so heathen, but she was. Her heart pounded that little bit faster when Niall’s arms slid around her. Her fingers itched to touch him to see if he was real and compelled her to slide her hands up her chest, but only so she could hold on to his broad shoulders and steady her tremulous world. In those moments, she knew she was memorising this moment, and tucking it away somewhere in the deeper recesses of her heart. She knew without doubt that his face and what they were doing were going to haunt her dreams for many nights to come but no matter how many sleepless nights it brought her, she couldn’t be sorry. She would never regret it. Not this. Not this moment. Not being with Niall in this way.

She had never felt this way before. Clara had never even believed she had the ability to feel such deep emotion. She had never been this close to any man before who had the ability to turn her world upside down like this, but Niall did. Strangely, she wasn’t at all sure that she regretted the changes it brought within her. After tonight, Clara knew that her life would never be the same. She could never be the same.

I wonder if this is what love feels like?

When a bolt of lightning lit the sky directly above their heads, the loud crack that came with it made them both instinctively flinch. Niall lifted his head to stare down at the sodden woman in his arms but felt something flip and tighten in his chest. It was wholly unexpected and completely unwelcome, not least because it went against everything he was. He worked for the Star Elite, a fighting organisation. He had never romanced a woman in his life and didn’t intend to ever start.

But this is Atticus Potter’s daughter. She will expect me to romance her if I kiss her anymore.

“Mother of God, what have I done?” he whispered.

He hadn’t ever seen anything so earthy, so stunningly captivating as Clara Potter did right there and then. It was difficult to let her go but he knew he ought, not least because they were going to get struck by the next bolt of lightning if they stayed where they were.

More than a little shaken by what had happened, and just how much Clara Potter had managed to stir him in a short space of time, Niall forced himself to step back. Running a hand through his drenched hair, he stared down at her with eyes that were somewhat accusing.

“You might want to stand out here all night, but I am getting wet. Get inside, you damned fool, before you get struck by lightning,” he growled.

A

s if to prove the threat was real, a rumble of thunder rattled the sky directly over their heads. Clara looked up at the storm clouds which were briefly lit by an answering flash of lightning before they were encased in darkness once more. She didn’t know what to think. When she looked at him again Clara realised that Niall was as wild as they storm they were facing. She suspected he would lash out just as fiercely at someone or something that challenged him and threatened his life or the lives of the people he cared about. Despite this ferocity, the wild almost uncivilised side to him, something warm and softening began to blossom to life deep within her. It brought her an inner warmth around her heart that was not altogether unappealing. In a strange kind of way, it was wildly thrilling because she knew it was going to bring her challenges in the future; challenges that would force her to contemplate life and what she wanted from it. She was intrigued to know what the emotions that coursed through her were. Was it love? It couldn’t be possible to fall in love with someone so quickly, could it? She was definitely attracted to Niall, but was it enough?

Whatever it was that had compelled her to savour the last few moments in his arms, Clara knew it was foolish to feel any affection for Niall, no matter whether he was with the Star Elite or not. He was a stranger; a man who was likely to ride out of her life and consider her nothing more than a passing fancy. She, however, could never be the same again.

“Now what?” she whispered.

Niall sighed because he couldn’t answer her. He couldn’t make her promises. They had only just met and were complete strangers. It was a little shocking that she didn’t seem to want to dismiss what had just happened as driven by mere circumstance like he did. Instead, she was asking for an explanation.

But that is something I cannot give her because I don’t know what in the Hell is happening.

“Now you have to get back inside while I deal with him. It is best you are not out here when he wakes up,” Niall warned, his face as stern as it was possible to make it.

This time, Clara knew she had to get back inside and fully intended to do just that, but before she could take a single step, the thug suddenly lunged to his feet, appearing between them with a swiftness that was shocking. Rather than try to grab Clara again, he doubled over and tried to tackle Niall, but Niall was in no mood for him. He immediately slammed a fist into the man’s face with a force that contained all his inner fury at himself. He didn’t hold back, even though Clara was standing next to them. A part of Niall wanted her to see the brutality of his life because he didn’t want her to see him as some sort of romantic hero. He was a man; someone who liked his life in the shadows. He wasn’t going to give it up for her or any other woman for that matter and the quicker she realised that she sooner she might be prepared to get inside where she belonged.

“Go!” He commanded her over his shoulder. He paused long enough to slam a boot against the side of his opponent’s head. When he was on his knees, Niall threw Clara a look over his shoulder only to see something that made him scowl darkly at her.

“I am not some God damned toy,” he growled. “Don’t you dare look at me like that.”

Clara blinked. She had no idea that her thoughts had been so blatantly displayed on her face. She immediately tried to make her face as impassive as possible, but it was damned difficult when she looked up only to find Niall standing almost toe-to-toe with her once more. She made no apology for being curious about him and, if she was honest, wanting to kiss him again.

He doesn’t seem too averse to kissing me.

Niall stared at her and waited only to sigh in disgust when Clara’s telling gaze dropped to his lips again. He knew what she was silently waiting for but refused to give her what she wanted – again. His common sense had been damaged enough as it was.

“Damn you,” he growled.

With one last dark look at the man at their feet, Niall stepped over the thug and swept Clara off her feet. Once high in his arms, he began to stomp angrily toward the house. He was as livid as hell for allowing the blackguard to get this close to the property. He knew why he had failed; he had been thinking about Clara. That made Niall even angrier because he had never allowed any woman to affect his ability to do his job before. But Clara had distracted him the instant he had set eyes on her. What annoyed him even more was the realisation that she was most probably going to worry him for a long time yet to come and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do about it.

“Who is in the house?” he demanded when the sound of voices was carried past them by the wind.