It was only the sting of pain in my palms that pulled me back to rational thought, and I gasped as I broke the kiss and pulled away from him. He leaned back and looked at me with a concerned expression. I must have had a look of horror or panic on my face because his next words surprised me.
“Are you okay, Chelsea?” he asked me tenderly. I reached for the crutches and stood from the couch. Zeke was immediately on his feet trying to help me.
“Please, just give me a moment. Please,” I begged of him. He remained where he was as I hobbled a few feet away. My back was to him, and I could not see the expression on his face, but I needed to gain my composure first. I took a few deep breaths to steady my nerves and try to calm my racing heart. Then turned to face him.
“What just happened? I mean, I know what happened, but the intensity. I…I…um…I don’t even know what to say. That has never happened to me before. I mean, I’ve kissed before, but that, it was like I had no control. Like we had done that a million times before. It felt like I knew you. That I belonged to you,” I finally managed to gasp out, shocked by my own words.
“Chelsea,” he said softly, but I held up my hand to stop him from saying more.
“No, please. I need some time. I just need some time to think. Can I use the shower in there?” I asked him, pointing in the direction of the bedroom where I had slept the night before.
“Would you rather I take you back to the resort? I mean, so you can have some clean clothes?” he asked softly. My head cocked to the side and I watched him closely. That really was a better idea, and I nodded at him.
“Okay, let me go grab your bag and shoes and then I’ll drive you,” he said, and then he left the room. I walked back over and sat down on the couch, dropping my face into my hands.
What in the world had just happened to me? And why did I always have to say exactly what I was thinking? I had been completely honest with him. I had lost complete control because it had felt so right. Being in his arms and having his lips on mine had felt like coming home, and that scared the hell out of me. I felt a chill run down my spine.
As much as it scared me, I also could not deny the idea that it had felt so right. Somehow, I knew that Zeke would never hurt me and that I had no reason to fear him, but the fact that I had never experienced anything like that before had me cowering. Had he been honest when he said that he felt the same thing? It was all so confusing, and I just could not wrap my mind around it.
When Zeke returned to the room, he had my backpack and hiking boots in his hand. He knelt on the floor in front of me and slipped my one boot on my good foot.
“You don’t have to do that for me,” I said quietly. He raised his head and his eyes met mine.
“I know, but I was being honest when I told you that I felt it too. The connection. It’s the reason that I offered to take you back now. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable with me. So, let me do this one last thing for you, okay?” he asked softly. I nodded my agreement, and he finished lacing up my boot.
When he finished, he held out his hand and I put my hand in his, allowing him to help me up from the couch. When the crutches were once again under my arms, I followed him through the house and into the garage. I didn’t know much about cars, but the silver Porsche that he led me to had my jaw dropping. It was a beauty, and I could definitely appreciate beautiful things.
He helped me get settled into the passenger seat, and then he wedged the crutches in beside me. Not the most comfortable, but it would do. As we made our way down the long, winding driveway, I looked back at the front of the house. It was massive.
“Your company obviously does well,” I said, breaking the silence that had settled between us. He grinned over at me and I could not help returning it with a smile of my own.
“Some of it is family money, but yes, the company does well,” he replied.
As he pulled out onto the main road, I watched out the window and took in the scenery around us. It was so vastly different from Kansas City, and we lapsed into a comfortable silence as I studied the landscape. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that it startled me when Zeke spoke.
“I’m sorry that things got awkward between us, but I don’t have any regrets,” he said in a voice that told me he meant it. I could not help smiling over at him.
“Regrets? Me either. It just…it scared me,” I replied softly. “It was intense.” He laughed and looked over at me.
“That is was,” he said. Then he reached for my hand. I slid my hand into his, and he turned his eyes back to the road.
Chapter 7
Ezekiel
When we got to the resort, I helped Chelsea from the car. Once she had the crutches settled, I followed her to her door. I was not leaving until I knew that she was safely inside. Hopefully, she would ask me to stay for
