Winter had come early that year leaving the air unusually chilly for an October night.
At least it is not raining, Rosaline thought, wrapping the light jacket tightly around herself while she hurried through the park. The zipper had broken two days ago but between classes and her part time job at the hospital she hadn't found the time yet to fix it. It had been a gift of her grandmother's when she left for college. The bright red color had faded some during the past four years but the well-worn material proved still a gentle reminder of a childhood she was reluctant to let go of.
The chilly wind bit into her cheeks as she hurried across the park, scolding herself once again for staying until closing time at the library. Taking the shortcut through the park across the street was now her only chance for catching the last bus.
He heard the hurried steps, caught her scent on the wings of the wind long before his eyes had spotted the girl through the thick bushes planted next to the sidewalk. She smelled sweet, of rose petals and powdery soap and underneath them of innocence. He could tell that the night was getting to her, making her nervous and afraid, her pulse a loud thunder in his ears even from afar.
Trying her best to ignore the flickering street lights above her head and the mysterious shadows of the oak trees around her she pressed forward, as fast as her feet would carry her.
The rustling of branches suddenly caught her attention, making her heart pound.
The wind. It must have been the wind, she confirmed with a determined frown on her face. Just the wind blowing or a stray cat wandering around. No reason to turn paranoid!
A twig snapped and he was upon her in a moment, crushing her body unto the ground, the air leaving her lungs under the weight of the massive body towering over her frame. The iron grip upon her mouth condemned the girl to mute struggles, kicking and squirming, angry fists banging her attacker's solid chest in vain.
What a prize she looked hot and flushed with effort, fear and fury animating her eyes and pale skin with the soft glow of passion. The man above her growled low in his throat, his lust and hunger for the lively creature struggling underneath him fueled by the desperate anger radiating from her every move. How nicely she whimpered, her breath hot against the naked flesh of his palm. Good thing he decided to forgo the gloves, preferring the touch of naked skin on skin, hot, sweaty and so soft, rubbing against his bare hand.
His lips traced the gentle curve of her jaw line, brushing against her angry face, nuzzling her furious cheeks with surprisingly soft kisses.
"Easy there ... easy now." A seductive murmur caught her attention through the fog of desperation that settled around her as all of her struggles seemed to be in vain.
A glimpse of amber eyes, hypnotizing with an underlying sensuality she didn't quite understand. They sent a shiver of awareness running down her spine and shook her frame when his body pressed intimately against hers. Even through many layers of clothing she could feel the heat radiating from his flesh as his weight settled upon her, pressing her body into a soft pillow of grass. A warm flush spread through her system despite the cold ground against her back and the chilly caress of fear teasing her senses even through all of his sensual distractions.
He covered her, completely. Immobilizing her with his impressive frame and weight as much as his steady golden gaze. His eyes enchanted her, so unusual, unlike any she had ever encountered and yet soothing away her rational fear with the silent promise of heat and passion far beyond her understanding.
Perhaps if she had been more experienced in the ways of men, she would have recognized that look for the raw need and pure longing it had been. The need of a man for the woman he desired. The hunger of a predator for his prey.
In her innocence and confusion all she saw though was the possessive claim of a stranger, the forceful attack she had always dreaded. The haunting eyes of a rapist.
A loud thud echoed through the deserted park and the stranger got knocked of her as suddenly as he had appeared.
Rosaline's shriek, no longer muffled by her attacker's hand, reflected the terror unfolding in front of her eyes as she scrambled backwards, bumping against the thick trunk of an age old tree.
The fight was furious and wild, making her heart race with newfound panic. She saw the two man launch at each other, wresting on the ground, the guttural sounds of their anger filling the air.
Run! Run, damn it, her mind kept screaming but she was unable to move.
She watched them in awe, both of the dark figures strong, furious, unyielding, moving faster than her eyes could follow, one punch after the other, against the trees, on the ground, hitting taught flesh, cracking bones, yet barely eliciting a groan of pain.
It was not fear that had her paralyzed she realized with shock. She found herself fascinated by their fighting. Males, powerful, strong, hurting each other. Over her. For her.
She didn't notice licking her lips, how her breathing grew shallow at the idea. Instead Rosaline swallowed hard and shuddered with disgust at the very thought of arousal not being far away from her mind at the sight of such brutal onslaught.
Ashamed by these alien feelings she turned her head away from the fight, shutting her eyes tightly. She felt hard nipples rub against the fabric of her bra with the slightest movement though.
God! What kind of a sick freak would get off on a show like that?
She jerked her arm away instinctively as soon as she felt the tentative touch.
"No! Don't!" Rosaline protested against groping hands, sliding over her face, her neck, legs and arms, searching, probing, easily avoiding her punches, finally clamping down on her wrists and swiftly drawing her up from the ground.
"You're not hurt."He stated, a strong arm sneaking around her waits, steadying her on wobbly knees.
She looked around the small clearing, noticing broken branches and torn bushes, the only indications of the earlier fight. Her attacker was nowhere in sight.
"He's gone."
It was the first time she dared to peer up at the face of the man standing next to her. Fear and confusion lost the battle against her curiosity.
Tall. That was her first impression as she had to tilt her face up to meet his eyes. He wasn't handsome in the classical sense, but his features were strong, angular, giving him the air of someone older than his twinkling green eyes would have suggested. Dirty blond hair fell into his face in unruly tresses, covering most of his forehead.
"Thank you. For saving me."she breathed out, finally remembering her manners and scolding herself for staring.
His white teeth gleamed in the moonlit darkness of the night as a slow smile spread across his face, transforming the rugged plains of stubble into a boyishly handsome grin.
"I can't remember saying anything about you being safe, sweetheart." He whispered, bringing his face close to hers.
Rosaline's pupils dilated as horror overshadowed her features. It couldn't be! Not again!
The smile crept up across his face until finally reaching his eyes, so close to her own. She felt his quite laughter against her cheek, seductively warm and inviting.
Rapists are toying with her and God, what is she thinking! She was definitely loosing her mind, Rosaline decided, trying to inch away from him.
He took a deep breath, his arm tightening around her waist. That little delight was going nowhere for now. Saved? Maybe. Safe? Not so likely.
"Doesn't a hero deserve a reward?" he asked in a low whisper against her lips.
Rosaline just stared at him. Unable to conjure up a clever reply, much less a scream for help. Thinking rationally seemed far away from her mind. She basked in his scent, earthy, like a rainy night with a hint of musky male essence to it. She soaked up the warmth of his breath like essential air for her own lungs, intoxicating herself with the spell of arousal. Male, strong, unyielding, hot and ready. She felt her body respond to his closeness in the most wanton ways.
Right then, right there, she wanted him more than her next breath.
Feeling his lips hover above hers in a titillating caress that had her flesh tingling she prepared for his passionate onslaught. Moments passed, his breath a warm caress against her lips but nothing more. Peering from underneath her lashes as her patience soon wore thin she was surprised by the heat in his eyes. Wild and wanting, demanding even beyond what she was capable of imagining. Yet he waited. He didn't take.
A reward, he had said. Understanding finally downing in Rosaline's lust fogged mind.
With a heated blush spreading across her cheeks she closed the distance between their lips in a gentle, tentative kiss.
Both of his arms wrapped around the girl instantly, imprisoning her in a tight embrace against the hard wall of his chest. Her kiss so light, so teasingly tender, the taste of her inexperience and innocence had him hunger for her only more. Sweet like honey and pure like the snow that started to fall around them in rich, perfectly sculpted little flakes. His lips coaxed hers open with ease, plundering the depth of her inviting mouth, teasing and conquering her tongue again and again. His heart beat thundered in his ears, pulsed in his loins and had him grinding into her lithe frame, wanting her to know, wanting her to feel his desire, his need, the undeniable passion that called out to her form the very depth of his soul.
Rosaline may or may not have heard the call but her lungs burned with the need for air by the time he finally released her lips. Her mind a whirl of emotions she gasped for air, struggling to regain her breath and holding onto this stranger for dear life.
Her lips were red and swollen with their shared passion, soft brown eyes clouded by the haze of desire, her cheeks glowed with lust and the heat of the moment. He had never seen anything more compelling than the lithe little brunette in his arms, her gentle curves molded against his rigid form, lax, overcome, perfectly giving and entirely submissive to his will.
A surge of pride rushed through him. She had been well worth the fight.
Rosaline's eyelids fluttered finally open, her mind still foggy with the passionate onslaught on her senses. She imagined still tasting him on her tongue, rich, deep, sinfully hot. Metallic, bitter.
Bitter? Her face instantly screamed alarm as she brushed the unruly tresses of hair from his face.
"You are hurt. Bleeding!"
Sure enough, there it was. A set of ugly bruises running from his jawline up along the side of his face. Blood trickled down his neck and along the side of his jaw, the same coppery blood she had tasted in his kiss.
"It will heal." He replied calmly with a placid smile, touched by her concern.
The stubborn frown gracing her forehead made his smile soon fade though.
"Yes, it will. Right after we get you in a hospital and have some imaging done. The sutures will only be temporary, just a few days."
His laughter echoed through the deserted park, surprising her and causing her to take a few steps back. Even that little distance seemed to have a sobering effect on her senses though.
"Just what is so funny?" She demanded with hands on her hips, forgetting all about her fear for a moment.
"You, my dear. Would get me a quick fixing, eh? But what if that is not the kind of reward I had in mind?"
