Mine

Chapter 1

It was nearing midnight when Arai Roberts woke from a restless sleep to tend to a parched throat in the Pennsylvanian heat. Without bothering with any of the lights, the half-asleep college freshman sluggishly dragged her uncoordinated limbs towards the small kitchen area in the humble dorm room. She took a long slug of water from a bottle. One look at Kate’s empty bed and Aria knew her friend wasn’t in yet. She sighed. Well, a Friday night date with her boyfriend did give her an ample excuse. Stifling a yawn with the back of a hand, she placed the bottle back of the counter just as the cap went undone and rolled onto the floor with an unceremonious clink in silent room.

Aria groaned and kneeled down onto the wooden floor to hunt blindly for the plastic piece. She heard a rustle suspiciously from the window behind her. Aria froze. Don't be silly, it's just the tree outside your window, she reasoned swallowing down a surge of panic. Without retrieving the cap, she stood slowly, prepared to run to her side of the room and jump under the covers. Although this case might seem to prove otherwise, Aria wasn't one to get spooked easily. In fact, not much did ever scare her. But something about a new place, midnight; alone and a very creepy window created a sense of irrational fright which gripped her like a vice.

The tell tale sound of the window being pulled open left her shell shock. Run; get the knife from the lower drawer; prepare for that Ti-chi kick Brad Pitt used in Mr. and Mrs. Smith! Do anything! A voice inside her head screamed. But Aria couldn’t so much as move. Her breath came shallow, and her palms were getting sweaty. Déjà-vu, a small helpless voice in the corner of her mind addressed her.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, just as she felt a tall body press behind her.

‘Hey babe.', a deep voice cooed just as a pair of warm lips close over the side of her neck.

That snapped her out of her frantic thoughts. Her online self defense training snapped into action. She picked up her leg and brought it down harshly on where she thought the intruder’s instep would be. It did more harm than good since she was barefoot and her intruder wasn’t. Never the less, it surprised him and his hands loosened around her waist.

Step two. Aria pulled her elbow and let it swing back to hit a wall of muscle. A muffled curse left filled the room before the back of her closed fist met the side of his face with a loud 'thap’. Her intruder staggered back and Aria spun around on her heals. The sequence wasn’t as smooth and precise as Angelina Jolie's in Salt, what with all the fumbling around in the dark but one can’t be too picky while fighting for their life now, can they?

Aria looked at her assailant, or whatever of him she could see in the dark. He was slightly hunched over clutching his recently attacked face. Even in his hunched form, he was a good six inches taller than her. But then most people are big to you. No! Not the time to become depreciating of your height! She mentally scolded herself.

‘What the-‘, he growled, a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Bring it home, Roberts. Aria swung her leg back, gaining momentum before snapping her knee forward. Thank you takethat!defenseclasses.com guru, she thought a little too early as her intruder, who seemed to have some practice in the area self defense, caught her knee before it hit his groin. She stood there on one leg for a comical moment, before she pulled a hand back to punch the trespasser in the face. Before her fist could connect with his jaw, he yanked her leg farther up. With her equilibrium lost, Aria lurched back with a surprised yelp. Strong arms closed around her and she kicked out; one of her legs finding a denim clad shin, disturbing the fragile balance that was keeping them both up.

‘s**t!’, the hoarse curse left his mouth just as the two of them tumbled down onto the hardwood floor.

‘Get off me!’, Aria yelled, frantically trying to wriggle out from under his heavy body pinning her down.

‘Calm down!’, the intruder whisper-yelled, as he levered himself onto his elbows.

It was then that they heard voicing from the hallway; voices that were suspiciously coming closer towards Aria’s dorm room.

‘I’m telling you I saw someone climbing up that ledge-‘, the undeniably loud voice of her dorm in charge floated up the hallway. Aria could almost feel her intruder panicking and as witnesses approached. Ha! Chicken! She mentally jeered, waiting for her backup to come bursting in through the door. He pulled himself up onto his palms, trying to untangle their tangled limbs, as the door burst open.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the kitchen area of the dorm was situated near the door, and their Royal Rumble had landed them right in front of the door. Both heads snapped up as the front door flew open letting in the light from the hallway and exposing them to the view of their audience.

Beatrice ‘Dragon Lady’ Morris was standing in the entry way in all her nighttime glory. Her ugly pink flannel robe was clumsily wrapped around her chubby frame and her thinning auburn hair was pulled up into rollers on top of her head. One hand rested dynamically on one hip as her face scrunched up into an ever present frown.

She took a step into the room and flicked a switch, bathing the room in a soft glow. Aria involuntarily shut her eyes tight, her eyes slowly adjusting to the abrupt light in the room.

‘What is going on here?’, Miss Morris boomed in an accusatory tone. Aria reopened her eyes to find Dragon Lady fuming with both hands on her hips now. How is scary even when she looks like a clown? she thought distractedly.

‘Mr. Cavanaugh.’, the elderly woman seethed. And then her eyes flicked over to Aria, with something almost akin to fury in her eyes.

Aria's mind was reeling wondering how Miss Morris was acquainted with her intruder, but her thought process came to a screeching halt when she caught the look in the eyes of the fitful woman looming over them.

Why is she mad at me! I'm the asaultee here, woman! she thought, helplessly trying to gauge the mood of her dorm in-charge. For the first time Aria looked up at her intruder, who for some odd reason was yet to fully dislodge himself from over her. His face was turned towards the door and she could only see the side of his face; his disheveled raven hair, proud long nose, angular jaw dusted with a slight five-o-clock shadow. Damn, she thought mindlessly. Get a grip, girl! she snapped at herself. She looked lower. Then it clicked.

His white buttoned up shirt was undone halfway revealing a strip of tanned, muscular skin. His hands were placed on either side of her shoulders and their legs were intertwined. Only then did Aria look down at herself. A horrified gasp escaping her lips, as she examined her predicament. Her oversized DORK sweatshirt had somehow ridden up to her waist during their tumbling session leaving her stomach and legs completely exposed keep for the small pair of bikini bottoms she had worn to bed.

No funny business. Of any sort. Miss Morris' stern words from orientation reverberated in her mind.

Eyes wide, she looked back up at the outraged woman at her door and then back at herself. Oh no, this does not look good, Aria squealed.