Ghungroo - The Siren Call of Lovers (#1 - Completed)

Chapter 16 - Take Me Home

Chapter 16

My sobbing abates but his grip around me doesn't slacken. I feel warm and safe in his arms. I feel a warmth spread through me and become aware of the tingling feeling that begins radiating from the pit of my stomach. It's a feeling that's become fimilar to me ever since Riaan came back home.

Why now? Why must my body betray me now?

I can't have this happen now. Or ever. In my unpredictable state who knows what I could do. I am so aware of the fact that I could easily pick my head up and nuzzle further into him, slip my arms around his neck and pull his head down to my lips, wrapping mine with his and getting so very lost in him...

The warm smell of him is intoxicating. Clean sweat fused with his powdery fresh cologne. A pheromone teaser. Barely there, but enough of an aphrodisiac to get my insides to constrict and release in a maddening way.

I pull out of his embrace, hot and bothered and feeling a little bit ashamed. Riaan tried to comfort me after an awful ordeal and all I can think about is jumping his bones.

I giggle.

Gosh, I'm still pretty drunk.

I look up at Riaan's face. His eyebrows are raised in a questioning look.

"I...uh...I have a cab coming. Thank you for..."

Thank him for what exactly? Rescuing me? For comforting me? Holding me? I remember then that he had called me 'a silly child' and a bit of my previous irritation with him resurfaces.

"Thank you," I say with as much dignity that I can muster and leave it at that. I fold my arms across my chest, hugging myself as a way of regaining some form of composure. I feel like shit. I'm usually careful not to drink too much alcohol. Or at least pace myself. I'm not equipped with the ability to guzzle down a bottle of red and not feel queasy about it the following day.

It would be so much easier to blame Riaan for my present state. But, I know I'm wrong to do that. None of this is his fault.

A car arrives and pulls up next to the sidewalk. It's probably my cab. Before I can say good night and start walking to the taxi, Riaan lifts a hand up to stop me. He goes over to the car.

I see him chat with the driver for a bit. Then he reaches for his wallet. He takes out some notes and hands it over to the cabbie. The cab pulls away from the curb and disappears into the night.  He comes back to where I'm standing.

"I'm taking you home," he says. There's concern on his face.

I nod sheepishly. I feel flat. I'm in no shape to argue. Anything I say now will just sound slurry and dumb, further fueling his argument that I am in no condition to be out on my own.

At least that's what I think he's thinking right now.

Silly, drunk child!

"Can you make it to my car? It's just a little up the sidewalk from here."

I nod again. We walk in silence to his car. I've never concentrated this hard on walking a straight line in my life. He stops at a white car. It is a  Porsche. I know it's a Porsche because I see the emblem with the horse-thingie on it. Or is that the Ferrari logo? I'm not sure now. My knowledge and interest in cars is limited, but I'm guessing this must have cost a pretty penny either way. Porsche or Ferrari, it reeks of wealth. Of course, this is what Riaan would be driving.

He is after all Riaan Fredriche Zietman, heir to the Zietman fortune.

I want to giggle again, but I don't.