Safe and Sound

Chapter 4

'Did you finally believe my words and decided to demonstrate that you've indeed lost your mind?'

'I believe I apprised you to stay still and silent.'

'I believe I said that you have lost your mind.'

His glare was cold as the drifting snow as he eyed me dangerously.

'No, Mr. Linton, I haven't.'

'Oh yes? Then why the hell did you suddenly decide to be a corpse of the hanged man in the middle of the jungle.'

'Because there's a limbless reptile right behind us.'

My gaze travelled towards the ground. There was it, the thick green animal with black stipples, encircling us.

'You mean that snake. Hell's whiskers! That bastard. Why the hell did he surround us?' I looked at the animal without eyelids before me as I pointed my index finger towards it. 'Hey you, don't you dare to be formidable type. I'm not afraid of you. I am so gonna kill you with my bare hands.'

Saying that I sprinted towards the bloody animal, but before I could take a step or two, a pair of strong arms gripped my waist and pulled me closer to them. And yes, I collided with the stony hard chest of Mr. Rikkard Ambrose.

His lips brushed against my earlobe.

'Don't'

'Why, sir? Are you afraid of snakes?'

'No.'

'Then why are you standing as implacable as a marble statue and holding me back from killing the bloody snake? I'm not quite sure but do you have a snake phobia?'

'No, Mr. Linton, I don't have any obsessive fear. Snakes are innocuous animals, if you convince them that you won't harm them. I believe standing stiff may assure them that we have no-so intention to kill it. So now, be quiet if you want to keep your existence intact!'

I raised my eyebrow.

'I believe snakes can't hear.'

'Indeed, Mr. Linton. But if you intend to initiate a motion, let alone of your mouth, they might presume that you intend to kill them. Now, be silent!'

And so I was.

No, no, not because he had ordered me to do so, not because the poisonous snake right behind had encircled us but-

-because his index finger was on my lips once again. My body was on fire as I looked into his eyes. And, it was the biggest mistake of my life - no, not really - as I was lost in them. They were just like the ocean. Blue, cold and deep with variations in each layers and they drowned in their deepest depths, so deep that it was implausible to find the way back. His cold gaze somehow made me warm all over again.

I tried to say something, something that somehow could break the spell his eyes had casted, but there was no sound only my lips moved. His finger balmy pressed against my lips didn't help but took away the functions of my vocal chords. My voice was somewhere loafing back in London enjoying the brown succulent chocolate laying in the park with my sane mind. That fortunate little vocal!

I wanted him to move. Away and closer at the same time.

Congratulations, you've officially lost your mind, Lilly. Really, what are you thinking? Move away from him! He's a man! He's a chauvinist!

Oh how I wished I could comply with my feminist voice but with a mere brush of a finger of his, my heart, the traitorous little organ responsible for pumping blood, was little more active than usual. Well, a lot more nimble than usual. Oh yes, it was drumming wildly against my chest which resulted pumping more of blood throughout my body, inexplicably blasting a surge of euphoria in the process. I assert that I would have controlled if it wasn't involuntary. I would have killed it if it wasn't attached to my body. You know why? Because that bloody organ - literally and figuratively - was forcing me to just pull him closer and capture that part of his face which was the doorway of his cold voice and shut him up by placing mine on his.