Charmed Life

Crap. Crap crap crap.

I’d never been caught before. Not like this, anyway. I’d had to hide in a closet for over seven hours once. The owners, a young couple, had come home during lunchtime while I was still in the kitchen, so I ran and hid in the pantry. I’d waited until they’d gone out to dinner before coming out and leaving.

I actually did steal something that day. My stomach wouldn’t stop growling, and I didn’t want to get caught, so I quietly ate a power bar. I did leave a dollar on the pantry floor though, so technically, I paid them for it.

But this? He was standing right there! And he looked pissed as hell. That hockey stick looked like it could do some damage. I couldn’t get out of this with a dollar, that’s for sure.

I stared at him, and he stared back. I was in nothing but this damned towel and all my clothes were strewn across the bathroom tiles.

Fuck it.

I was just gonna make a run for it.

Making a mad dash towards the door, I pushed him hard and ran for the bedroom door. He was a lot firmer than I thought, but I managed to get past him.

“Oof!” He grunted, stumbling backwards. Clinging the towel tightly against my chest, I made it to the top of the stairs before I heard his pounding footsteps.

My heart was going a million beats per minute. This was bad. This was really, really, bad. What would I do if I did make it out of here? I had no shoes and no clothes. Was I really going to run all the way home in nothing but a towel?

I groaned as I remembered my keys and wallet, still in the pockets of my jeans.

But I didn’t care. I just needed to get out of there. The last thing I needed was for the police to get involved. Again.

So I ran. But he was fast. A quick glance behind and he was right on my heels.

“Ah!” I screamed as I barreled into the living room.

“Stop!” he yelled after me. “Just give me what you took!”

Seriously? Did it look like I was hiding something under this tiny towel?

Before I could explain to him that I didn’t actually take anything, I tripped on the corner of the couch and went sprawling onto the plush white carpet. For someone who liked to break and enter, I was uncharacteristically clumsy when it counted.

“Ugh!" I cried as the breath was knocked out of me. A second later, he was on top of me, sitting on my butt, holding my wrists together behind my back. My cheek was pressed firmly into the carpet. It was a good thing it was so soft.

“What did you take?” he demanded, breathing hard.

“Nothing!” I mumbled loudly against the ground, wriggling under his weight.

“Who are you?” he said forcefully, panting hard. “Why are you here? Did Ovechkin send you?”

What? Who?

Even in my state of distress, I could distinctly hear an accent in his voice. One I couldn’t quite place.

The towel was slipping off as I was pressed against the carpet, and I could feel the plush fabric tickle my bare skin. Any longer, and I’d be completely bare chested.

He didn’t seem like the type to take advantage of a girl. But then again, I was the one who broke into his house.

“No one sent me! Let me up!” I cried, struggling under his weight. He didn’t even budge.

“Answer me!”

“You’re heavy! I can’t breathe. Let me up and I’ll talk!” I shouted, my mouth still hindered from being pressed against the ground.

“You won’t run again?” he asked sternly.

“No,” I promised. I felt him get up as air rushed gratefully into my lungs. Clutching the towel, I got up awkwardly, keeping it against my chest. It was way too short on me, and I felt practically naked. I stood up as he sat back on the leather couch. He looked at me expectantly.

God, this was beyond humiliating. He didn’t look much older than me. Maybe in his early twenties. To be caught was mortifying, but by someone like him, so young and attractive, was just too much.

His grey eyes blazed into my green ones, and I felt my cheeks get hot. Why did he have to be so good-looking and tall and fit? Like this wasn’t bad enough? He couldn’t have been old and slow? Then maybe I could have made it out the door.

“Talk.”

Looking down, I shuffled my feet. Biting my lip, I looked up hesitantly. Maybe if I played it right, he’d let me go.

“I didn’t take anything,” I mumbled quietly.

He studied me quizzically. I saw his eyes wander down before quickly glancing up. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his dark hair.

“What are you doing in my house?”

I shrugged innocently. “Taking a bath?” I tried meekly. Again, he eyed the towel, and I felt a little bit enthusiastic. Maybe I could get away after all. He looked conflicted, and his eyes went everywhere but at me. It was like he was trying not to look at me.

“How old are you? You don’t look the type…” he mumbled the last part and I could barely hear him.

“Twenty,” I answered hotly, wrinkling my nose. I might break and enter, and yes, that was bad in itself, but I certainly didn’t steal. “And I didn’t take anything!”

He looked contemplative for a while. Then he sighed, resigned. “Sit down, I’m calling the police, they can handle you.” He got up then, heading for the kitchen.

No! Not the police!

“Wait,” I called after him desperately. But even I knew I couldn’t throw myself at a strange man, no matter how attractive he was, especially one who was about to get me arrested. Plus, he didn't exactly look interested. He paused, and turned to regard me. “Can I… can I get dressed first?”

He followed me right to the bathroom door. “Don’t try anything, I’m right outside.”

I rolled my eyes as I went into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. Dressing quickly, I went over my options. There was a window, and I knew it was either that or get arrested again.

I slid the window opened. This was classic, I usually entered through a window, but left through a door. Tonight, I’d be leaving through another window. Lucky for me, the bathroom window was above an awning, which I could safely step on. Hurriedly, I climbed out. At the edge, I sat down, letting my legs dangle over the driveway. It wasn’t that high. Maybe seven feet. And I was almost five nine. Looking back once, I took a deep breath and jumped, landing on my feet and falling painfully to one knee.

A small part of me kind of wanted to stay. He was that cute. And that accent. But another, bigger part, told the small part to shut the hell up and high tail it out of there before I had to spend the night in jail.

Brushing myself off, I took off into the night, not looking back. It wasn’t like I’d ever see him again.