Stranger

I shiver when I hear his voice roaring, Maisie notices it and comes near me, taking my hands in hers.

“What is he doing here?” I ask, perplexed as well as worried, and then I remember I actually heard the sound of a car’s door being slammed when I talked to him earlier.

“I don’t know, stay here while I go out and check…” I don’t wait for Maisie to finish her words as I make my way towards the door, I need to know why he is here, and why is he making a scene in front of our block.

I descend the stares hurriedly with Maisie trailing behind me, trying to convince me not to go down there but I ignore her words, I refused to meet him when he asked me to earlier because I felt I wasn’t ready, and who in the hell can feel ready to meet someone who had possibly hurt them, I don’t think I will ever be truly ready, then why wait until I am? Especially if he is right outside my block.

Stepping outside the block, I walk to the side where my window is located, where a black Mercedes is parked near the tree where I have seen the weird silhouette earlier.

My eyes are quick to find him, he can’t be easily missed anyway, not with his large frame, he is tall, with broad shoulders, the Armani suit he is wearing doesn’t hide the beauty of his body, especially with the way he is standing, proud and dignified, actually, now that i think about it, almost everything about him is breathtaking, but mostly his green eyes that quickly find mine.

I stop only few steps away from him, too absorbed in our little staring contest to notice anyone else, something about him was very…hypnotizing.

Something about him, made me forget about everything and everyone else as I only focuse on him, and surprisingly, I am not afraid, I am just, intimidated by his penetrating gaze, his hungry and passionate eyes and the way they looks at me.

“What are you doing here?” I hear Maisie hiss in front of me and I am pulled back to reality, mostly because he broke the eye contact with me to look quickly at Maisie with his sharp eyes before returning back to me.

“Get back inside, Natalia.”

“Who are you to order her?!” surprisingly, it isn’t Maisie that retorts, it is the man I just came to notice, focusing on him for a couple of seconds, I realize there is something familiar about him.

He is the silhouette I saw earlier, standing under the tree while watching my window!

I look at the man who looks back at me in a very weird way, there is something in his hazel eyes I can't decipher, he is a little out of shape, a bit shorter than Nate, his clothes are rather casual, especially if compared to Nathaniel’s Armani, he has a black beard with a descent amount of grey hair in it, but that is not it, there is still more about him that I can’t put my finger on.

Noticing my curious but wary eyes on him, the strange man takes a step towards me with a warm smile, but before I can take one back, a large body places itself between us, I am not able to see his face, only his large back, but i can hear his voice, his manly, dangerous but protective voice.

“Don’t you dare come near her.”

“Who is this?” I ask as Maisie comes to stand next to me, glaring at Nate, and God doesn’t she look fierce and dangerous now, completely different from the softy I was almost cuddling with not minutes ago.

“I don’t know, but I am about to find out.” Nate says as he gestures to his driver or body guard or who ever the other giant in suit is, the later quickly obliges as he pins the strange man’s arms behind his back.

“What the fuck?! Release me you bastard!!” the man sneers out and I take a small step back, getting the wrong vibes from him, Nate seems to notice my small action and turns back to me with worried but serious eyes.

“Go back inside, Natalia, I will deal with him.”

“Who is he anyway? And who are you to deal with him or tell her what to do?” Maisie, unable to keep it in any longer bursts out in anger, I thought Nate would look at least bothered but the iceberg only raised his perfect eyebrow at her. Did words even affect this man?

“A fucking rapist, that is what he is!!” the other man hisses out, loud enough for the small group of people that gathered around us to hear, and I get my answer, apparently some words can affect him. His jaw tightens as blood rushes through his neck, his fists clenched and the veins in his hands looks as if they are about to explode.

He was about to explode!

“You…” I see him moving forward, ready to smash the man’s face and I, not knowing how nor why, not acting as I should, not caring that I was reminded by a total stranger that this man had possibly hurt me, take a step towards him and place my hand on his back and he freezes instantly.

I don’t know whether it is that i don’t want any more trouble and complications or I just don’t want anyone to get hurt, him mostly, I just moved, my hand reached out to him so naturally as if it is a part of his body instead of mine, and he reacted instantly, his body froze then instantly relaxed, he unclenched his fists before taking a deep breath and turn his head to me.

I know I should not be feeling the way I do when I look into his beautiful eyes, I know I should stay away from him, I know I should hate him, and I know I should blame the state I am in on him, but I don’t, not while looking at those breathtaking green orbs of his.

Instead of all I should be feeling, I feel butterflies in my tummy.

I feel warm and protected and cherished and cared for.

I feel loved.

I feel a connection with him.

“Who is he?” I ask in a small voice, I don’t want to break our moment but I don’t really have a choice as the man is groaning in pain next to us.

“I don’t know yet, but he has been watching your window since hours, at first I thought it was but a coincidence when my men first informed me, but then I came here and watched him myself, and indeed, he was watching your window.” Nate explains to me without looking back to the man, I shiver when I hear what he said.

And did Nate just confess that he has men around my block? Is he watching me as well?

Is he watching over me?

“Now please, Natalia, go back inside and let me deal with him, I promise I will tell you everything.” His voice is even lower, almost begging me to go, and for some reason I want to oblige.

Why do I believe he is genuinely worried about me? Why do I believe he would keep me safe and protected?

“What the fuck? I am the one who is going to deal with you for her, you fucking raping bastard!”

We all turn to the man, surprised by his impudence and effrontery, seeing all eyes on him, some questioning, some reprehensible, he finishes his words, and God do I wish that he didn’t!

“I am her Father!”