26 HER FIRST KISS

"Who do you think you are?!" Zoe shrieked at the top of her lungs as she dragged Raigon's functioning arm out of the dark alley.

Her heart raced as a galloping horse as she shook off the lingering memories she had just witnessed a few minutes ago.

What could have taken place if they had gotten into a taxi as soon as they checked out of the restaurant? 

His enemy might have left him powerless and abandoned at the edge of a frigid dark alley with no one to help him. He was disposed to experience hypovolemic shock from severe blood loss and sooner or later, die!

"You're not superman, for goodness' sake!" She blurted out as she threw her head in a frenzy with her eyes shut as tight as a drum.

A corner of Raigon's lip twitched upward. He didn't know if Zoe's intense agitation for his safety annoyed or amused him. He looked everywhere to confirm if the spy had escaped.

'I hope he understood what I meant,' he uttered to himself through gritted teeth.

Nevertheless, he was curious who Lady Zhou was. He was not familiar with that surname in the City. She may be a villager on this island. And if she was, it was not him who was in danger, but Zoe.

Raigon narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist at the thought of someone hurting her.

He followed Zoe's directive act until they reached Erin. She was paralyzed at the intersection of the major road and the back street, yet flabbergasted at the horrendous scene she had just seen.

"Red! Oh, Red! What happened to you?!" Erin cried out in a tearful voice as they approached her.

"Um, I guess you could really call me Red now." He chuckled and gave an uncomfortable glance at Erin as he scratched his hair with his working extremity. He was referring to his white long sleeve shirt soaked in red blood.

"Let's take you to the hospital. I'll call a cab," Erin responded in teary-eyed concern.

"No! I'm fine!" Raigon abruptly answered with a wave of his normal arm.

'No one could know about my identity on this island,' he thought to himself.

"Where's fine in that?" Erin blurted out as her eyes never got back to their normal sizes as she stared at him. 

"It's okay, Erin. Just call a cab. I'll handle him," Zoe commanded her. Erin obliged as she quickly left to get a possible ride at that hour.

Meanwhile, Zoe looked for a bench nearby. Fortunately, there was one under a tall metal streetlamp casting an artificial glow to the street below.

"Perfect." She swiveled back and motioned Raigon to come near her with a flutter of her hand.

Raigon felt weird as he was on her way to Zoe at her strict command. He was used to people coming to him with a wave of his authoritative hand as the Prince of Terra. This was his first time someone called him in such a manner.

He narrowed his eyes as he visualized her wearing a phoenix crown with a Diyi embroidered with long-tailed pheasants and circular flowers, summoning him to approach Her Majesty's presence with her fiery eyes and turbulent temper.

Raigon's shoulders shook as he controlled his laughter.

"It's not funny. Not funny at all," she said in a serious voice and clamped her lips as Raigon at long last reached her spot and was now standing right in front of her.

She looked up at him as he was taller than she was and glared at him as if she was challenging him with a no-blinking challenge.

"That's too bad. Because all I want to do is make you smile," he uttered in a deep but soft voice while grazing his eyes on Zoe's lips.

With sincere intentions, he wished to see them curved skyward every time. He thought of how Zoe might have been broken many times. She deserves to be happy.

With no warning, Zoe slowly lifted her dainty hands upward over his chest and onto his shoulders without batting an eyelash. Raigon's heartbeat went erratic at Zoe's advancement.

"What is she doing?"

Her fingers creeping up on his skin with only a piece of cloth in between tickled him. Her hands grasped for his broad and sturdy shoulders.

He imagined that her hands would continue caressing him from his shoulders to his neck, pulling his head towards her and kissing him with passion.

He grabbed her waist right then and there and pulled her towards him. He had been dreaming about this ever since they met each other again.

His head bent down and without even asking, planted a warm kiss on her soft luscious lips. 

Zoe was astounded as it wasn't her intention to be kissed by him as she hasn't allowed any man to kiss her, her entire life.

She was about to push him away, but as his kiss was getting deeper and more intimate, her knees went weak as she is slowly returning the favor. 

However, a cat yelled from behind them, awakening Zoe from her euphoria. 

She immediately pushed his shoulders downward at lightning speed, making him slumped on the bench and yelled at him.

"SIT DOWN!"