36 In the Library, after dark

"Don't go... don't go" Ace mumbled again and again. Body covered in sweat, and eyeball moving rapidly behind eyelids; Hands clinging to the bed sheet tight; heartbeat raising; breathing fast. 

Ace opens his eyes.

It takes his eyes time to adjust to the darkness around him. 

He pats his bed searching for his phone. As his hand lands on the phone, he slides up the screensavers and enters his passcode.

*3478* 

7 missed call, 10 messages 

Nothing that important

17:30

It's still evening, the guys might have closed the curtains when they left. 

He didn't remember when he started dozing off and foolishly listened to his friends and took a nap on his bed. 

No wonder he had the nightmare. 

Bending a little, he switches on the side lamp. The little light allows him to see the bed sheet covered in sweat. 

He should take a bath, and then. Maybe get a little distracted.

It wasn't as if he was missing her, no, he just needed to go away from the recent memory as soon as he could.

He could always drink, but it was a little difficult with his grandma near him and if she decided to surprise him anyway, he didn't want to get hit by her stick.

He turned on the hot water and undressed. He had nothing to hide being blessed with the body as that of a Greek god. A cut, that ran from his chest to somewhat above his stomach, a scar below his trap, still can't hide the sculpted body painted by them. 

Rubbing his hair a little, he put on a thin tee shirt and shorts. 

It was the weekend and he knew she would be working today. Also according to his source, she would be alone there, mostly for paperwork. 

Around 6:30, he was in front of the main gate. He had already called with an excuse that he had forgotten some of the books inside.

There was no moon in sight, complete darkness, that's what he was wishing for. The water drops from the still wet hair, ran down his tee-shirt, making the thin tee, almost transparent. 

The door was opened. He had already seen the lights were on in the library. She was still working. 

Complete silence greeted him as he stepped in, smirking. 

He had brought a text copy with him, which he held in his right hand as he approached Lily. 

Dressed in a red dress, the blonde long hair, parted on both sides, she was chewing the end of the pen, which made it hard for Ace to control his urge. 

She looked just like the first day he had seen her. An innocent maiden, a princess. 

A lamb is unaware of the hunter watching her. 

She was so lost in her work that she didn't notice Ace until he was standing right in front of the table. 

Her head jolted up, and she almost sprang from the chair, making her chair tilt behind, taking her legs in the air. Her hands gripped the table too tight, and finally, she was able to balance herself. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked between long breaths. While her chest raised and fell, her gaze frozen on Ace. 

She tried to control her breathing but now it wasn't due to the shock of almost falling, but due to the hottest man standing in front of her. Her lips parted to say something more but she couldn't. She could only bite her lip, as she took him in. 

Acting oblivious to what he was doing to Lily, Ace smirked and bent down, bringing his face closer to her. Her eyes went wide as she released her lower lip, and took a deep breath. 

There was no other thought which could invade her mind, except him. 

The sculpted abs were on display along his thick little tanned thighs. 

Those thighs, and calves, which won't make any girl rest all night, were in her plain view. 

She had to swallow hard, she didn't want to be caught. 

*What was happening to her. She had seen men, young, old, then why was she not able to think about anything else than being trapped by those muscles against a wall. 

Ace waved his hand and it made her realize that he had already said something. 

"Uh...what?" 

He chuckled. 

And her breathing stopped. 

She had never heard such a sexy chuckle. 

"I said that I forgot to take a book and I don't know where it might be, could you help?" 

That smirk again. 

She knew that she had to get up soon, find the book and run away.

Lock the library and then run away. 

"Yes..follow...follow me?" She knew she was barely audible but right now she didn't know what she was saying. 

She had been alone with him before, but not like this. She wasn't able to think straight. 

"This way?" She bit her lip again.

Her back burned under his gaze. She knew Ace was right behind her, which was in some way making her more nervous. Or was it excitement? 

She stood in front of the rack and started looking for the book. Her fingers shivering, her breath still fast. 

*Thump* 

She froze as one of the books fell. 

She knew she had to gather her clumsy self. It wasn't helping at all. 

She quickly bends down and picks the book, holding it tight between her fingers. 

Ace had stepped back and stood up just behind her. 

As she was getting up, her back slightly rubbed to something hard which made her gasp.

*Nooooooo* 

She knew she had to run. 

She started searching again. This time in a hurry. 

"I- I don't know.it should be" 

She should know where the book was. She had spent most of her time inside this library. But right now, Ace was making it hazy. 

Difficult for her to think. 

Two layers, only two layers between them.

Her eyes fell on the watch on her hand. She still has to be there for another hour. She couldn't run now.

She took another deep breath.

That's when she remembered, it was the above shelf. 

Of course Ace had already known that. He was trying too hard to control his smile. He could see her sweating under his gaze, and the pink color on her cheeks, if only he could touch the rest of the covered parts and turn it in the same shade. 

"I should umm ladder" Lily barely managed to speak. 

"It's okay, I can help you" He moved further close to her, trapping her small body between his partly wet body and the shelf. Her lips almost touched the chest under the tee as she tried her best to close her eyes but couldn't. Her eyes have refused to blink as his abs moved under his tee when he reached for the book on the upper shelf. 

Her fingers were tempted to touch and feel if it was real. 

Ace cleared his throat and looked at Lily who was still staring at his chest. 

"S-sorry" she bit her lip again and looked away. 

"No worries" Ace gave her a small smile but didn't move. 

"Do you need anything else?" 

She wanted to go and hide somewhere. He had seen her checking him out. 

"A gentleman never leaves a girl alone in the dark" Ace took a step towards her, bringing his face close to hers again. 

"I am gonna stay till you finish" Seeing her round eyes going wide again, he chuckled again.