Can You Hear the Bells?

~ ZARA ~

"Holy fuck…" Stark gasped. "Zara…?"

I stood, mortified, in the living room of this little cottage, wondering where the hell I had landed this time.

Stark, of all people, was in a passionate embrace with a woman I'd never seen, the two of them clearly in the process of stripping each other and forgetting the world. I gaped, apologizing again and again as the two drew apart and Stark stared at me like I was a ghost.

I'd never seen Stark so ruffled. His eyes were wide, his face agape, and he shifted to put himself behind one of the chairs, presumably to hide his, er, interest in his friend.

The woman, however, stared darkly between us—not mortified, but suspicious.

"This is Lady Zara?" she asked him quietly.

Stark nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving me, like he thought if he looked away I'd disappear.