Chapter One - Kahlan's POV - Stuck In the Basement

All I wanted to do was to draw close to him, hold him, feel him…

Touch him in those sensitive spots…

Hear him groan as he inserted his…

"Kahlan!"

The deafening roar of the crowd filled the air as I stood at the edge of the rugby field. I didn't realise just how much my eyes were glued to him—to Aldrich Maximus. At the moment, I was just drifting back to the reality of my surroundings.

"I'm sorry…. I…" I stammered stupidly as I ran my finger's through my hair.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Tessa Beck—practically my best friend ever—replied. "You're practically drooling."

I tore my eyes away, conscious of the fact that my cheeks were flushing. "I wasn't—"

"Yes, you were," Tessa interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You've been staring at him all season like he's some sort of Greek god. Newsflash, Kahlan—Aldrich Maximus is bad news. He's not even your type."

Screw that! I thought.

He was the epitome of a high school star—commanding, confident, and utterly magnetic. The way he moved across the field, each step purposeful and powerful, left me breathless.

"Who said I have a type?" I countered, brushing a stray lock of dark hair from my face. "I just think he's... interesting."

"Interesting?" Tessa snorted. "He's a player, and I don't mean just on the field. Every girl he talks to thinks she's special until she's not."

I shrugged, my gaze drifting back to Aldrich as he scored another try. The crowd erupted in cheers. "Maybe I like a challenge."

Tessa groaned dramatically. "You're hopeless."

The final whistle blew, signalling the end of the game. Aldrich jogged off the field, his jersey clinging to his chest, his dark hair damp with sweat. I couldn't help but stare as he flashed a grin to his teammates. My eyes lowered to his waist level and below, stuck to the bulge shaped by the dripping shorts.

Huge.

Tessa noticed. "It's not like he would ever notice you."

That one hit me hard. She was right. I thought sadly. I was just some nobody. "You really need a distraction." She continued. "Lucky for you, I've got just the thing."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you scheming now?"

"There's a graduation Christmas party tomorrow night at Liam's house. Everyone's going to be there," Tessa said, her tone dripping with excitement. "Come with me. Let loose for once. Come on, we're graduates of high school, baby! And I'm certain you're yet to dance around a huge Christmas cock."

"Tessa!" I teased.

"I'm serious!" Tessa giggled mischievously.

"I don't know..." I hesitated. "Christmas parties aren't really my thing."

"Which is exactly why you need to go," Tessa insisted. "It's our last chance to have fun before we're all off doing... whatever comes next. Come on, Kahlan. It'll be good for you."

After a moment's pause, Kahlan sighed. "Fine. But only because you're making me."

Tessa grinned. "That's the Christmas spirit."

***

That spirit hung strongly in the air. The next evening, the party was in full swing. Music blared from the speakers, and the house was already teeming with youngsters that were, of course, my classmates. I stuck close to Tessa, sipping my drink and trying to blend into the background.

"You look like you're having fun," Tessa teased, nudging my arm.

"I'm here, aren't I?" Kahlan replied, scanning the crowd.

"Free yourself and I promise you, this would be your best Christmas ever!" Tessa's smile faltered for a moment as she spotted Liam across the room. She quickly turned back to me. "You know what? I need to grab something. Stay here, okay?"

Before I could respond, she disappeared into the throng of people. I sighed and leaned against the wall, feeling out of place.

"Didn't expect to see you here."

The voice made me jump. I turned to find Aldrich standing next to me, a drink in hand and an amused look on his face. My breath hung.

"Oh. Hi," I managed a reply, my heart racing.

"Hi?" He echoed, raising an eyebrow. "That's all I get?"

I managed a small smile. "I'm not really the party type."

"And yet here you are," Aldrich said, his gaze lingering on me. "Guess I'm rubbing off on you."

I laughed softly, feeling a bit more at ease. "Don't flatter yourself."

Aldrich paused, almost like he was trying to remember something and then he continued through the people, snatched by his guy friends. I drew a deep breath, watching him vanish, my breath constricting in my chest.

Don't go yet.

A longing feeling rose within me as I watched him slip out. Those were the first words he ever spoke to me since school began. So sad. I didn't want to think despite myself. As a distraction, I continued with my drink as the party around me climaxed. By the time it was almost midnight, the entire party had gotten to the steam level and I knew it was just time to leave. I rose, hoping to either find somewhere to be alone or to return home. After all, Tessa was nowhere in sight yet. Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out, plunging the house into darkness. A collective groan went up from the crowd.

"Great," I muttered.

I made my way toward the basement, hoping to find the circuit breaker and, of course…

The basement wasn't such a bad idea to get away from horny youths everywhere … I thought. The air was cooler downstairs, and the faint smell of damp concrete filled my nose. I fumbled for the light switch but found nothing.

"Kahlan?"

What?

I gasped in shock as I turned to see Aldrich standing at the top of the stairs, holding a crate of drinks. He was shirtless and sweaty, clearly being a part of the party all along. "What are you doing down here?"

"Trying to fix the power," I stammered. "What about you?"

"Liam said we were running low on drinks. Figured I'd restock."

As Aldrich descended the stairs, the door swung shut behind him with a loud click. I froze.

"What was that?" I twitched.

Aldrich set down the crate and tried the door. It didn't budge. "We're locked in."

I sighed. "Of course we are."

Aldrich banged at the door. Nothing.

"Help!" I yelled.

"It's useless." Aldrich replied.

The faint noise from upstairs drowned out my voice. The switch clicked from the motherboard and I could tell the light had come on.

"Oh, wow. You're an electrician." He teased. I was more preoccupied with getting out that I couldn't take the joke. The party would continue in full swing and we would be forgotten here.

"Fuck!" I cursed. Aldrich leaned against the wall, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"You think this is funny?" I asked, exasperated.

"A little," he admitted. "You and I, stuck in a basement. Feels like fate."

I rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

"I never pegged you for the bold type," he said, his voice low.

"And I never pegged you for the thoughtful type," I shot back, wondering where my confidence came from. Panic? Tension?.

He leaned closer, his grey eyes locking onto mine. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Kahlan."

My breath hitched as the air between us grew heavy. I froze, my heart pounding, my confidence wavering. Before I could think, Aldrich closed the distance, his lips capturing mine in a kiss that sent my heart racing.

I'm dreaming…

Then his fingers came gliding down.