Chapter 8: Damn Inconsiderate

Kieran stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He'd slept in until about nine-thirty and then made his way onto the roof for his workout. Time had slipped away from him, and it was nearly lunchtime when his stomach demanded that he stop and get some food. Considering he'd skipped breakfast.

Deciding that there was no need to get dressed up since he was going to play ball later, Kieran put on a pair of gray Nike shorts with a matching top, socks, and shoes.

Once he was dressed, he made his way to the kitchen, where he could smell the scent of seafood. He took a seat at the bar and watched as Alijah moved around the kitchen. He couldn't see what she was making, but it smelled like shrimp.

She hadn't noticed that he sat behind her at the bar, so he was amused to see her jump when she finally turned to see him. Her hand went to her chest as it rose and fell. Instinctively, his eyes went there.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She questioned him. Her eyes were tiny slits as she glared at him.

"Not at all, baby,” he responded, waiting to see that catch in her chest, which was almost instant.

She didn't say anything. Instead, she turned back to the task at hand. Kieran didn't mind. He was a great fan of her ass and found he enjoyed watching it more than any show he'd ever seen. It was hypnotizing, and he loved being under her spell.

He knew she could feel him watching her by her stiff movements, but it wasn't enough to stop him. His view at that moment was spectacular, and he planned on taking it in as much as possible.

When she was finished cooking, he watched her place the shrimp pasta she'd made onto plates before sitting one in front of him with a fork and hers two seats down from him. When Alijah turned her back to retrieve bottled water for both of them, he moved her plate down to the place right next to him.

He knew she noticed just as soon as she turned around, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she placed the water on the bar before walking around and sitting beside him stiffly. Kieran knew that wasn't because she was uncomfortable; it was because of the sexual attraction and tension between them that she was trying to deny.

Silence lingered between them. Typically, he didn't mind silence. It was a delightful welcome. At the moment, however, he wanted to hear her voice. It seemed to do something to him. The sound was as sweet as honey.

"Tell me about yourself, Alijah," Kieran stated when he couldn't bear the silence any longer.

As he made his statement, he realized that he was curious to know more about his assistant. He didn't know much more than what her resume and a background check had informed. He hadn't felt the need to know anything else beyond that. However, if he was going to bed with her, he needed to know at least the basics and perhaps about a few of her past relationships.

He could tell that he had shocked her with his question when his eyes met hers. He could see the wheels turning in her head, probably wondering why he wanted to know. He thought she wouldn't answer him for a moment, but she finally responded.

"What do you want to know?"

Kieran thought for a moment. "Do you have any siblings?"

"No, not by blood. I have a cousin, Chayse. We were born two weeks apart, and we're close. My best friend Erin and I are close as well. Even though we don't get to see each other often, we still speak frequently, and my friend Lawrence."

"What about your parents? What do they do?"

Kieran heard her scoff and watched as she pushed her pasta around on her plate. He opened his mouth to retract his question and ask another one, sensing that it was a sour topic, but she spoke before him.

"Cornelius, my sperm donor, is a chronological cheater. Has been for as long as I can remember. Anya, my egg donor, is a manipulative, pathological liar."

It was silent once again when she finished speaking, and this time the air was filled with awkward tension. Kieran had asked the wrong question, and he didn't want to worsen the situation by asking another wrong one or saying the wrong thing. He did, on occasion, have some sense of decency.

"What about you?" She finally asked, still pushing her food around. It was clear that she had lost her appetite. "Do you have any siblings? What do your parents do?"

"I don't have any siblings either. I have three friends that are like brothers." He answered slowly, debating whether or not he wanted to tell her about his parents but deemed it was only fair. "My parents both died in a car crash right before my junior year of college."

Her response to his admission wasn't what he had expected. He'd expected her to tell him she was sorry for his loss like everyone else did when they found out, but she hadn't. Instead, she placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently.

"I'm sure they're proud of everything you've accomplished." With that said, she took small bites of her food as Kieran finished his. He sipped his water slowly, trying to linger in her presence without seeming as if it was his goal.

When Alijah had decided she'd had enough of the pasta, she rose, collecting her plate and his. He watched as she went about loading the few dishes in the dishwasher. Once she finished that, she began to wipe off the counters and the stove.

Making his way behind her, Kieran wrapped his arms around her waist. She halted in her movements, and he pulled her back against him before leaning down and nuzzling her neck.

"I'm going to head out to meet the boys for a few games of basketball. Save me a plate of whatever you cook tonight. It may be late when I get back." He then kissed her neck lightly.

"I'm going out later today myself. So, I won't be cooking anything since I'll probably return late,” she informed him, maneuvering out of his arms.

Kieran stared at her for a moment before opening his mouth. He had every intention of asking her where she was going, but she told him she would see him later as she threw the towel in the sink and exited the kitchen. He stood there and wondered for a moment where she was going and if she was going alone before he headed towards the door and grabbed his keys.

It didn't take him long to pull up to the gym they like to play at. He saw Cruz and Paetyn's car, but Nik was nowhere in sight. He wasn't surprised, though. Nik was seldom on time for anything.

Kieran found them shooting the ball leisurely as they waited, making his way inside. He walked over and joined them, preparing to wait at least another half hour for Nik.

Alijah sat across from Lawrence as their waitress took their menus. She didn't miss the look the young woman threw her friend's way before she went to put their order in.

They were seated outside of a small café downtown. The weather was beautiful, and instead of being inside where every Nosey Jack and Jane could hear what she needed to speak with Lawrence about, she opted for them to sit outside. The tables were spaced a reasonable distance apart. There were only two other tables occupied — neither in hearing distance of the conversation about to be had unless she decided to start yelling.

"So, how's everything been since we last spoke?" Lawrence questioned before taking a sip of his tea.

"Honestly? Stressful and confusing."

"The job's stressing you out?"

"I wish. Then it would be a matter of having a spa day. No, it isn't the job. It's the employer himself."

Lawrence sighed. "I told you before you even applied for the job that the man was an asshole."

"No…I mean, yes. He is, but that's not why I'm stressed and confused. He's been testing me."

"Testing you how?" Lawrence inquired cocking his head to the side.

Alijah proceeded to tell Lawrence everything that had happened over the past week. She told him about Kieran's flirty, suggestive words. The touches that she knew were more than innocent. The way he would walk up behind her, wrap his arms around her, or the way he would ghost his lips over her shoulder or neck. She told him about the night in the break room when they almost kissed.

She expected Lawrence to have something to say right away when she finished. He often did. Instead, he picked up his tea and took a few drinks before sitting it back down and looking at her. He let out a deep breath before speaking.

"I don't think he's testing you, Lioness," Lawrence stated as Alijah leveled him with a glare. He knew she hated when he called her that. He continued before she had time to address it. "I think the man is genuinely flirting with you. It sounds to me like he wants you as more than his assistant. Before you try to deny it or poke holes in it, listen." When he was sure she wouldn't say anything, he continued. "Another friend of mine used to work for him, and she never complained about him flirting with her. She often stated how big of an asshole he was, and he worked her way too hard, and it was unfair, but he never tried to get with her, and she was attractive too."

"I don't know, Lawrence."

"Tell you what. Stay with me tonight."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm sure when I drop you off tomorrow in the same clothes you left in, he will be fuming. Then that will show you that he's interested in more than your efficiency and clerical skills, and if he isn't fuming, I was wrong. However, I doubt I'm wrong."

Alijah thought about it for a moment. She did want to know if Kieran wanted her the way she wanted him, but Lawrence's plans had a way of backfiring. Whether that be on the person, he thought he was helping or himself. However, her curiosity and need to know won over her common sense, and she agreed. She just hoped that this was one time where curiosity didn't kill the cat.

Alijah was seated on Lawrence's couch, and she wanted nothing more than to kill him. She knew that agreeing with him was a bad idea, but she'd done it anyway. It was a little after ten o'clock, and he'd just taken both of her cellphones and turned them off. They'd wrestled over the phones for a few minutes, and even as she tried, she knew her efforts were futile. Lawrence had kept them from her and had even gone as far as to lock them in a small safe he had in his bedroom.

She wanted nothing more than to take something sharp and impale him with it. However, she realized she would miss him too much once she had killed him, so she settled on being pissed to the extreme. He had claimed it would make the message he was trying to help her get across more convincing if she didn't answer her phone if he happened to call. Then Lawrence thought it would be even better if it went straight to voicemail. In the pit of her stomach, she knew that things would go very wrong if Kieran tried to call her. She could only hope that he wouldn't.

Alijah decided to put the thought out of her head, but it wasn't an easy feat. She admittedly wasn't seeing whatever she and Lawrence had been watching and opted on going to bed at around eleven-thirty.

She took a shower and changed into a pair of panties and a t-shirt — some of the few items she left behind when she'd started working for Kieran. She threw her dirty clothes in the washer and started it before bidding Lawrence a clipped goodnight and retreating to the room she once occupied.

Laying down, her mind wandered to Kieran and what he was doing at that moment. She sighed before turning onto her side. The man had a way of invading her thoughts no matter what she was doing. As her eyes fluttered closed, a small part of her hoped that he was at least a little ticked off tomorrow when she returned to the condo.

It was a little after midnight, and Kieran's friends had just left. It was only then that he'd noticed his little assistant had not yet returned. After playing a few games on the court, the four had come back to his place. They had a few drinks and watched the game before ordering pizza and starting, what turned into, an intense dominos tournament.

Grabbing his cell phone, he went to her name in his contacts and called her. The phone went directly to voicemail. Ending that call, he then called her work cellphone. Again, the phone went straight to voicemail.

Frustrated, Kieran tossed his cellphone on the couch. He sat down and rubbed his temples. One of his requirements was that she always kept her work phone on her…charged. He knew he shouldn't have been too pissed off about it. This was the first weekend, other than the first one she'd been employed with him, that he had called her, but it was no excuse.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm down. He stood to his feet and headed into his office, deciding to do some work since he hadn't gotten to earlier. Sitting down in his chair, Kieran got to work. She would be back any minute. He was sure of it.

The next time Kieran looked at the clock, it read four-thirty. He'd lost himself so much in his work that he hadn't realized how much time had gone by, and still, Alijah was not back.

Making his way into the living room, he grabbed his phone from the couch and proceeded to call both numbers. Again, he was met with the same results. His anger flared as he turned and headed into his bedroom.

Tossing his phone on the bed, Kieran made his way into the bathroom. He needed a hot shower. Maybe that would calm him down. For her sake, he hoped it would because when she made it back, he was letting her have it.

His shower had done little to calm his nerves, and as he heard the chime in the condo signifying that someone had accessed the elevator, his anger decided to make itself known again. It was now almost ten, and while the sun was shining, birds were singing, and the promise of a beautiful day was all outside of the condo; a war was about to wage inside it.

Kieran stood in front of the panel and watched as Alijah rode the elevator with some man close to her side. The sight alone had a slow burn of anger building within him. It seemed as if he had watched them for hours. When in all actuality, it had only been about a minute.

When the elevator stopped on his floor, he watched as the man leaned in and kissed Alijah. With that, his anger was no longer slowly burning. He was seething.

He stepped away from the panel once she stepped off, and it had begun to descend again with the man in it. Kieran listened to her put her key in the door, and when it opened, he was there glaring daggers at her. His eyes were filled with rage, which stopped her in her track.

"Where have you been?" He questioned through clenched teeth. He watched as she swallowed a lump in her throat and knew she was frightened. She should be.

"I told you I was going out,” she finally answered.

"You told me you were going out yesterday. Yesterday has come and gone."

"I told you I would be back late, Kieran."

"Late. Not a whole fucking day later." Kieran saw those green eyes spark and knew she was about to fire back at him, but he didn't give her a chance. "I called trying to see if you were alright, and both of your phones went to voicemail every time. It's your responsibility to make sure your work line is always charged, and you couldn't do that. Something could have happened to you. You could have been lying in a ditch somewhere. Was it too much for you to let me know you weren't coming back? Clearly, it was." With that, Kieran turned and headed down the hall. He stopped again briefly to throw over his shoulder, "Thanks for being so damn inconsiderate."

Making his way into his room, he closed the door and laid down on his bed. He was tired. He'd been up all night wondering where Alijah was, and now that she was back and he had gotten most of his anger out, he was tired.

Placing his hands behind his head, he cursed at himself. He should have known that she was involved with someone. While she hadn't always been receptive to his advances, she hadn't told him to leave her alone either or that she was dating someone.

As bad as he wanted her, he wasn't about to step foot knowingly into another man's territory. He was a lot of things, but that wasn't his style. He didn't share either, whether he was sleeping with a woman or having a casual dating relationship with her. He had always left that to Cruz and Paetyn.

Sighing, Kieran closed his eyes. He needed a nap — an extremely long one.