Chapter 31 We Are Both Sick
Verena
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting the headband over my head while watching as my hair bounced over my shoulders. My eyes darted to Daxton who stood next to me with his hands, casually in his pockets.
He looked dashing in that three-piece suit.
I gave my lips a final smack, shoved the lipstick into my purse when Daxton suddenly moved behind me. The heat from his body seeped into mine, almost liquefying every muscle and bone as I stilled.
My breathing caught when he gathered my hair to the side, lowered his head, and pressed a kiss to the nape of my neck. I breathed hard, slow—from the warmth of his mouth on my neck— as my eyes closed briefly.
He rasped against my neck. “Your neckline is already pretty enough but it would look perfect…” Heat pooled in my stomach as he lifted an expensive strand of pearls, placed it around my neck, and hooked it.
My hand moved to each pearl, trailing it with my fingers and that was the moment I caught the way he looked at me. It left me breathless.
I spun, staring at him with so much passion in my eyes. “This is beautiful”
“Not as beautiful as you are…” His hand closed around my waist as he drew me closer to him, another hand brushing through the flush on my cheek.
I was melting, drowning, and burning in his arms until the doors swung open and I tried to jolt apart from him but his grip was tight around my waist as he cocked a brow at me—
I mean, I wouldn’t have tried to move away if it weren’t for the fact that two hotel managers from Dallas who clearly recognized me as his assistant walked in. And one other woman whom I didn’t recognize.
No, this was bad.
Rumours were going to spread around the office and things would get pretty uncomfortable.
I forced out an awkward laugh, seeing the shock on their faces and the other woman who glanced to the side, covering her mouth with her hand like she was trying to hide her laugh.
And the worst part was that Daxton wasn’t letting me go. Instead, his grip remained firm like he wanted to show the world that I was his.
“We should leave” Trevor tried to steer the other two out and—
Daxton’s hand left my waist and I drew in a long breath, enough to suck the air back into my lungs. His deep calm voice boomed through the room as he fixed his eyes on his managers. “Is it time?”
The woman nodded. “Yes sir,”
Maybe I was wrong about us coming here only to vacation. The V.R. hotel made a major collaboration with one of the longest-running franchises in the world —the Maisiélle French couture brand.
A gasp left my mouth as I swiveled my gaze around the vast hall that screamed only two things—extravagance and opulence.
I walked behind Daxton, careful not to attract attention—thankfully there were no cameras—until he halted. At first, I thought he stopped to glance at his phone until he turned back with a confused look on his face.
He raised a brow and I smiled—a nervous one.
“What are you doing there?”
“Walking”
He shook his head and before I knew what was happening, he crossed over to me and his fingers wrapped around my right rib cage as he pulled me closer to his side. “What boss holds their assistant this way in a public gathering?” My voice was hushed and laced with panic.
“A boss that doesn’t give a care in the world”
“Seriously” I deadpanned.
He nodded, hands tightening around my ribs, almost like he wanted to crush it. “You are not here as my assistant or anything but as someone that I really care about. Look around, no one is watching. No one cares”
“But the hotel managers…”
“They work for me and won’t go around running their mouths. Just loosen up and enjoy the party” He kissed my forehead. “Have fun. Not too much fun. Just keep your eyes on me”
Daxton's fingers left my waist and again, I could breathe. I have been breathless around him since he had been pulling me into his bone-crushing and brain-spinning embrace.
It wasn’t even an embrace.
He whisked two glasses of Pomerol from the server’s tray and handed one to me. “Remember to have fun…” His eyes narrowed on someone in the distance. “Or do you want to come with me?”
I shook my head immediately. That would be pretty awkward.
He gave me a peck on the cheeks and left to join a small circle of men.
I sucked in another deep breath, swiveling my gaze around. Everyone here seemed like they knew each other. Mingling with new people wasn't for me. Maybe I should have followed Daxton.
“Verena?” someone called.
The woman—the one from earlier that I didn’t recognize walked towards me with that dashing smile on her face. “Did I get that correctly?”
She had this deep and lazy voice that leaned more to her charisma.
I returned her smile, nodding.
“I am glad,” Her eyes darted to Mr Daxton before they returned to me. “You are one hell of a lucky woman, Verena. I knew something was going on when I was starting to see the light in his eyes”
I turned to her, definitely amused. “Really?”
She nodded. “I see it from the way he smiles at you and the way he looks at you. It is nice not seeing him with that usual gloomy look and cold eyes that could freeze one to death. I am glad he has considered dating and more importantly, you are his girlfriend”
Girlfriend? I mean, we had this deep emotional connection and sexual tension between us but there wasn’t a label to what we had yet. We were still exploring.
“Does Mandy know that you two have something with each other?”
I tilted my head to the side, raising a brow. “Mandy? How do you know her”
She laughed. “Why wouldn’t I know her? Most of the workers who filled the positions in the new hotel in Dallas were from the previous headquarters. So I know, Mandy,”
“So back to my question?”
I shook my head. “No, she doesn’t”
She nodded. “Good!”
“It is good that she doesn’t. If she did, she would have looked for ways to make things unbearable for you?”
“In what way?”
She narrowed her eyes, fingers wrapped around the stem of her glass. “Not sure but if she could frustrate all the other assistants that she suspected of having something with Mr. Daxton, what do you think she would do to you?”
My lips parted and I was at a loss for words to say.
“When someone makes her insecure, she gets hypercritical, judgmental, and jealous because to her, Daxton secretly likes her”
I hadn’t closed my mouth yet.
“She will judge your outfits…”
I cut in. “She did that to me, too!”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “I knew it!”
Woah. So, the reason Mandy didn’t like me was because she was jealous?
“She confuses the boss’s pity for affection. He saved her from an abusive marriage. Took care of her two sons while leaving that jerk of an ex-husband to rot in jail. I think her oldest son just got accepted into Yale University. So, she sees him as some kind of god,”
Wow.
“So, be careful and by the way, I am Harper” She stretched her hand for a handshake.
I took it. “You know my name, already”
She laughed. “Just be careful and the moment, you notice that woman is acting weird around you, influence the boss and make him fire her”
Was Mandy that bad?
What could she do to me that would warrant her getting fired?
Plus, Emily said she was cool and not cool.
Honestly, I didn’t know. Since she apologized to me, she had been silent more often and although there were times, I would catch her throwing a glance at me but it was harmless.
“Thank you for the advice”
“You should join our table,”
“No, I am waiting for him”
She gazed lovingly at me. “Lovebirds, I am rooting for you two” She dropped her empty glass into the server’s tray and walked away while I was left pondering her words until, someone popped right next to me.
He was tall, sturdy, and good–looking for the best part of it. “Hello?”
I forced an awkward smile. “Hi,”
“You look familiar…” His eyes narrowed to slits. “Did you ever visit Spain. Marbella, maybe?”
“The last time I visited Spain was—” My words trailed and I didn’t know if it was because of the space that suddenly got hot or the fact that something burned straight into my soul.
I followed the source and there he was, with his circle of people, completely detached from whatever conversation was going on as he darted his eyes from me to shoot murderous glares at the man who stood before me.
“You were saying?” He broke my train of thought.
“Never mind, can’t remember the last time I was in Spain”
“That’s okay. I am David, 29 and I am single. If you wouldn’t mind, can I get your contact”
“No, I…” I said in protest but he had already whipped out his phone and stretched it to me.
I had barely registered things when Daxton’s voice echoed behind me. “She has COVID”
I turned my head to him, stunned and confused because he was just across the room just now
“Who?”
“My test result for COVID came out positive. And it means that, this woman of mine who has spent the week with me definitely has COVID…” His hands wrapped around my waist and he pulled me back against his chest possessively. “We are both sick” His voice was cold.
David blinked and didn’t think twice before shoving his phone back into his pocket.
“Oops!” he said and turned away.
I remained in Daxton’s hold, frozen for a second before I spun and stared at him in disbelief. “What the hell was that?”