Chapter 28 Under Watchful Eyes

Chapter 28 Under Watchful Eyes

ELIZA'S POV

The memory of Vinton's strong, calloused hands wrapped around me lingered long after I had stepped out of the gym.

I tried not to dwell on the way his hands had easily spanned my waist, and how his touch had seemed to burn through my clothing and set my skin on fire.

I had ended up not falling all thanks to Vinton's sharp reflex, but my mind had completely gone blank so that the only thing I could focus on was the sensations his fingers drew.

It was terrible. Awful. Appalling. This unplanned attraction towards Vinton Crost. It could ruin things.

It could ruin my plan. I had to stop noticing the way Vinton Crost filled out his shirt. Or the ash his midnight eyes felt hypnotizing. I needed the damn warmth that started in my stomach every time he stepped into my personal space to stop.

Vinton Crost wasn't any prince charming. He was the man that I planned to ruin.

As my skin continued to burn and my mind continued to replay our little moment in the gym over and over again, I knew that I really needed that run.

I moved through the vast living room and towards the door without stopping to look back. I didn't care whether I was being followed.

My skin still burned where Vinton Crost had touched. My lips tingled like they were begging to be kissed. And my nipples puckered of their own volition.

This was insanity.

I pulled the door open and stepped into the early morning fog. The cold was biting, but I welcomed its sting against my fevered skin.

I breathed in and exhaled sharply, and then began a quick walk towards the gate, but I suddenly stopped short when Vinton's large garage door rolled up and an SUV rolled out smoothly.

For a few seconds, I stopped and stared at the vehicle that looked almost ominous in the dark, but the car had stopped a few feet from me.

I squinted at it. It wasn't Vinton behind the wheel, but his driver, the one I had seen around the mansion a couple of times.

Did the man live in the mansion too?

Why was he behind me? Why wasn't he driving past me? Irritated and confused, I resumed my walk and then began to sprint.

The morning air whipped my hair up and my nose reddened from the cold, but I welcomed the distraction. Away from Vinton Crost's penetrating dark eyes, I was beginning to feel like me again.

Maybe the close proximity wasn't doing me any good. Or maybe my current lack of social life was beginning to make me feel attracted to the closest man I could find.

I knew how to fix that. By this time tomorrow, I was completely going to forget Vinton Crost's existence.

Motivated by my current thoughts, I broke into a run. Glad that my fingerprint had been captured after my official appointment, I placed my thumb against the scanner and stepped back as the gate slowly rolled open.

I slipped through it and broke into a jog. The road was deserted, and the street so dark and foggy it was almost impossible to see my hand from my face.

Out here, the weather was colder, and goosebumps erupted across my arms, thanks to the sports bra I wore, which barely covered anything.

I should have checked the weather forecast. I forced myself to continue, trying to ignore my freezing body, but the coldness got harsher and my skin began to feel like it was peeling.

Suddenly too cold to continue, I stopped and turned, holding back a scream when I realized that the black SUV had been following me the whole time without putting on their flashlight.

Had Vinton Crost sent his personal driver to tail me?

If yes, why?

Had he been trying to make sure I was okay? Or had he known about the weather and how inappropriate my choice of clothing for this run was? Had he ordered his driver to follow me to make sure that I was okay?

I could kill to sit on something warm. If Vinton Crost had sent his driver to follow me, then I could as well use his hospitality.

Though it was completely unlike him to care about anyone who didn't carry his last name.

I began to move towards the SUV, smiling to myself. I could already imagine the comforting warmth within the vehicle.

I reached the car and knocked softly on the window, then tried the handle. It was locked.

I waited for a couple of seconds, but nothing happened. Had he fallen asleep behind the wheel?

I knocked again and tried the handle. It remained locked, but after a couple of seconds, the window rolled down and the driver's unreadable eyes met mine.

"Good morning, ma'am. How may I help you?" he asked, not even the slightest smile on his face.

The heat from within the car hit me squarely on the face and I almost cried from how good it felt. I could already imagine how much my ass would appreciate the warmth.

"I thought you followed me to help pick me up?"

The driver shook his head at me. "I wasn't instructed to pick you up, ma'am. I was only authorized to follow you."

"Well, thank you for following me, but your kind act will be completely useless if you don't give me a lift."

I waited, expecting him to click the door open. Instead, he began to roll up his windows again.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm only going to follow you until you've finished your run."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

But I got no response from the driver, who had completely rolled up the window so that I was now staring at the reflection of my own astonished expression.

I showed him the middle finger, whirled around, and began to make my way back towards the mansion. I felt defeated, cold, and angry.

Why had I even allowed myself to think even for a second that Vinton Crost could show hospitality towards me?

He had merely tried to show me what happened when he was disobeyed.

He was cruel. But he needn't worry. I was going to catch up to him soon.