Chapter 17 HIS ENDEARING GAZE
The knocks came again, this time sharper than the last, but a male voice followed after.
“I have come to collect you, ma'am.” The voice behind the door spoke.
My nerves calmed down at his announcement and I turned away from the mirror to fit my feet into the black heels I had already placed beside the cushion seat.
“Ma'am?” He called again to confirm if I was listening or perhaps still alive.
And when I delayed to give him a response which was a deliberate act, his agitation grew, causing him to break a sweat.
“I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm coming in.” He added, but I had opened the e foot before he could beat me to it.
Standing in front of the door was Rafael's right hand man. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of me briefly which he tried to hide before turning around to lead the way.
“This way, please.” He said, already calm.
He led me out of the house to the front yard where Rafael was waiting. He was standing by a sleek, black, armoured Bugatti Voiture Noire, a one-off, bespoke masterpiece with a price tag of around $18 million.
I marveled within myself at how wealthy Rafael could be to splurge so much cash on that vehicle.
The vehicles assembled behind his car were also exotic rides which his men would take over in as his convoy.
I had always lived a comfortable life even if my wealth didn't stand a candle against his vast ocean of fortune, but whatever display this was— that this being his last resort to buy my affection for him was a mere child's play.
The moment he noticed a slight hint of my presence, Rafael turned his entire attention to me. I felt that if he looked too much, I could probably trip and fall in my heels.
But he had no intention of looking away from me, and I found this a little awkward.
“I told you the car would leave in thirty minutes.” He said to me as I approached the car, almost reaching him already.
He had his hand stretched out to help me get into the car without constriction and I held his outstretched hand as soon as I reached him.
He sure does have a gentlemanly side to his crazy personality, I must confess.
“Now do you have a problem waiting for me?” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
He tilted his head to the side a little, a soft smile playing on his lips as he was enjoying what was clearing going on as well as holding my hand in his even though it would only last for a couple more seconds.
“For me, you'll have to keep waiting until I am finally ready.” I declared to him and in the most unhinged way possible, he gave me a subtle bow like I was a royal.
A princess, a queen and a lot more than that.
Then he breathed the words; “Yes, ma'am.”
—
That totally caught me off guard, sweeping me off my feet and I quickly escaped into the vehicle before he could catch a smile on my lips.
I certainly wouldn't get any successful read on Rafael no matter how hard I try.
He had left me all by myself more than an hour ago with a little terrible storm raging within him, but now, he had totally changed composure, his emotions in order and he had already had himself fledged to me like an obedient and submissive man.
I shook my head at him, wondering how hard he must be trying to please me or maybe it was all his normal self and his actions were far from being an act.
That I could not ascertain, but I couldn't let it bother me for a long time.
“Did I tell you already?” He suddenly asked me a question, his voice breaking through the fog of silence as the car drove out of his estate.
For a bit, I was confused and at the same time eager to know what he had to say because every one of his words were different from the last.
“What is that?”
“You look very beautiful, Vanessa.”
I paused, giving myself all the time in the world to process this.
I couldn't believe I had lost my will to speak in a brief moment as I had allowed myself to get stuck in time— an absolute reality just because he had rendered an obvious compliment to me.
I was already used to receiving compliments from people. Of course, I am a very beautiful woman, chic with great allure and undefined poise that could make a man weaver, but hearing him say these words to me could be likened to a moment where a hot knife melts through butter.
I squeezed my toes in my heels hard against themselves, my gaze failing to fall away from his.
Rafael also, wouldn't revert his gaze from mine and it was obvious he was mesmerized by my pristine beauty already and he would shamelessly admit he was still falling endlessly for me in that moment over and over again.
I was literally melting into my seat as all of his attention was over me. The look in his eyes could make a woman burn all her bridges to submit to him.
He was just like the men handsomely written into existence within the pages of a romance book by lonely or live depraved authors.
The ones that had dreamy eyes that told multiple stories of the love they had for their woman which makes them overprotective and undeniably sweet the moment they behold the realization that they were lucky to be breathing the same air as their woman.
The dashing gaze in Rafael's eyes was so loud that I could read what they were telling me. There was a fierce yet tender urgency within his eyes, beckoning at me to hold onto him.
It was the same kind of emotion that made him vulnerable before me. The look that served as a reminder that he could unturn the impossible and make it possible and do anything for me— anything.