Chapter 34 Chapter Thirty Four
CANDY’S POV
“Did this help?”
I look up from my cup to stare blankly at him, my boss, the one surprising element of today that’s decided not to stop surprising me just yet, caught in his quiet, intense gaze that leaves me wanting to shrink away from it.
Where was this version of him hiding when he employed me, tortured me with work and stripped me of my every dream of enjoying my job or even so much as being in his presence?
I still hate him, fucking Adrian Cunsulo but God, right now he’s the only thing that makes sense. He’s here, unmoving, just watching every crazy emotion skating across my face while idly scooping ice cream into his mouth like he’s something of an angel and nothing like the devil’s spawn I know him to be.
He doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t push and I didn’t realise this was exactly what I needed to process everything that’s just happened until he practically forced it on me. The ice cream does help too because yes, ice cream makes everything better but the company is undeniably helpful.
I still can’t get over the fact that he chose this exact one- my favourite place- out of the dozen scattered on this street alone. It feels almost like he knows and he wanted me to know that he does know.
I’m not sure how long we’re here for but I guess it’s long enough because the nice server with the pretty blue streaks in her hair just politely asked us to leave so they can close for the night.
Standing in his ever impeccable grace, he holds out his hand for me.
I scowl at it for a moment before saying fuck it and sliding my much smaller, dainty one into his bigger, masculine and well manicured ones, shutting my head off. If he wants to play the perfect gentleman because he has a damsel in distress on his hands then I’ll play and help get the fantasy out of his system because that’s all it can ever be.
A fantasy.
When I see him again on Monday, we’ll be back in character with him playing the handsome pain in the ass devil to a T and me playing the employee that hates his gut and this? What ever this is will be wiped from existence....
“I’m not that terrible.” He says quietly, drawing my eyes to him as he walks me back to his waiting car.
“What?”
“Whatever you’re painting me ass in your head, I can’t be that bad.” He shrugs noncommittally.
I steal a look at him wondering first how he knew I was sort of crucifying him in my head and second why he sees the need to defend himself. He is that bad, we both know it and if my life didn’t come crashing down before my eyes tonight, we won’t be here.
I wonder what they’re doing now back at home, probably gawking at and fawning over Nikandr because his charm, like his appeal, is really impossible to ignore once it’s in the room with you. It’s painful because he looked every bit like I’ve wasted my time dreaming him to be, roguishly handsome, dark and beautiful with smouldering eyes that only see me, except now they’re not allowed to see me anymore.
They have to look at Peach now and see only her
I bet my naive baby sister is having a hard time right now keeping her eyes respectful and her jaw off the floor at the sight of him, if I ignore the absurdity of it all maybe I can see why she was gushing endlessly about him after Dad showed her his picture. I fell for that fast, why did I imagine she could be immune?
He has that effect on people, definitely had it on me too.
I just wish Peach will wake up for once and dare a look beyond the physical incentives of the deal daddy dearest is shoving down her throat without pause. There’s no life in it even with him, not for her not for him.
“Do you hate it that much?” Adrian’s voice asks softly beside me, drawing me back to him, to the ride back to the house I dread so much now. I can feel my heart going crazy the closer we get.
My dad will be furious.......
“What?”
“My company, do you hate it that much? You keep retreating into your mind to hide from me and even unconsciously, you flinch every time I come close, why?”
I do?
“I.....I’m.......” I squeeze my eyes shut to keep from embarrassing myself, taking a deep breath as I reopen them to steady my thoughts, my eyes meeting his with all my sincerity bare in them.
“I’m deathly scared of you. You haven’t given me much of a choice since we met and yes, you actually have me convinced you despise my guts so excuse me if I’m not exactly your biggest fan. It’s reflex at this point.” I smile a little because having to explain this to him like he doesn’t already know is funny.
“I’m scared if I let myself enjoy tonight, it’ll hurt when you snap back tomorrow to your usual M.O so yes, I’m holding back. I have too much on my plate already.”
He nods like he does understand and agree with me.
“I figured that’s what it was but I didn’t expect I’ll hate it this much. In truth, you showed up at the worst time of my life and it was between stubbornly employing you and being an ass about it and giving up one of the best minds I’ve ever met.”
He pauses for a second, maybe two, I’m not counting.
“Let’s make a deal then, I’ll fix my act and stop being an asshole to you if you’ll stop flinching and running in the opposite direction every time I come close.” He leans in slightly and holds out his hand.
“Deal?”
I nod for a lack of a better response and when he doesn’t back down with his hand, I slip mine into it with an eye roll. He chuckles at that because of cause he saw that with his sharp predator eyes that never misses a thing and for the first time, I let myself appreciate the sound.
I guess all things aside, he’s really not all bad.
The car rolls to a stop in the exact spot it picked me from and I immediately sigh in relief when I find Nikandr’s car gone. Hopefully, everyone else is in bed and I won’t have to deal with their bullshit until morning.
I turn to find Adrian looking at me. For a moment he looks like he wants to say something but he thinks better of it at the last minute.
“Thank you for tonight, I won’t forget it.” I say instead only realizing after I’ve said the words that I do mean it.
“Have a good night, Candy.”
His driver gets the door for me and it’s not until I’m half way up the porch that I realize this is really the first time he’s ever called me by my real name.