Chapter 18 Heart's Desire
“Oh! Please stop”, I shoved him against his rock hard chest, but he didn’t move an inch.
He laughed again, making me crack a small smile in his favour which I hated. My heart caved in my chest of its own accord as I took in his carefree, happy expression which really was a phenomenon because he was almost either frowning or glaring.
For some inexplicable reason, his happiness made my heart grow smaller and sadder.
I tried not to let the brief moment of sudden sadness show as I pulled up my dress, trying to cover my chest.
“You didn’t choose that dress, did you?”, he suddenly observed, making me want to face palm for not being subtle enough about adjusting my dress.
“No, I didn’t”, I replied, my voice small.
“That fucking slimebag. You’re not buying that”, he growled out, making me raise a brow at him.
I did not need Daniel intervening between me and his uncle to just worsen things between me and that man who I really needed to keep happy…. for both my and my family’s sake.
“I have to Daniel, please… don’t create a mess out of this, I’m tired of you trying to get in the middle of something you have no right to be in the middle of… and neither is it appropriate”, I exclaimed, coming to my senses. Daniel and me… if his uncle suspected anything of us… it would not bode well for me. I would’ve taken the risk if it hadn’t been for the fact that I would be risking my family’s future too.
He really shouldn’t be in here with me.
“No right?!”, he glared at me, his lips thinning in a hard line,” No one but me has a right over you.” I swallowed hard, his words scaring me. Not exactly the words but the way his eyes burned into mine, like he meant every word.
“Nevermind, I didn’t come here to argue with you”, he sighed, lifting himself off me, depriving me of his comforting heat.
I shook my head… I was seriously contradicting my own words… first I never wanted to see him again when I left his house…. then I friggin manifested him here and now I wanted him too close to me than was good for either of us.
I had to start thinking straight before it all went too far.
“Have you tried that one on?”, he asked, grabbing the dress I’d chosen off the hook and walking back toward me.
“Uh…. no”, I said somewhat haphazardly, snapping out of my jumbled brain’s bombarding thoughts.
“Try it on”, he suggested, shoving the soft silk in my hand.
Running my hands through the fabric, I looked at him questioningly.
“You’re gonna have to leave for that”, I said after a while when I realized he wasn’t leaving.
“I can just turn around”, he casually said, chuckling when he took in my horrified expression.
“I don’t trust you not to look”, I told him, clutching on to the gown.
“Fine. Fine. But I’m not going out. You can change behind those movable wooden doors”, he instructed, pointing to them.
I’d been hoping he hadn’t noticed those.
“But I….”, I start, my nerves lighting on fire by the thought of him being less than 3 feet away from me whilst I was going to be slipping out of my dress… bare-skinned. Naked. Fuck!
“I am not going to look. Now go. If you don’t move soon, I’ll make you slip out of that gown right in front of me”, he threatened, making my eyes widen up at him.
I could hear him burst into laughter when I scurried away from him like a cat with its tail between its legs… I almost fell when I tripped over the folds of the gown.
The cool air hit my skin, making me even more aware of the sensitive situation.
I hurriedly got changed, not giving any of the intrusive thoughts room in my mind.
He sucked in a harsh breath when I walked out in front of him.
I grew anxious…. did it not look good on me?
He strolled over to me. I expected him to say a tonne of different things but not what he actually said,” Buy it. I’ll be outside.”
And with that, he left without another word.
Wait… what? Now he thinks it's a good time to leave?
I shook my head, he was severely moody today.
I sauntered over to the cash register where both he and his uncle stood. I paused in my path, bracing myself for what I didn’t know.
“All done, sweetheart?”, Ben of course noticed me walk over to them first with those thirsty of his eyes.
Daniel turned back to look at me, nodding as he motioned to the lady behind the counter to bill the two dresses.
“You’re buying the one I chose for you, right?”, Benjamin asked, his tone terse, making my whole body tighten up in awful anxiety.
“Yes, of course I did”, I told him, earning a disdainful glare from his nephew which I chose to ignore.
“But she’s not going to wear it”, Daniel grumbled.
“Excuse me?”, his uncle replied, confusion writ on his chubby, beardy face.
“You heard me.” Daniel vehemently bit back.
“My bride will wear what I choose to make her wear”, Ben impudently replied. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Daniel pursed his lips, thankfully for me, he chose not to argue further.
When his uncle was a few feet away from us and walking to the parking lot, I heard Daniel swear under his breath,” He can buy whatever fucking wedding dresses he wants to… it’s not like there’s going to be a fucking wedding anyway.”
My heart plummeted to scary depths, wanting to believe his words. But my brain dutifully erased those words of his from existence before I could fully register them…. for my own good.