The whole of the day has been awkward. Totally awkward! I didn't know, and I still don't know, how to behave around him since that fervent moment in the car this morning. Every time our eyes meet, I am reminded of the fire I saw in them this morning. His closure is a reminiscence of that scene in the car. His touches, his sweet savage kisses, they are all freshly stuck in my mind like they happened the past second.
It's been hours, yet I feel the redness of his touches on my cheeks. The electrical sparks of his caresses are still tickling my sensitive skin. His beautiful words are still echoing in my ears.
"YOU. ARE. MY. WIFE"! He said, and disregard the last part to complete that statement. " ON. PAPER". Whether he did it on purpose or whether that important part slipped out of his mind is something I haven't been able to figure out the whole day.
"Are you okay?" I snap at his voice as he halts before me with a small package in his hand.
He doesn't seem bothered by the morning escapade at all, or he is just excellent at concealing it.
"Yeah." I lie, because I don't even know where I would start explaining my discomforts.
Was it the absurd part where I wish his words were true, that I am his wife? Or the shameful declaration that I relished that short-lived heated moment? Shocking still, the way I yearn for that sinful moment again, the way I yearn for him. Everything is so wrong, but I crave it anyway, and I have no control over this building desire in me.
"Here, then. Go and change." He says, handing me the small satchel in his hand.
I reluctantly jerk myself up, and take the small souvenir, ricocheting my eyes and plight inside to see what it is. I can't really make out what it is, but it's a white fabric.
He said, I change. So probably it's a dress. He got me a dress? And if I am changing, it means we are probably not heading back home. He has no intents to stop confounding this, does he? I think to myself as I stroll to his office dressing room.
I get rid of my clothes one by one, still wondering where, when, and how this will end. And in a month? We should be saying goodbye to each other in a month, yet here we are, getting so invested in each other. Desiring each other in ways we are not supposed to. Wishing that that contract was not there, but it is. Things have really taken a wrong turn.
I pull down my white short dress, which is way too short for my liking that I have to pull it down countless times in the gamble to stretch it a bit, but I don't know what shit of a material it's made of because I am only wasting my time. It's not stretching. The way the cold aura of the befalling twilight kisses my ass as I put on the matching laceless rubber shoes that came with the dress depicts the shortness of this piece of material in its extremity.
I feel naked. I am really naked. This dress covers only my forbiddens. I have never worn or dreamt of wearing something as exposing as this. And him, what will he think of me dressing like a...
My anger and discomforts hikes my legs outside, strolling to where he is buried in his computer. That's good, because at least I had the time to tiptoe and sink into the seat before he sees my beckoning thighs. I should have probably put back my descent dress on.
"I...can't walk out like this." My discomforts speaks for me, jerking his head from the computer.
His smirk as he jerks himself up from the swivel chair is more annoying than this dress.
"Stand up!" He says when she finally racks a step in front of me, the smirk broadening, earning a raised eyebrow from me.
I presumed that perhaps he missed my height when purchasing this dress, but his facial idiom ascertains how dead wrong I was. He knew it would be this short. Is he for real? Why would he want to walk with me almost naked?
"Tessa? Stand up. Please?" He adds, scratching his chin to cloak his elation.
I could have squawked, but I find myself on my feet, but averting his gaze at all costs. Then, I don't hear anything from him for a long moment. Nothing at all. I am tempted to think that he is even holding his breath because men, the silence is echoing with so much bang!
Is he even here?
I take my gaze in his direction, and oh, hey, fuck! His jaw is rolling somewhere on the floor. He seems to have taken in enough of the nudity before him, his eyes camping at my cleavage. He isn't blinking, and I was right, he forgot how to breathe a couple of minutes ago.
At least he now knows that I can't walk out like this. He is a perfect criterion of how much attraction I will attract out there, and how uncomfortable I will be. Goodness!
I look away for a minute to gather the courage to speak, but he beat me to it, making me snap at him.
"Tell me why you can't walk out in this." He points to my dress.
Hello? Wasn't he the one who couldn't even breathe a few seconds ago?
"Are you seriously asking that, Jerol? You were so engrossed in devouring me just a few seconds ago and..."
"I have all the rights to ogle my wife all I want. Especially, if she is so hot."
His wife! Underline that. We shall revisit, but for now, there is no way I will humiliate myself walking naked to wherever he is taking me.
"It hugs your curves more than I expected. You are so perfect, Tessa!"
Where did my voice go?
"Let's go, baby? We are getting late!" He adds, and that smile, ooh this smirk on his face!
An hour later!
A candle-lighted, breathtakingly decorated room greets my vision as we make our way inside a certain five-star hotel. I hold my breath, snuggling close to his arm with dismay. Aside from the screaming silence, my dismay deepens after I fail to spot even a single soul in this room as we stroll deeper inside. It's dead quiet, and unfortunately, I am not a werewolf to scent blood from afar. That way I would know if there are people in this whole luxurious hotel.
"Wh...at's the occasion? This looks like an enormous hotel but why is no one here?" I ask as we enter the lift.
"Because we don't need disruptions."
Ahem! What?
I look at him to ask something, but he doesn't look like he is up for a debate. He turns quiet all of a sudden. Weirdly quiet.
We get out of the lift and he wraps an arm around my waist, still saying nothing. I follow his lead to the balcony which outlines the view of the vast beautiful capital city. It's an eye-catching view with all these modern tall buildings illuminated by the streets lights, but the tension between us doesn't allow me to get lost in its beauty.
"What's wrong?" I ask, walking to him.
He is eying the city, but lost in something else. I can clearly analyse his expression even under these lights.
"Nothing." He lies after a moment of thinking.
Of course, there is something. And there is only one thing that wrecks his peace like this.
"Did you remember her?" I mumble, hoping that I am not invading too much.
"Ellie?" He slightly smirks, turning to me and boring his eyes into mine. "No." He adds, with a strict persuading tone that makes me want to believe that she is not in his mind.
"Are you sure?" I ask just to be sure.
"Will you never believe me whenever I say I am not thinking about that woman, Tessa? I wasn't obsessed with her if that's what you think." His cold voice possesses a tinge of softness in it, making me regret my question.
"Hey!" I close the gap between us, cupping his face. "I didn't mean anything, okay? I just wanted to make sure I am doing my job right." I say, caressing his jaws, and loving how rough they feel on my soft palms.
I feel his hands encompass my waist, pulling me to him possessively, making me tremble.
"You succeeded a long time ago. Tell me, Tessa Angeline McCall. When I have you with me like this, when a pure and gorgeous goddess like you is with me, how can I think of someone else? Why would I disrespect you by entertaining a worthless memory of a person who didn't, doesn't care?"
Huh? This is the first time he is talking about that woman like he doesn't care at all, but me, he cares for me? It's not possible, right?
"But, Jerol, I will not be with you for long. What will happen when I am no longer here? Will you relapse because you don't have a distraction anymore?" I query, and he closes his eyes.
"You," he peels his eyes, pulling us closer as he speaks, "you are not a distraction to me, Tessa. You are, my wife - my beautiful priceless wife. Nobody should ever tell you otherwise, and I forbid you from thinking otherwise."
Wait. I don't... I don't get it!
"The contract will..."
"What contract?" He cuts me off.
Did he lose his mind or what?