She sits frozen as a pink blush creeps to her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears.

“I told you to behave, didn’t I?” I whisper.

She opens her mouth to respond, but no sound comes out; she stares at me, baffled. I want to pull her in and kiss her ravenously, but before I can make a move, her eyes swell, and tears start streaming down her cheeks again.

Does this woman have a hidden well in those beautiful blue-green orbs?

I frown. What have I done now?!

Chapter 13

NATALIE

“S hhh…don’t cry,” Derik hums, hushing me. His voice is gentle, but the

frown on his face remains. “Come on,” he goes on, wiping the tears off

my cheeks with his thumb, his other hand tucking stray hairs behind my left ear.

I want to stop the tears, but they don’t seem to be responding, as if my nerves have lost connection to my brain. His gestures are overwhelming, and I can’t help but feel confused, angry, and comforted all at once. The tenderness and anxiety are evident in his eyes, as if he’s afraid he’ll injure me if he does something rash or raises his voice one decibel.

The cold, detached, and calculated Derik Lewis actually doesn’t know what to do for once!

“Don’t cry, hmm?” he coaxes.

Pursing my lips, I blink and sniff my nose.

Where did all these tears come from?

Why won’t they stop?

“I’m trying,” I sob, my voice cracking. “Do you think this is funny? You do what you want, whenever you want. You treat me like an object that you can

pick up whenever you feel like it and toss aside when you lose interest. I am not a fool, Derik. Don’t touch me.”

I tilt my head, avoiding his gaze when his mouth curls into an amused smile.

He looks so handsome, despite my blurry vision. And here I am, crying like an idiot, looking pitifully ugly.

“You’re not an object,” he mumbles.

He inches closer, his lips brushing against the corner of my left eye. My heart flutters as if my nerves are jolted with tiny bolts of electricity. “You never were.”

He presses his lips on the lid of my right eye.

I shiver, feeling a river of warmth flood my center.

“I just lost my cool…that’s all. I’m not mad.”

I sob on, still unconvinced.

“Lost your cool? What the heck? Does that give you the right to invade my workplace and shove me into your car like I’m a sack of rice?”

He chuckles and then pinches my cheek.

“First of all, I am not invading. This project is under Lewis Corporation. So, technically I am your boss, correct? Secondly, you are indeed like a sack of rice.

You’re really quite heavy. Have you been pigging out? And, last but not least, I’m irritable because I haven’t had enough sleep the past few days. Hence, my lack of patience and composure.”

My jaw drops, amazed that he explained himself properly for once. I wasn’t aware he could do that.

“This is probably a dream.”

He raises his brow, puzzled.

“What?”

“The real Derik Lewis would never speak in full, coherent sentences. If this isn’t a dream, then you’re an imposter. Who are you and what have you done with that asshole?”

In response, he bursts into laughter which echoes through the narrow space of the vehicle. Squinting my eyes, I study his jubilant demeanor. The frown on his face is gone, and his shoulders have relaxed. His eyes aren’t as empty as they used to be.

“You–you’re laughing…” I point, gaping.

“I never knew you had a comical side to you,” he comments, leaning in. Then, he plants a kiss on my lips, gentle and slow at first, as if he’s afraid he might break me. My breathing lightens when his tongue traces the outline of my lips, then leisurely enters, and explores the cavern of my mouth while sucking and urging me to reciprocate.

I’m already breathless when he pulls me in closer with his hand resting on the nape of my neck, the other slipping under my shirt. Moaning, I squirm against his chest, relishing his scorching touch.

Oh, how I missed his touch.

I link my arms around his neck and pull his kiss in deeper. His mouth is soft and sweet, and his touch electrifies my skin, sending me into a state of carnal bliss. When his palm cups my breast, I moan in pleasure.

He jerks away abruptly, leaving me desperately wanting more.

“That ought to tell you this is real,” he teases.

I scoff in annoyance but don’t say a word, feeling breathless and on fire all over.

“Let’s get out of here. I’m starving.”

He pulls away from me and starts the engine. Hurriedly, he maneuvers the car without a word. His chest rises and falls heavily, and I can feel and smell the lust in the air as he speeds up the familiar road home to the villa.

I’m still in a stupor when the car pulls into the driveway. Derik gets out, taking large strides around to my side, he throws open the passenger door and single-handedly scoops me into his arms. This time, it is swift and careful.

We’re on the stairs, headed up to the second floor, when my mind finally clears.

“What are you doing?!” I ask in incredulity.

“Getting my meal,” he answers flatly as he kicks the door of his study wide open with a bang. I gulp nervously when he places me on top of the large oak desk, his eyes lingering on my face. The usually icy cold stares have turned into a lustful gaze that seems to disrobe me of the façade of strength I’ve been putting on.