Playing For Keeps

Three

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"Power means nothing when the right person refuses to be intimidated."

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Alisha. She didn't understand the word “NO”. She swayed her hips as she made her way towards Damien’s table. Placing her bags on his desk and walking over to sit on his laps. She rubbed his beards with her well manicured nails ever so subtly.

“What are you doing here? You're meant to be in Spain.” He asked, gently pushing her off his laps immediately she attempted kissing him.

“I came to see you. I missed you. Your touch, your body, your lips, just name it.” She said in a sultry voice as she made her way back to his laps.

Alisha was Damien’s ex. He had broken up with her a thousand times but she still found her way back to him every time. They decided to use each other to pass time since they were both single.

“You don't want to touch me.” she whined, lowering her right hand to his belt to unbuckle it. That was enough.

“That's enough, Alisha. I'm not in the mood.” He said and pushed her off with a little more force than the first time. She got up angrily, stomping her feet on the floor like a toddler being denied her candy.

“Take your bags off my table.” He said, a bit stern.

“Such a bore.” Alisha humphed and picked them up.

“When do we get to go out and have a little fun?” She questioned.

“Next week. I have a meeting right now so I want you to leave. The meeting is happening in my office.”

“I'm going home. I'll wait for you at home.” She said and he knew it was pointless trying to stop her. She was Alisha. She was going to find a way to get what she wanted.

“Okay.” He said and just then, his secretary knocked twice before opening the door.

“Sir. It's time for your meeting. He'll be here in a few minutes.” She said and he nodded.

“Adequate.” He replied curtly and she left the office. Alisha gave him a peck before stepping out with her shopping bags.

Damien heaved a sigh of relief. After some time and two knocks, the door opened up and Damien immediately started speaking up, not caring to look at Daniel and not waiting for him to have a seat.

“I want you to back down from this case. Withdraw the case, let's settle out of court and you just might be lucky to earn yourself a million dollars.”

"A million? That’s cute. But my client isn’t looking for a payout. He’s looking to expose the truth. Maybe try a number that covers both your arrogance and the damage you’ve caused.” Damien’s head snapped towards the voice. The voice that tormented him. What was she even doing in his office?

“I can't remember inviting you into my building.” He said lowly.

“You invited my client. My client suggested I come with him and I think that was the right decision to make because I wonder what you'd have said and done to manipulate him into backing down from this case.

“Hawthorne is an adult. He can decide and speak for himself—”

“Not when he has a legal representative.”

Zara was bent on frustrating Damien. He clenched his jaws as he released his grip from his pen he had been holding.

“Once again, I ask: Do you have a personal grudge against me? We could sort it outside of court. Or are you one of the ladies dying to have me?” He mocked, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.

She wished she could wipe off that silly smirk. One look around his office and she could tell why he saw himself like a god. His throne-like chair was a mountain compared to the two receiving chairs she and Daniel sat on. She couldn't deny the aura surrounding the man and his office. He commanded the respect he got. But that wasn't enough reason for him to treat everyone around him like trash.

“You wish, Mr. Billionaire.” She rolled her eyes.

Damien’s eyes traveled back to Daniel Hawthorne. Such stupid and naive man, he thought. He would have had his way if and only if the enemy of progress didn't come alongside with him. Daniel was literally shaking where he sat. He was visibly scared of Damien.

Damien leaned back in his chair, watching Daniel struggle to keep himself together. Pathetic. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk as he turned his attention back to Zara. She was sitting too comfortably for his liking, her eyes holding a challenge he wasn’t in the mood for.

“You’re shaking, Hawthorne,” he said, his tone almost mocking. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Daniel’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. Zara, however, was unfazed.

“You really enjoy playing the villain, don’t you?” she said, tilting her head slightly. “Must be exhausting, trying so hard to intimidate everyone.”

Damien let out a low chuckle. “You think this is me trying? Trust me, sweetheart, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

She scoffed. “Let me guess. You’re about to give some big speech about how money wins every time, and we should take your ‘generous’ offer before you make our lives miserable?”

He smirked. “I don’t need to make your life miserable. You’ll do that all on your own when you realize this case is a waste of time.”

Zara leaned forward slightly. “We’ll see about that.”

She stood, and Daniel quickly followed. Damien watched them head for the door, his jaw tightening as Zara glanced back at him with a knowing look.

Annoying.

And yet, he couldn’t deny it.

She had his attention.

☆☆☆☆☆

Zara was exhausted from work and having to deal with Damien all the time. She couldn't deny the fact that the whole drama was quite fun and amusing. She wanted to push him to his limits. She smiled as she removed her shirt, her mind running back to the exact reaction he had on his face when he heard her voice in his office.

Speaking of his face…even she couldn't deny the fact that he was handsome, probably another reason why his ego was so high. His stubble, his evil smirk—

“Get a hold of yourself girl.” She scolded herself as she removed the last piece of clothing and went into the shower. She let the water run down her hair and to her back, heaving a sigh of relief as she felt the water. Applying her coconut cream scented body wash. She spent a while washing off and humming to a song. After some minutes, she completed her shower time and stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed. Her bathrobe wrapped around her body, she wrapped a towel round her hair and heard a beep from her phone.

Picking up her phone, she saw a message she thought she would never see in her life.

“Hey little Ms. Attorney.” A text from the one and only! Damien Vaughn. She did a double check to confirm he was the one and he truly was.

"Big Mr. Bad Guy texting? Who would have thought?” She replied almost immediately but stopped herself mid-text.

He doesn't deserve your time or attention.