Mated To The Deranged CEO

Chapter Five

The audacity of this man was beyond anything I could have imagined a human being capable of.

How could he suddenly appear out of nowhere and decide to claim another woman’s child?

My child. The one I carried for nine months, lost my name as a Giovanni for, and sacrificed so much to keep. I had been forced to work like a regular individual—something I hadn’t done before—but I wasn’t complaining. I only wanted her safe. I had given up so much for her.

I wanted to say all of this to my supposed boss, but he had me cornered against his desk, his body close, his silver eyes boring into mine. His presence alone was overwhelming, and the tension in the room was so thick it could have been cut with a knife.

The only sound was my shallow breathing as I tried to steady myself, his unspoken words still ringing in my ears.

Just looking at him was unbearable, and yet he had to be this close—so close that the thought of a kiss crossed my mind. My cheeks burned at the idea, even though I knew it was wrong.

I couldn’t trust him. I wouldn’t. Not until I had a DNA test to confirm everything.

“Yes,” I mumbled silently to myself, trying to reassure my own doubts as my hands instinctively moved to his chest. His god-like, rock-hard chest.

I watched as a smirk played on his lips before it morphed into a self-assured smile.

“I still have an effect on you,” he said, his hot breath fanning against my skin. My cheeks flushed deeper, though I was grateful for my melanin, which hid my embarrassment—at least, I hoped it did.

Or did he know? The thought made me squirm with even more humiliation.

I tried to push him away, hoping he would step back, but he was like a stone wall. He didn’t move an inch.

Gawd!

I screamed internally, letting my hands drop helplessly to my sides when all my efforts proved futile. He saw this as an opportunity to do the one thing I never imagined he would—and the one thing I would have kicked him for if I could.

Before I could blink, he sealed the gap between us, his lips capturing mine in a kiss so sweet, so sensual, that it sent my entire body into flames.

I tried to fight it. Believe me, I did. But it was just too good, too intoxicating to resist. Instinctively, I tilted my head, giving him better access, and he took the signal immediately.

My hands moved up his chest, wrapping around his neck as his circled my waist, pulling me closer. The kiss deepened, consuming us both.

Moments—no, seconds—before his tongue could explore further, he pulled back. His lips pressed gently against mine once more before he stepped away, putting a noticeable distance between us.

Confusion washed over me, stronger than anything I had felt before. But before I could process it, the door opened, and a blonde woman stepped in holding a stack of files.

Evie darted past from the previous room, a piece of candy in her mouth. At least I knew she was safe here—for now.

“Am I interrupting anything, sir?” the blonde asked, her voice tense but curious as her gaze swept over us.

Cain chuckled and shook his head, taking a long stride back to his desk as I stepped away from it.

“Luna, this is Amanda, my treasurer and currently the only woman I trust.”

The moment he said that, a pang of jealousy shot through me, sharp and unwelcome.

Was it because he was my child’s father? Or because of the kiss we had just shared?

'No, it can’t be,' I told myself, taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart. 'Luna doesn’t fall in love so easily.'

Amanda nodded politely, flashing a small smile in my direction before turning her attention back to Cain. As she approached his desk, her gaze lingered on him longer than I liked, while his silver eyes stayed locked on me, an invisible smirk on his face.

Oh, how much I wanted to slap that smirk off him.

But I had no place here. Amanda was probably the woman after his heart, while I was just a thing of the past. A mistake.

In my opinion, a beautiful mistake.

I stood still, trying to push the confusion away even as a storm of emotions raged inside me.

I couldn’t let myself be weak in front of Cain—not after what had just happened.

The kiss… it felt like it had ignited something deep inside me, something both terrifying and exhilarating. And that made it all the more wrong. I couldn’t forgive him—not yet. And I wasn’t even certain he was the same man from last night.

Amanda continued her approach toward Cain’s desk, and my eyes followed her every move.

I could sense the tension between them, the unspoken familiarity that only those in a close relationship would share.

So my assumption was correct.

I might have given birth to his child, but Amanda might be the one who held his heart.

The thought made my chest tighten, jealousy burning in my veins.

Was she his lover?

His confidant?

His future, while I was nothing more than a fleeting memory?

I clenched my fists, anger rising with every passing second.

Jealousy crept up from my heart to my mouth. I wanted to say something—claim my spot if he truly was the one from that night.

If he was the only man I could let touch me or treat me the way I deserved, then I had to claim him as mine, whether he liked it or not.

But it wasn’t supposed to matter, I reminded myself.

I was conflicted.

I had no connection to the present, just as he had no connection to my life now.

He was never mine to begin with, and at the same time, Evie was never his.

It had been a mistake—a mistake I chose to keep and cherish. She was mine and mine alone.

The only memory of a man I would ever accept.

Probably.

Yet the thought of him with someone else—someone who seemed to fit so effortlessly into his world—was suffocating. Just seeing her stand beside him, I could picture the perfect couple they would make.

Too perfect.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I turned away, not wanting to show how vulnerable I felt, how much it hurt to stand there while another woman gazed at the man I kissed with admiration—or whatever emotion she carried in her eyes.

My mind wandered back to the kiss.

Had he felt the same confusion I did? Or was I just another conquest in his long list of women?

As if he could read my thoughts, Cain’s voice broke the silence, dragging me back to reality.

“Luna,” he said, his tone lighter now, though there was an edge to it that made me uneasy.

“If you’re done staring at my desk and making pointless assumptions, we need to discuss more important things.”

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to meet his gaze.

To stare into those perfect silver eyes.

“What things?” I asked, trying hard not to glance at Amanda, who now had a dark glare in her eyes.

I needed to leave. I didn’t want to be here. And if it was a job, I’d find another.

“Oh, yes... I, uhm…” I stuttered, scrambling for an excuse to leave.

But he leaned back in his chair, shifting it to face me, his presence even more imposing—if that was possible.

“I didn’t tell you all this for you to evade me again, Luna,” he said, standing and coming to my side. He cornered me against the wall, his lips just inches from mine.

And Amanda was staring.

Although it felt satisfying to see he wasn’t hiding this from her, I couldn’t shake the thought that she might still be warming his bed too.

“You’re not leaving my sight unless it’s necessary,” he whispered, his voice low and possessive. “I can’t let you or Evie go. Especially you.”

His words made my breath hitch, but before I could react, he placed a soft kiss on my lips. Then he stepped back.

“Now, let’s settle this,” he said, turning to Amanda. “Take her measurements and prepare an invitation for the opening.”

His gaze darkened.

“Under no circumstances should anyone look better than her. She looks stunning already, but I want her to look like she belongs to me.”

Wait, what?

I stared at Cain, expecting him to laugh, to tell me it was a joke. But his expression was dead serious.

“And since you’re here, Luna,” he added, “we have some catching up to do.”

I swallowed hard. This was it. No more deflecting, no more running away.

I had to face him. Face the truth of what we were—or weren’t—and figure out why he hadn’t looked for me, only to suddenly claim he couldn’t let me go.

Before I could speak, Amanda’s voice interrupted, sweet but laced with something too knowing.

“Sir,” she said, “I’ve noted your instructions. Should I return later to take her measurements or leave you two alone?”

Hope gleamed in her eyes, as though she wanted him to ask her to stay.

Cain’s sharp, emotionless gaze flickered between us. For a moment, I thought he might dismiss her or let her stay.

To my surprise, he smiled—a warm, genuine smile that made my stomach tighten with both relief and jealousy.

Why? Because that smile was supposed to be for me alone.

“You can leave, Amanda,” he said, his tone lighter now. “After work, you can take her measurements.”

He turned back to his desk as Amanda walked out.

The moment she left, Evie burst into the room, screaming with excitement, throwing her arms in the air as the man from earlier chased after her, clearly annoyed.

A laugh escaped my lips, and I tried to stifle it, but I couldn’t.

I raised my hands to cover my mouth, shaking with laughter. Cain turned to me, one eyebrow raised.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

I nodded quickly, turning away to compose myself.

To my surprise, the moment I stopped laughing, Cain spun me around and wrapped his arms around me.

I looked up, and for a fleeting second, our eyes locked.

I saw something in his gaze—something haunting and vulnerable.

It was almost unnoticeable, but it was there.

And yet, I wasn’t scared. In fact, I felt safe. Safer than I’d felt in years.

Without hesitation, I leaned closer, and he smiled—a satisfied, almost predatory smile.

Tilting his head, he leaned in until his lips hovered just inches from mine.

“If you keep seducing me like this,” he whispered, “I’ll have no choice but to make a mess of you right here, right now.”

Then he pulled back, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Now, let’s get your interview done.”

“Wait, what?!”

.