one night, one desire

chapter eight

“seriously?! T…that would be incredibly generous of you, Ms. Mercer. Thank you!“

“yes, but in the meantime, I would encourage you to be patient. We’ll be in touch with our final decision soon.”

Rebecca nodded, gratitude mingling with uncertainty as she left the room. This was definitely a good opportunity for her.

Going back to the lobby which mostly sparse, with the few of the applicant’s having left, except for the last batch which included the same woman Rebecca had met when she had come. Rebecca strode towards the secretary, hoping to get some directions to the closest convince to freshen up a bit. She felt exhausted and hot at the same time.

"Yes, she just left my office"

Meanwhile back at the HR's office, Elise had received a call from the Head office, Isaac Nikolai. He had called to know how much progress the interview had made, but also about a particular candidate whom had caught his attention. Rebecca Hartley.

As he was listening to the report Elise was making on the interview so far, a sly smile curled up at the corners of his lips, highlighting the sharp edges of his clean shaven chiseled jaw as he glanced through Rebecca's folder.

"...I see. I'll keep that in mind, thank you Elise" Isaac said as he dropped the call. But the smile on his face stayed up as he stared intensely at Rebecca's passport. Her dark brown locks rolled down her back like a waterfall, her lips painted red, and an adorable mole underneath her right eye that he had only noticed this morning at the cafe which he hadn't noticed the night they had spent in each others company.

There was no mistaking, she was the same woman. As though being told a funny joke, Isaac chuckled darkly as the smile on his lips twisted into a devilish smirk when he remembered how he had Rebecca squirming underneath his weight that night. So helpless, so needy, so... perfect.

For Isaac, it had only been a one time thing where he had thought they would never meet again, which was why he never bothered to even ask her name. But it seemed as though the universe had other plans for him. It had been a coincidence that they had met at the cafe this morning, but it had been a big surprise to him to have her standing in his office along with the other applicants. And it was obvious she recognised him as well, even if she had her suspicions back at the cafe, she wasn't dumb to not connect the dots.

"Rebecca Hartley, huh..." Isaac let her name roll off his tongue like a sweet lullaby. This would surely be an interesting turn of events.

After reveling herself and splashing some cold water in her face, Rebecca dried off and stepped back into the waiting room, but in that same moment, the door to Isaac’s office was opening as well, and she turned around in time to catch his expensive shoes striding out the office, his expression was neutral and unreadable as he glanced in her direction. For a moment, their eyes locked, and the world seemed to slow down when she felt that same electric pull that had sparked between them before. But she wasn't the only one staring though. The secretary could barely hold back her oggling eyes as she wagged her tongue at her boss. Her eyes undressing him from head to toe as she imagined him taking her like a predator would devour it's prey while she screamed his name.

Rebecca's lips went dry, despite the fact she was already putting on lip gloss, her tongue peeked out slightly to wet them. But it wasn’t just her lips that felt dry, it was her throat as well. Maybe a tall…glass of water could quench her insatiable thirst.

As Rebecca’s throat grew dryer, she found herself frozen in place, unable to break her gaze from the man as he drew closer and closer to where she stood. The aura he exuded was intense and intimidating.

But then the moment was gone, and he was striding past her, heading towards the elevators without a word. Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart sunk. Did he really not recognize her? Or was he trying to keep a professional front?

But oh, little did she know, Isaac did in fact recognise her. His eyes belying his expression as they twinkled with a certain untamed excitement for the woman. In just one glance he had already undressed her, but he had to behave professional before his subordinates.

As Isaac stepped into the elevator, his footsteps echoing in the empty space, His gaze lingered on the glowing “G” button for a moment before he pressed it, his eyes focused on the file in his clutches, a familiar name and face on the front of the folder. He smiled as though he were already anticipating something to happen.

Before the doors could close completely, a hand burst through the closing gap, startling Isaac a bit.

“wait?” a woman called. It was Rebecca, heaving for air from her sudden burst from the lobby to the elevator in her peep-toed heels. She couldn’t possibly miss her chance to speak to him now.

Amused by her gutsy move, Isaac's larger hands pushed the metal doors apart, giving Rebecca just enough room to slip in. she doubled over once she was in, panting slightly for air as she leaned her back against the walls. The gentle raising and falling of her chest had her breast poking through the tight buttons before pulling herself back up again. All the while, Isaac studied her form with a curious smile, his eyes lingering a bit longer on her chest before traveling down her slender legs, then back up to her pretty face that looked like a porcelain doll's.

Feeling the intensity of his gaze on her, a light heat warmed her cheeks when Rebecca caught him eyeing her body. Her cheeks a bit flushed and her lips pressed into a fine line as she finally summoned up more of that courage to face him fully without breaking eye contact with him. Her brown eyes reflecting in his tar black ones.

“why didn’t you tell me who you were?” she demanded, deciding it was better to come out openly rather than beating round the bush. Rebecca wanted to know, the suspense was killing her.

Isaac, deciding to play with this little mouse whom dared challenge him a little bit longer, he c****d his head to the side, one of his thick black brow high above the other as he pretended to be oblivious to what she meant.

"Excuse me?" He asked. His voice monotone. Rebecca breathed in, then out again.

"I'm not an i***t,I know who you are. And I'm very sure you know who I am! So why didn't you tell me?" Rebecca thought her head would explode. Isaac pushed her a little further again.

“you didn’t ask” he said with a coy smile playing at the corner of his lips as he stepped towards her, closing the space between them, but Rebecca instinctively took a step backwards, only then did she realize just how little room there was in the elevator. Her heart thundered in her chest.

So he did know, his words only affirmed her suspicions, but now that she was trapped by him, she started to reconsider her earlier choice of going after him. He was the stranger from the hotel, so now what?

Her eyes darted about until she felt her palms begin to sweat from anxiety.

“b…but, the café …this morning-“

“and what about the café, this morning?” he took another step closer, his movement slow and deliberate, Rebecca swallowed hard as she stared up at him, the air seemed to thicken as he moved, the space between them closing in on her. His gaze was magnetic, trapping her in place. His hot breath tickling her bare neck as his eyes seemed to undress her. The smile on his lips never dropping, even for once.

Rebecca felt cornered as she tried to calm her noisy heartbeat. Isaac was the predator and she was the prey. And he knew it.

“tell me something, Rebecca Hartley…” he stared at the name on the file as though he hadn’t already memorised every single detail about her that Elise had provided to him, right down to the most intricate information in his office already. “…is that really the question you really wanted to ask me? Coffee talk?” he teased, running his long fingers through his thick dark hair, messing it up in the process, his gaze burning into hers with that same smouldering intensity she remembered.

“…”

He looked just the way he did that night. The gears in her head churned as she tried to figure out a way to ask him straight out if he was truly the one? But how could she so freely ask this man if he was the same man whom she’d shared a bed with. Her heart thumping loudly in her ear as she tried to hold her ground.

“well,” she began, her voice faltering slightly. “was it you?”

Isaac regarded her with a cool calculating gaze.” And what if I said yes? Would you try to run and hide from me the way you did this morning, Hm?” His words were like a sinker, daring her to take a bite.

Isaac was a sharp man and he’d taken note of all the applicants, he’d even gone through all their files before they had come into the conference room. Even amongst the dozens of faces in the room, his eyes searched for one in particular, Rebecca. Tucked away behind another applicant.

At the time, he’d found it amusing to watch her hide away. He figured she had been embarrassed to see him here, after their banter at the coffee shop. But the realisation in her eyes made things even more interesting for him. And if she wanted to play cat and mouse, he was more than willing to play along.

Isaac had recognized Rebecca the moment he’d laid eyes on her in the coffee shop, but he wouldn’t let her know that. Not so soon at least.

It was all a game now.

Feeling very aware of his presence, Rebecca tried to move away from him, but before she could take another step away from him, Issac raised his hand and slammed it hard against the metal walls, and then the other, effectively trapping her in place.

He was so close that she could feel the body heat radiating off of him, and she found herself held in place, unable to breath properly as her heart betrayed her, beating erratically in its boned cage, Rebecca wondered if he could hear it because of how close he was.