Her Impossible Mate

12- You Are Everything

...Zander...

Having Raine on the floor below me today evoked an unexpected feeling of calm. I knew she was safe, and I felt the near ecstasy of the bond just with her proximity. It feels as though a weight has been lifted, and all release that I'd craved has vanished. Raine is my release.

She looked good enough to devour when striding confidently into reception in her slim black dress. It hugged her curves perfectly, causing my breath to hitch and other parts of me to throb. Her hair clipped up and away from her face displayed a new angle for her beauty to shine. With her hair pulled back, the delicious definition of her features was more noticeable. Did you know a woman's neck and collar bone could arouse such desire? I didn't until this morning.

My night had been restless thinking over our last encounter. My typical attitude to women is a 'treat them mean to keep them keen' approach, and I never put much thought into whether it pushed them away. Women were readily obtainable for me. They came, and they went. But this is different. I had one chance to lock in Raine and make her mine. The stakes are high, and my cold attitude yesterday was high risk.

But she came back today as instructed, looking more perfect than I remember. A feat that seemed impossible. I had to fight the urge to march up to her in that lobby and claim her right there and then. Resist the urge to rip the dress off, dive into what I can only imagine is the sweetest p***y, and put on a show so that everyone would know; she is mine.

Now she's here, I have the opportunity to build a relationship with her. I want to know every single inch of Raine. To the point where I can memorise every dip and contour of her body. To have that image of her imprinted in my mind to relive every second of every day. But more than that, I want to know her. Who she is, what she likes and doesn't. What makes her tick. And that scares me.

There is something truly mesmerising about who Raine is as a whole. So far, I've seen her fierce independence and defiant nature contrasted with a vulnerable woman with an uncertainty of who she is and what she wants.

To have her here now is a glimmer of hope that what she might want is me. Us.

The shift in my mood is noticeable at this turn of events. As a result, my day had been more productive than any of late. The thought of Raine coming to me at five had given me a new surge of motivation. That and the memory of her seductive voice calling me 'Sir' had me surging through work.

That was until my afternoon was derailed by an unwanted visitor.

Eva bursts boldly into my office, a devilish glint in her eyes. She struts to my desk and drops a clean black file down in front of me.

The best way to infuriate Eva is to starve her of the attention she craves. Some real daddy issues there, if you ask me.

She folds her arms and sinks into one hip to give the illusion of the curve to her ass. Seeing her stand before me, I don't know what I saw in her. She is nothing compared to my Raine.

"Don't bother standing. I'm not staying." She speaks with her typical shrill tone.

"I know." I say it calmly, letting her know it was never an option for her to hang around. She's lucky she made it past reception. I should have a word with them about that.

She glares down at me, my casual demeanour probably pushing her buttons the way I hoped it would.

"My father drew up a new agreement. He wanted it hand delivered." I nod at the information, my eyebrows knotting up to question why she's still here. We both know she could have left this at reception. She sighs, exasperated with my lack of engagement with her.

"This is ridiculous, Zan. We had something good. So, stop this silliness and come back to me." Her arms flop down to her side in frustration. She looks close to a toddler having a tantrum.

I stand and make my way around to her. She has a pouted bottom lip, but her eyes glisten with the hope I'm coming back to her. Standing in front of her, I stare down with a harsh and cold look. She almost shivers, that sparkle fading fast.

"I was never yours to have, Evangeline. And if you thought that, you're an idiot." Her pouted lip is gone, replaced by a thin line and tensed jaw. I lean down, so my face is intimidatingly close.

"You are nothing to me." My voice is low and threatening. I want to ensure all ties between us are severed from here on out. Eva would not interfere with Raine and I. I would make sure of that.

Her nostrils flare as her eyes darken with rage. Her little fists ball at her sides as she almost vibrates with anger.

"You will regret this." Her voice has an aggressive rasp, an impressive change from her naturally high-pitched tone. She stamps off towards the door, and I roll my eyes at her dramatics. That should keep her far away from me.

I head back around to my desk to check the time. It's nearing five, and Raine will be here soon. That thought alone shifts me quickly out of irritation at Eva's visit.

After a few minutes, my phone rings. Elijah lets me know she's arrived, and I advise him to send her in. 

As she enters, she has a pensive twist to her brow, and I can practically hear the cogs turning in her head. It's a new expression to grace her face around me, but like all the others so far, it's charming.

She calmly approaches my desk then gracefully bends into place in the chair across from me. My eyes haven't left her once. Her presence is thoroughly captivating, as always.

Her gaze meets mine. Her thoughtful frown has been replaced by an accusatory raise of a brow. I push back to lean casually in my chair, my eyes scanning her, trying to understand the cause of this display. And then I think about the timing of her arrival. I had hoped Eva would make a clean exit. Raine's attitude makes me think otherwise.

"I have some paperwork for you to complete." I speak professionally, though I bite back a smirk as her stare persists. Is this jealousy? She only offers a hum of acknowledgement. 

I place two fingers suggestively on the forms on my desk and slide them forcefully over to her. She glances down at the movement, eye's lingering on my fingers a little too long. Perfect.

I pull my hand away, breaking her trance. I hope she's wondering what these fingers are capable of. And I know they could make her scream with euphoria. My smirk tugs itself wider at the thought. Her irritation only persists.

We're stuck in a stalemate of gazing at each other. Her gaze flames with anger, while mine is fueled by lust. In my experience, there's a fine line between the two.

"If you have something to say, sat it." I quirk my brow to mirror hers, putting her under my judgmental gaze. Admirably, she doesn't flinch. She opens her mouth to speak but not before her tongue runs over her teeth and pauses as she tilts her head and narrows her eyes. My d**k twitches in my pants. 

Instead of speaking, Raine picks up a pen and starts to go through the forms that I have placed in front of her. I watch her scribble her information aggressively. She flicks through the pages, never missing a beat until the final page- emergency contacts.

She pauses in thought then raises the pen to her lips. I've never wished to be an inanimate object so badly. She lightly nibbles at the end of the pen. Thoughts of her performing those little nibbles on my bottom lip or having nips at my neck have me readjusting myself to mask my desire. Everything she does has my blood pumping with a hunger for her.

Taking a deep breath, she starts to write in her designated contact. I wonder who.

Though I find this bratty side to her irritatingly attractive, I also don't want us to continue with this incessant too and fro of emotions. This hot and cold approach is only fun for so long.

"Is this how we're going to continue?" She glances up, the fire still in her eyes. She inhales deeply, and I try not to show that I notice the enticing rise and fall of her chest.

"What do you mean?" Her tone is flat.

"Your attitude is giving me whiplash, Raine." I say it with mischief in my face. She breathes in deeply, pauses and blows her breath back out in frustration.

"What do you want from me?" Now she is sharp with her words, the anger bubbling to the surface. I don't want her to explode, but an admission of desire or jealousy would be satisfying for sure.

"Everything." I lean forward, showing her my seriousness. She scoffs and jerks her head away in dismissal.

"You don't even know me! How can you just decide you want it all. I'm nothing. Nobody." Her eyes blaze gold, her inner beast trying to escape. Her words enrage me, and I burst from my seat. She watches me warily, unsure of my intention.

I move around the desk and kneel before her. Keeping the anger at bay is helped only by her sweet and calming scent. She drops her head to avoid eye contact, but I need her to see the sincerity in my next statement.

Placing one finger under her chin, I gently pull her head up until our eyes connect. Her eyes have calmed to their mossy green hue, the anger replaced by a deep-rooted sadness. She looks so lost.

"You are everything to me now. I will not let you push me away." I speak low and slow, desperate for the words to land. Her eyes flick between mine as they glaze over. Her bottom lip has a slight tremble, and I want so desperately to engulf it with my own lips. F*ck it.

Slowly I make my descent, my gaze flicking between her lips and her eyes, searching for permission to continue the movement. She doesn't move, her doe eyes blinking seductively as her lips part, her breathing picking up its pace.

There's an electric pull between our lips as they are a whisper apart. Raine tilts her head and closes her eyes in the final seconds before the space between us closes. The anticipation our the taste of Raine is killing me. This is the slowest, most pure attempt at a kiss I've ever done, but it's everything I believe she deserves. I care about her. I want to do right by her.

Just as my eyes close and practically feel the caress of her supple bottom lip, the phone rings abruptly, causing her to flinch just out of reach.

"F*ck." I whisper under my breath. Reluctantly I stand, grumbling to myself as I walk around the desk to answer the phone.

Annoyingly, it's only Elijah requesting some files to send to a client. I should have told him not to interrupt, and I could be devouring every inch of Raine as we speak. F*ck. I handle the call quickly with a harsh tone and slam the receiver down. 

Raine's bold demeanour has shifted to that of awkward shyness. She fidgets in her seat as I rub my hand over the stubble of my chin in frustration. How do I save this situation? 

"Are you hungry?" Her head pings up at my question, confusion crossing her face. I watch her expectantly, waiting for her response. She chews at her lip, contemplating her answer. Eventually, she nods slowly.

"Come on." I signal for us to leave, and she stands and collects her bag. I swoop to her side, my hand falling instinctively to her lower back, and guide her from my office. 

Again we walk through the work floor as if we were walking a red carpet. All eyes are on us, and my hand grips at her dress possessively. The temptation to move my hand a little south is strong, but I resist. I can't rush her.

I get her down to my car and tell the driver to take use to my usual restaurant. It's early for dinner, but I have a feeling that getting her out of a work environment might help her relax. She sits quietly on the car journey, watching intently out of the window at the passing streets and strangers. 

I watch her, absorbing everything about her. Every slight movement-the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the slight smile teasing the corners of her mouth, her fingertips rubbing the material of her dress to soothe her. Every little thing about her is mesmerising.

We arrive at the restaurant and are seated promptly. As a frequent customer, my table is always available. Raine continues her silence. This whole time, she has just watched and absorbed her surroundings.

I guide the chair under her as she sits and move to sit opposite her. She smiles politely, but her eyes are showing her unease. 

"Good evening, Mr Heroux. Would you like your usual wine brought over." The waiter addresses us as we are both seated. I glance over to check on Raine. She looks uncomfortable and keeps her head down.

"We'll need a few minutes, thank you." He nods in understanding, places the menus then leaves. I pick up the menu, although I already know it by heart.

"Do you like wine?" I flick my eyes up to look at her, and she smiles to herself. 

"White wine. But probably not anything that will appear on this list." Her smile continues as she runs her finger down the list of wines. The wine list here is extravagant, as is the rest of the menu. I like fine dining. Sue me.

"You come here a lot?" She continues to peruse the wine list. It serves as a distraction from looking at me, though I don't mind if it can encourage some casual conversation.

"Yes. Best food in town." She 'hmms' to herself, then raises her gaze to mine and chews at her lip, thinking hard.

"I think I saw a picture of you and Evangeline Blackwood here." Her gaze is steely, her tone suggestive. I smirk mischievously. She's jealous for sure.

"Probably. We came here a few times." I flick the pages of the menu and avoid her piercing stare. 

"Recently?" She drops her eye line again, perhaps to make the question appear casual. I hold back a little chuckle. She's cute when she's jealous.

"Is there something you want to ask me about Eva?" I tilt my head and flash her a half-smile. Her nostrils flare as she inhales sharply.

"Is there something going on between you and her?" She closes the menu firmly with her question, her eyes boring into me with desperation to have the answer.

"There was." She adjusts her shoulders and tightens her jaw. "But not anymore." She blows out a sigh, her tensed shoulders dropping slightly. 

"Does she know that?" Her brow raises again. Obviously, Eva had said something when leaving my office. That b*tch is crossing a line, and if I didn't have to come to this damn agreement with her father, my response would be more than painful for her.

"She should." I try to give her the reassurance she wants without turning into a snivelling i***t. I cannot hide my previous relationships or actions from her. My personal life is plastered over the glossy pages of gossip magazines for all to read. I also won't apologise for the woman I've been with. It's a part of my journey to here, I suppose. But Raine should never worry about Eva or any other woman. My sights are firmly set on her. I just need the opportunity to convince her to give in to her desires.

"Good." Her eyes twinkle at the confirmation that Eva is out of the picture. The corner of her mouth twitches upward as she returns to perusing the menu.

We're quiet for a while as she thumbs through the food options. I can't take my eyes off of her. In doing so, I pick up on her uncertainty at the menu provided. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, looking restless and a touch nervous in this environment.

"Everything alright?" I quiz her, unsure of what might cause her unease now we seem to have moved past the other problem.

"It's just--" She stops herself and picks awkwardly at her fingers. She sighs heavily and looks up at me. "It's just a bit fancy for me."

I let a chuckle slip out and try to cover it with a cough. Clearly, I've failed as she retracts her gaze and a red flush travels up from her neck to her cheeks. I reach out for her hand, caressing it reassuringly. Her shy smile returns though her face is still flushed from the embarrassment of her admission. 

"Is there somewhere else you would prefer?" I try to be soothing, though it's a rarity for me. Raine is already bringing out new feelings and behaviours in me. This bond is encouraging me to be softer, which is a significant switch from my previous approach to women. But in these tender moments, my heart squeezes with Raine's positive response.

She beams brightly back at me, her eyes shining in delight.

"I know a place."