HIS DATE
1537 Words
ELARA'S POV
"Are you insane?"
I shoved him with every ounce of strength I had left. The force of it made him stumble back, his heels clicking sharply against the hardwood.
He regained his posture instantly, his dark eyes flashing with something that looked dangerously like anger.
"I’m married, Cillian!" I yelled, my voice cracking in the dark office.
"You need to know your place. Keep acting like you don't know me. Keep acting like that night never happened, because it didn't! Do you hear me? It was a mistake!"
The air in the room shifted.
The vulnerability I’d seen a second ago vanished, replaced by a cold, suffocating wall of professional steel. He smoothed his jacket, his expression turning stoic and icy.
"Lower your voice," he growled, his tone shifting into a sharp, business-like edge.
"I want you as my date for a client meeting at the gala tonight. This is a high-stakes negotiation. If you’re incapable of doing your job as my PA and accompanying me to professional functions, why did you even apply? Was it for the paycheck or the drama?"
I stuttered, my mouth hanging open as I tried to find words. The whiplash was dizzying. How could he be so obsessive one moment and so chillingly detached the next?
"I…I didn't think... the job description didn't mention…"
"Get your things," he snapped, cutting me off.
"Meet me in the car park in five minutes. If you’re late, don't bother coming back tomorrow."
He turned and walked out without waiting for a response, leaving me standing there in the dark with my heart racing.
I hated how my body still hummed from his touch, the heat of his kiss still burning on my lips. He was dangerous…he changed forms like a predator—vulnerable one minute, a monster the next and I knew if I didn't stay away from him, I’d get burnt to a crisp.
I grabbed my bag and phone, my hands shaking as I hurried to the car park. He was leaning against a sleek black sedan, looking like a statue of cold marble. As I approached, he didn't say a word, but he reached out and opened the door for me.
As I slid in, he placed his hand against the upper part of the car entrance, shielding my head so I wouldn't hit it.
I froze for a split second, staring up at him.
Elias had never done that. In five years of marriage, Elias had never even noticed if I was struggling with a heavy door. Cillian’s face remained stoic, his eyes fixed on some distant point, but the gesture felt... heavy.
He shut the door, got into the driver’s seat, and hit the road.
I tried to watch the city lights blur past, trying to settle my racing heart. I was so caught up in my own head that I didn't realize where we were until the car pulled to a halt.
I looked out the window.
"A boutique?" I turned to him, frowning. Before I could ask, he was already out and opening my door.
"There’s no reason for me to be here while you buy clothes," I said, staying seated.
"You’re already dressed. Is this just a show-off move? I know you're rich, Cillian, but buying new clothes just for a client meeting seems… ridiculous"
"Get out of the car, Elara," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Your job is to be my assistant, not to sit in my car and critique my spending habits."
I stepped down, grumbling under my breath about arrogant billionaires, and trailed behind him into the store.
Immediately, a young shop assistant rushed over, her eyes widening as she recognized Cillian.
"Mr. Blackwood! A pleasure. Are we looking for something for yourself, or perhaps for your girlfriend?"
I saw a ghost of a smile tug at the corner of Cillian’s mouth and my face flushed.
"Oh, I'm not his…"
"I'm here to buy clothes for her," Cillian interrupted, his voice smooth as silk. He gestured toward me. "Show her the best you have in the shop. Nothing less than perfection."
Wait…what? When did I say I needed clothing?
"Of course! Right this way, ma'am."
Before I could protest, the girl had linked her arm with mine and was dragging me toward the back. I looked back at Cillian, but he was already sitting in a leather chair, picking up a magazine as if he hadn't just dropped a small fortune on a woman he claimed was just his "staff."
They put me in a floor-length gown of midnight blue silk. It had a low V neckline that felt daring and a slit that rose high up my thigh, fitting my curves like a second skin. It was elegant, powerful, and dangerously beautiful.
I was about to tell them it was too much, but a team of makeup artists was already descending on me. They touched up my face, emphasizing my eyes, and pinned my hair into a sophisticated, loose updo.
An hour later, I stared at myself in the full-length mirror. I almost didn't recognize the woman looking back. She looked like a CEO’s wife, someone who wasn't a doormat.
Suddenly, Cillian appeared in the reflection behind me. He stopped, his gaze locking onto mine through the mirror. For a long moment, he just stared, and the intensity in his eyes made me feel shy, my breath hitching.
"Mr. Blackwood?" the assistant chirped, breaking the silence. "We're finished. The bill?"
He didn't take his eyes off me as he handed her a black card. "We can go to the meeting now." He muttered and I nodded as I watched him walk out.
I trailed behind him, stepping on the floor slowly in the high heels they'd given me. He opened the car door for me again, and as he started driving, I realized he hadn't changed a single thing about his own outfit. He’d come here solely for me. The realization made a strange warmth bloom in my chest—a feeling of being seen. Finally.
The car pulled up to the grand entrance of the gala. Cillian rounded the car, helped me out, and unexpectedly intertwined his fingers with mine.
"Go in," he whispered as we reached the double doors. "I need to speak with someone privately for a moment."
But before I could move away, he pulled me closer, his hand reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered against my skin.
"You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, Elara," he whispered, his voice vibrating deep in his chest. "Don't let other men snatch you away."
I felt a deep blush creep up my neck as he turned and disappeared into the crowd. I stood there, pinching my arm, trying to ground myself. This had to be a dream.
Thump.
Someone bumped into my shoulder hard, nearly knocking me off my heels.
"Watch where you’re going!" a high-pitched voice hissed.
I looked up to see a woman in a neon pink dress, her face twisted in a sneer.
"You bumped into me," I snapped back, my nerves already on edge. "Maybe you should look where you’re walking."
"How dare you…"
"Is there a problem here?"
The voice made my blood turn to ice. I turned slowly as a man walked toward us, wrapping his arm around the woman’s waist.
Elias.
My husband looked at me, his eyes widening in shock before a cruel, mocking laugh broke from his lips.
"Well, look what we have here. Elara? Done giving me the cold shoulder already?" He sneered, leaning in.
"I knew you couldn't pull it off and you’d get desperate within a week. Did you follow me here?"
“You’re so pathetic you actually tracked me to a gala just to beg for your allowance?"
The woman beside him giggled. "Is this the wife, Elias? She looks pathetic and ugly even with that amount of makeup on."
"She’s a nuisance," Elias said, looking at me with pure disgust.
"Listen, I’m here for business. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go home right now and not ruin my night. I don't have time for your theatrics."
Anger, hot and sharp, rose in my chest. "Unfortunately for you, Elias, I’m not here for you. I’m here on business with my own date."
Elias’s face turned stony. "Your own date? Don't lie to me. You don't have the guts to talk to another man, let alone get invited to a place like this."
The woman tugged on his arm. "Elias, stop wasting time on her. We have to find the tycoon before your rival gets to him. We need to secure that contract."
Elias nodded, his jaw tight. "You’re right. My brother thinks he can swoop in and take everything, but Cillian Blackwood isn't getting this contract today. I’ll ruin him before I let that happen."
I froze.
The rival... the brother Elias hated so much...was Cillian?
Suddenly, a heavy, possessive hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me firmly against a hard side.
"Hello, brother," Cillian’s voice dropped like a guillotine in the sudden silence.
"I see you’ve met my date."
- Writer
