Hot Pursuit

Chapter 22

[Georgina's POV]

The hell was this going to now?

I tried to prepare myself for whatever he was going to offer to me. Conditions, huh? He really liked giving propositions to people whenever he felt like it, especially if it favored him the most. And perhaps because he did not want to take a loss on a situation as well. He was really just manipulative and quite a bit selfish too. Did he even think I would just actually dive into his offers because I had nothing to gain from this?

Ha. I can definitely read the way he was trying to lure me into another trap again. But oh well, let's see what happens here now. I had already done worse with him since yesterday. I can no longer be too shock now if he ever offers a much more bizarre request. I just have to take it and see where he would reach his point. I can't afford to lose now and I have to eagerly find a way to know what he was hiding just now. And what's with that phone call, huh? Was that perhaps the woman he was trying to hide? His wife?

But, wait a second... Damn. Why did it just occur to me now? He really had a wife! That was why he panicked about it! And I just kissed a married man and led myself to be on the cheating side of this entire scandal. Damn. Was he going to use that against me this time? Was that what the proposition was all about? Was he going to threaten me for doing it subconsciously? Now that he totally heard what I knew about him, he was going to make sure I would keep my mouth shut for good. What a fool Georgina!

Yet, I can't do anything about this now. I had been driven so much by my own obsession I didn't really think too much when I blurted that out. If he was going to use that over me, I will have to think of a way to make this more favorable for me. Kieran was totally not an easy opponent, he will definitely think of something to intimidate me. But I had to be stronger and prepared. The call was quite getting a little longer, huh? I wonder what that was about... If that was something really private then it must be just what I thought. It could be the secret he was really trying to hide so much. Well, it would not be for too long now before it will come out eventually. I just have to stay as close as I can to him and make things work for my end. This was my golden ticket up the ladder and I was not going to let it all go that easy. He had to do harder than he think he would.

After all, I was really known for being strongly persistent.

Few minutes of just sitting there, waiting and thinking over things, Kieran soon came back and was now looking even relaxed than he was a while ago. I bet he had already planned well about what he was going to say. I was already anticipating it and I only have the same answer in my mind once it gets out of his mouth.

Then he said, "I didn't expect it would take that long. But thanks for being patient. Now, back to what we were just discussing."

"Your condition," I confirmed, briefly smiling at him, "What was it?"

Kieran paused for a second, his eyes slowly focusing on my face as if he was trying to read what I was thinking at the moment. Well, let him be. I was already not going to hide my emotions from him. Then a smirk appeared on his lips as he sighed softly.

Then he answered, "Pretend to be my lover from now on."

Say what? For a long moment, I tried to repeat the words he just told me in my head. I didn't see that one coming though, even when I was already preparing myself for whatever ridiculous condition he was going to say. But to be his pretend lover? Again? He must be really out of his mind. How frugal did he think I was? I could feel my brows knitting as I frowned at him across the table. Was he serious?

I stared at him for much longer, not trying to say anything back. I wanted to make sure that whatever answer I was going to say, I would never regret it. Didn't he just say he was not going to repeat the same terrible mistake we did yesterday and last night? I really don't get him. Every word that would come out of his mouth had always contradicted each other. I bet he was really just playing with me now. Was he even expecting me to turn this down just because he thought I would finally give up? Well, he thought wrong.

I will do it then. Not that I don't have a choice, but I still think this would all work on my side. I just have to trust myself in this. I could definitely make it. Let's just see who will have so much to lose here because I was definitely feeling more confident that I can completely turn the tables around and make him surrender in the end.

"For how long?" At this point, I no longer cared if he thought I was being too easy for him. In fact, I actually wanted him to believe that. Then once I finally got what I wanted, that's when I would totally shock the hell out of him.

"Three months," he said after thinking about it, smirking slyly at me, and then his eyes crinkled as he added, "Are you sure you want to do this? This is a proposition for you so you don't have to follow me around behind my back. You can just go with me everywhere I am."

"Really?" I raised a brow then as if almost finding this funny, I even said, "Does that mean I can kiss you again, Mr. Locke?"