CHAPTER SEVEN: THE MORNING AFTER
1844 Words
LIORAÉ
I do not know if it is the bed or the atmosphere, but I slept way longer than I should have. I had always thought I could not sleep in strange places, but I had no issue sleeping until late in the morning.
“Lioraé?”
That voice snapped me out of my sleep as I scrambled into a sitting position. The door opened, and he walked in. A tray in hand. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a jumper that hugged too much around his body, making it seem like his abs were begging for a release.
I tried my best to get my eyes off his body and just focus on his face. It did not help that each time I stared at him, I remembered the feel of his body under my fingers.
“Good morning, Mr…” I stopped myself with the look on his face. “You know I can’t call you Soren when everyone is there,” I muttered, trying to get out of bed, but he was already sitting beside me, caging me in.
“That is more reason you should call me that now that we are alone,” he murmured, dropping the tray to the bed.
I stared at the contents: a few pieces of toast, a glass of juice, some cinnamon buns that seemed to be freshly toasted, eggs with a heart-shaped drawing on them and a small white rose lying on them.
“What is this?”
“Breakfast?” His response turned to a question, and I almost cursed myself for framing the question in that manner.
“I did not mean what this was; I meant why this,” I corrected, and his response was a shrug as he raised the tray and planted it onto his lap.
Sitting so close to me, I could see the sweat as it hung on his forehead. “You have to eat something,” he murmured, picking up a slice of the toast and bringing it so close to my mouth that my head threw back in surprise.
“I can eat myself,” I murmured as I took it out of his hands. He frowned but did not say anything. I munched on the toast, and then it dawned on me that for a man like Soren, he probably had staff, and there was going to be gossip amongst them.
“I did not mean to sleep in; it just happened,” I said, ready to hurry out of bed.
“Where are you off to?” His hand had held mine down before I could dash out of bed.
“To get ready for work,” I explained, even though I knew that there was not really any reason for me to explain to him.
“You do not have to rush.”
“It’s only my second day; it would speak poorly of me if I got there late and…”
“You work for me and I say it is okay,” he murmured gently. “If I say it is okay if you come in late, then it should be,” he finished.
He was right, and yet it still felt too wrong.
“Finish your breakfast, and then you can hurry to get to work.”
I knew his words weren't giving me a choice, so I settled in and took whatever he gave me.
“Your chef is really talented,” I murmured, trying to break the silence that was brewing between us. I hated the thoughts of him sitting right beside me, a moment away from reliving that night at my fingertips, and yet I could not seize it; not because I did not want to but because I knew what kind of hell was going to break loose from something like that.
“My chef?”
“Yeah, they made all of this, and it is really delicious.”
“I do not have a chef.”
“You do not have a chef,” I repeated, and he nodded. “Then how?”
“I woke up earlier and got this made.”
“Are you saying that sweat on your forehead is from the kitchen and not from the gym?” I asked, and he nodded. Something about that thought made my stomach churn.
“You notice things,” he murmured as I took a deep breath. “I am glad you like the meal.”
“I did not say I liked it,” I murmured. How did things slip out of my control so easily? I was so sure that I was breaking the ice between us; instead, I went on to add more tension to whatever was already between us.
“You do not need to say you do.” His hand touched the corner of my mouth as he wiped gently and then licked off whatever it was from the tip of his hand. I stayed frozen, my hand at my mouth, and my eyes widened.
“You had a little something there,” he pointed as if his actions were normal.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course, you can ask me anything you want to.”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Doing what?”
“This,” I said, my tone rising as I closed my eyes tightly, hoping this would go away at once, but when I opened my eyes, his eyes were staring right back at me. “All of this,” I added, unable to put what this was into words.
“I am taking care of you; is there any shame in that?”
“No, but why?”
“Because I want to.” He shrugged as if that was a good enough answer.
“I know we had s*x that night, and it was good and all…”
“It was good,” he cut me off with a smirk against his gentle lips. My heart heaved as I tried to take him back to my point.
“I am not trying to talk about the s*x we had; I am trying to talk about our current relationship,” I murmured, and he nodded.
“What about it?”
“We had s*x that night, and we both agreed that it was a one-night-stand thing.” My finger wagged between us as I tried to keep my eyes peering into his, hoping I could make him as uncomfortable as he was already making me.
“Yes, we did,” he nodded.
“Then why are you making it difficult for me to do my job? That was a one-night thing, and now our relationship is that of a boss and staff. “You…” I pointed at his face. “...are my boss and I am your staff,” I finished.
His fingers coiled against my finger that was pointed in his face. “And what about that?”
“Oh my goodness.” I pulled my finger out of his grip and ran my hand through my hair. “Can we please have our relationship reflect what is between us?” I asked.
“What do you want?”
“Are you even listening to me at all?”
“Yeah, of course,” he said, and I groaned, knowing that he was not. I pulled off the covers and crept out the other side of the bed. I picked up my things and walked into the bathroom, changing without a word.
“What are you doing?”
“Resigning,” I said without thinking. I needed this job, but I was not sure if I could keep the feelings bubbling in my chest for him under wraps, especially with the way he was acting towards me. I did not want to be the one who kissed first like a fool.
“You can’t resign,” he said, lifting his legs onto the bed and crossing his hands against his chest. After his actions from yesterday, I did not expect him to react this way, but he was too calm.
“What…what do you mean?” I stuttered, and a smile crept onto his lips, making his face warm with some kind of affection.
“Did you read the employee contract you signed?” I shook my head. I had always known that my refusal to read terms and conditions was going to put me into some danger sometime soon, and here it was, finally.
“In that contract, you are bound to me for three years, or you have to pay the penalty fee.”
“How much is it?” I asked, knowing there was really no way I could afford that but still wanting to act as though I could anyway.
“Twenty million”
“You are bluffing.”
“Of course not.”
“Is it that way for all employees?”
“Of course not, but your relationship with me is worth even more than that.”
I sighed, feeling my legs give way underneath me as I fell to the ground. “Lioraé,” he rushed to me, fear taking over his face.
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“I just want you to be with me,” he said, taking my hand into his, his finger caressing gently against the back of my hand. “I can't let go, not now.”
“What if I didn’t walk into your office?”
“I was already on a quest to find you because that night you held a part of me that wants to be with you forever.”
“Great!” I sighed as I pulled myself to my feet. His hands guided me until I was standing straight. “So you are saying I am stuck with you?” He did not need to answer that for me to know what the answer was.
I sighed once again and then took a step forward. “If that be the case, then I should have my rules if you have yours.”
“What do you want?”
“None of this, no relationship. I am just your assistant and nothing more.”
“I can’t allow that.”
“Then maybe I would gladly go to jail.” His jaw squared as anger flashed through his eyes. He leaned in, and once again, his breath against my face was pushing me to do something I knew was wrong.
“Okay, agreed, but only for now.”
I take a step back. “I will go home and get changed now and meet you at the office.”
“The driver would take you.”
“Consider it an official ride,” he added before I could refuse, and I knew with a man like him winning all the battles was not possible. The best I could do was pick the ones that would matter.
- Writer
