THE RULES BEGIN TO BREAK
1200 Words
∆EIDEN∆
"Shrrk.... crash!"
The sound of breaking glass echoed through the penthouse, breaking me from my zoned out state.
I stared at the shattered glass close to my feet, wondering when it slipped from my hand, then I raised my eyes to her.
Pearl standing in my living room wearing practically nothing, and no matter how much I try, I can't stop my eyes from trailing over her figure.....from the smooth curve of her body and the outline of her cleavage as her top clings so tight to her, and the elegant V line of her waist that dips to her hips.
I dragged my eyes back to her face, framed by wet hair.
She must be fresh out of the shower, the way she looks at me from under her lashes making my stomach twirl and twist.
I knew she was nothing but a troublemaker, but I couldn't say no to her father, I might end up over-explaining myself.
How would he understand that Pearl has grown into someone who now has eyes for me and is someone that affects me deeply, and having her stay with me in such close proximity would weaken the last shred of my self-control?
Lexi trusted me with her life, and here I was, failing him in silence.
Even worse, she was going to great lengths to test my limits, because why else would she dress like this, other than to arouse feelings that should be buried?
My heart is hammering so hard I can hear it in my own ears.
My stomach is still churning, but not from disgust.....it’s because I want her more than I should, yet I know I can’t have her.
I want her.
I can’t have her.
And that is what is tearing me apart, because it's the one thing in this world I can't have.
When I opened the door for her this morning, I could barely recognize her.
She's nothing like the awkward teen I saved from the ice, she has grown up well, and turned into a gorgeous woman.... And I knew I was done for.
She stepped closer to me, tentatively. "Are you okay?" She asked softly, with a concerned look fixed on her face.
It’s then I realize I've been staring at her like a star-struck man, I sighed softly. "I'm fine. I'll just clean up the glass.... While you....." My voice hardened. "You're meant to be asleep, go back to bed, Pearl, it's already pretty late."
But she does the direct opposite of what I said.
She carried her gorgeous form closer to me, carefully stepping over the broken glass. "I can't sleep, and I'm guessing you can't either, am I right?"
If only she knew she was making it worse. The true reason I've been standing here was to burn off the tension of having her under my roof.
I stepped back, away from her. "Don't move again, go and sit." I nod to the nearest couch. "This broken glass could injure you, I'll clean this up and come to you, by myself."
This time, she decided to listen, and as she sat obediently, my eyes caught the edge of her shorts riding up even higher.
I forced my eyes away and moved toward the kitchen to grab a brush.
When I’m back, I noticed that she's crossed her legs, and my mouth went dry again. My hands are shaking as I gathered the shards of glass, I hope she can't see the effect she has on me.
"How was your flight?" I break the awkward silence in between us.
She shrugged with a casual look, "It was long and tiring, but definitely worth it.... Geneva is a beautiful city, especially at night, so I feel that all those are nothing, compared to what I'm going to enjoy here."
"I agree."
"But is it always this quiet?"
I look up from what I'm doing. "Well, yeah." I dumped the glass in a nearby trash bin and grabbed a towel to soak up the whiskey. "The housekeeper makes more noise during the day, but for now, she's gone for the holidays."
"So it's just us."
The way she said it made my chest tighten… Two people alone in a penthouse, with freezing weather outside.
Surely, nothing good can come from this, even after knowing all these, I'm here along with her.
"Why did you agree to let me stay? It's obvious I make you uncomfortable," she asked suddenly as if she read my mind.
I agreed to let you stay because I want you here, I'm uncomfortable because every second I'm fighting the urge to touch you.
But the thought stays in my head.
"I haven't been sleeping well," I replied instead. "There's just been a lot of work stress, this has nothing to do with you... Don't think too much, I'm not uncomfortable because of you."
Another lie.
I haven't slept well since the time Lexi called me to ask if I could take Pearl under my wing for two years.
When I dropped the brush back, I returned to standing by the windows, Pearl stood up too, and came to stand beside me near the glass.
"The view is really incredible," she said, and it's not just her words, she's so close that I can smell her shampoo.
My skin itches at how close she is to me, I grabbed my suit jacket from the chair where I tossed it earlier and draped it over her shoulders.
At least, it can hide most of her skimpy outfit.
"You'll catch a cold being dressed so skimpily," is my feeble explanation when she raised her brows at me.
As I adjusted her collar, my fingers brushed the soft skin of her neck, and we both froze.
I watched her pulse jump in her throat, transfixed. Her eyes darkened as she looked up at me, she pulled my jacket around herself, and that was the moment, I realised I love her wearing my clothes.
She's still looking at me with that faraway look in her eyes, and I realised I have to stop her before she leans in and tries something crazy, like leaning in for me to kiss her.
"You should go to bed, Pearl.... Seriously, it's late, and you need to rest. You had a tiring flight, remember?"
I shoved my shaking hands back into my pockets.
"Thanks for the jacket," she said in a soft voice, a small, and innocent smile on her face. "It smells just like you and I like it."
After saying that, she moved away from me, and I watched her go, my breath caught within my throat, she has managed to make something as simple as walking a work of art.
Before she disappeared down the dark hallway, she stopped, turned back to me, and gave me a smile that makes my heart flip.
It's then I realised she's very much aware of what she's doing.
She's an expert at whatever game she's playing, and dear God, resisting her is becoming almost impossible.
I am standing on the edge of something I can’t come back from, "Why are you testing my patience like this, Pearl?"
- Writer
