“Can I join you for lunch? If you don’t mind, I mean…” he blurted out, words were rushing out of his mouth like they would offend me in a way.
Smiling, “Sure,” I answered.
When we got near to our table I saw Troy was already seated next to Stacey. Emily rolled her eyes at me as Stacey and Troy didn’t even notice us over their laughter.
“Do you all know each other?” I asked, taking a seat.
“Yeah, how is it going, Troy?” Taylor smiled, shaking hands with him.
*****
The four of them carried the conversation easily. The time flew by even though I didn’t do much talking. Taylor and Troy were fun guys, telling us their funny stories from high school and college. Thanks to them we laughed most of the time.
I didn’t know if it was his presence I felt or the strange instinct of being watched, but there was an urge to lift my head. I did… and met with his stormy grey eyes, looking at me with anger and hunger merged together.
I held my breath as he stroke over to me with determination in his steps. My body became alive with the eaten distance between us. My heart hurt with the raw beauty of him. He looked so collected, clean-cut, and pristine outside, but it was the inside that took my breath away –knowing the art of his body, how much of a rebel he looked when he took off his clothes…
“Melody.”
One word was enough to make me shudder as he loomed over me, but I tried to school my expression before answering him, “Yes, Mr. Hawke?”
To my surprise, my voice was cold, stoic, and professional.
“If you finished your lunch, I need you upstairs,” he said sternly. I could feel his anger oozing from his body.
Grabbing my mineral water, I stood up.
“See you later, guys,” I murmured as they nodded with a concerned and confused look on their faces.
I didn’t say anything as we rode in the elevator. We were alone and that intensified the tension, making the air crackle around us. My nipples pebbled, betraying my emotions, but I couldn’t blame my body. My heart, my soul, and my body were screaming at me to get closer to him as my mind scowled at me for acting like a hormonal teenager. I knew he was watching me, the goosebumps erupting on my skin was the proof. I kept my eyes trained on the elevator door, because I was sure the moment I looked at his eyes, in this small cabin, I would be lost.
I closed my eyes in relief as the elevator got close to our floor, but just when we were half way through between fourteenth and fifteenth floor Kellan moved quickly, hitting the “stop” button.
Before I could ask what he was doing, my wrists were pinned above my head, the heat coming from his body was warming me as he kept himself flush to me. I didn’t want to react, but it was near impossible as his breath kissed my mouth, causing my eyes to drift closed.
“I made a mistake, okay? I made lots of them, but stop it! Stop this coldness! Stop running away from me! Stop just being professional with me!” he hit his fist beside my head, making me jump.
“Let me go,” I whispered.
“No! I miss you… I want you…” he rasped, nuzzling his nose along my jaw to my cheekbone, and finally to my ear, “Nothing happened with that girl, Melody. I wanted to fuck her, I really did. I wanted to forget you… but I couldn’t, I can’t.”
His whisper made me moan, but I stopped myself, pushing him back. My guard was falling down, he was telling me all the things I wanted to hear, but I couldn’t let him woo me again.
No matter how many times he hurt me, with his words, with his sudden change of coldness, I was always finding a way back to him. It didn’t even take long before I fell into his arms. It was like gravity –his spell on me. One touch, one word, or one look and I was falling down into the rabbit hole of love.
But this time… I didn’t want to be affected.
This time I wanted to be t
he strong girl who protected herself instead of following her heart.
So, I pushed him back, hitting the button to make elevator rise up.
“I don’t want to hear any of this. I’m tired of your games. I’m tired of being your punching bag, your fuck toy. We were done even before we started, Kellan,” I said with the certainty I wanted to feel deep inside me.
But I faked it.
And I hoped it would be enough.