That’s when Audrey took her time to look at him. He looked worn out. She felt a pang in her chest.
Why did they have to pass through so much individually when they could have been each other’s comfort? She didn’t know what to say to him and not come across as crossing the line with him.
He had clearly stated earlier that day that she meant nothing to him, so, why was he telling her this now?
“Um, okay… But, I-”
“Let’s sit,” He held her wrist and gently led her out to the patio.
Audrey started feeling that way again, she had come to understand that it wasn’t entirely the amulet that caused her intensified feelings toward him, it was the fact that she was his mate in the past life.
Before, she was unaware, but now she knew and her wolf craved to re-ignite the fire that used to be between them.
He also felt that way, she could tell by the way he’s been staring at her since that night.
He might be unaware, but his wolf had recognized her as his reincarnated mate.
Alpha Lake led Audrey outside his patio and brought out a chair from under the wooden table for her to sit, he took his sit beside her.
Strangely, for the first time, comfortable silence reigned between them.
“Um…” Audrey wanted to say something but decided against it at the last second.
She was going to let him speak when wanted to.
“I’m confused,” Alpha Lake said, his fingers noiselessly drumming the table.
“About what?” Audrey asked.
“Everything… Audrey, her mother, my mother,” He said, racking his fingers through his hair.
Audrey found that gesture to be fucking sexy, especially in his white tight shirt, his biceps flexed from his simple gestures.
“Ahem,” She cleared her throat to garner her attention back to the topic.
“Maybe, you should talk to someone who’s been with you since the beginning of everything; Sebastian or Andrew-”
“No. I want to talk to you,” He said firmly but calmly.
“But, I’m not your-”
“As my secretary, just talk to me as my secretary, that’ll do,” He said defeatedly.
He’d been wanting to talk to her since the moment he saw the contents of the metal box in the afternoon, but he held himself back because of how he had treated her and what he said to her in his mother’s room.
But as night came, he knew he couldn’t sleep without talking to her. And, he wanted to feel like he was talking to Audrey, he wished she was still around, he owed her an apology, even though he knew she would want none of it.
Audrey sighed, “Okay, I can do that.”
“So, how do you feel about your mother’s relationship with Audrey’s mother, and how do you feel about Audrey? Hate her still?” Audrey asked.
She knew those were the key yet crucial questions, but she was also curious to find out what was going on inside his head.
“I… I don’t know. The relationship is none of my business, it happened before she met my father,” He took the glass of wine he had prepared and poured it into his and Audrey’s glasses.
“Here,” He handed the glass of wine to Audrey.
“Thanks,” Audrey said but didn’t raise the glass to her lips.
“So, you’re concerned about Audrey?” Audrey swirled her drink, staring at his face as different emotions ran across it.
“Well, my mother intended her to be my adopted sister, but, well, I made her a slave,” He shrugged.
“Yeah, you did, that was wicked of you,” Audrey teased.
Even though she knew this topic was about her, she was acting as Catherine at the moment, she had to remove her grudge and be the comfort he needed for now.
When the time comes, she’ll vent her anger.
“Yeah, I was…” He gulped his drink at once, chuckling lightly.
“So, what’s she to you? If you ever saw her, what would she mean to you? A sister? A lover?” Audrey asked cautiously.
She knew she’d asked this question many times, but this time, maybe he might give a different answer.
Alpha Lake was silent for a second before speaking, “None.”
Lies!
He knew he had lied, but, in truth, he was unsure of what Audrey now meant to him, he looked at Audrey beside him and didn’t regret lying, he knew she was still unaware of their mate bond, but he was considering her feelings when he lied, he knew it would hurt her if he said the truth. But, what was the truth?
“Oh, I see…” Audrey gulped down the whole content of the wine.
She had to admit it, this time, his answer stung. She had thought she could at least mean something to him now that he knew the truth, but it turned out she wasn’t even worthy of being his adopted sister.
Alpha Lake watched Audrey as she drank a full glass of his gold-rimmed wine for the second time, and didn’t flinch.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
“Yep,” Audrey tried to sound carefree to cover up the pain in her heart.
“This drink…” He paused and stared into her eyes, “It’s supposed to make you feel things,” He continued when he got Audrey’s attention.
He was surprised she was still cognitive after gulping down a full glass. What was it in her that made her immune to the drink?
Audrey scrunched her nose cutely and shrugged at him.
“I feel nothing,” She said and filled her glass again.
Alpha Lake felt like Audrey’s words had a double meaning to them.
“Still talking about the drink?” He asked with a smirk.
He felt better talking with Audrey, he just wished she wasn’t an ordinary human and wasn’t a spy. But knowing all these, he still wanted her, no matter how hard he tried not to.
“Sure, what else could I be talking about?” Audrey gulped down another glass.
“Then…” he leaned into her space, his face barely a whisper away from hers, “Do I make you feel things?” His voice turned an octave lower, causing shivers to run down Audrey’s spine.
Audrey was lost in his stormy grey eyes. Yes, he made her feel forbidden things, things she wouldn’t dare voice out, she was ashamed to admit.
But, she couldn’t tell him that. She blinked her eyes and turned her face away from his.
“Answer me, Mama,” He held her face between his thumb and index finger and turned her face back to him.
“N-no you don’t,” She lied. She looked above his head, not trusting herself to be able to withstand the seduction in his eyes at that moment, the way he called her ‘Mama’ had her blood flowing in a certain direction.
“Hey,” He gently ran his thumb over her moist lips, “At least look at me when you lie to me,” He said with a sexy smirk.
Audrey’s breath turned shallow, and she knew he could hear her heart beating like crazy.
“I’m just you’re secretary, sir, this is unofficial,” Audrey said, a little breathlessly.
“Does a boss look at his secretary the way I do you right now?” His voice was so deep, that the waves went straight to Audrey’s core, starting a fire between her legs.
She rubbed her legs together to ease the ache but he suddenly placed his hand on her thigh, stopping her movements.
“Answer me,” He gave her a wicked smile, knowing he had got her right where he wanted her.
“Y-yes-mph-” Her lips were suddenly covered in a hot kiss.
He kissed her urgently, placing a hand behind her head, he used his tongue to open and probe her mouth and he smiled when she granted him immediate access to her sweet crevices.
Just when Audrey wanted to kiss him back with the pent-up urgency of lusty neediness, he withdrew from her, placing his forehead on hers.
Their breathing was hot and ragged, and the atmosphere between them was charged to the highest volts.
“How about we try answering that again…” He moved the hand on her thigh higher until he reached her hot pussy, the only barrier was the pants she wore.
Audrey closed her eyes as he started rubbing her slit up and down with his fingers, she felt her panties soaking up with the juice of her arousal.
“Does a boss do to his secretary what I’m doing to you, Kitten?” He whispered and took one earlobe into his mouth, sucking and biting it gently with his tongue and teeth.
“Ah! N-no,” Audrey moaned.
She wrapped her hands around the armrest, holding herself back from jumping on him.
“Good,” He said and removed his hands from her, standing up from his chair.
“It’s late, let’s go inside,” He said and walked toward the door.
Audrey was left hot and needy, panting like a cheater on her seat.
Why did he stop, she was just starting to climb up to cloud nine and he just… left, and was even sending her away.
She silently reprimanded herself for acting like a needy bitch and followed him inside.