AUTHOR’S POV
Irene stepped out of the cab with a crossed look on her face. She was mad and her sad, swollen eyes didn’t conceal it at all.
After losing her mother last night and having to discard her phone, Irene had wanted to at least inform Lisa that she would be leaving the country.
She knew that it was quite stupid to do so because of how close Lisa was to Lucius Devine but she could not help it. She wanted to at least see Lisa and she also trusted Lisa not to tell Lucius about her traveling out of the country.
“That bastard!” Irene gritted her teeth, walking into the hotel.
She had gotten to the estate where Lisa lived and she was still wondering how she would get into the estate and to Lisa without getting in trouble when a car drove out of the gates.
She had seen Lucius step out and her anger and hatred towards him had grew even more in her heart. She wanted to rip him apart but what she had not expected was to see Lucius go back to the car and kiss Lisa on the lips.
“They were something together! I fucking suspected that bastard!” Irene cursed angrily.
She was mad that the same man who had killed her mother was the man Lisa was having a special relationship with.
“Friends with benefits? He is just taking advantage of Lisa!” She grumbled angrily. She hated it. She didn’t like the sight of Lisa with Lucius one bit. It angered her, especially with the death of her mother.
“I hate him and his guts” she groaned as she opened the door into her hotel room.
“You are back.” Mrs. Stanley remarked.
“Yes” Irene replied softly.
“We will be leaving in an hour from now. Wanna grab a quick meal?”
“I would love to”
*
MONALISA
“This park is beautiful” I remarked.
“I agree” Lucius replied, his gaze fixated on a tree that was a bit farther away from us.
“You still do not want to tell me what I said that angered you earlier?” I asked, adjusting in my seat to look at him.
“Cupcake” he turned to face me and cupped my face with one hand.
“It was nothing. It’s really fine now”
“But I might say it again and get you mad again if you don’t point it out for me”
“It’s okay if you say it again. It is what you think and what you feel”
“It’s not alright” I grumbled.
“Trust me, it is fine.”
I pouted with annoyance. I really wanted to know what I had said wrong but he wasn’t telling me anything.
“You look cute even when you are mad”
“I don’t look cute” I said with a feisty look and turned away from him.
“Cupcake” he called softly, his hand softly reaching for my arm.
“Don’t call me if you won’t tell me what I said wrong” I said, pouting.
There was silence for a few seconds and then I felt his hands on my waist as he picked me up and suddenly dropped me on his thighs.
“Wh… what are you doing here?” I stuttered, feeling the blood rush into my face.
We were in public and we were in this position where we would be thought to be couples.
“Just being a good wheelchair for my cupcake.” I could feel his breath on my neck as he rested his face in the nuzzle of my neck.
“We… We are in public” my words came with a little stutter again.
Our relationship was meant to be private. Totally so. We weren’t supposed to do anything in front of others but here we were, I was sitting on his thighs in a public park with people walking around and couples having a nice time.
“And why does that matter? Are you ashamed of being seen with me in public? Is that why you told Mrs. Smith over and over again that we can never be together? Because you are ashamed of being seen with me?” He asked, his voice raspy cool but his words had elicited a spark within me.
My insides tingled and a sweet feeling ran all through, down to my very toes. Was that why he had been mad? Because I told Mrs. Smith that we could never be together?
But that was what he also wanted, right? He just wanted us to be fuck buddies until we got tired of each other, right? Did he want us to be more than that? And how in the world was he thinking anyone would be ashamed of being seen with him? He was perfect. As perfect as any man could be. He was the most handsome man I had ever set my eyes on, the sexiest, the sweetest. How in the world would I be ashamed?
“You aren’t saying anything, Cupcake” he dropped a soft kiss on my neck and I gulped down, hard.
“I am… I am not ashamed one tiny bit” I whispered.
“But you… You know we are not supposed to be together this way and…”
“And who made that rule?” He cut me off.
“Who made the rule that I can’t hold you in public? That I can’t kiss you in public? That I can’t have my arms around you and have my face close to yours in public?” He asked, his voice taking a deeper tone as I felt my breath getting heavier.
What was going on? Was he starting to have feelings for me? Or was I just reading too much meaning into his words? That had to be it.
Even here in this park where we were both together, I had seen other women looking at him and one had even winked at him. He was a man who had many options, he definitely would not choose me. And I? I didn’t have feelings for him. All I felt for him was lust and this little sweet feeling. I wasn’t in love with him too.
“I guess such rules really weren’t made” I mumbled finally.
“Just sit quietly and let me feel you” he whispered and pressed me even closer into his body.
We remained silent but it was only for a minute before I heard someone call my name. It was a familiar voice.
“Lisa”
I jumped at the voice, quickly pulling away from Lucius’ loose grip and moving to the space on the bench by his side.
“It really is you, Lisa” it was Leon, my ex boyfriend. Yes, the one before Bryant. The one I had broken up with the night I met Lucius.
“Who is he?” Lucius asked me, getting on his feet and standing in between I and Leon.
The height difference between the two was immediately evident and Lucius’ gaze rested on Leon who moved a step backward as if to reduce the intimidation Lucius’ size had just caused.
“I am her ex boyfriend” Leon’s voice was low.
“Lucius” I grabbed his hand.
“And what do you want with her? You are her ex, you remain in the fucking past and look away when you see her, you understand that?” His voice held a dangerous tone. I held onto his hand tightly and pulled myself up to my feet.
“I was just… Just trying to be friendly with…” Leon stuttered, clearly intimidated.
“Lucius, I and Leon are not enemies. He is just trying to be friendly, really” I said, tugging at his arm but he didn’t budge at all.
“No ex gets friendly with my woman” his tone was possessive.
My heart skipped several beats. His woman? He had just called me his woman! What was going on?!
“I… I am sorry” Leon apologized and turned to leave after glancing at me one more time.
The pissed off look remained on Lucius’ face, his brows arched and his forehead creased in a deep frown until he suddenly spoke up.
“Hey! Come over here!” His tone was commanding and Leon turned and with a falter in his steps, he walked over to us.
Lucius who had been so sweet just a minute ago, holding me close to him was the same man who looked like he could kill right now.
“Yes?” Leon tried to put on a brave font.
“Was he one of the guys who made you feel less about yourself?” He asked and before Leon would reply, I quickly got in front of Lucius.
“Leon, leave. Leave now!” I raised my voice a bit and heard Leon walking away.
“Cupcake” Lucius gaze landed on me.
“It is fine. I and Leon just did not work out. It isn’t his fault and it isn’t my fault too. There’s no need to get mad over him. In the future, I will find a man much better than Leon and things will work out perfectly for us”
He groaned deeply and then raised his head up to the sky, revealing his jawline. I heard him curse roughly before he dropped his gaze back to me.
“You are out to fucking drive me insane today, aren’t you?”