AURELIA
I thought I was hallucinating when I saw that the CEO had politely asked to see me, instead of outright demanding my presence.
And even as I stepped out of the restaurant, uneasy and anxious as I spotted his car parked in the driveway, I couldn’t come up with a tangible reason for this.
I knew he was here because of the shoot with Ezekiel, but I expected him to be more aggressive, like grab me by the hair or barge into my home kind of aggressive.
But instead of that he just asked, giving me a choice to refuse. It seemed hell had frozen over and pigs had begun to take flight.
Or could he still be guilty about what happened in his house? But a week had already passed.
I wish I could see what was going on in that beautiful head of his, but the tinted car window hid his expression, and it did nothing to ease the fear and uncertainty that plagued me as my fingers curled around the door handle.
Oh lord, I was so nervous! My knees were already shivering, and no it wasn’t because I had left my jacket in the restaurant. The cold that enveloped me came from the car, and my mind screamed at me to just make a run for it.
But I had a feeling he would catch me before I got far, then after that, I would be facing double punishment.
And did that sound amusing to me?!
I fought the urge to pull at the roots of my hair from frustration, forgetting that he could see my struggle from inside the vehicle.
“Aurelia.” He called, and I flinched in my spot. “Are you coming in or should I step out?”
Another polite question, what was going on? Is this really the CEO?
For a moment I just stood there, my heart thumping hard against my chest.
Was this another one of his mind games? I hope not.
I hope not.
Finally- after much deliberation, I opened the door, muttering a silent prayer to prepare myself for what was to come.
My first thought was to apologize. “I’m sorry-” but my words were cut off as I was immediately pulled into a hug, feeling the warmth of the CEO’s arms wrap around my body, his cologne invading my senses.
“I’ve fucking missed you.” His grip on me tightened as he effortlessly settled me between his legs, my back pressed against the steering wheel.
I froze. Literally froze, wide-eyed and stunned as hell, my mind going into overdrive.
What’s happening? Why isn’t he yelling at me?
“Are you alright?” I asked out of the blue, looking down at him as if he’d grown two heads.
Luke pulled back from the hug, flashing me a blinding smile as he caressed my cheeks. “Never better darling.” And with that, he crashed his lips against mine, swallowing every question that was at the tip of my tongue.
I melted into the kiss, my initial shock dissipating as Luke’s warm lips moved against mine. His tongue thrust into my mouth, ripping a needy moan from my chest as he angled his head to deepen the kiss. It was like being swept up in a whirlwind, leaving me breathless and disoriented.
I let out a gasp as he suddenly lowered the seat, our chest colliding as his hands circled my waist, sliding under my browse in a tauntingly slow motion.
“Luke,” I whispered, pulling back slightly. I held onto his broad-shouldered to anchor myself, finally getting a good look at his face. I swallowed hard. Damn, he looks so good tonight.
The man was dressed in a casual shirt and trousers but he never failed to stun me with his beauty. The dim glow of the car’s light illuminated his face, glazing over each unique feature.
But his eyes…. although he held a seductive smile, his eyes spoke differently. They didn’t hold their usual confident sheen in his eyes was replaced by something I couldn’t quite describe….
Was it…. fear? That doesn’t seem right. What could possibly scare a man like him?
“What’s going on? Why are you being so… nice?” I summoned the courage to ask, and he chuckled.
The CEO’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “Can’t I be nice to you, Aurelia?”
I narrowed my eyes, not fully convinced as I searched for hidden motives. “Didn’t you watch me kiss Ezekiel Sterling? Aren’t you mad?” I couldn’t believe what I just blurted out, it was almost like I wanted him to throw a tantrum. Have I finally gone over the rails?
Luke’s expression softened, his voice low and husky. “That was professional, it’s not your fault.”
My eyes rounded in awe. “Really?” I gaped, disbelief audible in my tone. “Just like that?”
Luke nodded, his fingers tracing my jawline. “You almost sound disappointed darling.” He smirked teasingly, and my cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.
“I-I’m not disappointed!” That was my poor attempt to save my sorry ass, and the shit-eating grin on his face didn’t help. Embarrassed, I turned away, internally cringing at myself.
“Are you sure?” Luke pinched my chin, gently urging me to face him once more. I rolled my eyes, puffing my cheeks in annoyance, and he chuckled at my expense.
Was I really disappointed?
I didn’t realize I had spaced out again until he poked my cheeks, undeniably gaining my attention. “You look really cute.”
My cheeks deepened in color, butterflies coming alive and swarming in my stomach. The compliment had caught me off guard, so much that I had to hide my smile with an awkward cough.
The CEO watched me with keen interest, making it harder for me to think straight.
Gosh! I had been a sucker for his affectionate side.
Just then, I remembered that he and Ezekiel had left set together. Straightening up, I regained my composure, my demeanor turning serious.
“Do you know Ezekiel Sterling? Personally?” I asked, testing the waters. Ezekiel called him Arroyal, and judging by Luke’s closeness to Veronica, maybe Ezekiel was a good friend as well.
Oh, but I was wrong.
Luke’s expression darkened for a moment before he regained control. It was so fast I almost missed it. “He’s irrelevant. Just a minor acquaintance. You’re mine, Aurelia. Always have been.”
His possessiveness should have scared me, but instead, it sent shivers down my spine. Maybe I was getting used to his madness, or maybe I was going mad myself.
Either way, Luke leaned forward, his tongue darting out to draw circles on the base of my throat.
He was making me go mad, no doubt about that.
“Luke,” I whispered, my resolve crumbling.
“Do you want me to fuck you?” he urged, his lips dipping lower, grazing over my cleavage. “Right here…. right now?”
I don’t what it was, but there was something about him asking for consent, something that made my core throb with aching need.
My mind screamed warnings, but my body overrode them.
“Yes,” I whispered, surrendering to the storm that was Luke Graham.
As our lips met again, I knew I was walking into the unknown, but with Luke, I was willing to take that risk.
*****
THIRD PERSON POV
Meanwhile……In a luxurious apartment.
“Did you really kiss a model at the shoot today?”
Ezekiel rolled his eyes, already tired of his manager’s constant worrying. He nonchalantly crossed his legs against the sofa, twirling his glass of champagne between his fingers.
“Yes, I did. Any problem?” He answered, bringing the cup to his lips.
“There are a dozen problems!” The manager stressed, but the charismatic actor couldn’t care less. Ezekiel merely shrugged his shoulders, sighing in delight at the rich taste of his drink.
The manager’s shoulders sagged in defeat, pinching the skin between his brows at Ezekiel’s negligent attitude. He could never tell what the young man was thinking, but there was nothing much he could do.
“Anyways I’ll take care of it, but you really need to stop acting irrationally.”
“Yeah yeah, did you get the information I asked of you?” Ezekiel sat up, setting his cup aside as he finally acknowledged the manager.
The manager let out an exasperated sigh, handing Ezekiel his tablet. “Aurelia Ravenwood right? There isn’t anything spectacular about her.”
“SSH.” Ezekiel held out a finger, narrowing his eyes as he looked through the tablet. He leaned back in his seat, his gaze lingering on the picture of Aurelia receiving her award at the gala, going on to her social media.
His eyes sparkled on seeing her relationship status.
“Single huh?” He smiled to himself, his tongue gliding against his bottom lip. He didn’t look up from the device as he asked; “Is this all you could find?”
“Yes.” His manager replied dryly, but then he perked up, snapping his fingers as if he’d just remembered something. “Ooh! I heard she was involved in a scandal once.”
This catches Ezekiel’s attention, and he raises his gaze, brows arched in interest.
The manager takes this as his cue to go on. “Apparently her sex bucket list got leaked in the company’s public forum, and she was sanctioned by the CEO himself. The post had already been taken down, but I heard from an employee in the company that she apparently added his name to the list as a potential candidate, along with….” Eyes widening in realization, the manager trailed off, wondering if it was a good idea to continue speaking.
“Along with?” Ezekiel pressed on, but the other averted his gaze, scratching the side of his head sheepishly. This annoyed Ezekiel but he smiled still maintaining his composure.
“If you don’t want to talk it’s fine, I can just request another competent manager from the agency-”
“I’ll talk!” The manager interjected, panic rising within him.
“Oh, how splendid!” Ezekiel clapped, leaning forward to refill his cup. “Go on now.”
The manager hesitated a bit before speaking. “Your name was on the list as well, and you were ranked second in the list, while the CEO ranked third.”
Ezekiel was taken aback for a moment, his expression unreadable.
A few seconds of silence passed before,
“Interesting.” The actor’s lips stretched wide, taking the form of a sinister grin as his shoulders shook with bubbly laughter. He returned his gaze to the tablet, eyeing the photo of Luke and Aurelia together. “This going to be better than I thought.”
Ezekiel thinks back to Luke’s reaction to his kiss with Aurelia, humming a random tune as he sips on his champagne.
“What a perfect opportunity to ruffle his feathers.”