Ophelia swallowed the pride that she had and followed him home. The staff at her office looked at them lovingly, and she even heard comments from some of them on how they wanted exactly what they had. She wished she could tell them to be careful about what they wished. To everyone, they were this loving power couple, but she exactly knew what they were to each other-two strangers who barely spiked with one another who just had a marriage certificate and lived together.
The ride home was awfully quiet, and it made words float around in her brain as she tried to think of what he could want to talk about with her. She fumbled with the radio until she was able to put on a station that was not setting a mood for them. She turned out of the rambling from the radio as she began to think of how the trip was and what went down between Harper and him. She wanted to tell him what she had found about Green and how she had thought of bringing him down.
They got home, and Cade walked to the kitchen. He had sent a message beforehand to all of the staff informing them to steer clear of the main building since he wanted to come to have a conversation with her and he needed privacy, which was why he asked that they go home. He did not know how he would talk about this thong to her, but he knew it had to be done and done immediately.
She followed behind him; she did not want to seem eager to hear what he had to say, so she just acted normally as she sat on one of the stools in the room.
“Do you want something to drink or eat? I can make it real quick,” he asked, and she shook her head.
“I have told you that I do not want you cooking for me again; it would only make me fall the more for you,” she answered, adding the last part in a low whisper-like voice.
“But I want to keep cooking for you,” he said, turning his back to her. He felt shy that just a few days after he had brutally turned her away, he wanted to confess too. It was not her confession that made him begin to like her. He had liked her before that time and had tried to act like he did not because he did not want to hurt her, but being away and seeing the way Harper threw herself at him made him realize that no matter how easy it was for him to have any woman if he was going to be with any woman, the only one he wanted was Ophelia.
You do not have to,” she said in a frustrated tone. “Have you always been like this?” she asked, and he turned to her.
“What do you mean?”
“Have you always been so adamant and a jerk? Have you never been a gentleman?” she asked, sliding off the stool and pacing around the room. “Were you pretending all this while? Is this what you really are? a man who plays with the feelings of a woman? Are you being mean just because I told you that I liked you? Is this some kind of game for you? Are you enjoying torturing me? There is no way I can just stop liking you immediately; it is going to take time, and since it would take time, all I am going to do is work harder so that I…” Her rants were stopped by his lips on hers and his hands holding her waist tightly.
This was not the way he had thought this would go. He was going to confess to her even though he could not tell what her reaction would be; he did not think she would see him as a jerk who was selfish and self-centred. She pulled back and forcefully yanked herself from his grip and took a step backwards before landing a slap across his face.
“Why do you constantly keep kissing me? I know now that I confessed to you, but do I look easy, so you want to play with me?” She asked angrily.
“That is not it…”
“Do you think that since I said I liked you that this was going to be a way for you to get some?” She asked her voice going up that he was afraid that the staff would hear from their quarters.
“You have gotten it all wrong; you misunderstood,” he said, holding his cheek because it hurt.
“Have I?” she asked, shaking her leg vigorously. “You must have thought that this is a good opportunity for you to get some since that was all you talked about when we first met,” she screamed at him.
“Ophelia!” He raised his voice at her, angry and a bit shocked at the accusations she was making. “What are you saying? How could you even think of saying that?”
“What else would describe this situation?” she asked, feeling tears of anger well in her eyes. “Since you heard me confess, you have kissed me three times,” she said, holding three fingers at him. “Did you think I would just willingly let you have sex with me just because I like you too? I would not sleep with a man unless there is mutual consent from both of us. I would not just let you.” She stopped because of his hand over hers again.
“Can you please listen to me?” he asked gently. She gulped at the fire, feeling the trail of his fingers left on her hand. “I do not want to have sex with you just because you told me you like me; if anything, I do not want to do that because I do not want you to think that I am trying to take advantage of you, and the only reason I have kissed you that many times is because…”
“You?” she said when he stayed quiet, staring at her for a long time.
“I LIKE YOU!”