“What are you waiting for? Our client, Michael Clayton, CEO of Finserve Inc. will be here any minute. Get ready,” said Nicholas but Alyssa was surprised to note a glint in his eyes as if he knew what she was anticipating.
“I’m ready as always. You’re the one going green seeing every Phil and Darren talk to me.” Alyssa tossed her hair and walked over to check the equipment, leaving Nicholas chuckling at her sass.
“I see. What else do you expect me to be? Give me what I need and I’ll not get green at all,” he drawled, watching her with hooded eyes as he settled into his chair. He wanted to say more but didn’t want her to react right in front of Michael.
“I won’t ask what you need since I guess that’s what you’re expecting me to,” she said with an impish smile on her face. Nicholas smirked at her, loving her line of thought.
“I don’t think you need to ask me. You know what I want. I’ve told you before if you can refresh your memory. I’ve always wanted you and still do,” he said in a low husky tone that made a tremor run down her body. Hearing his admission, she forgot to breathe. Of course, he hadn’t ever hidden the fact that he desired her since the first time he met her. The attraction, and the desire was always there despite the enmity and anger.
The door opened and a man in his mid-twenties walked inside and smiled at Nicholas. “Good morning, Nicholas. Hope I’m not disturbing you,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes as he glanced at Alyssa. Nicholas rolled his eyes at the guest who Alyssa realized was Michael Clayton.
“What if I tell you that you are? Will you drop the meeting, Michael?” he asked playfully, making Michael laugh. “Well, since you can’t do that, we might as well go ahead with it. Please meet my girlfriend who has agreed to be my PA for a while, Alyssa Van Every.” Alyssa couldn’t believe her ears. Was he introducing her as his girlfriend to Micahel? It was evident that Nicholas knew him but what was the need to lie? He turned to Alyssa to see the confusion in her eyes. “Michael Clayton, a close family friend and now we have a business relationship as well! His company was the place where my dad first did his internship. Of course, his grandfather used to handle operations of Finserve at that time,” explained Nicholas.
“Hello, Alyssa! Nice to meet you finally. I’ve been hearing about you a lot lately from my mom and aunt Claudia.” Michael Clayton extended his hand for a shake and Alyssa came out of her daze and shook hands with him.
“Hello, Mr. Clayton. I think, my dad too completed his first internship at your company under your grandfather,” she said, remembering aunt Claudia mention it to her once.
“Please call me Michael. The world is such a small place. It seems we are all related to one another in some way,” he said with a charming smile that annoyed Nicholas a lot but he bore it all with a fake smile on his face, his eyes on the way Michael still held her hand.
“Shall we start?” he asked, seething with jealousy, and Michael, at last, released her hand.
So, the meeting started and went on for two hours, and finally, they signed the deal and shook hands with one another. Nicholas treated Michael to lunch and Alyssa had to tag along as she was supposedly Nicholas’s girlfriend. She had to tolerate them but didn’t see the need. Why couldn’t Nicholas just clear the misunderstanding with his mom and granny instead of stretching it? She could almost misunderstand his motive here. It seemed as if he too wanted her to be his girlfriend.
At last, the torture ended and Michael Clayton shook hands with them, thanking Nicholas for the treat. The moment he walked out of the door, Alyssa turned towards Nicholas. “Why are you dragging this still, Nicholas? What was the need to lie to Michael? Don’t you think you should now tell the truth to your family that we aren’t in a relationship?” she demanded but Nicholas just sat sipping his drink, not looking at all perturbed.
“Are you upset that you couldn’t be available to Michael? Don’t tell me you liked him that much?” he asked in a lazy drawl but it was enough to annoy Alyssa.
“You’re really disgusting!” she got up and stormed out of the place, all the way to her cubicle, seething with anger. Nicholas enjoyed his drink to calm himself down after successfully being able to dodge the confrontation with Alyssa. He had no wish to clear the misconception at all. He had no idea why but the thought sent a strange thrill down his body every time he thought about it. It could be due to the crazy attraction he felt for her since the day he saw her. Whatever it was, he knew deep down in his heart that it wasn’t something that would go away anytime soon. The kisses he shared with her stirred him deeply and his entire body craved more.
Finishing his drink, he went back to his office and steered clear of Alyssa, not wanting a confrontation with her at the office. With her struggling to cope with the work he sent her, it wasn’t a difficult task at all.
Alyssa stretched her tired limbs after sending the last email to Nicholas. It was strange that after she marched out of the restaurant, he had ignored her totally. Even for the rest of the meetings, he sent her an email stating her presence wouldn’t be needed and that she could complete the work sent to her in the meantime. He, therefore, went without her.
Alyssa frowned, wondering if she had displeased him earlier with her behavior. What if she had failed him as a PA? Would he withdraw his offer of accommodation? Then what about all the stuff loaded in her car? She couldn’t go back to Eva’s place with them? Holding onto her head she thought of a way to please Nicholas. She really needed the accommodation he had offered. She would never bow down to her stepdad and Alexander!
“What happened? Tired already?” Nicholas’s voice boomed inside the small room, startling her out of her mind. When did he come in? She hadn’t heard him at all!
She removed her hands from her face and peered up at him. He had removed his suit and with the pale blue shirt clinging to his hard, sinewy, muscular chest, he looked strikingly handsome. The overhead lights reflected in his blue twinkling eyes and made them shine like sapphires. They attracted her like a magnet and cast a hypnotic spell upon her, making her unable to look away. “Yes, do you have anything else for me to do? If not, I’d like to leave,” she said, tiredly, using all her willpower to break the spell and look away. Nicholas took a step towards her, his eyes searching her face.
“You can wrap up for the day. In fact, I’ll leave too. So maybe I can take you to your new apartment. You’ll be moving in tonight, right?” he asked, just to ensure, in case she changed her mind.
“Yes, I’ll be moving in right now. I already have my stuff in my car.”
“Great. We’ll leave in ten minutes. Pack up,” he said, feeling extremely pleased and he turned to leave with a spring in his step.
After ten minutes, Nicholas drove out of his office with Alyssa close behind him, tailing his car towards her new home. She entered through the gates of a luxurious building a block away on a quiet and wide street that had skyscraper residential condominiums along the entire stretch. Nicholas parked his car and she pulled over alongside. “Can I park here?” she asked him hesitating a little.
“Sure,” he said, leading her towards the elevator.
The elevator had a few residents who gave them odd looks as they went up to the tenth floor where Nicholas led her out towards a corner apartment.
“I haven’t come here in a while, just today morning to get the place cleaned up for you,” he shrugged. Alyssa gave him a look of surprise.
“Oh, how did you know that I’d be moving in today?” she asked him warily. This was getting creepy now.
“I just hoped you would,” he said, trying to sound as casual as possible although his heartbeats thundered in his chest. He punched in the security code and the door opened to reveal a clean, sparkling, sleek, and elegant apartment, stylish and contemporary in design, just the way Alyssa liked. Nicholas stared at her reaction and released the breath he was holding. It seemed she liked the place.
“Wow! Just the way I like it,” she said, walking inside and looking around. “I’ll get my stuff from the car.”
“I’ll help you,” offered Nicholas.
“Thanks,” said Alyssa and they locked the apartment and went out. Alyssa knew he wanted something in return for helping her but wasn’t sure what exactly he would ask for. Would it be something she couldn’t give him? What would she do if her job and apartment were at stake if she didn’t give him what he wanted?
They took her stuff to the apartment but Alyssa was too tired to unpack. “I’ll order dinner. You must be exhausted,” said Nicholas, and Alyssa agreed, thanking him again. While he ordered dinner, she looked around the four-bedroomed apartment, choosing the master bedroom for herself. She stood staring at the huge king-sized bed and the spacious walk-in closet, wondering what she would do all alone in such a huge apartment.
“Don’t you think the place is too big for you? I could move in if you feel lonely,” whispered Nicholas, his warm breath fanning the nape of her neck.