Clarissa’s POV
My heart skipped a beat. My plans began to feel sweaty. My heart was racing and my breath was heavy.
They…they knew each other?! He never mentioned that!
This is bad. This is really bad. Lorenzo was just as shocked as I was and he cast me a look of accusation but I shrugged lightly. I didn’t know this. I was just as confused as he was.
Erica and Javier were still looking at each other. She was flabbergasted but Javier kept a smile on his face. What was up with this guy? What did he want with Erica?
“Javier…you’re…you’re Clarissa’s mate?”
He smiled and his bright golden eyes lit up. They looked so warm and innocent, nothing like the gaze he gave us when he came to my house to strike this bargain with me.
“Yes. She has told me a lot about you but I didn’t think that it was the same Erica. This is a shock for me as well.”
My heart was still beating violently. I was already uncomfortable about the way he was holding me and now, this had to come up.
Lorenzo glared at me and I saw his dark eyes travel down to my waist where Javuet held tightly.
I heard him growl slightly but everyone ignored it. Erica was still engrossed in her initial shock.
Javier pulled out the seat for me and ushered me to sit down. A waiter came with two more menus and we all began to look through. The awkwardness at the table was terrifying.
Erica was still staring at Dante and I and I could feel the aura of Lorenzo’s jealousy as Javier doted on me.
“Uhmm…okay. I…I am sorry that I am taking it like this. I just didn’t think that this would be such a coincidence. How did you two meet?”
Javier took a sip of his water. I was about to answer but he beat me to it.
At a restaurant. She was having breakfast all by herself and I felt my wolf being pulled toward her. She looked beautiful and innocent and I immediately fell in love with her. It was like”
He took my hand and my face filled with color.
“I had found the missing part of my soul.”
He planted a soft kiss on the back of it. I was as red as a tomato. I was fighting to not look at Lorena but through the corner of my eye, I could see him gripping the table hard. The jealousy in his brown eyes was like a smoke-covered furnace.
Erica was still stunned but she shook her head and said nothing more. We soon placed our orders and waited for the food to arrive.
Another moment of awkwardness. I wanted to say something but there was nothing to say. I was terrified. The way Lorenzo glared at me made my heart skip beats.
“So, tell me,” Lorenzo finally uttered, shattering the thick silence. “How do you and Erica know each other?”
Javier was about to answer but Erica was faster.
“We met at a meeting. He runs an architectural firm and we shared a few ideas and got talking. All business. We have been discussing forming a merger with our companies but those plans are still on ground.”
Javier laughed.
“Your lady has wonderful ideas. I really do hope that the merger becomes a reality. My company needs new blood…”
“Fiancee,” Lorenzo said coldly
“Excuse me.”
“I said she is my ‘fiancee’. Erica is not my girlfriend.”
I could feel the anger in Lorenzo’s words bubbling to the surface. He was staring Javier in the eyes and my body began to tremble. He was going to make a scene. We couldn’t afford that.
Javier, however, kept a cool demeanor.
“I didn’t know that she was your fiancee. Erica never mentioned it. She is very strict about keeping her personal life out of business. I respect her a lot for that.”
The tension eased up slightly and Lorenzo relaxed as soon as Javier unclasped our hands.
Erica was silent. She was still dumbfounded and I couldn’t blame her.
I stole a few glances at her and I could feel my hate for her grow. Just seeing her there, next to Lorenzo made me hate her the more.
“Your meals, Ladies and gentlemen.”
The waiter came with our food and placed it in front of us. The beautiful aroma distracted me for a moment. I never realized that I was this hungry.
My shrimp and sauce and my bowl of rice and kelp cried out to my hungry stomach. I had never eaten in a place this fancy before.
We all tucked into our meal and silence hung over the table like a heavy rain cloud just waiting to burst with trouble.
As we were eating, Lorenzo kept glancing at me and each time he did, my stomach did a nervous flip.
Javier caught his stares but said nothing. If anything, he made it even worse by touching me and doting on me.
I was backed into a corner. I couldn’t refuse else Erica would suspect so I had to always manage a smile every time he stroked my cheeks, pushed back my hair, or wiped the corner of my mouth.
It was all infuriating. I hated it. It made my skin crawl. I struggled to hide my discomfort. It was all for one night and soon it would all be over.
Erica stopped eating and my heart skipped a beat. Did she realize something?
I nearly let my fork fall from my hand. This was unnerving.
“Javier, I am very happy that you found Clarissa and I want you two to be very happy. Clarissa, you can stop working for us. You really don’t have to. I want you to spend more time with your mate…”
“No, no, no!”
The words rolled off my tongue so fast that I couldn’t hold them back.
Everyone at the table fell silent; all eyes were on me. A bead of sweat formed on my forehead and I dabbed it off with my handkerchief.
“I’m sorry. I meant, no. I still want to work for you. I love seeing the kids. Jt makes my day and I don’t think I want to stop that yet.”
A smile curled Erica’s lips. I gave a soft sigh. That was a close one.
“Thank you for showing my kids so much love, Clarissa. I really can’t thank you enough.”
As I smiled, I felt Javier take my hand and squeeze it softly.
“That’s one of the things I love about her. She has a beautiful heart.”
He leaned in closer to me and my heart thumped loudly.
He was…he was going to kiss me!
I was disgusted but I hid it well. I couldn’t afford Erica being suspicious.
I saw the glare in Lorenzo’s eyes. His nostrils flared but Javier didn’t back away. His lips were a few inches from mine. I was panicking. This couldn’t be happening. Not now.
Please, Goddess, make him stop. I didn’t want to kiss this man!
“Erica!”
Lorenzo’s voice burst out and all eyes were turned to our table. The restaurant fell silent and the customers and waiters were all looking at us.
Javier had pulled away from me and was also staring at Lorenzo.
The awkwardness was overwhelming. I wanted to throw up.
Lorenzo stood up and all eyes followed him. My heart was pounding. What was he doing?
He stared at Erica for a while and she stared back in shock. My heart was in my mouth now. Everyone in the room was watching with intrigue.
“Erica”
He got down on one knee and I gasped. No. No. He wasn’t going to…
“I know that this is a little impromptu but I have had it thought about for a while now”
My heart was pulled painfully. He was really going to do it, after everything that we had discussed. He didn’t even tell me.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. I felt a tear stream down my face. My heart felt shattered.
He took her hand tenderly and placed the ring near her finger.
“Erica, will you…will you make me the happiest man and marry me?”
I wanted to faint. He popped the question. How could he?