“Dora, do you think we will be done with this today?” Levina asked me as we slotted goods into their specific positions on a shelf.
True to her word she had turned in her application to the store owner, who had hired her on the spot.
But why not? Mr Lethon was a popular figure, and also a good person. I still remembered his last words to me the last time I had been in his office. He was good just like Peter.
Peter had dropped me here before heading back home with Laura and a wide eyed Diana. My little sister had heard the news of my loss of control. It amazed her, rather than terrified her. But then, Diana was Diana, rarely terrified.
“Yes, I believe we will. Gabriella mentioned that she will be here to help us after her work with Raul.”
Levina snorted. “Raul can easily do that by himself. He should just release Gabriella to us. He knows that we need her more than he does.”
Yes, he probably does. I thought, picking up another item and shelving it correctly. Incorrect shelving meant another laborious work of un-shelving and shelving again. Raul hasn’t spoken to me yet. Right now, there was not even a tension. It was like we didn’t know each other aforetime. I wasn’t sure if that was the best fit to the situation.
I sighed, picking up another item. Didn’t I ghost him the last time for Rachel’s bully, and his family’s wickedness, so why couldn’t I continue in the same way now?
‘You kissed him. That’s what is different.”
Obviously. I tasted his lips, and my hate went into oblivion. I needed the hate back. How do I get it?
‘You want him to mess up, so that you can hate him again?’
Okay, when it puts it that way, it’s really messed up.
‘She.’
Huh.
‘I am a she..’
Oh, I see.
Right now, I could also see Raul approaching us.
I and Levina stopped shelving, seeing as he is the head of operations here.
“Levina, join Gabriella in her station. I will be out for a minute.”
“But…” Levina started, looking at me, noting the anger that was beginning to take root on my face.
Raul, however, didn’t let her finish. “Just go, Levina. I’m sure that Dora can finish up the rest.”
Finish up the rest?
I looked at the multitude of cartons in the room, and barked an unbelieving laugh, which caused Levina to take a step away from me.
Levina might have returned to being my normal friend when she had come for work this afternoon, but now she was afraid of me, or rather my powers which everyone believed was out of my control.
“Finish up? How will I do that?” I incredulously asked, waving my hands to the giant cartons around.
Raul didn’t say a word. He rather gestured to Levina to be on her way.
Levina darted glances between the both of us, and having no choice, departed without a word.
The old Levina, the one before I had lost control over my magic, would have resisted Raul for much longer, would have called down brimstones and thunder. I didn’t blame her though. No one would want to stay with someone who is insane, who has no control over an explosive power that might go off anytime and anywhere.
“What was that for, Raul?” I asked the Prince whom I felt like throttling now, when Levina left the room, when she was far away from us. I could hear her steps receding down the hallway.
Raul said nothing. Instead, he kept staring at me.
When he took a step toward me, I took one away from him. What now? Didn’t he say he was going somewhere?
“I know you mentioned that you didn’t want this, that you didn’t want me or a relationship, but I can’t get you out of my mind, Dora.”
“Give it a week.” I blurted out, aware of my significant other palming her forehead. I could actually see the imagery. It was funny, but it made me realize how insensitive I sounded, it made me realize how much that would hurt Raul. I saw the hurt in his eyes fade back to chillness, and retreated another step.
“So, you want the Brekan boys??”
I scoffed then, folding my arms across my chest. “You saw what happened today after school. Do you think I am crazy over them?”
Raul shrugged his shoulders and leaned on a shelf. “I don’t know, Dora. Girls can be crazy. All these push and pull might be turning you on, especially the one that goes on between you and Adam. Why do you hate them? I never got that part.”
Why do I hate them? They killed me.
“I just hate them, Raul. You should leave. Didn’t you say that you had an errand to run?”
“You see what I am talking about…?”
I piqued my eyebrow, wondering the nonsense he was about to spurt out next.
“You get tacky when the topic about them comes up. Yet you claim that you hate them for nothing. That’s impossible, Dora. You must have met them somewhere, and they must have done something that you don’t like, something so cruel that you hated them. And it’s okay if you don’t want to discuss this with me. But don’t make me look stupid by telling me that you hate them for nothing.”
I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t going to say anything to that. I picked a product from the carton to continue my job, hoping that Raul would go away if he saw that I was ignoring him, but the Prince took the product out of my hand and dumped it back into the carton.
“What the…”
He swiftly moved, such that he was right in front of me before I could complete my statement.
I didn’t even complete my statement, not with him looking at me like that. Oh boy, can I get out of this one? Can I overcome this temptation?
Raul bent his head, and dropped a kiss on cheek softly, his hand settling on my waist, like they have always belonged there. He pulled back slowly, his eyes burning into mine intensely.
“Raul…”
He placed a kiss on my lips, gentle and teasing, whilst his hands started a circular motion on my back. What? I hadn’t been aware when he had slid his hand past my shirt.
Oh god.
I held back this moan when he dropped a kiss on my neck, and bit into the same spot.
No. I couldn’t overcome this temptation this time. Maybe another time, at another place.
He withdrew again. When he centered his gaze on my lips, I knew what was coming, and waited eagerly for it, quite impatiently for it if I must say.
“Why do you deny what’s happening between us? Are you scared of the feelings?”
Feelings? I just want to kiss and forget for a few minutes, dude.
‘Keep telling yourself that.’
Well, not like I could get out of his grip now. I thought, watching greedily as he lowered his lips on mine and bit on it. I was just about to open my mouth to him, about to run my hands to his midnight black hair, when I heard incoming footsteps-hasty, hurrying footsteps.
“Someone is coming.” I whispered, pushing a confused Raul away from me. He must be wondering what I was talking about. Well, wizards didn’t have the crazy hearing ability like werewolves did.
He was about to step into my space again, but Daniel suddenly entered the room. Gabriella rushed in behind him, panting.
“I told him that this area was reserved for workers only, but he wouldn’t listen, not after I told him your location. He had deceived me.”
Daniel didn’t look to give a hoot about Gabriella’s words, rather his gaze darted between I and Daniel, upon my flushed face and Raul’s…well, I wasn’t sure what he noticed on the latter, but it didn’t please him.
“What is going on here, Raul? Shouldn’t you be in the buyer’s section?” Daniel turned to Gabriella. “You mentioned that only workers are allowed here. So, what is he doing here? You are being partial with your rules because he is your Prince?”
“He works here actually.” Gabriella spoke, with a pique of her eyebrow.
Even if Raul doesn’t work here, he did have a right to come in here, maybe to inspect the goods that are sold to his subordinates. I didn’t say that though. I just watched the surprise that masked Daniel’s face, watched as he perused Raul from top to bottom, not believing that a prince would work in a store.
Well, what did he know? He and his brothers were not humble like that, and would never be caught dead working for commoners. Raul was different in that area. A good difference. A smile buttered my lips.
Daniel saw it, and saw red.
“You are here because of her right?”
“Actually he has been working here for the past two years. Dora just started this week.”
I watched Daniel swallow in embarrassment. Good for him.
“What are you doing here, Daniel? Raul asked, finally speaking up for the first time since the third son of the Lycan King had come in and disrupted his good time with me.