Chapter 14
SHANELLE
After dropping Liam off at the private parking lot where he has his penthouse, which I remodeled while I worked there for several months, I return to the office with my stomach completely empty because I skipped my lunch hour thanks to Liam. Luckily for me, only Viki is in the office when I arrive. I greet her with a nod before entering my office and getting to work; I needed to keep my mind occupied with other things that weren’t that extremely sexy man I couldn’t shake off. And to be honest with myself, I don’t want to shake him off either. I truly like him a lot; just seeing him or hearing his voice makes every part of my skin prickle and my bones tremble for him.
If only I hadn’t slept with him before handing over the penthouse, maybe everything would be different. Last weekend was the best of my life, and he was my first man. I gave him my virginity, and I don’t regret it; it’s impossible for me to ever forget how he made me feel that night, even though I hardly remember most of it.
I shake my head, scattering the memories, and focus on working, ignoring the growls of my empty stomach. Mrs. Rosa hasn’t stopped texting me either, and I don’t know how to explain to her that I won’t be able to continue working with her, at least not for a while.
The day passes extremely quickly, and when I realize it, it’s almost time to leave. I gather my things and leave well before Mr. Thomas can come to take me out for dinner. If he doesn’t have my address, he won’t be able to find me. I smile to myself over how mischievous I can be.
(###)
-So you accepted to go to dinner with him, but you didn’t give him your address.
-Yeah, that’s right. -I smile as I sit on a stool at the kitchen island, watching Marc prepare dinner for him, Victor, and of course, for me. My hair is completely wet from the shower I just took, and I’m in my favorite comfy pajama pants and tank top to be at home.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, and I jump.
-I’ll get it! Don’t worry, just keep doing what you’re doing! -I bounce from my seat and hurry to the door, opening it-: Hi! How have you been? -I greet Victor, Marc’s new boyfriend and my hero at some point during the week.
-Really well, babe. Hope you don’t mind that I came for dinner.
I wave my hand dismissively in the air.
-Don’t be silly, come in. Marc is cooking.
I step aside to let him in and close the door.
-By the way, there’s a man asking for you.
-What? -I stop dead in my tracks.
-Yeah, a very handsome man asked if I knew Miss Shanelle Murphy. Since I really don’t know who he is, I told him no. I didn’t do wrong, did I?
-No, no, of course not. Damn it! -I look at Marc with my eyes wide open, and he smiles like the joker.
-And you, what did you think, you got away with it? -my best friend teases. I run to the window and see Liam Thomas on the stairs of the building where I live, my own personified Adonis. Damn it, he’s so handsome that just seeing him makes my stomach tighten and my core throb.
I can’t do this, I can’t do this. I repeat to myself over and over again, but then he lifts his head, and our eyes meet.
-Damn! -I whisper as those incredible blue eyes pierce through the glass of the window, reaching deep into my soul. One corner of his mouth lifts in a repressed smile, and I do exactly the same, nerves bubbling at the surface. I raise my hand and gesture for him to wait.
-Are you going?
-What do you think? -I glare at my best friend as I rush past him and head straight to my room to dress in the first thing I can find. Then I stop and look at what I have on, and with a mischievous smile, I put on my sneakers and grab my black sweater because I’m not crazy enough to go out into the night cold. I look in the mirror to make sure I have no makeup on, gather my hair into a messy bun, and smile at myself.
-She can’t possibly be going out like that! -exclaims Marc when he sees me appear in the living room still dressed in my pajamas.
-Just watch me. -I sway my hips with all the dignity I can muster, grab my cell phone and ID card, shove them in my pockets, and exit the apartment. When I reach the main entrance of the building, I take a deep breath before opening the door and stepping outside.
The eyes of my Adonis meet mine, and a playful glint settles in them. Well, damn, he’s not shocked like I thought he would be.
-Miss Shanelle, I thought you weren’t coming.
-Mr. Thomas, I thought you weren’t coming.
I repeat his words back to him, to which he just smiles, and my heart races. He’s close, and before I manage to step down the stairs, he reaches out to take my hand; I sigh dramatically before taking it.
-I wouldn’t consider myself a knight in shining armor, but how about I be the wolf in your story? -I shiver at his words, which hold an undertone, and my mind goes back to the night we made love. Or was it sex? I don’t know anymore.
-Luckily for you, I like wolves.
This time he smiles, showing me perfect white teeth.
-Good to know. -he tells me as he opens the passenger side door for me to get in. He closes the door gently and I watch him run around the car to get behind the wheel and set us in motion-: I hope you’re hungry and that you haven’t had dinner yet for our date tonight.
-I didn’t forget, and I haven’t eaten. -I tell him.
-Ah, I see. -I turn in my seat to look at him. His resemblance to my favorite actor makes me nervous. You could say he has a likeness to Ian Somerhalder.
-What are you looking at?
-Nothing, I’m just saying that if I had eaten, you wouldn’t be here. -he tells me, but I can see the smile dancing at the corner of his lips.
Neither of us speaks again during the whole ride to the restaurant where he’s taking me, and that’s when I regret having come dressed like I am, until I set foot in the entrance of the most luxurious restaurant I’ve ever been to. I internally curse myself multiple times for my silly game of not changing, thinking he might regret going out with me like this. But much to my chagrin, he even places my hand on his forearm, and I leave it there as we enter and are greeted by the host for the evening.
-Mr. Thomas, it’s a pleasure to see you here! Your table is right this way, please follow me.
-Thank you very much, Frank. -my Adonis responds as we follow the host to a table situated near the windows, but we are also close to the kitchen, and the aromas flooding in are phenomenal-: Let me help you, sweetheart. -I bite my tongue to avoid saying something inappropriate in front of the host; I don’t want to be rude and remind him in front of strangers that I’m not his sweetheart.
Liam pulls out a chair for me to sit down before he goes and sits across from me.