Have you ever felt like that why isn't there any other path while choosing your most important decision or why does all the paths close whenever there's a problem ahead?
I always thought these questions were somewhat true, but this time, there wasn't even an extra path except this one. And it felt like a burden.
Not necessarily, but the person I am, I was sure this proposal could actually end drastically or worse, it could end with a restraining order, yet again.
"I need time to think." I looked at him.
He nodded, his eyes fixed on my face, showing a hundred emotions, but actually I couldn't decipher any of it.
"What?" I waved my hand in front of him as he sat in front of me.
"Huh?"
"Is there something?"
"No."
There was something bit off, but it wasn't my place to say that to him.
"Okay then, I'll tell you if I make up my mind. But can I tell this to someone?"
"You mean your PA? Mr. DaSilva?" He asked looking at me.
I thought for a moment or two, "Yes."
"No. You can't."
"Why?" I asked.
I would've been glad if I could confide in Leo. It seemed unbearable and untrustworthy to not even tell him about this proposal. Because he's like my armor, protecting me and saving me.
"Amara," He husked, sexily, "I'm not going to draft a Non-Disclosure Agreement but I would like you to not tell him. Yes, you need time to think, but perhaps you make your mind, this could be the first step for trust."
"Trust?" I quirk my brow, confused.
"Well, don't you think even in a fake relationship trust is important?"
I nodded. It was true. Even for enmity, you trust the limits of your enemy. But there's also a point of breaking trust, though that's not the point here.
"I don't want any contract to exist. It'll be very clean. Only, you, I and April will know about this. Not even Nyla will hear anything. If you agree on my proposal, let me know."
"Are there any specific things? I mean, we don't need to always act, right?"
He chuckled, "I'm very popular in London, so, we'll act like a couple in front of the public which also includes the media and our parents. Whenever we are outside, we need to act. But that doesn't mean..."
"Huh? I cocked my head, curious.
"That doesn't mean, I won't seduce you outside stage. When we are alone, that's my schedule for seducing you."
I smirked, pushed the chair got up and bend down, to make my face closer to him. Our nose almost touched each other and our breaths fell on each other lips. He leaned a little too close and smirked.
We were both predators, thinking the other one as prey.
It was a battlefield, challenging each other.
"Why do you think you can seduce me?" I chuckled, sitting back in my seat and looked at him.
He got up, walked around the table and stood beside me. All the while smirking at me, he leaned against the table, just in front of me.
"Then?" He leaned towards me, "You think you'll win?"
"No, Sweetheart." He caressed my cheekbone with his thumb, "This is my deal, my game and my plan. Everything will go according to my wish. And that's what I'm going to do."
His face came a little bit closer, almost to appoint where I could even see the silver specks in his grey eyes. His thumb traced my left cheek in circles then moved to my lower lip, slowly tracing its outlines.
I looked at his eyes, from under my lashes and smiled, cunningly.
Biting onto his thumb, I sucked on it, using my full lips.
His breathing increased, but he grinned back at me. It was nothing erotic and nothing uncommon for me. It shouldn't be. But I felt good while sucking on his thumb.
Leaning closer to him, I looked up directly at his eyes and then touched his hand. Holding onto the other four fingers, I put the forefinger and the middle finger inside my mouth. Sucking onto it, I got up from my seat and leaned more.
"Wha-?" Giving his fingers the final suck and satisfying myself, I traced my forefinger at his jawline.
Silencing him with my index finger on his lips, I leaned a little more closely and whispered in his ears. My breath fell on his ears as I whispered smoothly.
"I will win your game." I bit his earlobe once, "Do whatever you want, but I'll again become the largest shareholder and the CEO. Just play your part with capital.
I don't care what you do because I won't get affected."
He smirked and spun me around. Pushing me on the edge of the table, he leaned against my back and rubbed his aroused sex against my ass. Straightening my hair, he whispered against my ear.
"Are you sure?"
I wasn't sure what we were doing now.
Is this either a deal, a challenge or were we playing a seduction game?
I shouldn't be aroused only because his dick is against my ass. It shouldn't feel erotic if my breasts my pressed against the table and his back is pressed against my back. This shouldn't feel like a seduction play.
But it feels just like this.
It feels very arousing, erotic and good. And this means only one thing.
My old ways.
I blank out for a moment, then push him back into the nearest chair. The chair jerked off at a distance because of his weight.
Stalking towards him in my heels, I tugged at his tie, and smirked, directly at him.
"We're partners, Querido. Don't act as if you are capable of seducing me with just your mere presence. After all we are same on this deal. You need me, I need you.
So don't try to break me. If anything you should be more aware of me, because I can become extremely dangerous."
I walked towards the door, without turning back.
"Tell your PA, that I will be helping you with the shares and your position, and in return, I just want my upcoming project for the runaway dresses to succeed."
I nodded since it was quite fitting and then exited the conference room.
As I closed the door behind me, I heaved a sigh of relief. Not because, I had done a dangerous deal or declared a unspoken war, but the closeness that I experienced could be fatal to my thoughts.
And the closeness of him, I liked and hated that at the same time.
"Are you okay?" Leo patted my shoulder.
I nodded and leaned against the wall.
Nyla and April crossed Leo and I and went inside the conference, probably to talk with Vincent. Before entering, Nyla smiled quizzically at me and April gave me a thumbs up.
"What happened? Why are you sweating?" Leo asked, raising his brow.
I removed a bead of sweat from my forehead and sighed loudly. Fixing my composure, so that, Leo wouldn't be suspicious, I smiled at him, or rather grinned.
"Follow me!" I hugged him, "This good news should be shared in secret."
He smiled and followed me to the parking lot.
Today, we had brought Leo's black Chevy Sedan and we two, quickly climbed in. I sat in the passenger seat this time and Leo took the driving one.
"Shoot!" Leo said as he made his way through the parking lot.
"Well," I began, grinning, "He's quite the gentleman, even if what the tabloids say. When he heard about the financial status, all he did was to help me. He told me that he'll help us with the finance in the upcoming project and anywhere else, until the project ends."
"He made no deal?" Leo frowned, his eyes focused on the road.
"Nope." I gulped, slowly, "He said, his upcoming project is what that matters."
"I don't understand." He looked at me, briefly, "Why did he want to talk to you personally then?"
Why the hell was Leo so observant?
"That's what I had asked," I said nonchalantly, "and he said that you could've asked the same questions you just asked me. He said that we could differ in decisions or I may just follow your decision."
"Seriously, Amy?" Leo grumbled, "You know, that's how our friendship isn't!"
"I know. That's why I told in favor of you to him, and told that he is speaking bullshit."
He nodded and the atmosphere in the car changed. I felt nervous because this was my first time speaking a lie to Leo. He was angry at the fact that someone had questioned our friendship.
I looked at Leo and thought if I was doing the right thing. This was the only way to finish the latest project with Vincent and April, to become the largest shareholder again, and for the reappointment of CEO.
But the price was even greater.
Leo's trust could be tarnished, I, myself could be destroyed and maybe there was more to it.
But this was a chance I was willing to take, because I couldn't just lose my company to the hands of a bastard who had done nothing for it. Also, I had to find the other son of a bitch, who had helped him, gain this much shares and power and how.
I sat in on top of the desk, wearing a bathrobe.
The door clicked and footsteps came closer.
"What are you doing, here?" He shouted enraged.
"Cam!" I grinned.
"I told you I was engaged." He gripped my upper arms hard.
I winced, "But you are everything to me, Cam." I whispered.
He smirked, "Really? Okay then."
He walked around me, through the unfamiliar place.
"Why did you buy this new place? In the middle of the woods?" I asked, looking around.
"To escape you."
I got silent for a moment and then laughed, "You sure can joke."
He laughed too, "I know."
He searched his drawers a little more and held some papers, triumphantly. Then he made his through me and touched my bare thighs.
"Sweetheart, this is everything I want to give you."
I looked at the papers, as he sat himself in his office room chair. My eyes got bigger and it scanned the contents of the paper.
"Why?" Tears spilled through my eyes, "Why are you doing this?"
"You cheated on me. You became engaged to that girl and you are filing a restraining order against me now?
He chuckled, "Yes. Sure you were a great fuck but that was nothing when I heard of your past encounters."
"From where?"
"Just somewhere." He grinned and held my chin. "Stay away from me and my fiancée."
I looked at him in sadness and pitied me, "is it because of the stalking?"
"You stalk as if he is the world to you. Listen bitch, everything is fine in the start of a relationship but if you again stalk some other guy, you'll soon become a guy repellent."
I stared at him, until Leo's voice broke me from my stare.
"Come on! Let's go!"
"Are you okay, Amy? Why are you sweating so much today?"
I wiped sweat from my forehead and strands of hair.
"I had a memory from the past just now and that time at the office it was my muscle cramp. You know, how frequent I get them." I sighed loudly.
"I understand your cramps are from childhood but what about memory?" He said, bringing me out of the passenger seat.
"Cameron Sawyer, that memory." I held onto him, as I felt the dizziness taking over me.
"Why that motherfucker, suddenly?" He grumbled, "Something must have triggered it."
"I don't know." I gulped, although I knew.
The latest episodes of this day flashed through my mind and it settled on the deal we made.
I knew it was dangerous because of the curse that I thought I would carry forever. It was the curse Cameron gave me and I was afraid to bring back my past, my stalking, and obsessive skills. It was dreadful even to me.
"What happened?" Ella rushed outside as soon as she saw me.
"Her frequent muscle cramps." He paused. "That's all."
Ella soothed my hair and both of them, held my weight to take me to my room. Somehow, I changed to my pajamas and got inside the bed.
The dizziness was overtaking me and nervousness was in my head. Ella promised me a glass of warm water with honey as she closed the door behind her.
I knew, I wasn't making cramps, but the nervousness was tiring me.
My phone dinged, from the bedside table as I just closed my eyes.
A new notification from an unknown number popped up.
"Then, are we agreeing?"
It was Vincent. Vincent Thompson. The one who made the deal, the one whom I challenged and the one to whom I told, I would play the game on my rules.
I thought about the company, my employees and my hard work. I thought about Leo, me and my past. And lastly, I thought about my only option.
Then, I opened the Messenger and typed.
"Agreed. Let's start."