Sylvie
It was already nighttime when our plane landed in central London. Although my head still hurt a little, I was able to flag down a taxi and immediately rush to my apartment to get my stuff. Michael's agent had handled a lot of the moving procedures, but he was yet to complete everything. I didn't have a new home, nor did I have a place to stay for the night. The money left in my account was barely able to afford me a hotel room, and I'd probably have to spend the night without eating anything.
Things would have been different if we had spent a week on the trip like planned, but things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to. I reached for the light switch on the wall, and once the electricity was back on I got straight to recovering the most that I could from the mess.
The house was already more than half empty, and the majority of the things laying around was mostly dirt and unimportant stuff. I had come back just to make sure that something I considered important was not regarded as unimportant by Michael's agent. He was probably used to dealing with wealthy people, most of my things would probably appear disposable to him.
I spent the next twenty minutes going through everything on the floor as well as my secret shelves and cupboards. And just when I was about to conclude my search for the night, I heard three loud honking sounds from downstairs, a signal from Michael Black.
I rushed to the window and immediately recognised his car. Not many people owned their own vehicle in my neighborhood, so whenever a luxurious car pulled into the streets it was super easy to point out its owner.
Gathering all the stuff I could, I raced downstairs to meet him before he could think of coming upstairs. My apartment was an eyesore when it was in good condition, now that it had experienced house flooding, it was in even worse condition.
"Mr Black... What are you doing here?" I asked while taking intervals between words to chuckle nervously.
"You left without saying anything at the airport, I was worried and figured you must have come here." He replied before running his eyes over everything I had cuddled up in my arms. "How's the apartment? Have you found anywhere to stay for the night?"
"I'll stay at a hotel for now, and will look for another place tomorrow morning." I replied as I struggled to keep all the stuff in possession from falling off my arms.
Michael reached out and caught a lightbulb before it could fall. It might seem petty that I unscrewed the bulbs and took them away, but I didn't have much of a choice. I had no money for replacements once I found a new place to stay. I had bought those lightbulbs with my money, and I was not leaving it for anybody.
"Thank you.." I whispered before reaching out to collect the bulb.
"You can stay over at my place, there's way too much space for one person." Michael offered with an awkward smile.
My heart skipped a beat after hearing his words. I blinked severally trying to process the unexpected generosity, and whether I should accept it or not. I was running low on funds, but at the same time I didn't want to become a burden. "Thank you for the offer, but it's best I find a hotel, I don't want to become another burden on your plate."
He smiled warmly, before reassuring me, "Burden? Whoever said I was burdened? I have plenty of space, and it would give you time to settle without feeling rushed. Consider it as a temporary arrangement."
I stammered, unable to find another convincing argument. It was too good of an opportunity to pass, and soon I succumbed to his request, my face beaming with a bright smile. "I don't know how to thank you for everything."
He laughed, a genuine yet mischievous laughter. "Say yes to my request earlier. It would be enough to cover everything." Michael answered without hints at restriction. He clearly didn't care if I saw this as blackmail, he was focused on me saying yes to him, every other thing mattered less.
I smiled nervously before dumping all the items in my hand into the trunk of the car. He held the door open for me to enter, and only after I'd settled did he get inside.
"I'm a boring man, so don't expect much when we get there, okay?" Michael teased as he turned on the ignition. It was probably a tactic to help me with low self esteem whenever I was around him, but it was ineffective. I already knew he was leagues above me in terms of everything, so I already had my mind disposed of the intimidation to come.
The car finally pulled up to the entrance, and my jaw dropped as I stepped out. It was just as I'd expected, this man was far beyond me.
"Welcome to my home." Michael grinned before leading me through the front doors.
As we stepped into the house, my eyes widened and once again I was left breathless by what was before me. The marble floors gleamed under crystal chandeliers that cascaded from the high ceiling. Elegant artwork adorned the walls, and the air was filled with a subtle fragrance, a blend of luxury and opulence.
"Wow," I uttered, unable to conceal my amazement.
Michael laughed, he probably expected such a reaction from me, and he was enjoying the fact that he was impressing me. "Come, I'll show you around." He said before starting a house tour which lasted fifteen minutes. He showed me to the guest room afterwards, and I had to fight the urge to demand that we share a room.
"Thank you.." I whispered as Michael left the room. He seemed genuinely happy that he had someone to stay with him. He only had one maid who did everything from cleaning to cooking and all, and I had only managed to spot two bodyguards since I entered the house. For someone who was deep in the world of business, he had little regard for his security.
"If you need anything, I'm across the hall." He replied before making his exit completely.
The first twenty minutes had been fine, but soon I became restless as I lay on the bed. My thoughts were all about him—the way his lips moved, his warmth, I couldn't stop with the imaginations.
After another excruciating five minutes, I took a deep breath and decided to act on the impulses coursing through me. With each step down the hallway, my heartbeat quickened in tandem with my nerves.
I finally reached the door of his room and hesitated for a brief moment before raising my hand to knock on his door. The anticipation in my head was wild, but my heartbeat was even wilder. As the door creaked open, his eyes met mine, a mixture of surprise and delight etched on his facials as he fully opened the door.
Without a word, I seized the moment and pulled myself closer to him. Impulsively, I leaned in and took his lips in mine, my hand wrapped around his head ferociously as we locked lips. This was probably the riskiest move I'd ever made in my life, but life was nothing without risks.