Chapter 27:

I wake up startled to say the least. I was met with darkness- the only source of light was from the window- but this wasn't how I went to sleep.

The feeling of silk and the coldness of sheets sweep against me as I shifted my weight, I was expecting the hard ground but it was just the opposite. That's weird.

Then all the memories come flowing back in, but I didn't remember moving from the couch. Hearing a low grunting sound from behind me, my eyes widen before I turned my head.

I wasn't by myself.

Rolling over to face him, he was fast asleep laying on his stomach. The moon shined on his face and I saw him hugging onto his pillow, one of his hands underneath while the other rested on top. I did however take note that his lips were slightly parted and his eyebrows creased in.

Moving over to him, I placed my forefinger between them, trying to smooth it out and he turned peaceful under my touch.

But this wasn't the room he gave me. I knew it from the color of the room and to the fact that this bed was genuinely large, I bet at least four people could sleep on here.

I knew it was weird of me to stare at him but he was impossibly handsome and sometimes I questioned still why he would-

He stirred in his sleep before draping his arm around me, tugging me to him. "You're awake." He mumbled his voice husky from sleep.

"Yeah I'm awake." His eyes were still closed as far as I could see, but once being closer I could see that his eyes were indeed open. "Did I wake you?"

"Yeah." His voice made me weak at the knees. "Your perplexing stare woke me up."

"Really?"

"It's not everyday I feel someone eyeing me while I sleep, so yes." I rolled my eyes at him before trying to break out of his hold but he apologized. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"What time is it?" I ask, trying to turn my head to see if he had a alarm clock but sure enough it was on his side. Releasing his left arm from around me, he turned to see what time it was.

"4:30."

It was still late.. but it was early. "Okay." I asked another question. "And how exactly did I get up here?" He repositioned himself back around me before answering my question.

"I carried you up here."

"Why didn't you bring me to my new room?"

I felt the slight shrug in his shoulders. "The walking distance was too far."

"Excuses?" I asked running my hand down his arm and he seemed to enjoy that.

"Maybe." He mumbled as he pulled me closer to him, our fronts almost touched.

"You should get some sleep." I was now awake and I could find myself to my room on my own.

"Embre." He kissed the tip of my nose. "There's a reason why I didn't bring you to your room."

"Which is?" The moments I try to sound at least a little bit seductive it does not turn out that way, instead it just came off as a question.

"Take a guess." His lips moved from my nose to hovering over mine. Surprisingly his breath smelled minty, and that's when I realized I didn't brush my teeth before going to bed.

"You're scared of monsters?" I leaned back away from his advance, not because I wanted to but because of what his nostrils would have endured.

"Funny." But he didn't laugh. "Think a little bit harder." He hoisted my right leg around his mid section.

"Playing checkers?"

I could tell he was trying to hold his laughter back from that one. "And where would I get that?"

"Oh it's easy really." I searched for my phone playfully, knowing it was in my room. "There's a thing called the App Store and-"

"Let me kiss you." He interrupted me and my thought process. At least he was asking.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not?"

"My breath stinks." Did I really just say that? Yep, can't take it back now.

"Alright." He didn't even sound like he was judging me. "In the morning then."

"You're planning when to kiss me?"

"I didn't say what time in the morning." And that just made goosebumps rise up my arm. "Maybe when you wake up, maybe nine, ten o'clock." He shrugged.

"Wow." I blew out a smoke of air. He lightly pressed his lips to my neck and I squirm a bit and he slowly draws up to my jaw, placing lingering kisses there.

He kissed the corner of my lips and I turn away a little, making him chuckle. "You're so adorable."

"And you're cute."

"Don't call me cute."

"But you are."

"No cute is for calling puppies 'cute' I am a man, call me handsome or muscular but never 'cute'." He said the last word with disgust like it destroyed his manhood.

"Why would I lie? I heard it's bad for your health." I probably just made that up.

This gets his full attention. "You don't agree?" He asks, amused.

I shrug.

Suddenly one minute I was facing him to being under him. Grasping onto his arms, he lays on his elbow, taking some of his weight off me.

The temperature in the room definitely just went up a notch. "Say it."

"Say what?"

"That you think I'm handsome and muscular." I started to laugh- but not on purpose- at his words.

"I don't tell lies.. I just told you the reason."

He pressed down on me a little, capturing me from trying to remove him from on top of me. "Say it." I didn't respond and he runs one hand down my side, causing my breathing to pick up.

"I'll keep this up until you say it."

"I um.." I'm lost for words. He brushed his lips with mine- completely ignoring what I had said about my breath.

"Handsome and muscular," I mumble, clearly defeated.

"What was that?"

"I said.. handsome and muscular." This was so embarrassing.

"Much better."

"I'm sleepy." I tried to detour the conversation but that backfired on me as well.

"Me too," He turned his head and I heard him fake yawning before dropping, putting his full weight on me.

"I. Can't. Breathe!" I gasped, trying to get him off of me. "You bull! Get off!" He laughed at my dramatics before rolling off of me.

"That was mean." I caught my breathing. "You could have broke my ribs."

"I'm not that heavy."

"Not that heavy!" I sat up to look at him. "So if I tied a cement block to your leg and dropped you into the ocean and yelled 'it's not that heavy.' Would you be able to survive?"

"That was the worst comparison I've ever heard."

"Well that's what it would feel like."

"So you've had a cement block tied to your leg?"

"You know what I mean!" I flopped back onto the bed. "Always ruining my moments." We stayed silent for a good measure of time before something ran pass my mind. "We have work."

"Yes."

"How am I supposed to get there?" I ask. "We left my car in the front of your building." I knew how I was getting back, I just wanted to hear him say it.

"Simple. I'll drive you back."

"As in like with the Landon Hale?" I dramatically squealed. "I'm honored."

"Ha ha." He mocked me as he rolled onto his stomach. "Go back to sleep."

"Alright." I started to slide out of the bed but his hand snatched my hand, his grip wasn't hard.

"I didn't say leave."

"Alright." Sliding back into the bed, he released my hand to turn facing me again and I turned so my back was to him and that only made him scoot closer to me. He kissed the side of my head, before we back to sleep for at least three more hours.

~

"Embre." No. Don't wake me up. "Embre," I heard again, this time something poked my cheek.

"No stop." I tried to swat the hand away.

"We're going to be late."

"It's okay, I don't want anything to eat." I rolled over, blocking the sun from my face. "Just give me a minute."

"I didn't even say-"

"Okay I'm up." I whined, sitting up. "You're talking too much for me."

I blinked hard twice before settling trying to get my brain running. I see him sitting on his bed, his eyes watching my movement.

I didn't really care at the moment of how I looked as I scratched my side. "What time is it?" He already beat me to it as he clicked on his phone first.

"7:46."

"Just great." Then I eyed what he was wearing. "You didn't wake me up?" He had on a dark grey suit with his gold Rolex on, glistening to the gods. And for the first time I actually seen that he did his hair.

"You looked peaceful, and I didn't want to wake you." He smiled at me.

While I'm looking like 'who did it and why?' He is sitting in front of me looking like a miracle walking.

"We leave in thirty, is that enough time for you?"

"Please." I rolled to the edge of the bed before sticking my landing. "I was born for this." That was a lie, I could barely rinse my toothbrush and apply toothpaste correctly without it sliding off.

"Alright, I'll be downstairs-" before he could even finish I bolted out of the room, preparing myself to get ready.

Taking a quick shower, I made a note to myself to unpack my things when getting back to the house but for now I needed to get ready.

Putting on jeans, and my yellow blouse that cut off at the shoulders, I decided not to kill myself today and just wear my flats.

Still professional right?

My hair was already wild as it is, so I sleeked it down into a low bun- ignoring my rather large egg head- and I did my makeup.

Grabbing my phone and purse I was ready to start the day. I tried to ignore the slight jittery feeling I was getting just from knowing I was going to see him in a couple seconds.

I tried to control the slight skip I had bouncing down the stairs and once I reached the bottom he looked up from his phone to see me. "You ready beautiful?"

Heart on overload.

"Yep." I walked outside, trying to control my blush. "Let's go."

~~

Pulling up to his building, I saw my beautiful car sitting and waiting for me on the far end. "You go ahead, I have to grab a few things."

"You sure?" He asked me and I nodded my head. "Alright." He doubles clicked the lock button for his car to lock before heading inside the building.

Once he disappeared from my sight, I bolted to my car, grabbing my keys out of purse in the process. "No one tried to steal anything did they?" No one needed to see what I had in the compartment.. pads and tampons were not to be seen.

Once I was reassured, I headed inside the building, preparing for a long jobs worth.

I thought I broke the elevator after pressing the button for the fourth time and that's when it decided to turn orange around the edges. "You might break the button," I hear someone comment.

Turning sharply I saw Seth, in the corner on his phone.

"Yeah I might." I laughed. "I didn't know you were in here."

"Sorry Miss Daniels-"

"Embre."

"Embre." He stuck his phone inside his pocket. "Sorry about that."

I brushed it off. "How do you like your job so far?"

"It's fine, working in the fax room isn't so bad."

"Lots of paper cuts?" I asked jokingly.

He lifted his right hand for me to see and sure enough he had two bandaids wrapped around his forefinger and thumb. "Yep." We both shared a laugh before he offered me a question of his own. "How is it, you know working for Mr. Hale?"

"Oh it's lot of work." I exaggerated. "I mean you have to go meetings, bring him things, set up meetings, bring him coffee-"

"You bring him coffee?" His eyes widen, going along with my exaggeration. "Yeah that seems like a lot of work."

"Yeah it is, you just have to know how to make it." I smiled. The doors slide open and I took my leave but not before turning and waving at Seth, he sent me a friendly wink before the doors slid shut.

And I wish I hadn't because turning back I saw a furious looking Landon whatever his middle was Hale. "My office now." He demanded and he walked back into his office, his door open waiting for me to enter.