Forbidden Deception (Deception)

14

M y ear buzzes with the ringing of my phone, but my cereal has already gone soggy. The texture ruining it for me. I don’t bother glancing at my phone and pick it up.

“Yes?” I ask around a mouthful of cereal.

The bleak, empty walls of my fake apartment almost give me a headache. There is no one here. It’s quiet, and I can hear the faint rush of cars just down the road. It’s too lonely once more and the memories push at my head, wanting to peek through. My security has spotted Rafael’s car roaming close to my area, and with the higher-level security measures in place, they brought me here just in case he decides to visit.

Remo’s critical thinking has me surprised at just how prepared he has been for this mission.

“Venezia, where are you?”

“Who’s this?”

“Rafael.”

I choke on my cereal, and a coughing fit hits me. I cough some more before taking a sip of water and blinking the tears away.

“Rafael,” I wheeze out finally.

“Yes, if you are done coughing, I need you to answer your door.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m outside your door, Venezia.”

My eyes bulge. “You’re what?” I shout. “I’m sick, Rafael. I can’t get out of bed.” I clear my throat.

My heart races. Rafael isn’t someone you can easily say no to.

“Open the door, or I’ll open it myself.”

“No!”

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I drop a message to Aiden to let him know he needs to be on alert. He texts back instantly.

Aiden: We are already aware.

“I mean, I just came out of the shower. Give me ten minutes to change. You can’t see me naked, and—Wait a second.” I falter.

I’m in cotton shorts and a crop top. My hair is a mess, and I look like the ghost from horror movies with their hair down and unbrushed. My cheeks are still flushed from the fever, coughs hitting me every now and then. Rafael seeing me like this makes me panic. .

“Why are you at my apartment? Don’t you have work to do? I’m sure you have a meeting in—” I look at the time on my phone before putting it back to my ear. “Ten minutes, mister. Get back to work and stop bothering a sick woman.”

He sighs. I bite my lip to stop my smile.

“That meeting is with you, genius. And before you ask, no, I am not here to force you to do that meeting with me. I came to get my credit card back. It wouldn’t be wise to send someone else for it, would it?”

Okay. That makes sense.

“Right, your card.” I stumble out of my bed.

“Okay, give me ten minutes. I need to look presentable in front of my boss, at least. Hanging up now!” I do so and head straight to the bathroom to comb my messy hair.

Five minutes later, and my phone starts to ring. Again.

Carefully stepping out of the bathroom with just my hair done, I hear the door bang.

My apartment is a small place with a living room connected to the kitchen. Two bedrooms, a bathroom, and laundry closet.

“I’m coming!” I shout and finally open the door.

And there stands the man who I have gone through all this trouble for.

“I thought you were not even going to answer the door at this point.” Rafael raises his brows, looking far too unbothered.

I am huffing and puffing, but I grin at him.

“Come in. You might as well eat breakfast with me now that you are here.” I shut the door behind Rafael.

He’s wearing an all-black suit today and, of course, smells of pine wood. All clean, muscled, and absolutely dashing.

My smile is still plastered to my face when I pass a mirror hung on the wall. I look up and give myself a scare. The wrinkles in my clothes are horrendous. My face is bare of makeup, but my cheeks are red, as is my nose.

This is how Rafael sees me outside of work for the first time?

Talk about embarrassing. God.

“Cute,” Rafael comments, running a hand along the couch that is facing the TV.

He turns around to face me and finds me running my hand through my hair. I am in the process of tying it up into a bun on top of my head when he clears his throat, catching my attention.

“Sorry, yes?” I finish it off and walk over to him.

“Welcome to my castle. Would you do the honours of being my prince?” I spread my arms wide with a teasing smile.

Rafael smirks, his eyes flitting to my wide neckline, and his face drops to a serious, dark, predatory look. My t-shirt shows quite a lot of cleavage, and since it’s cold and I’m not wearing a bra, my nipples are poking through my crop top. My waist is also bare.

Instead of shivering from the cold, blistering heat spreads all over my body under Rafael’s eyes. My heart pounds and my ribs feel each and every painful beat of it. His eyes are on my tits, which softly bounce with the movement of my arms.

I never wore work clothes that would show off any skin at all. Not only because of how cold the city is, but also because it never occurred to me to show off my skin to look good.

Rafael stands before me, all tall and monstrous, decked out in a suit. His eyes darken when they travel lower.

Lava boils in the pit of my stomach, and that sensation of being wanted, and loved hits me again.

The apartment feels hotter, and the temperature rises with every second that passes between us, a thump of my heart following every second.

We don’t utter a word. Despite both of us being so casual and enjoying each other’s company, we’ve never crossed a line that would mean something else.

And yet this moment feels different.

Rafael’s eyes feel different.

But he blinks and looks away.

“Just because I complimented your little apartment, doesn’t mean it is up to my standards,” he continues like nothing happened in those couple of minutes he stood there staring down at me like he would fuck me on this very couch.

Like he would rip off my clothes and rut against me like an animal.

A pulse throbs in between my legs while I watch Rafael walk around and sit on the couch.

I shut my eyes, willing my heart to calm down.

How will I survive going to Greece with him if I can’t handle this?

“Your card. Here it is.” I walk over to him and drop it in his lap while slumping onto the other side of the couch, feeling my tits bounce. I bite my lip and turn to him.

I watch Rafael’s reaction when he looks over at me. I don’t feel uncomfortable under his hot gaze but, in fact, want more.

He looks into my eyes with such powerful force that I feel breathless.

“Thanks for the card. I’m leaving now. If I stay any longer, something will happen, whether you like it or not, and it will ruin everything.” He gets up and walks to the door.

I rush after him.

“Wait, Rafael, wait.”

He is by the door when I grab hold of his arm.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I ask, taking a step closer.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

“Is everything okay?” I ask again.

“No. And, Venezia?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you fucking dare walk outside dressed like that.” Then he slams the door on his way out.

I quickly hop over to the mirror on the wall and see my cheeks flushed, a pink tint to my chest, and my breasts basically spilling out of my crop top.

I take a step closer, and my mouth drops open at how they bounce.

I didn’t think it was this visible.

No wonder Rafael walked out.

He was hot and bothered, just like me.

Is it normal for an assistant to feel so intimately attracted to her boss? A boss she is supposed to betray soon?

A slam makes me jump. I spin towards the front door to find Danyi grinning while holding two white bags up in the air. She steps inside and shuts the door with her foot.

“Surprise?” She grins wider, like she didn’t just give me a heart attack. “Oh, don’t look so shocked. I just bumped into the door, and it opened. You need to lock them. Never know when someone could walk in.” She shrugs, placing the two bags on the kitchen counter to her left.

“How did you—”

“The personal profile of yours. When Mr Gustav asked about your absence, I realised I should give you a visit, too. Don’t tell him I am here right now though.” She unpacks the bags and pulls out four takeaway boxes.

“Soup for you, princess.” She winks at me, making me laugh.

I head towards her, Rafael’s presence a fleeting moment in my mind now.

“Some pasta. I’m not sure if you like pasta? So, I bought you fried chicken. No one says no to that, right?”

My heart swells at her kindness. She plates the food and doesn’t let me help her.

“Now all you need to do is relax, stay patient with me because I don’t know where things in your apartment are and before you ask, yes I took the rest of my day off too to help you,” my eyes water at her words but I hold them in.

“Water?” she asks, looking at my empty glass. Then she’s rushing to pour me some.

“Let me get you tissue.” She leaps out of her chair and runs to grab the box when I spill my water on my shirt.

“You don’t need to run around to get all that for me, Danyi.”

She shoots me a glare, then goes back to eating her soup.

“I know I don’t have to. You are sick, and I want to help, so deal with it.” She juts her chin out, and I shake my head at her.

“We should watch a Disney movie today. It’s the perfect weather for it.”

I glance over my shoulder at the window. Outside, the clouds are dark and ominous. It is indeed the perfect weather for a Disney film.

“I get to pick.” I raise my hand.

“No. It was my idea, so I get to choose.”

“But I’m the one who’s sick.” I narrow my eyes.

“I got you all this food. Enjoy it and let me pick the film, please?” She bats her lashes at me, and even pouts.

“Nope. I get to pick.” I poke my tongue out at her.