Forbidden Deception (Deception)

17

“P lease…slow…down…” I am huffing, out of breath, and clearly not fit enough to walk these long plots of empty land.

It’s just grass and trees for miles and maybe some kind of view of the ocean of Santorini, but God is it hard to walk, even in normal shoes. And Rafael is walking like he isn’t breaking a sweat under the burning sun.

It didn’t take us long to get here. The flight was short in Rafael’s jet. It was a quiet journey with both of us working. We came right to our appointments as soon as we landed.

The landowner is a fun, vibrant guy, but Rafael doesn’t laugh at the random jokes he throws in the middle of the conversation. I cackle in the back while Rafael silently stares down Marc until he shuts up.

We walk back towards our rental car in the dark of the night on aching legs—well, aching legs on my part, that is. I know we both can’t wait to get to our hotel rooms.

“Stop walking so damn fast.” My stomach grumbles as soon as I reach Rafael. Pushing him aside, I flop into the car and take deep breaths.

I don’t complain when Rafael slides into the driver’s seat and starts the car. In fact, I keep everything in check for the rest of the car ride, trying not to sound so spoiled, ungrateful, or, by any means, incapable of doing my job.

He keeps looking at me every now and then. I bet he is wondering why I am so silent when I am often frustrated about something.

“What do you want to eat?” Rafael’s calm voice swims around us, and I can’t help my eyes when they don’t move away from Rafael.

He looks so relaxed, like just being in this moment is enough. Like he doesn’t mind just sitting here in silence in my company at all.

With the window rolled down, shirt sleeves rolled up, and his hair ruffling with the wind, this sight could be a literal woman’s wet dream at this point. How could one look at this and not fall for him?

Something about the way he is driving, carefully glancing over at me every once in a while, the low hum of the car, and the city of Greece passing by us, it just makes me feel so content.

“I will eat a whole buffet by myself if I was given the chance.”

Rafael side eyes me, making me laugh.

“Don’t look at me like that.” I push at his shoulder playfully, the environment so relaxed that I forget our roles for a second.

I pull my hand back fast.

“You can drop me off at the hotel if you want to go to a restaurant, because, respectfully, I will not be going or walking anywhere other than my bed.” Shutting my eyes, I lay my head back and let the drive lull me to sleep.

While Rafael had the chance to sleep on the plane, I didn’t, and the fever that was getting better is slowly catching up to me now.

I feel myself lifted and moved. The cool breeze makes me curl up against the warmth that is hugging me. Nuzzling my face against it, a faint smile stretches my lips at the comfort it brings me, pulling me deeper into sleep.

A grumble with a sigh sounds close to my ear, but my mind shuts off again.

When I blink my eyes open, everything is pitch dark.

It takes me a second to realise I am in my hotel room and—I squint to make sure it is what I think it is—Rafael is lounging outside on the balcony under the dark sky with a trolley next to him.

Pulling back my comforter, I get up and walk to the bathroom to freshen myself up. I don’t know how long I slept. After cleaning my face of makeup and tying my hair into a neat ponytail, I walk out. This isn’t my room, and I know it. My bags aren’t to be seen at all.

Why doesn’t it feel weird or awkward?

Shouldn’t I feel a little out of place? Instead, I am walking towards Rafael, my boss, a member of the London Elite with such ease that it should be ringing warning bells in my mind. In fact, I should be running from this room, taking the taxi downstairs, and checking into a different hotel, but something compels me forward.

Here I am, standing behind Rafael on this grand balcony overlooking the ocean in front of us, the whites of the city, the blue domes, and the calm ocean not far from us. Everything feels surreal, and with this man next to me, whom I will have to plunge the knife into soon, I can’t see anything ever feeling more wrong yet so right.

“Eating without me, mister?” I drop into the brown chair next to him, my eyes sliding over the different foods. Greek salad bowl, wraps, Greek bruschetta, and spaghetti with meatballs.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Rafael’s voice rumbles through my insides, forcing me to look up. I catch him looking at me, and the twinkle in his eyes makes me grin.

His eyes are a rust brown colour. The white sprinkled in his hair ruffles with the soft night wind; the moon accentuates his sharp jaw and cheeks, and he wears a cotton short-sleeved shirt with tan trousers and bare feet.

“You thought right. What do we have here? I’m ridiculously hungry. Thankfully an angel transported me to the bed from the car,” I joke, picking a bruschetta and biting into it.

“Oh, this is good,” I mumble, wiping away some crumbs from my mouth. “Good choices you made with the dinner,” I continue, feeling his heavy gaze on the side of my face but trying my best to avoid it.

“I’ve never been to Greece before, you know, and actually, if someone asked me what my top vacation destination is, it would be Thailand. Imagine the clear waters.” I release a sigh. “What would yours be? How many countries have you travelled to so far?”

I finally look over to find him watching me. His eyes look as if they are smiling, but why would they? He has no reason to be smiling at me. He’s never found me funny before, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is laughing at me and not with me.

“What?” I ask, something very much like shyness taking over me, but I refrain from looking away and exposing myself. Rafael’s attention shouldn’t give me such a reaction when the past few months have been nothing but professionalism and strictly business between us.

“I’ve been to quite a few, and my favourite is Silent Island. It’s where people don’t talk to each other so they can enjoy some time in silence.”

My mouth drops open.

Rafael looks so cocky right now. He dips his chin and raises a brow.

That fucking smirk…

“Oh? So it’s my fault for wanting to have conversations with you? Okay, fine.” Stuffing the last piece of my bruschetta, I get up and walk back inside, ready to head to my own suite next door to him.

That is so rude of him. He could have just asked me to stay quiet.

I start towards the door of the grand suite, not paying attention to how grand the living penthouse suite is.

Such a beautiful suite and Rafael decided he wants me to shut up? Of course, he wants me to stay quiet. I am probably ruining the only hours of peace he is going to get for the next couple of busy days. Me getting angry at this is so ridiculous.

Raising my hand, I twist the knob and open the door. A large hand slams it shut in front of me.

My hands jump to my chest.

But I don’t talk.

He wanted me to stay quiet. Well, here it is.

“You didn’t mind me telling you that before. What’s wrong now?” His murmur travels from my ear all the way down to the pit of my stomach. His warmth wraps around me from the back, and tingles erupt all over my whole body.

I don’t answer him.

He’s so close, his body brushing against my back, that my mind fogs for a second.

“Venezia, you think giving me the silent treatment will work in your favour?”

I can feel him everywhere, more than ever. I shouldn’t be this attuned to his body.

He towers over me easily. He could crush me with his bare hands and kill me, and yet, I have never felt this calm in any anyone’s presence other than my brother.

His hand is still on the door in front of me. Those long fingers, veiny hands, and muscle-corded arms look mouthwatering. My mind instantly changes direction and imagines obscene images of him pumping those fingers inside of me.

I clench my thighs and squeeze my eyes shut.

What am I thinking?

“You want to play this game? Fucking fine.”

His warmth disappears from behind me, and I finally let out a breath, my hands dropping to my sides.

Whatever he had decided to do clearly didn’t sit right. He’s going to tell me to get out and—

I am forcefully turned around and slammed against the door. Rafael looms over me, looking down at me and crowding my space. He looks like a dark lord right now. Cunning, sinister, manipulative and ruthless. His hair is ruffled, and his unbuttoned shirt reveals ripped abs that look as if they have been shaped from stone and a happy trail that dips into his trousers. Every inch of him is so rock-hard and solid that I imagine touching him would feel like a warm hard wall.

“You—” He stops, lifting his hand and slowly wrapping it around the base of my neck.

My eyes widen at this touch. This is very inappropriate for a boss and an employee. It’s forbidden. Wrong. Tempting.

What is he doing? He shouldn’t be touching me, shouldn’t be crossing boundaries like this between us. Is he threatening me? I talked too much. I know it.

Why does his threat not feel as dangerous as I expect it to be?

His eyes blaze with a fire I have never seen in his usually calm eyes before.

“—have to stop occupying my time, my silence, and my space everywhere I go with your presence,” he grinds out, his jaw ticking as if I am just out of reach of his control and he desperately wants to reel me back in.

The hold on my neck slowly tightens to the point where my breaths are restricted.

My hands fly to his wrist.

“I’m your assistant. That is exactly my job,” I bite back finally, not out of anger but to see where this will get me. “You are a calm man. Nothing sets you off. So if you want my silence, that is what you will get.” I pull at his hold and manage to make him let go of me, but as soon as I force my eyes to look away from him, a rough grip on my chin pulls me back towards his powerful eyes.

“No,” he grits out. “You don’t get to give me so much and then decide you will take it away. I don’t give a fuck if I am usually a calm person. You will soon realise that I am the opposite when it comes to the object of my obsessions.”

My eyes widen at his words.

No.

No .

“So don’t fucking tell me that you will stay silent. You will speak, and you will continue to be you, no matter what I say, because I will tie my own hands, tape my mouth, and even—”

I slam a hand on his mouth.

He can’t say that. He can’t tell me all those things like this is normal, like him wanting more from me, is normal.

“No,” I whisper, leaning forward, hoping he sees the troubled thoughts in my mind. “You can’t say that. You just can’t, Rafael.” I shake my head. “This isn’t what we—This isn’t what you should be saying to me as your assistant, because I am nothing to you. So stop.”

Rafael frowns beneath my hand. His expressive eyes drop, as if he is troubled about his actions. Moments later, he looks up at me again, and he looks sure now.

The wind from the balcony blows so hard, the curtains flare, and our hair ruffles.

Rafael takes a step forward.

I can’t another back.

My heart pummels.

“Don’t do this,” I plead, but Rafael takes hold of my wrist and lowers it. I fight it, but I am no match to his strength.

Keeping hold of that wrist, he swiftly turns me around. My arm twisted behind my back so I can’t even walk away from him. My back is plastered to his front.

He lowers his head, his lips mere inches away from my ear, and my breathing turns into short, shaky pants.

“And what do you want me to do? Do you want me to continue acting like I don’t watch you every second of the hour you are beside me? Do you want me to pretend that I don’t imagine you under me, above me, at my mercy, submitting to me?”

My breathing picks up, heat and desire filling me.

“My assistant is what you call yourself, don’t you? Why don’t you take care of this problem for me, then?” He rolls his hips into me, and his very hard, very thick, and very long cock presses against my back.

I bite my lip, my eyes shutting on their own.

And my fight slowly dissolves.

“This will be a big mistake, and you know it, Rafael.”

His lips trace the length of my neck. I gasp, and my eyes snap open.

“Fine.” Instantly, every part of him that was touching me is gone.

Coldness wraps around me, and shivers erupt on my body.

What just happened?

I turn around to witness Rafael throwing off his shirt. Then he heads towards the pool. He stops right at the edge of it, looking over his shoulder at me, satisfaction filling his eyes and a hint of a smile. He gives a shake of his head.

“We have an early day tomorrow, Venezia,” he murmurs, his voice sultry and seductive.

What game is he playing?

He wants to break me? Conquer me?

My hands ball at my sides.

I look around the room when he plunges into the pool. I find his phone charging next to his side of the bed. As soon as I pick it up, I connect it to mine and start to transfer Helia’s software.

I will show you how to conquer, Mr Rafael Gustav.

I will show you how to be a winner.