My brain refuses to work and my voice is stuck somewhere in my esophagus. His eyes glitter underneath the impossibly long eye lashes, pinning me in place.
He seems more matured than the last time I saw him, his features seem sharper and his eyes harder. His skin glows golden tan as though he just came back from a holiday on a sun-drenched island or a yacht. His dark brown hair is a bit longer than the last time I saw him, the ends teases the collar of his snow white dress shirt. Even covered in his suit that he wears so well, I can see that his body is broader with trim stomach. How old is he now? Twenty-two? Twenty-three?
He's younger than Nico, but seems more mature. He also have that charisma and authoritative presence that Nico lacks. I'm drawn to the powerful and dangerous magnetic vortex that swirls around him.
We stare at each other like two opponent squaring off and I don't know how long we've been staring at each other when i hear a small cough from one of the goons who brought me here. I'm the first to look away, breaking eye contact, trying to clear whatever fog that surrounds my brain.
That pull, that connection., it's even maybe stronger this time or maybe it's stronger than I remember it to be. At this point I don't know. All I know is that I have to stop myself from submitting to that feeling again, it's necessary for my self preservation. I will not be destroyed like the last time. I'm not the same naive 16- year old anymore.
Besides, he's about to marry Naomi welsh. I could still see the image of him with his arms around her very clearly in my mind and that's enough to burn me with anger and build my wall.
From my peripheral vision , I see him nod at his men, they give a little bow before taking off. The click of the door closing behind them seems so loud.
I shift my weight from one foot to another, clenching my teeth while staring around his office but at him. It's a sizable office with two walls of floor to ceiling windows, the view of the New York skyline is magnificent.
I can feel his eyes watching me, and the air continues to sizzle with electricity between us but I refuse to give in to that pull to look at him again.
"Have a seat Danica," he says indicating to one of the two chairs in front of his desk.
Warmth slithers down my spine at the sound of my name rolling off his tongue and I struggle to seem unaffected by it or his presence. "No thanks, I'd must rather stand I won't be staying long." I tell him airily.
"I see," he says slowly before he moves to take a seat behind his desk.
An awkward silence stretches between us but I'm determined not to be the one who breaks it.
His eyes narrowed on my wedding invitation before he finally says, "So what is this?" He throws the ivory and gold card in the middle of his desk as though it personally offended him. The bottom of the invitation is heavily wrinkled.
"You know what that is," I reply forcing a honey-dripping smile on my lips. "You are cordially invited to my wedding."
A muscle tick at his jaw and his nostrils flare when his gaze catches the big rock on my finger. Then his eyelashes sweeps up as he stares at me. The gold burst in the middle of the green iris of his eyes burn bright. Apart from Astaroth and my brothers, he's got to be the most beautiful man I've ever seen. Like a fallen angel.
"This is a joke isn't it?"he asks after an eternity of another staring contest.
I feel my spine stiffens "Why is it a joke?" He might not want me but is it really impossible that someone else might want a half-demon like me enough to want to marry me? I know I'm sexy, gorgeous, brilliant and fun darn it!.
His phone beeps but he ignores it, "Don't you think you're too young to get married?"
"Too young?" I scowl. What is it to him? "I'm eighteen! People get married at eighteen all the time." I throw at him. Naomi welsh might not be that older than I am.
"Eighteen?" He sits up. His thick eyebrows furrowed.. "How is that possible? Audrianna told me that you were fifteen over a year ago, in fact Oliver… he stops, his expression becomes contemplative.
"Clearly she lied" I tell him. I lift my chin up proudly as I continue. "I was almost seventeen back then and I'm going to be nineteen in a few more months."
"So you're eighteen," he murmurs. I'm not sure if he's talking to me or to himself. He sits back in his chair in a relaxed pose with his hands steepled together as he contemplates this bit of information but I sense he's anything but relaxed.
The satisfaction I felt telling him that i am now an adult is being replaced by alarming bells when his eyes smolder and his lips curl up into a predatory smile. I can't help but think that I just did the wrong thing.
"So little Danica isn't so little anymore," he drawls and his voice is oh, so alluring. He lets his gaze leisurely wander down my body and the heat I see in his eyes ignites the fire in my stomach. The air seems to sizzle between us. The innocent crush or whatever feeling I had for him when I was sixteen is now a wild flame burning in my veins. It'll engulf me in its inferno if I'm not careful.
His phone beeps again, but again he ignores it. The way he's looking at me is making my knees weak that I wish I was sitting down.
A few seconds later, there's a brief knock on the door. A beautiful Nephilim woman with olive skin and jet black hair opens it and pokes her head in. "Sir, your conference call is ready for you"
"Reschedule it" he says curtly without taking his eyes off me.
"Uh… yes sir." She hastily retreats and shuts the door. I see that all his minions are well trained.
He gets off his chair with the grace of a panther and I straighten my back.
"Well then.." I say, you seem rather busy. I have wedding dresses to try on and lunch to go to, if you'd just undo this bracelet I'll be on my way."
Something flares in his eyes and he saunters towards me with a lithe movement of a predator. Everything in me is telling me to turn tail and run but my pride doesn't allow me to back down. So I stay my ground.
I'm not short, but he's very tall so I have to tilt my head back to meet his dark gaze. "No" he says, his tone harsh and decisive.
I blink, "Excuse me?"
His jaws tightened determinedly, "I said no."
"What do you mean no?"
"I mean no, you're not getting married…"
"The hell I'm not!" As far as I'm concerned, he has no right to tell me not to get married. Oh right, I still owe him money. "I said in the note that I'll give you your money back, well at least fifty percent of it. That's still a lot of money and the bank needs time to clear.."
"I've paid to have you indefinitely, in full."he says, stepping closer. Then he reaches up and takes a lock of hair between his finger as though he can't help himself. His nose is almost touching the shell of my ear and I hear him taking a deep breath in.
His own scent engulfs me and he smells… so good. I'm dying to close my eyes and breath him in.
Before I get carried away, I step back to get away from his addictive scent and touch. Unfortunately, that brings his fiery eyes within my focus and they're burning with something that looks like possessiveness.
His voice sounds husky when he says, "That means you're mine and it ends only when I say so. Until then, you belong to me. That also means no marrying Tony or anyone."
"It's Nico" I correct him. "And I'm my own person, I don't belong to anyone." Only that's a lie, I belong to Astaroth. He owns my life and everything that I have and he'll take away everything including my life.., before I get the chance to grow old and wrinkly. "I'll marry whoever I want and no one can stop me."
"We'll see about that," he says harshly. His jaw clenches and his eyes are burning behind his hooded lids. "Tell me, how did Astaroth take it? You being engaged to be married to this Tony guy?" He asks as though he knows where my mind has gone to. He spits out the word Tony as if it's a cursed word.
"It's Nico" I correct him again. Why can't he get that right?
Normally, I have no problem bald face lying to anyone without a man ounce of guilt or remorse. But his eyes are too intense,seeing too much. I look away, before I answer him. "My father is ecstatic, he can't wait."I lie. Astaroth isn't totally on board with my plan to marry Nico, even though Nico's grandfather Asmodeus is his close ally.I have this uneasy feeling that he's playing a waiting game of some sort with me.
"I see," Sacha says a calculativr gleam briefly flashes through his eyes as he carefully watches me.
There's a brief knock on the door before it swings open and his right hand man Oliver rushes in. "I heard…" his eyes turn glacial when they land on me. "So it's true, Astaroth's little princess is here." His tone is jeering, wow this guy really doesn't like me. He turns his attention back to Sacha. "Can we talk? In private?"
It seems as though Sacha is about to ignore him until he adds "please?"
Sacha pauses, his jaw moves and his eyes narrowed but he turns and walk out the door.
The door closes behind Oliver and I hear their footsteps receding down the hall. I extend my hearing as I hear another door opening and closing.
"What are you doing? I thought we agreed she's trouble and you should stay away from her?" Oliver is asking.
"Why did you put in the report that she was fifteen over a year and half ago?" This comes from Sacha.
"Marina did the report and why does it matter? She's a demon!"
"Half-demon." Sacha snaps.
"Okay, but she shouldn't be here. She's ruining everything. You and her…"
"What I do with her is my business Oliver." He sounds like he's grinding his teeth. "You knew the report was false yet you didn't tell me. I don't need my second in command to lie or manipulate me."
"But I didn't lie to you," Oliver says. "I found out about it a year later and i didn't think that it's important…wait, where are you going?"
I hear his footsteps leaving the room. "I'll deal with you and Marina later." Sacha growls.
"What about Naomi? You have a date this evening…"
I think I've heard enough, I walk out of his office with burning rage.
He's standing in the hallway, watching me with those piercing eyes.
Try to stop me and I'll scream murder, I silently warn him with every aggressive line in my body and with every step I take.
This isn't over he promises me with his burning gaze.
I didn't realize I was holding my breathe until I step out his shiny building. I was expecting one of his goons to grab me and carry me back inside.
But of course, that didn't happen. Who am I kidding? I'm not important enough for him to be doing that. Now that I'm breathing in the polluted air of New York City, I'm sure I was imagining the warning looks he was giving me.
My rage turns to amber, then everything turns hallow. Why am I feeling this emptiness and a deep ache in my heart?
Must be hunger. That's it. Time for my lunch with Ariella and my future mother-in-law. Then I'm off to buy wedding dresses. Lots and lots of wedding dresses. Yeah.
The hollowness and the ache intensifies as I drag my feet towards the car that's waiting.