Chapter 59: A few Kisses
Carmen
I focused on my food and ate it, my movements steady. Not caring about the taste as I simply swallowed each bite while glancing at Vanessa and also Nico, who returned my gaze with a smirk of his own, like he knew something I didn’t.
Nico was the first to finish his food and he got up to leave, the scrape of his chair loud enough to draw attention, making it clear that he was giving us time to talk.
Moving straight towards me to kiss me, as it took everything inside of me not to jerk back and away from him. Instead, I looked a bit startled as he placed his lips on mine and kissed me, slow and deliberate.
I kissed him back just as passionately, a familiar desire settling under my skin as I leaned into him just as he pulled away. My face flustered as I watched his gaze settle on me, sharp and observant.
Proud, arrogant and completely under control even as I feigned a loss of control before reigning myself in, my fingers curling slightly against the table.
"We’ll talk in my study once you’re done! Bring Vanessa with you!" he said before leaving and walking out, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Not before I missed Vanessa’s gaze on him which followed him closely, her eyes lingering just before he closed the door behind him with a soft thud.
"You like him?" I asked her calmly as I fixed my eyes on her, wanting to get a read of her reaction. It was hard to believe that she was just a simple girl even though that was the vibe she gave off, quiet and unassuming.
"What?" she gasped, shaking her head fervently as she spoke, her hands lifting slightly in denial. "Men like him aren’t good for any kind of women!" she responded, her eyes meeting mine as she spoke, which might as well have been a warning.
"He reminds me of a bully! They do not care about anything but the joy derived from cruelty!" she continued with more straightforwardness than I expected from someone that looked so gentle, her voice firmer now.
"I’m guessing he wasn’t gentle in bringing you here," expecting to hear how she had been dragged and brought here against her will only to watch her shake her head, a trace of sadness settling in her eyes.
"My mother is sick and I’m in debt! Our father sent money to cover it all until she was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. ’Why spend money on a dead woman?’ he had said," and I believed her. It was definitely something my father would have said without hesitation.
"He only sent money to me and nothing more! Nico promised to remove that debt and send money for her medical bills," she said and I frowned slightly, my fingers pausing over my plate.
"Is that not a good thing?" I asked since it meant that both sides would win, but she simply shook her head slowly.
"I asked him until when I’ll be here and he said until he’s done with me. How is that a good thing?" she asked, confused, and I sighed quietly.
Of course she was most likely in her final year and she had school and friends that loved her, a life waiting for her outside this place. But she probably still saw Nico as a CEO! It was a good thing he had chosen money over violence.
We didn’t speak again after that, something I was relieved about, as we finished our food in silence and headed off to Nico’s study together.
We were almost there when she decided to speak again, curiosity in her gaze as she glanced at me. "Do you love him?" she asked and I almost scoffed, but instead I smiled at her while still being wary of her, careful with my expression.
"We have an agreement! One I quite like!" I responded, lying through my teeth. If there were cameras in the rooms then I wouldn’t be surprised if there were listening devices along the corridors, hidden in places no one would think to check.
"He looks good but you can do better!" she said and I chuckled softly, glancing at her without turning my head fully as we walked. I liked her.
At that very moment I liked her even if a day would come when we would be enemies, the thought settling quietly at the back of my mind.
We headed into Nico’s study and sat down as he began to inform both of us clearly of what the plan was, his tone calm and calculated. Vanessa would make public appearances with him on his arm to attract the media, playing her role perfectly.
"We could kiss a couple of times..." he pointed out, glancing at me even as I smiled, showing a steely expression which was more truth than pretence, realizing that the thought of Nico kissing someone else grated on my nerves more than I wanted to admit.
It shouldn’t.
But it did.
"A few kisses! Nothing more," he added softly like he was comforting a dog, his voice almost mocking, as I leaned back and nodded my head while allowing my eyes convey my annoyance. I was more pissed that I cared than anything else, the feeling irritating.
"I don’t care about that! What’s the plan for the other thing!" I told him at which point we asked Vanessa to excuse us, which she instantly did, rising from her seat quietly as I crossed my thighs and folded my hands in my lap, relieved when he began to speak.
Mentioning all he had gotten from Vale, which was not a lot. An account with an address which Nico said he checked out but was empty. Most likely the culprit had cleared out of there before anyone could track them down.
"The disappearance of Vale is gaining traction," I told him even as Nico nodded his head, something he was already aware of, his expression thoughtful. "I’ll have to plant evidence on someone else," he said and I nodded my head. I didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t drag me down with him.
"I’ll be leaving then!" I said, getting up from my seat to leave, pushing the chair back slightly,
"I plan to personally check on my businesses and see if I can get a competent manager for each one," I told him even though I intended to either blackmail or torture each manager to my will if that was what it took.
There was no way I was willing to fight a battle on two fronts. If I was going to deal with Nico and try and get the other half then I needed to be sure that the one I had was already secure, especially from Nico, who was always watching.
But I had just gotten up from my seat when I watched him walk over straight to me, his steps slow and deliberate, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me closer to his body until our chests were glued together.
"You feel colder than yesterday! If I didn’t know better I’ll think I didn’t satisfy you," he said and it was all I could do not to flinch as I met his gaze. Somehow my acting wasn’t enough, realizing that if he was going to believe it then I had to believe it too.
