- Kieran -

Alina left.

I should've sensed it. The moment her lips were uncertain even for just a split second.

Waking up alone after a night of intercourse should've satisfied me. I've never liked being the one to leave and risk getting caught.

But the moment I felt the cold and empty sheets next to me, an icy chill seeped into my heart and froze it in place.

I'm thinking being numb is much better than what I'm feeling. That stubborn ache in my chest that aspirin and money couldn't cure.

I left the moment Lucy told me Alina had gone back. I had no purpose in staying here anymore. Besides, the whole damn suite reminded me of her.

My office used to be my place of solace, my own personal dungeon where my demons could run free.

It was exactly what I needed.

I pushed the button on my table and the shades shielded the sunlight from entering. My walls shifted and instantly I was in my own soundproof den. It was as dark as my soul and I closed my eyes, letting the silence wreak me.

I heard a small whoosh then, the target flying across the room. I reached for my gun in my holster and waited patiently until I had a good shot. I snapped the gun out from behind me and fired at the target, hearing it stop moving.

The shades lifted and the bullseye of the target board was shot precisely.

It didn’t stop the turmoil within me though. Ever since my parents passed away, I focused on building my company and on protecting myself. Defending and attacking when need be.

I rested back in my plush leather chair and looked out the cityscape, all the years of being immune to external factors and here I was, beaten up and bruised because of a fake relationship.

I fiddled with the magnetic lipstick case and Alina's silver ring in my pocket, I shouldn’t keep these. My own silver band weighed heavily on my ring finger, telling me to take it off and stop living in a fantasy. I haven’t found the strength or need to remove it just yet.

Just a little longer.

“Mr Knight, Mr Anderson is here to see you,” Lucy rang through my intercom and my professional stature replaced the annoying pain in me for a while.

“Has he made an appointment?”

“He’s your 10am.”

I glanced at my Rolex, 9:58am.

“Let him in in two minutes.”

I sipped on my black coffee, grimacing at the bitterness. Has it always been this strong? Or has my sense of taste become that of a child’s?

The second hand ticked down the last few seconds to 10am and I got up from my seat.

“Mr Anderson will come through now Mr Knight,” Lucy called out again and I kept Alina’s ring and lipstick in my blazer pocket.

My mahogany doors creaked open and Connor came in, looking like he lost another billion dollars.

“Mr Anderson, may I help you with anything?” I asked and sat down at my seat on the sofa.

He stood awkwardly, his tie was crooked and he looked dishevelled with a cut on his lip.

“Why did you tell her?” He breathed out raggedly.

I glanced up at him, “Tell her what?”

“Why did you tell Alina about my dealings with those gangs? It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“She was your fiancée, Mr Anderson, I don’t believe you should have kept anything from her.”

He grabbed the lapels of my blazer, “You blew my chance with her, you moron! I nearly had her! I was so fucking close to marrying her and her whole damn inheritance but you had to step in like the idiot that you are!”

I shoved him off me and stood up, “I don’t owe you an explanation, you told me yourself that your fiancée knew about it so when she came here to collect the fees and was absolutely clueless, I filled her in.”

A disgusting grin slid across his face, “You filled her in? Like you had your dick in her?”

I felt the muscle in my jaw twitch, “I don’t mix personal matters with business.”

“You blamed my car accidents on the gangs I was working for!”

“That’s the truth, you deliberately had them ruin the cars for your claims.”

“No one would’ve known but you had to stick your nose into my business. What’s wrong? Scared you can’t afford your lavish lifestyle after releasing those claims?”

“You broke the clause in our contract Mr Anderson, I suggest you leave.”

“Like how Alina left you?”

My blood boiled, “What did you say?”

“I know where you went with her Knight, I’ve known Alina for quite a bit. She has this thing for bad boys. She can’t commit, in case you haven’t solved it yet.”

“I don’t mix personal matters with business Mr Anderson, get out.”

“How was she like when she was there with you? Cold and distant? She has a way of pulling you in, wanting more. Then once she’s got you hooked, she’ll run and leave you in the dust. Just like how she did to me.”

Lucy held the door open, somehow knowing I was about to snap, “Thank you for stopping by, I’ll have Lucy send your final claim to you by cheque since Miss Simmons didn't take it when she was here.”

He chuckled and walked through the doors but stopped just before he fully stepped out of my office, “She’s an amazing fuck, isn’t she? Those curves and tight puss-”

A fist collided with his face before I could even do anything and my friend, Scott, dusted his hands, “He talks a damn lot doesn’t he?”

Security came almost immediately and dragged Connor’s blacked-out body to the private elevators that led to the back of the building.

I sighed and slapped Scott’s hand, Lucy rushing up to me with some aspirin, “What brings you here today?”

I sat on my chair behind the desk and he sat on the visitor’s seat across from me, “We received a new client today, she asked us to do a background check.”

I raised a brow, “So? Run it by her.”

He smirked, “Oh I would’ve but she asked us to do a background check on you.”

The pills nearly got stuck in my throat, “On me?”

“Got yourself into a pickle lately?”

Alina.

A smile slid across my face, “Well let's not disappoint her.”

***

- Alina -

Preparations for my takeover were coming to a close. All that was left was a board meeting and some convention my dad had planned in my name.

He always got dramatic when it came to me. It wasn’t much of a big deal but I let him do it anyway, I was still a daddy’s girl.

“I've sent out the official invitations to the guest list for the convention Miss Simmons, they were approved by your father when you left for your vacation,” my PA, Louis, told me and I nodded.

“I’m fine with it, can you give me the figures for next year's proposed budget for expenditure?”

“The overall figures or for each department?”

“Both please.”

I scanned through the presentation material and marched into the boardroom with Louis and my higher management.

The meeting passed quickly with introductions to my heads from different countries and the usual maths and figures everyone was interested in.

I retreated back home and Wilson gave me my usual bottle of wine.

I ditched the stupid wine glass entirely and drank straight from the bottle. Wine connoisseurs will kill me.

I sat on the lounging chair of my balcony and looked up at the moon, feeling every pinprick being stabbed into my heart like a pin cushion.

It’s times like this that I abhor silence. It sinks into my mind and drags all my darkness to the surface. It messes with my already muddled head and leaves a gaping hole in my chest.

My phone vibrated and I grabbed it off the table, “Hello?”

“Miss Simmons, we have some information on Mr Knight you requested for.”

“Sure, let me hear it.”

“Well his past was a little hard to dig up but we do know he is the CEO of Knight Insurances and he was a single child.”

“That’s all you found out?”

“I’m not sure if this is appropriate but he has a long line of females he used to ‘hang out’ with if you know what I mean.”

“I kind of already know that.”

So why did it hurt to hear it out loud? I was probably just another one of those girls in his lineup.

“But he also says he’s not done with this particular woman.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not done with you Alina, we still have three days to go,” Kieran’s voice replaced the PI’s one and my breath got caught in my throat.

“Kieran?”

His low chuckle made goose bumps rise on my skin, the good kind, “Good, you remember me. I hope to see you tomorrow morning, bright and early and hopefully still flushed from our last sexual intercourse.”

My heart was about to burst and I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or happiness, “I have work tomorrow-”

“I’ll come by.”

“You can’t.”

“I’ll kidnap you.”

“You won’t.”

“I have a PI as a friend Alina, you’ll never be out of my sight.”

“That’s some stalkerish bullshit.”

“Eight in the morning at the café in front of my office it is then, sleep well my darling. Dream of me.”

He hung up and I stared at my phone, gaping.

What the hell was going on?

***

- Kieran -

Morning couldn’t come any sooner. The thought of her body resting on her sheets with a gorgeous innocence on her face was enough to set my body on fire.

“Why do you even want to do this? It’s not like you don’t have other women to play with,” Scott gulped down his milky macchiato and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m not playing with her, I had an agreement with her and she backed out. I always fulfil the terms and conditions of a contract,” I sipped on my black coffee and looked out the glass panel waiting for Alina to show up.

She will turn up, right?

“Man you’re whipped and she’s not even your girlfriend.”

I glared at him, “She’s my wife, for the next three days anyway. Get out, you’ll scare her off.”

He laughed but stood up to leave, “Please, from what I’ve read up about her she’s one hell of a tigress.”

Before I could respond, the door to the entrance chimed and I could immediately smell her sweet floral scent waft through with the wind.

Scott whistled, “You’ve got yourself a good one, can I have her once your warranty expires?”

“No you can’t have me and I’m not some electrical appliance with a warranty. You’re one shitty PI I’ll never go back to,” Alina retorted and she sat her butt cheeks down on the seat opposite me.

Good Lord she is amazing.

“Worth a try, whip him into shape, will you? I’m rooting for you Princess,” Scott mumbled to her and a sly smile sneaked up on her.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

I stopped myself from swallowing and glared at Scott as he left with a stupid grin on his face.

She ordered an English breakfast tea for herself and handed the menu back to the waiter. She wore a black, knee-length dress with a long white vest and another pair of her killer heels. Perfect.

“What do you want Mr Knight?” She clipped and I noted the rawness in her tone.

Has she been crying?

I reached into my pocket, “I have something for you.”

She stopped me before I could pull anything out, “Keep it, I don’t want it. It’s too much for me.”

Her lipstick rested heavily in my hand and I dropped it back into my pocket, “I beg to differ. It looks amazing on you.”

Her bottom lip quivered, “Look, thank you for everything but I-”

“For what?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Thank me for what exactly.”

She gulped and her eyes pierced mine, “Thank you for spending time with me when you didn’t have to.”

Her tea arrived and the waiter left. I reached across the table and took Alina’s hand in mine, “And?”

Her eyes flew down to our hands and I gripped her fingers a little tighter before she could pull away, “And for that night.”

I leaned forward, holding her gaze, “And?”

“And for the breakfast.”

I smiled and tugged her closer to me, “And?”

“And for snorkelling with me.”

I shook my head and let my other hand slide down her cheek, “And?”

Our lips were barely touching, so close. But I want her to say it.

“And for making love to me.”

I pressed my lips to her waiting ones and every bit of hunger and frustration boiled over.

I want her, need her and nothing else.