CHAPTER 6
The breakfast was a lot more awkward. She couldn't handle the piercing gaze of the man sitting in front of her filled with intensity that she was unfamiliar with.
Less than an hour ago, she was in his arms. Crying and bawling her eyes out. But now, Kaelith acted like this never happened. His impassive and unbothered expressions bothered her to the extent she forgets about the food in front of her. There was a little curiosity inside her.
Ducking her head her hair curtained her face from his gaze. The food tasted as good as she remembered, the toast with freshly squeezed orange juice with a good portion of fruits.
She found it quite frustrating to realize he wasn’t as affected as her. Awkwardly biting at the toast, she glanced at him once again.
He looked as magnificent as she remembered. Grey eyes, so damned mysterious and unique blend of emotions, while his dark navy suit added four moons to his already authoritative presence.
Kaelith hardly touched his food, his sole focus snatched away by the woman in front of him.
Her leaned eyes, her every movement, told him a different tale.
Even if she avoided his gaze, even if she remained quiet, he could read her like an open book.
How couldn’t he when his heart had been with her for more than fifteen years?
When she was the first woman he saw with his heart, not with his eyes. Kaelith couldn’t describe what he was feeling anymore. He was kind of regretting letting her stay here, messing with his head, molding his stone-cold heart once again. Making him feel.
But this time, it was different.
"Oh! I almost forgot," Amara’s startled voice cut through the thick tension as he blinked focusing his vision. "Can I have some more paints?"
Kaelith bit his cheek to hide his grin.
Same as always.
"Why?” He mused eyes curiously moving to her as he placed his fork down leaning forward on his elbows. “I believe there are enough for you to paint.”
Amara flustered. The way he looked at her reminded her of deer caught in clutches of a lion.
There was something about the way he always talked to her.
That gentleness, yet that intensity that never left his orbs, it made her feel things.
Even if their conversations were most of the time short, there was always profoundness in his every word.
Amara did not want to dwell in her delusion. Kaelith was after all her brother-in-law. And it was morally wrong of her to even think about him that way.
Why did she even ask? Why would he waste his money on her? And why did she even think he’d—
“How many do you want?” Amara blinked her eyes. The lingering taste of juice on her tongue melted in sweet savory flavor, replicating the one in her chest.
“Ah … I want red,” she held out one finger.
“Green,” tapping her chin, she hummed.
“And…. blue!” Kaelith almost laughed. Almost. The innocence behind her unconscious smile, the squinting of her eyes, they reminded Kaelith why he was in love with this woman.
“Anything else?” His deep and sonorous voice rumbled through his chest. Her cheeks flushed when she realized she was getting too much excited. Finding his gaze unnerving, she instantly averted her eyes, her hair dance to and froth like waves of breeze as she shook her head.
“No, that’ll be all. Thank you.” She whispered picking up the fork and stabbing the fruits.
The pink tinted her cheeks, the small button nose turning red, the small pouty lips puckered. The sleeves of her dress reached her elbows exposing her soft enchanting skin like she was bathed in moonlight. Bedecked in gold, drenched in silver.
She wasn’t even dressed up, wearing a plain beige dress, yet she looked like an angel descended from the heavens herself. Like a thunderbolt that struck his entire existence.
Her tiny waist beckoned him, and so did her face and lethal eyes. Exhilarating. That’s all he could use to describe what he was feeling at this moment.
Kaelith didn’t know for how long he kept ogling at her, though he knew she knew that he was shamelessly looking at her, but how could he resist her when he couldn’t even resist her two years ago?
Two years ago.
The thunderbolt struck his chest. The hazy fog of delusions drifted off revealing the reality, so cruel and devastating it made his jaw clench tight. The tingling in his chest replaced with pure agony and a bitter feeling of frustration.
He remembered his deal with Rafael. Even though he spat those words, he wasn’t sure how he was going to make her fall for him when he couldn’t win her two years ago.
Two years ago, he was nothing, just a son of the rich man, but now Kaelith was a changed man.
His own wealth. The name he earned for himself.
The pillar of pride he established in two years.
He should be happy, yet the void in his chest only seemed to expand.
His phone rang cutting through his thoughts. Amara looked at the sound, and then at Kaelith. The latter scowled at the name on the phone. Slowly pushing back his chair and pressing the phone to his ear he rumbled.
“What?” Kaelith heard a chuckle.
“Something must be wrong in the air that my best friend is ignoring my calls. How are things going on with your long-lost love?” Kaelith eyed Amara, her curious looking up at him, resisting the urge, he walked to other side.
“Cut the crap, Lorcan, or I’ll skin you alive when I see you next time.” He mumbled.
“Not blissful then.” There was a wicked hint in Lorcan’s voice.
In the ten years, Kaelith had known Lorcan, not a single one passed without him driving him to near murdering him. It was almost impressive on his part. Instead of strangling him like Kaelith wanted, he smoothed a casual hand through his hair.
“Compared to your ass, it’s mind fucking blowing.” Lorcan laughed. “What you know about my ass, Luca. It takes one to know one.”
“What do you need, Lorcan? I’m sure you didn’t call just to know how is my love life going on.“
“No. How is Amara?” Lorcan muttered concerned, but the mention of Amara unwittingly brought his eyes to where she sat chatting with Martha. Kaelith was impressed by how she came to befriend the housemaid, mingling with the staff.
It was galling.
His eyes lingered on the sweep of hair cascading over her shoulder and the swirl of ruffles around her ankles.
Amara laughed at something Martha said. Her whole face lit up, and Kaelith realized he’d never seen her genuine, unguarded smile before, not once in fifteen years. Just sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and an airy lightness that transformed her from beautiful to stunning.
Awareness kindled in his chest, hot and unwanted.
“She is healing,” Kaelith drawled suppressing his emotions.
“I’m glad. I called to tell you about Francis.” He dragged his eyes away from Amara, but her presence remained a tangible heat on his skin. He tried to shake it off to no avail. “The shipment from Russia disappeared last night. My bet is on Francis.”
Kaelith sobered. “I know. Santiago updated me.”
Francis Donovon—American arms dealer. Kaelith’s sworn enemy.
“What?!” Kaelith could imagine Lorcan’s wide black eyes, filled with astonishment and shock. Kaelith pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You’re as useless as a used tissue, Lorcan. I still don’t know why I’m friends with you.”
“No shit, Luca. You love me. I know. About Francis, do you need me to look into his…” Kaelith cut him off instantly.
“Not for now. Let him have the delusions of defeating me. I’ll strike when the iron is hot.”
“Strategic as always.” Lorcan praised.
“You know I am.”
The amused glint in Kaelith’s eyes returned when he looked over his shoulder. He sensed her before he saw her. The sound of her giggles. Martha was helping her, adjusting her and wheeling her to the garden outside. He kept looking till she drifted away from his sight.
“I’ll see you in the office.” Before Lorcan could say anything, Kaelith hung up and looked up at the sky, stretched out like an endless canvas, painted in the softest hues of dawn. A deep sigh left his lips as he shut his eyes waiting for the tingles in his stomach to calm.
He thought he lost the ability to love, so why was he feeling the butterflies in his stomach?