Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
AZARA
“Do you see her?” Hazel asked once we stepped inside the giant exhibit hall.
My eyes scanned the packed room of guests dressed in elegant gowns and tailored tuxedos, but there was no sign of our friend. I glanced at the time on my phone and saw that it was a little after 7:00 p.m. “She should already be here.”
We were at Nakia’s opening night for her first official exhibition at Anzar as a chief curator. She’d been working on it for over a year now and tonight was her big night. Hazel and I had gotten ready at my place before we took a cab to come here to celebrate the event.
“Has she texted you?” Hazel asked, checking her own phone for news.
I pulled up our group chat thread but the last text from her was when we’d messaged her that we were on our way when we got into the uber. Which was twenty minutes ago.
Nakia was never late to anything, especially when it came to her job. It took her years to get the position she had more than deserved, but we all knew how men were when it came to women in power.
They hated it.
A server passing by stopped next to us to offer canapés and both Hazel and I grabbed a napkin and stacked a few of the artichoke phyllo cups. We hadn’t had a chance to eat before leaving because I’d finished work later than I’d anticipated and she’d been stuck in traffic because of some film festival that had been in town for the week.
I was about to tell Hazel that I hadn’t gotten any news from Nakia when both of our phones pinged with a text message from tonight’s guest of honor, letting us know that she was running late and that she’d explain later.
We each sent her a text back to let us know if she needed us to do anything before we roamed around the room, checking out the pieces Nakia had carefully curated.
Each piece had been uniquely created for this new collection and evoked how music spoke through the human body. Some pieces were modest while others more provocative, which wasn’t something these old money guests were used to based on the hushed chatter we’d passed by.
The theme she’d chosen was unlike anything the renowned-gallery had ever held a collection for before, but it embodied who Nakia was perfectly.
She wanted people to be brought out of their comfort zones when looking at art and that was exactly why she’d fallen in love with it. I still remembered the first time we’d been forced to visit a museum for a school assignment. We’d been fourteen at the time and after she’d laid eyes on the first painting, I’d had to drag her out of there before security kicked us out in light of closing hours.
It'd been almost another twenty minutes of walking around with no sign of Nakia when Hazel abruptly stopped, an expression on her face I couldn’t decipher.
It was somewhere between shock, admiration and a bit turned on.
Don’t ask how I knew that last one.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my brows furrowed as my eyes slid to where she was looking, transfixed.
“Are you not seeing this?”
I titled my head and examined the large painting in front of us. It was the one we’d heard people gossip about the most, but aside from the abstract strokes of various shades of oranges, browns and yellows, I didn’t really understand what she was seeing.
I looked over at Hazel, and the confusion must have been apparent on my face because she rolled her eyes and grabbed my chin. Then she proceeded to maneuver my head this and that way as she pointed to the center of the piece.
“Look closer,”
I let out a sigh and tried to focus, narrowing my eyes to attempt to see what was so magical about this piece when I finally saw it.
The art piece featured a couple I hadn’t seen initially and the more I studied it, the more the image became clear. The male subject seemed to be on his knees, while the woman was splayed on a table with a paintbrush in hand, her back arched as he…
Holy shit.
“That’s…”
“Fucking hot,” a familiar voice behind us said, startling us with the sudden intrusion. Hazel dropped my chin as we both whipped around to find Nakia standing behind us.
She wore a brown floor length slinky textured jersey dress with a bardot neckline and rope halter neck tie. It had ruching through the body creating a dramatic silhouette and molding all of the soft curves of her body. She’d paired her outfit with her grandmother’s beloved chunky gold earrings she wore at every key moment, and her favorite stack of matching bangles.
Nakia was the perfect depiction of elegance and sophistication.
“You’re here,” Hazel and I exclaimed as we each embraced her in a tight hug.
“Fucking finally,” she groaned, tucking her clutch and phone under her armpit. She snatched a champagne coupe from a passing tray and knocked it back in one go.
“Wanna talk about it?” I asked, watching her place the empty champagne flute on another tray.
“Remember the new artist I’d discovered at the indie artist street festival back in September?” Hazel and I both nodded in response.
Nakia had stumbled on this piece, and instantly fell head over heels in love with it. Something about a fresh outlook while using modern techniques, but I’d honestly lost track of her explanation after she used too many foreign words.
All I remembered was that the painter, who went by the name Ant? , had opted to remain anonymous and she’d made it her mission to get in contact with them so she could commission more of his pieces. Both to add to the gallery’s collection and her personal one.
“I’d been tracking them down for months after I got a hold of this one,” she said, gesturing to the canva behind us. That’s when I realized that this was the famous piece she’d sent us a photo of when she’d first spotted it back in September. This was actually what had sparked her concept for tonight. “I’d finally made some progress when my lead hit a dead end.”
Hazel opened her mouth to respond, but Nakia groaned and added, “And to top it off, the gallery owner has been an absolute arse about this collection.”
Her phone buzzed with a text, and she grabbed it, her brows furrowing as she read the message before looking up again. “I have to run, but I’ll catch you two later, yeah?”
Before either of us could reply, she quickly kissed both of our cheeks and melted into the crowd. Once she was gone, Hazel and I found an empty high table, and I leaned against it.
“These heels are killing me,” I sighed, shifting from side to side to ease some of the pressure. “I don’t know how you wear them everyday?”
I spent countless hours on my feet at the hospital, but this was a different kind of torture. I loved a good pair of heels for a night out, but I wished whoever had invented them had put a little more thought into comfort.
Whoever came up with ‘beauty was pain’ needed a rearranging.
Hazel and I filled each other on our last week as we ate and drank, watching the crowd. It had really picked up compared to when we arrived.
Hazel’s phone buzzed in her purse, and when she pulled it out, a picture of her and her husband on the beach flashed on the screen. She silenced the call and started typing to tell him we were still at the gallery, but before she could hit send, he called again.
Eddy never called when she was out unless it was an emergency.
Hazel answered on the first ring, and panic took over her features. “ ?Ay, qué boludo ? 1 ! Why on earth did you do that?” she scolded him. She listened for a moment before replying, “I told you not to—just, don’t move. I’ll be right here.”
She hung up, quickly ordered a cab and looked at me with an apologetic expression. “I’ve got to go. My husband has been working on his ‘secret wedding gift,’ even though I already know what it is, and he’s just managed to injure himself trying to install shelves in my new office.”
“Is he alright?” I fought off a smile. Eddy had a tendency of starting projects and although it was very sweet of him, let’s just say he should just stick to football.
She waved it off. “He’ll be just fine. His ego’s probably more bruised than anything.” Placing a hand over mine, she added, “Will you be okay on your own?”
I placed my free hand over hers, gently giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll be fine. Go and save your man before he does some real damage.”
Hazel gave me a soft smile as she hugged me goodbye. “Alright, love. I’ll see you next week?”
I watched her disappear into the throng, her heels clicking on the marble floor.
I glanced at the crowd once again, trying to spot any familiar faces, but most were strangers. My eyes landed on the feature painting in Nakia’s collection, finding a young couple standing in front of it.
The woman stood slightly in front of him and he wrapped his left arm around her front, his other hand coming up to brush her dark hair to the side. He leaned down to murmur something in her ear before he placed a kiss at the junction between her shoulder and neck.
The right thing to do would have been to look away, but my gaze didn’t falter as he trailed his fingers up and down her exposed back as her eyes were locked on the painting while his were on her the entire time.
A meddling idea abruptly popped into my head to message Michael and see what he was up to. We’d exchanged a few messages on our personal numbers since our date last week, but they’d all been work related. I’d been too afraid to shatter the remaining wall of protection I had when it came to him despite the way his words from that night were still echoing in my mind.
I’ve never done this.
You’re the only one.
We’d stayed on the terrace, just basking in the quiet air and the weight of his words before I went home. Everything in me had screamed to stay longer, but I knew I had to get out of there. Besides, I’d had an early shift the next day and if I hadn’t left, I doubt we would have gotten much sleep.
Quickly dismissing the thought, I moved to explore more of the art that Hazel and I hadn’t had a chance to see when I spotted some of the board members and well-known donors of the hospital amongst them.
I wasn’t very fond of sparking conversations, but I hadn’t taken the chance to speak to anyone and affirm my candidacy. There were less than three months before the final decision was made and I’d been so busy with finishing my training, and finalizing the details of my teaching program after they’d finally given me the green light to implement it.
I let out a sigh and knocked back the rest of the champagne I’d been nursing for the entire night. I smoothed a hand down my dress before making my way toward their group.
I squared my shoulders despite the nerves prickling my veins the closer I got. I didn’t mind the bureaucracy that came with this position, I just hated the people around it. What I cared about was the medicine, not how to deepen my own pockets to the detriment of others.
The sound of laughter got louder as I approached them. I apologized to a few people blocking my path and when they parted, I understood why.
I shouldn’t be surprised he was here. After all, this was much more his element than mine, but I still hadn’t expected for him to be here.
As if he sensed my presence, Michael’s eyes met mine as I closed the remaining distance to the group of gentlemen gathered in a semi-circle around him, from which some I’d either already met a few times over the years or at least knew of them.
“Dr. Ziani,” Michael greeted, his voice smooth with an intimate undercurrent that sent warmth traveling down my spine. His gaze slid over my body, gliding on every curve that the dress I wore highlighted.
I’d opted for a cowl-neck floor length dress in a bold zebra print that had been in the back of my closet for too long, but with the way Michael was looking at me, I’d wear only that for the rest of my life.
I hadn’t seen him since our dinner date and I’d been replaying the events of the night on a loop ever since.
“Dr. Young,” I replied, giving him a polite smile and hoping my voice didn’t betray my bravado. I averted my gaze and greeted everyone else because I knew if I focused my attention on him for too long, I’d get lost and not accomplish what I’d set out to do.
But his gaze never left me as we all fell into easy chatter, discussing the exhibition—which I had to control my urge to roll my eyes at some of their comments. We’d finally broached the subject of work when the director of finance, James Kay, aimed his next words to Michael.
“What are your thoughts on having her as your competition?” he asked
Michael looked taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation. “My what?”
“Well, you know,” James continued with a derisive chuckle, clearly oblivious to the sudden loaded shift in the air around us. “Do you believe she’s even up to the task?”
The fact that he’d all but ignored my presence from the moment I’d accosted them wasn’t at all surprising, I’d had to get used to it, but my body tensed from his line of questioning.
Why were women so easily looked down upon? We could be the most qualified person in the room, with a list of credentials to prove it, yet little boys in the likes of James Kay still felt comfortable belittling women who were far more intelligent and capable than they could ever hope to be.
I was just about to speak up for myself when Michael beat me to it.
“That’s a rather stupid question to ask, don’t you think?” he replied, his tone cold.
James must severely lack in self-preservation skills because instead of clocking Michael’s reaction, he chose to add fuel to the fire.
“I mean, you must know her father’s reputation.” I watched Michael’s jaw tighten so hard, I feared he would break a molar by the intense pressure he was exerting to not throw his fist into a board member’s face. Kay must not notice that either when he added, “The only reason she’s even being considered for the role is?—”
Michael shoved his fisted hands in his pockets and took an almost imperceptible menacing step into Kay’s space, but it was enough to make him flinch.
“I suggest you listen to my next words very carefully because I won’t waste my breath on repeating myself for someone like you. ” Michael’s tone dripped with more venom with each word.
“Dr. Ziani is remarkably talented and her merit comes from her own doing. Not her father’s. Anyone at Amanar can see and attest to such. Every junior doctor she has training under her is one of the best we have. Even consultants praise her work and the teaching sessions she voluntarily offers to anyone in the department. I’ve had the immense privilege of performing surgeries by her side and she’s the best I’ve ever encountered, consultants included. Questioning her ability as a surgeon or future medical director, let alone talk about her father’s career in light of her own qualifications is absurd. You’re merely an accountant, so the next time you dare even think about discussing a surgeon ’s abilities, you might want to think about doing so a few more times before more stupid words leave your mouth.”
Michael nonchalantly glanced at the luxurious watch on his wrist. “Now, if you’ll excuse us,” he said dismissively before walking away, but not without coming straight toward me.
I’d barely registered his last words when the next thing I knew, his large hand enveloped mine before he pulled me away from them and out of the wing where Nakia’s exhibition was being held.
A million thoughts and questions warred in my mind, but I didn’t dare interrupt his determined pace with how tightly his grip was holding my hand. He wasn’t hurting me, more like making sure I was following wherever he was leading us to.
Michael didn’t stop until we stepped inside what looked like an office. Once he locked the door, he turned to face me, his features pulled into a scowling expression.
“What are you doing here?” he asked harshly.
“My best friend is the curator of this exhibition. The question should be more: What are you doing here? ” I replied, my irritation bleeding through my voice. I knew his attitude wasn’t directed at me, but it didn’t tamper the annoyance I felt at being on the receiving end.
Michael let out a deep sigh before his apologetic gaze met my eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude. I’ve met arseholes before, but I’d never wanted to punch one this bad. The sheer audacity to even question you.”
He looked away and muttered to himself in Korean as he unfastened the single button of his suit jacket with one hand before running it through his hair. I’d tried not to pay attention to how he looked earlier, how well-fitted the black suit he was wearing molded to his body.
But now that we were away from prying eyes, that it was just us in this office, I couldn’t help but slowly take him in.
He looked… hot .
When my eyes moved back to his face, his gaze was already fixed on mine. The previous anger that had been brewing there was long gone only to be replaced by a heated look that sent goosebumps dancing across my skin.
We hadn’t exchanged more than a chaste kiss last week right before I left and it’d left me craving for more. Every time we’d crossed paths at the hospital, I’d fought the urge to drag him into an empty room and relieve some of the tension that’d been brewing since I’d showed up at his place in the middle of the night.
I’d had to settle for my hand and vibrator to try and sate this hunger he’d created inside me, but nothing had worked. It’d only made the desire more ardent.
And the way he was watching what I did next on a bated breath only brought it back to the surface tenfold, sending warmth pooling low in my core.
“Why did you say that?” I asked, my voice coming out breathy.
“What do you mean?”
“What you said back there? Why did you say it?”
Neither of us moved.
Only the sound of our shallow breathing filled the charged air as we both waited for his answer.
Only a second passed before he finally answered, but it snapped the last thread we’d both been holding onto.
“Because it’s the truth.”
He deliberately closed the few steps separating us and tossed my clutch on a nearby chair right before he grabbed my face and crashed his lips against mine while I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He kissed me like it had been on his mind all day.
He savored me like this was the first and last time he’d get to have me.
He devoured me like I was a necessity for his next breath.
This kiss was nothing like the others we’d exchanged.
It was raw.
Vicious.
Passionate.
His fingers tangled at the back of my head and he tilted it up, before tightening his grip on the strands of my hair. The sharp pain elicited a gasp from me and he used the opening to slip his tongue past my lips, thrusting it inside my mouth and tangling it with mine.
We battled for domination and it fueled my need for more.
I moaned against his lips as he walked me backward, until my ass crashed against a hard object. Michael’s fingers untangled from my hair and grabbed the back of my thighs before I found myself lifted up from the ground and set down onto whatever I’d collided with.
His hands gripped everywhere he could as I slid my hands under his collar and down his strong shoulders to remove his jacket. Once it was off, I brought my hands down his front, tugging at the buttons of his white shirt to feel his smooth skin under my touch.
I’d only gotten to undoing the second one when he pushed my hands away and yanked the neck of my dress down. Suddenly, his mouth wasn’t on mine anymore and he went straight to attacking my chest with his mouth where he alternated between biting and sucking the top of my breasts.
“ Michael ,” I whimpered at his assault as my hands found his shoulders.
“I’ve dreamt about tasting these and it’s even better than I imagined,” he groaned against my skin before he bit a mark into the side of my breast.
The image of him branding me set whatever inhibitions I had left free.
My mouth opened to a string of unintelligible words as he sucked a nipple into his mouth, sighing and groaning as he cupped my chest to bring it closer to his face. He moved from one breast to the other, teasing, and I was on fire everywhere.
I’d never felt like this before. To want to be claimed. To want to surrender myself to someone to do whatever they wanted with me and all I had to say was yes.
I needed more.
I needed him.
Now.
I yanked his face up to mine and kissed him with everything I could muster. “Michael,” I moaned against his lips before going back to kissing him, almost forgetting why I’d said his name. “I need you,” I said, coming up for breath, but the words died on his lips as he brought my lips back to his.
My legs wrapped around his waist to bring him closer and my hips shifted, seeking any kind of friction. I felt his erection exactly where I wanted and I grinded against it, but before I could feel the sweet pleasure of his cock brush against my pussy despite the layers separating us, he pulled back.
I heard a whine resound in the room, tangling with our heavy breathing, only to realize the sound had come from me.
I opened my mouth to complain when Michael spoke up. “Azara, baby. I know you’re greedy for my cock, but you’ll have to be patient.”
His words washed over me and I was ready with a rebuttal when he stepped away from between my legs, his hand going to his thick shaft trapped under his trousers.
His gaze captured mine and I’d seen many expressions in them before, but this one set my skin ablaze like it never had. His eyes pinned with so much pure desire, all I could do was drown in them.
“I want to see you touch yourself first, and only when you give me an orgasm, will I let you get my cock.”
There was a note of desperation in his tone and it smothered my previous protest only to refuel with something even more potent. I didn't know whose office we were in, but I scooted back on the desk he’d sat me on, pushing whatever behind me to the floor, the objects clattering to the floor, so I’d have enough space for what I intended to do next.
“Then if you get to watch, I want to do the same.”
1 ? Oh, you idiot! (Spanish)