Chapter 20
POV: Cain?
The next day…
At exactly 4:30 pm, she walked out of her apartment.
A black silk dress clung to her frame and a pair of silver heels around her feet. She loosely carried a black clutch in her left hand. Her blonde hair hung over her back in soft blonde curls and her makeup was subtle—perfect but not too perfect—light pink lipstick, golden highlighter on her cheek bones, brown eyeliner and black mascara. Just the right amount of ‘class’.
I stood at the rear passenger side of the door, holding it open, inviting her to enter. “You look…amazing.”
She smiled, hiding her face behind her long hair. “Well, the moment you mentioned Boylan’s, I knew exactly which dress to wear.”
I slid into the seat next to her and fixated on her. “Have you been there before?”
She tried to hide her emotions but I could see it all over her face. She had.
“Your ex?” I asked.
She nodded. “He liked going there.”
I tapped my driver on the shoulder. “Change of plans, Fred. Let’s go to Cannon’s.”
“Cannon’s?”
I stared out at the window, trying to not think about another man’s hands on her. “It’s nicer.”
“It is but it’s fine, Cain. We still can go to Boylan’s.”
I turned towards her, my eyes flashing gold. “I don’t want to take you to some place that your douchebag ex took you to. I want to take you to a place that’s just ours.”
“Ours?” she asked, squirming from the comment.
“Ours,” I repeated, placing my hand on her thigh and squeezing it. “I know I can be a lot, Kiera. And this…is a lot but I meant it when I told you that you’re mine.”
She flashed me a grin, one that was a mixture of excitement and nerves.
When the car came to a stop, I opened her door for her, and wrapped my arm around her waist, shuttling us into the restaurant.
With her by my side, I felt like I was on top of the world. I felt like a true Alpha—an Alpha with his mate by his side.
We were seated in an intimate booth, upholstered with red leather and dim lighting.
I stared at Kiera, seated across from me, her shoulders straightened, her posture perfect and she was doing that thing with her lip again, biting it and driving me fucking wild.
I cleared my throat and forced my gaze towards the menu.
I had to think about something else than pressing her up against the table and fucking her here—in public, like a goddamn animal.
“Are you going to order for me again?” she asked, not looking up from her menu.
Here we go.
Kitty’s got claws.
I bore my gaze into her and waited for her to speak another sassy out of that mouth of hers, again.
“Say it again,” I warned her, taming the smirk building on the corner of my lips.
I couldn’t let her know that I actually liked her sass.
She went all wide eyed.
I loved seeing those innocent eyes watch me back.
I leaned forward on my elbows and grazed my thumb along the top of her hand, then moved the menu down to look at her. “You heard me.”
“Are you going to order for me again?” she squeaked out, clearing her throat as she said the words. She sounded more confident this time, or at least tried to.
“Yes, I am.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, the waiter walked by and I spouted off our order. “A bottle of your finest Pinot Noir, 2 medium rare ribeyes, an order of scalloped potatoes, and the miso glazed seasonal vegetables as well as the chocolate mousse for dessert.”
She shot me a look. “What if I’m allergic to miso?”
“Are you?”
“No,” she said quietly.
I smirked. “Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy what I ordered.”
“You’re so….” she began, glancing up at me with a focused gaze. “Controlling.” She bit her lip again, driving me fucking wild. “Are you always like this? Wait, don’t answer that, yes, I’m sure you are—with every woman.”
“Not with every woman,” I corrected.
“Sure,” she scoffed softly.
I leaned forward, clutching her hand in mine, “I’m serious, Kiera.”
Her gaze softened. “Then why me?”
I didn’t even know how to begin to answer that question.
How could I tell a human—a fragile human girl that it was because she was my soulmate? Even though we barely knew each other and not long ago we were strangers. How could I tell her that she was my goddess given mate and that we were meant to be together for life?
The answer was that I couldn’t.
I couldn’t tell her the truth, not now at least.
So I said, “It’s different—you’re different.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“You aren’t going to understand, Kiera. You just have to believe me.”
She frowned, not understanding. “I want to, Cain but…”
I squeezed her hand. “Please.”
Before I could plead any further, the wine arrived and we drank in silence. It wasn’t long before dinner arrived and we ate in silence.
I snuck glances at her as I ate bites of steak.
Eventually, we finished and I slipped out the red velvet bag I had in my suit jacket pocket and slid it towards her.
She stared at it for a long moment, biting her lip and thinking.
“Don’t you want to see what’s inside?” I prodded.
She opened her mouth to speak then closed it, her jaw tightening as she thought of what to say. Her hand tightened around the bag, and finally she loosened it and opened up the contents.
A single key.
“Whats this?” she asked, holding it in her palm, looking at it curiously.
“A key,” I smiled, watching her look at it.
“I know but what for?”
“For my penthouse. Our penthouse,” I corrected.
“Our…penthouse?” she mumbled.
“Yes,” I smiled, pressing my back into the booth and looking her over. She looked so cute when she was confused.
“But—I can’t accept this, Cain. I can’t live with you. You’re my boss and this—whatever we’re doing already is too much.”
“Baby,” I soothed. “I’m your boss, like you said. We can do whatever we want.”
“But we can’t, Cain,” she rushed out, the plates clanging as she pushed them together to lean forward. “I need this job and I don’t need to be labeled as a CEO fucker.”
I laughed, I shouldn’t have but I did.
“It’s not funny!” she yelled.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “I didn’t mean it like that, but you don’t have to worry, Kiera. You aren’t going to lose your job.”
“But I can.”
“But you won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.” She folded her arms across her chest.
I leaned forward and took her hand in mine again. “You don’t need to work, Kiera. You don’t need to be my assistant, though I want you to be.”
“I just don’t want what happened before to happen again…”
“It won’t. I promise. You’re mine and nobody fucks with what’s mine, baby.”
For once, the concern on her face eased up and she squeezed my hand back. “For some strange reason, I trust you. I trust that you’re right about this.”