CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Lorelei
I find myself smiling at Desmond’s words, and I realize that somehow, the whole fiasco with Paul has brought us closer. Yes, I did not exactly like the fact that he had resorted to violence, but after we had talked about it in bed, I realized that he had done it for me.
He did it for me.
My cheeks burn with embarrassment as I realize that Desmond will do anything for me. Yes, the man is fiercely protective of me.
At least my image.
I desperately want to believe that Desmond’s actions are because he loves and cares for me.
However, I can’t deny that there would be a huge blow to his reputation and standing once my past with Paul is revealed.
Maybe that’s why he had decided to handle Paul and not to protect me like I want to believe.
I have been a bit conflicted about my feelings for him for a while now, but now I’m sure.
I am in love with Desmond, and even though we’re married, it is still a bit scary.
How do I handle the fact that I am in love with this man?
This morning, I keep looking at him, realizing that I’d love nothing more than to spend the whole day in bed with him.
I shouldn’t be feeling this way, but Desmond makes me feel alive; he makes me feel loved and wanted, which is something I haven’t ever felt before, and this is overwhelming.
I speak to my grandma about it, and all she does is laugh at my dilemma.
“It’s serious,” I tell her as she continues with her yogurt.
“I know. I’ve never seen you this rattled before.
Darling, he’s your husband, of course, he loves you.
” I try to come up with a counterargument, but yeah, she’s right.
However, our marriage isn’t built on love.
We didn’t fall in love and get married because we envisioned spending the rest of our lives together.
I needed help, he offered, and when things blew up, we had to stay married.
“When should I expect my great-grandkids?” She asks, and I simply shake my head.
Katherine is also the same, telling me she has always known that Desmond has a spark in his eyes for me.
According to her, she had seen it in his eyes on the day we got married, and even though I don’t believe her, I can’t help but hope that she is right.
The relationship I have with Desmond is a gift, and I should treasure it.
Even if it means being married to a man who doesn’t love me!
Can my love be enough for both of us? Would it weather us through whatever storms and challenges that might lie ahead of us?
And what if Desmond falls in love with a slimmer, more beautiful woman he wants to be with?
What would I do? I look at Desmond, who is buried in the work before him, and I realize that walking away from him won’t be possible.
Not when he has a strong hold on my heart.
“Is there something on my face?” Desmond asks with a smile as he cleans his cheek.
“No, you don’t have anything on your face,” I answer, looking away as I continue with my meal.
He still has us eating in the office despite how I had told him we should actually eat in the cafeteria, and today, I’m grateful since it means that I get to watch him eat the meal I cooked.
My suggestion to cook for him had somewhat excited him, and seeing him talk about how good my cooking is just makes my stomach flutter.
Something about being with Desmond makes me feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in a long time, and the truth is that I need to put this feeling in check.
“Thank you for everything, Desmond,” I suddenly say to him.
He pauses, then looks at me as he places his plate down. “For what? Did I do something?”
“Paul and everything. You are my life savior, and I owe you a lot.”
“Well, I can think of ways you can repay me,” he says in a deep voice that has my insides fluttering again.
I know exactly what Desmond is suggesting, and while it excites me, I’m not sure I want us getting intimate in his office since Timothy can walk in at any time.
“No, not now, but maybe when we get back home,” I say in a low voice. “I might put on something you’d find exciting.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Lorelei,” Desmond says in a throaty growl.
Just before I can say something witty back at him, there’s a knock on the door, and it swings open.
Timothy walks into the office and tells Desmond that Damian wants to speak with him.
I finish my meal as Desmond speaks with his grandfather.
Damian Sinclair is quite a convincing man, and while I am not entirely sure if he likes me, the man seemed to support our marriage, though I suspect he and Desmond had worked out some kind of deal.
I make a quick trip to the lounge to get a Diet Coke, which is when my phone rings.
I am not sure exactly who the caller is, but it turns out to be Paul’s sister, Dixie.
Dixie hasn’t spoken to me since I broke up with her brother, and seeing how Paul has been crying wolf since Desmond beat him up, I guess he must have lied to her about what truly happened.
“Where is my brother?” Dixie screeches over the phone.
“And hello to you, Dixie. I don’t know where Paul is, and after what he tried to do to me, I honestly don’t think I want to know,” I tell her.
She begins to rant, telling me that she knows that my husband and I had done something to Paul because he had been worried sick just two days ago, telling me how he would never be able to escape him.
“How do you know that has anything to do with us?” I ask, realizing how stupid this sounds.
Dixie scoffs, telling me that all this had to do with me. “Ever since he heard about your marriage, he’s been meeting with strange people and acting all sketchy. I swear you better have him call me, or I swear you’d regret this.”
I calmly point out to her that Paul is always meeting with strange people, but she isn’t having it.
She makes it clear that if Paul isn’t found, she would tell the whole world that Desmond and I had done something to him.
The call ends abruptly, and for a few minutes, I try to recover from whatever it was.
Yeah, I know Desmond had roughed him up quite a bit, but that was just it.
There is no way Desmond would do anything to hurt Paul, no matter what anyone thinks.
I return to the office where Timothy and Desmond are discussing some sort of strategy.
“Honestly, I really don’t get why we need to pay these guys,” Desmond says, anger in his voice. “And why do I have to be the one who has to deal with this? Dean should be the one seeing to this!”
I step into the office, and Desmond smiles at me.
I try to return his smile, but the truth is that I can’t help but think about Dixie’s call.
Did Desmond finally take Paul out of the equation?
He had mentioned something about how blackmail never stops once it starts, and did he decide on a permanent solution?
Trying to act normal around him is next to impossible, but somehow I manage. I really wish to discuss this with someone, but I can’t do that, not with the possibility of Desmond being involved.
“Sir, your three o’clock appointment is here,” Stacy, Desmond’s secretary, informs him.
“Send her in,” he says without a second thought, and the door opens.
A beautiful woman steps into the room, and almost immediately, a deep scowl appears on Desmond’s face.
I can tell that whoever she is, he isn’t pleased to see her, and I wonder what might be the reason for that.
A rather slim figure, angelic face, high cheekbones, and lovely lips.
She is probably a fashion model who is used to having men worship her wherever she goes.
She drops her bag on the chair next to her as she looks at Desmond, her gaze totally fixated on him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He fires at her before she can speak.
“Come on, that’s no way to treat me now, is it?” The lady says as she walks over to him.
My eyes widen as I realize that Desmond has always skirted around conversations dealing with his exes, and I can see why. I am not a fool, and I know that Desmond has been with several women, which is why I was intentional about never searching for them, though it seems one has come to find us.
“Fetch me a cup of coffee, will you?” she says to me with a momentary glance.
“No, she won’t, Sandra. I’m not sure why you want to meet with me,” Desmond says as he gets on his feet and walks over to where I’m standing. “I am happily married to Lorelei, and I don’t want you anywhere near me.”
She looks at Desmond as if he had lost his mind, then she looks at me. I can feel her eyes weighing me and finding me unworthy. She scoffs, telling Desmond that when she saw the news, she thought he had finally gone crazy.
“I’ll excuse both of you now,” I say, not wanting to hear anything she might say.
Desmond clearly isn’t happy, and he tears into her as I shut the door. Stacy barely looks at me as I walk past her, and I head down to the lobby, wanting to clear my head. From Dixie’s call to Desmond’s ex-girlfriend barging into the office, today has been quite a lot.
You always knew that Desmond was way out of your league.
I’m confident that his ex-girlfriend must have been some sort of model or maybe an heiress who is on every level equal to or maybe a little bit less than Desmond.
I, on the other hand, have no equal standing to Desmond.
He’s handsome, rich, connected, and American, and yet, he has chosen to be with me.
He is my man!
He might not be crazy about me, but he had chosen to marry me instead of her!
There’s no reason for me to be worried about what anyone thinks because Desmond has decided that I am the one he wants to be married to.
Walking away was a mistake, and I decided to return to the office and show her, whatever her name is, that I don’t need to be worried about what she thinks of me.
Just as I get onto Desmond’s floor, my phone chimes and I realize an unknown number has sent me a video.
I click on it, not sure what it might be, and I freeze.
I can clearly see Paul in the video looking all beat-up, shaking, and on his knees in just a singlet and briefs.
“Please, let me go. I promise Desmond, I won’t go anywhere near her.”
The fear in Paul’s voice is real, and I subconsciously bring my hand to my mouth to stifle a scream as a gun appears. Whoever had taken the video seems to be hiding behind something, and I wish they would turn the camera so I can see the person holding the gun.
“I swear. It was a mistake and I’ll never-” Paul begins right before two shots ring out, and he collapses on the ground.
At that moment, the camera moves, and I catch a brief glimpse of Desmond right before the video ends. A text pops up almost immediately, and I read it with growing horror.
It reads: Thought you should know the kind of man you’re married to.
Desmond’s door opens, and I watch his ex storm out in fury. She pauses right in front of me as she looks back at Desmond, who is standing right at his door.
“You think he loves you? Trust me, you’re not the first woman he’ll keep close to him because you amuse him. Sooner or later, he’ll get tired of you, and he’ll throw you back in the dirt where he picked you.”
Desmond tries to assure me that she is just being bitter after she left.
I simply sat down on the sofa, trying to process what had just happened.
Between the video and her statement, I find myself wondering if I truly know the man I am married to.
My entire body freezes up, and my palms become sweaty.
Having this video would only put Desmond in trouble, and I quickly reached for my phone.
Without a second thought, I delete the video right before Desmond walks up to me and puts his arms around me.
“I’m sorry, Lorelei. I should have known she would pull something crazy like this.”
I want to tell him it’s nothing, but the truth is that I can’t bring myself to say a single word. Not when I am really uncertain as to whether I am married to a man who would kill anyone to protect his image.