Oh, this is just too good. Inwardly, a gloating grin tugs at the corner of my lip. Outwardly, I stared at the blonde calmly, waiting for her apology.
I deserve it.
Melissa glared at me before she smiled, a sly grin that immediately caused me to feel uneasy. Those twinkle in her eyes don't spell a good omen.
"I am sorry you were on the wrong side of my hand."
Excuse me!
What sort of crappy apology is this? She just threw the words at me and didn't even sound apologetic.
And what the hell does she mean by I was at the wrong side of her hand? She makes it look like I walked into her hand.
Seriously, they do not think her words pass for an apology, do they?
They both stare at me, waiting for my response.
Ryan looks hopeful, while the blonde stares at me with a smug look on her face. She knows what she offered is a crappy apology and is daring me to do my worst.
I can't believe I even considered being friends with her.
Apology not accepted.
These are the words I wanted to scream at the two crazy individuals before, but instead—
I smiled at her, a tight clipped stretch of my lips, before I said.
"You are welcome. I am used to dealing with all kinds of people, even mannerless ones."
She inhaled sharply and glared at me, her chest rising as she fought herself not to lash out.
If she thinks I am some weak girl she could bully as she wants, she has another thing coming. I am no longer the naive girl I used to be.
Seven years ago, I was very innocent, green about the cruelty that exists in our world. Too trusting, but after the incident that nearly destroyed my life, I came out on the other side stronger, with a promise to myself never to be so gullible again or a doormat for people.
"Are you ready?"
I look away from Melissa's glaring eyes to Ryan. He was looking at me expectantly. I don't know what the hell he is talking about.
"Ready for what?" I asked, my brow furrowed. I tried to think back to his itinerary this morning. Did we have a meeting that I am forgetting?
Nothing was coming back to me.
He quirked a brow at me. "Don't tell me you have forgotten?"
I will remember once you stop talking in riddles. I snap in my mind, but before I could say anything outwardly, Melissa interjected.
"Baby, come on. Let's have lunch."
Once again, she clings to him, snaking her arms around his elbow and plastering her body against his, as if she were a magnet and he were the metal.
"I have missed you. We haven't seen each other for a week now. If I didn't know better, I would think you are avoiding me."
The blonde looked displeased at the notion that my boss doesn't want to spend time with her
With her stellar manners, I wonder why?
I saw irritation flash across Ryan's eyes at his fiancée's clingy behavior before he masked it. He shook the blonde's hand off him, as if her touch repulsed him.
"I am sorry, Melissa, but I already have an engagement with Lyra."
He didn't sound sorry; he sounded emotionless.
He is acting as if he doesn't want to be with the blonde.
Does he not love her?
And why the fuck is my heart happy with this information?
I shake my head at these stupid conflicting emotions in my head. I need to complete this assignment quickly and get the hell out of here.
Ryan Blackwell is even more dangerous than I anticipated.
His effect on me is one I never counted on. I had believed my hatred would be enough to resist his gorgeous face, but it is not just his look that is the problem.
It is the whole gentlemanly behavior—his caring side. The side of him that knows his employees' names, the side of him that takes time to bring his assistant coffee, and the side of him that speaks to his employees politely.
These are the problems.
This wasn't him seven years ago.
Anyways, lunch with his fiancée would give me the perfect opportunity to search his office for anything incriminating.
Daniel seems to think that the Blackwells are into money laundering and slush funds. All I need to do is find the money trail. Something that alludes to his allegations.
Something he can take to his superiors to get their permission to carry out a formal investigation into the Blackwells business.
After he went crazy with his obsession to bring down the Blackwells, Daniel was reprimanded by his superiors, demoted, and warned to stay away from the Blackwells.
But he hasn't given up. He got his life back together and returned with determination and purpose.
He will take down the Blackwells, but this time through the right means.
"I will not keep you guys from your lunch engagement," I say to Ryan and Melissa, my eyes fleeting from one to the other. "I will get back to work."
I turn to leave, but Ryan reaches out to stop me.
Melissa's eyes and mine snapped to where Ryan is holding me. I looked at him, shocked. What is he doing? I could hear the blonde growling beside me.
I don't need to look to know that the blonde is boiling with jealousy.
Is Ryan using me to make his fiancée jealous?
But why?
I hate to be a tool in whatever shit games he and the blonde are playing.
And more worrisome is my reaction to his touch.
I could feel the warmth of his touch on my wrist, and my tummy felt funny.
Not in a bad way.
Shit! Do I like him touching me?!
Impossible!
I hate him!
I quickly snatched my hand out of his grip and quickly masked whatever chaos was going on in my mind.
"Do you want something, Mr. Blackwell?" I asked politely, keeping my expression blank.
He looked displeased with my action, but it lasted only a second, which made me think I had imagined the whole thing, before his expression brightened, his stare holding mine.
It felt as if we were alone in our own world; that is how powerful his stare felt.
"Did you forget?" He says, his voice low as his eyes held mine captive, keeping me from looking away even though my body cries for me to do so. Or maybe it is my head.
I don't know which part of my body it is, but I do know a part of me is protesting the urge to stare longer into his eyes, because I feel as if I am falling down a deep hole.
"Our agreement," he explains, at the look of confusion in my eyes, and that is when it came to me.
The stupid bet we had yesterday. He had won by a landslide. I mean, all the females voted for him, obviously, but he also dared to claim half of the male population.
Now you understand what I mean when I say he is gorgeous.
I didn't think he meant it when he said I would have lunch with him every day for a month if I lost to him, and I did.
"Baby, what agreement are you talking about?"Melissa cuts into our discussion, tired of being left out. There was a bite to her question, and it is obvious from the dark tone that she is not happy that I have any arrangement with his fiancée.
I look at Ryan pointedly. Surely, he doesn't expect me to have lunch with him when his fiancée is here to have lunch with him?
Before I could tell him that I am okay with being let off the hook this time, he spoke.
"We had a bet yesterday that she lost, and the penalty is that she has to have lunch with me every day."
If his explanation is meant to reassure his fiancée, he is doing a very poor job of it. For a second, Melissa's jaw tightened as though she were choking back her rage, and then she masked it with an artificial smile, like she didn't care that her man wanted to boycott lunch plans with her for another woman.
Like I said, great actress.
"Is it okay if I come along?" She asked sweetly, while tugging at Ryan's hand like she was a kid.
No, I snapped in my mind. Not because I want Ryan to myself, but because I actually want to enjoy my lunch.
Could you imagine the atmosphere if the three of us were to sit together at a table?
I shudder with anxiety just imagining it.
"I don't mind. Do you, Lyra?" Ryan turns to face me.