Niklaus’ gesture was thoughtful. It warmed me, and reminded me how easily I could fall.
It also made it stark obvious that my belief that I was somehow sexually frigid was utter nonsense.
I just hadn’t met the right man—until Niklaus Clarke.
Chaper 9
Friday came soon enough, and it was time to hand over all the documents Amelia had delegated me to file and make.
She had insisted a few days earlier that I drop the Mrs, and Evelina almost blew a gasket.
She was sure no one who had ever worked for Amelia was ever on a first-name basis with her. Needless to say, she was jealous, and she had reason to be.
I was the first paralegal who had been picked to work with ‘Amelia’, and she was a first-year sit who would do anything to be noticed by even Amelia’s subordinates.
“Amelia?” I called at her again, feeling lucky that iron lady had insisted that we be on a first-name basis.
“Yes,” she answered smoothly without looking up from the document she was scrutinizing.
“All documents for Mr Clarke’s acquisition are ready,” I informed her, still holding onto the file.
“Superb. We have decided to go ahead with the purchase,” she said without looking up, but motioning for me to hand it over to her.
I did, and remained standing.
She went through it slowly, taking her time to read everything I put together.
I stood silently, anxious and desperate for her to be pleased with the work I’d done.
“Hmm, I like what I see,” she finally spoke, putting the documents under the one she had been reading when I came in.
I couldn’t help the smile that erupted on my face. “I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you,” I said before turning to leave.
“But,” she started to say.
I paused, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach while I turned to face her once again. Apprehension was tightly and consciously held back in my facial expression.
But what?
“But, I’ll send you a revised copy later in the day of some things. Take note of the changes and learn from them.” She said curtly before returning to what she was doing and dismissing me.
I relaxed. And my shoulders slacked to the effect. She wasn’t saying I did a terrible job; she was saying I could do better if I learnt from her adjustments. I also couldn’t help but wonder why she bothered with me at all. It was most definitely not the norm for someone in her position. But, I was not going to question God’s gift.
“Thank you.” I said quickly, grateful that she was going to put in the time to teach me even the little things.
I wonder what I did to catch her eye.
She nodded, merely using her hand to dismiss me with an outward wave.
Noon came a little after that, and I was going to have lunch without Evelina, who had become my lunch partner since we started work. She was occupied and would have lunch later than me.
Stepping out of Canary Wharf Tower, I paused to decide where to eat when I spotted Mr Ganglani, timely opening a familiar vehicle.
I waved at him without moving toward him, praying to the spirits above that he just happened to be in the area. After receiving a warm smile in return, I turned so fast to go back in, so I could conveniently miss who I knew for sure was about to step out of the car.
I didn’t do so fast enough.
“Miss Wright.”
I paused. He had been in my peripheral vision, and not in the car after all. But, I had been too distracted to notice. I took a deep breath before turning around to face him.
“Mr Clarke,” I exclaimed, surprised that he was already in front of me. It didn’t stop there. He soon had my hand in his, shaking and telling me how nice it was running into me.
Very nice indeed.
The moment his hand touched mine, I shivered. Not because it felt cold, but quite the opposite.
His palm sent warmth through me that I almost licked my lips. There was something about his hands. They were always warm and moist.
While typically that would denote nervousness, I knew for a fact that some people did naturally have clammy hands; someone once close to me had it.
There was also the fact that no one had to tell me that Mr Clarke didn’t do nervous.
My eyes quickly travelled to his biceps, which flexed under the stretching of his hands in his dark green three piece piece, with a black shirt, and without a tie.
He was murky and dangerously alluring in it.
I wanted to touch them, his swollen muscles. Just poke them to see how hard they were when flexed.
How would it feel if those flexing muscles pulled me in a tight embrace?
Faintly hearing a throat clearing, I quickly caught myself, reluctantly dragging my eyes to him, only to be met by a confident smirk on his face.
“Dare I say, you were checking me out,” he teased.
I smiled, feeling bold.“What if I was?”
“I would say that it leaves me feeling more than aesthetically satisfied and delightful.”
With a smile, I opened my mouth to give him an aesthetically satisfying reply, when the smile was wiped off my face.
I spotted Amelia’s interim secretary from afar. She was in a deep conversation with someone. Thankfully she couldn’t see me as she wasn’t looking in my direction. But, seeing her had quickly wiped the smile off of my face.
It brought me back to reality, and I was reminded of where we were. The Adonis in front of me was one of the firm’s biggest clients. I had no business associating with him outside of work.
I took a step back as I spoke, attempting to change my expression to what I hoped looked void of emotion.
“You must have been on your way up when you spotted me. I’m sure Amelia is expecting you, do have a pleasant day,” I said in a rush, loud enough for everyone to hear. I used the minute of shock on his face to turn around to escape his presence.
“Wait, are you on lunch break?” He asked, stopping me from proceeding.
I swallowed, seriously contemplating if to lie or not. Because if he was indeed going to see Amelia, he could definitely get the truth out of her.
So reluctantly, I nodded my head, not bothering to spare him my words because something told me he already knew that.
“You can definitely join me for lunch then.”
I opened my mouth to say something but shut it back. He hadn’t even asked, but merely declared. Still, no wouldn’t come out of me.
Sure, he was an important client to the firm, and I should have declined. But the shameful idea that lunch would entail a drive that would bring about a repeat dry humping session had me nodding stupidly. I was soon discovering that with him, I had no zeal to say ‘no’. There was also the fact that I was a paradoxical mess because of him.
He let me enter into the car first before following after me, and allowing Mr Ganglani to close the door.
I silently sighed, downtrodden that the car had no partition like his Bentley.
“Where to Mr Clarke?” Mr Ganglani asked.
“Empire.”
“We are going to a shisha lounge for lunch?” I asked, baffled.
He tensed, giving me a disgusted look. “Why would you be familiar with a shisha lounge called Empire or any in the first place?”
“I’ve never been to that one or any shisha lounges at all. I just saw it once passing by.” I said defensively, wondering what right he had to give me a judgemental look, even if peradventure I did engage in it.