Elena
His challenge had been an equal part seduction. He didn't think I was going to do it, but his rich voice was so coaxing it almost compelled me to obey. My fingers curled into a fist, nails biting into flesh and drawing out blood.
I hadn't touched my phone.
What I wanted even more was to toss wine in his smug face, but I couldn't do that either.
We had finished dinner in silence, but my food had lost its's flavor. I washed it down with more wine and let the warmth eat away at my shame.
We spent the rest of the morning taking photos in one of those over-priced photo studios that looked like they'd charge you your entire savings for a single picture.
"Evan, relax your expression," the photographer said. "Give me a smile… that's it! Perfecto."
The camera shutter clicked in rapid succession.
I frowned. The photographer clearly knew Mr. Price intimately and she even called him by his first name. There was an air of familiarity between them that squeezed at my heart, springing up a foreign emotion within me.
"Elena, put your arms around his neck and move closer." She dictated, gesturing for us to move closer with both her hands.
I stiffened, the emotion she had awaken in me scattering like ashes in air. I stole a glance at Mr. Price's straight face before taking a tentative step towards him.
"Closer." She barked. "I can practically drive a tractor between you two right now."
I stole another glance at Mr. Price again only to catch him looking at me. my stomach and heart did a flip at the same time and I looked away. I was sure my face was as red as tomatoes.
"Do as she says so we can get this over with." Mr. Price ground out.
"Closer," the photographer encouraged.
I took a hesitant step forward and closed the remining gap between us, wincing when his chest grazed my breast.
"Evan, put your rms around Elena's waist."
Oh, for fuck's sake.
Surprisingly, he obeyed. My body tingled with excitement as he placed his hands on my hips. Heat seared through the silk of my dress and his scent – a mix of Burberry, cinnamon and musk – filled my nose.
Neither of us moved, probably scared that anymore movement would pull us even closer.
I held my breath, glancing around everywhere to distract myself from our disturbing proximity and calm my racing heart. Could he hear it from this close? I gnashed my teeth. Of course, he could hear the pounding of my heart even if his head was a good foot away from it.
"Oh… look at you two." The photographer crooned. "So sweet. Evan, why don't you give her a kiss on the lips? It'll be the perfect photo to wrap up the shoot."
My heart stopped.
Mr. price stiffened.
I forced a smile. "That's not necessary." I gritted out, trying to take a step back but Mr. Price's hold on my hips suddenlytightened. Alarmed, I looked up at him with a frown and became even more horrified when he dipped his bead and grazed his mouth over mine.
The camera shutter clicked.
Even after he moved his head away, my heart still stayed frozen. The kiss hadn't lasted up to twenty seconds but I was sure I could still feel the sweet taste of his lips in my mouth. I cringed, stumbling away from him without even meaning to.
"We got the shot!" the photographer announced excitedly. "Oh my… you two might be the most photogenic couple I ever worked with. I can't wait for you to see the final photos."
I couldn't bring myself to speak. Mr. Price was saying something to her but I couldn't concentrate. My thumb brushed over my lip and a shudder ran down my spine and through my legs.
"Elena?"
Startled, I stumbled back, thankful for the armchair which caught me. Mr. Price was looking at me with some kind of expression I couldn't describe.
"Are you alright?" he raised a brow. "You know what, never mind. We can leave now."
I glanced around for the photographer but she was gone. She probably had more couples to… Mr. Price brushed past me towards the steps and I rushed after him. In a minute, we were back in his car.
An hour later, we were parked in front of his mansion and none of us had said a single word to each other. I took a deep breath in and was about to make my way out of the car when he spoke.
"Don't forget about dinner with grandfather. Dress nice."
I glanced at him, waiting for him to say more but when three seconds passed and he said nothing, I stepped out, shutting the door behind me.
My emotions were a whirlwind as I made my way into his mansion. I stopped at the kitchen first, chugging down a cup of cold water as if that will help ease the nerve and butterflies in my stomach. When I closed my eyes, I could still see him leaning down. His mouth a few inches from mine.
My eyes flied open and I placed a hand on my racing heart.
I knew I needed to quench this emotion that I was feeling inside of me, but getting the kiss out of my head was posing a problem. The way he had kissed me… was it my imagination or had he been gentle?
Puffing out a heated breath, I decided to let myself forget about everything that happened between us. Evan Price could never love a woman like me. we were in different worlds and besides, I had a dinner to prepare for.
Taking the steps two at a time, I went into my room to shower and prepare for the meeting with Mr. Price's grandfather. Although I had met the older man before, the thought of meeting him again made my body tingle with nerves.
We had till evening to show up so I took my time in the shower and also decided to shampoo my hair. After that, I picked a dress from the walk-in closet Mr. Price had saw fit to fill with designer dresses, bags and shoes.
I was sure everything in here could buy my future.
Rolling my eyes, I picked out a sleek black gown with a low cut back and heels to match. Then, I took my time to do my make up – not that I was good at it. But by the time I was done, I was sure I appeared… classy.
I looked in the mirror, taking in my highlighted cheekbones, my green eyes, my full cupid lips and straight, slim nose. Shaking my head, I decided I was better off without any makeup. Mascara and lip-gloss will do because with makeup on, I looked like a drag queen.
I imagined the look on Mr. Price's face if he saw me with that makeup on and burst out laughing. Yeah, it would be priceless.
I was on my way out of my room when my phone pinged with a message.
Ms. Elena, your mother is in critical condition. I've tried reaching you for the past half hour…
I didn't read anymore. Without thinking, I stumbled out of the house and hailed a cab right away. All intentions of attending dinner with Mr. Price flew out of my head.