Nine- A distracting kiss

“How do you manage to make any dress look good?” Gabriel complimented from the doorway.

“Oh, Gabriel,” Chloe said shyly as she played with the end of her curled hair.

“I think the dress just happens to fit me. But, isn't this a bit too much?"

She looked into the huge mirror that came with the team that had come earlier to take care of her appearance. The dress which was long and black with a bit of silver sprinkled at its silted ends, really took Chloe aback who was just expecting a regular-looking gown.

“I think you look amazing.” Gabriel moved closer and stood just behind her to continue admiring her look. “I love how daring your eyes look, it suits your personality even more.”

“But what do you know about my personality?”

“I know for sure that you have a crazy side that you are managing to keep in check because of your job.” His hand came up to help adjust the strand that was resting uneasily on her shoulder. After, he looked at her image with a small smile that brought out his cuteness even more.

“I want you to have fun where you are headed. If by any chance, Nathaniel becomes stupid by choosing to do business instead of standing by your side, there will be a chocolate fountain at the party.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Now, that was something she loved to hear. She might even stay glued to the fountain, God helps her she doesn't get diabetes before leaving the party.

“That sounds nice. "

You should smile more."

“Uh?” Chloe looked back at his eyes that hadn't peeled off her, her brows raised slightly in question.

“You look prettier smiling, I like that. So, stop frowning so much while working and smile.”

Chloe let out a genuine chuckle which could have undoubtedly passed as a giggle. "I'll keep that in mind, though I am not sure a smile will help dust your bookshelves."

"True."

Gabriel took a step back and extended his arm to her, “Shall we?”

“Definitely.”

Chloe felt grand. It was as though she finally got to go to prom like she always wanted to. She wondered if she would steal a minute or two of people's time at the party when she makes an entrance. That particular scene seemed grand in her imagination.

"Amir, doesn't she look great?" Gabriel's thick voice brought Chloe out of her wishful thinking as they got downstairs. Shaking her head slightly before landing her eyes on Amir, she scolded herself for not prepping herself for any suspicious thing she might see at the party.

Amir, who was dressed in short knickers and a very oversized t-shirt, gave a short grunt as he raked his tired eyes through Chloe's outfit, his eyes particularly dancing where her curves were displayed quite well.

“Amir… "Gabriel repeated.

"She looks okay. But I have seen better."

'Well, I don't care about your opinion.' Chloe wanted to say, but he had already left.

"He is something else, isn't he ?"Gabriel reached for his hair and combed through with his free hand.

Chloe felt hatred as she played with her hair again. “I don't know why he keeps acting like I was the one that came onto him.”

“Well, one thing I can think of is the feeling of rejection. He has always hated it since the time…”

Chloe managed a smile as she caught the idea that he was approaching a topic he should not ordinarily share with the maid.

”There you are.” Nathaniel came in just in time to break the awkward air.

With a strong stride that strained the white shirt that was glued to his body like a fitting glove, he walked to where Chloe was waiting in Gabriel's arm.

“You know my arm is the one you are meant to be holding right?”

"Oh, don't be silly I was just being a gentleman." Gabriel let go of Chloe's arm as Nathaniel reached for her hand with his huge ones.

"Don't bore her with business talks okay?" Gabriel said as they had their back to him.

"I am not that boring." He retorted with what was meant to be a playful tone that managed to be authoritative.

"I am not boring." He repeated to Chloe with a lower voice which sounded more like a warning a hot guy would give a woman that keeps seducing him.

Chloe wondered how his voice would sound in bed. Maybe it would be like a growl when he tells her… the woman to get on top of him. Or it would…

Chloe immediately shook her head as her thoughts began to play out in her head. She did not like him, so why she was thinking of him in such a way of hiding from him and giving weird responses was something she was finding hard to decipher.

“You look beautiful by the way., Nathaniel said it so monotonously you would think he was reading some speech against his will. Yet Chloe could somehow tell that he did not force himself to say it nor did he say it out of courtesy.

"Thank you. And thank you for this beautiful dress."

"I told you, I don't mind taking good care of the women in my life."

Chloe smiled and braced her mind and her heart for whatever drama would be waiting. One thing was sure though, she was going to keep an eye out for the fountain.

~

The ride was short.

But then it was long.

Well, it seemed long as there was nothing but air exchanges during the ride. Even the radio which was put on to ease the atmosphere further fueled the awkwardness as songs about sex kept playing.

The door beside Chloe swung open and she was brought out of her fazed state.

“That ride was the worst wasn't it?”

Chloe managed a smile as she helped herself out of the car.

“It wasn't that bad. The music was catchy.”

“Yeah,” he shut the door and tossed the keys to one of the suited men that waited with a smile for the both of them to leave the car.

“It was so catchy I started to have certain thoughts. Chloe looked away as

she bit off the temptation to say that she had certain thoughts too.

"Well, let's go in." She tucked her arm into his and let him lead her to wherever the party was.

Contrary to her thoughts, the party wasn't holding inside the fairly large duplex but in an open space in the back which had been decorated with white being a major theme.

As the both of them walked past the heavily decorated entrance, someone immediately approached them.

“Mr. Stone, you are here. Sanquire asked me to hand this stuff to you.”

The man who seemed to be too excited handed a brown envelope to Nathaniel who nod as he snuck a peek.

“Is this all? ” Chloe wondered what was in it.

“Yes. Miss Sanqire says it was nice doing business with you.”

“Well,” his voice was cold-ish. “Tell her that the next time she delivers stuff to me at a party, she will be at loss.”

Chloe reasoned that was probably something very important and that meant it was something she needed to check out as soon as possible.

"I can't offer to help you hold that." She tried to x-ray the envelope as she talked

"You are smart." Chloe nodded after which she looked away instantly.

Her mind still working out ways to get chat to know what is in the envelope, she began to search the chocolate fountain among the working crowd that either had a glass of champagne or a plate in their hands.

“Are you looking for anything in particular? “

Uh… just a fountain.”

“Which…. Oh no.” His grunt certainly did not escape Chloe.

"What is it?"

"It is Anderson." Chloe frowned a little. Her eyes following Nathaniel's glare, she wondered who Anderson was. A partner? An enemy?

"I don't want him to see me."

Chloe understood right away and grabbed Nathaniel's hand and led him to the fountain she had just sighted. But Anderson saw Nathaniel anyway.

“Oh shit, he has seen me.”

“Do you need to hide or something?”

“No, no.” He itched his forehead as he thought.

After a few seconds of watching Anderson playfully greet people here and there, she faced Nathaniel who had his eyes glued on her. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll chase him away."

" How?"

He gave her a direct response by planting his lips on hers. He did not just stop there.

His hands cupped her cheeks and he deepened the kiss as his head titled to do it better. Without much effort, he introduced something ferocious into her and that made her finally respond.

As he held her more into him, she returned his invitation with a wanting craving that surprised her. It was as though she had been storing the need for his lips somewhere within her.

And she did need those lips on hers. Even when he took microsecond breaks to change his game, she found herself wanting more. It was even crazier the way he deepened the kiss with extreme yet gentle exploration, it was like he had been wanting to do it also.

But just when it was getting more heated, Nathaniel pulled away, his throat cleared. “I think Anderson left already ."

“I…” Her mind failed her as she could still feel his warm lips and the want they carried.

“I need to take care of something. I will be back.”

“Wait…” But he had left already.

Chloe took a step back and her fingers grazed her just kissed lips.

She had no idea what it was all about exactly but one thing was sure. It took her mind off the fountain flowing with deep brown goodness that was just behind her.