Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

HAZEL 

I spat the hot coffee out of my mouth and right on the table. 

Huh? 

Nikolai’s eyes flickered for a moment, I swear I saw his upper cheeks turn pink. He turned, yanked a tissue, and cleaned up the table like it was nothing. He passed another tissue, “Your lips.” He muffled. 

Huh? 

“What about my lips?” I asked, staring at the tissue in his hands. 

His eyes flickered, his lips curled into a mocking smile, “Would you prefer I  wipe the remnants of the spilled coffee off your lips, Aevia?” His voice was low, deep, a drag, a hum against my chest. The way his eyes stayed on my lips and the way his hands glitched, wanting to move towards it. 

I yanked the tissue away instantly. 

See… this is why we can’t do it. 

Pretending to be his wife? 

I don’t think I can do it. 

What if I cross the line? 

What if I get drunk one day and accidentally kiss him? 

What if one day we are asked to kiss each other? 

Or actually pretend to love each other…. I’ll pass and that is very bad! Very very bad! 

“I can’t think of another way to help Navira.” His low voice cut me off from my thoughts. 

Oh right. Navira. 

“Yvonne has never really… been present.” He forced himself to say those words. I know Nikolai enough to know that when he doesn’t want to talk about something he exhales like a hundred times and between that sentence and the last one minute, he already sighs like a million times. 

“But still.” I said, “Becoming your … wife is a little…” I paused unable to finish the statement. 

“I know… I know… It’s a lot to ask from you especially with your new job and you just came back from Paris.” He paused, palm over his mouth, “It’s selfish of me to ask, I do not deserve your kindness at all… but please, Aevia, help my daughter… just until the school project ends. Please.” He begged. 

Did I mention that Nikolai knows how to grovel? 

And did I mention that his eyes glint when he begs? Did I mention that it looks so cute and pitiful like a little dog that doesn’t want its owner to go away? Did I mention that when Nikolai grovels, my heart shatters and I lose all sense of reasoning? 

I couldn’t say no to him. 

How do I even say no to him? 

I am doing this for Navira. 

“This is for Navira,” I said to myself. I repeated it a few more times while looking at this man who kept uttering the word please over and over and over while calling me Aevia. 

Does he even realize how much that name on his tongue unravels me? Does he even realize how much I twitch and bend at the sound of that name on his tongue? 

Ugh… this is for Navira. 

“Okay,” I said stupidly. 

I should have refused and called Yvonne one more time. 

“Really?” His eyes lit up, and he leaned closer, stepping forward. Even though there was a table between us I could feel the tension. The pressure. 

Ugh… will I be able to survive this? 

Should I just go back to Paris? 

“Hmm.” I muffled, lips pressed together. 

He nodded. 

“Thanks, you are a lifesaver.. Thank you.” He said. 

I couldn’t sleep. 

My eyes were glued to the ceiling in my room all night. 

I agreed to be his wife. 

I am Nikolai’s wife. 

My name is Hazel, Aevia Links. 

Wait… Mrs. Hazel, Aevia Links.

My lips curled into a smile, butterflies twirled in my belly, and my heart kept thumping so fast that I could hear it. I squealed, tossed, and danced around my bed.  

“Hey, do I need to remind you that you are his PRETEND WIFE and not his actual wife?” My Angel conscience grunted at me. She looked so small and white and angry. She looked disappointed. 

She is right. 

I am just his pretend wife. He is married to my sister. How could I have cheered? 

“So what? Pretence or real, what matters is that she has the tag WIFE. Hazel, darling, do not listen to the Saint. Listen to me. We lost our chance years ago. This is our chance to get him back and if we can’t, we might as well just taste the forbidden fruits and if things get messy, remember that you are a freaking billionaire and can travel back to Paris. So enjoy yourself. You and Nikolai are married!” My left conscience blurted. Dressed in red with horns. Her boobs barely covered, her thighs on display. Her fangs are so pretty. She was so demonic and for some reason, I loved the words that came out of her mouth. 

Besides, what could go wrong? 

I finally fell asleep and the sound of my morning alarm woke me up. I groaned, filling myself off the bed. I only managed to put myself to sleep a few hours ago. 

Dressed in a black shirt dress, clinging to my hip. The upper part of my dress, simple and perfectly structured. I let my hair down, it’s full wave flowing down my shoulder and back. I used my contact lens because wearing glasses would just ruin this dressing style. 

I grabbed my Hermes bag and made my way out of my room. 

“Good morning, Mrs Links.” 

I froze. 

My heart thumped so hard it hurts. 

Was it his deep morning voice or the fact that he called me Mrs Links? 

Pull yourself together. 

I took a deep breath, my lips curled, a fake painful smile spread across my face. “Good morning.” 

He snickered, “You don’t have to look so displeased…” his eyes dragged down my body, scanning my fit, “You look like a badass… CEO…. Your boss must feel intimidated.” he blurted. 

Uhm… I am my own boss. 

I should tell him now. 

My lips parted but he beat me to it. “Do you have plans after work today?” 

Huh? 

“Uhm…” 

Yes… I have a lot of work to do. I have files to review, interviews to attend, staffs to address, meetings with board members in France an… 

“Not exactly.” I lied. 

“Great, then can you come to my place?” he asked. 

His place? 

As in… his restaurant? 

“Your place? Why?” I asked. 

Suddenly my eyes fully scanned him. 

His fitted top, clinging to his body, revealing his sculpted abs…. How many days did he spend working out to have such a define shape? His joggers band right on his waist. 

He looked so…. 

“We have to practice being a couple.” his voice cut through my thoughts. 

Huh?