3. DROPPING HER OFF

CHAPTER THREE- DROPPING HER OFF

(BLACKWELL’S POV)

My head was spinning, my mind disoriented.

Where was I?

In my room?

Naah, too bright.

My curtains were seldom drawn, and instead of a black setting, white greeted me everywhere I looked—or at least tried to look. This was most certainly not my room.

Memories of the night before filled my head as I struggled to sit upright, a sleeping woman beside me confirming my worst fears.

The gala,

The drinks that wouldn’t stop coming.

Carol.

Fuck!

I had failed… going to that stupid, boring gala with a new perspective, only to go back to my old ways. I was such a fucking failure.

The woman in question snuggled closer to me, still very much wrapped in sleep’s warm embrace. I pushed her away irritably—realising a bit too late that I had been unnecessarily mean, but it didn’t matter anyway, she was still very much stuck in her deep sleep.

I needed to get out of here.

Grabbing my clothes, I quickly donned them and made to leave, but then I hesitated slightly. We all know why she came to bed with me… if I didn’t leave her something, she was most certainly going to show up at Buzz.

I couldn’t have that!

And so taking out my wallet, I took out a more than generous sum and spread them out on the bed. I exited the room and then the hotel quickly. A shower would have been nice, but I couldn’t exactly risk her waking up on me, plus, I didn’t have work clothes I could change into, which only meant one thing…

I had to go to my house first.

When I pulled up in the parking space reserved exclusively for me at Buzz, it was 8 o’clock, and I was a good thirty minutes late… but it didn’t really matter as work started at nine.

Jennifer Summers was the first thing I saw when the private elevators opened up on our floor, a surprised smile on her face as I made my way over to her. She looked much better today, but even I knew that she had just concealed the mark… it was going to take about a week before she could make a complete recovery, and once again I was the one responsible for putting her in this situation in the first place.

Just like it had started since three days ago, I felt that now familiar warmth in my chest again at the sight of her. I didn’t know when my lips widened, but before I realised it, I was smiling back at her like a Cheshire cat that had caught its prey.

But what if I actually was?

What if I was a Cheshire cat and she was actually my prey—the object of my nouvelle fixation?

No, Adonis.

She. Is. Married.

You know, perhaps it was the fact that chasing after her would be forbidden… but the scandalous fact made thoughts of her more delicious… more desiring. Her lips were moving, but for the love of me, I couldn’t catch a single thing she was saying. Oh, I noticed her lips alright, but the only thing on my mind was how plump and lush they were… how badly I wanted to capture them in a kiss, right before I bit gently into them. She had the perfect teeth, symmetrically arranged in a way that was guaranteed to capture even the most stoic of hearts and melt any bad energy whenever she smiled.

How I wanted her.

You know what made this even crazier?

Prior to three days ago, I never regarded her in that light… to me, she was just Mrs. Summers, the only executive assistant to have lasted this long under me, and now, I wanted nothing more than to have her under me… in the literal sense, thrashing as I made her crazy with pleasure…

“Mr. Blackwell!”

I panicked guys, I’ll be honest.

Her scandalous cry had almost been as though she had been reading my thoughts, and with the way my cheeks felt warm… I was pretty sure she could see me blushing like crazy.

“You seemed so lost in there,” She teased with that killer smile of hers, and I smirked, willing myself not to let it get to me, “It’s just this woman I hooked up with last night, she just won’t leave my thoughts,” I lied. I caught her quick disapproving glare before she managed to mask it, “Looks like you had a great time.”

“How are you today?” I asked with a quick breath, changing the subject. “I’m alright,” She muttered, rolling her eyes. Her long chestnut hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore a green floral print off-shoulder dress that revealed creamy, fair skin. Ladies and gentlemen, would you blame me if I told you that once again, I was distracted?

No?

Good.

Because I was.

Thankfully, my phone rang before I could make a complete ass of myself and I gratefully answered on the first ring. “Blackwell.”

“You’re such a jerk, Adonis… why the fuck would you leave me money like I’m some common prostitute? You have no idea how insulted I feel!”

Oh.

That had honestly not been my intention, but even I could see how it could be misconstrued to look that way. Thing is, there was a possibility that she was just playing her cards right, or that she was really being genuine, but I guess I was going to know in time. “Carol… it really wasn’t my intention to make you feel that way… I deeply apologise.”

“That’s okay… just know that I can’t accept the money… I’ll be sure to hand it over the next time I see you. I would have dropped it off at your office—”

“No, not my office!” I cut her off, my alarm not lost on Jennifer Summers who let out a loud, unladylike snort. I shot her a glare. “I’ll let you know where we can meet for that, and once again… I am very sorry.” I hung up the call, still slightly in a daze.

That had never happened before.

One of my flings had never rejected money from me… now I knew very well that it could be a strategy… but it still surprised me nonetheless.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Apparently… but nothing I’m sure a few flowers can’t solve. I’ll send you an address.” I headed into my office without another word.

*****

It had really been a stressful day, but I’d loved every bit of it. I’d been out of the office for most parts of the day, having meetings on meetings, and my most favorite part of it all… closing deals.

Luckily for me… I’d been able to open three new partnerships to replace Harrison and Co. Who needed them anyway? I just couldn’t understand how they’d let their beliefs get in the way of good business like that, but oh well. Once I did find my perfect wife, I was pretty sure I could easily win them back.

The entire office was empty, not a soul in sight since the last of all staff should have left by eight pm.

Buzz used AI security so there was no need for a human workforce. I needed a few documents, which was why I was back at the office—that, and the fact that I still needed to get my car… and as I passed by Jennifer Summers’ desk, I was hit by disappointment that I didn’t see much of her today,

There was always tomorrow.

Usually, she would have gone on these many meetings with me, but with the way my fling radar was off, spending that much time with her was not a good idea at all.

You can imagine my surprise and confusion when I got to the parking lot only to find a distressed Jennifer standing by her car, a beat down, orange colored Daewoo Tico, her face scrunched with worry as she looked down at her phone’s screen.

“Mrs. Summers?” Her shriek of terror would have been incredibly hilarious if it hadn’t been for the fact that she burst into tears. I was by her side in a minute, “Hey, hey… now, what’s wrong?”

“I—I’m just relieved to see someone finally… I—I was so scared, my car wouldn’t start, and there are no cars available. I—I was just about to go back to the office.”

“Say no more, I’ll take you home.” I declared, but then her hazel eyes widened again, and this time I could see it clearly… that same look of fear.

“There’ll be no need for that Mr. Blackwell, I’m pretty sure I’ll get a car soon…”

“Tell me something, Jen,”

It was the first time I was calling her that name, but in that moment, it felt so right… so perfect. “Do I scare you?” I asked. “What? N—no.” She sputtered like a fish out of water.

“Good. Then it’s settled. You’re coming with me.”

She meekly followed me to my car, but I was sure it was because she knew very well that being left alone in such a dark, quiet place was not exactly a good idea.

The only thing she told me when she settled in the passenger seat was her address, and then she was silent for the rest of the ride. It was a comfortable silence that started to become tense as we drew close to her neighborhood.

Why was she nervous?

I wanted to know badly, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask, and so I just sat there in silence until we pulled up in front of her house. Her neighborhood was a suburb, so you can imagine how stylish her house was, but it equally had this homey, frugal air around it that seemed just right.

“Thanks for dropping me off, Mr. Blackwell,” She smiled tiredly at me, “It was a pleasure, Jen…” I found that now that I started calling her this—Jen— I couldn’t bring myself to go back to calling her Mrs. Summers. I wanted to say more, but my phone rang in that moment, and I realised it was my mum. Jen scurried hurriedly out of the car with a final goodbye just as I answered the call. I had really wanted to meet her husband… I was pretty sure that would have been enough to kill whatever crush I was developing for her, but with the way she had dashed off… I wasn’t sure that was going to be possible.

“Adonis,”

“Hey mum, what’s up? Is everything okay?” I asked. Her confusion was very much apparent at my question, “Of course everything’s okay… I just wanted to see how on track you are with finding your wife.”

I rolled my eyes. She wanted to talk about that now? At least allow me to get home first, for fuck sake.

“Mum, not now… lemme get home first—”

“You’re not at your house?! Adonis, for the love of Christ, please don’t tell me you’re in some woman’s house.”

Jennifer Summers didn’t count as some other woman, right?

“No mum,” Jennifer’s bag caught my eye in that moment, the perfect excuse to end this fucking conversation. “Look, I’ll call you back, alright?” I hung up and grabbed the bag, wondering what at all Jennifer was thinking about to forget her bag like that.

As I made my way up the porch, a sense of dread filled me when I heard a scream. I jumped the rest of the stairs in record speed, pressing my ear against the door, just in case I heard wrong the first time. “Answer me, Jennifer… else I will strangle you to death. Who. The. Fuck. Was. Is. That. Man?”

There was no answer, just choking sounds.

Choking sounds.

He was going to kill her!

^^^^^^^^^^

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