24. Baby

Innessa drowned in her assignment. Once done with it, she was so tired that she plopped on the bed face-first. She was hungry, but she didn't have any strength to cook anything. 

She got an electric stove and some crockery with a little grocery with her first salary. So, she often has midnight snacks. But today she was so tired. 

She closed her eyes and was about to sleep when her phone vibrated with a message. She sleepily checked the message, and instantly, all the sleep washed away. 

'Are you asleep?' 

It was a text from Issac. She lay straight on the bed, reading the message thrice before responding. 

'No. I'm awake.' 

'What are you doing?' He asked. 

'Nothing much. What about you?' 

'I'm missing you 🥺,' 

Her heart did a little stutter as a swarm of butterflies giggled and blushed in her belly. 

'That's so sweet of you.' 

'You're supposed to say you miss me too😒' 

'I'll say it when I feel like it 😌' 

'Are you teasing me, Innessa?' 

'Aww, are you teased, baby?' 

As soon as she sent the text, she sat up straight. A goofy grin spread across her lips. She couldn't stop smiling. He read the text, and her heart lurched to her mouth when she gaped at the incoming video call. 

She quickly declined it and breathed deeply to calm her nerves down. 

'I want to see you call me baby. Answer the call.' 

Her phone rang again as she cupped her mouth, contemplating. She was teasing him. How in the world would she be able to call him baby on his face? He was anything but a baby, more like a beast. 

She quickly glanced at her reflection in the mirror and gaped at herself, horrified. She had dark circles and looked half-dead. She quickly opened her hair from the bun and wanted to apply some lip tint, but his text stopped her. 

'If you don't answer now, I'll be on my way to your dorms.' 

She didn't know why, but she had this gut feeling that he'd do it. Because Issac was always the man of his word. When her phone vibrated again, she quickly answered the call but kept the camera to the ceiling. 

"Innessa..." His deep, raspy voice had her chewing her lower lip, feeling giddy. 

She'd love to hear his voice all the time. Maybe she should ask him to send her voicemails often so she could play them on a loop. 

"Show me your face," He rasped, making her take a deep breath as she angled the phone to her face. 

She peeked at the screen only for her breath to hitch when she found him shirtless in the bed with messy hair. Her pupils dilated, noticing his naked, muscular shoulders, his sturdy chest. A mess of hair rested on his forehead as he peered at her with those sleepy eyes. 

Innessa couldn't look away. He looked so breathtaking. Holding her breath, she sneakily took a couple of screenshots. Smirking at her naughty work. 

Issac smirked; his eyes mischievous. "The best and easiest way is screen recording, Innessa. You're not that sneaky, you know, but you're cute," He mused, grinning as her jaw slacked. 

She quickly straightened up and rolled her eyes at him. 

"I know," She mumbled grumpily as he smiled. 

"So, you were saying something before our FaceTime," He asked. 

"Nothing," she said quickly, looking anywhere but at her phone. 

"You were teasing me. Calling me sweet names. I'd like to hear it now," he said, making her fluster. 

"It must be a misunderstanding," She blurted as he raised a perfect brow at her. 

"A misunderstanding? No, I recall you calling me baby," He smirked as she blushed. 

"It was in the text," she said. 

"I want to hear it," He rasped. 

She shook her head, causing him to scrutinize her. "Are you sure, precious doll?" 

Her eyes snapped to meet his gaze. The organ in her chest was beating way too fast at that endearment. 

"Y... Yes, I'm sure." She spoke. 

"What are you wearing?" 

"Nothing much-" She showed him her clothes, only to pause as she pulled the camera back to her face with red cheeks. Innessa was only in a loose shirt and panties. And she just flashed him her legs and thighs. How could she be so dumb? 

"Nothing much? I see," He mused. 

"That Mark suits you," He smirked, his eyes full of possessiveness and pride as he stared at the purple hickey on her chest where her birthmark was. 

"Don't do it again. I was having a hard time hiding it," She grumbled, feeling flustered. When she noticed the hickey he gave her, she was stunned. It was prominent and even hurt a little. 

"Hmmm, so you miss me?" 

"No," She lied. 

"Are you sure?" 

She bobbed her head, trying to veil her smile. 

"Are you done with your assignment?" 

"Yup," She answered. 

"Lie down and relax. I want to sleep while talking to you," he said. 

Her cheeks were hot because of all the smiles and giddiness as she lay back and held the phone to her right, which made it look like he was lying beside her. 

"You can't sleep without talking to me?" She teased. 

"Yeah, I'm getting addicted to you. It's nice," He rasped, causing her gaze to flicker away because he was looking at her so intensely, which was making her feel things she had never felt before. 

"Addiction could be dangerous," She tried to warn him, trifling. 

"I am danger, Innessa," He mused, causing her brows to furrow as she tilted her head. 

"You're not a danger. You're a gentleman," She smiled. 

"Only for you," He rasped, causing her to frown. Maybe he was just joking with her. 

"I wish I were there with you right now," he said, making her blush. 

"Aren't you a little too eager, Mr. Knight?" 

"Am I, Ms. Laskin?" They both smiled sheepishly as they talked for an hour before she fell asleep first, and stayed awake for hours watching her sleep. 

Innessa hurried out of her class after submitting the hard copy of her assignment. 

She stepped out of the department only to be greeted by Archie, who smiled upon seeing her. "Where's Elena?" 

"She took a sick leave," Innessa said as he bobbed his head. 

"Are you free after classes tomorrow?" 

"I have my part-time job." 

"After that?" 

"Yeah, I'm free after that," she said. 

"Then let's watch a movie and grab some food later tomorrow," he said. 

"I'll ask Elena if she could be available-" 

"No, just the two of us," Archie said, making her pause as she stared at him. 

"Why not her? She'll be mad at us later," Innessa said. 

"I just want to spend some time with you, Innessa. There's something I need to tell you. It's important," he said. 

"You can tell me now," She offered as he shook his head. 

"Not now, I'll tell you at dinner tomorrow," he said. 

"I can't go to the movies because it'll be too late for that, but we can still grab some food later," she said, and he smiled. 

"I'm cool with that. I'll pick you up from the cafe tomorrow, see you," he said, stepping away. 

"See you," She smiled, waving at him as he walked away. 

She gasped, her eyes widened, and her body tensed when a strong arm wrapped around her waist and a hot body pressed on her back. 

"Does he know you're mine?" His hot breath fanned her ear, making her shudder as she stepped out of his grasp and faced him. 

"Everyone is watching, Issac," she said in a small voice, tucking her hair strand behind her ear and avoiding his eyes. 

He grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers as he walked her to the parking lot. He helped her into the car and got into the driver's seat. 

"Are you going to drop me at the cafe?" She asked. 

"Yeah," he said, escorting her to the cafe. He was mad, but he didn't let it show, nor did he ask what she talked to Archie about. 

Issac pulled the car over at the front of the cafe, but as she turned to leave, she found the door locked. 

She faced him with a raised brow. "You're not going anywhere until you call me baby," he said with a dead serious face as she blinked at him, dumbfounded. 

"I was just teasing you at that time." 

"Tease me again." He rasped as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Issac." She used a strict tone. 

"Innessa." He cooed, making her sigh. 

"I'll say it if you close your eyes." 

"What?" He asked with a frown. 

"I'll say it. Just close your eyes if you want to hear it," she said. 

Issac closed his eyes, and a couple of seconds passed when he felt her palm covering his eyes. Her hot breath caressed his lips. His breathing was shallow when she pressed her soft lips to the corner of his mouth. 

"Are you happy, baby?" She whispered. Her lips stroked his skin. 

Just when she was about to pull back. He growled. "F*ck!" He grabbed the back of her head, pulling her closer, jerking her hand down from his eyes as he crashed his lips on hers. Kissing her passionately, making her gasp. 

He kissed her intensely, forcing his tongue into her mouth, devouring her very essence. She gripped his shoulders, trying to stop him, but he tilted her head and deepened the kiss. 

"I love it." He rasped, nibbling on her bottom lip. 

"I'm your baby. Only yours," He rumbled against her lips as she shivered. 

Issac broke the kiss, letting the girl breathe for her dear life as she trembled. His eyes dropped to her swollen, red lips and flushed cheeks. He so f*cking badly wanted to see where else she blushes. 

She licked her lips, sitting back on her seat because he had pulled her closer almost out of her seat. Innessa breathed deeply. She straightened her clothes and hair and glanced at him meekly through her lashes. 

"I know," She whispered as soon as he unlocked the door. Innessa quickly stepped out of the expensive car before he could kiss her again. She leaned down to say something. Their eyes locked. 

"You're my baby," she said in a small voice, avoiding his eyes with red cheeks, but he heard her, and before he could drag her back into the car and kiss her into another worldly orgasm. She dashed into the cafe, leaving him sitting there with a wildly beating heart as he rested his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes. 

"She'd be the death of me," He murmured. She was opening up to him slowly, showing her lovely side, making him fall for her deeper. 

The next day after her shift, she found Archie waiting for her outside the cafe. Innessa didn't notice the familiar black car parked around the corner. She didn't notice the man watching her like a hawk. 

Archie hailed a cab as he took her to the nearby fancy restaurant. He had reserved a table for two. The place was nice and expensive. "We could've gone somewhere else. This place looks expensive," she said, making him shake his head, smiling. 

"I wanted to bring you here, come on, take your seat," he said, pulling the seat for her as she quietly sat down. Oddly enough, she was having a feeling of a date rather than friends having dinner. Usually, friends grab food at local or affordable places, not a five-star restaurant with romantic vibes. 

She was skeptical, but Archie looked happy, so she didn't say anything. The waiters took their orders as he sat in front of her nervously. He was dressed formally. It looked good on him. But she was in her casual wear. 

"How was your day?" He asked. 

"It was good. How about you?" 

"It was good, and I was excited, nervous too," he said. 

"Why nervous?" 

"I wanted to tell you something, Innessa," he said as she bobbed her head, paying attention. 

"Innessa. I... I like you," he said, and at the same time, she flinched when a chair was slammed right beside them, and someone sat on it. 

Their eyes snapped to the person, and both of them were stunned to see Issac. He was sitting with the back of the chair to his front. His arms resting on the headrest of the chair, glaring at Archie. His legs spread wide. He was taking up so much space with his intimidating presence. It wasn't just his presence; there was this dark, cold aura around him. 

"You were saying something?" Isaac's voice was deadly low and menacing. His cognac eyes looked ominous. 

"Why are you here? Leave now. This is an intrusion of our privacy," Archie gritted lowly. 

"Privacy?" Issac tsked. Irked to the point that his blood boiled. 

"What were you saying earlier?" He rumbled lowly, causing Archie to glare at him. 

"I was confessing to Innessa! It has nothing to do with you," Archie hissed. 

"Nothing to do with me?" Isaac sneered as his vicious gaze flickered to Innessa, who sat there, ice cold. 

He darted his gaze back to Archie. "You were confessing to my girl?" Issac menaced. By now, a few of the heads were snapping in their direction. 

"She's not your girl." Archie snapped. 

"Archie, listen to me-" Innessa tried to intervene as Issac pulled to his feet. The chair scraped and hit their table as he rounded to her side. 

Resting his palm on the table, he leaned closer. Innessa gasped when he grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged her head back, making her face the ceiling with a yelp. 

Leaning down, he licked her parted lips, causing Archie to blanch because Issac was looking him dead in the eyes before he claimed her lips like a savage beast in front of everyone.