Chapter 6

Laila

As I sat in the cab, I blew out a breath. I felt relieved I got away from the place. This encounter felt intense. Not with Mrs. Montgomery. No. With Mr. Playboy. Okay, so his name is James.

Things with him were awkward. Much. Why did he wanna know where I live? He probably noticed my accent and weird surname. What were those intense stairs directed my way? And what were those cheesy lines about? Was he flirting with me? Jeez, that is the least I need right now – a playboy hitting on me. A shiver went down my spine remembering his face. I would take it as a warning from my intuition. It has never let me down this far. I should stay away from Mr. Playboy.

It felt kind of flattering that such a rich handsome guy was advancing on me. Or was I just imagining things? Am I arrogant to think that he was hitting on me?

He is very handsome, and he sure knows it. He was flashing those charming smiles often. Oh, no, not going that road. I will not start to dream about him. Besides, I don’t know the guy. He might be just a pretty cover, handsome shell but totally empty inside. Or immature. Or very, very selfish and egotistic. Maybe even narcissistic. Yes. And who needs that? Not me.

But my mind went stray as I replayed every small encounter I had with him. When he walked me out, he looked so sad. My heart felt sorry for him. Though I have no idea there was anything bad going on in his life now. And what was with his hand? It was so warm, and it made my own hand tingle. That tingle spread through my body. I felt like butterflies in my stomach were frantically flying. When that feeling went more south, I had to quickly pull out my hand. Was it statistic electricity? Or was it just because of the warmth? Sometimes it is so good to be a guy. They are always warm and oozing out the heat. I was a bit jealous as my own hands and feet were usually chilly or cold. I was a northern girl, but I felt cold most of the time.

I remembered James’s hand again. I felt in my guts it was a bad idea to take his hand, but I didn’t want to be rude. Though look how it made me feel. I rubbed my hand with the other. It felt like I could still feel his warmth on my hand.

I shook my head with a frown. What? Laila, do you hear yourself?  Is it a bad idea to shake another human’s hand? He was partly my client. It was just a polite gesture. I was just obsessing about the blue-eyed-hot-piece way too much than I should. And now going through every small detail? Common. No. No. No. I’m not going on this road. I don’t need a crush. I don’t need a fling. I’m here just for work. I mentally cut the images with James. It always helped to regain focus when some unnecessary distraction came into life. Besides Mr. Playboy probably will forget about me by tomorrow morning.

I was so immersed in my thoughts about James, that I didn’t notice we arrived at my place. I quickly paid and rushed out of the cab. I went up to my apartment. I ate lunch. I pushed all the thoughts about a certain male out of my mind. He was just a brief distraction. I focused back on work. I included all the details in the project that we discussed today with Mrs. Montgomery. I contacted the construction company again.

I did other things that came up. As I successfully managed everything, I felt good after a busy working day. Even if I knew that Mr. Playboy still stayed at the back of my mind. I managed to ignore it. And I will keep on doing it.

James

The moment I closed the door, my head swung down. I smelled my mom. I picked my head back up and looked her in the eyes. There was a twinkle in the same eyes I got from my mom.

- So what’s with the girl?

She asked with a smirk on her face. She suspected. I shook my head with a small smile.

- Was I that obvious?

I chuckled lightly.

- Well, let me think.

She pretended to think deeply while tapping a pointing finger on her chin.

- You skipped breakfast, which you do…right, never. Suddenly you were interested in furniture, wall color, curtains and tiles. Do you ever do that? No, you don’t. At the same time, you didn’t hear a word Laila said, though you didn’t take your eyes off her. So, do I need to guess or will you tell me?

She quirked an eyebrow and looked with amusement at me.

- Yes, Laila is my mate.

I said slowly, but just mentioning her name and the words “my mate” made my heart skip a beat and swell in joy. My mom's face softened and a bright smile bloomed across her face. She looked up with hands in a praying motion and mouthed “Thank you!”. Then she pulled me in a tight hug as much as her hands were able to go around my big muscled body.

- Oh, thanks the Moon Goddess! That is so wonderful! I’m so happy for you James! At last, you have met her!

She pulled away while keeping her hands on my arms. She looked at me with great joy and pride.

- We have been waiting for you to meet your mate for years now. That is wonderful! And Laila is such a beautiful and smart young lady. And very talented as well. I love her already. I will be happy to have her as my daughter-in-law.

-        What?!

We heard a female voice shouting from the top of the stairs.

- Did I hear mom saying “daughter-in-law”?

My mom faced the stairs and looked up at my younger sister Fay. There was a clear surprise on her face.

- Yes, my dear. Come! James has found his mate! And she is wonderful!

My mom waved her to come down with a bright smile and joy in her voice. Knowing my mom that smile will not disappear from her face for weeks. That is how happy she is for her children. Besides, she had started to whine that she wanted grandchildren already.

- What? That douche has a mate?! He doesn’t deserve one!

Fay said with disapproval in her voice. I growled at her.

- Shut up.

I said lowly.

- James.

My mom said with a warning in her tone.

- Fay! You should be happy for your brother!

My mom addressed my sister with a scolding.

- Phhe.. He will ruin her! Will you even be able to stay loyal to her? You f*ck everything that has a hole between their legs.

She spat with disgust in her voice. I growled. The last sentence is partly true. I do have my own standards and limits. There used to be some no-no’s. But her saying I would not be able to stay loyal was total bu*shit. Laila was my mate. Thoughts about all other women flew out of the window the moment my eyes landed on her. Now Laila was my everything. There was no one else left. I haven’t encountered any other woman after meeting my mate, but I was sure my words were true. Just remembering any girl I f*cked made my guts twist. I felt nausea. Now that I think about it – why did I have to f*ck so many random girls? My mate doesn’t deserve it. Laila looked so pure and elegant. The total opposite of skunks I used to wet my dick in.

- Fay Montgomery! Watch your tongue!

My mother scolded Fay. Serves her right.

- That is total sh*t Fay. Of course, I’m gonna be loyal to her! She is my mate. There is no one else for me anymore. She is it. But, oh well, what do you understand? You don’t have a mate!

I taunted her. Hurt flashed in her eyes.

- F*k you James!

She spat back. Yes, she was 21, and hadn’t found her mate yet. It hurt her daily. Like me. I remember that pain. Yet, I still stabbed a knife in her bleeding wound.

- That’s it, you two. Stop this crude bickering or I’m going to make you clean this house from the basement to the rooftop for a week!

My mom threatened while shaking a finger at us.

- We have maids for that.

Fay retorted, trying not to be affected by our mother’s threats. Our mother could be a scary lady sometimes.

- Doesn’t mean that they don’t need a vacation from time to time.

She smirked at Fay with her arms crossed over her chest. Fay gulped. I stayed silent. We were able to behave if we wanted to. Truth be told, I loved both my sisters a lot. I punched every guy who dared to look at them with lust filled in their eyes. I even beat up their a*shole boyfriends in high school when they eventually broke up. Even if my sisters were the one to break the relationships. But for me, that meant – there was a good reason behind it. I was that protective over my sisters. But, of course, we teased each other a lot and our bickering was famously known around the pack.