Benjamin drove us to the Lan Diamond Tower's underground parking lot. It was after eight, and most of the employees were already gone. Of course, Aren was still working in his office, spending his fourteenth hour answering calls and emails and dealing with all sorts of problems. I thought of going upstairs to meet him, but Neil insisted that I stay in the car until his boss was ready to come down. "Your car will be here in five minutes. You will switch cars and wait for Mr. Lan," he informed me. "I thought that Benjamin would be the one to take us there," I said, suddenly feeling anxious. "No. Marcus will be the one to take you to your date. He's Mr. Lan's private driver," Neil explained. I smiled faintly, feeling that my recently gained confidence was leaving me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. I wanted to be courageous, but my little inner introvert made me feel awkward around new people, and I think I had already exhausted my daily limit of meeting new people. "Relax

I kept staring at the photos in disbelief. How could I be such an idiot?! I allowed myself to get lost in the moment. I let Aren charm me, and I wanted to trust the warmth I felt from him. In each of those pictures, I saw myself looking at Aren like a woman in love, and I hated myself for showing him this vulnerable side of me. He manipulated me, and I let him."Are you angry?" Monique worriedly patted my shoulder.I smiled wryly. "It's just... you know... It was our private moment and those photos..."Monique nodded sympathetically. "I get you. You are not used to being in the spotlight, but since you are dating New York's most wanted bachelor, you will get a lot of attention from now on.""I guess you are right…" I sighed, lowering my head so that my eyes wouldn't betray my inept lie.I was pissed, and I could barely keep my composure. The blood was boiling in my veins and holding a smiling face became unbearable."So, tell me everything! How did it happen?" Monique grinned, leaning

It took more than an hour for Alan and Norton to stop drooling over my newest toy. I had to admit that the equipment that Aren gave me was beyond amazing. The number of new possibilities this stuff could create for me was astonishing. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much this computer cost... Of course, it was a little bit like giving a full tank of gasoline and matches to an arsonist, but I would never release my evil powers upon someone who didn't deserve it. Pressured by the boys' excitement, the thought of thanking Aren for granting me this extraordinary gift engraved deeply in my head. For certain, I couldn't present him with anything that had a similar value, and since my freak friends had already seen this computer, there was no way that they would let me reject it. If I were to thank him, I needed to be either creative or practical, or better yet, both. There was also another issue that stayed on my mind: when did he order this laptop? Aren was an influential man, so I c

I couldn't explain how I felt when Aren admitted that he had almost lost control while kissing me. He surely indulged my vanity, making me feel attractive and desirable, but his words also scared me because I wanted at least one of us to be sane and rational, and I know I wasn't. It was time to face it: the physical attraction between us was mutual. After drinking ten glasses of cold enough to freeze my brain water, I decided to take a cool shower. Aren's words kept spinning inside my head. My heart hammered against my chest no matter how badly I tried to regain my composure. This was pure insanity. I had never wanted anyone as much as I wanted this man. Each time he was around, I became overpowered by my primal, most basic instincts. Perhaps it would have been easier to cope with this craving if I wasn't so mentally damaged… I would love to be able to keep my emotions and physical pleasure separate. I knew many women that found it so natural. They could meet someone, sleep with him,

My heart started to race. A tickling sensation filled me, rushing down my stomach and making me squeeze my thighs. A flush that surfaced on my cheeks was impossible to miss, just as much as the uncontrollable smile that curled my lips."Oh, my!" Miranda snickered, playfully covering her mouth with her hand. "You are head over heels for him, aren't you?"A peal of hysteric laughter escaped my throat. "What are you talking about?! I'm not in—""You cannot fool me, honey. I'm aware that Aren might have rushed your engagement because of the condition his grandfather set for him, but the fact that you didn't refuse him means a lot…" She grinned, waggling her eyebrows."I… I… had my reasons," I mumbled, avoiding her gaze.This was getting truly awkward. I couldn't tell Aren's friend that I was forbidden to have any romantic feelings toward him. Explaining the reason why Aren and I were engaged was even more complicated.Miranda sighed. "You signed the contract, didn't you?"I gasped. My eye