Semua Bab The Billionaire's Secretary. : Bab 31 - Bab 40

“How about this one?” Agatha holds up a green velvet dress the same color as our eyes. It’s simple and elegant with its modest lace sleeves and embroidery at the hems. “It looks great,” I agree, running the back of my hand over the fine material. Then I look at the price tag. “Yeah no,” I laugh dryly, “Put it back.” She frowns and pushes the dress on me, “Why? It’s perfect for you.” “It costs half of my monthly salary,” I say as I place the blue dress I’m holding back onto the rack, “Can we go? I have to get ready for the meeting.” Today’s outing was the most fun I’ve had in a while. We had the driver take us on a cruise throughout the city, then we had coffee in a riverbank café. Afterwards, we decided to do some shopping…well, Agatha did. With a reluctant sigh, she places the green dress back as well. On our way out of the mall, we decide last minute to grab a snack. “How about some ice cream?” I suggest, leading the way to a creamery, “A sundae would be nice.

When we get to the hotel, neither Agatha nor Louis is around. Neal tries calling the both of them but there’s no response.I should be worried, instead, I take it as a sign. Neal does too. We stand in front of our respective doors, staring at each other. Seconds stretch on for what feels like an eternity. My last shred of reason is screaming at me to open the door and disappear behind it.The distance between us closes in the blink of an eye. Who makes the first move? I don’t know and frankly, I don’t care. All I know is that once again, his arms are around me.“Star…baby,” he groans, wrapping my hair around his fist and tugging my head back. Then he leans forward to run his lips along the edges of my jaw, “You have no idea how badly I want you.”I’m breathing hard and fast as I sink my fingers into the pads of his shoulders, “You’re right, I don’t. That’s why I need you to show me.”The hardwood door digs into my back as he hoists me up against it, his hands grabbing the un

“Full deck, straight clears. I win.”Louis spreads his cards out on the table revealing his winning hand. A smug grin splits his face as he picks up yet another chip from the stack.Agatha and I share a glance before showing our cards. She shakes her head, confounded.“How do you do it?” she wonders, “You win at everything.”“Almost everything. He sucks at tennis.”I look up as Neal enters our cabin. He’s carrying a tray which he places in the middle of our table.“How nice of you to bring us drinks,” Louis pouts and flutters his lashes in an exaggerated manner, “And no. I don’t suck at tennis. I just can’t keep up with your superhuman speed.”“Is that the reason you lost to Pauline the last time you played?”Louis looks like he’s going to explode and turns to us, “Don’t listen to him. Besides, Pauline played in the women’s professional team as a teenager.”Agatha and I avert our gazes, hiding our smiles.We are aboard Neal’s personal plane–the one he and Agatha flew in. It’

My colleagues throw a mini welcome party for me at work on Monday. “But I was just gone for three days,” I laugh in surprise.“Those three days made us appreciate you more,” Henry tells me, a small wrapped gift in his hands, “Welcome back, Star.”He hands me his gift and the others troop in. Mariella’s gift is chunk of cake encased in clear foil wrapping.“It’s frozen so you don’t have to worry about spoilage or anything like that,” she chirps.I beam at her and retrieve my own gift from my pocket. It’s a ceramic figurine I bought on the day Agatha and I went sightseeing.“Oh it’s so pretty,” she gasps and hugs me.Then Patty comes with hers and it’s a bombshell.“A lot of people don’t know this but my grandmother is Italian and she taught me a lot of delicious recipes,” she explains as she drops a huge foil dish covered in checkered napkin in front of me.I would be lying if I said I wasn’t overwhelmed.“Patricia,” I gasp, lifting the napkin away to reveal an exorbitant ar

My already brutalized heart constricts even more at his gutted tone. Why is he being so sweet?“It’s not that I don’t want to accept,” I begin, my voice small and sincere, “It’s just…I don’t want to take this any farther than it’s already gone.”His grip on my legs tighten as he demands, “Why? Are you afraid of me? Is that it?”A lump begins to form in my throat. “No Neal. That’s not it.”“Then what is it?” Neal stresses, looking downright desperate, “Talk to me. Because I know that this feeling up in here…” he supports one of my legs against his thigh and reaches up to clutch at his heart, “…you feel it too. I don’t understand why you keep running from it.”I turn away, unable to bear looking at him.“You wouldn’t understand.”With his free hand, he cups my jaw, turning my face back to him. He’s got the most heart wrenching look on his face.“Try me.”A tear rolls down my cheek and lands on his thumb. How do I do this…how do I tell him he’s the reason I’m running from him?