Page 25 of Viral Affair

Rupert glanced back at me. Our bodies were suddenly so close to each other that every cell zoomed with rising energy. He inhaled sharply and then pulled back a little, looking at me with his hooded eyes.

“I’m your boss, so I should know these things, Veronica. Maybe I personally wanted to make sure you would be safe. After all, you’re our best girl in the club,” he said slowly, as though mincing his words.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I’m this much away from squeezing the truth out of your balls, so you better start talking. You don’t know me, you only fucked me once, but that doesn’t mean I’m not vindictive. Besides, I’m really, really pissed off right now.” My gaze shifted to his lips and I pictured myself kissing him. I had no idea what was going on with my hormones lately. His gaze made me so aroused, I seemed to be constantly melting in his presence.

Rupert wasn’t saying anything, but when I was staring into his eyes, thousands of emotions passed through them. Heat riddled through my core when I imagined him bending me over his kitchen island and taking me from behind.

“Why don’t you sit down and I make us dinner? I was going to cook for myself tonight, and I’ll tell you exactly why I did what I did back on the weekend.” He took a step back, allowing me to breathe again.

I was a little disappointed that he didn’t just grab me and kiss me. My chest felt heavy as I glanced around. Granite worktops, white walls, and although Rupert was a minimalist, his kitchen was filled with Italian vibes, like pictures on the walls, Tuscan-inspired linens, cookbooks, and all the fresh herbs that he spread in front of me.

I was still in a bit of a shock, but I sat on a tall chair on the opposite side of the island. This man was tanned and gorgeous. My ovaries high-fived each other the moment he’d ordered me to stay. My palms dampened with sweat as I tried to figure what to say next, my anger fading away.

“Rupert, don’t tell me that you know how to cook. I thought you would have a private chef like your brother, the PM.” As I spoke, he started chopping onions, his forearms muscular and tanned. I wanted to run my tongue over them. I thought about him spreading my thighs with them and lowering himself down to my bare pussy. A bead of sweat ran down between my shoulder blades.

“I enjoy cooking. My father is half Italian, and four of us have been spending almost every summer in Sicily since we were babies, sunshine,” He lifted his head and smiled at me.

My ovaries again vibrated with need.

“I hope you’re hungry. I’m making us some seafood pasta. It will go well with the white wine.”

“Sure, seafood pasta,” I muttered to myself, stomach growling. I was so preoccupied with figuring out how to find him that I remembered I’d only had a light lunch earlier on. “Aren’t you a dream, Rupert. So since we are hanging out, I think you should tell me how many women you’ve had lining up to be your significant other, because I don’t believe for one minute that a man like you is single.”

“Alexa, play ‘Bella Ciao’,” Rupert said, and soon, the familiar tune played in the background. “I have been in a relationship before, but since Greece I haven’t had anyone serious in my life, Veronica. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since that night. You’ve been haunting my dreams every night, and that’s the reason why I started reviewing your clients. I couldn’t fucking stand the idea of you sleeping with any of them.”

I wanted to laugh and say something witty, but my brain went blank because when that man stared at me, nothing else mattered. I swallowed hard, still doubting that he cared about me so much.

“So you switched my clients so I wouldn’t sleep with anyone else,” I said, my voice strained.

Rupert broke eye contact and focused his attention on the meal he was preparing.

“Precisely, sunshine, because you belong to me, and I want to claw out the eyes of any man who ever dares to even look at you.” He threw the spaghetti into boiling hot water. “I don’t fucking share, and you can’t deny there’s something strong brewing between us.”

I sipped the wine while my skin felt like it was literally on fire. I normally didn’t take too well to men who wanted to claim me, but with Rupert, this felt natural. I didn’t want to feel this way and yet, I needed him to keep talking. I sipped on the wine for some degree of comfort.

“I think we need to set up some ground rules. We are not together, we had one night of mind-blowing sex two years ago, and now you’re my boss. You cannot make me quit, Rupert. I have a five-year plan and I need this job so I can achieve my goal,” I said, aware of my own security. I promised myself that I would never struggle like my mother had in the past, and corporate life wasn’t for me.

“Tell me about your plan, Veronica.” He gave me another wide smile.

I drank more wine. Then I told him exactly how I wanted to live my life while he was cooking, starting from being a highly paid social media influencer and ending up owning my own beauty business. Italian music played, the whole kitchen smelled divine. Bliss. .

My heart lightened up. I knew this man could take care of me so I wouldn’t have to worry, but I would never give up my independence.

“I know you’ll get there. I can see the drive you have, and it’s impressive.” He sounded nostalgic, or maybe that was just my impression. He quickly set the table and dished up our dinner.

My mouth watered because the seafood pasta looked absolutely delicious.

“Thank you. So that’s why you need to back off, Rupert. Stop interfering in my life and let me do what I need to do.” I picked up a fork.

“Never, sunshine. I won’t let you continue working there because as I said, I don’t share and I don’t want anyone else putting their dirty cocks in you. Nothing has changed.”

Chapter Fourteen

Rupert

She rolled her eyes at me and I was ready to bend her over that table and fuck that attitude out of her. Veronica was officially driving me bananas. I knew what the problem was—I lost all control every time she was around me—and I always needed to feel in control. This was so ever since I had that diagnosis as a child…

“Your possessiveness turns me off, Rupert, but this pasta smells divine, so if you don’t mind, I’ll make a start on it,” she said.

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