Page 54 of Forbidden Deception

With words choking me, with emotions pulling tighter around my neck, I stay still, my eyes on Rafael’s trusting ones, knowing I will be the one left with a broken heart while he watches me rip everything he built apart.

21

Pushing my office door, something akin to anticipation bubbles in my stomach. It has been increasing to the point that when I visited Dad, he looked concerned, sure that I was going to torture someone today.

Venezia giggles to herself in my office, placing something on my desk. She snaps up when she hears me walk in, her eyes wide.

“What have you done?” I keep walking, my steps precise until I am standing right in front of her. Venezia is holding her iPad for dear life like I might bite her.

I won’t.

Okay, maybe notyet.

“Just doing my job, Mr Gustav.” She narrows her eyes, emphasising on my name, which makes me smirk.

After the flight back to Edinburgh, I dropped her off before heading to my own home. A very quiet, dark, towering home. While I have invested quite a lot in AI technology to keep me and my home safe, it still feels a little too quiet. It’s a home very much built for someone who doesn’t trust a single other person in their home. It never bothered me until last night when I, for a very short second, imagined Venezia’s presence in the house, and it changed everything for me. I didn’t think I would actuallyenjoy someone else in my home aside from the small robots and my AI system.

Coming home to robots speaking to me through my ceiling speakers is definitely making me realise just how stupidly lonesome that seems. Even at my age of thirty-six, it isn’t necessary for me to have a home that big, but it’s a need to keep me safe.

“Doing your job, huh?” My eyes flit to her lips that I kissed only days ago, and now she’s here, in my office, a whole tease, and still up in her spirits.

“Yes, move before someone walks in and thinks I am trying to seduce you.” She rolls her eyes as if it’s a bother and not something she should hide, and that has my lips turning up.

“Why are you smiling? Let me do my work.” She pushes at my shoulder and starts to walk around me, but I grab her wrist and turn her around. Her breath hitches when she falls against me.

“Do you think I will ever be able to work now?”

Venezia hasn’t given me a reply, and instead chose silence after I expressed my interest in her. I’m not going to force it out of her, but I know I will need to wait. She’s hesitant and wary possibly because of something in her past. I intend to find out about it and take care of this hesitancy she has.

“You’ve got quite the experience, so don’t worry about that one.” She smirks, her eyes teasing.

“Oh? So now you are finally getting your jabs in, aren’t you? I knew the moment you badmouthed me in my own car that you aren’t as quiet and sweet as you make yourself out to be.”

Her eyes flare at my words. She swallows thickly, and that makes me want more of her genuine reactions without her keeping them locked away.

“You are hiding many things, but I will uncover it all. I know you are far more than what you portray yourself to be,” I murmur, dipping my face until my lips brush against hers.

Her hand in mine tightens into a firm fist while her breathing quickens.

“Rafael,” she whispers, a tortured sound escaping her.

Chuckling, I let her go, knowing she will be furious if she doesn’t get her work done on time.

She blinks, then looks up at me in accusation, but I only nod towards the door, hiding my grin when I turn around.

“If you keep doing that at work, I promise you, I won’t even walk into this office.” She stomps away, her hair whipping with every jerky step.

Quickly turning to the one-way wall, I grab my remote so I can watch her enter her office. She walks past my gift and sits down. Minutes later, she finally looks away from her computer screen and finds the vase full of fresh sunflowers sitting near her window on the small table. She gasps, her eyes flickering to this wall separating us as if she can see me.

She gets up, walks over to it, and reaches out to touch a delicate petal, a small smile gracing her lips.

When evening rolls around, the invitation set on my desk makes me sigh, but I know I need to go. It’s the perfect opportunity to set in motion what I aim to do.

“I’ll be clocking off for the day.” Venezia waltzes in my office, giving me a polite smile.

The minute my eyes fall on her, the atmosphere in the room becomes instantly charged. Venezia seems to notice it, too. She swallows thickly, her own eyes almost calling out to me, but she steels herself and turns and walks out.

I can’t even walk after her. My laptop pings the moment she leaves.

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