Page 23 of His Beloved Princess
"Only because youhad to leave for San Francisco," I replied, placing my hands on my hips. "Why are you pushing me?"
I felt cornered. He knew I would do anything for him, and he was using it against me. But I just didn't understand why it was so essential for him. Two months ago, he didn't even know me. He had prepared for this event long before we met, and suddenly, I was to be the shining star.
"Because if I don't do it, you'll stay hidden behind your safe walls for all eternity," he retorted, his eyes hardening at me.
"What?" I squealed, bubbling in my chest. He hit my soft spot, and even though I didn't want to admit it, he was right.
"You know what I mean, Electra," he grumbled, standing. "You're an intelligent woman who is wasting her potential. You can do much more than answer the phone."
"You own a PR company," I groaned, watching a smile spread across his face. "Every manager can do it. Why me?" I just couldn't comprehend his interest in showing me to the world. Maybe he was embarrassed by me just being his PA. The thought made my heart clench.
"I own a few restaurants, too, and you still cook for me occasionally. What changed, princess?" he whispered, curling his arm around my waist and pulling me closer. He caressed my jaw with his thumb while I glared at him. I was still upset, but my resilience was melting under his gentle touch.
"I'm afraid I'll let you down," I replied, biting my lower lip. I put my hands on his chest, playing with his orange tie, significantly contrasting his business look.
"You can't disappoint me, Electra." He kissed my cheek, the smell of strawberries tingling in my nostrils, and I smiled a little. My heart was dancing in my chest, and I felt a weird excitement spreading through my veins. I wanted to do it, but my mind blocked me. Fear of performance was paralyzing me. I didn't know how traumatized I was by my mother until he wanted me to show my abilities.
"You need to face them, princess," Bastian said, looking lovingly into my eyes. "It's a great opportunity to prove to your mother and the world that you're exactly where you should be. By my side."
"Why is it soimportant?" I cried out, pouting. Sometimes, I acted like a child, but I couldn't help it. At that very moment, he was more like my father than a boyfriend.
"Because I want you to be okay,” he declared. "Never again do I want to see you sad because of some stupid comments or because of your parents. It started this morning, and I won't stop until you accept yourself the way I accept you." He gently pecked my lips and smiled when I wanted to deepen the kiss.
"I'm not joking, princess," he muttered, brushing his nose against mine and stroking my shoulder with his hand. "You will give the speech today. Okay?"
A loud knock on the door interrupted our conversation, and I wriggled to get out of his embrace, but he didn't let me go.
"You didn't answer," he reminded me sternly, and I almost rolled my eyes at him.
"Yes, Daddy. I'll give the speech."
He chuckled and motioned for me to open the door. I gave him a hard stare, taking a deep breath and straightening my spine. An alarming thought about being pathetic crossed my mind, and I had difficulty pushing it into the back of my subconscious.
A heavy boulder settled in my stomach, gnawing at me. I left Bastian’s arms only two seconds ago and was already lost.
Slightly shaking my head to get rid of a distant memory from my childhood, I opened the door. A man dressed in a fancy black suit stood on the other side, his broad back facing me. But when he slowly turned around, I gasped, instantly realizing who he was. And the expression on his face told me he recognized me, too.
Pete, my one-night stand.
"Hello, darling," he greeted, grinning at me. "I'm here to see Bastian."
"Come in," my boss called out, and I moved to the side, almost stumbling over my feet so Pete could walk in. He didn't stop watching me when he entered the office, and Bastian raised an eyebrow at us.
"You two know each other?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. There was something hostile in his tone that made me quiver. I didn't want to find out what he would say if he knew about me and this man having a threesome with another guy.
"We've met," Pete answered, giving me a wink, "but we weren't formally introduced." He turned to me, holding his hand out for me to shake. "I'm Peter Thorn, your boss's halfbrother."
Holy crap! What?
13
The Halfbrother
Bastian
Standing next to my office desk, I realized something odd was happening in front of my eyes. Yet I couldn't point my finger at it.
Electra wore a polite smile when she shook hands with Peter, and he was charming as usual, but they were tense. Or maybe I was just imagining it because I hated the look on his face. He liked what he saw, and a sharp stab of jealousy pierced my heart. I had to bite my tongue to stop the vexing comment from escaping my mouth when, according to my watch, he had been holding her hand for too long.
