Ian has changed into a colorful beach shirt with a white singlet underneath and biker shorts, looking way different again from what he had looked like just a few minutes ago at his company.We were both in a jet, and I was psyched!All of these had been really quick; it almost felt like I was on set in an episode of Fifty Shades of Grey. I used to watch them with Arthur, and now I feel like Anna.Only I wasn't Anna. I was Iris, a girl on the run from her maniac husband, Isak. And Ian, a crazy billionaire white knight that I had run into one late night at a resort."You own this jet?" I screamed at Ian, just to be heard over the noise of the wind.The doors were open as Ian wanted us to see all of the sights, but hell no, I wasn't doing that!He grinned at me behind his sunglasses as the strong wind blew over his hair."Enjoy your first ride with me, Iris!""This is crazy!" I laughed loudly and threw my head back.God!If anyone told me I would ever be doing this—flying on a jet—on a v
"Did you ever go to the beach as a kid?" Ian suddenly asked me.Wondering why he asked, I paused but answered anyway. "Yes.""Is that why you stopped back there? When did we come?"So he hadn't thought it was about the apartment.Slowly, I answered him again. "Yeah."He smiled. "I saw the look in your eyes. Like you were recalling the waters from a past time."I let out a silent chuckle, and our gazes remained connected till I could feel that heat building in me again, starting from my neck and then down in the pit of my tummy. It equally started up in my core between my crossed legs stretched out on the beach chair while I blinked constantly and put more and more focus into not letting my breath pattern change in the slightest.Watching Ian, I knew that he could feel everything that I felt right now too.One of his hands was relaxed over his chest, rising and falling calmly with it, and with his other hanging hand, he slowly made contact with my left hand, which was equally hanging d
"Lily? Be sure she gets everything when she's awake.""Yes, sir." The maid bowed.From the top of the staircase, I watched them as I slowly started to get down, and the sound of moving footsteps drew Ian's eyes up.The guards around him were getting his work documents ready and moving them to the car.Holding his gaze with a dry expression, I finally got down to the bottom of the stairs.My nightgown was still on me, stopping short of my knees, with the long silk jacket over it.My hair, I was sure, looked tousled in the morning, and my face was hardly clear of sleepiness.
The calming yet roguish scent of the room instantly welcomed me as soon as I entered, filling my senses and embracing my inner being.Unable to resist the feeling it brought, I leaned myself back against the door and reveled in the feel of it with closed eyes.God.This felt extremely safe here.Like times ten of Ian's presence.The extremely safe, comforting feeling was very thick in the atmosphere, especially with the look of the room and the fact that I knew that I was in his own personal room.My phone rang after I finally started to take a few more steps.My father.
The events from the previous night were still fresh in my mind's eye. I had gone about assuming things like I always do, and it boomeranged right back in my face. I thought we had become close enough to tell each other our deepest secrets and hurts; apparently, we were far from it, and try as hard as I could, I know I did a terrible job at hiding my disappointment. For one, I had thought of leaving for my place, except my apartment was razed down.I got out of bed slowly after tossing and turning on it for hours and sat up on the bed, fixing my gaze on my toenails and making a mental note to do a makeover for them. I slipped into my robe and made for the kitchen, where I hoped to get something to feed my rumbling stomach. I had been too ashamed to stay for dinner last night, so I had retired to my room earlier than usual. I remember hearing him knock on the door to my room several
I couldn't tell what it was about him that made me want to find out everything about him, but I knew I was drawn to him. The excitement on his face was something I wanted to see every minute, but more than that, I wanted to know who or what it was that got him that way.I drained my cup of coffee that's now cold, and my tongue tasted the sugar at the bottom, forcing me to drop the cup quickly. I went in search of him, and I found him on the balcony in his bedroom, and the glass door that separated both rooms slid closed. It was my first time entering his room, so I was fascinated by its class and exquisiteness. I lingered in the room, taking in its beauty and stylishly trying to listen in on his conversation, but I could hear nothing. The glass door was either soundproof or he was speaking in hushed tones to keep me out.
It had been two days since Ian's dining stunt in my room, and he had made sure to always come to my door, bearing mine and his meal, since I'd refused to dine with him in the dining room. And since I started looking into his family's case, our current dining room has been his study, just as it was today.We were seated on the bare floor Buddha style, with a big bowl of chicken bits in between us, and the floor was littered with different journals and newspapers.I clasped a journal shut after scanning through it for possible hints, and I scanned around the giant room, occupied with mahogany shelves and multiple artworks. At first glance, one would assume it's a museum with all the various artifacts gracing the study room, each one marked as a souvenir from every country visited.
“Ian!” I called out nervously. “What are you doing at home at this time of the day?” I asked, pushing the journal into mine properly and keeping it out of sight.“It's almost six, Iris,” he responded, a wide smile on his lips. My eyes were still on him, and my brows creased in curiosity. “P.m.? It's evening, Iris.” He closed the distance between us in his usual gentlemanly gait and brushed strands of hair from my face. He tucked them behind my ear and tilted my face to look at him with his index finger as he examined me like a doctor would. “Have you been in here all day?”I forced a smile in response, and he shook his head in disapproval. “I want this case cracked, yes, but not like this, Iris. I can't believe you've been in here all day.&