7 - Anastasia.

Halting at the doorway to calm my racing heart, I stop and stare at him. God really took his time with him. He's so fucking hot — an absolute vision of masculinity; big hands, well-proportioned body, devilishly handsome facial features, sitting there in his suit like he owns the place, my laptop on his lap, and his gorgeous emerald-green eyes scanning the screen as he goes over my blog. Just being this close to him has my body on fire, and my mind shuffling through a host of filthy, filthy fantasies I'd give anything to have him act out with me.

Have him teach me passion. Every touch. Every word. Every taste.

As quietly as I can do as not to distract his reading, I tiptoe over to the couch, set his glass of water down in front of him, and plop down in place beside him again. He looks up at me briefly with a smile, then goes back to his reading. I'm a bundle of nerves, but I do my best to remain calm as he finishes up reading. I don't know if he read deeper. My blog is three years old, and there are times I write five articles per day, so he wouldn't be able to finish reading everything even for a week.

Once he's done scanning the recents, he gently closes the laptop, and reaches for the glass of water. He takes a sip, then turns to me. "You have a fine way with words, Anna. Your style is sharp, witty, and delivers a stunning effect. I've pondered on the identity of Mira Brawn for years, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that it'd be you. Impressive is an understatement."

I try not to shriek out in delight, but I can't help myself. "This is the best compliment I've ever gotten. Oh my goodness, thank you so much."

"You're welcome. Please don't stop. Your parents may not be in support, but I am. I will always support you no matter what."

I hold my tears back. "I'm so thankful, Nate. No one has ever believed in me so much like you do. It's soothing, and I do not take it for granted."

"Ah, I'm just giving you your flowers. Tell me, why are your parents not in support though? What are their reasons?"

I hang my head. "My parents want me to be a doctor. Or a lawyer. They want me to pursue a high-paying career because of our financial status. I'm the child that's meant to change the fate, you know."

Nate is silent for a while, watching me. When he speaks again, his voice is low. "That's...sad. I can see the vision in your becoming a medical doctor, but if that's not what you want for yourself, then I think you should stand your ground,” he draws closer to me. “Try and make them see reasons with you. Don't give up on trying to change their minds. With what I just saw, I know for a fact that the talent is there. And it's a shame if we let it go to waste like that, don't you think?”

I can't concentrate on his words. My eyes are firmly fixed on his lips, and when I look up from them, into his deep green eyes, I see something I've never seen before. But I must be imagining it, because the emotions swirling in those green orbs are emotions he should not be showing me. Emotions he should be masking. Emotions I've wanted him to show me since the first day we met, but they were emotions I never thought he was capable of possessing. At least not for someone like me.

Emotions that spelt out plainly, 'I want you, Anna. Badly. Painfully. Insanely.'

“Um...”

“Or if you don't want to become a fashion x celebrity reporter anymore, who don't you try modeling? You've got a banging body, Anna.” He smiles, causing my heart to soar in excitement at the prospect he's introducing. “This is Los Angeles, and I know of many brands who would do anything to have a body as good as yours on their roster.” With the back of his forefinger, Nate gently traces a line across the right side of my face, the emotions in his eyes merging into one.

Full-blown lust.

A river trickles down my legs. I'm no longer wet, but hopelessly soaking up.

“With these hips,” he whispers now, his hand dropping to my waist, a finger moving across the curve of my hips, “Los Angeles would never remain the same again, Anna. You'll drive all the men insane. Just like how you're driving me insane right now.”

I swear to God, I'm about to cum.

His voice is that effective.

I shift my weight, and drop my gaze down, fighting the blush that is creeping up my cheeks. Today is my lucky day. Nate Jackson, billionaire mogul and the most wanted man in all of Los Angeles just said that I'm driving me insane. He's hitting on me. Me — silly, sweet Anna. It's what I've wanted for so long, I realize. Maybe not at the beginning of my relationship with Emerson when he was all sweet, but my subconscious mind had switched to Nate ever since Emerson began giving me reasons to doubt his intentions.

“What about...we shouldn't...Em...” I blurted out in confusion. What would Emerson think about this? How would he feel? And why am I so concerned about the brute?

Nate's brows knits together. “Em?”

“Yes. Emerson. He's your son, Nate. He certainly won't be happy about this.”

Nate chuckles and lifts my face so that I'm looking into his eyes. “He didn't tell you? Emerson is not my biological son. He's actually my nephew. His mother, my older sister died in a car accident while he was still a baby. I never got to know who his father was as she wouldn't tell me before her death. I've raised him since he was an infant, and now that he's in college, we only have a couple years left together. He's already becoming his own man.”

A burden lifts from my chest. “You're serious? All this while, I thought — ”

“No,” Nate shakes his head. “No direct ties whatsoever.”

“Wow. I can't even lie, this puts a lot of things in a positive light.”

“Say it how it is, Anna. This puts us in a positive light.” Before I can react, he leans in and kisses me. Goosebumps break out all over my skin as I melt against him. I want this. I want him.

Pulling back now, he stares at me, his eyes full of passion and desire. Right there, in that very moment, I thank the heavens for making Emerson and I fall out tonight. If we hadn't, Nate would never have confessed his attraction towards me, neither would I have found out about the truth of Emerson's birth.

“Come with me tonight, angel. Can you do that? Please.”

I nod, fireworks going off in my stomach. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but in his arms tonight.

“Would your folks be worried? I think you should leave a note or something.”

I shook my head. “They know I'm out with Emerson tonight, and would be sleeping over at his place. If I follow you, they'd assume I'm with Emerson.”

“Perfect then.” He stands and extends a hand for me to take. I stand, feeling like the only girl in LA when he sweeps me off my feet, carrying me like an angel. His angel. I try to control my widening smile. Fuck, this is perfect. Too perfect.

“Well, you won't be with Emerson tonight, angel,” he says sweetly. “You'll be with me. The one man in this city who truly knows your worth and how to appreciate it. You won't regret any of this, Anna. That's a promise, and a hill I'm willing to die on to keep.”