5

Boss, where are you? Luke received a message from Josh.

He wondered if his trusted friend and personal assistant, had found out anything about the girl who he did not think about it and let her stay in his penthouse and with out him.

In my office at the hotel. He messaged Josh back.

He expected to see his friend in a few minutes. So while he waited, he lit up a cigarette to calm his nerves.

Luke never finishes his cigarettes. But this one he did.

He didn’t realise how on edge he was.

Soon after, Josh walked in.

The first glance at his boss, he could tell that something was troubling him.

‘Sir?’ He asked.

Josh knew it was no good to ask him, what was wrong. He knew his boss would tell him to keep out of his business.

Especially when he looked mad.

Luke ignored him for a moment and glanced at the screen.

Vera was now out of sight. Luke didn’t like that and frowned deeper.

He looked up to his friend. Who was standing tall with his arms crossed his chest.

‘Did you find anything?’ he asked.

‘Miss Rayne’s has a very personal life.’ His personal assistant had said.

Luke liked that Vera was a private woman.

But it didn’t stop him from frowning. It annoyed him that he didn’t get any thing on Vera Rayne.

‘However, on the week days, Vera goes to the gym.’

No wonder she has a strong body. He thought.

Luke was now smiling.

‘Usually by eight pm.’ Josh continued.

‘Thanks.’ Luke says.

Sometimes it shocks Josh, when Luke would thank him. Because has it only been very rarely has Luke thanked him.

Josh told the boss all about the gym details as they left the hotel.

Luke had to get back home to make sure his kids were OK. He hates leaving them alone over night. He always wanted to be there with his kids.

...

In Vera’s haste to leave her new bosses hotel room, she forgot to grab her shoes.

She realised that she had left them behind, halfway in the lift, to her floor of the hotel.

It made her curse a few times. She was known for her curses.

She wanted to go back to get them. They were her favourite heels. But she was also a little scared to go back there.

She decided she was still too hungover.

She just wanted an aspirin.

It was another five minutes before the lift stopped on Vera’s floor. It was at least another minute she reached her door. She sighed in relief.

She could have her aspirin and after a shower.

She was probably going to sleep the rest of the day.

...

Luke arrived home, just before the children were ready to go to kindy.

He walked up the grand staircase and down the long corridor.

Sometimes it was tiring, Luke thought.

Sometimes, he just wanted a normal house.

One with only a few rooms.

One hallway.

One bathroom.

Just the normal stuff.

But nothing about Luke’s life has ever been normal.

But he longs for normal, everyday.

More so now. Ever since he laid eyes on the girl who he had formed an attachment to five years ago.

The girl who bore his children.

She was now a woman.

A damned too sexy woman.

Luke found his children in their playroom.

They were all dressed and ready to go.

He smiled as he walked up to them, crouching down when he reached his beautiful children.

‘How is my Princess and Prince today?’ He says, while opening his arms for his children to step into his arms.

‘Good morning, daddy.’ His Princess says.

‘Morning, father.’ His Prince says.

Luke thought his son sounded too old for his age sometimes. It worried him.

Because he didn’t want him to grow up too quickly. He wanted his son to enjoy his young years.

Luke didn’t want his son to have what he had growing up. Luke couldn’t recall any happy times. Also strict rules.

Just now, he decided that he would find a new home for him and his children.

A normal home.

It made him smile, thinking about it. Because it made his thoughts wander to Vera. He would have a home for her.

A warm loving normal home.

Shortly after, Luke was saying goodbye to his children.

It was time to have a shower and then he was going to work.

Maybe work will distract him for awhile.

Hours later it was  getting late.

In those hours, Luke plotted to how he was going to see Vera again.

He had the perfect plan.

He was going to give back her shoes.

...

Vera woke to a knock on her door.

She didn’t know who it could be.

No one knew where she lived.

To be honest, no one knew she was back. And she wanted to keep it that way.

She thought about ignoring it. But before her thought was done, there was another knock on the door.

She threw herself out of bed, though stopped short, remembering that she was only in a silk nightie.

‘Hang on,’ Vera called out.

She quickly found a dressing gown and threw it on before answering the door.

She was not expecting it to be Mr. Reynolds.

It made her nervous. So she clutched at her dressing gown to make sure she wasn’t showing something she shouldn’t.

‘This is, um.’ She found it hard to speak. ‘How’d you know where I lived?’ she then asked.

Luke, he kept his face blank.

‘As the owner of this hotel, it is my duty to know who is who.’ Was all he said.

It annoyed the woman. But she didn’t say anything.

‘You left your shoes at my place.’ He began and held the shoes up to show he wasn’t lying.

‘Thank you.’ Vera said.

She was thankful to have her favourite heels back. But she didn’t show how thankful she was. She had learnt over the years that it was best to hold back on her feelings.

It made Luke frown however.

He didn’t want this tiny woman to hold anything back. Especially to him.

But he realised that she needed to trust him first before he could say anything about that.

But, he had a plan.

Luke Reynolds always has a plan.

‘I also brought you a coffee.’ Luke says.

Vera didn’t know what he was up to. So she just stared up at him.

It was the first time that she had seen his eyes properly. Endless deep brown. A pool of chocolate.

It actually startled her a bit to see that he was showing kind eyes, to her.

What happened to the Luke Reynolds who everyone classed as a monster? She silently thought.

In her lost thoughts, she didn’t see Luke pull the take away cup from its holder and then hold it out for her to take.

Luke took her silence as he thought he had offended her.

Or that he was trying to trick her.

Don’t you think I would have taken advantage of you last night when you passed out on me. He wanted to say.

He wanted to step into her personal space, push her up against the wall and whisper that in her ear.

‘Here,’ he said. His patience was slipping. But he didn’t want to scare her.

Yet.

Vera hesitated a second more before she grabbed the take away cup, with the hand that was not clutching her dressing gown closed. And then after another second of a hesitation she brought the cup to her mouth.

She looked up to Luke. Her eyes, they nearly made Luke fall on his knees.

They were clouded with emotions.

Multiple ones.

Confusion...

Nervousness...

Her eyes also showed.

Appreciation...

&

Cheek...

Her eyes were beautiful. Luke thought.

They were a forest-y green. They were a little glassy, showing that she was tired. But it was like looking into crystals.

Luke wondered what her next move would be.

He thought she seemed unpredictable. But he liked that about her.

‘Come in,’ she said, after taking a sip of her coffee.

This pleased Luke.

It meant she was beginning to trust him.

Luke, he didn’t hesitate and stepped right in.

‘Um,’ Vera began. ‘Take a seat and I’ll be right back.’ She says and then rushed into her room.

Luke knew what she was doing.

And thinking that, it drove him absolutely mad.

Since meeting Vera, all he has done was fantacied her naked and very much under him.

It made him remember all the times she had been under him, five and a half years ago.

Back then she was eighteen and her body had not developed. She was skinny. She had no figure.

But now. She was twenty four. And now she had an incredible body.

She was still skinny.

She was strong.

Her hips were bigger.

Even her breast were at least two sizes bigger.

Luke thought she had a very womanly body.

And he very much wanted to taste it.

He promised himself that he would.

That he was going to.