Chapter 3

As Tessy's bike fell to the ground, the owls above her head hooted loudly and flew into the night, leaving her alone with the towering building few feet away from her. She sighed and looked at her wristwatch, noting that it was a full fifteen minutes till eight.

She was early, and for good measure too. She didn't want to disappoint Blaze, who she knew would already be waiting for her in his high rise apartment. Maybe if she played her cards right, he would let her off without a word. However, she didn't see that happening – not with the heated look he gave her the previous day.

Tessy shuddered as she struggled to get the eyes of her brother's best friend out of her mind, but it was hard. A part of her knew what the guy wanted, but she didn't dare to think it out loud. That would make it more real for her, so she busied herself with going into the brightly lit building.

The apartment condo was in the outskirts of New York, and she had to do a thorough research before taking her bike out that way. It contained a hundred apartments, ten on each floor and Blaze stayed in one of the top flats. Only because his father was the owner of the building and he was put in charge of managing it.

She didn't understand how a crackhead and spoilt brat like Blaze was able to manage a huge building like the one she stepped into, and she felt certain it would be rundown and infested with stray animals. That was why she was shocked when a robust man dressed in an elegant suit walked up to her with a smile on his face.

"Hello, welcome to York's Condo. What can I do for you?" She masked her surprise with a smile, while trying to understand the name. Instantly, she shook her head as she guessed that Blaze had once again showed his lack of ingenuity with such an ordinary name for a beautiful building.

The man in front of Tessy noisily cleared his throat, in order to gain the attention of the girl who was now admiring the lobby. While he enjoyed taking new tenants on tours around the condo, he wasn't in the mood for it that evening. He was eager to go home and meet his mother, who had developed cancer and needed to be taken care of.

Meanwhile, Tessy seemed to regain herself and handed him a red card. "I'm here to see Blaze. Blaze Colt."

The man's eyes widened slightly, and he looked her up and down for a moment before prompting her forward as he moved to the desk behind him and offered her another card. "It's not frequently that Master Colt allows people visit him here. You must be special."

"Unfortunately," she muttered low enough that the man wouldn't hear her, but either his ears were wolf like or she wasn't quiet enough because he raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly.

She quickly blinked twice and turned to go, feeling a tingle run down her back as the man called after her.

"Enjoy your stay."

She hastened her steps after that, moving towards the flight of stairs as she tried to forget the man's words. She knew that she had no idea of the place before, but why didn't Blaze allow people visit him? Was he hiding some sort of secret?

She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice that she hadn't asked the man for the right directions, and it was when she met a dead end wall that she sighed and stomped her feet on the rugged floor.

Tessy stood confused for a moment, debating between her options when she heard a voice. "You should have asked for directions, you know." There was a mocking tone to the words, and she instantly recognized it.

She took in a deep breath and turned to face Blaze who was standing a few steps behind her with a smug smile on his face. She couldn't help but sneer at him, as she tried to come up with an excuse for her error. It was seconds later that she remembered she was at her brother's best friend's mercy, but he was already walking down the steps.

"Follow me, and try not to get lost again," he offered and she had no choice but to follow. They silently walked down the long stairs and turned to the right, where another hallway stood. It was brightly lit and filled with wall length mirrors, and Tessy was only able to get a brief glimpse of herself before an elevator opened.

Blaze quickly stepped into it and punched in a number, before turning to her with an impatient look on his face. "Aren't you coming in? I know you know I live on the tenth floor, so that's where we're going." He sighed and nearly pinched himself for explaining that to her, but he couldn't help it.

She looked so scared, like he was going to eat her if she stepped in. Not like he wasn't going to eventually do that, but he also needed her to follow him so they could talk. He stood there for almost a full minute, before he heard her draw in a breath and move forward to join him.

The doors closed almost immediately, and they began their descent up. In the tight space and with a mirror facing them, it was hard for him not to notice the clothes she wore. She obviously hadn't put much effort into it, but that didn't stop his brain from imagining her underneath him.

Anything Tessy wore looked good on her, and he liked how her bootcut jeans hugged her thighs. In the years he had known her, she always wore clothes that hid her figure. Until the previous day when he realized they were just a cover for the bad girl underneath.

If only she knew how much of a turn on that was for him. He smiled inwardly and said nothing till the doors opened up to reveal the tenth floor. "The whole floor is mine so there won't be anyone to disturb us, Tessy." He made sure to place emphasis on her name, noticing the way she shivered beside him.

With each passing moment she spent with Blaze, she could feel her legs prompting her to run away. A part of her wanted to tell him to fuck off and tell Braxley whatever he wanted to, but each time she prepared herself to say the words, her brother's face came into her mind.

If her boss killed her off, what would her brother do? He had always been protective, and knowing what she really did would crush his heart. She was better off hiding this secret from him, and if it took her enduring Blaze and his leering glances the whole night, she would gladly do it.

This was why she swallowed a gulp and attempted to start a conversation. "Why York's Condo?"

"What?"

Blaze's head whipped to the side to glance at her, and she guessed she had thrown him off guard because his eyes showed a large amount of curiousity. For a moment, he looked like the dense best friend of her brother that she eternally wondered what they had in common.

"I mean, why did you name the condo that?" She paused and stroked her chin. "I'm assuming it's you that named it."

His eyes lit up with understanding as they reached a door and he paused to swipe the keycard. "Oh, that. I was drunk that day," he responded and chuckled slightly as he walked into the room.

Tessy shook her head as she joined him, scrunching up her nose in preparation for the weed smell she knew was about to come. However, Blaze shocked her once again. The living room she entered was neat and well arranged, with no trace of weed or foul smell present.

All she saw was a sparsely furnished living room, with a big keyboard by the side and a pool table at the other end. It was difficult to believe that Blaze Colt, who she knew had a long time history of dirtiness, could be this clean.

He saw the wondrous expression on her face and smiled. He had promised himself that the night would be full of surprises for Tessy, and he wasn't even started yet. He sat down on one of the couches and glanced at her.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush. The reason I invited you here is…," he paused, when he saw her breath hitch. He liked the anticipation his words held, and he allowed her stew in it for a few seconds.

Tessy was about to ask why he suddenly stopped when he grinned and delivered his next words.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

If a pin dropped at that moment, Blaze would have heard it clear as day. As soon as the words left his mouth, Tessy's eyes formed an o shape and her mouth opened up as she stared at him with an expression he couldn't describe.

He had known she would react like that, so he came prepared for whatever she had to throw at him. The idea had been in his mind ever since her birthday last year, and it was the perfect opportunity to ask her.

If Blaze told anyone that he found the nerdy sister of his best friend attractive, it would have caused a stir in school. He was known for his high taste, and Tessy didn't fit into that category.

However, he saw the fire in her and finding out that she sold drugs stamped that fact. He wanted her badly, and her secret gave him room to ask for as much as he wanted. That was why he found the courage to cock a brow at her and smirk as she tried to process his words.

So, he used the time to lean back on the couch, patiently waiting for her answer.

Tessy, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. Her mind kept on replaying Blaze's words, and she found it hard to believe that he had just asked her to be his girlfriend. She had gone to the apartment expecting him to give her a difficult task, and she shook her head in amazement.

If she wanted to be truthful to herself, there had been times when she caught her brother's best friend staring at her. It had always given her the creeps, but regularly, she brushed it off and pretended like she didn't notice. But now, he had made it obvious that he wanted her.

Most of her felt disgusted by the request, as Blaze was the opposite of what she wanted in a man. Even though she dealt drugs and led a double life, Tessy didn't want a man who partied wildly and carried girls every day of his life.

However, she couldn't deny the tiny part of her that leapt for joy when the guy sitting in front of her made his request. It wasn't that she liked him in that manner, but rather, she found it thrilling that a guy wanted her. Not just any guy, but Blaze.

He was undoubtedly the hottest guy in school, followed closely by her brother. Dating him would easily raise her ranks up. She would never admit it, but she also wanted to be popular.

That was why against her better judgement, she folded her hands and shifted her weight to one foot. "If I say yes, what's in it for me?"

Blaze smiled softly. He didn't want her to see how much her answer affected him. So, he nodded his head nonchalantly and got up to stretch out a hand. "Don't get it twisted, Tessy. This will only last three months, and nothing more. However, there is so much I can give you."