Chapter Nine
They, at last, finished inspecting their third and last of the Parker Suites in Los Angeles. Lucas left after the first inspection as he had an important meeting to attend to with an established company who wanted a tie-up with Parker Suites for hosting their conferences for the next 5 years.
Tyler was in a foul mood since the moment they stepped out of the penthouse. After the morning mishap, she had to change into a skirt suit with a matching scarf around her neck to hide the love bites he gave her. Lucas was his usual happy and irritating self.
The moment he left, Tyler calmed down a little but still his mood didn't improve. He made everyone jumpy and nervous around him. They committed more mistakes out of their nervousness which irked Tyler further. They all eyed River with looks of sympathy not knowing how she even managed being his PA.
At last the torture was over and they returned back to the penthouse. River opened her suit and scarf and walked towards her room. She was dead tired. He didn't eat anything and neither did he let her have her lunch in peace.
"Why did you have to wear that scarf?" He asked, in a disapproving tone.
"To hide these, obviously, " she answered, tired of his high handedness.
"Or to give the impression to Lucas that you're available for him?" He asked, striding towards her and pulling her into his arms, flush against his chest.
She gasped at the insinuation. "You're blind and really impossible, " she said and struggled to get free.
"I'm not deaf. Tell me what I want to hear," he insisted, his arms like tight bands of steel around her. Escape was actually impossible.
"What do you want to hear?" She asked, giving up.
"Do you still love me?" He asked her, his thumb going up to her lips and caressing her lower lip while he stared at her, his eyes dark and dilated. "Tell me, please. I'm going crazy here. "
Did he have no idea that she loved him so much? "Yes," she said softly. He lowered his head and smashed his lips to hers. His mouth tasted hers hungrily and bit onto her lower lip. She opened her mouth to him, wanting to kiss him as much as he wanted her. His tongue glided in and ravished her possessively. His hand went lower to her hips and he moulded her into himself.
His mouth left hers and went to her neck, kissing her there, giving her another love bite as she moaned his name. "Don't you think of hiding these again? You belong to me, hear that?" He said, looking at her with longing.
"You're my employer. What will everyone think? That I'm sleeping with you," she said, unhappily.
"I'm having second thoughts about this employer thing. I think I will soon terminate this and marry you instead," he said, sighing heavily as River's eyes widened nd she simply gaped at him. "Lucas is coming to dine with us here. I've ordered the food. Remember what I said," he said, leaving her and going into his room.
River rolled her eyes. Why can't Lucas leave them in peace? All drama starts with his appearance.
She trudged back to her room for a shower. Wearing a sundress, she left her hair untied to air dry and came out as the doorbell rang. Tyler was in the shower as his room door was open and she could hear him in his en-suite.
Lucas stood there with a shit eating grin on his face which disappeared the moment he saw her.
"I can see that you've been ravished by the lion himself, " he said and she glared at him.
"What? Isn't it the truth?" He asked, leaning closer and bumping her shoulder.
"Please Lucas, I'm not interested in you," she told him, feeling terrible that she might be giving him a false impression.
"I know. Just kidding. You love him, don't you?" he said, suddenly on a serious note.
"Yes, how did you know?" She asked.
"Even a blind man can see, Ann," he said and then after a thought. "Well, only my brother seems oblivious."
"He knows," she said with a small smile.
"Bravo, you told him? No wonder he has marked you," he said with a grin. She rolled her eyes.
The doorbell rang and the food arrived. The delicious aroma drove Lucas crazy and he checked all the dishes that Tyler ordered.
"What's he doing, exactly? I'm dying of hunger," said Lucas, glaring at Tyler's door. He got up,"I'll go and get him."
She waited for 10 long minutes when suddenly loud bangs and whams sounded from Tyler's room. What was that? She rose to her feet and hurriedly went inside to find that both were beating the shit out of each other.
"Hey you two. Stop immediately or else no dinner for you," she yelled, staring at both rolling on the ground, trying to overpower the other.
They stilled and got up and dusted themselves. "Let's go, eat," said Tyler, giving Lucas a glare. He placed his hand on her hip and walked back to the living area. Lucas followed, watching them and grinning like an idiot.
They ate in silence, no one spoke. It was the worst dinner of her life although the food was too delicious. Lucas left after dinner.
"Pack up and be ready by 7 o'clock in the morning tomorrow. We're going back," Tyler announced and then stomped his way back to his room. River stared at his retreating back. What was wrong with him? Why was he behaving in such a weird manner?
She sighed and ate a little more, enjoying the food now since both the bugs had left. Satisfied, she went to her room and packed up her stuff. Then she changed and slept like a log. She was so exhausted.
The next morning she was ready by 6:30 in the morning. She opened her door and found Tyler in the living room, busy on his laptop. She pulled her luggage and went to sit there too. He looked up and checked her out from head to toe. She wore a pantsuit, thankfully and was feeling very comfortable.
"You will shift into your new apartment today, " he said casually as she gaped at him.
"But I don't need it," she told him.
"The apartment is ready and your stuff has already been shifted there," he informed her.
"I don't have much to pay rent, " she said truthfully.
"The company's providing. You don't need to pay rent. I've asked people to go to your brother's house and pack the stuff and shift it. When we reach Vegas, it should be ready. I'll drop you at your apartment and go home. I will see you in the office tomorrow," he said and she nodded.
She would at least have some privacy and could get some sleep without any drama.
