The Trap Of Ace

Chapter 14

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 14 – Clutching the t-shirt tight against my chest, I whirled around and my breath caught into my throat. There, he stood rigid beside the door, hand clenched around the k**b as his darker than ever stormy grey gaze preyed on my almost half naked body. Even with the t-shirt before my chest, I felt naked under his scorching stare.

Curse the moment I decided to go braless due to the thick cotton blouse!

“W-what are you doing here? Get out!” I screeched, as he stood there immobile, staring at me shamelessly.

My outburst seemed to pull him out of his trance. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath. Once those grey pools opened again, instead of leaving, he closed the door behind him and stalked towards me.

Eyes like saucers, I stepped back. “W-what are you doing? Get out of the room! Right now!”

Only when he was inches away from me, then did he stop. Jaws clenched, his gaze went back to roam on my b**e shoulders to my b**e waist, leaving a tingling sensation behind in their wake.

I was frozen in my place, my head screamed to run to the washroom, but my legs weren’t moving. I didn’t flinch when he raised his hand and tucked a strand behind my ear. Because even if in this whole penthouse I was alone with him, there wasn’t any fear in me.

“You’re telling me to get out from my own room, Rosebud?” rasped his deep Greek accent. Flaming stare set onto my parted lips. Only then I noticed how his shirt was half done, displaying the fine ripped muscles of his chest.

I bit my lip.

“Don’t do that if you want my hands to stay away from you.” A groan reverberated into his chest as he pulled my lower lip out with his thumb and touched it sensually. A jolt shot through me, making me stumble away.

With my heart at my throat, I managed to say, “D-do not touch me. Get out or else…”

He stepped closer. “Or else?”

Eyes flickering around, I kept backing away. “I- I will…”

What could I do?

Moving away from him, I ran for the washroom and closed the door behind me. A booming laughter followed behind.

I cursed under my breath. In the mirror, I found myself all hot and red, out of anger, embarrassment and… and something else. Something that I felt when he watched me with those eyes and touched my lip. Something that I didn’t want to address.

What was he doing here anyway?

He said it was his room. That meant this was his penthouse, and not Caleb’s? But then why did Liza say it was Caleb’s… oh! So ‘the boss’ meant, Achilles? I thought she was Caleb’s assistant, so she might refer to him as the boss.

G*d! I’m such an idiot!

And then something clicked. If Ace was ‘the boss’, that meant, he made that cabin for me? That beautiful cabin I was so comfortable working in? And here I thought it was Caleb.

I didn’t know if I was flattered or irritated. That man vexed and confused me, and at the same time wondered me.

What does he actually want from me? Those roses every morning and gifts, why’s he doing all this?

Still weak in the knees, I put on the t-shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. The t-shirt engulfed me whole into it.

It was his…

Without realizing, I took the fabric and sniffed. A disappointment filled me as only laundry powder’s smell was what I got.

I shook my head.

What was I doing? I had to be strong. I couldn’t let him affect me in that way.

With a new determination set, I took a deep breath and walked out. He wasn’t in the room anymore, so was my stained blouse.

Where did it go?

Once I was in the hall, he was still nowhere to be seen. Good for me, I just wanted to disappear from here without facing him again. I could just come later sometimes and grab my blouse.

I almost let out a sigh of relief when I reached the door without any hinders. And just as I touched the k**b…

“Going somewhere, Rosebud?”

I stilled.

Turning around, I sent him a glare. He was now changed into a white shirt and dark suit jacket.

“Yes, any problem?”

My eyes widened as the door didn’t open when I pulled it. I tried again, but no vail. What was wrong with it now?

Then I remembered about the fingerprint scanner. But there wasn’t anything like that beside the door either.

“Why isn’t it opening?”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Because I locked it.”

“What? But why?” I scowled. “Open it, I’m getting late for the meeting.”

He shrugged. “I’m sure your boss wouldn’t mind if you reach there a little bit later.”

The nerve of this man! He talked about my boss as if he was referring to someone else and not himself!

“Open this door right now, Ace.”

Something flashed over his eyes. Closing the distance, he stood before me. “I missed hearing my name from your lips all these time,” he said, tone soft with emotions as his eyes raked over my face with such tenderness.

Something squeezed my chest as the memories we spent together seven years ago when he used to visit our home regularly flooded my mind.

A composure suddenly took over his features, turning him unreadable. Clearing his throat, he cocked his head. “I will let you go only if you accept a condition of mine.”

“Everyone is waiting for me. I don’t have time for this,” I said, not wanting to accept any of his conditions. I knew, it would be something wicked, just like his intentions.

“That’s why I’m suggesting you to accept my condition and I’ll let you go.”

He wouldn’t budge, would he? Pressing my lips tight, I glared at him. “Fine! What is it?”

A triumph look took over his eyes, though he didn’t let it show on his face. “You’ll come with me, in my car to the meeting.”

“What! No! I won’t go with you!” No way I was staying alone with him in his car. Right now was more than enough to give me sleepless nights. I didn’t want more.

“Then you aren’t leaving,” his tone spoke finality.

I gaped. “But… you can’t do that. If you don’t open this door then you can’t leave either, you know that right?”

His mouth twitched. “Nice try, Rosebud. But trust me, I don’t have any problem spending some more time with you here, alone.” He stepped closer.

I raised my hands before me, stopping him. “Alright, i- I’ll go with you. Just, open this d**n door!” It was better to be in a car with him than stay locked in this penthouse.

G*d! I hated him!

But when a breathtaking smile appeared on his lips, brightening everything around me, I doubted myself. It felt like I was seeing the same old Ace again. Soft and carefree. Not this rough and cold.

I went speechless when he closed the gap, pressed a kiss on my forehead and whispered a ‘let’s go’ in my ear. He opened the door for us clicking on something on his phone. I didn’t know how to react as he held my hand and led me out of the penthouse. And I let him, until we stepped out of the elevator and met my other colleagues down at the lobby.

***

The car ride was quiet all the way to the meeting. I barely looked at him as my eyes were outside on the road most of the time, ignoring the brooding man. But his overwhelming presence wasn’t an easy thing to ignore.

The whole time he was tense, his knuckles were tight on the steering, glancing at me time to time. As if he wanted to say something to me, but held himself back.

The only thing he asked was if I wanted to listen to some music. But I said no. I wanted to ask him how he got my fingerprint for the scanner. But even I chose to stay silent. Because I didn’t trust myself, once I started asking, I feared I’d ask something that I shouldn’t.

Once we were at our destination, together we walked inside the sea-faced restaurant where the Arabs would meet us. The whole terrace was booked for the meeting. And the first thing as we stepped onto the terrace was the fresh ocean air greeting us, blowing my long brown locks along.

The Arabs were already there, discussing something in their own language around the big roundtable, four men and two women. And the ladies weren’t from there for sure, seeing their western dresses. Liza and Matt were seated at a smaller table beside them.

Smiling, when I tried to approach them, a big hand held my elbow.

“You’ll stay with me. Come,” he ordered- though his tone was soft, and steered me towards the Arabians.

“And why would I listen to you?” I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

His shoulder lifted an inch. “Because I’m your boss.” The teasing in his fleeting glance didn’t go amiss.

I huffed silently as the Arabs approached us, all smiling broad.

“As-salamu alaykum, Mr. Valencian! Pleasure meeting you!” the older one of them said, shaking his hand with Ace. Just like other three men, he also flaunted their traditional long white tunic and a chequered

head-dress on his head.

“Likewise, Mr. Hakimi! I’m glad you all specially came here for this meeting,” he replied.

Though a smile stretched across his lips, his eyes were back to blank. A hollowness that resided into those grey pools even if he was with his closed ones. Another thing that changed in all these years. I wonder what caused him to turn like this.

Well, except me. With me, he was someone else, he’d emotions in his eyes. The emotions that scared me.

After Mr. Hakimi introduced his partners, he then introduced his assistant over this country, Cindy, the girl in a red dress and eight inch stilettos. Eyeing Ace up and down, she flashed him a red lipped smile, batting her fake eyelashes.

“I’ve heard so much about you, and finally I’m here, standing right in front of you, the infamous Mr. Valencian. It’s such a pleasure!” she cooed, shaking her hand with him. I didn’t miss how her hand lingered in his more than usual handshake times. My stare hardened.

But it seemed he didn’t care at all. Retracting his hand, he dismissed her with just a curt nod. Her smile threatened to fall.

“And who is this gorgeous young lady we have here?” asked Mr. Hakimi.

Turning to me, Ace pulled me closer by my waist, surprising me. “Meet, Emerald Hutton. A very close friend of mine.”

Close friend? I didn’t think we were even friends, let alone close. Giving him a look, I smiled at the Arabs. “I’m a designer at OC Fabrics. And just a family friend of his.”

All of them greeted me with smiles while he just watched me, which made me uneasy. His closeness and touch was already too much for me.

“Shall we proceed now, Mr. Hakimi?” he asked the old man. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

But his assistant was too excited to proceed than her boss, as she said, “Of course, Mr. Valencian! Please sit.”

Annoyance pricked my skin as she unnecessarily crouched down to pull a chair beside her for Ace to sit there, displaying her scary cleavage in the process.

Nodding his head, as he went to accept her offered chair, I went ahead and sat there instead. Surprise flashed across her face but she covered it with a fake smile. I smiled back with equal enthusiasm.

“Easy, Rosebud. I’ve my eyes only for you,” his sudden whisper in my ear had me flush. Him talking to me like that still managed to shock me. Even though he cleared his intentions from the day one.

Taking the vacant chair beside me, he threw me an amused glance.

G*d! He must be thinking I was jealous. Which I wasn’t! I just didn’t like that girl. And like that, my eyes again went to glare at her, but subtly this time.

As the meeting went on, that red witch continued to laugh and flirt with him. She would even ask irrelevant questions throughout the conversation leaning forward over the table to see him properly, as I was in the way.

Even his stoic face didn’t discourage her. My hands were tight in fists whenever her eyes shamelessly devoured him in front of everyone. I didn’t know how I resisted myself from clawing those eyes out of her.

When a hand landed on my t***h, I looked up at him, surprised, even confused. But when he squeezed gently, I turned red again realizing that he noticed my reactions, all of them. Even that old man sent me a

mischievous smile, his aged eyes flickered from me to Ace.

Embarrassed with my reactions and disturbed with my own feelings, I excused myself and left down to the washroom.

As the cool water touched my hot face, it felt soothing. But the ugly green monster still raged inside me. I didn’t know I’d react like that seeing some other girl even eyeing him with interest. And it wasn’t the first time, I felt the same when I saw that red head friend of his with him that night. Even more to say.

I was getting tired of fighting off my own feelings. But I didn’t have the strength to accept them. I just couldn’t.

Tapping my face with a tissue, I rechecked my appearance in the mirror, blew out a breath and went out. The washroom on the terrace had some work going on, so I had to come downstairs.

As I walked through the busy restaurant, a fuss behind me made me halt and turn around.

A tray filled with food was spilled on the tiled floor as the waiter gaped at the scene with h****r. The man standing beside him, apologized. Getting out some cash, he handed it to the baffled waiter and hurried out of the door, his movement tensed as he kept looking over his shoulder.

Wait, I knew him. I saw him before somewhere. But where?

Scrutinizing, my eyes followed him even outside as he walked to the parking lot. The walls were made of glass, so I could see him properly.

Tall frame, grey hair peeking out of dark locks. Yes, it was the man I bumped into back in NY, at Mr. Cooper’s office. How could I forget that strange man?

What was he doing here?

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