58. Suck a Dick

My cheeks heat up with all her sexual innuendos and I find myself silently pleading for the ground to split open and drag my editor into its fiery depth of hell.
*Who in the name of baby Jesus made this woman?*
I turn around in my flip-flops with nervousness kicking my toes, wondering what that sly fox would do with the information.
*She won’t go print it, right?*
She just dodged one legal bullet, she wouldn’t risk another one. *Right?*
My stomach crawls from inside and I walk to the kitchen, spotting Dakota casually leaning against the counter while surfing through the iPad in his hand.
Martina is nowhere in the site, leaving just him and I alone. And suddenly, green eyes draw at me, sensing my presence and an effortless smile curve his expressionless face.
“Good morning.” Dakota sets the iPad, giving me his attention.
My stomach churns as he takes a slow stride in my direction, while I do not know what to do with my body as it freezes under his black radar.
“How are you feeling now?” Dakota questions me as he stops a step away from me and raises his hand. Little hair at the back of neck stands up as he keeps his hand on my head and suddenly, heat increases in my body as he feels my temperature.
He has touched me so many times in these past five days, but this time, his touch feels so gentle, so protective, and oh so warm that I almost felt cold when he pulled his hand back.
“Seems normal.” He answers himself, sounding revealed.
I blink at him, wondering should I keep a hand on his head too or maybe get it tested for the sudden show of his soft side after last night.
*Which reminds me..*
“How.. are you?” I whisper slowly, meeting his eyes.
The black in his pupils suddenly dilates to the point, the greens in them appear like a thin halo. Shock, exposed and unguarded, flickers across his features, revealing a crack of emotions on his cold-hearted face.
I have never seen such a *raw* expression on his face.
It’s like time has frozen for him, and slowly, I watch his jaw clench like he is controlling a dark whirlwind inside of him.
“I didn’t mean to barge into your room last night.” I avert my gaze, feeling like I stepped on an unwelcoming nerve. “But it looked like an emergency. You were dithering in pain and your nightma-”
Suddenly, I feel warm fingers brushing my hand and I look up in surprise, watching him bring my hand up with delicate care while he leans his head down in submission.
Hot breath fans on my skin, before warm lips brush against the soft back of my hand, rushing an electric spark down my entire body.
I freeze.
My heart freezes as I see Dakota Black bowing down, like a king before his queen and kissing my hand oh so gently.
“Thank you.” His voice, like velvet against my skin as he whispers in the most gratitude way possible.
“I will never forget.” He says, looking deep into my eyes as if making a soul-to-soul promise.
I feel hypnotised. His ocean green eyes seem to pull me deeper into their dark depths of secrets, a place where he has never let anyone in.
I see reflection of unsaid words, dreams and fear, all swirling in the stormy hues of his intoxicated green iris, which gaze back at me with an intensity that speaks of raw honesty.
I nod my head, as if accepting his gratitude and a hint of smile breaks across his lips, feeling pleased. Slowly, he lets go of my hand and straightens up back to his unreachable height.
His touch leaves a million tingles race up my arm, and unconsciously, I find myself caressing the spot where his lips had been. It still feels warm.
A comfortable silence prevails between us, yet my gaze keeps drawing back to him as if he wants to say something. But he remains silent, observing me with so many words brimming his eyes. And finally speaks..
“I like this Cleopatra thing you did on your eyes.” He says, pointing at my eyeliner.
A wave of colour washes over my cheeks as he checks me out boldly, and on top of that compliments me.
“And those spider legs on top. It’s cute.” He says after analysing deeply.
I blink my lashes at him in confusion. “You mean mascara?”
Dakota nods his head, whispering back “Mascara..” as if saving the new word in his memory file.
A smile touches my lips, thinking how his smartass does not know names of female products, yet he still goes out of his way to pay a compliment.
“Do you have blush on as well?” Dakota asks, with a playful curiosity.
“A bit.” I whisper sheepishly and avert my gaze, feeling the sudden rush of blood onto my cheeks.
“Hmm.. You seem to blush more than you usually do.” His tone teasing while his eyes burn like a spotlight on my face.
*Oh, God! Why is he so observant?*
“And the dress..”
Dakota’s voice softens and I look up at him, there is an unusual gentleness in his eyes, something that I have never seen before.
“It looks great on you. I wish I could have given you sooner.” He whispers, almost with a hint of regret.
For all the things he said, the last one touched me the most. This time, a genuine smile forms on my lips and I heartily tell him,
“Thank you for the dress. I love it.”
Dakota returns my smile, with one of his own. A lazy male smirk, which curve one corner of his lips up in a sheer sense of amusement.
For a moment, we stare at each other, having no thoughts in our mind. Once again, silence prevails between us and we just stare at each other, at the walls and sometimes outside the window.
“Emara..”
My eyes draw back to the man, his enigmatic gaze remain unflinched on me as he asks in his deep voice,
“Do you want to go out with me?”