Chapter Fifteen

Actually, I feel more awake than ever. My skin tingles where his fingers touched my lower back, but I try not to focus on it. I try not to look too disappointed by his answer and decide to busy myself by searching for some glasses. After that tension, I could definitely use a drink. Just one glass of wine can't hurt anything. Besides, it should help me sleep better.

As I search the drawers for a corkscrew, Adrian begins to set out some pots and pans for whatever he decided to cook, dutifully ignoreing my struggle. After a minute of looking, I begin to feel frustrated and slam the drawer back in with more force than needed. "Where's the-"

Adrian cuts me off by calmly opening the drawer closest to him, pulling out the bottle opener. He swallows, presumably fighting off the scene that my image reminds him of. He glances towards the bottle of wine on the counter as he slides the utensil towards me, seeming to collect his thoughts.

"No need to get bratty. I thought you didn't drink."

I grab the screw and stab it into the cork on the neck of the bottle. "I never said that. I drink sometimes."

Adrian blanches. "Oh... I guess you didn't. Sorry."

I narrow my eyes as I pour myself a glass, analyzing him as he walks past me to the fridge. "Hey, are you a mind reader or something?"

He doesn't look at me as he retrieves a rack of lamb, trying to busy himself with the task of making dinner. As if that would be enough to make me leave him alone.

"No," He says, very unconvincingly, slicing the package of mean open with practiced ease.

I can't put my finger on it, but there's definitely something off about him. He gets awkward and weird when I bring it up though, as he did at the vineyard and just now. I decide to change the subject to something less intense as I round the island to sit on one of the stools, sipping my wine.

I watch him season the meat with some things he pulls from the cabinents and fridge, looking on in amazment. It feels like I'm watching a cooking show as a live audience. Once I start feeling the alcohol a little, I feel more willing to talk to him again since he doesn't seem interested in making the first move. "Where did you learn to cook?" I watch as he methodically chops vegetables on a cutting board, mesmerized by the movement. I was exaggerating when I told him I know how to cook, but he sure wasn't.

He takes a moment before answering, almost like he's considering his words carefully from now on. "I have a big family. I had a single dad growing up, so I had to learn to help where I could."

Oh, that makes sense. It would explain his strong sense of duty. "That must be nice," I sigh. "Being an only child kind of sucks. How many siblings do you have?"

Adrian glances at me as he transfers the cut veggies into a bowl. "Only one, technically. I have a lot of cousins though, and we all sort of lived together."

That must have been a crowded house growing up. I consider pressing him for more information on the subject of his family, but the alcohol has begun to put me in a good mood. It looks like he's almost ready to put the lamb in the oven to cook, which I assume will take a while at least. I push away from the island and grab my glass, preparing to head towards the livingroom.

"That's interesting. Well, I think I'm going to break in the sofa and see what's on TV. You should join me when you're done with that," I say, gesturing to the stove.

Adrian seems almost relieved that I decided to drop the conversation for the time being. "Alright, I will."

The fireplace has finally made the living room warm and toasty, inviting me in. I make myself comfortable on the while upholstered couch and reach for the remote that sits on the coffee table, flipping the TV on as promised. I find a channel that plays a reality TV show and set the remote back down, settling back into the comfort of the sofa cushions. I make a mental note to buy a nice blanket to lay across the back of it because that's all that this scene is missing to make it feel perfect.

As I continue to sip on my glass, enjoying my relaxation time, I can't help but notice the feeling like I'm being watched. I hold my glass up as if to examine the contents, using it to see the reflection behind me. Sure enough, Adrian is watching me from behind the island. Maybe he's just watching the television, though. I turn my head to the side and pretend to play with my hair, pulling it up in a ponytail to expose the back of my neck. As my profile is turned, I cast a glance towards the kitchen, immediately locking eyes with my bodyguard.

I raise an eyebrow at him, seeing his empty hands. "If you're just waiting on the lamb to cook, why don't you grab a glass and join me?" I prompt, letting my hair fall back down. "There's no point in standing there staring at me like a creep," I chuckle to soften my words, not eager to have a second round of arguments tonight.

Adrian smirks at being caught, shaking his head as he grabs a second glass and the whole bottle of wine. His footsteps are inaudible as he crosses into the living room, coming to sit beside me on the massive couch. Despite there being so much room, he decided to sit on the cushion directly beside me. "Dinner should only be about twenty more minutes," He says, tipping some of the white wine into his glass.

"Good," I say, taking in his profile. "I'm starving."

Adrian sets the bottle down on the coffee table and looks at me as if he's forgotten what I look like. "I'm sure you are. It's been a long day," he says, pressing his lips to his glass.

I sigh and turn my attention back to the show as it comes back on after a long barrage of commercials. "Can I ask you something?"

He pretends to be interested in what's on the TV, but I highly doubt that he cares about reality shows. "Sure. I can't promise an answer, though,"

I make an unamused expression at his response. "I've noticed that about you. You only answer the things you want to."

He swirls the alcohol in his glass absent-mindedly, glancing at me. "It's a habit, you could say. I'll try to be more honest with you if that's what you want."

I stare at him in partial disbelief that he would offer honesty so easily. I've never had a bodyguard, or any man, really, offer to be truthful to me when I call them out on their shit. Maybe that's just a ploy to make me trust him more, though. I'm not about to fall for it and assume that he's done keeping secrets from me, though. I'm not that stupid.

"Sure. Back to my question," I redirect him, moving to tuck my feet beneath my legs so I can face him more easily. "You've already seen me naked, so why do you keep acting weird?"

He chokes on the sip of wine he just took, his cheeks tinging pink. "Uh, that's... an interesting question,"

"Is it?" I pry, gaze unwavering. "I don't like pussyfooting around. Isn't it clear that there's something between us that's out of line? I'm sick of you pretending that nothing is going on."

Adrian swallows, looking unsure of what he should say. "Lydia..."

"Look, you don't have to admit to anything," I say, mercifully cutting him off. "I have a proposition for you, that's going to make youre job easier for both of us. I don't want anyone knowing who I am at this school, and having a random guy following me around all day is going to draw attention. You said that you haven't been attending classes very long, right? So I'm assuming that no one knows you super well either."

I give him a moment to respond. He narrows his eyes as he tries to figure out where I'm going with this proposition, seemingly unsure if he wants to agree to it. "...Yes," He agrees eventually, though it almost sounds like a question.

I gulp the rest of my wine down quickly before continuing, hoping that it will provide me with some extra strength to finish my sentence. What am I thinking? My father would be disappointed if he found out about this. I'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen.

"Since I want to remain inconspicuous while I'm here, I think that we should tell everyone we're dating."