Cryptic Passions

9-Christian

I had canceled every meeting that I had and I didn't even know why. I had known that girl for only a few weeks, but being with her, helping her, it all sounded so endearing, that I couldn't resist asking my assistant to cancel everything for the day, not after I had seen her collapse while eating.

She was a strong woman, I knew she could take care of herself easily, but that didn't stop me from worrying about her. She acted all buffy and tough but there was softness and fragility underneath that made me worry about her.

What had once started as an attraction had changed into something different, something deeper, that definitely wasn't crush but it wasn't love either and surely not friendship.

I knew it made me care for her more deeply than I had for almost anyone that I had ever met. There was something about her...something wild and soft at the same time.

I, who had never taken a day off at work in the past five years, had taken a leave for this woman who was sure as hell messing with my head.

But for once, I didn't care about work. I cared about this girl who claimed to be twenty-four and her young daughter who reminded me of my niece every second that I spent with her but was different from her at the same time.

I had seen her almost naked and it had an effect on me that I hadn't felt in a while even when she was half dead which was as concerning as it was weird.

"Christiannnn," her daughter called in the most un-Ruth-like way that made the both of us laugh.

"I am sorry about that," she spoke but her tone was light and hearty with laughter.

Laughter.

Her laugh was elegant, controlled, and practiced. As if it was music created and shaped and molded over and over again till it reached perfection but unlike the purpose of the shaping, it didn't make her beautiful, at least not to me. It made her seem like an object crafted to make her likable and attractive.

For some reason, I wanted her to drop her guard and laugh, not release that practiced sound but genuinely laugh without restraint.

A finger snapped in front of my face and jerked me back to reality.

"Hello? You zoned out right there,"

"Sorry,"

"Don't worry about it. Men zone out in my presence all the time,"

I scoffed. "Well, I am sure my reasons were different,"

"Yeah? What were they?" she asked huskily. That trick did work.

I took a step towards her, and she instinctively took one back, pressing her back against the wall.

"I was thinking about how fake and unattractive your laugh was,"

Something changed in her eyes and I could see the shields going back up in them. I cursed mentally and she gave me her signature arrogant smile that for some stupid reason made my heart roar.

"Well, I don't think there's anything unattractive about me, but I am sure if you feel that way then you need to check your sexuality," she paused and her eyes lowered and I inched forward. "But it is quite evident how attracted to me you are,"

My head dipped in the curve of her neck, making a small gasp escape her lips and I reached out a hand to hold her waist.

"Christian!" called Leah and we both instantly jerked away from each other, but she must've witnessed it because she tilted her head, frowned, and asked innocently, "Are you my dad?"

"Leah!" came Ruth's shocked voice from my side.

"No, I am not," I answered quietly.

She shrugged and chose to ignore the scene before asking, "Do you want to look at my paintings?"