C8 His Sandra?

The first thing that came into my mind was to scream 'murderer' and run away kicking him where the sun doesn't rise. But then an arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against him. And I saw those icy blue eyes, staring at me, so close.

"L-leave me." And again, I was lost. Even if my heart thumped with the sense of the danger, I couldn't help but take a deep breath, taking more of his masculine scent in my lungs.

I tried to fight. But his grip on me only tightened. Those intense cold blue eyes took a moment to roam my features, his thumb brushed across my jaw in a soft touch.

A shaky breath left me.

"What did you hear?" Deep Italian accent. The edge of it sent shivers down my spine.

Damn, he was mad.

Of course, he would be! I just overheard his dangerous secret. And he knew it.

What now? Will he kill me too? Burying his dark secret along with me?

My stomach flipped at the thought.

"Uh, I- I didn't hear anything. Not even a word," I stuttered, eyeing for an escape route, even knowing it wouldn't be easy to leave his arms.

"Not even a word, huh?"

To my wide eyes, his head tilted. A tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. His calloused thumb went down to my neck from my cheek.

Was he planning to choke me?

I gulped.

Damn it! Even those men that morning couldn't make me this nervous. They had guns with them! But here he was, he had my heart in my mouth just with his eyes and touches.

Leaning in, he nuzzled my neck and took a deep breath. Pulling me closer, he let out a husky groan.

"Così buono! Ho aspettato così a lungo, Sandra…" he murmured. "Sei mio, cazzo!"

I blinked. I couldn't understand anything except the word 'Cazzo'.

It was a swear in Italian. As much as I loved to hear that sexy accent and words from his voice, I didn't think the meaning would be good for me at all.

His rough stubble against my soft skin made me shiver.

"Duncan, please…" My knees were getting weak. Every inch of my body was on fire. I didn't know if it was from anxiety or desire. "I won't tell anyone."

His head snapped up to me. Blinking, he focused on my eyes, as if getting out of some kind of daze.

"What did you say?" There was an urgency in his voice. A sudden desperation in those icy blue orbs. "Say it again."

"I said I won't tell anyone anything. It's none of my business…"

"Not that! You said my name. Say it again." His face stopped inches away from me.

"Huh?" He wanted me to say his name again? Was the king mad because I called him by his name? "Mr. De Sylvano, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I…"

"I said say my name, Sandra!" His lips pursed. Frustration etched on his features.

I frowned. Sandra?

"My name is Cassandra, not Sandra!"

Pressing his forehead against me, he let out a sigh. "You're Sandra for me. My Sandra. Now say my name, baby. Say it again." With our noses touching, he murmured.

My eyes widened. Heart skipped.

His Sandra? Baby?

What the hell was he saying?

"Who the hell are you calling baby? I'm not your baby, nor your Sandra. Now let go of me! Didn't I tell you not to come into my personal space?" I glared, fighting in his arms.

Exhaling, he cupped my cheek. "So you're not saying it, are you?"

I pushed at his hard chest, but he didn't budge. "I'm not! Now leave me!"

That devilish smirk appeared again. "You should have thought about it before eavesdropping, sweetheart. Do you know what can be the consequences of your snooping? No one is allowed to come in this hallway without my permission, let alone my office. And you have done more than that."

Both of my hands rested on his chest and his arms were firmly wrapped around me as I gaped at him.

"Will you fire me?" I blurted out. I didn't even know if he knew that I was going to work as a model in his company. But he was going to know soon.

A gentle smile touched his achingly beautiful features as he stared at me. Was that… adoration in his stare?

And why were we having this conversation like this? In each other's arms?

"Do you want me to?"

He knew.

The shake of my head was instant.

"But you've broken a rule on the first day of your job, don't you think you deserve a punishment?"

Punishment?

"But I said I won't tell anyone anything that you're a murderer! And I didn't know you had any kind of rules!"

"Murderer?" His brows raised in amusement.

Damn it! Did I just call him that?

Now I was surely doomed!

"Uh, I meant…"

"You think I'm a murderer, cuore mio?" He tucked a strand of mine behind my ear. "Then you should be scared of me now, shouldn't you?"

I was.

"I'm not!" My answer was fast. "I… I'm not scared of anyone."

He leaned closer. A squeeze on my waist made me gasp. Those firm lips were just inches away from me.

"Then you should be," he whispered. "Because I punish those who break my rules. And you just did that."

My heart sank. The haze he created vanished in a second.

"W-what punishment?"

My heart pounded as his hot breath fanned my ear. "Soon, cuore mio. You will know about your punishment soon."

***

"Are we still best friends?" With her arms crossed over her protruding belly, she asked. Her turquoise eyes held seriousness.

"Do you doubt it?" I raised a brow, taking a sip on my chocolate smoothie.

After I flew out of that Italian devil's office getting free myself of his arms, I got another message from Em. She was waiting for me with Beth at our regular restaurant. She was upset that I didn't inform her about my accident and then about my job at Rossa.

Her lips pursed. "Yes. Because you have started to hide things from me nowadays! And here I am, I share every detail of my life with you. Even when I have arguments with Ace!"

"Wrong. You don't tell us about your sexy times with your Greek hunk. Remember I asked you if he was good in bed…"

"Cassie!" Beth spit out her coffee at my response. "Behave!"

I shrugged, biting my lip, stopping myself from laughing at my best friends' red faces. Especially Em's.

"You don't need to know if my husband is good in bed or not. That's none of your business!" Her voice rose all of a sudden.

And here she goes. In pregnancy her emotions were all over the place. Even her possessiveness over her husband.

Beth shared a look with me.

"Relax, I'm not interested in your husband. Calm your ass down." I shook my head, throwing a glance outside. And my eyes stayed there.

Icy blue eyes stared back at me. My heart skipped a beat.

It seemed like Duncan De Sylvano was everywhere in my life from the last few days. If not in real life, he would be in my dreams or like now, on the billboard.

An advertisement about a grand fashion show.

And he would be there as a chief guest. I didn't think he even knew the organization was using his photo for their show's promotion.

"I know. But someone has definitely caught your attention."

I looked back at her. Her tone teasing.

"You've finally got a hold on him."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She waved her hand while Beth smirked.

"Don't think we don't know about your undying crush on Duncan De Sylvano," said Beth, making my eyes wide.

They knew? But how?

"Oh, come on! I couldn't miss how you were staring at him at Tess' reception. He was the first man who ever caught your attention for that long. You couldn't move your eyes from him. Every other time whenever you found any guy interesting, you didn't take a minute to approach them. But you didn't do it that night. You were just standing afar, admiring him." Em giggled. "And I knew it right then. You got it hard for that mysterious man."

Heat crawled up my cheeks.

Damn, was it that obvious?

Yes, I didn't approach him or flirt with him like I did with other guys I found interesting. Because he wasn't just a guy. I knew him. He was an Italian businessman who was dangerous with his dark secrets. And maybe I was aware of one of them now.

But still I was willing to work in his company, even after knowing his intentions for me.

Why? Because I needed the money. And… him. Even just for some time. I needed him. To get out of the darkness of my past.

"Don't deny it, Cassie! You've been after him for almost a year now, aren't you? But sadly, you didn't get any chance to get close to that Italian billionaire."

Wrong. I was after him for years. Secretly admiring him whenever I saw him in magazines or any lavish events on television. But then I started to stalk him sometimes on Google after I met him again, at Em's sister's reception.

"I got one now. That's why I didn't leave the chance when I got the job offer. Even after knowing he was a dangerous man."

Em rolled her eyes. "He is not. Don't believe everything people say. Ace wouldn't let me get along with him if he was dangerous."

Right. But she didn't know what I heard today. Even though nothing was clear, I was sure he had something to do with that crime lord's death. And I still wanted him?

Yes.

Because his mere presence was enough to make my heart a mess. His slightest touch was enough to set my body on fire. His close proximity made me forget myself. And no one else could ever have that effect on me. No one.

Only he could make me forget myself, forget everything. So he was my only hope now.

Once he helped me with my fear, once he made me forget myself enough to give me enough strength to face the darkness of my life, I would leave. I just had to keep my heart safe in the process.

Selfish, I knew. But it wasn't that he was serious about me. Not even slightly. He just wanted me in his bed as much as I did. That's all. After getting me, he would just forget about me. It's what rich men like him did most of the time. They don't do relationships, they just have fun.

Otherwise why would he get all different with me after ignoring me for so long?

'My Sandra…'

A shiver ran through me as his words rang in my mind.

"Cassie!" Beth's voice got me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?" I blinked.

"You alright? Don't tell me you're daydreaming about him already."

"Shut up!" I glared at her. "It's nothing like that. And I don't care what people say about him. That's why when I got a chance, I jumped in. You're right, I'm after him. Once I get him, I will just leave. You know, I can't stay with one for long. You can say it from my long list of boyfriends."

A laugh left my mouth. And Em's eyes closely watching me said that she saw the emptiness of it.

I looked away.

Yes, I couldn't stay with one for long. Because all they wanted was sex. I wanted it too, but they couldn't affect me enough for me to give in. I tried my best. But I couldn't. My fear didn't let me. Fear of intimacy. Shadows of the past…

No one could make me forget enough for me to let go.

So I ended those small flings even before they could turn into relationships. Because I knew they would leave once they would know I couldn't give them what they wanted from me.

That's what people in my life always did. They leave.

Forget the boys, no one stayed in my life for long. Everyone left. Dad, grandma. I couldn't even count Theresa. She couldn't be called a mother. Only two people were consistent in my life, my two best friends. They were all I had.

So yes, I wouldn't allow any relationships in my life. Wouldn't allow my heart to fall. Because in the end, I knew it would break. Like always.

I cleared my throat, ignoring the pinch in my chest and took a bite on the lasagna.

"You know, Ace once told me a thing about Duncan. And I want you to know about it too," Em said, her eyes set on me.

"And what is that?" asked Beth in curiosity.

I stayed silent.

"That no one enters Duncan De Sylvano's world without his permission, be it his office or life." She twirled her tea in the cup, before taking a sip. "So there is no way one can leave his world without his consent. He is the king of his world, you know? And once he wants something for himself, he doesn't let it go. Even if he has to go to any extent for it."

My breath caught in my throat. Her words were slowly sinking in me.

No one could enter his life without his permission?

So… it was him who let me in his company? That offer from Elizabeth… Was it all him?

And here I thought that It was my decision.

Whatever it was. After he took away my fear and he got what he wanted from me, he would surely let me go. Why would he need a broken girl like me in his life?

Take a chill pill, Cassie. Everything will be fine.

Gulping down the rest of the smoothie in one go, I tried to change the conversation.

"How did Achilles let you come here all alone in this state anyway? He doesn't let you out of his sight since he impregnated you."

Beth chuckled at my words.

Rolling her eyes, Em rubbed her belly softly. "He didn't. After I didn't agree to tag him along over here, he sent some guards with me."

She jutted her chin, making us look outside. And three guards were indeed standing beside her car.

I shook my head.

"Seriously, this man is getting on my nerves now! He even wants to go in the bathroom with me nowadays no matter if I take shower or pee. The more my belly is growing, the more his protectiveness rises."

A chuckle left me. I always knew this man was crazy. But no matter how irritating his over protectiveness and possessiveness were, this man could kill or die for her without a second thought. That's why I had always supported him from the beginning.

After all, not everyone finds someone who can go to any extent to be with them. And she was lucky in it.

A sudden heaviness in my heart made my hands curl into fists.

"Uh, I have to use the washroom."

At their nods, I stood up and walked away. Letting out a sigh, I walked into the washroom.

I didn't need anyone. I spent most of my life alone and I could do that for the rest of my life too. Letting someone in meant another heartbreak. And I didn't want more.

After doing my business, I washed my hands and walked out of the washroom, feeling a little better. But just as I approached our table, a collision against my shoulder made me take a step back.

A tall red head in a maroon dress stood before me. Her features held irritation. But as soon as her cat eyes landed on me, something flashed across them.

Surprise. And then… hatred?

My brows creased.

With her jaw clenched, she threw a look of disgust before turning around and storming out of the restaurant.

What was that? Who was that red head and why did she look at me like that?