C7 Chapter 7

[Xavier’s POV]

I stared at her beautifully shaped lips. They were so inviting that I couldn't possibly move away. My eyes travelled up to her cheek. Seeing those red lines on her pale face made my jaw tick. Why was I even getting so angry about it in the first place? I knew nothing about her and have only spoken to her a few times. For Christ’s sake, I just hired her yesterday! It made absolutely no sense…

She was squeezing her eyes closed and her hands were trembling. I quirked a small smile She was so nervous that… Wait!

“Did I just smile?! Oh, hell no!” I scolded myself.

This was not happening. First and foremost, I am a gentleman and the leader of a whole nation. There’s no way I could afford to take advantage of my newly appointed secretary–right? My eyes dropped down to her full ruby red lips once again. My throat went dry. God, the way she bit down on her bottom lip made me want to have a taste of her right then and there. The fresh fragrance of her soft hair tantalized my senses.

“Don’t be stupid, Xavier Gray. Too many eyes are watching and waiting for you to screw up.” I warned myself over and over again.

Restraining myself from running my fingers through her long silky hair, I swallowed hard and pressed the ointment on her cheeks. She flinched at my touch, but after a minute she relaxed and exhaled a small sigh. I noticed how her cheeks flushed as I came closer to her and she was probably thinking something was going to happen between us.

“Ha! Not a chance sweetheart. I don’t mess with things, or people, that are taken.” I thought.

I was finally able to get my heartbeat under control, as I thought it was going to come out of my chest a few moments ago. However, just for good measure, I avoided looking at her lips as I continued to clean her wound. Finishing my task, I quickly separated myself from her alluring body. I cleared my throat as I took a step back.

“You may leave and go downstairs. I’ll be down shortly.” I said.

She blinked then gave me a slight nod. The next thing I knew, she was almost running out of my room as if one more moment spent in here would cost her life. “Heh… Now that’s interesting!” I said while smiling as I watched her hasty retreat.

…

[Iris’s POV]

I came downstairs, entering the dining room. On the massive oak table I saw eggs, bacon, an assortment of cheeses, fresh cinnamon rolls, different types of fruit and so much more. My mouth dropped open in awe of the various types of luxurious breakfast food.

“Holy shit! How much does this man eat?” I said, wondering how one person could eat so much.

I heard the president’s footsteps approach as he made his way to the dining room. He strode past me and sat at the head of the table, looking like a king in his navy blue suit.

“Well, I guess he’s not far from it.” I thought.

I stood nearer the door and waited for him to be finished with his meal. Studying the floor, I took care not to look at all the delicious food. My stomach growled and I smiled while remembering Tomato’s admonishment for not eating this morning. Who knew the little pest would be right for once? The president didn’t pay any attention to me and took his time eating each dish.

“Bastard…” I inwardly cursed, being careful not scowl in his direction.

Yet, I couldn’t help myself but to be drawn to his movements. His table manners were so flawless that I admired him involuntarily. How could a man be so perfect at everything?

“Miss, won’t you join him for breakfast?” asked a gentle voice.

My eyes darted from the president to the direction of where I heard the voice. A woman at her forties was standing in the kitchen doorway wearing a white apron and giving me a warm smile. I guessed she was the housekeeper.

“No, thank you. I'm fine. I had my breakfast already.” I denied respectively.

“Sit down.”

The order came from the head of the table. I looked back to the owner of the voice and saw that President Gray was biting into his jellybean bread and threw me a questioning look. Still preferring to deny his order as it made me uncomfortable, I shook my head.

“No. I really had…” I said, beginning my refusal.

“I don't want to see you drooling over my food. So just come sit and eat with me.” He interrupted me in his overbearing tone.

What a narcissistic jerk! Was he watching me this whole time? He could have offered nicely! I cursed at him inwardly and walked slowly towards the table fuming in rage. Pulling out the chair opposite of him, I plopped down with a thud. I have never been an even tempered person, especially when someone tries to humiliate me. As a result, my bottom lip was suffering the brunt of my frustration. The housekeeper walked towards me with a soft smile as she served me a plateful breakfast.

“Be careful not to eat your lips, this delicious breakfast is a far better alternative. Hurry up and eat, I can't waste my precious time waiting on you.” He said with a tone saturated in sarcasm.

At this point, I was fuming and before I could lash out at him for his arrogant behavior, the housekeeper spoke.

“Xavier, shut your mouth and worry about your own breakfast. She is our guest. Leave her to finish her meal in peace.” She said.

I looked over at the housekeeper with immense admiration at her scolding the President of USK. Although, I did fear the president’s reaction to her admonishment and worried if she was going to be alright. Unexpectedly, Mr. President stopped talking and obediently paid attention to eating his breakfast. I was astonished.

“Okay… there is no way in hell he would let her get away with talking to him like that if she was just a housekeeper. Whoever she is… I like her.” I surmised as I smiled at her gratefully.

I happily started eating my breakfast without looking at him again. It was so serene without hearing him talk and I mentally thanked the lady once again for giving me a restful moment. While I was drinking my juice, the president got up from his chair and started heading out the door without giving me any warning. Leaving behind half of my juice, I got up quickly while glancing at the lady. She was shaking her head and sighed helplessly at President Grey’s unreasonable behavior. I wished I could have properly said goodbye to her, but the man was already outside and I had no choice but to run to catch up with him. As I dashed out the front door, I looked ahead and saw him striding to the parked car with a majestic aura. The guards bent down their heads in respect as he passed, which almost made me believe he was a king rather than a president.

I instantly regretted all the food I ate, as I was heaving for air by the time I reached him. When we both arrived at the entrance, I saw the black RV with the USK State flag mounted on each side of the vehicle, announcing that he was a powerful dignitary. One of the guards made a quick bow before pulling open the car door for President Gray. Because of his warning earlier to keep my distance, I awkwardly stood there unsure about where to sit. Making my way to the front of the car, I pulled open the passenger door and hopped into my seat. Seeing as he didn’t offer any protest on my choice, I concluded I made the right decision.

I started to buckle my seatbelt when I felt someone glaring at me. Sure enough, when I turned in my seat to face him, I was met by the president’s cold stare.

“What now?” I thought.

I sighed, whipped back around in exasperation and decided to ignore him until we arrived at our destination. Watching the four Maybachs drive in front and the other four following from behind, I noticed that they formed a barrier around us. As we drove, I kept my eyes focused on the scenery outside my window. The atmosphere in the car was suffocating me. Even the driver had the same expressionless face that his boss often wore! There was no music nor did anybody talk. The silence was incredibly frustrating. My eyes occasionally glanced at the person in the rearview mirror.

He wore his unchanging aloof expression and was leaning against the backseat while doing some work on his laptop. Unaware of how long I had been studying him, he suddenly lifted his gaze to meet my eyes in the rearview mirror. My eyes widened and I held my breath. I got caught staring at him… again! Quickly shifting my gaze back to my window, I again watched the scenery pass by slowly.

Twenty minutes later, we reached the presidential headquarters. However, we couldn’t make it through the entrance as a crowd swarmed the front gates. Out of curiosity, I tried to peek out of my window but the driver quickly rolled it up for security purposes.

“What the hell is happening, here?” President Gray asked in a frigid tone.