His Corruption

Chapter 27

When his eyes locked mine from the other side of the restaurant, Cristian stared like he was equally surprised to see me as I was to see him.

He ran his palm over the side of his jaw, over his neat stubble and my mouth went dry at the sight. He was dressed down by his standards. Just a plain white button up and a silver watch. Forearms exposed. Not a muscle to be hidden.

The two girls, one brunette, the other redhead glanced between me and Cristian. Then they looked me up and down, made the most condescending faces before laughing a little.

I didn't give them my time and looked away, irritated at how fast women fell for him. He wasn't even that special. Why did their worth fly out the window when it came to that man?

Cristian looked around and slowly stood, and I thought he was leaving before he came in my direction. I pretended I didn't notice and kept my eyes on the waterfall.

Tiers of water dropped before my eyes. Cristian stopped too close to me in public, his shirt grazing my pyjama top from the back.

Everything was different. But still the same...

Papa made me swear to not tell anyone I was engaged. He kept it a secret like it'd cost him his life if it spread, and I tried hard not to let it slip from my mouth. Cristian wouldn't care anyway, right?

"Those shoes look good on you, Ricci."

It took a while for me to find my voice. "Weddings and death don't mix." I told him with a bratty tone.

"Hm. You should know." He grabbed a strand of my hair. "Forget your last name?"

As he spun my hair around his finger, I tried not to be surprised. I always knew he had no decorum, especially not with my brothers around.

"Where's your Papa?" He asked and tugged on my hair. Annoyed, I pulled my hair from him and kept my eyes ahead in case somebody saw.

"Was your one month break from him not long enough? Looks like romance is brewing."

Knives clanked. Waiters rushed around. Cristian was silent for too long, and I had no clue where he was until I felt the warmth of his breath against my ear and realised he was right behind me. "You know I'm starting to think you only run your mouth around me." He rasped at my ear, fingers travelling over my hand.

"You're a bad influence."

I panicked at his boldness in public and turned to face him, and his eyes settled on mine, warm with both amusement and a conviction that made me hot. We were surrounded by people, but the tension between us was enough to make me forget that. "I will be." He warned, but it barely felt like a warning.

"What makes you think I'm afraid of you?"

"Afraid? No, you're terrified. Terrified of what I can do to you." His eyes fall over my body, and when he forced them up again, they were ignited with a sinful look I'd never been the subject of. "If you'll let me."

My face froze. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and as if it would hide it, I looked down and stepped away. "Stop it Cristian. I don't know you, you don't know me."

He grabbed my arm. "But I want to."

His words shocked me enough to almost trip my feet over. A spark had grown into a flame in his eyes, searing into my skin from where he held my arm.

I tried to decipher this change in the usual I'm only here to annoy you Cristian, but while doing that I noticed the red in his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping.