Page 22 of The Assistant
Malik reaches over to brush some hair out of my face, letting his fingers linger by my ear as he practically drools. “You’re sosoft and plush,” Malik whispers to himself as if it’s something he didn’t even mean to say out loud.
My throat goes dry, and I feel the back of my eyes burning. I’ve seen the look in his eyes before. I’m immediately brought back to that night.To him.
Before I can say anything to change the subject or back away from him, Dawson approaches the table and holds a hand out to me. I look up at him like he’s a white knight striding in on a gallant steed.
“Meeting’s over. It’s time to go,” Dawson says. I take his hand and follow him out of the room. Neither of us looks back, but I can feel everyone staring at me as I go.
As soon as we’re in the limo, I’m expecting some kind of explanation. Why the hell did he get me all dressed up to go to this nightclub and be paraded around, warning me against Malik right before I’m directly introduced to him, only to drag me out?
None of this night makes sense.
Instead of saying anything, Dawson is looking out the window with his jaw clenched. After a minute, he turns to me with an intense look in his eyes that makes my heart race a little faster.
“You don’t flirt with other guys, understand?” Dawson says, moving closer and forcing me to look at him.
“I wasn’t?—”
“I saw you tucking your hair behind your ear like a little schoolgirl with a crush,” Dawson interrupts. “I specifically told you not to talk to Malik.”
I scoff and toss my arms in the air. I can’t win with him.
“I didn’t have a choice. Your father practically threw me at him,” I argue.
“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Dawson says, gritting his teeth as he stares at me. “I told you once before that you’re mine, and I mean it. No other man gets to touch you. Understand?”
Dumbfounded doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel. I try to rationalize what he’s saying and come up with something to reply, but before I can, his hands are on either side of my face, and he’s pulling me closer to him.
His lips crash against mine, and it feels like everything in the world comes to a halt. Dawson holds me tight as his lips move against mine, and it takes me a moment to realize what’s happening, that he is kissing me. When the reality finally sets in, I can’t help myself, and I kiss him back.
I close my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as I part my lips for his tongue to slide inside. I let out a moan as he grazes the roof of my mouth, and he growls with satisfaction, pulling me closer.
The heat between us builds, and I feel the wetness pooling between my legs. I’m reminded of our night in the office, how he bent me over and took me, and how much I want him to do that again. He was right. I can’t forget about the way he touched me. How could I?
I’m ready for this to go all the way again. I want to feel more of him, to let his hands explore my body. But before we have the chance, the limo comes to a stop and we’re home.
Dawson pulls his mouth away from me, still holding my face as he looks deep in my eyes. “You belong to me. Don’t you ever forget that.”
He lets go of me and climbs out of the limo, leaving me sitting in the seat more confused than ever.
I hate hearing him say that. I don’t want to belong to anyone. It’s even harder when I know there’s truth to it. It’s far too easy for him to make me melt.
I don’t know what the hell I’ve gotten myself into anymore.
“One year,” I remind myself before getting out of the limo.
Chapter 11
Dawson
I’m so angry,but I swear I might have an aneurysm if I can’t find a way to calm down. A part of me wants to find Harper and fuck her senseless just to relieve some of the stress. Maybe there will be time for that later, but right now, I need to figure out what the fuck just happened.
My dad told me that Malik was going to be there, that I was going to be meeting with him. But I was pushed to the side, and Harper was the star of the show. What the fuck was that about?
I need answers, and I need them now. But I know my dad is probably still there schmoozing Malik and trying to befriend the notoriously disgusting, horrible criminal that he is.
I go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face, hoping it might calm me down a bit. Of course, it does nothing. I try taking some deep breaths and letting the stress wash away, but nothing I do seems to work.
I’ll call my dad in the morning and try to get to the bottom of all of this. There’s something he’s not telling me, and I need to know what it is. If he wants me to be doing business with him, then Ineed to be clued in on everything from here on out. Especially when it comes to Harper.
