Page 80 of The Revenge Plan

He gave me the biggest smile he had ever given me. It was either fake, or my answer satisfied him. I noticed as well that the tension in his shoulders fell. It was nice to see he was as tense about this as I was. I wasn’t sure if he had changed, but he was acting differently. I was also afraid that he was lying when he said he wasn’t doing it for the child.

“Does that mean you’re moving in?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay. I understand. If I were you, I wouldn’t too.” An awkward silence followed. I didn’t know what to say after this. Okay, bye? That felt too casual. After a while he said, “Thank you for this chance. I’ll make sure you won’t regret it.” He took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips and kissed it. It was the most gentle and sweet kiss he had given me.

51

Caiden came to my apartment the next morning. I had finished getting dressed and was on my way out when he called. “What are you doing here?” I asked him as soon as I opened the door.

“Taking you to work.”

“You know Bailey does that everyday right?”

“Bailey called in sick and he was due for a leave anyway, so I gave him one. Plus, I wanted to accompany you. Saving of fuel and such-and-such.”

I raised an eyebrow. It was unnecessary, but he seemed eager to accompany me. He looked giddy, like a schoolboy. “Fine,” I said and went back into the apartment. I heard his footsteps follow behind me, “but I have to eat breakfast first.”

“What are we having?”

I stared back at him at the assumption of ‘we.’

“I mean you. What are you having?” when I didn’t respond, his voice dropped and had a nervous tinge, “I was simply doing small talk.”

My cheeks flushed. I lowered my guard. He was being personable. There was nothing wrong with that.

“I’m having yogurt and berries. It’s the only thing that doesn’t make me puke in the morning,” I went over to where I had prepared a bowl of yogurt and fruits. “There’s some in the fridge.”

He shook his head, “I’m satisfied with watching you eat. But,” he went to the fridge and took out a pitcher of orange juice, “I’ll have this instead.” He took a glass from the cabinet and poured it. His knowledge of where everything was surprised me. He had said no one had never been here before, and yet he had a good grasp of his way around the place. Maybe he had kept one of his mistresses here and didn’t want to tell me. Or maybe it was as simple as he used to live here and simply kept the place when he moved up. I wanted to ask, but kept it to myself. I was already having the creeping feeling of jealousy at the thought of him having sex with someone else in here. On this counter top. I washed away my thoughts and watched him as he plunked down onto a stool next to mine. We sat so close our knees could touch if I swiveled toward him. His thighs stretched the suit pants he was wearing, and it made me want to grip them. To feel the hardness once again. And to slide up to the—I washed that thought away again. It must be the hormones that were getting me horny in the morning. I went back to my food.

We drank and ate in silence. It felt like we had sat like this forever. Then I remembered. “This is very familiar.”

He took a sip of his drink, “You mean our morning breakfasts back in high school?”

“You would always mock me for not eating while you wolfed down a large breakfast and washed it away with orange juice.” His mother would make it for him and a bowl of fruit for me. We were the only ones who ate breakfast in the Lyndell household.

“That’s because I didn’t know any other way of telling you I liked you. That was my stupid childish way of saying so.”

“You liked me even back then?” This was something he had alluded to before, but I never thought he would say outright. I thought what he had liked about me was my sex appeal, not me. But then, that could also be what he meant. That he liked my body.

He frowned, “I enjoyed being around you, but I couldn’t do so, because of Liam, so I would make sure we had breakfast together.” Of course. Liam hated breakfast. I still couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I cleared my throat and finished my food. We both got up after I was done and he chugged his juice.

Caiden’s new driver was the opposite of Bailey. Where Bailey was big and stout, he was short and slim. He looked like he was about to drown in the overcoat he had on.

“His name is Kelly,” Caiden said as we got into the car.

The seats were plush and much better than the Chrysler he had given me to use. Yes, this was a better option. However, the comfort of the car was severely reduced by the thought of having him be this close in a closed space. Caiden was not bothered at all. As soon as the car got onto the road, he took out his tablet and began working. I took out my phone and checked my socials. Nothing much was happening. It was morning, after all. There was nothing to distract me from glancing over at Caiden. I kept thinking about the young boy full of ambition I had known back then. He was no longer that person. Now he was a powerful man, capable of tearing down companies. He had done so to my father’s.

“What are you looking at?” he didn’t lift an eye away from his screen when he said so. I glanced away quickly, like a child caught staring. I thought of something fast. I leaned over to him, “This was crooked,” I said and brushed his yellow kerchief. It wasn’t crooked, only slightly, but that was the best I could think of without admitting that I had been nakedly admiring him.

“Thanks.” His voice had gotten low and throaty. I stared up at him. He was looking down at me with cloudy eyes. So he wasn’t unbothered. The car hit a bump and my hand slid and landed smack dab into his crotch. He was very much bothered.

“Hailey.” It sounded like a threat and a plea. Faster than a lightning rod, I withdrew my hand and righted myself back into the seat.

“Sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? It’s no one surprise I want to fuck you senseless.”

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