Going back to Watson & Co. and resume work was proving to be harder than usual for Nova. Lee Hiram was all she could think about.
Who did he mean when he said 'she'? What did he mean when he said 'she knows'? Could he actually be referring to the nonsensical rumour that surrounded the whole of Cambridge? But this was London, word couldn't have traveled this far...could it?
When the car stopped in front of Watson & Co., that's when Nova snapped back to reality and noticed that Derek was deep in thought as well. Both of them got out of the car and entered the building, maybe a few cameramen clicked picture or two of them while they were making their way, but Nova wouldn't know. All she knew was that Derek had a stoic expression on his face but he still came for Nova to hold her hand as they walked the small distance. He didn't let go even when they had entered the building, even when they were standing in the lift, waiting for their floor to arrive.
As soon as the elevator doors closed, Derek heaved a deep sigh which made Nova think that he was really stressing himself out. Since there was no one else but them in the lift, Nova turned to stand right in front of him, his head had been bowed down, his eyes close. The hand that he was still holding, she took it over to her waist and went for the other one to do the same, eliminating the distance a bit. When he still didn't open his eyes, nova snaked her hands through his arms and went to rest them on his neck, holding his face in both of her hands and making him look at her; it worked.
"Hey," she whispered to him when he opened his eyes and gazed at her.
"Hey," he responded, his voice deep and hoarse. Nova felt chills when he said that.
"Are you okay?" she asked him, trying to get a gist of what he may be feeling or if he was yet willing to share and if she should pester him at all.
Derek only sighed, pulled her closer to himânot letting any space between them nowâand rested his forehead against hers. Nova smiled a small smile at the gesture. He was sweet.
They were in that position for a minute, all the while her hands brushed the hair at the back of his head, trying to soothe him a bit, when Derek opened his eyes, lifted his head just a little bit to look at her as she did the same, dipped his head and gave her a kiss. Square on the lips.
It caught Nova off-guard for just a second before she started returning his kisses as a small smile made its way on her lips. Derek's kisses were slow at first, just like they always seemed to be, but when Nova responded to him, he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. It made her weak on the knees but his hold was tight enough to not let her go anywhere.
Nova's hands were everywhere; one lost in his soft hair, still caressing the back of his head and the other one traveled from his hands to his chest to his head as if it had a mind of its own. She gasped when Derek's grip on her hip tightened, making her fall flush against Derek, all the while his other hand still rested on the nape of her neck, angling her face for better access. A moan threatened to escape her when he started to nibble on her lip, and she wanted nothing but toâthey heard a ding.
And that's when the lift doors opened.
Derek didn't let go of her quickly though, he took his time giving her a last, lingering peck that left delicious tingles in its wake and made opening her eyes a hard job for her. Her eyes still seemed to be glazed over but so were Derek's. His hair was disheveled which Nova knew was her doing and that realisation made her face to go even redder if it was not already red. She looked down as she blushed which caused Derek to let a low chuckle. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head and enveloping her hand in his, he lead her out of the elevator.
Nova couldn't help but thank god that no one was there on Derek's floor.
After coming in her cabinâwhich was right beside Derek's officeâNova sat for a minute taking time to catch her breath and then began to finally get on with her work. Basically her job was just to keep an eye on the company records and help fellow employees who are facing any kind of stress or mental problem and to counsel them. Her main job actually was counseling, the keeping an eye on the record was just something in addition.
While going through the employee record, one thing caught her eyesâor maybe she should rather say someone caught her eye.
Genelia. She was recommended by Lee Hiram which meant they both knew each other. Second thing, she had absolutely no experience in this field, yet she was accepted to work. Not only that but she also started right before Derek left with Mr. Penton; the time when Lee was going to be in charge.
Taking her record out, Nova went in to search a list of the people who got interviewed for this job. When she found the file containing that list (five people other than her had come for the interview), Nova was blown to see that almost all of the other candidates were more deservingâbe it by qualification, by experience or by how good they did the interviewed.
Seeing this she went back to Genelia's record to see who it was that interviewed her because it couldn't be Lee since it was before he was doing his job as a substitute. Besides, he couldn't have interviewed the person that he himself recommended. She had to find out who it was because this person knew that Genelia would be working for Lee, not for Derek because he took his secretary with him. The fact that someone chose her over the other well-deserved candidates was highly suspicious as well. But before she could, the person in question made her appearance in front of Nova.
"Good Morning, Ms. Newton," the girl greeted chirpily.
Nova hid her report and collected the others in the file they were in and shut them up as she greeted her back with a smile on her face. Doesn't matter if she was wrong, there was that suspicion and Nova couldn't let her be aware of that.
"I hope you're doing well?" Genelia continued questioning politely and Nova continued answering politely.
"Yes, of course! It's a good day today; the weather is really nice as well. Not to mention the view I get is absolutely astonishing."
"Oh, you're actually so right," Genelia replied, turning her head to look through the window in Nova's cabin. "It's really beautiful," she commented looking back at her, with a sweet smile on her face.
Maybe Nova was reading too much into everything? Because Genelia...she seems normal.
"Oh! I almost forgot why I came here in the first place!" said she, slapping her forehead upon which Nova chuckled lightly. "An employee is facing problems and their head of the department wants them to see you to try and make his state of mind a better place."
Nova's first chance to bring her psychology into handy. Her first 'patient'. She gave Genelia a date and time and told her to cross-check with the person if they're okay with the setting and Genelia then leaves right after.
Nova will have to tell what bit she found out about Genelia to Derek. And so, she waited for lunch and until then went on with her work.
*
It was still ten minutes left to lunch when Nova was done skimming through the reports and records. Her neck was starting to ache so she stood up to stretch only to get startled when she saw Derek standing at the door.
"Holyâyou scared me!" She exclaimed making her way to an amused and chuckling Derek. After hitting him on the shoulder lightly she smiled at him and went on her tippy-toes to press a light, soft greeting kiss on the lips.
Nova was about to pull back when Derek's hands came for her, his lips not leaving hers. One made its way on her cheek, cupping it gently and the other found its way on her waist, pulling her closer as Nova let out a gasp. Pushing himself off the see-through glass door, Derek made their way towards Nova's work table. He sat her on it and stood in-between her legs, his lips still not leaving hers but she wasn't complaining.
A shiver went down her when he nibbled on her bottom lips and putting her hand on the nape of his neck, she pulled him closer and he let out a groan. Nova held a moan in as Derek's hand traveled from her cheek to the nape of her neck only to be followed by feather-light kisses of his lips. If this was Lunch for every day, then she would always be starving.
"Hey, Ms. Newton I was just wonderingâoh, never mind I'll just go alone."
The voice registered in both of their heads amidst the fog that it seemed to be in along with the sound of the door opening and closing. Derek, Nova concluded, did not get affected if anyone saw him doing...inappropriate things. Because just like today morning when the lift opened and he wouldn't let go, now too, he didn't spring away from her like anyone would expect anyone to after being walked-in. But again, Nova wasn't complaining.
"Hey," Derek said, after pulling away and fixing a few stray strands of hair away from her face which had come astray because of his hands in the first place. Nova could feel she was blushing.
"Hey," she greeted back.
*
Not minutes after a guy had brought them lunch in Nova's cabin and they'd both began eating.
After being done with the food, the same guy had come again to take the plates away and Nova couldn't help but feel very out of place. They could've both gone to a cafeteria like a normal person instead of having a man wait them in the office. It didn't feel right and she told Derek that upon which he agreed to go to someplace out for lunch.
After having their stomachs full, Derek and nova now sat in her office talking about the morning.
"Jason said Lee wouldn't budge and that he still didn't spill anything," she told Derek, referring to what Jason told her over texts. She decided to keep in touch with him and told her to do the same. He obviously agreed.
Derek only nodded his head upon hearing that, his fingers playing with Nova's hair.
"Any hint he gave was in front of us. Nothing before nothing after." He told her and that had her thinking. If he had that much control, then in front of them? Why in front of Derek? Why lose his cool in front of them? It was suspiciousâat least it was suspicious to Nova.
"But," Derek said exhaling and that had Nova's attention. "James found something."
Now Nova was all ears, she could barely contain the curiosity.
"What?" she asked.
"Apparently, he and Tory used to meet up after working hours on a daily basis. Lee's bank account record has shown that he was continuously transferring money to her on a monthly basis for three months, still was. The amount wasn't just normal either. He doesn't come from a background that has a lot of wealth, there has to be another source to his income."
As the new information made its way in her head, she began to think. If this case really was of trafficking and corruption, then the company was in a dangerous situation. But one thing didn't sit right.
"We have Lee," Nova said and as she did, Derek looked at her. "But Tory is still free and out there. Lee wouldn't be able to transfer any money now that he is in custody and they must have record for the trafficking and corruption. If Tory and Lee really are partners...then she should try to save him somehow. She doesn't know who we are, doesn't know what we work for so blackmailing you should not be hard for her. She can easily tell you, Watson & Co.'s CEO, to ask the authorities to free him but she hasn't..." Derek nodded her head as she trailed off.
"Yes, I didn't think about it that way. She would either be planning the blackmail, or this whole situation is missing something." He voiced out what she was thinking.
They both fell into a loud silenceâthe clogs in their head movingâwhen someone came on the door.
"Er, Mr. Watson...you might want to come outside and have a look," it was Genelia.
Derek and Nova both looked at each other and then went to the window to see what had happened. And surely, they did have to step outside and see what was going on because as it seemed like, the whole of London had collected in front of their building, half of which seemed to only be the paparazzi. And paparazzi were never good news.
Opening one half of the window, they could hear what the commotion was about.
"...or is the whole engagement fake?"
When the later part of the sentence being said by a microphonic voice was heard by them, they both froze to look at each other. There was no way this could be happening.
------------------
A/N:
Here's the new update! Hope you like it and enjoy reading!
If you don't know already, I wrote a fanfiction on GOT7's JB and if you're interested you can totally check it out! (Never thought I'd do self-promo so shamelessly but oh well)
So I hope you read, vote, comment, add, share, enjoy!
Until next time, lads,
-Z.
(P.s. I realised I'm shit at write cute/hot scenes like kissing and stuff lol)