Chapter - 42 The Misunderstanding...

Liam gave one deadly glance to Jack and holding Eva by her hand he pulled her with him to the party hall and finally without attracting too much of attention they headed towards the exit. For the first time in her life Eva didn't mind being pulled by someone like this. Rather she was feeling greatful at the moment because the incident from few minutes ago had made her go weak in the knees.

They got into the lift but Liam didn't let go of her hand. Neither he looked at her nor he said a word but Eva could feel the air crackle with tension. With her head down she slowly lifted her eyes and looked at their reflection in the closed lift doors. He had clenched his jaw and his eyes told her of a coming storm. The air of menace was making her feel sick and nervous.

Finally the lift doors opened and pulling her by her hand he started walking. His eyes were focused somewhere in front rather than looking and taking pity on the one whom he was dragging so mercilessly, without even noticing that the person was now failing to keep up with his long strides, Eva sighed. She wanted to say something, anything to calm him down but the words had deserted her. Finally when they walked past her room she frowned and looked at him.

"Mr Richardson, where are we going?" she asked but he didn't reply.

He opened the door to his suite and pushed her inside before entering himself and closing the door behind them. Eva looked at him in shock.

"What was going on there?" he asked. His voice sounded of suppressed anger.

"N- Nothing." Eva answered trying to answer properly without stuttering but failing to do so. She had no intention of raising his anger now because the man in front of her was still a mystery to her and she had no idea what he would do if she said the truth.

"Really?" he narrowed his eyes and walked closer to her. She took a step back and her back hit the wall. He was standing so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body.

"You are a terrible liar, Miss Rose. So tell me honestly, how do you know him?"

She looked up in those angry blue green eyes and answered,"I don't know him."

She felt his body ease a little. She then lowered her head and continued,"The only thing I know about him is that his name is Jack."

He pulled her by her arm and made her look up at him.

"You said you don't know him then how come do you know his name?"

If anger had a face then it would be of this man standing in front of her, Eva gulped.

" I just know his name but nothing else."

"And why do you know his name?"

"Because he told me his name."

"Why did he tell you his name?"

Irritated, she looked at him and pursed her lips. His interrogation was now making her angry.

"In human society, people introduce themselves when they meet each other for the first time, Mr Richardson. I hope you know that."

"I am not in the mood for your sarcastic comebacks." he said as his grip tightened on her arm.

"What business did you two have behind my back, Miss Evangeline Rose? Huh?"

''You are being ridiculous now." she looked at him angrily. Her eyes matching the fumes in his.

"What business would I have with him? Other than his name I don't know anything else about him."

He looked at her for what felt like an eternity to her before finally relaxing his grip on her arm. He looked at her with guarded eyes as he asked,"So you met him for the first time here in the party. Right?"

She was glad that he had finally relaxed. Not wanting to go in detail and go for another round of interrogation answering his thousand and one questions about what she was doing in the lobby early in the morning and what she had talked about with this stranger, she let him believe that his conclusion was right.

"Yes. I met him in the party, tonight. He had approached me. I didn't go to him."

He searched her gaze before exhaling in a rush. He touched his forehead with hers and closed his eyes. He looked so vulnerable at the moment that Eva wanted to stretch her hand and comfort him.

His hand which was holding her arm tightly now started rubbing on it gently as if trying to soothe the pain it caused,"I am sorry. I overreacted."he apologized.

"But don't meet that person ever again." he said.

'Why?' she was tempted to ask but she didn't want to bring back Liam's anger all over again. So she just kept quiet.

"He is the other competitor in the business deal of that land." he explained. "So I don't want you to go anywhere near him."

"Oh... Ok." she finally realised what had made this man so edgy. He didn't want to lose this deal. And here she had fancied herself into thinking that he was jealous. Even though that thought had just crossed her mind for a second but somewhere in her she had hoped for it to be true. She felt mad at herself.

"I didn't tell him anything about our project. Don't worry you will surely win this land." she smiled at him.

She saw his lips lifting up in a very slow smile and her heart skipped a beat. Now that the anger was gone her senses had become hyperactive once again. She could feel the close proximity between them.

He placed one hand on the wall beside the her while with the other he gently touched her cheek.

"Hmm. I'll surely win. Everything." he said. His gaze now sparkling with an emotion which she couldn't quite name.

Every time she saw his face from up this close her heart would beat wildly. This man was the epitome of perfection, she acknowledged. He was good looking, intelligent and hardworking. She felt marvelled at his self-confidence. His slow arrogant smiles, the way he always teased her... he was everything she had ever wished for.

'I wish for us to become real couple because I really like you, Mr Richardson. Maybe I am even falling for you.' she was tempted to say her feelings but then she remembered how unwanted women were in his world.

"You are giving me that look again."he said with a slow devilish smile.

"W- what look?" her eyes fluttered in nervousness afraid as to what her too expressive eyes had given away.

"The kiss me look."

"Kiss me -"she couldn't even complete her question and he covered her mouth with his. He was pulling her closer.

His hand now around her waist, his fingers digging into her soft flesh. Slowly, he moved one of his hand upwards from her waist and speared it through her hair around the back of head, angling her towards him more. She could feel how tall, how strong he was and that made her feel so delicate.

"Damn it!" He cursed as he pulled away and it was then that Eva realised that there was a Knock at the door and their kiss was interrupted. Again.

"Has the entire universe conspired against me not to let me kiss you? Who wants to die this time?" he looked at the door angrily and Eva chuckled at his reaction.

"You should open it, Mr Richardson." she said trying to hide her smile.

He gave a quick kiss on her cheek and said," It's Liam for you."

And then he turned to open the door. She bit on her lower lip to try not to scream her happiness to the entire world. Even though they were a pretend couple at the moment but soon maybe they will be able to date for real, Eva hoped. She knew somewhere deep in her that they had a chance together and she wanted to give it a try. Eva's heart was doing somersaults at the thought.

Liam finally closed the door and when he turned to look at her he had an envelope in his hand.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know." he said.

"Someone sent it for me."

"You should check it." said Eva.

He looked at her before throwing the envelope on one side and pulling her from her waist. She gasped at this sudden action. Her hands rested on his chest as she looked up into his eyes.

Touching her cheek with his finger he gave a wolf grin.

"At the moment the only thing that I want to do is to kiss you."

She flushed at his statement.

"So would you let me kiss you?" he asked.

"Her hands curled into small fists as she lowered her head to try and hide that blush and she slowly nodded.

Liam chuckled at her reaction before lifting her from her waist and twirling her with him. Their laughter filled the room. He pulled her closer to him. They were so close that Eva could feel his heart beat under her touch. She wasn't sure if it was her own wildly beating heart or the heartbeats of the man in front which were making her feel light headed but God! She loved the feeling.

He touched her cheek with the tip of his fingers ever so lightly that shivers ran down her spine. She was so lost in his hypnotic gaze that she couldn't bring herself to look away even if she had wanted to. She had fell for this man, she realised.

He gently held her chin as he leaned into a kiss before stopping just a few centimetres away from her face and she felt his body going cold and stiff.

She looked at his face and then followed his line-of-sight. Her eyes widened in shock as she finally realised what had caught his attention. The envelope had some photos which had come out when he threw them on the floor. Taking a closer look at the photos she realised they were of her and Jack from the morning when they had met in the lobby.

She felt him pulling away from her and suddenly her body went cold. So cold that she felt as if she was left standing in a street on a cold winter night. He walked to where the envelope with photos half visible was lying on the floor and slowly picked it up.

He looked at the photos one by one. The pictures weren't looking fake or Photoshopped. The girl whom he was kissing a minute ago, whose words he had trusted minutes ago, was laughing and smiling at his rival. The next picture was of her giving a file and envelope to him. His brain seized as he realised it was of the day they had met Mr Wilson to discuss the deal.

He suddenly thought of the way he had seen her earlier into a corner talking to Jack. Standing so close to each other as if they were lovers. The thought that she had tried to hurt him in the most heinous way was making him feel sick.

She looked at his expression changing from confusion to obvious contempt. His eyes had gone cold. The warmth she had seen in them minutes ago now felt like a stupid fantasy her brain had imagined. Her heart started beating unsteadily. She needed to explain herself. She should have done that earlier, she cursed her stupidity.

"Liam, please let me explain-" she tried to walk closer to him when he lifted his hand and that cold gaze of his forced her to stop in her tracks.

He walked past her and into the room. He sat on a couch and threw the pictures on the table beside. She needed to explain herself before things get out of hand, she realised.

With legs which now felt like jelly she walked up to him and crouched in front of him.

"Liam-"

"Don't! Don't you dare say another lie this time."

Special thanks to "MenaOtiede66" who suggested the name for this  chapter 🥰