Trading for Love

15. Guidance

Charlotte POV

It only took Vincent a second to catch up with me. His lips moved gently against mine, one of his hands releasing my hip to curl around the back of my neck, his touch sending a shiver down my spine that setted in my stomach. His touch was so gentle, his lips a whisper against my own. The whole exchange the complete opposite of what I had expected from him.

" Ew! Get a room!" Evelyn sneered from the armchair. I had heard most of her conversation with Vincent from the hallway. The little show I had just orchestrated was more to get her off Vincents back than it was anything else.

I pulled back from Vincent, turning my best smile on Evelyn. She was the spitting image of Vincent. Her black hair and dark eyes made them related but their high cheek bones and thin nose made them siblings.

Vincent dropped his hand from my neck, placing it on my knee before he spoke.

" Evelyn, this is Charlotte. Charlotte, this is my little sister Evelyn. She was just asking me all about you." Vincent had a sly grin on his face, a look of glee twinkling in his eyes. Evelyn on the other hand looked shocked. Her eyes snapped between Vincent and I, a look of surprise and disgust clear on her face.

" Yeah... I don't want to know anything after.... that," she sneered waving a hand at us. She quickly stood, heading for the door but not before Vincent called after her.

" Shut the door on your way out." Evelyn made a gagging noise at him as she disappeared from the room, pulling the door on her way.

Vincent laughed, a full chest rumbling, belly rolling laugh. Vincent struck me as someone that didn't laught often but he was gorgeous when he did. His head was tossed back, his hair falling away from his face. Gone were the worry lines that seemed etched into his forehead. His hands tightened on my knee and hip as he shook. His laughter was infectious and I couldn't help joining him, my hands coming to rest on his shoulders.

Slowly our laughter died down and when it did, I registered my proximity to Vincent. When Evelyn had been here it had been different, now that we were alone, it felt very intimate.

I moved, attempting to climb off Vincents lap but he didn't allow it. His grip tightened, holding me in place as heat flamed up my neck and across my cheeks.

" Surely that wasn't all for show," he mused twisting a curl around his finger.

" I figured I could get Evelyn off your back faster if she thought your feelings were genuine," I said dropping my head, covering the deepening blush in my cheeks with my curtain of hair.

" What a shame. I was really enjoying having you on my lap." I didn't realize my cheeks could get any redder at that point but Vincent had succeded in just that.

" I figured acting the part came with the territory," I chuckled dryly.

" You'd have known had you read the contract this morning."

" I was overwhelmed this morning. I needed a moment-"

" To run off and do something wreckless that got you hurt?" Vincent suggested before I could finish. My eyes snapped up to his, registering the displeasure on his voice.

" To collect myself. These last few days haven't exactly been what I would call normal and being hit with a marriage contract thicker than my economics textbook first thing in the morning was by no means normal," I snapped back at him. A storm cloud passed behind Vincents eyes in that moment, and I knew without a doubt, I had pushed more than one button with that sentence.

" That contract, was created for your protection. Yes it outlines some of your duties, but more than anything, it defines how you will be treated, cared, and provided for." I snorted at him, pushing away from him again, this time he let me go. I wrapped my arms around myself as I walked toward the windows. As stupid as it sounded, I missed Vincents hands as soon as they were gone. I needed to keep my wits though and that was hard to do with his hands on me.

That was almost the exact line of BS that Andre had tried to feed me about Anthony two days ago. He had promised Anthony was a good man that would protect and provide for me as well. I knew then that Anthony was never going to care for me. Now Vincent sat in front of me, spewing the same line of nonsense.

" You doubt me?" he scoffed.

" I've been around long enough to know that words are next to useless. Actions speak louder," I chuckled turning back to him. I jumped when I found him standing directly behind me. He hadn't sounded that close when he spoke. I instinctively took a step back, effectivly pinning myself to the wall as he stepped forward. His hand came up, gently lifting my chin till I was looking him in the eye.

" Well, we will let my actions speak for themselves than."