In Love With My Rival

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: with all my life

What the heck is wrong with this girl?

            Zephyr thought as he finally blinked after a long time. Wow. He hadn’t stared at someone that long. He could not help it. It was still hard to believe that he was staring at an angel. Again. And why was she wearing white again? Did he have to seriously see her in white every time?

            Dude, it was peach at Starbucks.

            Right.

            Anyway, he had everything ready when he woke up early in the morning. He prepared his application letter and resume. He thought the two were just the ones very important. He showered, had breakfast with Xavier, a cup of coffee, and dropped his brother off at college before completely making his away to Lauren Foods, Inc. Why, though? Why did have to personally submit his application? Maybe he hadn’t seen the ads on the Internet and social media?

            I don’t browse the Internet.

            This guy must be weird.

            He used the elevator to get to the top floor. He knew he had to go to the top floor after asking the in-charge at the lobby where the office of the Chief Executive Officer was. He silently cursed after finding out it was on the sixty-first floor. Well, she was at the top position so she’d rather be at the top. Well, that made sense.

            However, when he finally arrived and walked out of the elevator, his frown was so deep when he found no one in the lobby. There was a counter, but there were no receptionists or someone you could ask for information. Nothing, but an empty lobby. But everything about the Interior Design was exquisite. It really screamed wealth and power. He did not feel nervous at all. He was so determined until he found the office, knocked on the door, and finally came to face with the woman herself. The CEO, Ava Lauren O’Kelly.

            Almost all determination and eagerness were gone when his eyes landed on the Angel again. Daring. That was what he first thought of when he studied and checked her out. The white fitted dress accentuated all her curves. It was too sexy, showing off her collarbone and cleavage. Was that even a work outfit? Her face, it was the shape of the most beautiful woman next to her mother. So small, cute prominent nose, electric blue eyes, long and shiny jet black hair, thick brows, and lashes. He almost could not believe that he was staring at the same face again. She haunted him in his sleep, running in his mind, refusing to leave his thoughts.

            This is insane. I can’t work for and with his woman.

            Why the sudden change of mind?

            I might break a promise.

            The promise to yourself? It’s up to you if you resist or fall.

            His mind was starting to get clouded the longer he stared at her. There were images of them together alone in a room forming in his head. Just the two of them, bare and daring. Skin to skin. It was hazy and steamy. He silently cursed himself when he felt him tightening in his jeans.

            Damn it.

            Why isn’t she looking away? Why are you looking at me like that? Stop.

            He wished he could all those things to her. Right on her face, but no. He needed the job.

            “What’s going on here?”

            Someone said, but neither of them broke the stare. He was starting to get that feeling in his stomach like something was tickling him inside. Butterflies, perhaps? Nobody was ready to end it yet. What was this? A staring contest? It was starting to annoy him, but why wasn’t he looking away?

            It was until the guy walked up to them and asked him, “Who are you?”

            Is he her brother?

            That made the angel finally tore her eyes off him, turned around, and left back to her desk, but not before sending an annoyed look at her brother. He saw it. She seemed sad that her brother had to interrupt and ruin the moment. If she was sad, Zephyr was grateful.

            Shaking his head, he looked away and faced the other person inside the office. He looked younger than him. Of course, he was shorter. Shiny blonde, slender, blue-eyed. That might sound creepy, but he could not look away… because the younger looked so intimidating. He wanted to match his stare so he squinted his eyes at him and clenched his jaw a bit.

            “Hi. I’m here to apply as a bodyguard.”

            Zephyr wasted no time and stated the purpose of his visit. He sighed in relief when his voice sounded composed calm. He wanted to give a food first impression of him. He badly needed to be her bodyguard.

            “Oh, great. Another one. Hi, I’m Mason Jones, Ms. Ava’s Assistant and Secretary. Come in.”

            Oh, he’s not a brother.

            But, it’s great he’s nice enough for welcoming and letting him in. The boss did not get to do that.

            Zephyr thought.

            “Make yourself comfortable. Can I have your documents?”

            Zephyr stepped inside and walked towards the chair where Mason was leading him to. And it just had to be in front of the boss. Great. He took the seat, but could not make himself comfortable.            

            Compose yourself.

            “Here.”

            He was just about to hand the brown folder with his application letter and resume inside to Mason when the woman at the front spoke again. “Leave this to me, Mason. You can go back to your office now.”

            His hand stopped midway, hanging in the air after she said. He looked at Mason who was frowning at his boss. “What? Are you sure?”

            “Pretty sure.” She simply said.

            Zephyr was studying them the whole time. He saw something in the angel’s eyes that was telling Mason to leave.

            “O-okay. Call me when you need my help.” Mason said and started to leave the office.

            “No worries.” She assured him.

            The sound of the door closing made Zephyr take a deep breath and he almost jumped on his seat when she suddenly took the folder from his hand. He was alone with her. He kept repeating that fact in his head. They were alone together.

            What the heck is wrong with that?

            This is just wrong.

            The room was hot. Or it was just him? The air was just filled with something that made me feel uncomfortable with her. So thick and tensed. This was going insane. She was intimidating enough. He could not look at her again unless she could try to put on the blazer that was hanging over the chair she was sitting on.

            “Where are you facing?”

            “What? Oh.” Zephyr blinked and faced front, keeping her eyes on her face. Her voice even sounded so angelic. It was getting into him.

            He could not cast his eyes lower. It was too dangerous. Instead, he kept her eyes on her face while she read the documents inside the folder. Her right hand was playing with her baby hairs on her forehead. It was cute, but that was when he noticed the bandage that was still there. Something inside him sparked. A sense of overprotectiveness overwhelmed him. How could he forget she had that?

            "Your wound is bleeding. You should get back in there. We can't be sure you're safe yet."

            He remembered those were the exact words he told her after saving her from danger. That wound was not bleeding now and it somehow gave him relief. From that, his eyes traveled lower to her lips. She suddenly bit her bottom lip, making him stare at it. They look so wet and luscious. So tempting. She suddenly licked them. Before he even knew it, he was already biting his own too.

            Creep.

            But, the longer he kept staring at her, he felt calmer. No more uneasy feeling. He managed to calm down by keeping his eyes on her hand that was playing with her hair. He was not sure if she could sense him just staring at her, but he did not care. He just wished she could at least try to put her blazer on. That was really the problem. It was distracting her. To resolve it, he had to be the one to adjust to the situation.

            “You’re twenty-nine years old.” She spoke all of a sudden, almost startling him. She did not take her eyes off his resume when she told him that. She looked so concentrated. He wondered what information about him that made her so focused on the papers.

            “I am.” He confirmed. He silently thanked the heavens that he did not sound awkward at all.

            “Tell me why you think you’re qualified to be my bodyguard.” She said, finally tearing her eyes off the papers and looked at him.

            Too bad, he was already looking at her.

            They locked eyes and there was just something in the way the looked at each other. Zephyr couldn’t look away from her. Her stare was so intense like she wanted something from him, but he did not know what it was. Why was she looking at me like that? He wondered. What did she want from me? He wanted to break the contact, but it was hard to do so. There was no turning back now.

            “I do not think I am qualified.”

            “What? Wh-” 

            “Because I am qualified to be your… your bodyguard.”

            To be yours.

            Zephyr closed his eyes for a second and opened them again.

            Meirda. Don’t think about such stupid things.

            “That… that doesn’t make sense.”

            The frown on her face as she said that made her look cute. So innocent. But, he was not falling for that.

            “I mean I am sure that I am qualified to be your bodyguard,” Zephyr told her with so much confidence.

            I can’t be intimidated by you.

            That was what he had to remind himself. He couldn’t be intimated by a woman. Not ever.

            “You don’t have any experience stated here.”

            “Do I have to have that?” Was Zephyr’s sassy response.

            He almost laughed when he saw her facial expression. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Her mouth opened and close, not knowing that to say. She blinked and shook her head.

“Are you serious? You’re impossible. Of course, the experience is needed. What are you even thinking? How can I be sure that you can-”

“I can. And I will protect you with all my life.”