The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 22: Dinner's Ready

Gray Alvarez is an amalgamation of various emotions, be it negative or positive ones. His demeanor frequently evoked pure hostility. But every once in a while, he would flash an endearing...innocent expression.

Even though he never cracks a real smile, he would occasionally laugh at my antics. I thought that maybe he wasn’t as bad as I had made him out to be.

Still, he frequently displays attitudes indicative of a strong antipathy towards everything before him. The look on his face when he does that scares the life out of me…but I still stand by my opinion that he’s nothing more than a boy that sought something he could never hope to have.

At least that’s what he looked like to me…

“i***t. Watch where you’re going,” he told me with that lifeless expression of his when he saw me trip by the doorway.

He’s not nice. He is not, in any way, likable.

“Are the heels uncomfortable? Maybe you should stop wearing them. You always trip,” he told me as he removed his coat.

That’s right, he’s a cruel man…

But why is it that I find him acting like a real husband to me most of the time? It makes me wonder if I’m still talking to the same Alvarez I got married to, or the person in front of me is a completely different person.

All of these thoughts had only begun to cross my mind when I felt as though he was trying his best to treat me the way I deserved to be treated in a marriage. All that…and I still feel the same tension and animosity between the two of us.

I sighed and took my shoes off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine with my shoes. It was just because of what happened earlier this morning,” I told him with a dismissive tone.

“Oh. My bad.” He chuckled as he threw his tie on the couch.

“Hey!” I exclaimed and went to take it to the laundry. “You always just throw your stuff everywhere.”

“And?”

“I’m the one who pays for the laundry, dumbass.”

“Oh…” he trailed off as he scratched his nape and looked away. “Just take my credit card when you’re out or something, then. I don’t owe you anything.”

His card, huh…?

Well, I’m not really one to spend money like crazy, but I wonder how he’d react if I tried to do that. No doubt he’d be fuming with rage. That would be a great idea, actually.

Weary, Alvarez sat down on the sofa. “Before anything else…”

“What?”

“Even if you manage to use all the money on my card, I'm not going to be furious.”

“I doubt that.”

“Seriously, I won’t. Go on a shopping spree. I won’t mind.”

There’s no way that would not piss him off. Sure, he acts like a good husband when he gets the chance to…but to casually hand me his card and let me waste his money on frivolous purchases?!

My mouth went agape as I stared at him, wondering if it was a trap or he was simply being generous. Alvarez raised a brow at me, but I still couldn’t believe what he told me.

He really is an unpredictable man…!

The more I thought about it, the more I realized I could also compare him to a box full of surprises; one that shows me something new about him every time I open it, but is ultimately the same box I have been opening for years.

“You’re weird,” I told him as I sat beside him.

“Perhaps I am…” he muttered as he turned to me, asking for permission.

“What do you want?”

He sighed, and then draped his arm over my stomach. “Push me away if you don’t like it. I just…feel so tired and sleepy.”

Alvarez slowly buried his face in my chest and closed his eyes, looking peaceful. This is the first time I’ve seen him act like this in front of me, like a sleep-deprived adolescent on the eve of his final exams.

Running my fingers through his hair, I couldn’t help but chuckle and wonder what was going through his mind that he’d suddenly become so possessive of me, of all people. I’d say this makes him seem more human in my eyes.

He is neither a friend nor a foe, that’s one thing I can’t deny. What we have lies between those two words. It doesn’t matter, really. I just…thought it was weird that one moment we’re arguing and the next there’s almost no more distance between us.

As I pondered about such foolish thoughts, I found myself getting lost in the bliss of my delusions…

Only to be woken up by the scent of something being perfectly cooked.

I did a little stretching as I got up, wondering where that smell was coming from. “What time is it?”

Alvarez looked back at me from the kitchen. “Oh, you’re awake. Come here and look at this.”

Rubbing my eyes, I stood up to see what it was. “Why? Did something happen?”

“Well…” he trailed off as he showed me his laptop. “Just scroll through the article. I’m still cooking our dinner.”

I nodded at him and read through whatever article was written in the tabloid. “The f**k is this…?” I muttered when I realized what it was about.

Alvarez only chuckled from behind, as if it was nothing more than a joke for him. “There’s one more article. Go check the next tab.”

I shook my head in dismay as I did as he told me to, my face heating up after reading everything. Both of these articles…are talking about me and my ex, including how Alvarez reacted.

The first article seemed to have gotten a lot of engagement. It was about me meeting my ex in the parking lot of my husband’s building. Well, damn. This one completely made me out to be a villain.

And the other one…

“You asshole!” I yelled at Alvarez. “You said they wouldn’t hear us!”

He just laughed at me as he continued cooking our dinner! I’m really annoyed, but I’m letting him get away because dinner seems delectable.

“It’s not my fault you were loud, you know,” he teased.

I tried to punch him from behind, but he swiftly evaded me! And at long last, I noticed that he was shirtless and was only in his shorts and apron. Oh my, look at how ripped his back is…

A sigh escaped from my lips as I sat on the kitchen stool, crossing my arms over my chest as I watched him cook. His muscles will often contract when he moves, and his posture is just…

“Diaz, I suggest eating dinner before me,” he told me, smirking.

“I hope you burn your finger or something.”

“Your stare’s already burning me.”

“Shut up and cook.”

“I suggest we make a little rule between us,” he told me as he lowered the heat.

I rolled my eyes. One look and you’d know he’s up to no good. “What now?”

“If you want me to shut up, you’d have to make me. The same goes for me, of course.”

Alvarez looked like he was not joking when he said that. Honestly, I am not the least bit surprised because it sounded like something he would say. That’s just how childish he is.

“Is this one of your s****l desires or what?” I asked, not taking him seriously.

“Not really,” he replied, smiling. “But I figured it would be better than us shouting at each other.”

“What’s the point? That’s where our arguments end anyway.”

This is precisely why I think this guy is weird. Most of the time, he blurts random crap out just to get me into his bed. Little rule, my ass.

Alvarez turned the stove off and started serving the food, looking like he was still not over that rule he wanted to establish between the two of us. Without a doubt, he’d start rambling about how it’s necessary sooner or later.

“Know what, Diaz? This is just me being concerned. Sometimes, we get so mad at each other that it results in pointless shouting–”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“You’re so f*****g loud, I can’t stand it…” I muttered as I pulled him by the apron’s neck piece, crashing my lips against his’.

He smirked in between the kisses. See? He knew damn well this was how the conversation would end once he started talking too much. He doesn’t like saying his bullshit straight to my face. Instead, he’d use such foolish means!

God, he’s annoying.

Alvarez placed his hands on my waist and squeezed them, earning a whimper from me. As I opened my mouth, he seized the opportunity and pushed his tongue inside my mouth to fully explore me.

Without thinking, my arms slithered around his neck and pulled him in. Every time our tongues collide, I retreat a little more…to the point where my back is now against the counter.

Damn, there’s nowhere to run off to. I know what’s next, yet I can’t bring myself to stop him. I could only cover my mouth to prevent my whimpers from being heard across the unit as Alvarez’s kisses went down to my neck.

“The food…” I managed to say as he licked, sucked, and bit on my neck like a predator preparing to devour its prey.

“The food’s what?”

“It’s— Hngh…getting cold…!”

“Do you want to eat?”

I nodded as I shut my eyes closed, my hands gripping his shoulders to stop him from going further. After last night and this morning, I don’t think I’d be able to properly do it with him. It’s likely that I’ll pass out in the middle of it.

Fortunately for me, Alvarez stopped and gave me a peck on the cheek. That…felt strange and irritated me, but I chose not to lash out. I was still in a daze, after all.

“Let’s eat,” he told me, grinning.

“Is your d**k okay, though?” I asked when I finally snapped out of my reverie.

He groaned and placed his utensils down. “Come on! Can we just eat?”

I chuckled and started to eat the meal he cooked. This is one of the things about him that took me by surprise. I had no idea he knew how to cook as he never really liked doing chores. Perhaps it was because he lived alone in this unit all this time.

“You’re good at cooking.”

“I’m good at everything,” he corrected me, smirking.

“Uh-huh. What can you do aside from cooking?”

“You.”

I pursed my lips to stop myself from shouting at him while there was food in front of us. Alright, I did the exact same thing earlier, but at least we weren’t eating yet! And he was the one who told me we should just eat. The audacity!

But since I’m trying to be nice right now, I chose to ignore his remark and complimented his cooking instead. I can’t let myself get carried away all the time!

Anyway, I offered to wash the dishes after we finished eating, and he didn’t mind. Oh, that’s pretty unusual of him as he usually tells me I don’t have to do it first.

I only understood why, when he stood behind me, his hands immediately snaked around my waist sneakily. I shook my head in dismay as I ignored him. My knees are quick to betray me, and I’m not letting that happen again.

“Diaz…” he whined as he nuzzled his face on my neck.

Here he goes again. I made sure the sink was clean, as he stayed like that behind me, occasionally calling me, only to stay quiet when I asked him what he wanted.

To be honest, I already know what it is he wants from me, but I prefer it if he actually says it out loud. Ha! He thinks he can always manipulate me into responding the way he wants me to? No way.

“Diaz, look at me…” he whimpered, burying his face in the scruff of my neck.

“What?” I asked, impatient.

“I want you. So, please…”