Illegally Yours |+18|

10. I like when you touch me, Aaron.

Bess.

It's been a week since I joined the company, and I can say that things are going from strength to strength.

I never imagined I would be the way I am now. Living in a comfortable place next to someone I feel safe with, surrounded by people who seem to accept me, and working for a good salary that can help me pay Aaron everything I owe him.

Luck has never been on my side. Each foster home I was in was a torture that little by little I got used to. However, I was always grateful for the few things I did have. So right now, when I have more than I ever imagined I would have, I am as grateful for life as I have ever been.

I am happy and it all comes down to one simple word, or better yet, one wonderful name: Aaron Cooper.

I owe him everything I am now and I think I will never get tired of thanking him.

And right now while I'm writing some letters that Carmen asked me for later, the familiar dark-haired boy who comes every day to make copies walks into my cozy office.

I never thought I would feel this feeling of belonging to a place. But my office feels so much mine, that I am sure that, if one day I stop working here, I will miss it very much.

I look out of the corner of my eye as the boy begins to do his work on the photocopier and I'm a little surprised because today he hasn't smiled at me like he always does. This time he looks serious and maybe a little sad, if the slight frown between his brows is any sign.

I concentrate on writing the letters as I listen to him do his thing. I don't ask anything because I don't want to seem nosy. Also, if I want to keep my age a secret, I must do my best to remain inconspicuous.

When I am about to finish the last letter, the boy suddenly turns to look at me and says too loudly: "I'm in love!" He walks over to me and places his hands on my desk with a loud clatter. "I'm in love with Ivana and she doesn't know I exist!"

I scratch my eyebrow as I look at him, trying not to freak out at his crazy outburst.

"And who is Ivana?"

“The girl who lives upstairs.” He pulls back his chair and sits across from me, looking at me with an expression that reminds me of a street dog begging for food. "What should I do?"

I scratch my eyebrow again, thinking how weird this guy is.

"I have no idea" I am honest. "But I think that telling her how you feel can be an option."

“How do you think?!” He shakes his head, a look of terror on his face. “She doesn't know I exist, Bess! If I tell her I'm in love, she's going to think I'm crazy!"

"Wait a minute there, desperate boy." I scoot back in my nice swivel chair and give him my best thug face. "How the hell do you know my name?"

"You're the boss's girl, everyone knows your name, but that doesn't matter, what matters here is that I'm in love with Ivana and she doesn't know I exist."

I skip the part where he says I'm the boss's girl and focus on his madness, because he really does seem very desperate.

"How about you go knock on her door and tell her you're in love with her?"

"I told you no, besides, what am I supposed to do after I tell her that?"

"Nothing," I shrugged. “You just tell her and then you walk away.”

“What would I get out of it?”

"Be honest and I'm sure you would take a weight off your shoulders."

He stares at me for several seconds, until he finally nods and stands up excitedly.

"You're right, I'm going to do it right now."

Wait... What?!

"What? Are you serious?"

But he's already running to the door and he doesn't answer me. Luckily, I manage to grab the bottle of water Aaron always makes sure I have, and throw it at the crazy man's head before he takes my impromptu advice.

"Ouch!" He groans, rubbing the back of his head where I hit it with the plastic bottle.

"Are you crazy?" I ask when he looks at me. "It's not even quitting time, you can't get out of your job to do that."

His shoulders slump slightly, however, a huge smile remains on his lips.

Sometimes I wonder if everyone is crazy. And right now, looking at this guy, I understand why I ask myself that question so constantly.

“You're right, again. I'll wait at the exit to go tell Ivana how I feel about her” he clumsily takes the papers he had left in the photocopier and goes back to the door. "By the way, I'm Zaid and I work in the creative department, nice to meet you."

And he leaves, leaving me totally impressed.

Wow boy!

I stand up and walk cautiously to the door, watching for any other crazy people to tell me about them love disasters. And I don't know anything about love. I have never had anyone to love and I have never had anyone to love me. I'm the least likely to give romantic advice, so Zaid will most likely be angry with me tomorrow for taking my advice.

Poor him, I think he's going to have a bad night.

I bend down to grab the bottle of water, then head to my cute swivel chair to get on with my work.

Maybe half an hour later, the door opens and Evan's poisonous secretary b***h walks into my office.

“I need you to make copies of these documents.” She tosses a bundle of folders onto my desk. "Right now".

I'm surprised that she talks to me because since the incident on my first day at work, she hasn't spoken a single word to me. But apparently things have changed.

I continue with my work and I don't even bother to look at her while I say: "I'm busy, you do it".

And I may not have the best education, but I know the fundamental manners that a person should have. And I definitely never heard the necessary "please" leave her lips.

"Why would I do your job?" I hear her say in a huff. "Do it right now because Evan needs those papers."

I want to laugh when she calls Evan by his first name, probably making me think they trust each other. I know they don't have it because Evan doesn't even know what her name is. Whenever he makes fun of me for what she did on my first epic day at work, he talks about her as his secretary. Only and exclusively that. Nothing more.

“You're going to do it because I'm busy” I say calmly.

"Do you think you're special because you're Evan and Aaron's new personal w***e?"

What has she said?

I must keep a low profile, I remind myself. The last thing I need is to create a scandal.

“Think what you want, Evan's secretary” I call her that because I don't even know her name and, honestly, I don't care to know either.

Suddenly and without seeing it coming, she grabs my water bottle and empties the liquid on me.

I stifle a gasp as the dampness begins to make me shiver. I look at myself and I look at her and in less than a blink, my fist is hard on her face.

"Poisonous b***h" I spit as angry as I can.

She whimpers something unintelligible as she holds her bleeding nose. I ignore her, just stand up and walk out of my office towards Aaron.

I walk all the way down the hall and ignore Carmen when she calls my name. Without stopping to knock on the door, I walk into the office of the president as Carmen follows behind me.

“I punched Evan's secretary and I think I broke her nose,” I tell Aaron.

He looks up from his computer and gapes at me.

"How do you know this is my office?"

"I knew you were the president from the second day I worked here, Aaron."

"Bess, you can't come in like this!" Carmen comes in screaming behind me.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this," Aaron tells her.

When she walks out and leaves us alone, I move closer to him.

“I punched her because she told me I'm your and Evan's personal w***e. Also, she threw water on me” I point to my completely soaked white t-shirt. “If you want to fire me after this, I understand. I just wanted to tell you before she came to complain to you.”

"Bess, what the hell are you saying?" When he stands up and walks over to me, I can tell that my eyes are full of tears. "If I'm going to fire someone, it will be her, not you."

I sniff as I brushes the back of my hand over my eyes, trying to wipe away any unshed tears.

I startle when Aaron takes my face in his hands because he doesn't touch me lately. In fact, when I hugs him he visibly tenses up, which is why I didn't do it again.

“But look how she left you.” He looks at my torso as he says, “I can see your bra, Bess. Did you come all wet from your office?”

I nod, a little distracted at having him so close again. I missed him touching me this way. Feeling his hands on my face or on my skin I like, and I don't understand why he didn't do it again.

"Little girl!" I startle when Evan walks through the door. “What did my secretary do to you to make you break her nose? Are you okay? She's a good f**k, but I swear, if she did anything to you again, I'll kick her out immediately...”

"Aaron!" I scream as he wraps me tightly in his arms, forcing me to press my breasts against his chest. "What are you doing?"

"Evan, go fire your secretary," he growls, ignoring me.

“But I want to know how Bess is doing,” he complains. "You're drowning her, by God."

“Go away, Evan! Long, damn it!”

What the hell?

I try to move away from him, but he holds me tighter.

"Your f*****g bra is showing, Bess, I'm not going to let anyone see you like that," he hisses angrily in my ear. “Go away, Evan!”

“Every day you are crazier!” I hear Evan scream before he's out the door.

When Aaron finally lets go of me, it's because we're alone in his office.

Aaron curses under his breath when he looks at me again, then he takes my hand and leads me to the pretty wooden door that leads into a huge bathroom.

"Are you mad that I hit your secretary?" I ask as I watch him grab a white towel. "Sorry but..."

"I'm not mad, Bess," he denies.

"Of course you are."

"No".

"Yes".

"I am not!"

"Yes, Aaron!"

"No, Bess!"

“Why are you yelling?! Do not scream!"

“Because...” he rolls his eyes as a small smile forms on his lips. However, when he speaks again, that smile disappears. "I'm furious at how she treated you and I'm f*****g pissed that someone else saw you like this, showing the f*****g bra."

"Oh."

"Yes-oh."

"I understand" I say. "That's wrong".

"Yes, Bess, that is wrong."

Aaron hangs the towel over his shoulder and starts pulling my wet shirt over my head.

"Can you see me?" I ask when my light pink bra comes into view.

“Yes, I can,” he says, looking at my bra.

"You like?" I ask with a frown on my eyebrows, surprised that he likes fashion. Christina told me that men didn't like anything about clothes or shoes. "It was Christina who helped me choose it."

"Bess" he murmurs closing his eyes with a pained expression. “You can't imagine...” he sighs, not finishing his words.

I look at him doubtfully and finally decide to ask the question that is running through my head.

"Why can you see me in my underwear?" I wonder. "Because I know it's wrong, but it doesn't bother me."

"Nope?"

I effusively deny.

"No, it doesn't bother me and I'm so confused."

"Confused?" He starts running the towel down my torso, wiping the moisture from my skin.

“Yeah, Aaron, I'm confused.” My breath hitches a little as he moves closer to me. "I know you shouldn't be looking at me like that."

"You know?"

“Yeah, I mean, whenever a horny brother from whatever foster family I was in came up to me or even tried to touch me, red alerts would go off in my head, but with you those alarms never go off. And you've touched me more than anyone else has."

"I have done?"

“Yes,” I whisper softly as he drops the towel to the floor and rests his open hand on the center of my belly. His hand is big and rough against my skin. And he feels good. I take a shaky breath before saying, “When that guy from my last foster home came into my room at night and tried to take the sheets off me, I felt like I was in danger and so I acted like I did. I mean, at school we were always warned about rape and stuff. I know I shouldn't let someone see me in my underwear, it's embarrassing and wrong."

"It is, Bess."

"But why don't I feel ashamed with you, huh?" I put my hand on top of his and press it even tighter against my belly. "I don't mind if you do this."

"And that?" His hand moves between my breasts and rests there, sending licks of fire across my skin. "It bothers you?"

I take a deep breath before saying, "No."

"You like?"

"I like you to touch me, Aaron." A weird, husky sound escapes his mouth. “But you haven't done it again. In fact, you walked away the last time I tried to hug you and I don't understand why. Does it bother you to touch me? Does it bother you that I touch you?"

"Do you want to touch me, pretty?"

"Maybe" I agree, swallowing hard. "That's wrong?"

"Yes, Bess."

“And this is also wrong? That you touch me?"

He nods, but his hand never leaves between my breasts and all I do is press his hand deeper into my skin.

"Bess, I don't know how to explain it to you."

"Well, explain to me why I don't understand" I push him by the chest to move him away while I say angrily: "You say it's wrong, but it doesn't feel bad to me. In fact, it's the opposite, I feel too good. And I don't understand, I don't understand why I can't stop thinking I want to see you shirtless, I don't understand why I can't stop wishing you were my first kiss and I don't understand why I want to sleep with you in your bed every night”.

“Bess...”

“I don't get it, Aaron! When you touch me, I don't feel danger, I just feel like I want more! But I don't know what that plus is, I just know that... I just know that...”

He takes a step toward me, looking at me with something too dark in his eyes.

"What?"

"That I've never had the closeness with anyone that I have with you and I don't want to have it with anyone else...I just...I just want you to touch me...nobody else, Aaron."

"Damn, pretty."

Suddenly, I'm pushed against the nearest wall as Aaron presses his body against mine. He's hard where I'm soft and the feel of his body so close to mine sends shivers through my skin.

I tremble as his hand wraps around my neck and whispers against my lips, "This is wrong, Bess, this is so wrong..."

"It feels good".

A small, husky laugh escapes his lips.

“I can't do this with you.” His thumb moves in a caress up my neck. “I can't take advantage of this, Bess. Not when you don't even know how to put a name to what you feel."

He lightly brushes his lips against mine again before pulling away. Then he grabs a T-shirt from the stack of shirts on the rack attached to the wall and puts it on me, buttoning it silently.

“Carmencita is always in charge of having my clothes here” he says, finishing putting his shirt on my body. "You are already."

"Is she very important to you?"

"Carmenita?" He asks me, looking into my eyes.

"Yes".

"She's part of my family, Bess," he smiles fondly. “She was my father's secretary when he was the president, now she is mine. She knows all the history of my family and she was the one who took care of me when dad brought me here as a child.”

"Your father sounds great" I say with a bit of nostalgia because I would have loved to have one.

"He is." He takes my hand and leads me back to his office. “We have half an hour to go. Stay here and I'll walk you to your office later to pick up your stuff."

"It's okay".

I sit on one of the white pieces of furniture in the back of the room and watch Aaron go about his work in front of the computer.

He is so handsome.

And I just stand there, watching him for I don't know how long.

“I'm going to turn off the computer and we're leaving,” he says, snapping me out of my reverie. "Did you entertain yourself looking at me?"

I smile with all my teeth.

"You know I like looking at you."

A cute laugh escapes his lips as he shakes his head, and I smile more because I love making him laugh.

"Bess, weren't you mad that I hid from you about owning the company?"

"No" I confess. “You had your reasons, I suppose. But I'm not going to deny that I would have liked you to be honest. However, I did love all the times Evan would make you mad when he gave you an order.”

"So you were in cahoots with him, you little rascal," he says with amusement. "I want you to know that if I didn't tell you, it was because I didn't want you to turn down the job because of it."

"I wasn't going to reject it" I'm honest. “I need the job, Aaron. And I know how to get help when I need it.”

I look at the door when it opens and a tall, brown, black-eyed boy enters the place.

“Thiago” Aaron stands up and walks towards him. "I didn't expect you, how are you?

I stay on the piece of furniture, looking at them in silence.

“Well, I'm sorry for being unexpected, but it's important and that's why Carmen let me in” says the man Aaron called Thiago. "My mother has launched another clothing line and we need you to do what you do best."

"She has taken it out in the London store?"

The boy nods.

“Yes, but this time we want to expand outside the country. We need to enter the international market.”

"So this is big," Aaron says in awe. “You already know the procedure. When you bring me the briefing, I will study it and tell you if...”

Thiago offers him the folder that he has in his hands.

"I already have the briefing."

“Perfect, let me study it and have Evan read it. Then I'll tell you what we're going to do."

Thiago nods at Aaron's words, then his eyes fall on me. A nice smile settles on his lips and white teeth greet me.

"I'm Thiago Pauls, and you are?"

"Bess Lee" I replied smiling, infected by her charm. "Nice to meet you".

"The pleasure is mine".

I stand up as he walks over to me and gently takes my hand to kiss the back of it.

I smile even more, finding his action amusing.

"You're weird" I tell him.

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Not really," I shrugged. "Everyone seems weird to me."

I smile more when he laughs, a loud laugh escaping his lips.

“We have to go, Thiago” Aaron's voice makes me return my eyes to him. His lips are pursed and his voice comes off a little gruff as he says, "Come on, Bess."

I walk towards him and am surprised when he takes my hand and pulls me to his side. His strong arm wrapping around my waist.

“I'll walk you to the door” Aaron says to Thiago as he ushers us out of the office.

When we stop in front of Carmen, Aaron hands her the folder that Thiago had given him and gives her some instructions, meanwhile, I can feel the brown boy's eyes on me.

“You're very pretty” he says suddenly and both Carmen and Aaron are silent, listening to him. “In fact, even so, dressed in that oversized man's shirt you're wearing, you look beautiful, Bess. I could..."

"No," Aaron cuts off his words before he finishes speaking. “Bess is not going to be one of your models. Sorry Thiago, but you're looking in the wrong direction."

Thiago looks silently from Aaron to me while Carmen and I remain silent. I look at Aaron in amazement due to the cold tone he used to speak.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend, Aaron."

“Oh no, we're not” I immediately deny Thiago's words. "In fact, we are cousins."

I look at Aaron with a smile, glad to do as he asked. He told me that if someone asked about me, say that I was his cousin and that's what I'm doing. I expect him to beam at me, but all he does is swear under his breath as his jaw hardens harder.

“Interesting” Thiago says and then hands me a small card. "I'm going to leave you my card so you can call me if you ever need a job."

I nod with the card in hand, reading in my mind his name and the number that is there. According to this, Thiago Pauls is president of the company of some clothing brand that I think I remember Christina told me about days ago.

As I'm about to thank him, he turns and disappears into the elevator.

I stay silent, not knowing where all this has come from.

[...]

“You're mad,” I say to Aaron as we ride up to his apartment in the elevator. "And I do not know why".

"I'm fine".

I sigh, giving up.

He didn't say anything the whole way home and the frown doesn't go away from his face. But I'm not going to be intense and besides, I'm angry too.

He can't get angry for no apparent reason and not say anything to me!

I step out of the elevator as it stops at our floor and walk in front of him, unwilling to see his angry face.

Inside the apartment, I throw my bag on the counter and walk to my room, wanting to change my shoes so I'm barefoot, but a grip on my arm prevents me from doing so.

"What...?"

I look at Aaron in surprise as he backs me up against the wall, his hands braced against the wall on either side of my face.

I catch my breath and my heart starts beating hard and fast.

"Did you like him?" He asks with what appears to be anger.

"Huh?"

"Thiago, did you like him?"

"Me what?"

“Bess, it's a very simple question. Did you find him handsome?”

"Well, yes, he is handsome."

"Damn, Bess," he growls. “I saw how he looked at you and damn he offered you to be one of his models, and he sleeps with all the damn models of his! He is just like Evan, except that Thiago is accompanied by his designer mommy who helps him to camouflage all the romps he has”.

I really am not understanding half of what he says. His body against mine and his face so close to me have me totally stunned.

"Aaron!" I screech as his face falls and burrows into my breasts.

“I can't, Bess, I can't,” he whispers against my chest and all I do is breathe shallowly. “All I wanted to do while that guy was looking at you like that was hit him and make it clear who you belong to. And you…damn, you… I wanted to bend you over my desk to bury myself inside you the way I've always wanted to.”

“You can't bury yourself in me, that doesn't make sense,” I manage to say awkwardly, because his face against my chest is driving any sign of sanity out of my head and making my legs wobbly.

"Makes sense, Bess, makes perfect sense, pretty." Slowly, he falls to his knees in front of me, his face dragging from my breasts to my belly. "And I want to show you all the f*****g sense it makes, but I can't, Bess, I can't."

His face presses deeper into my belly and I shiver, shiver badly as his teeth bite into my shirt.

“Aaron, my…my legs are shaking.” He begins to place soft kisses on my belly through the cloth. "And... and it burns where you touch me."

“Bess...” His hands start to go up my shirt.

“Why do I feel like I'm burning? No, I do not understand".

And suddenly, he bolts away, putting distance between us.

He looks at me with what appears to be fear and despair.

And I don't get it.

I don't understand what we are doing.

"I'm so sorry, Bess," he apologizes vehemently. "I'm really sorry, but I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place."

And he disappears into his room, leaving me with a thousand questions in my head.