42
"Hello, Ms. Noelle!" The driver says from the front after rolling down the partition.
"Hey, Derek! It's good to see you." I greet the man.
"Likewise, Ms. Noelle." He smiled at me through the rear view mirror.
"We can leave when you're done with your chatting, Derek," Leo scowled at him, forcing a little snicker to escape my mouth.
"Sorry, boss." He rolled up the partition immediately. Revving the engine to life, the vehicle began moving.
"Why a limo?" I ask him as he typed away into his phone.
He glanced at me for a second and then back at his phone. "Because it's more private and we have a lot of room to ourselves." My insides began to melt as I stared at the little illuminated bar on the right side of the vehicle. I couldn't help but feel giddy as butterflies erupted not only in my stomach but all over my body.
I turn my gaze to the left and look at Leo who still had his eyes fixated on his wretched phone, paying no attention to me. His side profile was something I admired every now and then. His chiseled cheekbones and sharp stubbly jawline protruded from the rest of his face while a small scar on his right temple hid under his black dense mane that just flowed from the air conditioning.
"I know I'm quite handsome but you don't have to gawk at me like that," he chuckled with his orbs still stuck to his phone.
"Oh, shut up!" I roll my eyes and look out of the window to hide the smile that threatened to form on my face. Composing myself, I turn back towards him. "It's quite rude when you're sitting next to a man in an empty limousine where he'd rather have his head in his phone than talk to the girl sitting next to him who is currently bored to death."
He laughs and sets his phone on his right thigh. "I was just making sure everything goes smoothly today. Don't want to get blood on your," he looks down at my legs and continues, "tight leggings."
"They're not that tight," I retort right away, cutting off his snickering.
"Trust me when I say they're very tight. You shouldn't wear them around me." He winked as a smug smirk began to decorate his already beautiful face.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I cock my brow.
"Nothing," he responds and picks up his phone again. "Give me a couple of minutes and then I'm all yours."
I slouch into the cream leathered seat and wait for him to talk to me but he was so engrossed into his stupid phone that he wouldn't even say anything. Fuck that phone. I rip it away from his hand and pull it behind me. "You've been on it for far too long." I smirk at him mischievously and stick out my tongue.
"Give it back," he commanded, "you don't wanna do this."
"Maybe I do." I whip out my right hand from behind me and dangle the phone in his amused face. "Catch it if you can."
"This should be fun." He laughed and tried to grab the phone from my hand but I was quicker than him and pulled it back.
"Too slow, Mr. Pepperoni!" I chuckle and throw the phone back and forth between my two hands. He pounced forward to grab the phone again but I made a run for it to the other side of the limo with my feet pounding against the illuminated narrow aisle.
"Come get it!" I wink at him and smirk.
"You will regret this." He warned as he showed his teeth. He crouched and began proceeding towards me, cornering me into the left side. "You can't get away now, so you might as well give it to me."
"Like I said," I gaze into his blue oceanic eyes and hide the phone behind me, "catch it if you can."
His mischievous grin grew wider as his face came closer to mine, brushing our noses together. My heart begins thumping in my chest as I held his stern gaze. A glint of mischief, lust, and hunger were prominent in his blue marble-like eyes. I begin to slouch further down into the seat until I was laying on it with Leo on top of me. He pressed his upper body against mine as his mouth travelled up to my ear. "I've got it." He whispered, his voice sultry and husky as he let out a low growl after. He kissed the side of my mouth, almost too close to my lips and pulled himself away, waving the phone in my face.
I was too busy trying to register what just happened to realize that he had taken the phone. I fought the urge to pull him back and place his smooth lips on mine, but that would be a... bad idea. Definitely a bad idea. I swallow my saliva to quench my thirst for this man but it didn't help. I'd need to drink up the entire Pacific Ocean to satisfy my thirst but that would be less and would instead make me more thirsty. I sit back up and run my hand through my disheveled wavy hair and compose myself. Leo had already crawled back to his previous seat and stared at me intently with a massive smirk plastered on his face as he waited for me to crawl back next to him too.
My cheeks began to heat up immensely, compelling me to look down at the blue light illuminating the floor and the pathway back to the man. Letting out a shaky breath, I crouch back next to him. "Knock that smirk off your face, I let you have it," I scowl at him and look out of the window to hide my reddened cheeks.
"Whatever you say, love." I could feel a smile spread across his face as his eyes definitely drilled two holes into the back of my head. "Whatever makes you feel better." I bite the inside of my mouth to stop me from grinning like an idiot but I couldn't help it.
I could hear him shuffling while I still stared out of the window looking at the multiple tall buildings that swooshed past us. "Turn around," he said. I reluctantly tilt my head to face him, scared he'd see my fiery cheeks but he held out a rectangular blue velvety box towards me. "This is for you."
I look at his encouraging eyes and lift the box from his palm and open it to find a locket. The shiny silver heart was placed on top of the silky cushion inside the box. The engraving of my name "Arie" was disguised by flowers and vines that stood out in the same silver metal.
"This is beautiful." I lift the gorgeous heart that dangled from side to side on the delicate silver chain. On admiring it further, I notice a little hole at the bottom of it mimicking a keyhole. "Where's the key?" I look up at him and catch him staring at me. He immediately looked away and reached behind his white dress shirt's collar and pulled out a tiny key that hung around his neck on a similar chain to mine.
"Right here." He beamed in content. "But you can't have it now."
"What? Why not? I want to see what's inside."
"Not so soon, love." He grabbed the locket from me and turned me around, slightly tracing his fingertips along my neck as he pushed my hair to the side, making me inhale sharply and sending a surge of warmth throughout my body. "I'll open it up myself one day. Just promise me to keep it with you at all times. Don't ever take it off. Keep it close to your heart," he whispered into my ear, sending another chilling sensation up my spine.
"I promise."