Chapter 6

"What do you think you are doing?" She moaned as he walked her out of the club. She staggered and he paused, bending low to remove her heels. Why do women wear this contraption? He muttered as she leaned her weight on him as he fought to remove the hooks. He snorted at his prejudice. He loved a woman in good heels and yet here he was, complaining at her love for it because he had to unlatch a pair from the feet of a drunk woman.

He sighed, breathing in relief as he straightened up, the heels in his hands. She gasped as her feet touched the ground, too drunk to cringe at the cold temperature of the bare ground. He smirked at her as she stared at him, looking as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"Why are you here, Adam?" She scoffed. "I am not going to marry you even if you act all nice and sweet."

He snorted. "Why do you think I am here? I am here to save your ass." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Have you forgotten you called me?"

She snorted, storming away in annoyance. "I called you to cuss you out not ask that you save me." She glanced back at him, her eyes spitting fire and pointed at him. "Moreover, my ass didn't need saving. I think it is perfectly fine the way it is."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. Good, she also had a sassy sense of humour with her fiery personality. His eyes strayed to her behind in the gown she was in and he nodded in agreement with her. Her ass was perfect the way it was.

She was really a handful. She was an embodiment of fire, rage, ambition and passion whose combination could burn a man but he believed he was strong enough to incite and calm her.

His lips twisted in a sneer as he realized he was playing into Matthew's hands. He was behaving the exact way the man wanted him to think, seeing his daughter as a gem and him as the ultimate matchmaker who made the right choice saddling him with his daughter against the wishes of both of them.

He ran forward, sputtering out curses under his breath as he saw Veronica move towards her. Uh uh, not in my presence would you drive drunk, baby. He couldn't afford to let his ticket out of the impending poverty Derek wanted to throw him kill herself.

She turned, glaring at him as he placed his hands against hers on the door handle, forcing it to remain closed. She struggled against his hold and hissed when he remained adamant.

"What are you doing?" She growled through grited teeth.

Adam had a flash image of her running her tongue over his body, her teeth subtly nipping at his skin while he groaned and strained under her sexual ministrations. He shook his head, wondering where the image had come from. It felt so real in his head he was certain he had lived it and not just reacting to her.

He breathed, easing a low puff of air through his mouth, forcing himself to stay in the present. He had a woman he had to get home safe in his presence and the main gist of it was that she also wanted nothing to do with him.

He looked around the darkness, his eyes roaming and searching for Bruce. He knew the big man was somewhere around though he had blended to the shadows. Bruce wouldn't leave until Adam left the area. He reminded himself to focus on the presence of Bruce and erase any funny ideas from his mind. Bruce was like a radiation detector and he was certain he could see the thoughts going on in his head no matter how much he tried to hide it.

He wondered how Bruce always did that. There must be a psychology lessons on how to read minds at the security school he had attended. He wondered if he needed to ask Bruce if there was a school like that. If there was, he would pay the last of his cents to attend so he could know what went on in the head of the woman in front of him, get her to succumb to his charms and save his dying business.

She was really a work for a man's ego. If he hadn't been given various awards as the ultimate bad boy and congratulated on his many charms, he would have thought he had no games up his sleeves as a man.

"What are you doing?" She asked him again, frowning when he only stared at her. She thought she saw a flash of something she recognized in his look and shook her head to erase the memory. She could feel that look on her skin and it made her warm. It sent tingles down her body, through her blood and she felt like she was reacting to a familiar sensation.

On a steamy night, a stranger she couldn't picture his face had looked at her in that same manner. Scowling, she bit hard on her lips to keep herself grounded.

She wasn't that drunk, was she? She had been clearheaded when she had dissed those stupid men whose egos were bigger than their sense. She suddenly felt lightheaded and groaned. She couldn't believe she was such a wreck and her lips quivered in shame that she was weak in the presence of the man she had decided to strong before.

Why did you drink, Veronica? She almost sobbed. She had promised herself to watch her drinks after she had woken up alone in bed at a holiday, knowing she had just had the best sex of her life with a stranger she could barely remember.

He smirked at her, his lips seeming to tell her she knew why he was still with her. She rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever."

"I can't let you drive in the state that you are. You are drunk."

She snorted. "I am not drunk. I drank. There is a difference."

"I bet you don't know I have your shoes with me."

She glanced down at her feet, surprised to see herself barefoot and wondered when he had taken the shoes off. She shrugged, giving an indifferent attitude as she stared at him. "Of course, I know my shoes are not on my feet." She stretched her hands. "Could you hand them over to me now?"

He snorted and did as she had said. "Well?" He said, pointing in the direction of his car.

She shook her head to reject him. "Why are you being nice to me? I am not that drunk that I wouldn't be able to drive myself home"

He chuckled. "Getting you home safely should have no ulterior motive, don't you think? I know you can drive yourself home safely but I doubt the cops would agree with that. You don't want any troubles nor drama as you go home, do you?"

"What about my car?"

"Bruce is somewhere around. Give me the keys to your cars and I will make sure he gets the car to your house."

"My house? You don't know where I live."

"Your father already told me that." He grinned. There was no need to mention to her that her father had told Bruce and not him.

She groaned, wondering what the extent of her father's intrusiveness into her private life would be. Annoyed, she tossed the keys to him and scowled when he didn't fumble with the keys as he had hoped.

She rolled her eyes and walked to his car. He whooped silently and pressed the button for the car to open. Wordlessly, she slid into the car, purring at the feel of the leather. She nodded, glad to know he wasn't as broke as the headlines made him to be. She marveled at the level of misfortune that had befallen him to make someone who had had a comfortable life as his scramble for a woman who didn't like him to save his business. Her heart moved to pity for him and she almost blurted out her agreement to the marriage to him.

She shook her head. It must be the alcohol at work. She knew her brain wouldn't dare to think that she was willing to get married at the moment. She watched as a man emerged from the shadows, heading towards Adam. She gasped and almost shouted for him to hide until she saw the relaxed expression on his face. That must be the bodyguard he was talking about. He handed over her car keys to him and the two began to talk.

Tired of staring at them without being a part of their conversation, she laid her against the rest. Adam waved Bruce off and slid into his car, surprised to find Veronica asleep. He chuckled as je watched her sleeping features, amazed to see her looking so relaxed. He would love to see more of that than the angry features she loved to show to the world when awake.

He started the car, grinning as the engine purred to life. Yeah, baby. He drove into the building, parked and went to the side of she was. She hadn't moved not opened her eyes all through the ride and he was glad he was at the club and had insisted she rode with him.

"Stubborn woman!" He sighed, wondering if she would have slept off on the wheels if she had driven herself home as she wanted.

"Wake up, Veronica." He said, shaking her. "We are home already."

She moaned sleepily but didn't open her eyes. He cursed softly and scooped her in his arms, draping her purse all over him. He walked towards the door and groaned as he got to the door and realized he hadn't gotten the key to her apartment. He was debating if he should drop her to search through her purse for the keys when the door suddenly opened.

He jumped in surprise, gaping at the face smiling at him. "Matthew!"

"Adam." The sneaky old man smiled back, opening the door wider. "Her bedroom is to your right." He said as Adam stepped in with Veronica in his arms.

Adam moved to the room, laid her gently down and moved out, closing the door behind him. He kept his expression neutral as he joined Matthew in the living room. "I didn't know you lived here."

Matthew barked out a loud laughter. "Live here with Veronica? She would have had her memories wiped for her to allow that. I only have a key to her apartment. I just wanted to be here when Bruce told me you would be coming home with my daughter."

"Okay." Adam nodded, feeling at a loss of what to say.

"Care for a drink?" Matthew asked, already pouring some into glasses.

Adam shook his head. "No, it's late and Bruce is waiting for me."

Matthew scowled at him. "You don't reject a drink especially if it is your father in-law offering."

"I forgot to read that manual."

Matthew let out another laughter, picking a glass and sliding the other to Adam. He took a sip of his drink, peering at Adam over the rim of the glass. "You are indeed perfect match for my Veronica."

"I doubt she will agree with that."

"See?" Matthew gloated. "You are not even denying it anymore. With time, my daughter will also see what I see in you." He smiled, praising himself. "With the way you brought her home, I know you will make a lovely husband. I am so proud of myself right now. Maybe I should have gone into the matchmaking business after all instead of business." With a look at Adam, he teased him. "But I doubt I would be able to save your ass like I am doing now."

Adan blushed as he remembered Veronica's reply when he had said that to her and knew he couldn't dare say that to Matthew.

Matthew winked at him. "I think I can see myself having grandkids already. Just keep up the good work, fella." He hit him playfully on the shoulder.

Adam blushed deeper, downed his drink in a rush and bade the old man goodnight. He walked out before he could tell him what other things he could see in his future.