Chapter 12
Valencia
That night I didn’t reach home until very late. Mrs Briggs was determined to teach me a lesson and turn me into her devotees by some stupid psychology tricks that were totally not working on me.
But boy was I annoyed.
So that night when I got home, I didn’t bother talking to Ian.
The moment I opened the door, I just threw my purse away and ran straight towards him.
And without saying a word, I wrapped my hands around him.
Ian let me and we both stood there for a long time, just holding each other right in the middle of the hall.
Ian didn’t say a word, just placed his head over mine and pushed the stray hair behind my ear.
I nuzzled further into his arms, burying my face in his shirt and pulling him even closer.
Ian’s hands gently stroked my back and hair, giving me soothing touches to calm me down.
I didn’t want to do anything else and just stay in his arms like this forever.
But then, after a few minutes of silence passed, I looked up at him.
“Thanks”
He gave me a smile and cupped my face. “For?”
“For not bombarding me with questions the moment I stepped inside home.”
He shrugged and was still holding my face as he explained.
“I figured if you wanted to tell me something, you would have done it right away”
“Aren’t you the most perfect intern?”
I smiled back at him and he teased, “So, am I still on probation?”
I nodded, “Yes, I haven’t seen all your skills”
His eyes darkened as he whispered. “How do you want me to prove my expertise to you, my lady?”
“By doing everything I say,” I said and kicked the sandals off my feet.
But then recalled that was the exact thing Mrs Briggs had asked me to do and how it had irked me to no end.
I looked up at lan, who was still holding me close, and began.
“A funny thing happened today. My bossy supervisor, Mrs Briggs, ran into some trouble.”
“I would like to hear more about it. But the rumbling of your stomach tells me you haven’t eaten anything today either.”
1/4
Shit, I had to be a better actor if he could guess everything so easily about me.
“Have you learned some special dish for me?” I asked, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“…didn’t really get time to do that”
That was the first.
Ever since I had met him, he worked like a genie and made things magically appear as if that was all he lived for.
“Oh, so Mr lan got some work troubles as well? Let us bitch about our bosses,” I said, drinking water and raising the glass in a
mock toast.
Ian pulled out the chopping board and began cutting some vegetables.
“Na, it is okay” He said, however, I walked towards him and placed a hand under his chin to make him look at me.
“Tell me. I am not just a grumbler. I can listen very well and give expert opinions,” I said, but he gave me a small smile.
“I don’t want to involve you in more trouble than you already are”
I noticed how he was chopping onions and didn’t even have to look at it to ensure his fingers don’t bleed. I barely managed that, even with both my eyes focused on the task.
“You are worth all the troubles I might get into,” I said and tiptoed to reach his face and booped his nose.
A look of hesitation crossed his face as he answered,
“Some are not happy with the way things are going. They want me to be more direct and harsh.”
He said and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before grabbing a pan to place it on the stove.
“Harsh? And who are some? Your bosses? Or colleagues?”
He debated answering that.
“Well, I am the one in charge of the operation, so I have a certain amount of free will, but yes, I am answerable for my actions. And it feels like every day is a struggle.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You talk like you are not just working for the Bureau, but the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.”
Ian shrugged and stirred the soup he was making for us. I wasn’t particularly hungry, and I didn’t want him to do everything either, so I tried to help him by listening to his woes, the way he did for me.
“It feels like that sometimes.”
I traced a line that appeared on his forehead and asked, “You seem a lot more worried than I do. But you know what? Doing the right thing is incredibly hard which is why fewer people do it. So be content that the Goddess is watching you and knows you have the best intentions of everyone at heart.”
A snort left his lips at the mention of the Goddess.
“I don’t think she has time to look after me. Especially after what I did.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
2/4
“I am sorry. I can’t divulge much of the information, but trust me, I want to.”
A conflict seemed to rage on in his mind and was visible to me through his eyes.
It was amazing how we had started confiding things in each other when our first interaction had started with something like a cross between a dare and my boredom at the office.
I raised my head again to brush my lips on his and this time, the reaction was electric.
His hands went around my legs and he propped me up on the kitchen counter to bring me at his eye level.
I gasped at the sudden move but nothing in my reaction suggested I hadn’t liked it.
“Soup is ready,” He said, but I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.
“Forget the soup. Kiss me,” I said, and he didn’t waste even a second before his lips crashed on mine.
And there was nothing slow or sweet about it.
The way his fingers dug into my waist had me gasping for more of this.
“You should have said that sooner, my lady, because I am running out of time.”
“What?” I asked and pulled away from the kiss even if half of my mind just wanted me to keep going at it.
“Why?” I asked again, and he answered. “Duty”
I pulled him by the collar even closer and grit my teeth.
“Your duty is to me. What do you mean by “You are running out of time”?”
His shoulders were rigid, and he exhaled heavily before answering.
“It is getting riskier and complicated day by day. I fear getting exposed before my target is achieved. I might have to lie low for a while, away from this city.”
“Nooo”
I said.
I had barely gotten a few nights of time with him. And he was already talking about leaving.
Why did I feel this strange connection with Ian?
“What if I said no?” I argued as I pulled him closer and forced his shirt open, almost ripping the buttons in the process.
They went out with a pop and I placed a kiss on his Adam’s apple, that was bobbing up and down.
Ian’s hands froze for a second and I saw something like carnal desire flash through his eyes.
Maybe if I bribed him enough, he would reconsider his decision?
“Valencia,” he breathed, and that was the first time I heard him say my name. It was always something like my lady or other forms of respect that he used for me.
But the sound of my name on his tongue was heavenly.
3/4
And it told me that the kiss affected him, that I affected him.
“Yes lan. It’s me. And I want you to stay,” I said and further unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and threw it open.
“You have no idea what you are wishing for” He tried to speak but his voice came out in breaks as if he was fighting a war with himself.
“And you have no idea how far can I go for the things I want”
