The sun-kissed its way through Catherine's window, revealing dawn already. A spacious room with a nice, moderate-sized wooden bed; besides it was a study table with a laptop on it.
Milky-colored, transparent flowery curtains allowed the sun to express its welcome through them. The ringtone of her alarm, buzzing like an angry bird, interrupted her beautiful sleep.
She groaned, blindly hitting the alarm clock until it stopped. 7 a.m. on a Saturday.
"Oh Lord! Why did I even set an alarm in the first place?" she grumbled, scratching her head.
"Oh! Yeah! I had a list of things to do," she remembered.
She lay on her bed for a while, debating if she really needed a clean apartment or if she should just continue living in her pigsty a little longer.
But the smell of dirty laundry piling in the hamper and dishes stacked up in the sink made her sigh.
"No more postponement."
She scarcely opened her eyes, unwrapped herself from the sheet, stretched her hands over her head, and let a puppy squeak from her wide-open mouth.
She flung her feet from the bed onto her hard floor.
"Today will be a busy day," she whispered, as she slowly made her way to the kitchen. First on her to-do list was coffee, as the machine sprung into action.
She grabbed her phone and checked out her messages. A reminder popped up.
Catherine checked it out.
"Work out at 9 a.m. After cleaning? This Saturday is looking way too productive," she hissed.
She got the laundry hamper and headed to the washing machine. She put in the dirty clothes and turned on the machine.
By 8 a.m., she was engrossed in her laundry, loud music blaring from her earpiece. She sang along while folding her clothes and suddenly swung her body in a funny dance move. It made the chore enjoyable.
The harsh smell of detergent, mixed with leftover coffee, took her to her next task: vacuuming.
She started cleaning and arranging her apartment bit by bit. But midway through it, she mistakenly sucked up a handkerchief, which made the vacuum cleaner violently protest before shutting off totally.
"Oh no!" she muttered, sliding to the floor to sort it out.
By the time she was done, she had less than fifteen minutes to get ready for the gym.
She quickly threw on her gym costume, grabbed her water bottle, and headed out, still short of breath from her excess cleaning.
Arriving at the gym, her instructor grinned. "You look like you've already had a full workout done. Are you okay?"
Catherine huffed. "Cleaning is a sport. I already did cardio."
Her gym instructor laughed. "Oops! Too bad, it's time for legwork."
Catherine frowned but followed her inside.
In an hour, she was done at the gym and headed straight home.
She had already gotten into her apartment when it struck her that she needed to do some grocery shopping.
She grabbed her car key and headed out again, but this time to the supermarket.
In less than thirty minutes, she was back home, utterly tired.
She fell flat on her sofa and hit the sack.
A rumbling tummy, accompanied by an ache, pulled her out of her nap, forcing her to open her eyes. She sluggishly staggered her way into her kitchen to make a quick lunch.
While eating in her dining room, her phone vibrated, and a notification popped up:
"Meet me in George's lounge by seven p.m. for a business dinner. Jake Sullivan."
Her breath hitched at the sight of his name.
"So commanding! How did he even get my number?" she fumed with anger. "He never asked me for it."
She was trying to suppress her attraction to him with her anger.
She rolled her eyes. "Is there anything too hard for a man like him to get?" she shrugged and waved off the question.
She seemed absorbed in her thoughts, pacing back and forth slowly.
Why does he want to have this dinner with me? Her heart was beating like a drumbeat.
Is this a date?
Her pulse pounding, she knew she wouldn't be comfortable alone with him in a dinner setting. That man certainly has some sort of trick up his sleeve. Well, I won't be a bait this time around.
Catherine knew she should have turned down the invite the moment it came.
An exclusive business dinner with a man who makes her heart beat and her instincts run wild? That would be carelessness on her part.
Yet, impulsively, she was walking right into the lion's den, knowing fully well that it was impossible to come out unscarred.
The lounge was upscale, dimly lit, with exquisite taste. The kind where official deals are whispered and sealed over expensive whiskey.
Sitting inside in a secluded corner was Sullivan, wearing a nicely tailored suit, exuding his effortless control, the kind that makes people obey him without challenging his authority.
He was going through the food menu when he lifted his face to look up.
There, he saw her. He rose as she approached, his gaze raving over her with alarming intensity.
So pretty. Looking like a water goddess. Walking like she owns the ground. She sure knows her onions when it comes to fashion.
Her fashion sense was always on point.
Her dress seductively clung to her body like a child seeking attention. Her sleek, dark hair beautifully flaunted over her shoulders.
Damn! What a beaut!
She walked graciously toward him with a sly smile on.
"Hey! You finally came," Sullivan murmured with a hint of excitement in his voice. "I was almost losing hope."
"Well, you're my boss now," she shrugged her shoulders. "It's a simple courtesy for me to show up. After all, it's a harmless business dinner."
"What gave you the impression that it was a harmless business dinner?" His lips quirked in amusement.
She arched her brows at him.
He let out a cocked smile. "Relax, Catherine. I'm just playing with you."
He drew out a seat for her. She sat down, and he did the same.
The way he called her name sent chills down her spine.
Gosh!
God must have created this man on the seventh day. He had the beauty of ten people in one body: a striking figure, a dapper look, nice carved broad shoulders, and an elegant height.
He looked like he had just stepped out of Ovation magazine and carried himself with such elegance.
She was absorbed in her thoughts, with a steady gaze fixed on Sullivan.
"Catherine!" he snapped his finger.
Her heart jumped. She blinked her eyes. "Yeah, I'm with you," she lied.
Their conversation was formal, swaying on the edge of the contract and its outlining details. But beneath the whole charade, something electrical sparked between them. Every word was laced with desire, and every glance was a dare.
When the waiter brought in the wine, Sullivan leaned in, his finger brushing hers slightly as he handed her the glass.
This was a flirting touch, enough to make her heart quicken.
The atmosphere between them thickened with passion as the night stretched. The slow tension of stolen glances, the way his eyes darkened with desire each time she looked at him. All these little, collected moves of his kept her on the edge.
She had such angelic eyes. Almond-shaped, long, thick eyelashes covered in hazel with flecks of gold in the iris—shining like sunlight dancing on water. They seemed perfect and glowed beautifully each time she smiled. He grinned at the thought.
"I love your eyes. I can't help but notice how much they sparkle each time you look at me." A slow, wolfish smile spread across his face. "It tells me you find me attractive."
She blushed. "You must think so highly of yourself," she forced a smile.
Just as he was about to say something, a strange female suddenly appeared in front of their table.
"Hey, Sullivan!" her face gleamed, and she ruffled her hands over his shoulders. "It has been a while. When was the last time we hung out?"
She put on a clueless face, with pouty lips. "Ah! I remember. It was when we had that romp in your car," she answered her question with her gaze fixed on Catherine, giving her a scornful look. "It was such a beautiful moment for us."
Trying so hard to spite Catherine, she downsized her with her eyes.
"Who is she?" she turned to ask Sullivan.
Catherine looked away, her eyes throwing daggers at space.
Sullivan's face was reddened, but he remained calm.
"Uh… remind me your name again?" Sullivan gave her a brutal look, one that suggested he was going to rip her apart if she didn't vanish right away.
"Ch-Chloe," she stammered, taking a step back.
"She's my woman, and we are in the middle of something important," he flashed her a wicked smile. "Please excuse us, Miss."
In return, she scowled at Catherine as she stormed off, slamming the door.
Catherine's pulse raced hard. She gritted her teeth. She was green with jealousy. She tried suppressing it, but she couldn't.
She cursed at herself. Why would she be jealous over him? She had no business with him, and she shouldn't give a damn about him.
He had his eyes on her as he knew she was jealous but decided to turn a blind eye.
She hated the fact that he made her feel this way. She was a woman on a mission. A mission of revenge. And here she was, acting like a fool in love.
She slyly looked away, clenching her fist under the table.
Falling back to her act, she looked at him, a sheepish smile on her face.
"Your woman?" Catherine swallowed hard. "You're playing a dangerous game," she mumbled, watching him over the rim of her glass.
He flashed her a satisfactory smile. "Didn't you like the sound of that?"
Swiftly, he rose, walked around, and leaned into her. Not a single touch, his presence was enough torture for her already.
Her pulse racing, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Tell me no, and I'll walk away," he whispered, his voice a low, husky promise. "But if you want me…"
His words hung in the air. A challenge. A seduction.
Catherine's breath was shallow. The tension within her had reached its breaking point. She couldn't help but tilt her chin, lock eyes with him, and then surrender.
Sullivan's lips crashed over hers, releasing all of his passion and tension in her. Slowly sliding his hand around the back of her neck, his fingers playing with her hair.
It was a hot and demanding kiss. She melted slowly into him, and at that moment, the rest of the world faded away.
Immediately, she yanked herself off him, brushing her lips with the back of her hand. She stood still like she had seen a ghost. Her bulgy eyes fixed on him, sending chills down her spine, making her blood run cold. Swiftly, she jerked off without looking back.
Bemused, Sullivan stood. "What just happened?"
Roaming his eyes around the lounge, trying to see if there was anything or anyone strange that must have scared Catherine off.
Suddenly, it hit him hard.
"Oh shit!"
Quickly, he ran off after her.