RENT A HEART

CHRISTOPHER's POV

We drove in silence through the night, the city lights blurring past as I navigated my way towards her estate. It was past midnight, almost one-thirty in the morning, and I still had to drive back to my condo.

I'd had more fun tonight than I'd had in ages. And I'd learned so much about Eve, things that weren't splashed across blogs or glossy magazines.

She was an amazingly gorgeous woman, yes, but she also possessed a sharp wit, a disarmingly genuine laugh, and one of the most captivating smiles I'd ever seen. I knew we were bound by a contract, but I wouldn't mind at all if this relationship became something real. First, though, I needed to find out who that man at the club was to her, and whether she still harbored any feelings for Frederick. The possessiveness I felt tonight was... unsettling.

I wondered what was going through her mind as she gazed out the window, her face reflected in the glass.

"We're here," I said, breaking the silence as I turned into her compound and parked in front of her sprawling mansion.

I helped her out of the car, the lingering touch sending a jolt through me, and walked her towards her porch. I was about to say goodnight when she asked a question that caught me completely off guard.

"Do you want to... sleep over?"

To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind, but it wasn't exactly a suggestion I was opposed to. Not in the slightest.

"I mean, it's almost 2 AM..." she stammered, her voice a little breathless. "And... and besides, your hand needs cleaning... " She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself, before continuing, "What I'm trying to say is that you can just stay until morning and then go. It's safer that way," she finished in a rush, then turned and headed inside without waiting for my answer.

I chuckled softly to myself. I could see she was flustered, her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of rose. The realization that i could make her nervous was unexpectedly thrilling.

"Sit," she instructed, her voice softening as I walked in. I settled onto one of her plush, blush-colored sofas while she disappeared towards the kitchen area. A few minutes later, she returned with a first-aid kit, a bowl of water, and a soft towel draped over her shoulder.

She gently took my left hand in hers, her touch surprisingly delicate. "Thankfully, it's not your blood," she murmured, examining the knuckles with a furrowed brow as she began cleaning away the bloodstains with a moist towel.

"But it's swollen, I think," she said, her voice laced with concern.

"It's not that bad, and definitely not painful," I countered, making a fist to demonstrate.

"Stay still," she commanded, a hint of annoyance in her tone, as she applied a soothing ointment to the bruised skin, her fingers massaging it gently.

Watching such a gorgeous woman tend to my injury wasn't exactly on my list of things to do when I came back to the country, but here we were. Playing the role of boyfriend to a very special woman. Yes, it was a fake relationship, but it was still nice to refer to her as my girlfriend, even if it was only for six months.

She carefully wrapped a bandage around the swollen area before gently patting it.

"I'm done," she said, standing up. "You can sleep in any of the guest rooms down here. There are others upstairs if you don't find anything comfortable," she offered before turning to leave.

"I'll manage the couch alright. Thanks for the offer, though... and also for my hand," I said, my gaze lingering on her.

"You're welcome," she replied, her voice a little softer now. "Oh, and about what happened at the club..." She hesitated, her eyes searching mine as if trying to gauge my reaction.

"So many things happened at the club," I teased, a playful smile tugging at my lips, even though I had a pretty good inkling of which event she meant. "You need to be specific, love."

I watched her struggle to articulate what she wanted to say, her brow furrowed with a mixture of embarrassment and something else I couldn't quite decipher. She took a deep breath, then met my gaze. "About me asking you to kiss me..." she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What about it?" I interrupted, feigning ignorance, even though I knew exactly where this conversation was headed. I wanted to see her squirm, to gauge her true feelings beneath the surface of her carefully constructed facade.

"It never happened," she said, her tone serious, almost pleading. "The kiss never happened. It was a mistake, and I'm really sorry for putting you in such a position."

With the way you responded to that kiss, you might have to admit you enjoyed it. And it definitely wasn't a mistake, at least not for me. That's what I wanted to say, the teasing words hovering on the tip of my tongue. But I didn't want to push her too far, not yet.

"Sure," I said simply, keeping my tone neutral, my expression carefully blank. A flicker of relief crossed her face, and with that, she disappeared into the night, leaving me alone in the large, dimly lit living room.

I sighed, the sound echoing in the silence. I spotted the refrigerator across the room and went to it, craving something cold and refreshing. After gulping down a bottle of ice-cold water, I removed my upper clothes, tossing them casually onto a nearby chair. Then, I switched off the remaining lights and stretched out on the plush sofa, trying to find a comfortable position, the lingering taste of her kiss still lingering on my lips.

-‐--‐

I was jolted awake by the shrill ring of my phone. It was Frank, my assistant. "What?" I grumbled, annoyed that he was calling at this ungodly hour.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I sighed, running a hand through my already disheveled hair. Whatever made him call this early had better be important.

"What is it, Frank?" I asked again, impatient with his stalling. "Out with it before I hang up."

"Okay, okay, hold your horses. First of all, I'm at your condo, and you're not even here. Where are you, anyway?" He asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"None of your business. Now, tell me why you are at my condo and calling by this time before I lose my temper?"

"Alright, alright, no need to get testy. Ethereal Eve sent another proposal about that store. They're adamant that we build their new flagship, and they've even doubled the fee. Should I turn it down like I did last time?"

I paused, considering. "Accept it. Send them a mail and tell them we'll take on the job."

"What? Are you serious?" Frank sounded genuinely shocked. "Surely this can't be your bias talking just because you're now dating the CEO. You do know we don't build that type of structure, right? It's not our specialty." He reasoned.

To be fair, it might be my bias talking, at least a little. But more importantly, I don't build those types of structures. I've turned down countless similar offers over the years. But who cares? I'll build it just this once, and just because it's Eve.

"We're contractors, Frank. We adapt. Even if we don't typically take on those types of jobs, accept the offer and set up a meeting with her company to discuss the contract," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

"Chris, you're not listening. It's not feasible. They want to open the store this December. Even if we accept the offer, there are so many other contracts lined up before theirs, it's just not possible!" he argued, frustration lacing his voice.

"Realistically, when do you think we can realistically fix and start their project?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even.

"That would be in three years minimum. Some unforeseen factors could push it to five years, so five years max," he stated, his voice laced with exasperation.

"Bring it forward to this year. If she wants it done before Christmas, then we'll make it happen," I said simply, my decision unwavering.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, followed by a burst of throaty laughter. He was seriously laughing at me.

"Are you done?" I asked, my annoyance growing.

"Well, yes, because you cannot be serious. It's not possible. We'd have to move around other people's projects for that to even be remotely possible, not to mention you, the esteemed contractor, made it clear that you can't work on more than four major contracts at once!" he was adamant, his tone bordering on incredulous.

"You're the director, Frank. Figure out how to make it work. Leave the rest to me. If that's all, I'm hanging up now," I said, impatience creeping into my voice. I was about to disconnect when he interjected.

"Hold on, one more thing. Your father wants to see you. He came to the company yesterday when you'd already left. Do you think it's about the blog posts? You and Eve were the most searched and trending topics on social media yesterday," he said, a note of concern in his voice.

"I don't know, Frank. See you later at the office," I said, dismissing the subject. With that, I hung up, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach.

It was already six forty-five AM, so I headed to the bathroom to freshen up. I figured I could maybe cook Eve a nice breakfast and a hangover tea before she woke up, a small way to repay her for last night.

I was already halfway through making an omelette and toasting some bread when a piercing scream ripped through the house. It was Eve.