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“And it shows that you care. That you wanted to impress me. That you wanted me to love something that you made. I don’t just love it. I’m grateful for it. Moments like these are the ones I want to cherish,” he whispers as he lowers his head to mine, his lips inches from mine. “Especially the sugary sweet syrup coating your lips.”
And then he kisses me. His tongue runs along the seam of my mouth before he pulls away.
“You make me feel loved, little one,” Raphael whispers before he disappears from my side a second later to wash up as well. I turn to see his plate empty. He ate all of it. My mother always told me that if someone cleaned their plate, it wasn’t just an appreciation of the food but also respect for the cook.
I finish my food and stuff the dishes in the sink, in a daze at his words. He feels loved. By the time we’re walking out the door, showered, bellies full, my head is still in the clouds until Raphael points to his car. I shake my head, not wanting to burden him. “I can just take the bus. I have class first.”
“I won’t be your secret forever, Atlas.”
It hurts that that’s what he thinks he is. He’s not my secret but I need to explain my relationship before people make assumptions. And getting dropped off by Raphael in his fancy electric blue sports car is the opposite of that. Then again, people are going to talk anyway. “Um, yes.”
“Yes, what?”
I swallow carefully as I pull my bag to my chest and nod to his car. “You can drop me off. I’m trying, okay? I want this. I want you but it’s just hard sometimes to separate what people will think and whether it matters. It doesn’t. You make me feel loved too, Raphael,” I say, repeating his words back to him. I grant him a small smile that he takes in stride as he lowers his forehead to mine. The momentary touch is enough to warm me up from the inside before he leads me to the car and helps me inside.
The drive is comfortably quiet and Raphael offers me his hand only to keep it pressed to his lips the entire ride. I don’t want to leave this little piece of heaven as we pull up to the campus, and Raphael leans over to kiss my cheek. “Be good, little one. Do you need a ride to work after?”
I shake my head and hold up my free hand before he argues. “It’s not convenient for you to do that. The bus goes straight there after my class.” He accepts that answer, leaving me to climb out of his car and move onto campus. I hold my head up high, proud of the man and the relationship that I have. It isn’t until I make it to my first class that I see Tracey waving me over to a seat she’s saved.
“You didn’t tell me that you and Daddy Pierce were a thing! We were all messing with you and you were holding out on us,” She jabs me in the side as I slide into a seat beside her. “You’re barking up a dangerous tree, though. I heard he doesn’t keep people long and what happens at the event when he ignores you? He’ll probably be forced to showcase whoever his mother has picked out for him.”
My heart falls into my stomach at that prospect. I didn’t even know there was an event even if everyone in the building is always invited. I would find out eventually but knowing that Raphael organized it makes all this weird. I can’t stop thinking about it even after class ends and I’m on my way to the bus stop, dialing Raphael before I even know what I’m doing.
“Did you know there was a party?” I ask the moment he picks up.
Raphael chuckles. “Yes, little one. I organized it.”
“But you didn’t mention it.” I move to the far end of the bus stop just in case Tracey’s last class was the one we were just in. No need for her to know how close Raphael and I are just yet.
“You’ve never shown interest before. A lot of suits, champagne, and fancy foods while people talk about business. The only thing you would enjoy is the food. It’s more of an evening for networking.” Raphael almost sounds hopeful on the other line. I realize that I just called in the middle of the day with a stupid question and he still picked up.
“And if I wanted to go?” I start twisting my foot into the concrete sidewalk, grinning at the idea of dressing up.
“Then I’d have a suit ready for you.”
I hang up, feeling a little lighter than before. Going to this event is going to be a step neither one of us has taken—however, knowing that his mother might have a prospect for him weighs on my heart. I believe Raphael, though. He said he wanted me. That means he’ll also fight for me. I just need to trust him.
Chapter 11
RAPHAEL
The day doesn’t pass fast enough for me as I try to keep my head screwed on straight, Karla reminding me several times regarding meetings I nearly miss. Atlas promises to wait until I’m finished so that I can ensure he has a ride but I’m half-waiting for him to message me and say that something has come up.
When a small knock sounds on my door at 6 pm, I frown, hoping that it’s not someone with a last-minute tech problem. As much as I know about the technology that the business creates and supplies, I do best working with the investors and our finances. “Yes?”
The door creaks open, a head full of curls peeking through until brown eyes meet my hazel ones. “Hi,” Atlas whispers before slipping inside and closing the door behind him. He’s wearing his bag on his back, a silly grin on his face before he steps forward. “I didn’t want to wait in the lobby. This is okay, right? You have work to finish and I need to study.” Atlas tightens his fingers around his bag as he speaks.
“I would never make my boyfriend wait in the lobby like a barbarian. You’re welcome to sit anywhere. I shouldn’t be that much longer.” I watch as he all but skips over to the small couch in the corner of my office. My father had it set up in front of his desk as a meeting space but it feels so forward. Atlas pulls out a thick textbook, flipping through several pages before he starts to read. His shoulders are tense as he huddles over the book, brows furrowed in intense concentration.
He looks fucking adorable.
I refocus my attention on a merger that includes a contract far longer than I have time for. Still, I make my way through it, circling parts that are too outlandish for me to even think about. A few of the clauses are impossible and the current page has more spelling errors than a second-grader’s English report.
Something thuds to the floor and I look up to see Atlas grabbing his bag and setting it back onto the couch. His eyes dart around the cozy space before he sucks in his bottom lip and then stands up. He’s both uncomfortable and anxious. I assume it’s about the event and it might make me a terrible person but this is one of my favorite parts about Atlas.
“Did you know that flies hum in the key F major? I didn’t. Found out yesterday. Maybe it was the day before.” His eyes widen as he turns to look at me while chewing on his bottom lip. “I already told you that one, didn’t I?” He opens his mouth to spout another one as I snort and make my way over to where he is.
Atlas sucks in a breath, waiting for me to take the lead just as he mumbles something about hyenas. “Atlas, take a deep breath for me. There you go. What’s got you startled?” I rub a hand up and down his back, trying to soothe his panic. He hasn’t broken out in random facts in a while and as funny as it is to watch, I’m always worried that something has seriously upset him.
