LUCIFERO

CHAPTER 17

Anger, frustration, unexplainable steaming in the head was the plight of jealous Amara who sat down on her seat stamping some documents harshly and arranging them in an ascending order at the right side of her table. If only the documents could talk at the moment, they would definitely be screaming their curses into her ears for her harshness towards them.
    
She couldn't understand her sudden frustration over the welcoming gesture between Ella and Lucifero. Yes she's welcoming him with a hug and so what? Why did she feel this burning uncontrollable anger at the sight of it? Why did it hurt and make her want to attack Ella for it?
    
A knock came on her door and she looked up with a frown. "Come in."
    
The door swung open and Lucifero walked in beaming ear to ear. She glared at him and rolled her eyes before returning back to her work.
    
"You are welcome. Have a seat." She said without looking up at him. He smiled and sat down.
    
" So, what's the reason for the urgent call? It had better be good news because the workers are already raising their hopes. " He said.
    
She rolled her eyes without looking at him. "No. It's bad news."
    
He frowned. "What's that?"
    
She looked up at him and smirked. " I can't take you in. I'm sorry. "
    
He blinked. " What? But..... Wait..... Didn't you read my manuscript? "
    
She smiled and leaned against the table. "Yes. I did. You have a nice handwriting I must admit. " She said and resumed her work in her laptop. " And you write well. It's not bad.  But uhh..... It's lacking some basic requirements. It's not conforming with the trend the Industry wants so I'm sorry. It's rejected. "
    
He looked at her for a while and sighed deeply looking down. Amara chuckled. She suddenly felt bad. "Do you really doubt yourself like this?"
    
He looked up at her with a forlorn expression. " What? "
    
She laughed. " I'm kidding. It's a joke. Your book is well accepted and you are welcome to write with us as you wish. "
    
He looked at her with disbelief. " Are you toying with me?"
    
She smirked. " You know that's what I love to do best. But I'm serious. You are accepted. It's a good book and I can't let such a quality asset go elsewhere to fill up someone else's pocket with billions. "
    
He smiled. " Thanks so much. But I'm so going to kill for playing with me."
    
She leaned against the table. " I dare you. "
    
He smirked. "Really?"
    
"Yeah. Do your worst."
    
He smiled. "Did you see my message? "
    
She blinked and blushed. " Oh. Yeah. That. I saw it. You are so poor at asking a girl out if I must say. "
    
He smiled. " That's my stubborn cupcake. I expected that from you. So what do you say? "
    
" No. "
    
" Why? "
    
" It seems you already have a girlfriend."
    
He frowned. "No. I don't. "
    
" Then it's a girl you admire. "
    
" You are the only one I admire. "
    
She blushed at that but shook her head to stabilize her thinking faculty. "That's a lie." She muttered and turned to her laptop with the image of Ella hugging and kissing him in her head.
    
He leaned against the table. "What makes you think I'm lying?"
    
"I just know it."
    
He scoffed. " You can't just know it. It has to be something you have seen. "
    
She sighed. He's smart. I'll grant him that. She shrugged. " Nothing."
    
"Stop lying to me Amara."
    
She looked up at him to meet his crystal blue gaze and her heart raced. She immediately looked away. " Nothing." She muttered and continued typing into her laptop.
    
He sighed and got up. She bit her lip as he walked around the table to her seat and closed the laptop. He spun her chair around to face him and she gasped.
    
"What the hell are you doing?" She asked with a slight giggle escaping her lips.
    
"Trying to find the truth from you."
    
"This is ridiculous. " She said as he leaned with his hands on the armrest of the chair leaning closer to her. "Stop. Anyone can get in."
    
He chuckled as he observed her red face. She seemed so embarrassed. "You seem inconvenient huh?"
    
"Yes I am inconvenient."
    
"Then answer the question."
    
"What question? "
    
" Stop playing games with me."
    
"I don't know what you are talking about."
    
"What is making you reject my proposal?"
    
" It's my honest decision. You can't force me on a date I don't want to go to. "
    
" I doubt that. " He muttered and leaned closer to her.
    
She felt her face swelling with embarrassment. "Stop. Don't be silly. This is an office for crying out loud."
    
He chuckled. " You don't get it, do you? I'm not going to stop until you answer me honestly. I don't care who walks in. I've got nothing to lose. Moreover, you on the other hand have a reputation to protect. " He said with a smirk and leaned closer to her lips.
    
She felt a tingle on her lips as his warm breath brushed against her face. "Stop." She muttered with her heartbeat loud in her ears.
    
"Why are you rejecting my proposal?" He muttered against her lips and she swallowed. That insane powerful urge to press her lips against his suddenly overtook her but she stopped herself.
    
"Lucy......" She muttered and he smiled.
    
"I like it when you call me that."
    
She blushed furiously and pushed him away with all her might. "Get away silly." She said and he laughed. He grabbed her and lifted her from her seat. He sat her down on her table and she blinked. That was quick.
    
"What are you....." She couldn't complete her sentence before his soft lips overtook hers causing her to forget even her own name. She gasped at the contact and moaned against his lips as it move and danced around hers in a desperate, possessive manner.
    
He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and she wrapped her legs around him kissing him back with her arms tight around his neck.
    
She wasn't herself anymore. Every other thing didn't seem to matter. To her, it was just she and Lucifero in the world. She fought herself hard to stop but she couldn't. No matter how she tried, she couldn't pull away from him. The invisible force attracting her and holding her to him is definitely not an ordinary one. She was lost. Lost in the comfort of his huge, muscular frame wrapped tight around her and the soft suppleness of his tender lips against hers..
    
A sharp knock on the door jolted them both and he pulled away from her. She immediately climbed down from the table and adjusted her skirt taking a deep breath.
    
"Come in." She said with her voice a bit hoarse as soon as Lucifero had returned to his seat. She cleared her throat and sat down while Ella walked in with a smile she hadn't seen on her face since the day she sent Lucifero away.
    
"Ma'am. The author of the last book we published came here. He left you a message because he was in a hurry and asked to deliver it to you. "
    
" Oh. It's fine. Thanks. " Amara said and took the envelope she dropped on her table. "It's fine. Thanks again."
    
Ella beamed and winked at Lucifero before taking her exit. Amara gritted her teeth and watched him acknowledge her with a smile. He then turned to her after Ella had left. She immediately turned her gaze to her laptop and tried to shield her face with her hair. The air around them seemed so awkward now.
    
"I uhhh...I'm sorry I kissed you like that..it was an honest mistake I...."
    
"Forget it. It's the past." She replied immediately with her gaze still on her laptop. He sighed and brushed his hair backwards with his hand.
    
"So, how about the date?  Will you go with me?"
    
"No. "
    
He sighed. " Why? "
    
" Nevermind."
    
He licked his lip and watched her as she typed away rapidly into her laptop. Why the sudden ignorance?
    
"Sorry, did I offend you anyway, by chance?"
    
"No. "
    
" Then why the ignorant attitude? Why are you ignoring me? "
    
" I am not ignoring you. I'm busy. "
    
He sighed and nodded slightly. She's definitely angry about something.
    
He lean against the table. "Are you sure you are not mad at me?"
    
She finally looked up at him. " Thanks for volunteering to be a volunteer writer for us. You can publish your book with us anytime. You can also assist with any other writing need of the company, maybe with the workers or so. Uhmmm....you will receive an annual salary of....."
   
" I don't need it."
    
She looked at him with disbelief. " What?"
    
" I don't need the pay. Just give me my commission from whatever sales you make from my book that's all."
    
She bit her lip. Oh yeah. That's right. He's silly rich. How could I forget that? She thought.
She nodded. "Sure. As you wish. You are dismissed." She said immediately and turned her attention back to her work.
    
He examined her for a while. "What did I do wrong Amara?"
    
"Nothing. I am done with you. Shoo. Scram. Get out." She replied without looking up from her work.
    
He looked at her for a while and smiled. Amara. I'll leave you alone for now. I'll get you later. For now, I need to celebrate this.