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Alette's POV

He stared at the box of cookies in my hand. His prolonged silence made me feel foolish for even thinking of doing something like this. Of course he wouldn't care for cookies, and he was at work.

I looked down at the box of cookies, chastising myself in my head.

Stupid, completely stup-

"Look at me."

His low voice cut off my self-deprecating thoughts. I slowly looked up at him, feeling winded once our eyes met.

"Thank you."

While his face was devoid of emotion, he tone was strong and sincere. I turned red, and nodded my head vigorously.

"I just wanted to come and....um thank you and I-I thought I could b-bake you something," I couldn't help but stutter as he looked at me, listening intently.

He looked at me, his eyes slightly narrowing. He inhaled through his nose and turned his head to the side, staring hard the wall.

"Is that the only reason you came?" he asked, and I thought I heard some uncertainty in his tone, but I'm sure I imagined it.

His question made my cheeks heat and I knew that I couldn't hide the truth. I shook my head slowly, and he looked at me.

"I-I also um just w-wanted to see y-you," I admitted softly.

He opened his mouth to speak but before he could get any words out, there was a knock on the door of his office. His head whipped up to look at the door and his jaw clenched.

"Enter."

The door clicked open and a man that was shorter than Aresius walked in. He had shiny dark skin, warm brown eyes, and corn rows. He was wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans.

"Heyo boss man, I found the files you asked me fo-" his eyes widened as they finally looked up and saw me standing in the room.

"Uh...ya'll good in here?" he asked and I almost giggled at his surprised voice.

He looked at me and walked over.

"How do you do my fair lady, my name is Jerryl," he asked, bowing and reaching for my hand to shake. Or so I thought; when I gave him my hand, he bent down and pretended to kiss it like in the olden times.

I couldn't hold in my giggle and he looked at me and smiled. I shyly waved at him and he opened his mouth to say something when Aresius cleared his throat.

"Leave."

Oh drama.

Jerryl put his hands up in surrender and winked at me.

"I'll only leave if the lady tells me her name," he said, looking at Aresius. I don't know how he had managed to keep his light-hearted tone because Aresius looked angry. I would have fainted if he looked at me like that.

"No." Aresius stared daggers at Jerryl who looked as though he didn't care whatsoever that this big man was staring him down.

Jerryl's eyes went to the box of cookies and he gasped dramatically.

"Cookies?!" he clapped his hands together, looking like an excited seal.

Before he could reach for them, Aresius stepped in between Jerryl and I, blocking me off from his view.

"Leave," Aresius said, gritting his teeth.

"No name, no leave," Jerryl said, crossing his arms and pouting like a kid.

"My name is Faye," I whispered softly from behind Aresius.

"Ah! So she speaks! Nice to meet you Miss Faye," he said, tilting his head to look at me.

Then he looked back up at Aresius, "Now was that so hard?"

Aresius clenched his fists at his sides, and I placed my hand on his, not wanting him to hurt his palm with his nails.

Jerryl's eyes widened comically as he stared down at our joined hands. He looked at Aresius, then at me, then back at Aresius.

"So um...I'm just gonna go," and with that, he hightailed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Aresius turned towards me and grabbed the box of cookies out of my hand, placing it on his desk.

He then looked at my hand that was covered in gauze.

"How?"

Should I make up a story about how I was doing something like saving a cat from a tree and got hurt in the process?

"I burned my hand while getting the cookies out of the oven," I blurted out and turned red.

"Fine now?"

I nodded whilst smiling. He cared.

He nodded in acknowledgement and was again interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

"For fuc-," he grabbed his phone roughly and picked up the call, "Adler," he said simply. No hello or anything.

He listened to what the person had to say for a few seconds, and the said, "I'm coming." He hung up the call and looked at me.

"I have to take care of something," he said, and then walked closer to me. "You'll be okay for a little bit on your own?" his voice was uncertain.

"Mhm yes I will! I'll wait for you to come back," I smiled reassuringly at him.

"I'll be quick." And with that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

I twiddled my thumbs, looking around the room. I wondered how long he would be gone for.

I tried not to pry into any of his stuff, and refrained from looking at anything in his office. Nobody likes a peeping Tom. Is that what they are?

I decided my safest bet would be to just sit down and wait it out. I went and sat on his chair behind the desk, because it was the biggest and comfiest looking one in the room. I got comfortable in the chair, humming to myself. I waited for a little while, my mind thinking of Aresius the whole time, when out of the blue, my stomach rumbled. Loudly.

I looked over to the box of cookies, realizing it was the only option I had to satisfy the monster in my stomach.

One cookie can't hurt; Aresius can eat the rest of them.

With that thought in mind, I reached forwards and grabbed a cookie with both hands, humming in pleasure once the sweet chocolate chip hit my tongue. I had only taken my third bite when the door of the office opened and he walked into the room, standing in front of the door, staring.

My eyes widened, and I jumped out of his chair quickly. I probably looked like a chipmunk with my cheeks full of cookie. I chewed quickly, and swallowed, then looked at him sheepishly.

"I h-had breakfast um a w-while ago," I said, my face hot, and then to change the subject, I held out my hand, gesturing to the box of cookies, "Do you want a cookie now?"

Instead of answering, he walked over and stood in front of me. Very slowly, he leaned down and...took a bite of the cookie right out of my hand!

Holy cheeseballs.

My eyes widened as he chewed slowly, unbothered.

Then I giggled looking at his face. He raised his brow quizzically.

"You've got a l-little chocolate on your mouth," I pointed up at it. Then, without thinking, I reached up and used the pad of my thumb to wipe it off. "All good now," I smiled softly, ignoring my thudding heart.

His swallowed the cookie and stared at me intensely, his eyed darting down to my lips.

Did I have chocolate on my mouth?

Just to be safe, I poked out my tongue and licked my lips and the corners of my mouth.

His eyes turned a shade darker as he continued to look at me. My heart felt as though it was about to jump out of my chest, but he finally turned away from me completely, and looked out the window. His hands were clenched again, and I could see his knuckles turning white.

I walked over to him and grabbed his hand again, forcing him to turn around and face me. I unfurled his hand finger by finger, and soothed his palm with my finger.

"Grams tells me to not clench my hands too hard because it makes my fingernails dig into my palm and that could bleed," I explain to him. He doesn't say anything, and then slowly nods. I smile at him softly, and begin to let go of his hand, but he didn't let me. He grabbed it tightly and my stomach fluttered.

"You're hungry?"

I blushed and shook my head, "I had a cookie, it's okay."

"You have to eat," he walked to his chair and grabbed his jacket. Then he grabbed the box of cookies and placed the lid on it.

"Let's go."

I nodded in agreement, and he gestured for me to walk out first. I walked ahead of him and made my way to the stairs, trying to ignore the people looking up at us. I must have something on my face with the way everyone keeps staring at me, looking so shocked.

I hesitated, the gazing eyes making me nervous, so I quickly doubled back and stood behind him. Then, just to be safe, I grabbed his hand, to calm my racing heart. It didn't work too well because touching him made my heart pound.

He must have given everyone a look because I didn't feel many eyes on me anymore as he led us down the stairs, our hands clasped together.

We walked out of the shop and made our way to his car. He unlocked the car and as he was about to open the passenger side door for me, I gasped remembering.

"My bike!"

He looked at me confused.

"I left my bike at the bakery because I rode it here this morning. I um can't go with you because I have to ride my bike back home because I need it to get to work tomorrow," I said sadly. I really wanted to go with him.

"Will it be fine if you leave it there?"

"Oh um y-yes? I leave it there, locked up behind the store, so it should be fine," I told him, confused.

He nodded firmly, "Then I'll pick you up for work tomorrow, and you can come with me now."

Wow.

I nodded, beaming. More time with him? Sign me up.

I sat down in the car and buckled my seatbelt up, ready to go. He went around and put the cookies and his jacket in the backseat, then sat down in the driver's seat and started the car.

"You...you're okay with being in a car?" he asked carefully.

"Oh. Um yes I'll be fine. I'm sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to freak out like that," I said, looking down at my lap.

"Look at me."

My head shot up to see him looking at me.

"Don't apologize," he said firmly, and then paused, "I should have been more careful."

My eyes widened and I shook my head quickly.

"No! Not at all, that wasn't your fault! It was the other man's fault completely, y-you kept me s-safe. Thank you for that, and for um not making fun of me w-when I cried."

He looked at me, his eyes softer than they had been all day, and he reached forward slowly. Using a finger, he tucked a loose hair behind my ear.

Without thinking, something I was forgetting to do a lot when he was near me, I grabbed his finger and gave it a kiss.

"Thank you Ares," I said softly, tilting my head to the side, admiring his pretty face.

The poor man looked shell-shocked.

You should ask people before you kiss them you weirdo; he's going to kick you out of his car now.

He didn't.

Instead, he just turned back towards the steering wheel, his movements robotic, and starting reversing. Then, he braked. He placed his hand on my leg, his palm on my lower thigh, his fingers brushing over my knee, and continued driving.

It was as if he knew that this would make me feel calmer while he drove.

We drove in a peaceful silence, my eyes darting every so often to his hand that was on my leg.

The black ink of a tattoo that was covered by his long sleeved shirt piqued my interest and automatically, I reached down to touch it. Beside the tattoo, I saw the faint white line of a scar.

I did what any person would do and brought my finger to my lips, kissed it, then placed it on his scar.

He briefly looked over at me, flexing his hand on my leg, and looked back onto the road in front of him.

I continued tracing his veins, his rings and every inch of the skin of his massive hand.

Did he get plastic surgery to make it this big? Surely this couldn't be the real size of a hand. And I've got some chubby thighs, but his hand makes them look small. If plastic surgery for noses was called a nose job, the plastic surgery for hands would be called a hand jo-

I giggled out loud, now thinking of plastic surgery for hands. He looked at me and raised his brows.

I shook my head, "I just thought of something funny." I went back to feeling up his hand.

"Did this hurt?" I asked softly, my finger back on the faint scar. His jaw was clenched when he answered.

"Not anymore."

I nodded, then, quietly I said, "I've got some too, so we match. Mine only hurt when I think of how I got them."

He instantly grabbed my hand, and intertwined our fingers together, giving it a little squeeze.

I smiled brightly at him while his eyes were still on the road.

"You're so nice mister," I sighed in awe of him.

He swallowed faintly, his Adam's apple bobbing.

What a cutie.

We held hands while he drove to whatever destination he had in mind, and I looked out the window and at Aresius.

I mumbled his name under my breath a few times until my eyes widened when my brain thought of the most exciting thing ever. I whipped my head over to look at him.

"Can I call you Reece?"

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unedited