I'm such a fool.
A curious and contemplative hum sounds from the old woman's throat which quickly draws my attention away from my troubled thoughts and back to reality. I slowly look over in her direction. Her blue eyes point toward me with an amused glint in them, her lips greeting me with a slight smile. She appears to have been watching and observing me ever since I spoke about Rylan in a positive light as if she were highly interested in what I had to say about him -- as if it were a test to see what kind of person I was.
My heart tenses up from the thought of the old woman already sizing me up from the moment we took a seat on the bench -- she really doesn't waste any time getting right down to the business of matters. Yet I calmly take a breath and clear my throat while still trying to keep my cool in front of her. Judging from her lighthearted reaction, it seems like she surprisingly approves of my honest response to her critical statement whether or not it was my intention to do so. Now all I have to do is continue telling her how great I think her grandson is without making a grimace each time I reiterate it to her.
"I know this is a little late and overdue, but I want to apologize for not introducing myself properly to you sooner, Mrs. Bennett. Rylan wanted to keep me away from the spotlight and the paparazzi, but it seems like we've been found out by everybody," I state with a weak laugh and shrug. "But please don't blame Rylan for this because it's not his fault. He just wanted to protect me in his own way."
The grandmother listens to my explanation without making any immediate comment, her icy gaze intently processing the words that are coming out of my mouth. I don't know whether or not I should continue talking and ramble on about my seemingly perfect relationship with Rylan or if I should wait for her to say something first. But I can't help but begin to feel a cold sweat forming within the palms of my hands as her silent judgment weighs down on me. The dead silence that lingers between us and the resulting tense atmosphere due to it is so unsettling that I feel like she can almost hear the loud beating noise of my heartbeat.
Though before I can figure out my next move, I hear a strangely hearty chuckle escape from the old woman's lips. She is clearly amused by something I said and I can't quite figure out if it's because she has somehow seen through my act and lies or not. The uncertain reason and explanation behind her laughter and amusement leaves a pit in my stomach. Even when she's genuinely laughing and smiling instead of maintaining her usual aura of intimidation, my chest is still incapable of feeling completely at ease around her -- especially since I can't tell if her chuckling is filled with malicious intent or not.
"D-did I say something strange?" I hesitantly ask.
"Strange? Of course what you're saying is strange, my dear," the old woman replies while she continues to struggle with containing the rest of her slight laughter. But eventually she is able to compose herself again and give me a better answer to my question. "You're just very different, Audrey. Different in a way where it feels like you're practically worlds apart from the women who I usually see Rylan associate himself with. And I mean that in a positive manner because you seem to have a good heart which is a lot more than what I can say about Rylan's previous flings."
"Well, I can't exactly say that we're both each other's usual type to date either," I admit with a laugh. "This is my first time dealing with all of the paparazzi madness, and it's just like I'm completely out of my element here."
"The only thing I can tell you is that it will only get harder from here given who Rylan is. But I hope that doesn't deter you from staying with him because he needs someone like you in his life. You would be doing him a favor by staying by his side," she boldly claims as she suddenly gets up from her seat and directly turns toward me. "Though I really hope you do choose to stick around with Rylan when the time comes to make that difficult decision. I think he may learn more than a thing or two from you, and I'm sure Teagan will appreciate having a stable role model in her life as well."
My chest naturally aches from the sight of the old woman's earnest and gentle expression. Hearing her kind words and high expectations leaves me with a complete loss as to what to say to her. I didn't think she would ever warm up to me so quickly, much less consider me in such positive and high regards given how little she actually knows about me. But the fact that her good impression of me and my character is based off of a set of lies just doesn't exactly sit too well with me especially since she's a stranger who I don't know a single thing about. It's almost impossible not to feel guilty because I'm practically lying to her for the sake of my own selfish reasons.
I feel like a terrible person.
"Thank you, Mrs. Bennett. You don't know how much those words mean to me coming from you," I softly note while I timidly smile at her. "I really…appreciate it."
The grandmother responds with a warm beam and brief nod of her head. "Anyway, please do take your time and enjoy the rest of the night and the party, Audrey. It was a pleasure to finally meet you. I do hope that I'll have the opportunity to see you again in the future."
"Yeah, I hope for the same, Mrs. Bennett. It was my pleasure to speak with you."
I hold my breath as the old woman begins to slowly walk back to the party, her overwhelming and impressive presence still lingering within me in spite of her departure. It's only when I see her step through the doors and immediately enter into a conversation with some other guests that I heavily exhale in relief. The pressure of keeping up with the role as Rylan's lover is finally off of my shoulders. I can take a moment to ease up and be myself for now until someone else potentially comes along to talk to me.
But even though the old woman is gone and has left with the satisfaction of having her curiosity toward me satiated, I can't quite shake off the feeling that there's definitely more to her than meets the eye. Our conversation felt almost too casual for two people who were meeting for the first time. The way she navigated our discussion made it feel as if she already knew everything about me given the lack of questioning that was present during our short chat. There were no questions about who I am or what I do, not even a single inquiry about how Rylan and I even met in our little made-up relationship. She showed absolutely zero interest in my background and history -- and I have a strange feeling that there's a good reason for it.
My mind happens to be caught in a troubled daze over the grandmother's peculiar behavior when someone abruptly takes a seat right next to me on the bench. I loudly gasp as the unexpected visitor takes me by surprise and forces a startling jump out of me. Yet I simply clutch my pounding chest with my hand and sigh when I see who it is that has come over to sit down with me. It's Rylan.
"So what did you two end up talking about?" the grinning man slyly asks as he takes a sip of his red wine.
I shake my head and roll my eyes. It's obvious from the way that Rylan is looking at me and from how quickly he joined up with me in the private garden that he's very eager and desperate to know what actually happened between me and his grandmother. He's clearly trying to play off his curiosity by not acting too interested in his tone of voice, but I can see the brilliant gleam in his blue eyes waiting to hear the details.
"It's a secret. But it's nothing you have to worry about because I already handled it," I coldly reply with a smirk.
He snorts. "Really? You handled my grandmother that easily, huh?"
"Yeah," I bluff.
Rylan pauses mid-drink after hearing my response to set his wineglass down on the bench and stare at me. He skeptically raises his brow at me with an amused look within his stare before slowly inching his body forward until his handsome face is practically right in front of me. My heart instinctively squeezes from his sudden and bold move which has me utterly frozen in place. I can't handle the overwhelming intensity of his piercing blue gaze nor can I endure the tingling sensation of his hot breath which gently brushes up against my lips at all. But even when I try my best to tune him out and pretend like he doesn't exist, I can still smell his sweet scent tick
ling my nose and rushing through my veins. The profound aura of his presence simply takes the strength right out of my body and muscles to the point where I feel completely useless, weak, and vulnerable.
Ugh.
It's unbearably frustrating how nervous and tense he can make me just by being so close -- yet I can't be mad at anyone but myself for allowing him to affect me to this pathetic extent.
I attempt to hide my flustered expression from Rylan when he suddenly reaches out over to me with his hand and places his palm right against my cheek. The warmth from his hand immediately sends a wave of chills down my spine which promptly spreads across my chest at the same time. A soft albeit heavy breath is swiftly drawn from my lips. It seems that my heart is pounding even harder and faster than before, my face quickly burning up from his hot and tender touch. But the only thing I keep thinking about in the moment is how it feels like he's about to kiss me again because of the particular way his fingertips are slowly caressing my cheek in such a warm and intimate manner.
"Wh-what are you doing?" I ask in a low and shaky voice as I try to pull myself away from his hand.
But as soon as I begin to move my face out of his grasp, Rylan grabs a hold of my cheek and whispers, "Don't move. There are people watching us."
My heart drops down to my stomach while a sensation of general unease spreads throughout my chest. Someone is already trying to catch us in the middle of our act and lie, someone who I don't know and can't see. The thought of my every action and word being monitored by an unknown and faceless individual fills me with a strong sense of panic. I desperately want to look around the area and find out where these people are watching us from, but I restrain my urges and discipline myself. Now is a better time than any to prove to any doubtful outsiders that the relationship between me and Rylan is as real as it can be.
"So, what should we do about it then?" I softly say as I lift my gaze toward him. The perfect blue tint of his eyes greet me with a sparkle of poise and confidence which calms my nerves. I naturally bite my lip while my heart gradually stirs from the strange position that we've been put in. Despite the heavy amount of doubt and suspicion that I hold toward him and his intentions, I still feel as if I can trust and rely on him to help me.
"Just follow my lead, Audrey," Rylan answers with a smile. "All you need to do is close your eyes and let me do everything else."
The tender tone of the older man's voice reaches straight out to my steadily pounding heart. I slowly close my eyes and place my full trust in his earnest words. The only sensation I can feel with my vision obscured is the warmth of his hand pulling me closer to him until my lips are met with a familiar taste. He's kissing me again like he did on that night -- except this time his kisses are much more gentle and intoxicating than from what I can remember about them.
Sweet. Dizzying. Euphoric. The addictive taste of Rylan's lips which I can't seem to get enough of has to be some kind of a sin. One kiss naturally leads right to another until I am completely captivated by the fluid motions of his soft lips and skilled tongue. Everything just feels so perfect and right when his lips are pressed up against mine as though we were both in our own little world that was separate from everyone else. However, the magic of the fleeting moment instantly disappears as soon as he stops kissing me.
"Looks like the coast is clear. I guess they're done watching," Rylan states with a satisfied look on his face. He picks his wineglass back up from the bench for a drink but suddenly pauses when he sets his eyes on me. He smirks, "You look a little disappointed with me. Was that not enough for you? Should we continue where we left off?"
"Wh-what?" I angrily sputter while rushing to hide my actual disappointment from him. "Don't be so full of yourself when you and I both know why we're even doing this kind of thing in the first place."
Despite clearly being upset with Rylan's childish mocking and teasing of me, my anger toward him only grows stronger when I see him simply laugh off my serious response. I clench my teeth while wondering how my heart can skip a beat for someone like him. But the irritable sight of his proud and smug grin eventually compels me to snatch the glass of wine out of his hand and drink it. The only way I can hope to wash away the taste of him from my lips and tongue is with the strong taste of some of the finest red wine that money can buy.
Unfortunately, Rylan takes the glass out of my hand before I can finish it all. He shakes his head at me. "You should probably stop drinking like that. Wouldn't want a repeat of what happened last time to occur again. Remember, you're practically a public figure now, so don't do anything stupid that will land you on the front page of any newspapers."
"Okay," I scoff while holding my finger up in front of him. "First of all, I can hold my liquor just fine. And second of all, that guy most likely put something in my drink when I wasn't looking which is why I felt so dizzy and weak in the first place."
"Sure," he grins. "But I still wouldn't want my peers to think I'm in a relationship with an alcoholic or something. That would make me look really bad."
Un-believable.
I almost want to laugh right in his face from the absurdity of his concerns in regards to my 'problematic' behavior, but I somehow manage to refrain myself from doing it -- though, my alternative response and reaction to the man's offensive statement isn't any better than simply laughing at it.
"Look, Mr. Bennett. Me somehow tarnishing your seemingly flawless reputation should honestly be the least of your worries. I think you already do a good enough job of damaging your own image without needing much of my help to do so," I snidely remark with a stifled chuckle. But even though I know better than to provoke the man who is supposed to be my boss, I can't seem to stop myself from taking that free jab at him. Especially since it's more than warranted given his arrogance.
However, my sardonic comment is only met with a long and bitter silence from Rylan. The blue-eyed man blankly stares at me with a slight scowl on his lips. He seems to be taken aback by the snarky and spiteful nature of my answer, a grim smile slowly appearing across his face.
"You're a real mouthy one, aren't you?" Rylan bluntly notes while narrowing his icy gaze toward me.
Yet in spite of the dark expression on his face as he ominously beams at me, I stubbornly continue to antagonize him with a defiant tone of voice: "Well, I may be a mouthy one, but you're truly the most insufferable man I've ever met. So I suppose that only makes it fair game."
This time, Rylan instinctively turns his cheek and scoffs before quickly turning back toward to me to say, "You know, I can fire you whenever I want, right? The contract between us can be terminated before you even start a real day of work." He snaps his fingers. "Just like that."
"Yeah, you definitely can fire me whenever you want," I wholeheartedly agree with a nod of my head. "But you most likely won't do that because you need me for the job."
Oh god, Audrey.
What the hell are you even saying right now?
A small yet distinct sensation of a firm and hard lump forms within my throat as soon as the bold declaratory words leave my lips. Although my voice was once filled with and exuding with confidence, the truth is that I actually have no clue whether or not there's any validity to my own presumptuous statement -- and judging from the current expression of disbelief and dissension on Rylan's face, there's a very good chance that I'm wrong. The only thing that I can tell with any bit of certainty right now is that the phantom lump in my throat is clearly swelling up even larger in size from just one simple look into the cold and icy blue depths of the man's brooding stare which quietly lingers on me. Yet even when I attempt to swallow down the odd feeling of unease that happens to be trapped well within my throat, the discomfort continues to remain in the same exact spot no matter how much I struggle to fight it.
I can feel a cold and clammy sensation building up in my hands from the huge weight of my misspoken words. Though as much as I want to take back my daring albeit foolish statement to the man who
has recently become my boss in a matter of mere minutes, I realize that it's way too late for me to turn back from it now. My stubborn pride will not allow me to stand down from what has already been said and done no matter how much regret I am currently holding in my heart. No one else is going to do it for me, so I have to be the one who stands by and sticks through my own words.
There's no way I can show him any weaknesses this early in the game -- especially since I'm dealing with someone like Rylan Bennett.
However, the long spell of silence that idles between us is eventually broken up by the unexpected sound of laughter. My heart jumps from the sudden chuckling noise while my eyes widen in confusion from the older man's unusual reaction. I don't know what to make of his amusement. He's very clearly smiling and laughing at what I said about him having to need me for the job instead of instantly proving me wrong with another one of his smug retorts.
"You're an incredibly strange woman, Audrey Scott," Rylan finally says when he manages to stop laughing for a moment. His lovely blue eyes intently watch me with a curious glint in them. "Probably the strangest woman I've ever met in my entire life."
A gentle warmth rapidly sweeps right through my heart from the tender way the handsome man speaks to me. His blunt words happen to oddly touch and stir my emotions, his genuine manner of speaking a refreshing change from his typical pretentious display that I am used to dealing with. I can feel the temperature gradually rising within my cheeks. Even though his candid comment doesn't sound much like a compliment toward me at all, the deep and earnest sound of his voice still resonates through me with a rush like a pleasant breeze on a warm, summer day.
Billionaire Daddy's Contract: A Single Dad and Nanny Romance Page 8
