Sereia's POV
I adjusted my reading glasses as my eyes scanned over the cash flow statement while Elliot sat beside me doing the same.
We had been sitting in silence for over an hour.
His whole demeanour had changed. Earlier, he was open and talkative with me, now he's just closed off.
This was a waste of time.
Blake was such a pain in the ass to his best friend.
This was something he should be handling, but he knew that Elliot would gladly take it on.
Elliot would do anything that will help his company.
I watched him be fully immersed in his work.
His posture was relaxed but focused.
He was leaning back on the couch with one arm on the armrest and his legs spread open.
I began to feel attracted to him.
Why? All he was doing was sitting and reading over files.
He suddenly groaned when he found a mistake on his document and I felt a heat rush between my thighs from the vibrations.
I adjusted my sitting position in discomfort as I felt myself getting wet.
What has gotten into me?
This must be another withdrawal symptom.
There was a knock on the door. "Room service."
He sighed as he got up and went to open it. "Thanks."
I kept my head down as I highlighted some points under the investing activities.
Suddenly, I felt his presence in front of me and I looked up.
He stood in front of me holding a glass of fruit punch in one hand and a bottle of bourbon in the next.
"I remembered," he said as he stretched out the cold drink to me.
He remembered.
I took the glass from him and he returned to his seat beside me. "Thanks."
"It's nothing," he sighed as he rolled up his sleeves before he poured himself a drink.
My eyes stayed fixed on his muscular arms as they stretched to pour his drink before I moved to his face.
His chiselled jaw was clenched and his brows were deeply knitted together.
He seemed so angry.
"Did I do something wrong?" the words came out of me before I could even think.
I always feel like I'm doing something wrong.
I should.
I do.
I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong when I wasn't paying attention to Violet and look what happened.
"What?" He looked at me confused. "Of course not."
"So why are you acting like this?"
"Like what?" he asked.
"Closed off," I said. "You promised that we could talk."
I can't lose his trust. I've only just gotten it.
He took a shot of his drink. "We are talking."
He began to avoid eye contact with me and I turned away from him.
"Forget it," I said as I picked up the statement.
The rich never keep their word.
I'm disappointed.
I shouldn't be, but I am.
I shouldn't care if he wanted to be my friend or not. All I need is to seduce him once and be done with him.
"Sereia," he said. "I do want to talk with you."
I ignored him as I continued reviewing the file.
The sooner I'm done with this, the better.
"You intrigue me," he said. "I want to know everything about you and how you do the things that you do."
My hands tightened around the file as I forced myself not to look at him.
"I want to take away your loneliness and make sure that you're never desperate again."
I slowly turned to him as he downed another shot.
He's such an idiot.
How can he care for some stranger so easily?
How can he allow himself to be so easily manipulated and heartbroken?
I picked up my fruit punch and took a sip.
"So if you want to talk so bad, let's talk," he ended. "Ask me anything."
"Why did you marry her?" I asked. "Is that the type of women you love?"
He stared intensely at his shot glass. "It was love at first sight. Next question."
It angered me.
How could she get love at first sight and not Violet?
The sudden urge to get high and forget about everything overwhelmed me.
It's not fair.
"Is she good to you?"
"The best," he bitterly spat. "Next. Question."
I moved closer to me. "Is-"
He stopped me. "I'll ask the questions from now on. I don't like yours."
I felt speechless.
"What do you do when you're alone?" he asked. "When you're not working or volunteering."
I get high.
He took another shot.
"It's none of your business," I said.
"Come on," he said. "You're no fun. I have to answer your questions, but you can't answer mine?"
He wants an answer? I'll give him one.
"I use my rose toy."
The room fell silent as he watched me in shock at my unexpected answer.
Beads of sweat suddenly appeared on his temple as his eyes darkened.
"What do you do, Elliot?" I asked. "What do you do when you're not being a CEO or running around playing husband?"
He quickly turned away as he poured himself another shot.
I couldn't help but smirk in triumph.
"Who's avoiding answering whose questions now?"
"We should finish these," he said as he picked up the statements again.
I took them away. "No, I'll pull an all-nighter and finish them up by myself. Let's talk."
"No, I'm not going to make you do these by yourself."
"It's fine," I said. "You have a meeting in the morning, I don't."
"Sereia."
His friendly behaviour had now changed to a serious one.
"Okay, okay," I said. "How about we meet each other halfway? We talk some more then we get back to work."
"Deal," he agreed. "Ten minutes."
"Thirty."
"Twenty."
"An hour," I said and his eyes widened.
"Thirty minutes."
"An hour," I demanded before he gave in.
"Fine, an hour it is."
I smiled as I got more comfortable in my seat.
He did the same and I turned to watch him.
A few strands of his effortless dark, thick hair fell into his forehead. They were naturally curled slightly at the ends and I felt jealous.
It takes me hours to get my hair curled.
I bit my bottom lip when my eyes lingered along his sculpted jawline.
I began to wonder how it would feel to trail kisses there.
And then there are his lipsâfull and inviting, with a natural, gentle curve that hints at a smile even when he's at rest.
He gently turned his head to lock his coffee-brown eyes to my hazel-green ones.
His eyes are one of his most striking features.
They are soft and captivating.
They are warm and reassuring, as though he's seeing you for who you truly are, without judgment.
However, that's not true. It's all an illusion.
"You are a very handsome man," I said out.
I didn't say it to please him or to seduce him. I actually meant it.
He is handsome.
He is the CEO of the Harrington Finance Group. How could he not be?
He smiled slowly and his whole face lit up.
He also blinked slowly, an aftermath of his outrageous shots.
I would think seeing him drink so much would remind me of my father, but he never did.
He's nothing like my father when he is drunk.
When my father is drunk he shouts and throws things, while Elliot smiles his ass off like an idiot.
"I'm glad you said that because out of all the supermodels I've met, you're still the best one," he said and my heart started racing. "You're beautiful, Sereia."
Supermodel?
I gulped as I looked away. "You sure do have a way with words."
"Only when I feel the need to use them," he smiled.
He closed his eyes. "I hate that you didn't eat that pizza like you wanted to earlier."
I couldn't.
That pizza would go right to my stomach and thighs.
"You're drunk, Elliot."
"Yeah," he agreed. "I don't even know what the hell I'm saying."
He opened his eyes to pour another shot but I grabbed his hand.
"Don't touch me like that Sereia," he said lowly.
"Why not?"
"Because you're tempting me," he said. "You're a temptress, Sereia."
Temptress?
That's exactly what I am.
"And?" I asked.
"You're going to make me do things," he said.
"Things like?"
He suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist before lifting me onto his lip. "Things like this."
Finally.
I smiled as I wrapped my legs around his waist. "What else?"
He drunkenly smiled at me as his hand brushed against my thighs.
"This," his gravelly voice spoke which ignited something in me.
The feeling of his skin against mine felt like an electric shock and I wondered if he felt the same way through his drunkness.
His gentle touch became rough as he continued to travel up my thighs and I felt the wetness in my panties.
"What else, Elliot?" I asked as I held back a moan.
He continued to smile at me.
"Things like-"
His eyes closed and his head fell back onto the couch.
My smile dropped. "Elliot?"
He was passed out drunk.
I guess this will have to do.
I was enjoying that a little more than I should have. I can't stray away.
This isn't for my pleasure. This is for revenge.
"I'm sorry, Elliot," I apologized before grabbing my phone and taking a picture of us.
At the end of the day, this is what I came here to do.
I pledged to ruin Olivia Harrington's life and that's exactly what I'll do.