Chapter 19: I Won’t Stop
Bella inhaled slowly, balancing the porcelain mug of steaming coffee on a small tray. Her hand trembled slightly, though she told herself it was only the heat of the drink. No, it wasn’t. It was him.
Her first day had ended with her swearing to Chloe she’d endure, but now, on her second morning, every step toward Jake Stones’ office felt like walking into a lion’s den.
She lifted her chin. Professional. Detached. This was just coffee. Nothing more. Like she discussed with Chloe, she’d just endure until she gets employed somewhere else.
Thankfully, she’d been able to apply to several companies, even magazine companies and hopefully, she’d get to hear from any of them in a week.
She took a deep breath and knocked softly, before stepping inside his office. He was seated behind his wide mahogany desk, jacket draped over the back of his chair, and just like the previous day, his shirt sleeves was rolled neatly up his forearms. The morning light spilled through the tall glass windows, catching in his dark hair and sharpening the angles of his jaw.
Bella forced herself not to stare.
"Your coffee, sir," she said briskly, crossing the distance to his desk.
He looked up at her, and that half-smile played across his lips—the kind that always made her insides twist. "Thank you, Miss Howells."
She placed the tray carefully before him, but as he reached for the mug, his fingers brushed against hers. The contact was brief, accidental—or was it?—but enough to send a shock racing up her arm. Startled, she jerked slightly, and before she could steady herself, the mug slipped.
"Oh no—" she muttered when she saw the hot liquid splash across Jake’s thighs, and staining his pressed trousers.
Bella gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God! I’m so sorry, sir!" she said in panic, knowing that the liquid was hot and could hurt Jake.
Without thinking, she grabbed a stack of tissues from his desk and dropped to a crouch beside his chair, dabbing frantically at the spill.
Dabbing at it now, Bella couldn’t help but scowl. As much as she knew it wasn’t right or what had happened shouldn’t have ever happened, she couldn’t help the slight delight she felt. This was probably a punishment for him for lying to her five years ago.
Jake hissed softly at the heat but didn’t move, his gaze fixed intently on her as she fussed over the mess. "Careful, Bella," he said low, his voice curling around her name in a way that made her stomach knot.
She didn’t look up, cheeks burning as she pressed the tissues against his thighs. "I—I didn’t mean to—"
Then his hand closed gently over hers making Bella freeze at the contact. The tissues crumpled uselessly in her grip as Jake’s fingers wrapped around her smaller ones. He didn’t stop her motions—he stopped her.
Her eyes shot up, colliding with his.
What did he want now?
"Your hands," he murmured, his thumb brushing across her knuckles. "They’re so soft and so delicate." His smile curved, slow and deliberate. "Touching them now makes me wonder how they’d feel running across my bare chest."
Bella’s breath caught. The room tilted. For a second, her body betrayed her with a shiver of memory from that night—how she’d melted under his touch despite her heaviness—then she quickly yanked her hands free as though burned and shot to her feet.
"That’s inappropriate," she blurted, her voice shaper than she intended. "You need to stop saying things like that to me."
She needed to make him know his place, but how?
Jake leaned back in his chair, utterly unfazed, his lips twitching with amusement instead. "Why?" he asked softly, almost lazily. "Because you don’t want to imagine it? Or because you already do?"
Her heart slammed against her ribs. "What?"
She’d been right all along. He knew her. He remembered her.
He tilted his head, eyes sharp. "Don’t tell me you’ve never wondered what I’d look like without all this..." He gestured vaguely at his tailored shirt and tie, "...standing in your way."
Bella stiffened, glaring down at him. "Why on earth would you think I’d want to imagine that?"
"Because I’ve seen the way you look at me," Jake replied smoothly, his tone calm but edged with certainty. "Don’t bother denying it, Bella."
She gaped at him. Her? Look at him like that? The audacity! He didn’t even know she was looking at him like someone she wanted to kill. She despised him... this cockiness, this audacity. It irked her.
"You’re mistaken," she snapped, folding her arms tightly across her chest. "I have no such thoughts, nor do I want to. So stop assuming things about me. I’d never look at you in that way, never."
His eyes narrowed faintly, though his smirk lingered. "Never? Tell me, Isabella—" His gaze flicked deliberately to her left hand. "Is that because you’re in a relationship? Or you’re married, perhaps? Though I doubt it, since you’re not wearing a ring."
Her lips parted, stunned by his bluntness. "And how exactly is that any of your business? Why are we talking about that, Mr. Stones?"
"Because," Jake said, his voice suddenly serious, "I need to know if there’s anyone who might hinder you from doing your job properly."
She stared at him, hardly believing what she was hearing. So he was back to being serious and professional? How was he able to switch so easily? Or does he have a double personality? She mused and then sighed.
"No one is hindering me," she said firmly. "And I’ll do my job just fine if you stop flirting with me."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick with the unspoken.
Then Jake chuckled, low and dangerous, leaning back in his chair like a predator content to bide its time. "Hmm," he mused. "I won’t stop. Not until I get what I want."
Bella’s throat went dry. Against her will, her voice came out in a whisper. "And what is that?"
Jake’s gaze locked with hers, unwavering. "You’ll know," he said, his tone threaded with promise, "in due time."
Her breath caught, and she quickly looked away, clutching the empty tray against her chest like a shield.
"Now," Jake added casually, as though the entire exchange had been nothing, "you may return to your desk."
Bella turned sharply and strode toward the door, every nerve in her body on fire. She didn’t trust herself to speak as she may say everything she’d been trying to keep locked away for the time being.
The door clicked shut behind her, and she leaned against the corridor wall, chest heaving. Her mind spun in frantic circles.
What just happened?
Was he trying to make her remember that night? The way his words cut so close, so deliberately, it almost felt like he wanted her again. Yet he hadn’t said anything directly.
She sighted with anger but she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do. If he so much as perceived her anger towards him, he might start digging to find out what he’d done and that would put Timothy at the risk of being discovered.
She couldn’t let that happen. She’d control herself and just have him fool himself. He’d let her be if she wasn’t letting him have his way with her. He’d stop when he realizes she doesn’t care about that night at all.
Or was she just overthinking it. Maybe he doesn’t remember anything. Maybe this was just how he flirted—with every secretary, every female employee unlucky enough to cross his path. Maybe that was why he’d gone through so many assistants and still wouldn’t stop.
Still, the way he’d touched her hand, the way his eyes had burned into hers—
Bella squeezed her eyes shut, pressing the tray tighter against her chest.
No. She wouldn’t let herself think about that. She couldn’t. Not when her entire life depended on keeping her past a secret.
But even as she marched back to her desk, cheeks flaming, one thought refused to let her go:
If this was how her second day at StoneTech had gone, how much longer could she possibly survive?
Could she really just stay and wait till she got another job? It was getting tougher and no matter how hard she was trying to act like they didn’t have a past, it was beginning to affect her and the longer she let it affect her, the more she was putting her son’s existence at risk.
But what could happen if he found out?
**********
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