Chapter 7 Let Me Save You

"Ahem."

Jean rubbed her arms discreetly. It was a hot summer day, but her hands and feet were still feeling the chill. Only the ever-careless Mandy would be immune to the piercing cold.

Then, without warning, the man slowly turned around to face them. His face looked even more handsome illuminated by the moonlight.

His aloof demeanor lent him an indescribable charm, too, that a lot of women found attractive for some reason.

It was a pity that such and exceptional man had become some other man's play thing. The more she looked at him, the more Mandy felt that she was right. She had pictured a whole epic about the despondent nobleman struggling for survival under despotic power inside her mind.

Robert swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down his throat. His emotions had been through a roller coaster ride because of this woman. More importantly, she seemed to have the uncanny talent of constantly irritating him.

"Ha!" The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, his eyes assuming an evil little glint. Anyone who knew him well would know that he was quite miffed at this point.

But Mandy did not know him, not really, well or otherwise. So when he turned around, her initial thought was that he had changed his mind. She hopped over to him, her expression one of delight. "You gorgeous man, I knew you would say yes!"

After all, the way she saw things, this guy needed to be saved by her instead of the other way around.

Jean, on the other hand, was better attuned to these things, and was aware just how stupid her friend was being. There was nothing she could do, though, besides watching helplessly in secondhand embarrassment.

Mandy was usually clever, despite her occasional lapses in judgment. This was the first time Jean had ever seen her pursuing any man so... well, so desperately. What was wrong with her friend?

"You want to be my girlfriend?" His deep voice held a gentle lull that made Mandy nod her head eagerly.

"Haha." Robert grinned, and she thought she might have caught a glimpse of tenderness in his expression. 'This guy is definitely good-looking, and he just gets more and more attractive with everything he says and does. He would absolutely make the perfect lover.

'What a pity--'

She was so engrossed with her thoughts that she didn't see him move. Before she knew what was happening, she was cocooned tightly inside his arms. She could only stare at him in utter loss. She had not been mentally prepared for something like this.

More so for what he did next.

One moment his hot breath was fanning her face, and then the next his mouth was on hers. Mandy blinked twice before her mind promptly went blank.

Was he actually kissing her in public?

Heat flooded all over her body. His tongue was relentlessly exploring her mouth, enticing her to do the same with his. She had never experienced such a kiss before. Her knees went weak, and a small moan escaped from her before she could stop herself.

They were actually in a barbecue stall where many women had gathered. At first, they had gawked at Robert, no doubt drawn by his face and temperament. Now as the romantic scene unfolded before their eyes, they gave in to their excitement and hooted and applauded.

Of course, there were a good number of girls sighing with envy and wishing loudly that they had been he was embracing. Suffice it to say that the whole vicinity of the small restaurant was in a hot uproar, and not just because of the barbecue.

Mandy, though, despite being the cause of the commotion, was oblivious to it all. The only thing that registered in her mind at that time was the feel of the man against her body, of his mouth on hers.

Robert finally pulled back, and the kiss ended.

He looked down at the woman, who was visibly dazed, and could not help smiling. He slowly relinquished his hold, saying gently, "Remember to pay for that, Miss."

Boom.

Mandy felt like she had suddenly been struck by lightning, and her senses crashing back to pull themselves together. Her red, swollen lips parted in confusion, and Robert felt his abdomen clench at the sight.

Damn it! How could this woman be so seductive and innocent at the same time? The kiss might have been a mistake after all; now he just felt more obsessed in her.

"Mandy?" Jean spoke up. It appeared that she was the first one to recover from the shock that had been triggered by passionate scene. At this point, though, she was more fearful at the probability of her friend knocking this man to the ground in the next second. It was inevitable. Mandy had just been kissed without permission after all.

In the past, a boy had been foolish enough to hold Mandy's hand without warning and he had ended up crumpled at her feet after getting a roundhouse kick. That day just so happened to be the opening ceremony for incoming high school freshmen, and the incident had become an instant campus sensation.

Mandy's image as a fierce girl had been branded in the minds of the male students since. Her appearance might have been very appealing to them, but a single thought of that legendary kick had been enough to dissuade them from pursuing her.

And that was why she had remained single all this time.

This time... Well, this time, Mandy's reactions all came as one surprise after another to Jean.

Mainly because she just gaped after the kiss. Mandy opened her mouth, then closed it again, then stared at Robert with wide eyes. "You're really good at kissing. You did it so smoothly, too. And it felt so good."

It was Robert's turn to be reduced to speechlessness. If he stayed here any longer, he was sure this girl would drive him to insanity. He deliberated what to do for the next few seconds before deciding to just leave.

"Hey gorgeous, don't go!" Mandy called as he walked away. "At least give me your phone number first. I really can save you from that man." He ignored her and kept walking, and she stared at his back, feeling defeated.

He had the most attractive face, the most ideal temperament, and he was such a good kisser! She couldn't possibly give her quest to make this man her boyfriend, even just for pretend.

As the cycle went, it was now Jean who was gaping at her friend. To say Jean was shocked speechless would be an understatement, especially since she felt quite amazed at Mandy at the same time. What had made her so fixated on that man in the first place?

As if to befuddle Jean further, Mandy quickly jumped on the nearby staff and pestered them until she got Robert's contact details. Then she left in a hurry.

"Uhm, Sir..." The special assistant, Noah, called as soon as Mandy was gone. He was among those who had been lost to confusion since earlier.

His boss had temporarily entrusted this small restaurant to Robert, and he had never imagined that things would unfold the way that they had. And on the substitute boss' first day, too! It was like something out of a movie or a book, and Noah was itching to call his boss immediately and make a report on the day's occurrences.

Still, he maintained his composure. His boss and Robert were very close, and Noah himself knew Robert quite well. It was truly rare for the man to put on such a forbearing expression.

As if reading what was on the assistant's mind, Robert shot him a glacial look. Though the rest of his face remained neutral, the air around him had become menacing.

In his mind, Noah briefly compared the man before him and his boss. The former was cold and badass, while the latter was cunning and badass. After thinking it over for a while, he decided he would rather work under his boss, and wished that he would come back sooner.

"You've forgotten about what happened today, haven't you?" Robert said pointedly.

"Yes, sir," Noah nodded in earnest. "As a matter of fact, I can't remember anything at all." God, the CEO's eyes were terrifying.

But then, the assistant realized something. He hesitated for a beat before speaking again. "Sir, if that lady comes again, should we...

Well, should we deny her service?"