Chapter 3 Enigma

The bathroom mirrors reflect five faces of myself

back to me, showing me exactly how flushed I am

after that encounter with Mr. Pierce.

I know somewhere that I am crossing my lines

more than necessary by challenging my boss one

night before my workday. So far, by our two

conversations, I have managed to figure out that

Ryan Pierce has five different kinds of scowls.

Unfortunately, they all look the same and they are

all present on his face all the time.

This man has managed to make me more nervous

in a span of twelve hours than I have been my

whole life. Heck! I wasn't even nervous when I lost

my virginity to Braden Taylor in 10th grade.

I sigh at the mirror and then turn the tap on to

wash my face. I don't care about my makeup

anymore and if I keep myself adjusted, I will end

up drinking some more and a hangover isn't a good

thing early in the morning of your first day at work.

If I look worse, I will feel more comfortable leaving.

The cool water releases some tension in my nerves

and when I lift my head back up, my makeup is

mostly washed away, bringing my many freckles

visible to the eyes. Everything has been washed out

except for the waterproof eyeliner.

Thank Walmart for that too.

Releasing a sigh, I open the door to the washroom

to step out. Loud music greets my ears, and I see

people being even more drunk and crazier than

they were when I left the floor.

I look at the crowd to search for Tia and see her

making out with a guy on the dance floor. From

here, he looks kind of cute and I don't want to

interfere with her make-out session. Grinning at

her luck, I take out my phone and type a quick

message to her before sending it.

He's cute. Great catch.

I'm going home.

As I put my phone back into my bag, someone

collides with me pretty hard, sending me crashing

against a nearby wall. I see spots for seconds as my

vision darkens.

"Hey, watch out!" I yell, holding my head as it

spins.

The person who collided with me turns. He looks

big, old, and completely drunk. He even has his

saliva dripping down his mouth to his beard and is

carrying a bottle in his hand.

It's disgusting.

"Fucking bitch! Standing.. in the way," he growls at

me and steps forward.

I instantly back against the wall when he steps closer and extends an arm to grab me.

"Hey! Move away!" I try to walk past him but he

blocks my way and brings his smelly drunken face

close to my own.

His hands are on my arms, hooking into my

neckline as he tries to tear it open.

"You'll do for tonight," he slurs, dripping booze

down his mouth,

I try to reach for my sling bag where I carry a

pepper spray always but his body pushing against

mine leaves me without space. My arm is crammed

between his body and the wall and the pressure of

his weight knocks the breath out of my lungs.

I don't even realize when I start to cry but as I push

against his chest hard, I find fat tears moving down

my cheeks.

"Let me go!" I sob, crying against his assaults.

No one seems to be coming to my rescue. Everyone

is drunk and it is late and my best friend is lost in

kissing. No, this can't be happening. I can't be

getting raped in the middle of a party.

As the man reaches for the hem of my skirt, to push

it up, a hand slaps on his T-shirt, pulling him off

me in one swift force.

I gasp, feeling the relief of his body being lifted

from me before my sight clears, and I see the

person who saved me.

Eric Pierce pushes the guy against another wall

and as I watch, his fist comes up, hitting the man

hard against his cheek. The force is so strong that

the man falls to the floor, slurping and becoming

unconscious within a second.

"Oh my God!" I exclaim, unable to believe that

someone's one punch can have so much power.

I look up at Mr. Pierce as he releases his hold from

the guy's T-shirt and corrects the creases in his suit

like a gentleman. A few drunken people who had

been paying attention to the scene cheer at him

before walking off.

He turns to me and I find his strong gaze keeping

me rooted in place.

"Miss. Gold, are you okay?" he asks, taking a step

toward me.

"Yeah...I think I am," as I speak the words, my head

hurts and the floor beneath my feet rocks.

I stumble, falling, but his arms catch me and before

I can stop him, Mr. Pierce is scooping me up in his

arms swiftly.

"Hold on, Miss. Gold. Seems like you have got a

concussion. Would you like me to take you to the hospital?"

I don't know what he expects me to answer because

my brain has completely stopped functioning.

From here, I can only see his deep eyes gazing into

mine with concern and the feel of his hand under

my bare knees. The skin burns so much at the heat

of his contact that it feels like I would be left with

an imprint of his hand tomorrow.

My arms are around his neck and I am unconsciously staring at his lips.

"Miss. Gold?" His deep voice knocks me back to my

senses and I look around us to see the floor

completely packed.

No one is paying attention to either of us or to the

man who is knocked out flat on the floor.

"No, thanks..." I blurt, my voice sounding lazily

drunk. My cheeks flush in embarrassment. "I'd like

to go home, please. Would you call me a taxi?"

I request him like it is a casual favor from a

stranger and not from someone who is literally in

his arms. My mind is too dizzy to ask him to put me

down right now. Don't know what other morons I

will end up encountering if he does.

Mr. Pierce looks at me darkly and then he adjusts

me in his arms, such that my head is lying on his

shoulder. With a strong flex of his muscles, he

begins walking while I shamelessly lie as a

caterpillar in a cocoon. My hold around his neck tightens, bringing me close to his musky scent of

beer and sandalwood.

He walks us out of the bar but instead of calling for

a taxi, he begins to carry me towards a car.

An Audi

"Umm.Mr. Pierce?" I murmur against his

shoulder.

"Yes?" he asks, continuing to maintain that scowl.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Depends on where you live, Miss. Gold."

"Where do I live?"

He stops in front of his car at my question and

raises an amused eyebrow at me. Even from this

angle, the eyebrow looks angry.

Very very angry

"Miss. Gold..." he speaks calmly. "You've managed

to get under my skin in the last twelve hours by

insulting me, making fun of me, challenging me,

and now getting wounded. Do you wish to piss off

any further while you're literally in my arms?"

I press my lips to a thin line. What a rude man!

Shut up, Emma. This rude man is taking you home.

"I didn't ask you to carry me."

"It was either this or leaving you there to be

trampled on by drunken feet. Would you have

preferred that, Miss. Gold?"

"No." I huff."

"Take me home."

I see him muttering something to himself as he

pulls open the door to the passenger seat of his car.

With his strong hands, he puts me inside and his

knuckles brush over the sliver of exposed skin of

my belly when my crop top hitches up. We both

inhale a breath, me out of awkwardness, him I have

no idea why.

He hooks the seat belt around my torso. Shutting

the door, he walks around the car, opens the other

side, and gets in. As he starts the engine, he takes

another look at me and his frown deepens.

He is either disgusted or troubled. I do believe it is

the first. I look hideous.

"Which way?" he asks.

"Drive straight," I say and then mumble the rest of

the address as I lay my head back in the seat,

closing my eyes.

The hum of the engine soothes me a little as he

drives the car and soon, I get lost in dreams with the quiet groan of the air coming through the open

windows luring me in.

I open my eyes when the car stops with a jerk.

Looking at Mr. Pierce, I observe him as he gets out

of the car and walks around to my side. I watch like

a helpless child as he opens the door and stands

there, still frowning at me.

"Will you walk or do I have to carry you again?" he

grumbles the question out, taking a look at his

watch.

I don't know what's gotten into me but I end up

smiling at him and lifting my hands in the air like a

child.

"Carry me up, please."

My boss's eyes widen, his eyebrows raising as he

takes my posture in. His face changes color for a

second, turning a shade pink but it doesn't miss my

eyes.

"Should have taken you to the hospital," he

murmurs. "You must have hit that head pretty

hard."

He leans down to release my seatbelt. Hooking his

arms under my knees and back, he picks me into

his arms again and I lay my head on his strong

shoulder. I swear, this man is made of hot muscles I would like to lick someday.

"Apartment 250," I tell him as he shuts the door

and walks towards the elevator of our apartment

building.

He keeps his hold on me tight as the elevator shuts

and then opens again after some time, bringing

into view my floor. I point towards my apartment

when he steps out and hear him grumble

something again as he walks towards it.

Absent-mindedly, I pull the key out of my sling bag

and open the door for him. Mr. Pierce enters the

apartment and walks to the couch in the hall. He

doesn't speak a word as he drops me flat on it.

The moment the soft cushion greets me, I twist and

turn, feeling sleepy.

"When will your friend be back?" he asks as he

takes hold of my feet and starts opening my heels

with gentle fingers.

His touch is warm, making my toes tingle.

"She won't be back," I whisper, eyes shutting

slowly. "She got a cute guy. She's going to get

banged tonight."

I don't even flush as I speak the words. I hear a soft

laugh and look to find Mr. Pierce chuckling to

himself.

So he does laugh.

"You've no control over that tongue, do you?"

I turn to the ceiling, smiling softly and then wider.

"No," I answer as Mr. Pierce gets up and starts to

unbutton his suit. "What are you doing?"

I suddenly become anxious but don't find the

strength to say something more as sleep starts to

get me deep. He just shakes his head as he gets his

sturdy arms out of the suit.

He leans down and places the suit over my body,

smiling softly.

"Have a good night, Emma," he whispers close to

my ear.

"You have a long day tomorrow."

As if my body follows his orders too, I quickly lose

myself in a deep slumber.