Chapter 7 CAN'T TRUST YOU

Deimos' POV

I stare at the numbers on the screen again, lost in thought. It's been days since my fight with Anesha and I've been feeling like shit. The house is as silent as a graveyard, just like it used to be before she came but it feels so empty now. I barely see her on the days I'm home and on the days I do, she walks right by without a word and locks herself back in her room. It's so damn frustrating. I shouldn't care as much. In a year we'd be strangers. She'd be a millionaire and I'd have everything I needed. I know this but why do I feel this way? Why am I so aggravated?

I give up looking at the screen and decide to check my messages instead. Maybe she sent me a text. Nothing. I ask my assistant just in case I missed something. He reads my itinerary again and I try not to look disappointed. There's nothing from her. It annoys me how much my mood has changed. Why am I so affected by some girl? Especially one that lied to me to my face. There's no forgiving that. I can't let myself get hurt by yet another woman. Never again.

My door opens and I sit up straight. Did she decide to pay me a surprise visit at work? Play the doting girlfriend? Ask for forgiveness again? Max slides in. My frown grows even deeper. What does he want? Why did he always appear when I wanted to be alone? Suddenly the numbers on my screen grow more appealing by the second. He wears a silly grin and takes a seat. "Uncle D, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"No, it hasn't been long enough. Don't you have work to do?"

"Relax. This is why the ladies don't like you."

I try not to get irritated. I can't believe this puny boy dated Anesha for years and then had the audacity to cheat on her. The urge to knock him out is growing stronger by the minute.

"I can't believe she even tried to seduce you. Isn't that crazy? Coming here and rubbing herself all over you to get back at me. I guess Mom was right all along."

I turn to him. What was this little shit head trying to do? "We're dating."

He freezes. "What?"

"We're in a relationship. I intend to marry her."

"What?!"

"You will treat her with respect."

"But she's my ex girlfriend! I dated her."

"I don't care what history you have. For your sake, you better not bring it up again." he visibly pales. "And the next time you want to come into my office, knock like everyone else. Now get back to work."

I need to rein it in. I can't start picking fights with family for a woman I barely know, whether or not my nephew is an asshole.A headache is coming. I sink down to my seat, tired. Ever since my father made that stupid rule, my sister and her son have been working behind the scenes to get rid of me. It's bad enough that I have to deal with them at every turn. I can't deal with Anesha like this too. I call up Perseus. I'm going to be needing a whole lot of alcohol.

"So you've got yourself a little girlfriend. I didn't think you had it in you, Deimos. It's always the quiet ones." My best friend, Perseus, chuckles over his drink. Being my oldest friend, I know he'd at least be able to understand my predicament. Being a hopeless womanizer, I knew he'd be able to offer advice. Perseus had been single all his life, never settling long enough to catch feelings for anyone. All he had were longtime flings and a string of women.

"I didn't think it would be this difficult." I grumble

He laughs at me, clearly enjoying my predicament. "There's no such thing as an easy woman. They can give you hell or heaven, depends on how they perceive you. I don't think your lady perceives very well anymore."

"I can see that."

"Do you want to change that?"

I run my hand through my hair. I did but it was too much work. Maybe it'll be better to keep the distance. I was getting too carried away in the office the other day. Finding out that she was Max's ex must be some sort of blessing in disguise. I don't know why I trusted her. I was thinking with my dick the whole time. She wouldn't be the only one who was after the Escarrá wealth. I should be used to this. Or, was it Max she wanted? The thought of it enrages me.

"You know you're allowed to enjoy this, right?" my brow shoots up and he sighs. "This contract. You're allowed to make the most out of it, my friend. You're a billionaire. When was the last time you had a beautiful woman on your arm? Even if she was a suspected gold digger?"

He's right. It's been a while. I haven't been able to open up ever since my first and last engagement failed and all I did was bury myself in work for years. Before I knew it, all the time had passed. "I haven't had the time. Relationships are hard to get into."

"Well, it's a good thing you've gotten one now. She told you to be her partner so be her partner. I don't know about you but the best way I like spending my money is putting it on a woman's neck. Get her a diamond. Two diamonds. Take her shopping. Have her spin around wearing my money. Take a day off on my yacht. Watch her get wet. Damn, there's no better view, I'm telling you."

Just the thought of her dressed up in close to nothing sets me on fire. Flashbacks from that day fill my mind. How close our lips were. Her hair spread out on my bed. Her body moving about in that dress. The dark stain of her lips. I want it. That blood red tint, I want it smudge across my lips. I want to wrap her hair around my fingers and leave marks on her neck. I want to show her off, dress her up in diamonds and gold. This feeling is a fever. It consumes me every time and I need to deal with this.

"Why put honey in your mouth if you're not even going to lick it off?" I look up at him and exhale deeply.

"I can't. She's– I can't."

He doesn't say a word. Just shakes his head at me and pours in more alcohol. We drink like that for a while and I head back home tipsy. She's sitting in the living room, cross legged, laptop on her thighs. I watch her from the door, frowning at a screen. Even now I want to run my hand over her lips and bring them to mine. No, I can't trust her. I can't cross that line.

One year.

I'll take everything she can give me in a year and when the contract's off, we can go back to our lives and I can put it all behind me.

Sounds easy enough.