Soulmates ✓

23 | The Choice

Shay clears her throat, suddenly feeling warm and woozy inside. "What's in the gift box?"

He continues to stare at her hand, a myriad of emotions passing through his eyes, and it only takes her a second to realize, his gaze is fixed on the ring on her finger, Aarav's ring on her finger. Shay slides the hand behind her back and rests her spine on it. "I want to take you to an event tomorrow."

"You can't just take me to an event," Shay deadpans. "You'll have to invite me."

He makes a sound of disbelief. "It is the 25th anniversary of the company, and you are coming with me as my...as my friend."

Her heart crumples a little with that word. Ryan wants her to join the event as his friend, just a friend. What else did she want him to call her? "I have an important client meeting tomorrow evening. Not sure if I can join you for the event."

"Then, I will reschedule the event for the next day." He pushes off the island and slides beside her, both facing each other.

"And why would you do that? It's not like you need your friends for an official event. Also, it's your company's 25th anniversary. It doesn't matter if I'm there or not. It's not like I'm part of your company anyway."

"It does matter, Shay. You're a part of everything important in my life." He punctuates every word with a heated growl, his face dangerously close to her ear.

Shay tightens her hold on the counter and looks up to meet his gaze. "I don't think I can come with you as your friend."

"Are we still talking about the banquet?"

"You tell me."

Their eyes meet and hold for several agonizing seconds before she glances back at the half-prepared dough. Shay starts working the dough again, her hands a little shaky, and this time it's due to an entirely different reason. It's not the haunting memories of the past but Ryan's tense presence beside her at this moment.

She takes a calming breath and brushes away the angry tangles falling on her eyes with the back of her hand. With their shoulders almost touching and their breaths struggling to go even, Shay wants nothing more than to give in to the temptation. She wants him to reach for her, hold her, pull her against his body, kiss her and love her and never let go.

Then he shifts beside her, reaches towards her face, and slips his fingers beneath the hair hanging near her eyes. He slowly, affectionately, slides the strands back without touching her skin to gauze her distressed expression. "You didn't answer my question?"

"Which one?" Dear God, she can hardly remember her name when he touches her, so gently but possessively.

She pulls away from his touch and bends down to secure a tray, and continues to arrange the lemon-sized dough balls on it, all the while Ryan remains right on her heels, nipping and growling. "What are we celebrating today? Why the cookies?"

"We're celebrating our epic friendship, of course. Now that we are doing a lot of things as friends, don't you think it calls for a celebration?"

Shay doesn't know why she is feeling extra annoyed with the status of their relationship, all of a sudden when she had decided to take time. Maybe, she is done with kissing and cuddling but not having something solid to build together. She pops the cookies inside the freezer and side-eyes his sexy scowl as he slips beside her.

"Can we celebrate it in my place?" His hand meets the fridge as soon as it closes. Now his face is just an inch away from her ear.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?"

She tries to push past him, but his other hand closes in around her as he places it on the other side of the fridge. His gorgeous frown and his potent scent are suddenly too much to handle. With her back to his chiseled chest, she can feel every shudder, every undulating beat of his heart.