The Workaholic's Wife

12. All The Other Women

Scarlet

His hands on my waist almost burnt me with his warm presence. He was towering over me despite the heels and I had to angle my neck to look at him. He looked so handsome in the grey suit that fitted him perfectly and his oh-so-awesome hair. The urge to run my fingers through his hair overpowered me to check the texture but I controlled it.

For a brief moment, his eyes crawled below my neck and I felt self-conscious all of sudden. The neckline was too deep that it failed in hiding my chest properly. I wasn't used to wearing such revealing clothes so it was normal to feel conscious. And the way his jaw clenched when he first saw me in it didn't help the tingles in my stomach either.

"What are you thinking?" he asked as he pulled me closer in a step in the dance.

"Nothing," I lied. I couldn't tell him that I was being affected by him, can I? Besides, it must be pretty normal for him to have girls fluttering around him all the time. It was sad to admit but I wasn't resistant to those charms.

"Ahan," he said and turned me around so now, my back was lying against his chest. I felt him lean down after which he whispered in my ears, "Everybody is looking towards us. Just keep smiling." With that, he let out a small, playful yet fake chuckle, as if he had muttered something scandalous in my ears.

"Okay," I nodded, smiling as wide as I can. He rested his head on mine due to our height difference and we both moved slowly for few minutes after which he finally decided to part ways and enable me to breathe.

He then left to talk to someone while I made my way to Cara, eating cupcakes from the food table. "Cara, baby. Didn't I tell you to eat only one sweet thing in a day?" I asked her and she looked like she had been caught murdering someone.

"I... I just ate one." she stammered, obviously lying.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows mischievously.

She pouted, too embarrassed to admit she had lied. But at the end, she finally sighed, "I ate three."

"Oh. Well, it's okay. But now, you have to brush three times as long." I told her and she nodded immediately.

"Good girl." I said and pinched her cheeks, at which she giggled. "Are you sleepy yet?"

"A little," she said and just then, a cute yawn made its way to her face.

"Come on, let's tuck you in the bed."

I took Cara to her bedroom and helped her change into her pyjamas. While she tried to sleep, I kept thinking about Evan. There was something about his touch that made me feel giddy and I was not ready for such sensations. Maybe it was just attraction because he was a very handsome person. Maybe it will die with time and I will be more comfortable in being in a same room as him.

I was lost in these thoughts when Carla's soft snores started filling the room. Kissing her on the forehead, I made my way back to the party. I looked everywhere for Evan and then I finally found him talking to a woman. The same woman he was talking about earlier; the daughter of that jeweler or something. I don't know why but I felt my chest constrict at the sight of him talking so freely to her.

"If I were you, I won't worry about a girl. Evan isn't like that," I heard a voice. I turned my head to the source of the voice and found Evan's friend Helena gracefully sipping a glass of wine. "The only woman standing in your way to his heart is Eliza. Even after five years, she still owns his heart."

"No. It's not like that. I was just watching out of curiosity." I tried to defend my action without looking like a desperate person.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I have been there." she said as she watched that woman with a bitter look in her eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you love him?" I asked and the woman let out a small chuckle in return.

"Love is a big word Scarlet. But yeah, I do admire him a lot." she admitted. When she found me staring at her with an uncomfortable face, she laughed it off. "Don't worry, I am not a jealous or obsessive villain. I understand that he is off-market now."

Her words told me that she was a mature woman who knew her boundaries. But did she know this marriage was just for Cara?

"If you're thinking if I know the truth of this marriage, the answer is yes." she said and my mouth fell open at how she knew that. "But well, we both know that if you share a room with this adonis of a man, we are sooner or later bound to fall for him."

"It's not true. I am here just for Cara." I uttered nervously.

"Maybe for now." she chuckled and I gulped.

"I... Um... I need to go." I said and rushed out of that woman's sight as soon as possible. She was too smart for me to handle.

..........

"What was Helena saying to you?" Evan asked as soon as we entered the room. I went to the dressing table and ran the brush through my hair. After that, I took off the jewelery one by one.

"Nothing much." I lied. "No offence, she is a little..."

"Crazy," he completed the sentence for me.

"No, I was going to say 'too smart' but---" I turned around to complete the sentence and lost the ability to speak for a minute.

Evan's back was towards me and he was taking off his shirt. After the shirt was off, only a thin white tank top left behind, the rest of his arms and back on display.

"What were you saying?" he asked, still turned towards the wall. My eyes followed the contours of his body and I felt dryness in my throat.

"I... I don't know." I said breathlessly. I was not used to seeing a man in such state, specially not a tall, broad one.

He turned around in confusion and when he found me staring at him in my flustered state, a corner of his lips turned upwards.

God! Why do I always embarrass myself in front of him?

To save me from the misery, I rushed inside the closet to change into my pyjamas. By the time I walked back into the room, he had already made his way to his study table.

Sitting on the bed, I hugged my knees and stared at his working figure. It was late and he had woken up quite early in the morning. His sleeping habits worried me but I knew better to keep my mouth shut. I reminded myself that I was here to take care of Cara and not him but I couldn't force myself to ignore his exhaustion and health.

'He is an adult. He can take care of himself.' I told myself.

'Can he?' A voice in my head fought back. My eyes once again moved to him and I found him massaging his temples. Pulling the blanket to my head, I forced myself to sleep otherwise I will definitely humiliate myself in front of him.

___________________________