Stonehearts 9: Sapphire

Eleven

He was standing right next to his Lexus, one hand inside the pocket of his suit pants and the other placed loosely on his side. There so much raw and rampant energy seeping through his build that I can almost see it cloaking him physically.

I can sense him watching my every move until I was parked neatly beside his car. After turning off the locks, I unhooked my seatbelt and then suddenly the door was yanked wide open.

There was a noticeable tick in his jaw. "You don't lock doors."

I don't know if it's a question or a statement. But I'm damn sure it's an issue with him. Drawing my brows together, "I did. Pababa na ako pero inunahan mo akong magbukas ng pinto."

The hard expression his face naturally holds softens the smallest, itty, bitty bit. He didn't speak. He held out his hand for me, to assist on hopping out of my car. I have the briefiest hesitation, afraid of how my body comes alive whenever we touched. However, he didn't permit such indecision, because he clamped my left hand using his large, calloused paw and dragged me with him.

"Where are we?" I tried to stall, tried to open a conversation just so I can forget about this itching burn in my soul whenever I'm around him.

"You'll see." He shortly answered.

He led me to a steel double doors marked as private and punched in a code. Soon, I realized it was an elevator. He ushered me in, pressed number 45 and stood beside me. Way too close beside me, as if the distance is not acceptable for him.

"The other person," he droned.

I peeked at his strong features under my lashes, collecting every resistance I have for him. Damn, it's so much easier to oppose him when we're apart.

"What other person?" I asked, my voice steadier and bolder now. This is good.

"The male in your clinic. Never seen him before." There was an underlying menace in his words. Or am I just overanalyzing things?

"That's Francis. My newly hired doctor. What about him?"

The lift went to a halt and with a dinging sound it opened. With his eyes, he motioned for me to step out first which I did. There's only one room on the floor. In bold, golden letters, it was labeled 'SUITE'.

Then it hit me. Oh, shit!

Questions, sudden reservations, swam in my head. He didn't give me time to voice it all out. He keyed in a card and gently nudged me inside a large, victorian themed room.

It was all maroon, gold, and black. Very charming and elegant. There's not one thing in a room out of place.

I twirled around to fire my inquiries but kept my mouth shut when I saw Reid unbuttoning and shedding his matching gray suit jacket, leaving him in his white long sleeves, gray tie, and waistcoat.

Distraction. I fucking need a distraction!

"B-bakit si Francis?" I croaked. I curled and uncurled my toes, trying to ease some tension.

He neatly hung his coat on the gold rack beside the door before he trapped me with his unrelenting gaze.

"I don't like the way he looks at you."

He prowled with slow and measured steps to where I was. Hindi ko alam kung anong meron sa'kin, but my instant reaction was to step back.

"Looks at me? He looks at me like a normal person would look at another."

He snickered, humorless, warningly. "That's where you're wrong, Hiraya. I don't like it when someone wants what's mine."

There's that word again.
'Mine'.