Chapter-3

I didn't give her a chance to argue as I pulled her up from the couch and into my arms . I took a moment to enjoy the feel of her in my arms for the first time in a very long time.

I couldn't help but press her tighter against me as I buried my face in her hair and that familiar smell of hers enveloped me,not some artificial strong perfumes that women this days liked to put on but just her natural smell with some hint of wildflowers that always seemed to cling on to her.

"Leo what are you doing,your brother's not even cold yet". Her words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over my head, and the anger that came though unjustified was fierce all the same.

"You will be careful next time to throw his name in my face", I coldly warned her.

"You're lucky I waited this long ".

I took her lips for the first time in ten years and got lost in her.

She tasted like heated sin and sunshine, my pulse raced as my heartbeat thundered in my ears. She felt so small, vulnerable and femined in my arms like the light to my sunshine .

Suddenly she started struggling in my arms and I had to reluctantly loosen my grip on her. When she felt me loosen my hold on her she took the chance and immediately pushed against my shoulder and jerked away from me.

"Don't touch me again without my permission".

I let her go for now as I knew that if I push any harder she would surely balk and run off.

I casually turned and went over the massive floor to ceiling glass windows facing out onto the Manhattan billionaire's streets . Facing away from her I I ask her," Take a seat, let's get down to business".

She looked like she was debating whether to run out the room instead of facing the devil but lastly decided against it as she came back to take her seat across my desk. Wise of her as even she knew I didn't let anything get past me in anything I had already given my attention.

Turning I come and take my seat and flatly state out,"One month".

There is utter silence in the room for some few questions as she looked at me with a lost expression," One month for what ".

"To plan our wedding".

"You've got to be kidding",she looks at me with shocked face.

"I assure you I am not ".

"Look let's try thinking over it with cool head okay. Don't you think this is absurd?".

"It's the right think to do". I knew I was spewing nonsense but a man's gotta do what he ought to do to win . And if I had to act like a staunch supporter of such primitive laws to catch her once and for all then so be it.

"Leo you can't seriously be considering to go through with it".

"Our people expects of us to do what's necessary for their security".

"What about your wishes and desires, what about mine, does no one care for what I want?".

"Well with great responsibilities comes great sacrifices and being Cyrene's International ambassador for public affairs and taking part in various foundations for people's upliftment,don't you think the people hopes for you to do at least this much for their secured future?And it's not like you are going to be stripped of your inheritance on the contrary its quite the opposite. Think of it as a permanent promotion".

I gave a taunting smile at the end.

"That's plain manipulation and I am not falling for it Leo. And I don't care for your so called 'promotion' so you can take your magnanimous offer and shove it down where the sun don't shine".

"I know planning such a huge wedding might be too much for you to handle so I'll give you two months to plan the dream wedding you envisioned during your years of crayons and pigtails".

"Did you even hear what I said? Why do you have to be such a thick head?", she huffed in her seat.

"Just determined mikro gataki".

"I'm no little kitten ",she quickly retorted.

I smirked enjoying seeing her ruffled,"Sure sure agapi mou, whatever you say".

She gave a cute frustrated kitten like growl and I had to control myself from chuckling.

Since my childhood it had always been only her who could make me laugh, distract me and lighten my dark moods but I wasn't ever going to open up my heart for bullshit love.

Yeah keep telling yourself that. So that's the reason why your heart goes restless everytime you hear her name.

Shut the fuck up you shit .

Don't listen to that poor excuse of a heart that only brought me headaches. It's your fault for choosing the most infuriating hot head to fall in lo-.

That's why I told you to shut the fuck up. You're messing with my head and making me say things I don't mean.

Yeah right blame it on me who's you.

Damn now I'm talking with myself. Maybe I should give a call to the family psychiatrist to check my head.

I come out of musings as I look up to see her flicking her fingers at me.

" Where did you go? You know it's disrespectful to get lost in your head when a lady's telling you something important".

"I hope you are not referring to yourself because that'll be a mistake".

She threw me the stink eye for that.

"You do know why the people want us to marry as soon as possible right ?".

" For political security obviously"

"There's that I agree. But it's not the chief reason why".

" Why don't you enlighten me ", she disinterestedly offers.

" My brother and you both had been engaged for better part of 10 years and didn't get married.But there still was no reason for them to panic as both of you were doing well in your own respective duties and produced a convincing strong united front", I sarcastically commented lastly.

"But now that he's gone, they are no more satisfied with the idea of mere engagement or marriage as before. They want something stronger and more... convincing I might say. I consider you to be a very intelligent person so I hope you wouldn't need me to spell it out ".

"Don't patronise me,I'm not stupid",she angrily replies and deflates back to her seat with a dumbfounded look and looks at me surprised," You seriously can't mean what I'm thinking right?Tell me you're just being funny and pulling my leg".

" I'm sorry but I don't joke about my people's wishes and needs".

She starts to frantically shake her head," No hell no. No way is that happening, I don't believe that to be the only solution. There's got be another approach to this ".

"No there's not", and even if it were so I wasn't gonna say it,I thought to myself. Why would I kick myself in the feet when I'm so close to getting what I want.

Fuck no.

"Maybe you need me to spell it out for you to accept it faster",I suggest because I know she's very superstitious about somethings and voicing out a problem to turn it to reality is one of them with her.

Her eyes widens and only whispers a soft,"No" as if scared to voice her word louder.

I evilly grin like a happy lion who got his prey and loudly state," We need to produce a heir ".

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