Watching the scene pass by, Sharon couldn't help the a growl from escaping her. Looking at Cameron from the side of her eyes, she grew angrier when he didn't react. Which surprised her. She had always been even-tempered. Sometimes to a fault. But for some reason, he pushed all her buttons.

Like this morning when he had practically dragged her out of bed. She had deliberately not set an alarm so that she would over sleep. But he wouldn't allow her. He had blared loud music all over the apartment, effectively waking her up. But she had been reluctant to get out of bed. Then he had barged into her room and tried to reason with her. Reminding her of their bargain. When that didn't work, he had grabbed her and deposited her in the bathroom, turning on the shower. She had been wet, clothes and all, and spitting mad. But she had also accepted that he wouldn't let this go. So she'd sullenly showered and dressed for the interview.

"You really need better clothes,"Cameron suddenly said, startling her. She looked down at her serviceable turquoise blouse, black blazer and pants. They were perfectly fine and professional. Albeit they were quite big on her and old, something that worried her now, but how would it even affect her interview?

Pissed that he had brought that up, she turned to him and smiled sweetly. "Well, I hope they are offended by my ugly clothes and this will be moot point."

"I'm not saying they're ugly. It's just so old. I can practically see where the color is fading on that blazer. And it's so masculine. What if your interviewer is someone who likes their woman more womanly? Not that I'd like for you to be harassed but I'm just saying that you're not playing up to all your assets."

"You're right. Maybe I should have worn my lowcut but perfectly professional midi dress and shake a little bit when I speak to him or her. It'll definitely get me the job,"she said, ending with gritted teeth. Her eyes were fixed on the windscreen; she was so angry with him for poking at all her insecurities. He was bringing them all up and practically destroying them. It didn't help that she had a bit of a crush on him.

"Yeah?"he said. She was surprised to hear a bit of heat in his voice. Looking at him, she saw him giving her a very hot once over, pausing at her chest and hips. It seemed the burn her, flattered her. It also flustered her. She hadn't been the subject of a man's appreciative gaze. Not since her last relationship. And she didn't want to remember what a disaster it was.

"Cameron, eyes on the road,"she snapped as she folded her arms. "This argument is ridiculous. This is the twenty-first century. I don't have to dress up for the interviewer. I have my qualifications and experience. If that is not enough or they hire based in looks, then I don't want to work for that organisation. It's a simple as that."

"I guess that's fair,"he said on sigh.

"Thanks."

"It's just I want you to have done your best for this interview. Well, we're here." He stopped in front of a tall building, practically a skyscraper. And it was definitely Scott's company building as the name "Garnet Corporation" was emblazoned on the front.

But she was not focused on that. She was touched by his words. Having believed he wanted her to go because of their bargain, she hadn't expected the level of care and concern he was expressing. It was more than just annoying her for the sake of annoying her. He truly wanted her to succeed. And that did something to her heart.

"Sharon, we're here."

Snapping out of her reverie, she felt her cheeks flushing. "Oh. Right. Well, thanks for sending me. I'll call you when I'm done." She unclasped her seatbelt and opened the door. Then she paused. Before she could overthink it, she turned to him and kissed his cheek. Her lips tingled from the feeling of his stubble. Face flaming, she hurriedly exited, closed the door and strode into the building.

She hoped her blush died down by the time she met the interviewer.

------@@@@-------

Sitting in a cafe in Garnet Corporation, Cameron couldn't help but touch the place where Sharon had kissed him. He could feel her lips, even now. It was soft and supple. The scent of her perfume, floral and feminine, lingered in his memory. He still had her lipstick stain on, reluctant to wipe it away.

A sudden noise, spoons clanking together, being brought out from the back made him return to the present. Realising he was staring into his coffee, he frowned and hurriedly finished his cup. He couldn't believe a woman was occupying so much of his mind. And it was just a simple peck on his cheek. He had done more with other woman and they had barely made a blip in his attention span. The way she was occupying his thoughts, it made him uneasy. And it had only taken two days of acquaintance. He needed to do something about it right away. Like leave and do as she expected.

So why are you still seated? a voice in his head asked, practically goading him. Making him look deeper into the reason he had parked his car and was currently waiting for Sharon. Even though he knew she believed he had only dropped her off before meeting his agent. Maybe he could pass it off as a way to make sure she kept her end of the bargain but he could never lie to himself. His cousin, Harry, wouldn't allow him.

The truth was he was worried for her. She had been so reluctant to come and looked so small when she'd entered. Something in him didn't want her to be alone when she'd left. He wanted to be there when she came out. That's why his seat gave him the perfect vantage of the reception and lobby.

And speak of the devil. He spotted her returning her visitor's pass. But she didn't look so happy. He had a feeling the interview hadn't gone well. Something in him wanted to go up and make it all better for her. Maybe toss the man around the room to make him see his point. But he was sure that wouldn't help.

Instead, rising to his feet, he followed Sharon as she made her way out. Just as she was about to reach the door, he laid his arm on her shoulders and steered her to the elevator that led to the carpark. Amusement briefly replaced his worry when he felt her jump slightly and it was then replaced with contentment when she moved where he directed It indicated a trust in him and he liked that. The brief glare she shot him reassured him that she wasn't too affected by her interview.

"So how did it go?"he asked while they waited for the elevator. He resisted the urge to rip off his beard and mustache, the disguise he'd donned when he'd decided to wait for her. He'd also put on a pair of spectacles that had a thick lens. There was no prescription but it tricked people into thinking he did and made them doubt when they recognised him; he had 20/20 vision, a fact that was widely reported in the news. He hated having to wear the disguises. It always itches and made him feel claustrophobic, like everything was closing in. Unfortunately, there was still a need since his agent, Matthew Colton, told him the hounds were sniffing around for him when he had called him earlier. Furthermore, he didn't mind the disguises when he was with Sharon.

"It was-" Her hesitation made him look at her closer. She seemed to be struggling for words. Then he saw a sheen of tears in her eyes. Apparently, she was affected by the interview.The elevator doors opened then and he guided her in. Luckily, there were no other occupants. Positioning her body so that she was facing him, he tried to lift her face up but she resisted, sharply turning her head away. That worried him and he didn't like that. He wanted to ignore this unfamiliar feeling but he couldn't. Some part of him would not allow him to brush this off like other women and their worries.

And that part of him was in charge when he asked, "What's wrong?" She didn't react. Instead, she was the first one who got out when the elevator stopped. But she had to pause since she didn't know where his car was. That gave him the opportunity to catch up with her and grasped her arm. "Sharon, why aren't you answering the question? There's two question now that you've tried to evade. Hey, you know you can talk to me."

When she remained silent, he gave up. It felt like pulling teeth. If she didn't want to talk, he wouldn't force her. Maddened and exasperated, he led her to his car and even slammed his door when he entered. That indicated his level of exasperation; his car, a Chevrolet Corvette, was his baby and he treated her with the care befitting a queen. Realising what he had done, he had to pause before he started the car.

"The interview was a bust,"Sharon said softly. Cameron's head swivelled to her, surprised that she would finally open up. He thought he was hearing things and was about to start the car when she continued. "At first, it was fine. The interviewer and I, we built a good rapport. I was killing it with my answers and, for once, I didn't stutter or had a brain fart moment. But once all the questions were asked and answered, he immediately offered me the position. When I asked what it was, he told me it was for some senior marketing executive role. I majored in accounting. I worked in accounting. I like accounting."

"He offered you the position because you're Scott's sister-in-law,"he said, filling in the blank. Even in the relative darkness of the his car, he could see the tears falling from her eyes and couldn't stop his hand from covering hers as they played with the strap of her bag. It lightened his mood slightly when she turned her hand over and twined their fingers

"Yeah." She turned to him, which made him squeeze her hand, but she still wouldn't look at him. But he didn't mind. He was encouraged, happy that she was opening up to him.

"I take it you didn't accept."

"Of course not. I told him why but he just brushed me off. Told me he'll keep the offer on the table for a few days. He sounded so condescending." It was heartening to hear the anger, the fury in her voice.

"He's a dick." A laugh escaped him when she sent him a reprimanding look. Then his eyes caught the tear tracks on her face. "So why were you crying?"

"I just don't know what to say to Amelia. She got me this interview and was really hoping I'd get it. She keeps talking about how good the company is. The benefits. The prestige. And now, I did get it but I threw it away-"

"Woah. You didn't throw it away. You came and found that it's not what you're looking for. There's nothing wrong with that,"he cut in and said. He truly disliked the tears that were flowing down her cheeks again. It bordered on hate. He wished he'd never asked the question but was surprised at how easy it was to soothe her. The words were flowing out of his mouth. With any other women, he'd be ignoring the tears or brusquely telling them to get over it. This need to comfort her was an interesting development.

"But Garnet Corporation is such a difficult company to even get into-"

"If you don't like the job, what's the point?" Her eyes finally connected with his and he was glad to see no more tears. Then she nodded decisively.

"You're right. An interview is also a way for me to see whether the job fits me as well. It's a two-way street. And I didn't really like the interviewer. He was a creep,"she said with a shudder. Her hand tightened reflexively on his. His attention sharpened on her words.

"What do you mean? Creep?"

"Nothing really. He was just a bit too touchy-feely for my comfort. And he smiled too much." He didn't like that. He was about to ask more when she sent him a shy smile. "Thanks for talking to me. I was in a really weird place after that parody of an interview."

"Aren't you going to kiss me again?"he teased, using humor to hide the unexpected shyness that had bloomed. Her sudden blush made him laugh.

"How was the meeting with your agent?"she asked, changing the subject. The smile lingered on his lips. He wanted to go back to the kiss but went along with the subject change.

"We're going there now,"he said, releasing her hand unwillingly and turned to the wheel.

"You waited for me?"she asked incredulously as she got herself belted up. He started the engine. She tapped his arm and then pointed to his seat belt. He liked that she cared about him to notice that small detail but acted annoyed when he pulled the belt across his chest.

"Yeah. I hope you don't have anything planned for the next few hours."