I was sipping a glass of orange juice when I spotted Asher walking up to me, and I smiled. Jordan has since left me to pursue Linda.

"Hey, Candy right?" , he asked and I nodded, glad that he remembered my name. "I am so glad to see you here. I thought I would be bored, but now I feel more interested."

I am happy that he thinks that me being here will make the event more interesting. He moves closer and just as I'm about to ask him to take a seat, someone slips into the seat beside me and I find myself facing Xavier, who isn't looking at me, but is glaring at Asher, who senses the tension and walks away, but not without sending me a wink, which obviously annoys Xavier because he starts to grind his teeth furiously.

"Calm down Mr Reyes" , I soothed.

Finally, Xavier turned to look at me and I saw his mouth go wide.

"Candy... Miss Greene... you look... I mean the dress is... beautiful, you look ...really nice."

Wow, Xavier at a loss for words. This feels like the impossible just became possible.

"Thank you, Mr Reyes, you look quite good yourself".
I am lying of course. He doesn't look 'quite good', he looks gorgeous and sexy, in a dark blue suit with no tie and his top button slightly undone

There is an uncomfortable silence between us, and I'm about to break it, but he speaks first.

"Look I am really sorry about the way that I've acted lately. I shouldn't have yelled at you and my actions were quite barbaric and irrational. There is just something about you that makes me act irrational."

I practically held my breath. Was this a love confession? I was going to ask him what he meant when a voice interrupted me from behind.

"I'm so sorry, but Mr Reyes has a speech to make now.", a man behind Xavier said. He whisked Xavier off to the front of the giant hall as everyone took their seats at the dinner table. I made my way to my designated position and, surprise surprise, I found out that my seatmate was Asher. Jordan and Linda were put together on the other side of the table, and Xavier would be at the head of the table.

I tried to pay attention to Xavier's speech, but Asher was being so distracting, telling me funny anecdotes about Xavier as a child, and about how he had spent his college years. Asher was just so adorable and hilarious, and he seemed to take a lot of interest in me, which I found flattering. I barely noticed when Xavier finished his speech because that was when Asher told me the lamest joke ever.

"Why can't a nose be twelve inches long?" , he asked, with a most serious expression on his face.

"I don't know. Why can't a nose be twelve inches long?", I asked.

"Because it would be a foot", he smiled proudly, and I just had to laugh out loud, causing everyone to stare at us, and Xavier to look up from the really pretty blond girl who was sitting at his right and trying to get his attention. He glared at me I could see just how angry he was. For some reason, he was not comfortable with me being around his brother and I decided to try my hardest not to provoke him, even though I genuinely liked Asher – as a friend of course.

Soon, the servers brought in the food which was good because I was famished. There was also a lot of champagne and alcohol, but I didnt take any – my parents would be sure to smell my breath when I got home anyway.

The meal was awesome, but I was distracted by every female in the vicinity trying to flirt with Xavier which was really getting on my nerves. Though Xavier was cold and distant to all of them, it only seemed to encourage them to keep trying rather than deter them.

Get away from my man, I thought angrily, ignoring the voice in my head which was saying that Xavier wasn't my man either.

As desert was brought in, Asher looked up from his phone.

"Hey, Candy, I want to ask you something really important."

"Sure ", I said, looking surprised. "What  is it?"

"Well, my parents will be throwing me a party in a few weeks, because it will be my birthday, and I would like it if a very special girl would attend."

Oh? I wonder why he's asking me? Maybe he wants me to help him to talk to the girl.

"Sure, what's her name, I'll help you to ask her", I said.

Asher laughed. "The  girl is you, Candy"

I blushed as realization dawned on me, and I laughed, a bit self-consciously.

"So will you come?" , he asked hopefully.

I open my mouth to reply, when suddenly, everyone is standing and talking with each other. Xavier gets up from the head of the table and strides over to where Xavier and I are seated.

"I think I would like my personal assistant back, Asher. I have some business deals to make.", Xavier is already gripping my hand.

"Hey  dude, rude much. We were in a conversation, and courtesy demands that you let us finish what we started." Turning back to me, Asher said, "so  will you come to my birthday party, Candy?"

"No ", Xavier said, at the same time that I said, "Yes"

I glared at him, then smiled at Asher, "I will be there"

And with that, Xavier dragged me off, to a dark corner in the hall.

"What is your problem" , I hissed at him angrily.

"What  do you mean 'what's my problem?'" , he glared back. "You  came to this party to assist me in business deals, not to flirt with my brother and biggest business rival."

"Oh  please, you weren't making any business deals. You were flirting with blondes the whole time."

"I  wasn't flirting", he said, his cold expression growing frostier. "Don't try to change the subject. Why did you agree to go to a party with my brother when you hardly know him?"

"I agreed  to go to a party with you even though I hardly know you", I retorted.

Xavier stared at me in silence, and it was all I could do to not break eye contact.

"You hardly know me?" , he finally asked calmly, his face getting closer to mine.

I was about to respond that there was no way I could no him when he was so distant and confusing, but his lips were suddenly colliding with mine. He lifted his hand to cup my face, and his other hand went to the small of my back. I knew that I should pull away, but everything seemed to be going in slow motion.

When we finally pulled apart, Xavier stared at me, hot intensity darkening his eyes.

"Do you feel like you hardly know me now?", his eyes searched mine, almost eagerly.

I felt like I had been smacked. That kiss was just to prove a point – and he had probably proved that point to several women using the same method. I wasn't special. This was all routine to him.

I pushed him away angrily.

"If you're kissing me to prove a point for your own selfish reasons, then get lost.", I said, trying to prevent angry tears from falling down my cheeks. "You keep acting hot then cold – you kiss me then you avoid me for days; am I just a joke to you. Just leave me alone."

"Candy... I", he tried to reach for me, but I had already started walking towards the door, and once outside, I hailed a taxi and climbed in. Xavier hadn't even bothered following me out, which just confirmed my suspicion – I was just a plaything that he would dump when he got bored.

In the backseat of the cab, I texted Jordan.

Candy: Sorry I had to rush off. Wasn't feeling so well.

In a few minutes, I had a reply

Jordan: Are you ok? Do I need to kill anyone?

I smiled through my tears as I typed out a reply

Candy: I'll tell you tomorrow

With that, I switched off my phone and let the tears fall freely.

***

The time was 11:43 when I heard a tapping sound on my window. I wasn't asleep – in fact I was wide awake.

The tapping sound came again. Was Jordan so worried about me that he decided to check up on me in the night?

I creep to my window and open it, and suddenly a warm body pushes past me and lands on my room floor. Did I mention that the warm body reeks of alcohol?

"Who are you? what do you want?"

"You really don't know who I am? Maybe you really don't know anything about me."

"Xavier?", I ask incredulously. "What  are you doing here? Are you drunk?"

"I  am here to tell you that I am sorry, and yes, I am in fact, drunk."

I am shocked by how calm he is, even though he is drunk. How can he have driven over here and climbed up to my window when he's so intoxicated.

"Why should I believe that you're sorry?" , I question, suspiciously. Especially now that you've gotten what you wanted from me, I want to ask.

"Because I messed up badly, and I want you to know that I had no intention to play you and ditch you. I may have done it before, but with you it's different. I feel like you have something that I have to learn. Something I want that only you can give", he replies simply.

"So  what do you want" , I said, looking into his deep green eyes.

"I thought it was obvious. I want you, and I'm going to get you."

"And  what makes you think you'll get me" , I said sarcastically.

He looked at me with an amused smile, "Haven't you been paying attention Candy? I always get what I want."

I looked at him, and decided that it must be the alcohol talking. Xavier Reyes saying that he wanted me? I rolled my eyes.

Xavier climbed onto my bed, and got under the covers.

"What are you doing" , I asked.

"I'm getting ready to go to sleep, and I advise you to do the same. We have a busy day tomorrow."

"You  can't sleep here with me", I states, firmly crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm a billionaire, I can do anything. However, if you want to sleep on the floor, you are free to do so."

"I  am not sleeping on the floor."

"Good , I wouldn't have felt comfortable if you did. Get in bed. I promise not to take advantage of you."

I still don't move, and he sighs. "Suit  yourself. Your bed is very comfortable."

He turns on his side, and within minutes, he is fast asleep.

I groan in annoyance. I do need to sleep. I don't know what he means though, when we say that we have a busy day tomorrow. Resignedly, I get into bed, careful not to touch him, and within minutes, I am asleep.

When I wake up in the morning, my bed is empty, and I am left to wonder if my memories of my midnight visitor were nothing more than a pleasant dream