(Theme Song of the Chapter: Close - Nick Jonas Ft. Tove lo)

Sophie◆Cruz

I GAZED AT the fresh bowl of food in front of me, my tongue running over my teeth in anticipation. I watched as my grandmother skeptically picked up the spoon resting in the bowl and brought it to her mouth.

A smile hit my face as I watched her closely.

She chewed the food for a few moments before spitting it out.

Okay, smile gone.

"Prinsesa, ano ito?" (Filipino| Princess, what is this?)

"Lola, it's kare-kare! Just like you make it."

She looked up at me and raised a brow wiggling her finger in my face. "This is not how I make it."

My mouth dropped in offense before I quickly snatched the bowl away from her and dumped the food in the trash.

"It's that bad, huh?" I asked her.

She looked at me and let out an amused chuckle. "You'll never find a husband cooking like that."

"Lola!"

She got up from the stool next to my kitchen island and walked over to me, grabbing my hands lovingly.

"I'm joking," she teased. "You know with your stunning looks—which you got from me, by the way—you could get married tomorrow if you wanted."

I gave her a weary look before glancing down at my feet. "What if I don't want to get married?" I asked timidly.

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked at me as if my words were the greatest abomination known to man. I was 23 and had just begun my career. Marriage was the last thing on my mind at this point in my life.

"Sophie..." she scoffed. "Don't be crazy."

I shrugged, letting go of her hands, and walked into the living room of my apartment, feeling her eyes burning holes in the back of my head.

"Is this about Luke?" she asked, following me into the living room.

My head snapped to her, and I shook my head. "What? No!"

"Because you know, I really want grand-babies, and I would really hate it if Luke is the reason—"

"Lola!" I hollered, exasperated. "It's not Luke, okay? It's not anybody. It's just not on my mind right now."

She gave me a defeated look before waving me off. "I'm going to make something actually edible."

I hated it when she brought up my ex every time we discussed dating. But in her defense, finding my boyfriend at the time sleeping with my cousin would be the talk of any family gathering.

It was a year ago, and after one car and four slashed tires later, I was officially over it.

◆◆◆

"So how did the exercises go last week?" I asked the rugged looking man across from me, well not so rugged as he bored a fancy dress shirt and slacks that fit his body good.

He could easily be a male model signed to any top agency, if not for the bold, intricate tattoos that adorned his skin.

"Good." He said clipped, his dark eyes run across me quickly.

I squinted my eyes at him unsure. "You did do them, correct?"

He smirked. "Little mouse already doesn't trust me."

My eyes widened at that...nickname...he used to refer to me. First it was sweetheart and now it was little mouse, what was next?

"Don't call me that and when I assign you exercises, you must actually complete them." I said firmly not breaking eye contact with him. "Anyways—"

"Little mouse giving out orders now?" He questioned, but there is a change in his voice. His eyes were now more dark and serious as he glared at me from where he was.

I scoffed taken back. "We'll, is that not what you hired me for? I am the specialist here. I assign you what to do and you follow those orders."

His stare caused my voice to waver slightly, but I did my best to keep my posture straight and to not cower at the sight of the man with eyes that could kill.

He got up from where he sat on the bench and made long strides towards me. His eyes hold there gaze with mine and his poker face never cracked.

I felt myself slowly crippling under his stare, and when he was barely an inch away, his icy breath caused my posture to falter as I shook.

"I hired you to fix me..." He said so low, it was almost a growl.

My lips twitched as I developed the courage to speak up. "Yes, but in order to treat you, you have to follow my instructions, Mr. Accardi."

He dipped his head lower that our foreheads almost touched. "Aiden..." He corrected, his stare growing more intimidating.

I looked up at him and nodded my head slowly. "I'm sorry..."

"Say it," He commanded me, the grit in his voice causing the pit of my stomach to sink.

"W-What?"

"My name..." he barks. "Say it."

"Aiden..." I tried to say it coolly but it came out like almost a whimper.

I watched as he shut his eyes as his name left my mouth and hummed in approval his jaw clenching at whatever thought currently occupied his mind.

"So good, sweetheart."

There he went again with the nicknames, but this time instead of it irking me, his low voice and words caused my body to react as goosebumps formed on my skin.

My back was now pressed against the wall and our heavy breathing was in sync with one another as we basked in this intimate moment in silence.

"Your breath smells like cherries..." he said, observingly.

"Yours smells like weed." I retorted.

He gave a knowing smile.

"I bet that mouth can make me feel even better than weed..."

My breath hitched at his raw words. Our lips were dangerously close to one another and guilt tainted my mind. What in the world was happening? He was my patient.

I placed my hand on Aiden's chest firmly in an attempt to get him to move but his brown eyes continued to search mine intensely. There he went again searching. For what? I didn't know. But it seemed as though he found it because he removed himself away from me seconds later.

Taking deep breaths, I began to collect my stuff. We had 20 minutes left in our session but I was bewildered and could not stand to be in the man's presence for much longer.

"You runnin' from me now?" he questioned, his voice dripping with a dark, velvety tone.

"T-This was highly inappropriate. I could get fired." I stated putting my bag over my shoulder.

"We're alone..." Aiden muttered.

My eyes looked to him for a second and his handsome face studied me amusingly from the corner of the room. Those brown eyes always so calculating, it was almost as if this was a chess game to him and I was some sort of token chess piece.

"I think that may be the problem..." I said tersely approaching the door.

"Sophie..." he said firmly, the slight rasp in his voice melodic to me.

I turned my head around to face him with nervous eyes.

"I think you should find yourself a new physical therapist because I'm dropping you as my client," I said.

He didn't respond, but a flicker of something crossed his eyes.

I quickly turned on my heels and headed out the door, making my way outside the grand mansion as swiftly as possible. The sooner I was out of there, the better.

Aiden Accardi was no different from the other mysterious playboy socialites that polluted this town—he just wielded more power. I couldn't afford to risk everything because of his games.

He was a trap waiting to snap at the flesh of the nearest prey he could find.

And it wouldn't be me.

Cause I am not his mouse.

◆◆◆

It seems that Sophie has had enough. Let's see how long that lasts...Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will be posted next week on Thursday, and I've decided that Thursdays weekly will be when a new chapter for this book will be released. Please vote and comment. Thank you for reading, loves.

xoxo

-v

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