Third Person's POV

Scarlett wasn't exactly sure why she agreed to go to this gala with Calix, especially since all four of the people she was currently avoiding were in attendance to the event, but other than that she was looking forward to it. She had got dressed in an elegant silk dress that draped perfectly around her form, accentuating her best features. The dress was almost an exact match to the colour of her eyes and made them seem even brighter than normal. Scarlett had also spent the better part of an hour figuring out exactly how to do her hair, pinning it in a low, extremely complicated bun with more bobby pins than she thought possible, but she was proud of how her appearance turned out.

Now she was waiting around for the clock to hit six. She knew Calix would arrive right on the dot, not a minute earlier or later than the agreed time. Scarlett watched the clock wondering if the last minute would ever finish, but when it did a soft knock rang through her apartment like she knew it would. Slowly, she moved towards the door, opening it revealing the man she had been waiting for.

Calix Radcliff knew how to clean himself up, although Scarlett saw him almost every day in a suit, he looked a lot more polished than his daily attire. He wore a three-piece suit, black slacks, blazer and waistcoat, which covered an almost hidden white shirt. Instead of one of his unusual tie's in its place, sat a perfectly straight black bow-tie. Calix's hair had been gelled back and his usual rings and watch sat in their place.

"You look magnificent, Scarlett." The sincerity in his voice made Scarlett's cheeks flush. She attempts to look down, so he doesn't spot it, but his hand grasping her chin stops her and instead forces her to look at him. "These are for you."

It was only then did Scarlett notice the massive bouquet of red roses in his hand. She knew how expensive flowers were after often buying them for her office and home, but seeing the quality and size, she knew this bouquet would have cost him a small fortune.

"You didn't have to, but they're beautiful." With her heels she was almost level with his cheek, so she leaned up a little more, pressing a soft hiss to it. "Thank you Calix."

"Anything for you, Angel." He smiled, loving her reaction. If it always garnered the same reaction he might find himself spending more time at the flower shop not far from his office. He led her to the elevator, pressing the button for the garage.

"You keep saying and doing stuff like this,, and I'm going to fall in love with you." She warns him, all Calix felt at the threat was a warmth spreading through his chest.

That wouldn't be so bad.

The pair walk hand in hand to the waiting car where Calix opens the door for Scarlett, moving around to slide into the seat next to her, telling his chauffeur for the night to go.

"What's wrong?" Calix asks carefully, seeing Scarlett pick at her fingers subconsciously, a nervous tic she had that he had picked up on. Scarlett shakes her head but doesn't say anything. Calix realised she wasn't going to say anything about the subject,, so he never pressed.

Scarlett knew they were at a point in the relationship where she couldn't outright lie to him, not that she wanted to. She had demanded the truth from him from their first meeting. She could at least tell him a portion of the truth, besides, she knew how lies came to bite you in the ass better than anyone.

"So you know those siblings I might have mentioned a time or two."

"The ones that have made you cry." Scarlett could only give a singular nod.

"Yes, well some, or all, of them might work for you." Scarlett cringed when she saw the fury flashing across his face, but then a warm feeling bubbled in her chest, seeing how protective he was.

"You're saying the people that have hurt you worked for me, and you didn't say anything."

"Because you would have done something rash, like fire them."

"Damn right, I would." Scarlett slid across the back seat, so she sat flush against Calix. "They don't have the surname Vanderburg because I would have noticed."

"No they don't, and I'm not going to let you fire them, that stoops too low even for me." Scarlett answers, shooting him a smirk. "I prefer phycological torture, like the one where I walk right through the office they have worked in for years and spend time with their boss, even though that's only an added bonus though."

"Oh." Calix murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and tilting her, so she could see his full face. "And what's the first reward?"

"The delicious food you seem to stuff into me." Scarlett answers confidently, and a genuine smile starts to lift onto Calix' face. "And I get to ogle the handsome man that looks breathtaking sitting at his desk."

"Well, I happen to love watching the most gorgeous blonde woman when I think she's not watching."

"That sounds slightly stalker ish." Scarlett teases leaning her face closer to Calix which he follows suit, just not enough to make their lips touch just yet.

"Maybe just a little." Calix admits and the second before their lips were about to touch the car stops and their driver arrived. Scarlett scoots back to her weather, cheeks flushing bright red as she tries to re-catch her breath.

Calix gives her half a minute of space while he rounds the car to open the door for her. If the cameras were flashing when Calix stepped out the number felt like it doubled when he opened the door for someone, after all this was the first time since becoming CEO a decade ago that Calix had brought a date. It was a monumental moment.

Calix held his hand on the small of Scarlett's back leading her through the sea of paparazzi and people, making sure she was just in front of him, close enough so that the front of his body touched her back. The two posed for the cameras like they had practised together, but in reality it came naturally for them. They had training to do it when they came to events separately, but together they looked wondrous.

The two could finally breathe once they hit the inside of the building, the door closed behind them blocking out all the chaos they had just left behind, leaving only the distant sound of music coming from the ballroom where the vent was being held.

Scarlett had linked her arms with Calix as the two walked with their heads up, radiating power even though they couldn't be seen to anyone at the specific moment. Calix paused slightly before they reached the top of the staircase, still out of sight of any eyes. "I know we didn't finish the conversation about your siblings earlier, but at any point in the evening you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable, let me know, and we'll be out of her in minutes."

Scarlett gives Calix a genuine smile, meeting his concerned face that only displayed honesty. She was once again shocked by the thoughtfulness he displayed time and time again. She leaned up, even though she was wearing heels, and pressed another kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you Calix." She stared up at him, her pale grey eyes looking almost sliver in the light, matching the colour of her dress. "Now, we've got an extremely dramatic entrance to make, don't we?"

That got a laugh out of Calix. "Heck yeah, we do."

♦

"Introducing our CEO, Mr Calix Radcliff and his beautiful date for the evening, Miss Scarlett Vanderburg." The announcer's voice rings out and immediately everyone's head turns to face the top of the staircase where two people stood. Everyone was eager to see who their boss brought for the first time.

"Are they always together or something nowadays?" Kaitlyn murmurs under her breath seeing her little sister strut down the stairs, radiating power, her boss matching her energy. Not even a speck of anxiousness from either of them could be detected.

"Apparently they're neighbours." Jess, Calix's personal assistant, gossips. Having met the blonde lawyer a couple of times, mainly at the office, but also at her boss's flat when delivering or picking up things for him. "I've stopped having to deliver breakfast and dinner as many times a week because the two of them eat together, instead I'm dropping off groceries. Radcliff has cooked more in the few weeks in his new apartment than I've seen him doing in the two years I've worked for him."

"He could just be taking up a new hobby." Hadlee points out, but Jess shakes her head.

"No, she's vegetarian and that man loves his steak, but every single time he's made it a point to tell me to double-check there is no meat in all products, and if he finds anything I can kiss my job goodbye."

The four Lawson siblings knew she was telling the truth, Scarlett was vegetarian, so what she was saying added up.

"Where did he move too?" Tristan asks.

"The Whitely." Jess answered, but hers and everyone else's attention was on their boss and his date. Calix was leading her through the ballroom to the bigger table with the higher ups in the company. Silas Rothwell greets the pair along with his date for the evening, the group lost in their own world.

The couple still had hundreds of eyes burning into them as they went up to the dance floor. Especially a pair of forest green ones.

♦

Calix smiled at the sight before him, Scarlett was giggling in his arms as he twirled her quickly around the dance floor. He continued this for a few more minutes before slowing down to a soft sway, allowing her to catch her breath. She looked up at him, cheeks red, hair now tousled and her eyes shining brighter than diamonds.

He had never ever caught a glimpse of anyone as gorgeous as she was in his twenty-six years of living.

He kept her hands on her hips, swaying the two of them to the beat.

"You know nothing can happen between us right now?" Scarlett asked, looking up to catch his reaction. She was nervous to have this conversation, but she knew it was an imperative one they needed to have. "Not until your case ends, otherwise I won't be able to represent you. I don't mind if you find someone else, I won't be offended if you do."

"Angel." Calix didn't say anything more, but it did its job and coaxed her to look up at him from where her head had dropped to their feet. "I have gone twenty-five years without even looking at another woman, like I am ever going to let the most selfless, breathtaking, and astounding woman ever go. I don't mind waiting a couple of months, Scarlett. But once it's over, would you let me take you on a proper date?"

"I think I would really like that."

"Then it's a date?"

"It's a date."