Far Side of the Dolunay

Coldhearted (2. Bölüm)

A/N: Nazlı's POV this time, she's also unable to separate the irritation from the sparks

The car was way too small. Considering the smooth, luxurious leather of the seats, the quiet purr of the - presumably very expensive - engine, they could have put more thought into designing the space. Why would a passenger want to be this close to the driver? Ridiculous. Nazlı forced herself to sit still and not fidget, lest she spark suspicions in the boor next to her and he started an interrogation.

'Nazlı, do you know, my amca's house is very big and fun, and he has a drum that was even bigger than me, but now I am bigger, and my amca sings very beautiful songs!' Bulut was bouncing in the back, thankfully filling the silence with his chirping.

'I understand you love your amca very much, Bulut,' Nazlı laughed, twisting around to see his bright little eyes gleaming from the darkness of the backseat.

'Yes, I love him a lot, and my dayı, I love them both the same, don't I, dayı?'

'Oh, thank you, I see you making an effort not to hurt my feelings, nephew!' Ferit teased, glancing in the rear view mirror.

'Tut, kids can't hurt grown ups,' Bulut corrected.

No, the grown ups are quite capable of doing that to each other, Nazlı thought. The innocence of a child... And yet Bulut was still more sensitive than the brute in the driver's seat. She could feel him glancing over at her now and then. Trying to figure out when she'd launch another 'trick' to get a ring on her finger? Ooff, the nerve of the man.

'Why, when you say 'coldhearted businessman' does it sound more like 'coldhearted killer'?'

'Because I don't think there are many differences. Both plan every detail, analyze all the risks, then try and execute everything perfectly.'

'I think with the right provocation anyone could be tempted to murder.'

How embarrassing! Drawing her into a stupid argument in front of the Kayas. She'd forgotten they were there for a moment, turned as she was fully towards Ferit Bey in their corner of the table, their eyes locked, the thrill of eliciting the irritation on his face making her whole body tense and alert.

Thrill?

Well, it was just satisfying to rile him up after how he'd behaved the other night. She had little actual memory of it, thank god, but the mere thought of him looking after her in her drunken stupor made her feel so... so exposed. Disturbed, on-edge that every time he looked at her he was remembering her stumbling around, drenching herself in the shower, lying in his bed, asleep in his sheets... He insisted on prolonging her discomfort by reminding her of what happened, yet when she reciprocated he showed no embarrassment at his own behaviour!

She'd attempted to surreptitiously adjust her scarf at the table, trying to cover up the skin tingling across her shoulders and collarbones. But, oh no, he couldn't even let her do that in peace, his eyes flicking over and zeroing in on the nervous movement, presumably recording it as more evidence of her guilt. The tingles intensified. Damn him. Childish or not, if his irritation was all her retaliation could provoke then she'd take it and she'd enjoy it, thank you very much.

The headlights of an oncoming car nearly blinded her, and Nazlı turned her head, squinting, and caught a snapshot of Ferit Bey's profile illuminated by the glare as he sat back in the seat, long arms and long legs and big hands casually in control as he glided the car through the city. It was infuriating, he really was exceptionally handsome: thick hair waving back from his forehead, dark eyes, straight nose, the open collar of his white shirt contrasting with his olive skin and the dark stubble that covered the sharp, clean lines of his jaw and framed a firm, full mouth...