The CEO's Proposal || PAUSED

chapter eighteen || 18

"Cazzo, Rivera! Turn that damn phone off!"

Vittorio is currently in his small gym and obviously 'distracted' by my phone ringing.

My phone.

Where the fuck did I put that thing?

I stand up from under the bed just to see that it was sitting on my pillow the whole time.

Stupid me.

It keeps ringing and I quickly grab it and belly flop on the bed, so that my stomach is faced down. I answer the call after seeing who it was.

"What's up my favourite sister?"

"I'm your only relative, genius." She says.

"Yeah exactly, Emilia. Anyways, what you calling me for?" I ask, curious what she wants now.

Unfortunately, Emilia is my sister. Now, she may actually be my cousin but I treat her exactly like any real sister should, especially when it was just her after her dad, my uncle, died. She gets on my fucking nerves all the time, but I love her to bits. Even though she's sixteen, she acts like she's twelve.

Mum sent her to boarding school as soon as her high school started because she didn't want her to live in the conditions we were living in. Of course, she tried putting me in boarding school too but I refused it because I wanted to stay and help her.

"Oh right. Basically, our school had some sort of gas leakage in one of their pipes in the bathrooms on the boys floor so they sent everyone home until it's fixed. All my stuff is with me in my suitcase as well. Come and get me." She sighs.

I raise my eyebrows. "Seriously? You mean the school that's like a three hour drive from here?"

"Yes?" She questions sarcastically, as if picking her up casually is such an easy thing to do.

"Whatever. I'll figure it out. I guess I'll just borrow my friend's car to come and get you then. Where are you right now?" I ask, sitting on the edge of my bed and putting my trainers on.

I hear her sigh loudly into the phone. "The teachers moved all the students to this hall that's not close to where the gas leak was so all the kids are waiting here. I'll text you the exact address because you can't really see it from the actual school."

"Alright, cool. See you then." I say, then end the call.

Just as I was about to move my things to stand up, Vittorio appears in my doorway. Leaning on the frame.

With a towel around his neck.

No shirt.

Just shorts.

And a full display of his many tattoos.

And abs.

And his wet hair, droplets of water leaving a trail down his neck and some falling on his chest.

Am I staring too long?

Oh god, I don't know what's wrong with me.

He smirks, "You done staring, love?" He asks teasingly.

I roll my eyes. "I am actually. Unfortunately there's nothing good to stare at though." I sigh dramatically and lean my arms back on the bed still looking at him.

"Who was on the phone?" He asks curiously, ignoring my last remark.

I raise one brow. "What's it to you?"

He squints his eyes and tilts his head. "Nothing, but why so secretive?"

"Because I don't owe anything to you, love." I mock.

Now it's his turn to roll his eyes. "I was asking because I just got a call from my brother. I need to go pick him up from his school because of a gas lea-"

I sit up straight. "-Leakage?" I finish.

He nods his head. "I knew you had a cousin, just didn't know how old she was. But now I'm guessing they're both the same age." He says.

"Yeah. I guess so." I trail off.

"So, how are you going to go pick her up?" Vittorio questions.

I sigh. "My car, obviously."

He rolls his eyes. "You can't go alone. I'll take you since I have to go as well. Camilo can stay with Rayne." He finalises.

I shake my head. "You can't make that decision for me."

"Do you want to die?" He asks.

I huff, "I don't even know what I'm supposed to be protected from because your stubborn self won't even tell me!"

"It's for your own good. Now it's your turn to stop being stubborn and come with me." He replies.

"Whatever." I say.

I move my gaze so that I'm no longer looking at him, but at my feet instead simply day dreaming.

I hear some shuffling and see Vittorio coming closer to me. My brows furrowed, he doesn't stop until he's directly standing right in front of me with his legs briefly touching mine.

His hands in his pockets, and his watch sitting perfectly on his wrist along with one silver ring he wore on the middle finger.

He takes one hand out of his pocket and reaches for a strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear. He then rests it on the side of my neck.

Heat crawls up my body, his touches affecting me in more ways than I physically thought was possible.

I don't say anything, in case I open my mouth and blabber about shit I didn't even know that I actually knew.

What the fuck is happening?

My breaths get heavy.

"Tell me something, Rivera. Does me touching you affect you?" He asks, titling his head to the side bringing it slightly closer so that he's leaning down to my height.

I look straight into his eyes. "No. It doesn't."

He lifts a corner of his lips up as a half smile and puts two fingers on my neck. "Really? Your pulse is telling me completely different."

His lips are a mere five centimetres away from mine.

I can't stop staring at them. He runs his tongue along the bottom of his lip.

I chew on the side of mine.

He moves his hand to release it from my grip as his thumb touches my lip, but then the doorbell rings.

He backs away, allowing me to breathe with the very little oxygen that I had left.

I scurry past him and quickly open the door thinking it's Camilo.

"Great timing Cam- Who the fuck are you?"

"Oh shit." I hear from behind me.

I'm so confused.

____________________________

A U T H O R   N O T E

Finally another update, wow!!

Sorry it's a short chapter lol, couldn't think of anything else to write for this.

If you guys forgot, they have mentioned before that they had siblings and Vittorio's brother did have an appearance in the beginning chapters.

What's gonna happen next?

See you later,

Rue :)