Miss Poppy and the Beast

16. The Beast

It would be a lie if he said he didn't find her big brown eyes beautiful. They were indeed mesmerising and so enticing. But the moment those pretty sparkling eyes met his forest green one, the spark in them faded away and he did not like it.

She took a few steps back with her staggering feet and was about to run away from him, but he gripped her arms before she could do so. "Where do you think you are going? '', he asked her in britone. Those intensive forest eyes laid on her brown ones, with no intention to look away anytime soon, at least before getting an answer from her.

She gulped hard and he noticed it. He wanted to smirk but he controlled himself, not to lose his stoic face. It was hard to admit but he feels super satisfied whenever fear oozes out from her body in his presence. He has noticed how she shivers under his scrutinized gaze and he enjoys it a lot. It feels funny to him how she gets scared at his sudden presence around her, but acts as if she fears nothing, as if she was strong enough to face him.

"I..I was going inside", she stuttered a little and was trying to get out of his firm grip, was in vain. She wanted to run away and go back to Eugene as she felt safer around him. But she can't say the same thing for the person who was standing with his all glory in front of her. Every time he touches her, her whole body burns. It was the feeling she had never come across until he came into her life and she didn't like it.

She again tried to make herself free from his grip and relief from those unfamiliar burning sensation which she was experiencing, but it was not possible as the grip of his giant hands on her slender and fragile arms were too strong. She didn't have the stamina to fight him back physically.

Artemis studied her every move and action attentively before he said, "You have got some guts to show up here after what you did yesterday. I thought you were a woman of high values and so called morals But instead you turned out to be rather shameless".

She was dead drunk but she clearly understood his discourteous remarks. His mocking words felt like a sharp knife slashing her pride. He always spoke to her as if she was beneath contempt and this was the limit  'What does he think of himself? He cannot walk away on my self-respect every damn time', she thought in her mind. Fear was long gone and anger took place in her calm and composed mind.

She stared back into his eyes as if challenging him. "Excuse me? I am here because Eugene has invited me and it has nothing to do with you", she said with dripping confidence and it was true indeed. She would have never come to this goddamn place if Eugene had not requested her so earnestly.

Artemis was taken aback by her sudden change of behaviour. The way she was trembling just a moment ago, he thought she might give in and made her way out of the mansion without any further argument. But no, this woman had different plans. She was standing tall with her head held high as if she had the authority to talk back to him like that. She has had enough of his disrespect towards her.

'What does she think of herself? Did she forget that she is standing right inside my mansion? This insolent little human woman. She cannot disrespect me every single time', he thought in his mind while clenching his jaws . "I have the right to question because I owe this goddamn place", There was a mocking tone in his deep voice and his grip on her arms tightened more.

"Ah", Poppy winced as his hold got tighter. "You are hurting me.", she said in her painful voice. His grip was painful for her and she was sure that it would leave a mark on her arms.

"It was indeed meant for that.", Artemis said, flashing a smirk which he was hiding for a long time. "Now tell me. When I told him to stay away from Eugene, why are you still sticking with him like a leech?"

"I told you, it was Eugene who had invited me."

"So what? You could have turned him down"

"I consider him as a good friend of mine, so I couldn't say no to him even if I wanted to. But I guess there is no point to make you understand, I guess you don't know the meaning of friendship."