His Desire(ON HOLD/EDITING)

Chapter Twenty-Two..

Chapter Twenty-Two...

2 months ago..

"When I was young, I use to sneak downstairs and raid my dads secret stash of Viennese Whirls, they were my guilty pleasure."

Noah let out a long laugh surprised at her sudden confession.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because I use to do the same." He smiled and she could see the joy in his eyes.

"You know, to say you are a CEO and run your own company, you are kind of a big kid behind closed doors." Anna noticed the pull of Noah's lips that formed a small smirk as he hid it with a spoon of ice cream.

The room filled with silence once again while Anna tapped the side of her glass feeling a little intimidated in what she was wearing Infront of her boss. She watched over him as he ate away at the tub of ice cream casually glancing at her every so often.

"I don't think I ever thanked you properly for letting me stay in your estate, it was very kind of you Mr Hart." Anna spoke, feeling like she had to say something to break the silence.
She had been thinking about his generosity all day.

"Out of hours, call me Noah, Annabelle. Also you don't need to thank me, when an employee is in need I provide, besides it suits your working hours." She smiled and Noah caught it in the reflection of the dim light from the window.

"Do you not feel lonely in this big house Noah?" Anna found her voice and asked the question that was stuck in her mind since she had found out that Noah lived alone.

"Not really." He interrupted her thoughts. "I work too much for me to feel lonely. Besides, I'm use to living independently, I hardly ever saw my parents whilst growing up." Anna could see the light fade in his eyes as he reminisced on his childhood. She leant against the cool, hard counter opposite after putting her glass on the side.

"Me too." She spoke quietly and saw his head lift in unison with hers.

"Rockstar for a father remember?" Anna laughed when she saw the confusion cross Noah's face. He stood to his towering height opposite her and breathed deeply.

"My father use to attend your fathers concerts, you know."

"Yes, Elliot enlightened me, what can I say, he was well known." Anna found herself smiling at her fathers huge fan base and how popular he really was before he passed away. She felt her hair fall over her face a quickly placed it behind her ears, a small blush forming on her Cheeks when she realised Noah was staring down at her with his beady eyes.

"Have any siblings?" Noah suddenly asked with curiosity laced in his tone.

"No, not that I know of." Anna replied hesitantly. "You?"

"None that I like." Noah laughed hoarsely and Anna watched him curiously, watching his features deepen.

The room fell silent for a moment, aside for the sound of Noah digging in to the ice cream beside him with a distant look on his face and Anna took the chance to really admire her boss.
Just as she was about to head back to her room on the other side of the estate Noah's voice startled her.

"Did you know who I was before you took on this job Annabelle?" He asked, his voice hoarse and low as he placed the ice cream back into the fridge avoiding her gaze on him.

"Honestly, no. It's a little embarrassing but I had to look you up."

"I'm sure you found some rather interesting stories about me." He laughed, the sound filling the room. He turned back to look at her, and she felt herself pulling down at her nightgown.

"None that would put me off applying for the job Noah, we all have a past we aren't particularly proud of." Anna found herself saying and was astonished at how she felt so comfortable talking to her new boss about herself.

He was watching her intently then, her reply racing around in his mind, he wanted to know more and found himself stepping closer towards her, the darkness around them kept him from seeing her cheeks blush.

"Is that so?"

"Not that I want to intervene in your past life, I just don't judge a book by its cover. Besides, you seem to be doing perfectly better than any other 25 year old." Anna found herself rambling and tried to hide her embarrassment with flipping her hair from her shoulders and taking a seat on the bar stool beside her.

"When I was 8 years old, I would sneak out of the house when my parents were home and hide in the garden for hours hoping someone would see my absence and come find me, they never did." Noah began, his voice low and emotionless and Anna frowned in curiosity but didn't utter a word as Noah spoke again.

"That was when I knew I had to be independent, my parents weren't like normal parents. They would be back for weekends but through the week I would be left at home isolated. I tried to blot the loneliness out with school and eventually college, that's how I got where I am today but the feeling of being isolated always stayed with me and fucked with my life."

Anna felt a lump form in her throat as she remembered the same scenario when she had been growing up and how it had turned her life upside down, she could relate to him but that only made her feel worse. She felt like she had to stay silent for him to open up to her, she wanted to know more.

She saw his silhouette move so he could sit opposite her, his shoulders slouching like he was admitting defeat.

"I feel like if I put my mind to my work that I can blot the feeling out but it's always there, lingering at the back of my mind. Have you ever felt that Annabelle?" He sounded desperate, like he needed to share this information with someone who understood, and Anna exactly did.

"Yes." She breathed and continued.

"At least you went on the right path to escape the feeling, I found myself in a hospital bed at 17 years old because of my bad discussions. I had no one to lead me in the right direction and when my father past, my life seemed to take a turn and that's how I ended up with dead end jobs and small apartments. At least you came out on top. You are luckier than some." Anna found herself clenching her fists as angry tears feared to escape.

She could hear Noah sigh as his shoulders rose and fell in unison, he didn't speak a word for what felt like hours until she heard him again.

"Just because I chose the right path, doesn't mean I'm not like any other person who feels isolated. You can come from different backgrounds and still find similarities. Annabelle, you and I are alike, we both build walls up to protect our emotions yet we would do anything to let someone in, its what we have grown up with and what we will have to deal with for the rest of our lives." She heard him stand, as the bar stool scraped under him.

"Isolation is a terrible thing, no one should have to go through it but you have to surround yourself with people you care and trust to overcome it, that's what I've began to do." He walked slowly past her until he edged closer towards the opening of the kitchen. Turning his head slightly when Anna spoke.

"I hope to do the same Mr Hart. I just need time."

She saw his eyes widen for a second as he stood in silence before he turned back towards the opening muttering something under his breath that he thought Anna hadn't caught on but she had heard it like he had shouted it from the rooftops.

"Then time is what you will get."

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