The look on his face is expectant but he immediately swipes it away with a smirk. "Perhaps you have a name?" His deep voice cuts me from the dreamy trance I'm having and I'm taken back to this moment. Oh, right. A beautiful man is smirking in front of me. Jamie. The temperature on my cheeks feels like rising. I'm . . . Uhh . . . Ana. Ana Haltson. Should I tell him my real name? He doesn't know and I don't want to ruin his impression. There's no hardwork on me making friends but when my name's introduced, they would go shy on me, suddenly intimidated by me. Some would try using me as a way to have a spot in the industry. I hate that. I don't want that.
I'm the one intimidated by this man. I don't want it to be the other way around. But I don't have a choice, right?
No. I do. I can lie.
But I tell him anyway.
"Ana Haltson." As soon as the words slide off my lips, his grey eyes widen. There it is. I'm tired of them reacting like this. He must've known my father. Well, who doesn't? He just stares at me for a while. A single word not uttered by any of the two of us. I clear my throat. A pitiful try to save us from this awkward situation.
He might be scared for all I know of his malapropos action. He just kissed me without my permission. A child of a respected man.
"Haltson?" I nod feeling sick for seeing him like this. I want the funny side of him back. "You have got to be kidding me." He whispers, his voice raspy, dumbstruck. I fight a giggle from escaping. For some reason I find this amusing. Well, it won't hurt to see a bit of him in this state. He really looks stunned and in loss for words. "Bloody hell, I didn't . . . know. I apologize for my inappropriate action a while ago." I'm staring right at his grey orbs but it won't meet mine. He looks anywhere but me. "This is unacceptable! I just . . ." His words just end up to a frustrated sigh.
"You're the daughter of . . ." I cut him short. "I'm . . . Yes. Ana Haltson. John Haltson is my father. You don't need to apologize." He seems to be registering what I told him by the looks of it. His brows are furrowed. His tongue peeks between his lips briefly and I regret witnessing that because now I'm a hot mess. I want his lips. The ends of his mouth quirk up forming into a smile.
"Is it fine that I kissed you?" I nod a bit ashamed. "Well, I bet you're also in the industry like them?""Yes." He grins. "No wonder why you didn't budge when I kissed you. You're quite used to it." My jaw drops. What? How could he say that? Because of that, he earns a slap on the chest that sent him moving backwards although it's not too powerful. That should have been on his face for tauntering me but I don't want to leave a mark on that beautiful face of his. "That's not what I meant! I was fine with it because I got away from those evil paps!" I am almost yelling. This infuriating man!
"Hey, I'm just kidding." He takes a step back, both hands in the air, a gesture saying he meant no harm. Then he breaks into a shit-eating grin. I continue to glare at him. Who does he think he is?
"I'm glad that I helped. Altough I think I'm the one who should be thanking you." Crap.
There's that irksome blush again. If only there's a way to erase it.
How could he make me feel like this?
Shut it, Haltson.
Whatever it is that I'm feeling, it has to stop.
But I don't want it to stop.
I shake my head, smothering a smile from forming. I am not yet convinced that this is happening to me. He's flirting with me, isn't he? And I want something from him. Unconsciously biting my lip, I glance at him. The grin on his face is long gone replaced with a solemn expression. God, he's beautiful. And he's staring at me. My lips. Shit. Realizing my lower lip will bleed in no time due to the force exerted on it by my teeth, I release it. But his look doesn't leave me, in fact it intensifies, if that's even possible since his hot stare is accentuated on me. Me.
