Chapter 9

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Emily took in everything around her with the wonder of a kid. He couldn’t take his eyes off her face, the way she leaned to see the world outside through the car window, the way she gasped when she saw the engineering wonders and finally his office. He was surprised and felt his chest expanding with pride and love when he saw the emotions playing across her face. She looked like a kid at Christmas.

If Levin hadn’t called him early in the morning and warned him that her going to the city and all this was new for her and to take very good care of his sister, he wouldn’t have believed her happiness when she saw the bustling city life this close. He also remembered the part when her brother explained that she had a stalker in her past which prevented her parents from letting her out of their home. They had to take drastic steps to keep her safe and even went to the extent of homeschooling her.

Even though Levin didn’t elaborate further, he felt anger coursing through him at the thought of some sick bastard trying to hurt his Emily. Wait, what the hell was happening to him? His Emily? He almost groaned out loud with frustration. But the fact that she was stalked explains a lot about her behavior, she gets spooked easily by loud sounds and she doesn’t like strangers much. His mind once again replayed their first meeting, the day she almost broke the hands of a customer who tried to grab her and later when she told him what to do with the money he gave her as a tip.

He shook his head and concentrated on the present. He let his eyes travel all over her again. The dress fit her body nicely, providing a feast to any man’s eyes and the truth that other men too will look at her like he was doing at present, didn’t sit well with him. She was wearing knee length skirt and a white blouse which he brought for her, overruling her resistance. He explained to her that this was the formal way to dress when she entered his office and so on. Erik knew beyond any doubt that he was acting way out of his norm these days but he was helpless under the influence of his mind which seemed to take decisions on its own without any direct consultation with his brain. Even Luke started throwing looks and making comments about it which irritated him to no end.

He was the cold hearted Erick Winters for God’s sake; the whole world has already named him as cold, arrogant and a misogynist which was true to certain point. He hated women till he met Rebecca and now Emily, who came into his life as an unexpected guest and changed it beyond imagination. He shuddered thinking about what might have happened if he had never met these wonderful women, who turned his world upside down. He curled his fingers into a tight fist when his thoughts began to go back into his horrible past. He was so lost in his bitter recollection of the events which shaped him into a heartless bastard as others often called him; he was surprised when he felt someone touch his hands.

He was jerked back into reality with a jolt which went up his hand from the point of contact. He always felt so whenever his body came into contact with Emily’s. He turned his head and was surprised to find her looking at him with concern.

“Are you all right Mr. Winters?” Emily asked him with reluctance and he nodded his head. He kept looking at her palm covering his fisted hand and he relaxed it.

“I am fine Emily and please stop calling me Mr. Winters. Just call me Erik.”

“But Rebecca told me to call you Mr. Winters and I think that is the right thing to do. If I use your first  name, won’t it be unprofessional?”

”To hell with professionalism and all that shit. I told you to call me Erik and you are going to do that from now onwards. Do you understand?” He roared at her and saw her flinching away from him. The loss of contact left him all cold once again and suddenly he couldn’t bear it.

He felt guilty for lashing out at her and schooled his features. He closed his eyes briefly and took deep breaths to calm down. He then opened his eyes and began to talk softly.

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