Dangerous Silence

Chapter 13

I'm so sorry, the chapter had been deleted halfway and I had to republish it.., please read it again along with the author's note, will you?

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The cold and intense gaze of my employer weighed down on me heavily until I was no longer able to avoid it. Giving me a genuinely apologetic look and a nod of acknowledgement, Karim turned to Mr. Ambrose.

"Sahib, I'll wait outside."

Without even sparing him a glance, Mr. Ambrose gave an imperceptible nod and Karim disappeared in two swift steps, shutting the battered door silently behind him.

A moment of silence ensued. Then:

"Mr. Linton."

My head shot up faster than his employees running when he gave them a day off, because, I think I had just heard his voice tremble. Just a little bit, almost undetectable, but still...

Come on Lilly, that's not even possible...

However when my gaze met his, even though his face remained stoic and expressionless, a storm so dangerous and intense and full of emotions was swirling in them, that I believed that it was possible. When something like that storm occured, nothing remained impossible anymore.

I gulped down the lump in my throat and gave him a small smile.

"Yes sir, reporting for duty sir." My voice turned out much smaller than it should have been, as he pinned me in my place with merely his eyes, raking me from top to bottom, taking in my appearance, which was when I realized just exactly how much like a homeless tramp I must be looking.

Who am I kidding, with my disheveled clothes and soot, sweat and grime all over me, a tramp would look more civilised than me. And to add to it, aching muscles and my worn out self didn't exactly make me feel any better about it.

Giving a small sigh, I started wiping my face with my non-bloody hand and on my sleeve when a pair of very familiar arms crushed me to his chest and I leaned into his touch willingly, allowing his smell of too much money, and...rainwater? Why was he wet?

It is raining outside, you moron!

Oh, right.

However all thoughts of rainwater and wet clothes left my mind when his lips covered mine in a searing, desperate kiss, moving in a frenzy and clashing like waves in a storm, devouring and dissolving in each other until they were inseperable. His grip on my waist tightened as his hands explored me like he was making sure that I was truly there, in front of him and not an illusion, and his hands cupped my face, his thumbs wiping away the soot and fingering my closed eyelids. I simply held him close and gave up myself to the kiss, letting the waves of emotions wash over me as I kissed him back with all I had.

When I had to pull back because the dizziness was starting to return, this time due to the lack of oxygen, he tilted my chin and leant his forehead against mine as I took in ragged breaths of air, the dizziness fading with every breath.

Finally when I could stand alright on my legs without leaning on him, I pulled away, but his firm grip kept me in my place, holding me tighter than iron shackles.

"You are thirteen hours and forty one minutes late for duty, Mr. Linton." He whispered almost inaudibly and I smiled. Had he really been counting the minutes since I was gone? But thirteen hours? No wonder I felt asleep on my feet.

"Will you be deducting this money for the leave and search from my account?" I whispered back, my eyes still closed, as I enjoyed the feeling of his hands caressing my face.