Must Date The Chef

|| 14.

The drive back is silent except for the sound of me giving Paul directions to my place. I am yet to recover from our kiss and a new wave of guilt hits me when I bring out the ringing phone from my bag. Chi is calling.

"Won't you pick your call?" Paul asks after the second ring. His calmness somewhat irritates me; he makes it seem like kissing best friends is something he does regularly.

Shaking my head, I put the phone on silent mode and back into my bag. I can speak to her tomorrow. Paul's phone rings almost immediately and I can already guess who the caller is. He picks and sends furtive glances my way, intensifying my guilt.

"Okay," he says into the phone and ends the call. "Chi has been trying to reach you."

"I know," I murmur, "I don't want to speak to her now." Not after kissing her man.

We can talk tomorrow, she can start hating me after today but for now, I don't want to think about it. I don't want to talk to her.

Paul steers the car into the corner I ask him to, his hand hovers briefly above my leg as if he is unsure of touching me. I wrap my arms around myself, tilt my head until it is resting on the window. The streets are empty, the darkness is punctuated by some of the functional street lights and I make a point of counting them under my breath.

"Are you okay? You have been so quiet."

Silence meets his question, I blink without looking in his direction. I am far from okay.

"This is it," I say after he drives in through my estate gate and stops in front of my house without another word to me. I hate the silence but it's my only accomplice.

My shoulder sags at the sight of my white bungalow. Home. Now I can get away from him to think, to clear my mind and figure out an explanation to offer Chi tomorrow. The thought alone makes me shiver, I tug on my pendant and click my tongue.

Paul's hand trails to my thigh just as I open the door. "Pauline. What's the rush?" Cold air rushes into the car, I shut the door and Paul continues, "Is everything okay? Did something happen with you and Chi?"

"This was a mistake," I whisper and his arm drops from my lap so fast I am afraid I hurt his feelings with my words. But I go on to say, "I don't want to lose my friendship with Chi because of you. We can't do this again."

"Pauline, look at me." His voice is so soft but I don't want to hear him speak. He doesn't have to say much to convince me, I lose my sense of reasoning around him. I like him, a little too much but I can't have or kiss him again. I have to respect the girl's code.

"No. I love Chi, she's like a sister to me, I don't want to hurt her feelings by doing this with you. We can't do this again. Please."

Paul leans to my side, offers me his hand which I accept without hesitations and in a few seconds, I am straddling him. He trails a line along my temple and flashes me a smile that has me smiling back at him. I want to resist his charm, leave the car but I don't and when his arm circles my waist, I let out a small sigh. He has me whipped.

His lips press against mine in a smouldering kiss and I am rendered into a hot, moaning mess in his arms. I melt against him as he peppers kisses along my neck, my hands find their way under his shirt, touching and feeling his abs. I feel his bulge under me and grind against it until a car blares its horn.

We jump apart and I throw my hands up in frustration, this is what I mean. I can't be in the same space with him alone. As if he knows I am about to condemn our kiss, Paul places a finger against my lip to silence me. His other hand works the zip at the front of my gown and my breasts spill out. When his teeth graze one of my taut nipples, I hiss and throw my head back. This is bliss and I want more.