….
Friday, September 7, 2017, 6:30 pm
Hato Enterprise
….
‘Okay’
Amia seethed as that four-letter word rolled about in her mind.
'Okay.'
Did he know that this meant they were going on a double date together? She glanced up from her keyboard at the pair across the room. Sara was twirling a lock of bright pink hair around a pen, her eyes steadfast on her tablet. Sylas was simply typing away, his brow furrowed in concentration. No one seemed to care about the elephant that resided with them in the room. Or maybe she was just making a mountain out of a molehill.
She had been the one to ask Sara for help with this godforsaken double date. She should have pressed Ellie to join her but the woman had sworn off men for the year. Iris would have been the next best pick but it had never occurred to ask her. At least not until this very moment.
Amia bit her bottom lip as she rose from her desk. She couldn't sit there a moment longer. She'd surely say something she regretted if she stayed. It wasn't like her office mates cared. Neither one of them looked up as she left. Mindlessly she made her way to the company break room. At least there she could make herself a cup of tea. That would take up ten minutes of time. Ten minutes of Sylas free air.
The break room was empty when she arrived. Most of their employees were enjoying a team dinner outside the office with their department heads on Fridays. She almost wished that she could join them but thought better of it. All of her previous run-ins with casual corporate gatherings resulted in stilted conversations and embarrassing incidents. It was best for her to stay here.
With a long sigh, she filled the electric kettle and set it to the side to warm. She then opened a cabinet to find it well stocked with every flavor of tea and coffee imaginable. A small perk that her father didn't implement out of the kindness of his heart. No, the more supplies he had in the office the less employees left for breaks. Catered lunches, fully stocked breakrooms. It all served a purpose.
She wondered then what purpose she served. Despite Ezra's praise and coaching, she found it hard to believe her father suddenly found her useful. After years of being made to do little more than observe him from a corner, she was now being made to liaison with business partners. He expected her to work with the son of a long-time rival. Why?
"What do you really want from me father?"
Was her only use to entertain the interest of George Sabaku? The thought made a chill run down her spine so she shook it aside. Her father was many things but he would not sell her off like his prized cow. The electric kettle clicked off, notifying her that the water was hot just as the door to the breakroom opened. She turned to greet the interloper but was only met with the current bane of her existence. Sylas didn't appear too happy to see her either.
'At least the feeling is mutual.' she thought and proceeded to make her tea.
Two scoops of sugar and one large squirt of honey were added to her cup of earl grey. She swirled it around twice with a wooden stirrer before quickly disposing of the stick and leaving. She didn't want to stay in the same room with Sylas Uri any longer than she had to. The last time they’d been alone together he’d kissed her senseless. All of that ardor must have been because he was bored then since he was going on a date with Sara now. Amia groaned at the thought. This entire situation was becoming a mess!
…..
Friday, September 7, 8:30 pm
Ikebana
...
The summer air was mild and the symphony of cicadas and car engines provided the perfect cliched backdrop to what should be an ideal date. George was standing next to her looking rather stately in a simple red dress shirt and black slacks. As people, namely women, walked by they did a double take. It wasn't every day that one got to see such a handsome multimillionaire casually standing on the street.
Women shot her looks of envy and while she knew she should feel flattered that George had seemed to have taken an interest in her, all she could focus on was her own impending sense of dread. She should have never listened to Aviva. What grown woman took advice from a little kid anyway? She really only had herself to blame for this predicament.
She had expected Sara to invite any number of men to this date. She could have all of New York City knocking down her door just begging her for an hour of her time. Why oh why did Sara have to choose Sylas? Amia had asked her last minute but why would she ask her boss to accompany her on a date? Sure they were close but he was still her boss. Also, he had accepted which only further served to make her blood boil.
When she felt her phone vibrate in her hand, she swiped the screen to open the message. As soon as the picture popped up, her mouth ran dry. It was a picture of Sara smiling at the camera with her arm hooked through Sylas’. Sylas was staring down at his phone, unaware of his photo being taken and captioned with an 'Almost there!' text.
The picture itself was tame but it only made the churning in the pit of her stomach get worse. Sara was wearing that dress. The little strapless red cocktail dress Iris had so lovingly dubbed a 'baby making' dress. Sara had profusely denied any ulterior motives back then for wearing the dress but now Amia wasn't so sure of her innocent claims. Next to her George placed a hand on the small of her back causing her to jump slightly.
"I believe your friends have arrived." He said calmly and pointed over to where Sylas and Sara were approaching.
Sara looked even more stunning in person and Amia shifted her weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other. While Sara was turning heads in her red dress, she had settled on a simple off-the-shoulder black dress. When she had looked at herself in the mirror at home she had thought it passable for the dinner but now she felt woefully underdressed. Amia's eyes slid over to Sylas, who had also chosen to wear all black. The first three buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, exposing his smooth pale neck. She unconsciously licked her lips as she recalled how his skin tasted. She blushed at where her train of thought was going and moved closer to George. She really shouldn't be thinking these things about Sylas, especially when she was supposed to be on a date with another man.
"Uri." George greeted curtly and Sylas gave a short nod to the redhead but his dark eyes bored into the woman standing at his side.
"Sabaku." He said. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Oh did I forget to mention this was a double date?" Sara giggled and slapped Sylas’ arm playfully. "It's a double date with Amia and George!"
Amia watched as the dark-haired man put together the pieces of what he had been dragged into. As his jaw tightened, she mentally kicked herself again. Why had Sara forgotten to mention this rather pertinent piece of information? George held his hand out to Sara who shook it gracefully.
"It is a pleasure to meet you..."
"Sara, Sara Haruno!"
"Well Ms. Sara Haruno, shall we go in?" George offered Sara his arm and the two led their small party into the restaurant.
"What the hell is going on Hato?" Sylas hissed under his breath as he stiffly offered Amia his arm and she gingerly accepted.
"You tell me." Amia whispered back, her jealousy from earlier beginning to seep into her tone. "You are the one who accepted."
The inside of the restaurant was dimly lit. The tables were covered in pristine white linens and adorned with candlelight centerpieces and delicate roses. Couples gazed at each other, their faces illuminated favorably by the candles as they spoke comfortably with one another. When they arrived at their table, George pulled out a chair for Sara and Sylas pulled out a chair for Amia before both men switched places and sat next to the one they came with. Sara gave Amia a quick thumbs-up as she opened the extensive menu in front of her and Amia sent her a small smile in return. She wished she could share in her friend's enthusiasm but the potential outbreak of a death glare match between Sylas and George kept her from adopting such a carefree attitude.
She opened her own menu as well and tried to calm her erratic heartbeat and paranoid thoughts. All she had to do was just get through this dinner and then everything could return to how it was supposed to be. She snuck a peek at the couple across the table and bit her bottom lip. They looked really good together. Sara was the exact kind of woman that most men flocked towards. Her bright personality and intelligence were evident of course but Amia also knew from experiences of being a wallflower that Sara's body was something many men lusted after. She was tall and slender, her chest wasn't too big and her vibrant green eyes had ensnared the hearts of many men. Was she aiming to capture Sylas' as well? For some unexplainable reason, the prospect made her sick.
Amia watched as Sara placed a hand on Sylas’ forearm and leaned into him as she pointed to something on the menu. Amia quickly looked back at her own menu. Why should she even care? They were supposed to only be partners anyway. Her father would probably disown her if he even got a whiff of what she and Sylas had done. While they were merging, Arlo was not the biggest fan of the Uri family and she knew that the feelings were mutual on the other side. This was for the best.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
"Do you know what you would like to order?" George asked as he lightly touched her bare shoulder.
There was a muffled thud under the table that rattled the glasses. Amia looked pointedly at where Sylas was sitting but he had placed a mask of innocence and boredom over his face.
"Yea...I think so." Amia answered softly and closed her menu before relaying her request to the server poised to take their order.
The rest of the dinner went off without much of a hitch with Sara doing most of the heavy lifting with the conversation. In a way, Amia was glad that she had invited Sara along since she made things much less awkward between herself and George but at the same time she couldn't help but feel jealous. Jealous that she took such liberties as to freely touch Sylas or to take food from his plate. Sylas didn't seem to mind the latter since he wasn't eating anything anyway. George had to excuse himself from the table several times, and each time he did she felt smaller and smaller. Constantly she had to remind herself to be understanding and patient but the strength of that mantra had waned by the time their entrée plates had been cleared away and their orders for dessert had been placed.
"And then you wouldn't believe the look on her face!" Sara said, laughing at the punchline of a joke that none of them really understood.
Amia smiled weakly at the attempt at humor but by this point, she was utterly drained. She just wanted to go back home and crawl into her bed. She finished off what was probably her third glass of wine to distract herself from the strange mix of internal conflict that warred inside her head.
"You shouldn't drink so much." Sylas said flatly as the server came and refilled her wine glass.
The server bowed a sheepish apology and left the bottle of wine on the table before scurrying away.
"It's been a long week. She can indulge." Sara smiled and placed a hand on Sylas’ forearm.
Amia knew that her friend was just trying to come to her defense but all she could focus on was that hand. The sound of a phone ringing interrupted the mounting tension and they all felt around in their pockets to see who was the owner of the call but of course, George was yet again the receiver. He frowned at the number that had popped up on the screen and put his phone face down on the table. It vibrated loudly against the surface but he ignored it until it finally fell silent. Just as the phone ceased, it started right back up again.
"Shouldn't you answer that." Sylas said and Amia glared.
"He can answer calls when he wants to." She replied tersely, aided in confidence by the alcohol she had consumed.
"Then he should have the decency to put his phone on silent. Most would consider it rude otherwise."
"You would know all about being rude wouldn't you?"
The Hato and Uri both their crossed arms and glared at each other from across the table. Sara tried to lighten the mood by cheerily indicating that their desserts had arrived but it fell flat. The servers placed an assortment of small cakes and fruits dipped in chocolate on delicate plates on the table. While Amia usually adored sweets she couldn't bring herself to be happy about these. The food all evening had tasted like sawdust in her mouth, and she knew these would too. The sound of George's phone vibrating violently on the table only made her irritation grow. The redhead looked at the screen with a belabored sigh. He then placed a hand on Amia's shoulder and leaned down to her ear.
"I will only be a moment." He said softly before standing up and addressing the rest of the table. "If you will excuse me."
"I hope everything is okay." Sara mused as she speared a delicate strawberry with her fork. Sylas scoffed at her comment.
"Why are you acting like this?" Amia mumbled lowly but Sylas caught every word.
"What? Am I interrupting this oh-so-romantic experience for you?" He said with a roll of his eyes. Sabaku is doing an excellent job of doing that all on his own.
"You are acting like a-a-a-" Amia stammered, her brain fuzzy as she tried to find the right word.
"A what?" He grumbled. Amia's eyes widened and she pursed her lips into a tight line as she stood.
"A spoiled, obnoxious child!" She hissed and marched off towards where the restrooms were.
When she got there she was thankful to find it empty save for the miserable restroom attendant who quickly scurried away when she stormed in. They clearly were not up to attending an emotional woman tonight. She frowned as she looked at herself in the wide mirror, red-faced and puffy-eyed. This had been a terrible, horrible idea.
…..
Friday, September 7, 10:00 pm
Ikebana
...
Sylas leaned back in his chair and glared at Amia's path. What right did she have to be mad? He had every right to be angry in this situation. Why in the world would he want to see her on a date with another man? Why would he want to watch another man try to garner her opinion with compliments and baseless flattery? Why would he want to watch another man dangle the privilege of touching her in front of him? Was she purposely trying to make him angry? Well if so, she had succeeded with flying colors. How dare she expect him to sit here and 'play nice' as she smiled at someone that was not him. It was absolutely ludicrous to expect something like that out of him! He downed the remaining wine in his glass before reaching for the bottle left on the table.
"I think I should go talk to her." Sara said as she stood up but Sylas grabbed her wrist.
"No. I will." He said sternly and Sara reluctantly sat back down. "Wait for Sabaku to return."
He needed to give that damn Hato a piece of his mind anyway. He followed the way Amia had taken to the restrooms and ignored the odd looks thrown his way. He slipped into the dimly lit side hall, which was thankfully empty, and yanked open the door to the women's restroom. Amia was alone inside; the rushing water of the sink was the only sound that could be heard. Her head popped up when he entered and once again he was reminded of just how beautiful she was. Looking at those large pale eyes made his rage catch in his throat.
"What are you doing?" She asked nervously as he locked the door behind him. "Sylas?"
The way that black dress accentuated her voluptuous curves hinted at the sensuous nature of her body underneath. Her long, wild hair was swept up into a sleek bun, highlighting the elegant slope of her neck and shoulder. Her pale skin was pristine and soft. A less rational side of him wanted to mark it. To claim her. He took a step closer.
"Why are you here?" Amia asked, her voice quivering despite the anger rolling off her in waves. "Shouldn't you be with Sara?"
"I do not like seeing you with another man." He growled. Amia crossed her arms under her chest, causing the tops of her breast to rise. The sight of them made him salivate.
"That is something you will have to get used to." She countered. "It's not like seeing you with another woman is my idea of fun. You and Sara are perfect for each other."
"I do not like Sara." Sylas said, his frown deepening at the inference. "Not in that way."
"Then why did you agree to go on a date with her?" Amia sighed exasperatedly.
Sylas lets his arms fall as realization began to set in. He was furious. He was frustrated. He was jealous. Jealous that she was willing to spend time with another man and lavish her attention on him. He had never felt jealousy before and he sure as hell didn't understand how to deal with it.
"Sylas." Amia said, raising her voice slightly to get his attention.
"I do not like seeing him touch you."
"Why do you care? You get to have another woman all over you tonight. Why should it matter if someone else touches me?"
"Because I don't want him to."
"Well, what about what I want?"
"So you want Sabaku." Sylas stated flatly, the flames of his ire being stoked once more as he imagined George enjoying Amia the way he had.
He crossed the room, effectively closing any distance between them. He then backed her into the marble countertop and cut off all means of escape.
"Sylas!" She gasped.
"You want him." He growled as he tilted her chin upward to look at him.
Her eyes were filled with anger, confusion, and something else. Maybe it was all of the alcohol talking but that expression was intoxicating. He leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against hers. Her lips felt soft and desperate against his own as she tried to keep up with him. Her small hands clutched the front of his shirt as he thoroughly devoured her mouth. Just as she was finally able to keep pace, he broke the kiss. She looked up at him this time with flushed cheeks, smudged lips, and eyes now swimming with that something else. Lust. He had witnessed the same pure unadulterated lust the first night they met. He slid his hand up her dress and she tried to stop him by grabbing his wrist but her grip was too weak.
"Wait!" She said but he ignored her and dipped his hand into the front of her underwear.
He sucked in a breath as he discovered her center already slick. He cupped her fully with his hand, enjoying the wet heat radiating off her.
"Do you want him?" He asked in a low voice and smirked as her pussy quivered against his hand.
"Sylas!" She mewled and tried to grind against his hand but his other hand kept a firm grip on her hip.
He captured her lips again and this time she was the aggressor. He felt a shiver go down his spine as her tongue glided against his own, exploring his mouth with unexpected enthusiasm. He pressed his growing member against her and she moaned into their kiss. He would be unable to hold himself back if she kept making sounds like that.
"What do you want Amia?" Sylas asked as he removed his hand from her panties and turned her around to face the mirror. "I know what I want."
He then hiked her dress up around her waist and unceremoniously yanked her now-soaked underwear down. Amia stepped out of them, transfixed by their sinful reflection in the mirror. He placed her hands on the countertop and nipped at her ear.
"Bend over." Sylas instructed. "Hold on."
He felt Amia shiver just as Sylas stepped away, but she did exactly as she was told. He gently nudged her feet to spread her legs wider apart. He placed a hand on her ass and admired the way her inner thighs had become slick with her own juices.
"What do you want?"
He slid two fingers into her and grinned at her wanton expression in the mirror. She moaned as he purposefully fingered her at a painstakingly slow pace. The sound of her moans made her pants feel much too tight.
"What do you want?" He commanded and began plunging his finger in and out of her at a faster rate. Her eager hips met his every thrust. "Say it."
"Ah!"
"Say it."
She was close. He could feel her walls clench around his fingers and knew that she was about to find her release. Even though he wanted to give that to her, he wouldn't. Not yet. He slowly removed his fingers and she whined slightly at the loss. Her legs shook slightly and her back was tense. Pulling her dress back down, he turned her back around and placed a short kiss against her pouting lips.
"Sylas." She whispered breathlessly and tangled her fingers in his hair. She brought him down to her neck and he placed hungry kisses against her skin.
"What do you want?" He asked, pressing his nose against her neck and breathing in her scent.
Sylas placed two hands on her hips and pushed her up to sit on the marble countertop. He nestled between her legs and pressed his rigid member against her heat. She was so fucking wet. He groaned as he felt her grind against him.
"Amia."
"You, I-I want you!"
Knock Knock Knock
"Hey Ami, are you okay?" The muffled voice of Sara called from behind the door.
She jiggled the knob but gave up once she realized the door was locked. Her words slurred together as she spoke, leading him to wonder just how much she had been drinking.
'Fuck!' Sylas thought. He had completely forgotten that he had left Sara alone at the table.
"I-I'm fine!" Amia shouted back as she pushed him away and into one of the open stalls.
"Are you sure?" Sara called back. "You've been in here for awhiiiiiiiile."
He heard Amia laugh awkwardly and open the door a bit.
"I'm fine! I swear!"
"Did Sylas come over here to talk to you? He said that he would." Sara asked; he could hear the concern in her wobbly voice.
"Yea. Said he was going to step outside not too long ago." Amia answered.
Her tone was surprisingly steady as she lied. Sylas would have believed her excuse if she wasn't already hiding in a stall. Sara let out a breath of relief.
"Ahhhhhh I'm glad." She said. "I know he can be hard to deal with sometimes but he's not all bad."
"Y-yea."
"Oh! I almost forgot! George said he had to leave and that it was urgent. That call he had gotten was no joke! No joke! He said that he was sorry that he had to leave and would give you a call later."
"Oh."
"Yeaaaaaaa, he's already paid the bill too. Let's go find Sylas and blow this joint!"
….
Friday, September 7, 11:57 pm
Ikebana
...
This was wrong
Amia smiled as Sylas opened the taxi door for Sara and paid the driver handsomely to return her home safely. She felt her phone vibrate in her dress pocket but she ignored it.
This was wrong
She smiled as she waved goodbye to the thoroughly drunk woman in the backseat of the cab. Sylas stood beside her and nodded stiffly as Sara stuck her hand out of the window and waved back. She tensed as she felt his hand slide lower and lower down her back.
This was wrong
They climbed into their cab as soon as Sara was no longer in their line of sight. The city lights swooped past as they speedily made their way to Sylas’ hotel. A feeling of déjà vu set in as she recalled the first night he met. Her heart began to beat faster in anticipation.
Yet
Sylas expertly pulled a pin out of her bun and her hair tumbled heavily down around her shoulders. His fingers wove their way through her hair and she had to bite back a moan. It was shameful to admit but she liked the way he pulled her hair. As he began to suck on her neck, she noticed the driver looking at them in the rearview mirror and blushed. She tapped Sylas on the shoulder and nodded to alert him to their audience. He only smirked at the peeping man and pulled down the window divider to hide them from view.
This
She gasped as he pushed her onto the bed and captured her lips with that hungry passion he was known for. She furiously untucked his black dress shirt from his pants, clumsily unbuttoning it once it was free. He snaked a hand around her back and unzipped her dress. Soon clothes flew with careless abandon and greedy hands touched every new inch of skin.
Felt
Amia moaned loudly as he slammed unceremoniously into her. It was not how she was used to being treated. Noah had always treated her like glass, infuriating her to no end. Of course, she had enjoyed their lovemaking for what it was but it was never this hot. Never this ravenous. Never ever this rough. Sylas Uri was a very different kind of lover.
So
"Fuck Amia." Sylas groaned and she smiled as she sank down onto him.
This position was new. She had never been on top before but found the position quite exhilarating. This way she could control precisely what happened and illicit sounds from Sylas that she would have never expected him to utter. She engulfed him, devouring every inch, and bucked her hips experimentally in a circle. He growled and roughly pulled her down to kiss her. His tongue clashed against hers in time with the way her hips moved.
Good