Cake Love: All Things Payne(82)

"Mr. Payne, something is obviously bothering you. I hear it helps to talk about it?"

His shoulders tense as his gaze narrows causing me to suck in my breath. Even with his hair disheveled and muscles tight from stress the man is still sexy as hell.

"I am not seeing a f*cking therapist!"

Wow, cowboy! No need to get eye stabby.

"No, I mean me. Sometimes we need someone to just listen as we let it out."

For the first time since I have ever known Mr. Payne he looks vulnerable. There is a moment when the expression he flashes is one of innocence and hurt, but it quickly disappears being replaced by his usual glare. Derek Zoolander has Blue Steel, well Henrik Payne has Dark Thunder. Made that one up myself!

Dark Thunder intimidates people and causes some to cry in fear, but for me it makes me smile. Because I know it's his little protective barrier to the world. Everyone has a shield of some kind that helps them deal with things they are afraid of, it's what humans do. This is Mr. Payne's safety blanket and it's telling me he's okay, for now at least. Though it would make me feel better if he confided in someone.

"You are my assistant, not my therapist."

"Yes, you made that quite clear down stairs in the Sales department."

He winces and walks over to the couch to sit. Mr. Payne sighs placing his head in his hands to scrub his face and then lays it back so he is staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, about that. I'm sorry, Ms. Drake. I have a bit of a problem when challenged."

I walk over and sit down on the other end of the couch and arrange myself to face him.

"So that's why you did it because you were challenged by my grandma?"

He turns, bringing his leg up on the couch to face me and rests his head in his hand. Mr. Payne smiles a devastatingly handsome smile.

"That's partly why, Ms. Drake."





Chapter 13 - THE Truce ...

Okay, this is the moment. Right here on this very couch that has so much history about ... us! I laugh and shake my head thinking back on all the memories. The time I almost fainted in the interview when we first met and he helped me to this exact couch that my ass is sweating on now. Or the time he was so drunk he passed out while trying to give me cunnilingus and, how later I nearly ripped off his penis with his zipper. Ahh, good times.

But now he's smiling at me, his eyes twinkling regardless of the terrible phone call he had about his friend/brother/nephew/son? I don't know David, the one in the coma, but he is obviously very important to Henrik. Despite knowing this he still smiles at me. I just know he is going to admit he has feelings for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some na?ve schoolgirl expecting him to pronounce his undying love or sweep me off my feet and whisk me to Vegas to get married. That would be ridiculous! Yeah, crazy, so why are you bringing it up? You are the crazy one, not me. I'm trying to be a rational person and you have to plant over the top romantic gestures in my head. Stop it. You just look sad. Yeah, sad.

"Ms. Drake, are you feeling all right?"

I look up to see Henrik's head tilt in concern.

"Yes, of course."

"You were giggling a moment ago and now you are frowning. I don't understand."

"I just thought of something funny in my head. Now don't change the subject. You were saying that was only partially the reason for what happened downstairs."

He rubs at his face again turning his gaze to the untidy room. Mr. Payne expresses a low groan.

"I am sorry for that. It was completely unprofessional and that's one thing I never am ... unprofessional. But with you, Morgana ..."

His head slowly turns to face me as his expression softens. Gah! Right there. See that face. This is why I lov ... I mean like him. I meant to say like him. It is just a slip of the tongue. Shut up!

"Ahh! I can't think straight. You are so ..."

He's waving his hand in the air trying to come up with a word.

"Refreshing, hypnotic, maybe even charismatic?" I try to help him with his quest for the perfect descriptive word.

He shakes his head.

"No, I was going to say irritating, accident prone and even a bit goofy."

I frown and look down at the leather cushion I am sitting on.

"Gee thanks. Never has a man been so eloquent when describing me."

He scoots toward me and grabs my shoulders shaking his head.

"No, that came out wrong. I mean, yes you are all those things but you are also wickedly smart, funny and when I look at you all I can see is ... my dream come to life. You are so beautiful that if you didn't have those faults you wouldn't be real."

I ... I ... gah!!! What do I say to that?

"Seriously, Brain, how do I respond?" No man has come close to anything like that with me. The most romantic thing Trevor said to me was that I have great tits.

"Morgana, this really isn't my department. I'm the logical one remember, romantic sentiment doesn't compute." My Brain sits at her desk trying to clear the large stack of paperwork on her desk.

"Heart, are you there, Heart?"

"Oh Morgana! Tell him you love him and you want his babies. You both need to wallow in this bliss. Never to wake up from ..."

I close the door on my heart realizing she is too far gone to be of any use. There are times in life, difficult times, when a person must face reality head on.