Chapter 20: Benedito, You can't
Billie Bob Jones
The air in the elevator with Benedito was so thick that one could slice it with a knife. He continuously glanced at me with a questioning stare that I simply ignored. Being engulfed by his scent again after almost two weeks almost drove me crazy.
My foot continuously tapped on the elevator floor as it went up. The inside of my cheek was already bleeding from me biting into it so much and the underside of my eye started twitching. I had no idea why I was so anxious.
Was it due to being alone with Benedito after so long? At least three weeks ago he and I could engage in a normal conversation, but ever since he had mysteriously fell off the face of the earth everything had changed.
The ding of the elevator was my saving grace. As soon as the doors opened I stepped out revealed I could smell something else besides Benedito. He casually stepped out not seeming bothered at all.
He led me to my room at the end of the hallway. I had never really paid attention to how he walked before. He was so tall that his movements often looked lazy, like a slow lion; intimidating but timid. He had a sort of swagger to him, from the way his shoulders moved with him and his long arms.
He looked like a runway model even without trying.
"My room is opposite yours," he indicated to the door on the left. I simply nodded; it was not like I cared where his room was, as he slid in the card and the door opened. My bags had arrived long before us and I wondered how fast the hotel workers here had to be.
The room was fairly spacious and everything about it looked much fancier than the hotels I normally stayed at. I found no use in spending lots of money for a room I would barely spend time in. Once again another thing to add to the long list of differences between Benedito and me.
He allowed me to fully enter first and I immediately went to the mini kitchen. The room was more like a small apartment if I looked at it.
"I thought it would be nice to get something more spacious for you," his warm voice followed me to the mini living room that had a large flat screen television.
My eyes scanned the room until I my eyes landed on a bouquet of lavender and white daises. I pouted and wondered how he knew that they were my favorite. Every morning before work I would go to the flower fields and lay down before a busy day of work.
The smell of the mix of lavenders and daises always calmed my soul. Most of my friends teased me about it but they never understood the experience of waking up just before the sunrise and taking time to clear one's head.
"I thought you'd like them," the warmth of his body tickled my back as he stood directly behind me. He had leaned down just a bit so his hot breathe tickled my neck making the hairs on my body stand up. My body was absolutely frozen as I tried to calm down my frantic heartbeat. "Do you like them Barbie?"
"I hate them," I frowned and folded my arms over my chest.
He lowly laughed before his warm hands rested on my waist, "why do you always have to be so difficult?"
"Why do you always have to be so gosh damn annoying?" I snapped back making him laugh even louder.
"Are you upset because I disappeared?" his arms fully encased my waist bringing me flush against his chest.
"Benedito," I warned him as his nose trailed up and down my neck inhaling my scent. "For your information I don't care if you disappear or not."
"I feel like you're lying." I could feel his smile as his lips hovered over my skin. The warmth of his lips had sirens going off inside my head.
I wanted to move, everything in my body screamed for me to turn around and punch him so hard that it would add another scar to his already magnificent face, but I could not. My feet were rooted onto the ground and my arms could barely move.
"Are you lying to me Barbie?" at that very moment he gently pressed his lips to the skin of my neck. I gasped shocked by their softness and warmth. He planted kisses from the junction between my neck and shoulders all the way to my jaw.
His movements were so gentle that at times I wondered if it was simply my mind or reality.
"Do you want for me to stop Barbie?" he whispered in my ear making my body shiver.
What in the world were we doing?
He must have taken my silence for approval as he started kissing my neck again, this time his lips partially opened as he gently sucked and nibbled on my skin. All my blood rushed to my head as my right hand automatically flew to hold the back of his head.
I fisted his silky dark hair making him growl. The feeling of his lips had me softly gasping as he continued his slow assault. The sensations he made me feel were something to never say out loud. They were forbidden and had my knees weak.
Never in my life had someone provoked such a reaction from me and it had me dizzy.
For a moment I allowed him to continue until I remembered who this was happening with. The second richest man on earth, the man who screamed danger with just a glare alone and the man who was in a relationship with a woman downstairs.
"Benedito, you can't," in a split second I pulled away from him and stood against the wall leaving enough space between the two of us.
He looked confused as he furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"
"This isn't right," I waved my hands as shame washed over me. A growing pit formed in my stomach the longer I stared at the man in front of me.
"It seemed perfectly right to me."
"You can't be serious," I shook my head as I placed my hand over my forehead, "it's not right for us to do this. It should never be."
"I see no reason on why it isn't," he folded his arms over his chest.
"Did it ever cross your mind that you are in a relationship?" I hissed. "Or are you the type of man to go around kissing other men just to mess around with them!"
"A relationship?" he tilted his head to the side looking even more confused than before.
"Yes, with Dita."
He kept quiet for a few seconds as he stared at me. I could not tell what he was thinking now as his facial was expressionless. Was he embarrassed I had caught on that he was in a relationship with the woman he paired me with? Was he worried I might go and tell her, or did he simply not care?
"Whatever this is needs to stop," I straightened my back, "I don't know if where you're from that this is normal but where I'm from this will get you shunned by the town for the rest of your life. We are business partners and this is not a way to conduct yourself. Not with random expensive gifts, the flowers or dinners where you falsely confess feelings you don't have for me just to meet up my life."
"Is that you think this is?" the atmosphere in the room changed drastically as his hazel eyes darkened. It was like something had shifted in him that the calm predator from before was replaced by a beast that could rip you up in seconds if you looked away for even a split second. "I never lie Bobby."
"Don't take me for a fool," I snapped.
"And don't take me for one as well," he voice was dangerously low that is drowned out any other sound surrounding us. "I don't know what sort of façade you have formed over the years but I can see right through it," he stalked towards me but I stood my ground. He must have been used to people submitting whenever he wanted them to but I was different and he needed to learn that.
"Then maybe you are a fool," I growled as he stood in front of me.
"And you are no better," he looked down to me with a condescending smirk, "you love it when I touch you, you love the way I smell because it lingers in your mind for days even when I'm long gone, you love the attention I give you and that scares you because you are worried I might air out your dirty laundry. Worst of all you hate how you crave me and wish you were by my side instead of Dita."
"You arrogant asshole," I spat and pushed his chest so he could step away from me. "I don't know who the hell you think you are but I will put a bullet in that pretty little head of yours if your ever make such a claim again. I know a lot of people fear you but I don't Mister Pereira nor will I ever. I'd rather be attracted to a pile of horse shit before I ever in my forsaken life think about being with you."
"We will see about that Mister Jones."
"Don't hold your breath."
He simply stared me down before storming out of the room. After a few seconds I heard the door slam shut and I could finally breathe.
How had such a simple trip turned to complete chaos?