I will lower the moon for you Read online

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  I almost sailed through the week and gave Benjamin the required handover by Friday. I had mixed feelings as I would miss working with him from my small work station in his office. In my last week, I also managed to meet Benjamin's family, which was always a delight. Raina and little baby were doing great.", and his girls jumped in joy seeing me there with their favorite chocolates.

  It was our girl's night out tonight. I left office rather early as I had promised to meet Niki and Britney at the club by eight. I went home, took a warm bubble bath, put on a fancy golden color dress that complimented the tone of my skin. With minimal make up I left my curls lose falling on my shoulders and wore my favorite stilettoes before heading out.

  I met the girls who were already waiting for me at the club. We headed inside and the loud music came blaring to our ears. I managed to introduce Niki and Britney in such a noisy background but after two rounds of drinks, they were best friends already.

  After a while, we headed to the dance floor, and both my drunk friends had already called their respective boyfriends. Our girls' night practically turned into a couple's night as Barry and Max stepped in.

  Initially, I felt like a third wheel, a bit out of place. Nevertheless, we all were having a great time.

  A slow song was playing, and the individual couples were now embracing and dancing.

  Taking it as a cue to leave them alone, I offered to get the next round of drinks. I was at the bar and while getting back, I got approached by a random guy.

  "Hi there, beautiful. How come a girl like you is here alone?" He said, giving me a wink.

  The moment he opened his mouth, it was evident that he was highly drunk. I felt extremely uncomfortable. I thought to ignore him as I was in no mood to entertain a drunk jerk like himself for a minute more. I walked past him, but he blocked my way again.

  "I am not interested really, it was nice meeting you, but I got to go." I said, ignoring his stares on me.

  "What's the hurry?" he stepped a little closer.

  "I am here with my guy friends, and I am sure you don't want to complicate things further," I said in a warning tone stepping backwards. I quickly turned around and left to find my friends on the dance floor.

  He wore me off. I was no longer that relaxed and was constantly looking my back in anticipation not to have that fool approach me again.

  "Are you ok, Emma?" Max asked a bit concerned.

  "Yes, yes, I am fine. I think it's getting late and I anyways have to leave for my parent's house early morning tomorrow. I think I will be heading back now". I told him, sounding calm and hiding my restlessness.

  "Oh. Why so soon? Loosen up a bit girl! The night has just begun." Niki said dramatically as it was mostly the alcohol talking now.

  "I am good Niki, really you guys continue. I will meet you guys next week." I said hugging both Niki and Britney and taking their leave.

  It was fifteen minutes past eleven, and both Max and Barry insisted on dropping me home, but I politely refused as I was still hoping to find a cab and did not want to become the party-pooper for them.

  I left them at the party and headed out of the club. It was freezing outside, and my short blazer that I carried just in case was not much of a help either. I looked around to find a cab. The club entrance was surprisingly silent now. When we got in it was bustling with the crowd, but now hardly anybody could be seen.

  After waiting for ten minutes, I did not find a cab. Suddenly I heard a couple of guys giggling and walking in my direction. I recognized one of them to be the same guy who approached me in the club.

  He was staring at me as if I was raw meat. I did not want trouble, so I walked away down the pavement, hoping they would leave me alone.

  To my utter surprise, they followed me. I immediately grabbed my phone and dialled Niki's number. She picked up, and while I was trying to alarm her, the loud noise in the club made her understand nothing.

  Meanwhile, those guys had closed in, and the one I knew from the club grabbed my hand.

  "Come here Babe. We are just looking for some good time. No harm done." He said, gripping my arm tightly.

  "Stay away and don't you dare touch me." I screamed at him with both anger and fear boiling in my eyes.

  "She is feisty. I like it," said the other guy standing next to him.

  I was dead scared, already imagining the worse. Shocked and overwhelmed, I suddenly felt numb. I tried to scream, but they were hovering and closing in on me.

  Suddenly we heard a loud screech of tires, and a speeding black Porsche took sharp turns into the street and stopped right next to us along the pavement.

  My vision was blinded by the bright head lights. I shut my eyes in utter horror, unsure what other trouble was making its way to me.

  Chapter 10

  My Savior

  Emma

  The unknown owner of the luxurious car opened the door and stepped out. I flickered my eyes in an attempt to see through the glaring lights, but I could just manage to catch a vision of a tall well-built figure walking towards us.

  He took brisk steps in our direction, and the moment he emerged from his shadow and stopped inches apart, I was dumbfounded to see who it was.

  Jake?

  He stood between those three despicable guys and me. His aura was intimidating, the prick who was cornering me earlier, immediately loosened his grip on me. I could see a lump form in his throat when he saw Jake's intrusion, followed by his fierce gaze that was piercing through them, warning them to back off. If rage in eyes could kill, these guys would be dead by now.

  "Get in the car, Emma." Jake whispered to me.

  My blood was boiling, and seeing Jake appear unexpectedly, it suddenly froze. His icy blue eyes were enraged with fury, and his strong muscles tightened under his well fitted shirt, struggling to rip it apart.

  "Get in the car now." This time he was loud and clear, and I almost jerked in shock as anger renounced in his voice. I quickly agreed and went to sit in the car.

  He closed his fist, and I assume he was ready to punch those obnoxious guys in the face when they stepped back in fear.

  "Sorry man, we didn't know she's taken. We were just looking for some fun". They stammered and stepped back. They quickly turned around and ran back towards the club. It was not even a couple of minutes until they completely disappeared.

  Jake got back in his driver seat, and without looking at me again, he pushed the accelerator, and we stormed out of that street.

  There was a deafening silence in the car. I was shivering in shock, and my palms were sweating. Nobody uttered a word for a while, it took a minute or two for him to calm down before he noticed

  my state.

  He immediately pulled over in a better-lit ally and turned around to look at me.

  His blue eyes were scanning my face. This was the moment I had always dreamt about, the day I would meet him again. I had imagined a thousand different things that I would tell him when I see him the next time, but right now I was barely coping.

  The owl let out a solemn hoot, the otherwise merry streets stood in pin drop silence. The dark sky was embellished with a blanket of stars, and by some suspicious play of destiny, I was sitting inches apart from the mysterious man I met in Corsica.

  He held my shoulders, and gave me a warm look. The moment he touched me, I had shivers run down my spine. These shivers were different from the ones I felt earlier.

  His eyes were now soft and deep, and they were looking for answers, "are you okay, Emma?"

  I could barely speak; I just blinked my eyes in response.

  "Talk to me, Emma, did those guys hurt you? Did they touch you?" I could see his jaw stiffened at the mention of those guys hurting me, and the rage that had disappeared from his eyes a minute ago, was now back again.

  "I am fine Jake...." I stuttered, while rubbing my arm which was sore from the rough grip.

  "Show me your arm". He took my hand in his and scanned my arm that now had a red m
ark imprinted on it.

  He brushed his fingers on it, and his soft feather-like touch felt like fireworks on my skin. His eyes had a disappointed look, he was blaming himself for not helping the situation sooner.

  "You should be careful, Emma. What were you thinking? Walking down the road all alone in the middle of the night? I can't even imagine what those bastards would have done if I did not find you in time".

  "Thanks, Jake. If not for you, I am not sure what would have happened. Thank you for helping me tonight". The tears that were welling up ever since I sat in car, escaped and trailed down my cheeks.

  He held my hand gently in one hand, and was caressing my cheeks with the other. There were so many unsaid things, so many unanswered questions, yet I was able to draw comfort just by being around him. Effortlessly and unknowingly, he brought me peace.

  He was wearing a black body-hugging t-shirt that outlined his curvy muscles along with a pair of black jeans. He had a light stubble along his defined jaw, and his very kissable lips threw a soft smile, causing me to forget my world, and imprisoning me in his.

  We both got out of trance almost at the same time. He broke the awkward silence, "relax, I am here now. Tell me your address, and I will drop you home."

  I gave him my address, and he drove off towards my apartment. After some time, I settled down and came to realise that I did not even know how from the middle of nowhere Jake came to my rescue.

  Was he following me?

  "How did you find me, Jake? How did you know I was here?"

  He did not respond and continued to drive silently.

  "Please I need to know, in fact, I think it's high time we talked Jake? Or shall I call you Jacob Richmond?"1

  He flinched a little when I called him so formally, but he still ignored me, and continued to drive. I was getting a bit mad at his behavior.

  "Jake, I am not stepping out of this car until I get my answers. You have to tell me; how did you find me?"

  He stopped the car again. We were just one block away from my apartment now, "what do you want to know Emma?" He was dodging a direct eye contact.

  "To begin with, how did you find me? Were you umm... following me?"

  "Really? You think of me as a stalker Emma? I just happened to be at the same club as you tonight and I saw you leaving all alone in the middle of the night."

  He closed his eyes and paused a bit, before he continued, "I also saw those guys following you out, and my immediate instinct sensed trouble. I just wanted to be careful when I decided to check on you outside the club."

  He was running his hands in his hair now, trying to hide his anger. "I was ensuring to keep a safe distance from you until I saw those bastards cornering you." This time he completed his explanation with a sense of hurt and anger in his tone.

  "No. I did not mean to call you a stalker Jake, I was just surprised to see you there. I wasn't expecting you to come to my rescue".

  "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight either. And yes, I think, we do need to clear a couple of things, especially now when we have to work from the same office."

  He let out a deep sigh, before he continued, "Whatever happened in Corsica is in the past Emma, unlike how you were implying, I did not lie about my identity, Jake is short for Jacob, and my close friends still call me that."

  I didn't imagine that the surreal moment we shared a while ago would turn into a bitter confrontation like this. His words were sharp as a sword, yet his eyes told a different story. Unsure as to what to believe or reason with, I attempted to clarify myself.

  "Jake, you are getting me all wrong. I was shocked to see you in the conference room the other day. I have thought a lot about you in the past couple of months, but I met you in the most unexpected circumstances. I was just confused".

  "I know what you mean, Emma, I have thought about you too. A lot. But it's irrelevant now, and we should forget about it and move on already."

  Deep inside I knew that kiss might have meant nothing to him. He also had quite a reputation with girls. However, when his mouth blurted those words, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.

  "We are at very different places right now, and I do not want you to have any false hopes. I hope we can stay on cordial, professional terms." He said, staring straight across the steering. He did not look back at me again.

  His words were hurtful beyond I could ever put it in words. He just rigged off my feelings and self respect.

  Who did he think he was?

  Maybe his status and success made him believe that every girl who meets him is building hopes to dive into his luxurious life, or is desperate to jump into his bed. But that's not always the case.

  Not with me, certainly.

  I was not some gold-digging bimbo wanting more from him after a one-time kiss. He didn't know me at all.

  Obviously, he doesn't Emma.

  However, still his sudden change in tone and bitter east in attitude shook me. He was cold, and he sounded so full of himself. His arrogance was evident on his face. I gulped the lump in my throat and wiped my tears.

  "Of course, Jacob. I totally agree. I guess there shouldn't be another minute that I should spend in your car then, after all we are thorough professionals. Thank you for the ride and all your help today Mr. Richmond, I appreciate it". I said in a steady tone, collecting myself, and within an instance, I was out of his car.

  I slammed the door hard and walked away without looking back.

  Chapter 11

  The Unexpected

  Jake

  As she walked out of my car, I immediately realised that I was too hard on her, and almost instantly regretted my words.

  I did feel she thought low of me though. I never ran around girls for their attention. I always got what I wanted; how could she imply I was following her?

  However, the rational side of me understood how overwhelming all this must have been for her. She got attacked by a bunch of assholes half an hour ago, and then a jerk like myself just made it worse.

  I stayed there until I saw her completely disappear in her apartment's building. As she went inside, I sped out of her street. On my way, I recalled how I was stunned after seeing her enter the club with her friends.

  We were crossing paths way too often now.

  She was easily the most beautiful woman present in the club, and my body longed to meet her and take her in my arms the moment my eyes fell on her. There was this unexplained attraction I felt around her. Unlike what she assumed, I did not follow her there, but the moment I saw her, my eyes did not leave her for a second either. Her grace and charm had me captivated.1

  Back in Corsica, this girl kissed me for me, an ordinary guy who she met on a beach. She did not know who I was. The way she flinched under my touch and how her body reacted in my presence made me want her even more.

  She looked pretty and sensual, both at the same time, and if it were in my hands, I would hide this perfection far away from the world, only to keep her for myself. It was funny how I was drawn to her, even when I hardly knew her.

  I was in the VIP area one level above her floor, and due to that, I had a clear view of her. She looked happy, dancing and giggling with her friends. That's when I saw two other guys joined them.

  Unlike what I feared, none of them seemed to be her boyfriend as both men appeared to be dating her respective friends. Looking at her alone, without any company, almost confirmed the fact that she was single, and wasn't still dating that distasteful boyfriend of hers. For some reason, this piece of information brought me immense relief.

  Soon I saw she walked towards the bar, and that jerk blocked her way. I saw her getting uncomfortable, and even after she joined her friends back, her mood was no longer the same.

  She looked tensed and was constantly looking around. After some time, I saw her leave. She was again followed by the same asshole who blocked her earlier. My instinct told me something was wrong, I felt fidgety imagining Emma in trouble. I immediately went to follow her outside just to
ensure her safety.

  I was watching her from a distance, seated in my car. It was then I saw her being followed and attacked by a bunch of morons. I could kill those rascals for even attempting to hurt her. I rushed to her side without thinking twice. Having Emma around was tormenting my sanity. It was becoming a constant struggle to keep her out of my head and life.

  My thoughts were abrupted by a phone call, "Hey, Erica." I controlled the coldness in my tone and faked a plastic smile.

  "Hey babe, my plan with Geena got cancelled, we can hang out if you are free?" She chirped on the other side of the phone.

  "I would have loved to but I am almost home. Had a long day, let's catch up tomorrow?"

  "Ok baby, I will drop by at your apartment in the morning. See you." After some more small talk, I could finally get her to hang up.

  How did I end up in a mess like this?

  I felt responsible for my harsh words that might have hurt Emma, but this was the right path for both of us. I decided to make peace with the fact that she might be repulsed by me after today. We will both be able to keep the much-required distance between us, which was essential for her betterment, if not mine.

  My phone buzzed again.

  Please don't let it be Erica.

  To my relief, it was a call from Augustin, the head of our family's security detail and my father's closest ally.

  "Jacob? Can you meet me at your family home, right now?" He asked. I could sense the urgency in his tone else he would have never called me at this hour.

  "Sure, will be there in twenty."

  It had been almost fifteen years that Augustin had been serving my parents. He was my most trusted, my confidante, and like a guardian in my life.

  I had the fondest memories with dad and Augustin together, right from our all-boys fishing trips to the days when he kept me company while dad travelled for months due to work.

  Augustin used to listen to my endless high school stories, took me out for a drink or celebrated every small and big achievement of my career.

  Soon I reached Richmond's mansion, my parent's home. The place where I grew up.