Chapter 7 Temptation

• After two days of rest, Nicholas had fully recovered, so Laverna decided to go out as they had been cooped up in the house for almost three days straight. After putting on his new disguise, she glanced at the blue gift box. As far as she remembered, she hadn't given Nicholas anything as another congratulatory gift for his official employment as her new partner. A grin formed on her lips as she took the box and stepped out of her room.
• She found Nicholas in the living room, dressed formally, as he descended the stairs. The young man stood up and bowed.
• "Thank you very much for taking care of me when I was sick. It won't bother you again," he claimed.
• Laverna simply motioned for him to sit back, and Nicholas obeyed. She sat across from him and presented the blue box.
• "It's a congratulatory gift, so just accept it," she said.
• Nicholas was surprised because he hadn't expected to receive another gift from her. He didn't know if Laverna was just pretending to be nice or what, but he decided to ignore it for now. As he opened the relatively large gift, Laverna smiled mischievously and started counting down in her mind.
• "3... 2... 1..."
• The very next second, a red boxing glove sprung out from the box and hit Nicholas squarely on the face. Laverna burst into a victorious laughter and then popped a birthday popper at him.
• "Congratulations," she said while Nicholas had a blank expression, clearly not pleased with the prank she pulled on him.
• As much as he wanted to shout at her, he couldn't because of their arrangement – he was the bodyguard, and she was the boss. When Laverna approached him, he instinctively stepped back, thinking she might have another trick up her sleeve, but she only raised an eyebrow.
• "Don’t move and give me your hand," she ordered, and he complied, sitting still.
• In a moment, Laverna took out a silver watch and placed it on his hand. Just as she expected, it fit him perfectly.
• "This is no ordinary watch, just so you know," she explained, showing him the side of the watch. "It is connected with my watch. As you can see, there is a green light blinking at the side. It means that I am just fine. When it turns red, it means I need you… I need your help, so keep your eye on it, especially when we're apart. Understood?"
• "Yes, ma'am."
• "Anyway, what do you think of my new disguise?"
• She struck a few poses to show off her disguise, puckering her lips for a few seconds before blinking a bit faster to give him a better look. Nicholas was puzzled by Laverna's sudden change in demeanor—she had acted like an ice cold woman at first, but now she seemed like an ordinary girl trying to be cute for her boyfriend.
• "It looks fine, ma'am," was all he could say, even though he wanted to tell her to just show her real self instead of wearing disguises.
• After hearing his answer, Laverna looked at him with a disappointed look.
• "I look so beautiful right now, but my companion seems like a haggard old lady. They might think I'm not treating you well. Stay here." Laverna left for a moment to get some hair gel for Nicholas to fix his hair.
• When she returned, Nicholas had a puzzled expression as he stared at her. She ignored it, sat on the table, and took the gel. She motioned for him to lean closer to her.
• "I can do it myself so there is no need for you to… I can handle it..." He didn't finish what he wanted to say because of the disapproving look from his boss, which made him quickly comply. "Right, you will do it in my stead. Thanks."
• For a few minutes, Laverna applied the gel to his hair, and Nicholas couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It wasn't because of fear—he just couldn't fully explain the feeling, especially since being pampered like this wasn't something he was used to.
• When she was all done, Laverna went to the kitchen to wash her hands, while Nicholas looked at himself in the mirror. He must admit... Laverna did a good job slicking back his hair while leaving a few strands to hang over his forehead. But then again, it just reminded him of her former fiancé.
• "Let's go," said Laverna, and Nicholas followed her to the car. "We're heading to Grey Hornet Club today."
• Nicholas looked at her, seemingly unable to believe what she said.
• "What? Let's go and celebrate that you recovered from that fever. And don't worry, I'll cover the expenses."
• After an hour-long drive, they reached the Grey Hornet Club, where only wealthy people could enter. At the entrance, two large bouncers greeted them, ready to fight if needed. But when they saw Laverna, they immediately bowed and allowed them to enter without showing their IDs.
• "You seem to be a regular here. Even the bouncers know you," Nicholas commented.
• "What can I say? Partying is one of my favorite hobbies." They proceeded to the VIP seats, where their drinks were served promptly with the usual order of Laverna whenever she visited. The music was loud, and many people were dancing on the dance floor. Some women were even pole dancing on the stage.
• Nicholas had been to this place before when he met one of his clients, who betrayed him later on. He wasn't really a fan of parties like this, but if Laverna frequented this place, he would have to get used to it. And, of course, he would consider using this place for his upcoming revenge. After a while, Laverna handed him a glass of scotch.
• "Cheers?" she said.
• "Cheers." They clinked their glasses together. Nicholas observed as Laverna downed her drink in one gulp and poured another shot for herself.
• "You know," he said to get her attention, "the best way to drink this is taking it slow so you could savor its aftertaste."
• Laverna just shook her head and continued drinking. She had no intention of sitting on the sidelines and watching other customers dance like there's no tomorrow. As she started feeling a bit tipsy, she removed her jacket, revealing her milky complexion and shoulder blades. She was wearing a black tube dress that barely covered half of her lap.
• "Don't get too drunk, mister," she said to Nicholas as she stood from her seat. "You're driving later."
• Before Nicholas could even reply, she left him and headed straight to the dance floor. At first, he didn't care about how his boss danced while wearing a short dress. He simply enjoyed his drink while keeping his eyes locked on her. Even though other pretty ladies offered him drinks as they passed by, he chose to ignore them. As time went on, annoyance gradually built up inside Nicholas as he watched Laverna getting too close with several different men. She would grind her butt on one man's front while letting her hands wander around another guy's bare torso.
• It seemed like she was a magnet, attracting anyone around her. Sometimes, she would bring her face close to those she danced with, almost kissing them one by one. Nicholas was about to look away as his patience wore thin, but he immediately stood up because of what Laverna did next. With a man standing in front of her, showing off his six-pack abs, she allowed him to kiss her neck, and the heat between them was obvious, especially when Laverna's hand wandered over his crotch.
• The man was about to kiss her when Nicholas swiftly pulled her away.
• "What's your problem?" the man asked irritably as he tried to pull Laverna away from Nicholas.
• Before the man could reach her, Nicholas got in between them and looked at him as if ready to kill him at any moment.
• "Get your fucking hands off her," he threatened with a cold and authoritative voice. "Unless you want to lose all of your fingers one at a time."
• The man cursed and quickly left, annoyed. Meanwhile, Laverna, who was clearly drunk, continued dancing while still holding Nicholas's hand.
• "That's enough," he whispered to her, but she just looked at him with anger.
• "No. Just go and enjoy yourself with other girls. I don’t mind," she retorted, trying to free herself from his grip. But when he was not letting her go, she hissed at him. "Did I not tell you to go and enjoy yourself? I mean, look around. There are a lot of girls you can hook up with."
• He pulled her closer until their bodies were pressed against each other. His hand went around her waist and lifted her slightly so he could whisper in her ear.
• "That may be true, but there is just no way I will let any random guy touch you," he growled with gritted teeth. "You're drunk already, so we should just go home."
• "Let go of my hand, Lance," she demanded.
• "No," he insisted.
• "Do not make me repeat myself!"
• "I insist."
• They stared at each other, neither willing to back down. After a few minutes, Laverna finally sighed.
• "Fine. Let's go home," she conceded.
• Only then, she let out a scream that was immediately drowned out by the loud music, and no one paid attention to her because of the noise. Nicholas carried her like a sack of flour over her shoulder and walked out of the bar.
• "Lance," she giggled, "I do not know if you are aware of this, but I bet everyone can freely see my pair of seemingly freshly baked buns with this kind of position."
• Without wasting a minute, Nicholas immediately put her down because what she said was indeed true, and the men who were looking at them almost had their eyes pop out. He gave them a stern look before leaving. When they reached the parking lot, he seated her in the backseat and fastened her seatbelt. Only then did Laverna catch a whiff of his perfume.
• "You smell hot," she whispered with a grin.
• "Shut it."
• As Nicholas drove, he noticed that Laverna had fallen asleep, enveloping them in a deafening silence. It was better for him that way than to deal with a drunk Laverna. It was past midnight when they arrived home, and she was still sound asleep. Nicholas was about to carry Laverna to her room, but stopped in his tracks right at the door. He then turned on his heels, not wanting to repeat what happened in the past few days. As he placed her on the bed, she suddenly held his hand.
• "Julius," she said with her eyes closed, "please... don't leave me. Just stay here... beside me."
• At that moment, Nicholas saw how vulnerable Laverna was, and it was so tempting to kill her right there and then.