Page 47

DANIEL

I step out of the bathroom, the faint scent of my shampoo still hanging around me. I can feel the dampness of my hair clinging to my forehead and neck, and I swipe my hand through it, pushing it back with a casual flick.

I drape a towel around myself and walk out of the bathroom. My gaze lands on Anya’s bag on the study table. I turn toward the bed to find Anya sprawled across it. A smile makes its way to my face. She’s in her jeans, and her crop top has risen a little.

“Are you sleeping, baby?” I ask as I run my hand through my hair.

“No, I am training to die.” Anya huffs. “Let me sleep, please,” she whines, turning the other way. I chuckle and get into the bed. I pull her swiftly so her back is touching my chest.

“I love you,” I whisper in her ear. She hums and turns around, her ass grazing my crotch. “Let’s keep movements to a minimum, baby,” I grunt. She chuckles and nuzzles her head against my chest. I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. I press a kiss to the top of her head and breathe in her scent .

“Had a rough day?” I ask. She hums.

“For starters, I am way behind on my syllabus with the finals being two weeks away, and Professor Keith assigned us a last-minute project I wasn’t prepared for. I returned to my place, only to find out that I had no keys, and no one was home. It’s like the universe is laughing at me today.” She sighs as I scratch her scalp lightly. “I become this unbearable, insufferable, extremely rude, and grumpy monster during exam times. I hate it but can’t help it.” She looks up at me. “I am sorry you have to tolerate me.” She smiles weakly.

I frown, running my fingers through her hair. “Don’t say that,” I say, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead. “I love tolerating you.”

She gasps. “You tolerate me?”

I chuckle. “I was joking, Firecracker.” I close in. “I don’t tolerate you. I adore you in your grumpy monster form.” I smile softly. “I will love you in all your forms, baby.” I kiss her nose.

“That’s better.” She glares playfully and kisses my chest. We lie there, silent for a moment. I pull the blanket over us as I begin to feel cold. “How was your day?” Anya asks.

“Good. After I attended that lecture with you, I went to practice. Coach will give us some days off for the exams next week.”

“Please, for the love of God, study in those days.” She scowls at me. “You have to pass. I was your tutor and if you fail, Daniel---” She narrows her eyes.

I chuckle, gently pinching her cheek between my fingers. “I will; I will.” I reassure her, amused by how strict she seems. I adjust my hold on her, pulling her even closer as she nuzzles into my chest, her hand gently tracing the muscles of my torso.

“Captain,” she whispers. I hum in response. “I am not sure about your proposal.” My back straightens, and I immediately know what she is talking about. “I know you told me you don’t care—which, by the way, is a rude thing to say.” She presses her cheek against my chest. “Considering your father has built that company from scratch and I will never want to ruin his hard work,” she says. Her warm breath tickles me slightly. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and I will accept it in some capacity. But right now, I don’t think I’m ready to take on such a big responsibility, especially with college still going on.” She looks up at me. “But I would love to intern there, if possible.” She raises her eyebrow. “I mean, I think it would be helpful to understand the basics of your company before I can even think of taking it over,” she says hurriedly, “I will only accept it if I like it and if you still want me to do it after college. The internship, however, I will want to start next semester.”

I already had it in my head that she would not be very accepting of it because she doesn’t believe in herself and that stems from her urge to feel validated by her father, but I have complete faith in her talent. I have seen her. The passion I have for basketball is the same passion she has for business.

“I have already told you, baby, you have my support no matter what you decide,” I say, my voice firm. I give her a reassuring smile.

She looks up at me and I can see the relief in her eyes. She lets out a soft sigh, and she slowly relaxes in my arms.

“Thank you,” she whispers, and I can hear her voice crack slightly. “I never thought I would ever find a fool who would believe in me so blindly.” She chuckles.

I narrow my eyes at her. “For your information, I am the smart one here. I am investing in the future’s most powerful and influential woman. I can see it.” I wink.

She rolls her eyes, but a smile forms on her lips. “I am going to sleep now.” She yawns.

I flip the blanket and get up. She gasps at the sudden loss of warmth. “I am taking you out for a candlelight dinner.” I smile.

“No,” she exclaims. “I can’t move anymore, captain, please,” she whines. I chuckle at her dramatic reaction, enjoying the way she clings to the blanket.

“Wait for me.” I walk to my closet. I drop my towel, turn back slightly, and wink at her. “You have my permission to enjoy the view.” A blush rises on her cheeks and she scoffs.

“I don’t need your permission. I can do whatever I want.” She pokes out her tongue.

“You’re right. You can. I am yours, after all.” I grin sheepishly and put on my boxers. “I am going to be back in a few minutes, okay?” I turn around to face her.

She pouts, reluctantly letting go of the blanket as she sits up on the bed. Her hair is tousled in a cute mess. “Where are you going?” she asks.

“Coming back.” I smile at her and close the door behind me.

I rush toward the door as the bell rings. As I open it, I’m greeted by the delivery person, holding a stack of takeout boxes and a small bag of candles. “Perfect timing,” I say, accepting the food with a grin. I thank him and close the door. I can’t wait to see her reaction. I make a quick stop in the kitchen to grab a lighter.

I walk back into the room, carrying the food, a bag, and a handful of small candles. Anya is still in bed, but she’s sitting now, scrolling on her phone. Her head snaps up as I enter the room.

Her eyes widen slightly at the sight. “What’s all this?” she asks, her brows furrowing.

“The candlelight dinner I was talking about.” I grin.

She gasps, sitting up. Her eyes light up. “I love you so much!” she exclaims.

I cock an eyebrow. “You love me because I ordered takeout?” I ask as I set the food on the study table.

She gets up from the bed and walks to me. “No, I love you because you went all out and got me food on a bad day. I would have slept hungry if it weren’t for you.” She smiles and rests her head on my shoulder.

“This is not what is known as going all out.” I frown. “You said you wanted to eat a brownie.” I open the container and hand it to her. “Here you go.” She makes a puppy face, and I chuckle.

She takes the first bite and moans. “This is heavenly!” she cries out.

I wrap my arms around her waist. “You are heavenly, too.” I smirk.

“I know.” She smiles slyly. “But if you want this heaven, you will have to feed her.”

I laugh, taking a piece of the brownie and bringing it up to her mouth. “Ah,” I say. “Open wide, baby.”

She sticks her tongue out at me but then opens her mouth. I feed her the brownie, watching her savor the taste. She closes her eyes and moans softly, clearly relishing the sweetness. I am so in love with this woman; I can’t get over it.

“I love you, Firecracker.” I kiss her.

“I love you, too,” she says, her entire focus on the food. “So damn much. You are the best.” She grins, looking at the brownie.

I laugh. I am one hell of a lucky bastard.

∞∞∞