The sun seemed like it was shining on him, like it was begging for her attention. The breeze even blew towards him and made the ends of her golden hair point at him. It could be the mask and her unwavering need to uncover everything that was hidden. It could be the fact that he hadn't stopped working in over an hour, digging and shoveling and tossing piles of dirt from around him. Whatever the reason was, she could not stop staring in his direction from across the site where she stood, watching Evan and the others work. She felt ignored in a sea of men who were panting at her shoes. He had not even looked her way, he hadn't looked anyone's way for that matter, but he should have at least looked her way.
Maybe he's gay. She thought to herself trying to pacify her astonishing need to justify his actions.
Shy had always wished to be ignored on a daily basis by men when she walked past them. She'd wished that they wouldn't notice her and make a comment. There were days when she would feel physically sick as she entered her house because she had heard so many "Hey babies" and "God, you're beautifuls". No man had ever ignored her presence. No matter if she tried to sneak around, there would always be someone to sniff her out and make a comment about her body or her face.
Now, she was standing among a hundred men that she wouldn't give the time of day to having a silent tantrum in her head.
He has to be gay. She reassured herself.
She tucked her bottom lip under her white teeth as he took the hardhat from his head that was still covered with the ski mask and replaced it on his head. She tilted her head to the side to try to catch a glimpse of his eyes to no avail.
"Well, Shy did my son teach you the ins and outs of Nikolias and Sons?" Zander stepped up next to her with Desmond beside him.
Her concentration was broken and she looked at them. "Excuse me?"
Desmond turned his head toward the masked worker to see what had Shy so preoccupied. His eyebrows arched. Shy swallowed down hard as Evan joined his father beside her.
"Come, dear friend. You have to meet someone." Zander took Shy's arm and wrapped it around his own and marched her in front of Desmond towards the masked worker who did not stop drilling.
Shy turned to look at her fiancé as she was being escorted away. Desmond's eyes were locked on the worker as they made their way toward him. Evan walked stoically at his side.
The walk seemed like a journey and Shy feared Desmond's response to the person beneath the mask. If the merger was to go through the way he planned, Shy knew he would get rid of all the men on the site today for looking at her the way they did. He was very possessive of her and not in a charming way either.
Shy knew two things for sure. No one could cross Desmond without serious and justifiable repercussions and no one could possess what he possessed. He had to have the best and there was no room for sharing. His greed was only matched by his ability to get everything. Shy knew that the masked man's distraction of her was not going to be looked kindly upon. He would probably be the first to be fired when the merger takes place and she would never hear the end of it.
The group of them reached the masked worker and stopped. Zander still held Shy's arm close to his. Desmond tucked his hands into his coat pockets and raised his head to look down at the shorter man in front of him with the jackhammer. Evan smiled at his father.
"Zane!" Zander shouted over the noise of the jackhammer.
His name means prince, god's gracious gift. Shy said quickly to herself in her mind.
She often did that when she was nervous and, for some reason, her heart had picked up the pace in her chest.
"Zane!" Zander called him again.
This time the man heard and looked up at his father. She finally caught his eyes that were a deep brown. He looked away from her and stopped the jackhammer. He put the machine on the ground beside him and removed his gloves.
"This is my younger son, Zane. Zane this is Desmond Aurelius and his fiancé, Shy Angelis." Zander said as Desmond took his place next to Shy.
Zane took his hardhat off and then reached for the ski mask. Shy tried to hide her anticipation from Desmond who was watching her from the corner of his eye. Zane removed his mask and Shy's heart skipped. He looked at her, dead in the eyes and extended his hand to Desmond.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir." His voice was smooth.
Shy couldn't keep her eyes from wandering his appearance. His brown eyes were intense; his hair was a mess of unruly brown waves and strands that reached below his earlobes; his body was thin and muscular she could tell by his thermal shirt. He was tan, a little darker than his brother, but not as tall or broad. His face was flawless unlike Evan's which had the tell tale lines beside his eyes and scar on his chin.
Shy realized she was staring and immediately averted her eyes to the dirt.
Desmond released Zane's hand and placed his on Shy's lower back as he presented her. "My fiancé."
Zane extended his hand to her and attempted to catch her eyes again. She took his hand lightly. He held it for a moment.
"Zane Nikolias." He stated.
Shy inhaled and held it as she pulled her hand away gently. He did not take his eyes from hers and did not make any effort to hide it either. The tip of his tongue reached out and tenderly caressed his bottom lip as he looked at her. Shy shifted uncomfortably in her spot.
Okay so he's not gay. A grin discreetly slipped across her lips at the thought.
Zander caught her grin and bared one of his own. She saw him and quickly tucked her bottom lip under her teeth.
"Well I'm glad that we've all had this opportunity to meet. Now it won't seem so awkward when we arrive at the engagement party tomorrow night." Zander said happily.
Shy shot a glance at Desmond who stood straight as he looked back at her. "You invited them?" Shy whispered.
"It's business." Desmond whispered back obviously agitated by her questioning him.
"Unbelievable." She mumbled as she rolled her eyes toward Zane.
He raised an eyebrow at her indicating that he had heard their whole little aside. Shy huffed and turned to leave.
Desmond turned slightly to see where she was going.
"I guess that means you're leaving." Evan said snidely watching Shy get into the Rolls Royce at the far end of the lot.
Desmond grit his teeth, trying to hide his disapproval of Shy's actions. "I suppose it does."
He turned back toward them and noticed Zane gazing at the car. Desmond steps into his line of vision. "Gentlemen, I apologize for my rude fiancé. She's been under the weather. I'm looking forward to seeing you at the party to finalize the deal. I take it you will be bringing a date, Zane?"
Zane looked up at Desmond who was easily a couple of inches taller than him and squinted from the sun. "Maybe."
"He's being modest." Zander interjected. "Zane is quite the ladies man."
Desmond nodded his head in approval. "Aren't we all?"
He then turned on them without shaking their hands and made his way to the car. Zander looked at his boys and quickly followed Desmond. Evan made his way over to Zane and watched as their father praised the man who would be taking their work away from them. Evan crossed his arms over his broad chest as Zane ran a hand through his sweaty hair.
Desmond stood a moment with Zander in the distance speaking.
"Well that is the most powerful man I've ever seen." Evan said with bitterness laced in his voice.
"He's an asshole and she's not happy." Zane said looking at Shy through the car window.
"Don't start Zane." Evan said, "This isn't like going to the bar and taking the drunken guy's girlfriend home with you. This guy will ruin you. He'll ruin us. Leave it alone. Besides she's not your type."
Evan left Zane standing in the dirt as he went to join his father to discuss the merger.
Shy raised her head to look out the window and caught Zane peering at her as Desmond entered the automobile. He could tell she sighed unhappily by the way her chest rose and fell.
"She's not anyone's type." He said quietly to himself as the car rode out of the lot stirring up dust behind it.
But the fact remained in his mind, Shy was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
Shy entered her house with Desmond enraged behind her. She let the front door go behind her and he flung it open. She continued on to the kitchen, undoing her coat. She spotted Delia glancing at them from the living room as they flashed by.
"Do you realize how embarrassing that was?" Desmond raised his voice at Shy who seemed unfazed as she placed her coat around the back of a stool at the island counter. "Watching my fiancé show disapproval for my decision and rudely walking away without saying goodbye?"
Shy exhaled as she made her way around to the refrigerator for a bottled water. "I didn't feel the need to be there anymore."
"You didn't feel the need to be there?" Desmond growled as he placed his hands on the countertop.
Shy opened the door to the refrigerator and felt her arm being snatched by Desmond. He yanked her in front of him and leaned her over the counter painfully grabbing her face. He put his face up to hers putting his weight on her so she wouldn't move.
"You feel what I want you to feel!" Desmond hissed in her face.
Shy could feel her pulse race and her eyes widen. She was afraid. Tears came quickly to her eyes.
"You will never walk away from me like that again!" He tightened his hand on her face and a tear streamed down her cheek. "And you will not talk to me as if you do not care! You will be my wife, Shy, and you will honor me as your husband! Do you understand?"
Shy felt him shake her face harshly and nodded once, holding back her whimper. She could see Delia hiding behind the doorway of the kitchen watching everything.
"Say it." He said lowly, his eyes wild with anger.
"I understand." She croaked.
Desmond kissed her lips harshly before letting her go. "Go clean up." He said walking out of the room, quickly. "I don't want your father asking questions."
Shy waited until the front door slammed shut and crumbled to the floor in a heap and whimpered into her hands. Delia entered the kitchen and knelt next to Shy on the floor. Delia cradled Shy's head and placed it on her chest hushing her.