The Devil's Untainted Angel

Chapter 44

"I love stitching and embroidery. My mother taught me to do handwork when I was five. She used to knit sweaters and make beautiful designs on them for the veterans at the old age home before winter. They all used to love her work a lot." Recalling something memorable of her past brought wetness in her eyes.

Turning sideways, Jacob looked pained. He did not like to see tears in her eyes and smartly turned the conversation positive.

"Interesting, do you have a portfolio of your designs?"

Ana sipped water from the glass placed in front of her. "No. I have given up the thought of making it a career. Landing a solid job based on that field proved impossible to me since it requires a lot of investment and I do not have such sort of money. Whatever I earn goes to payment of my mom's medical dues. Now it’s just a pastime, or design on demand." She quickly wiped away the lone tear that fell on her cheeks which did not go missing from Jacob's eyes.

There was a pang that left his heart seeing her in pain. "I want to be your investor. I will help you open your own boutique and also purchase raw material. You can conduct interviews and train girls to work with you in your shop."

Ana's jaw hung open with his free flow of assurances but again her sanity intervened. "So what do you get by helping me? Why are you into this?"

He chuckled. Didn't you just say I was destroying your career? The words came out of him rather painful but he concealed it with a smile. "Like you already know, I am a businessman and I invest my money in various businesses thereby to earn profits through it."

He sat back comfortably assessing her with one of his legs resting on the knee of the other. "Since you have already thrown your allegation on me that I am trying to disrupt your profession, I want to amend my ways. I will finance your boutique and when you start earning we can share the profits." He shrugged as a matter of fact but deep down he wanted to insist she accept the offer.

"I would not like you to work at the pub." He waved his hand toward the similar stage situated in front of them, then raised his eyebrow at her in the most unique way.

Why would he invest in her so much? He didn't even know her? Ana did not want to take chances with the mysterious man. He appeared more dangerous than she thought. "Okay Mister, whoever you are, I believe in saving myself and others time. Kindness and gratuity isn’t necessary. I believe we must be straightforward with each other." He did that damned thing with his eyebrow again. Ana found it was perfectly arched that was...hot. Smoking hot!

Trying not to squirm where she guesses she was already wet, Ana quickly continued, "You either want me as your fuck buddy, a relationship partner, or a submissive who would stay in your house and your bed 24/7 and feed your sex instincts whenever you want. What do you expect from me? Say it clearly." Ana asked everything very quickly, controlling her breath.

Unamused, he just stared back at her with guarded eyes. Her instinct told her he was schooling his irritation. His serious stare intimidated her to her very core, and she was finding it hard to breathe. She wasn’t someone who feared easily, possessing an intrepid and unyielding personality. But this man, he had the power to imbibe the most unexpected emotions in her.

He closed his eyes, inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Just one thing," he voiced in a quiet tone. "Only to be your friend." That answer was unanticipated and to tell the truth a little disappointing. Wasn't he going to sleep with her? Ana slept with different men about whom she least cared or felt anything but this man was bringing in her the amorous titillation she did not know that still was living in her.

"Is that too much for you to give, Bella? Is my answer time-saving enough?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. Feeling awful, her eyes dropped to the water glass and she gulped it in a single go. Maybe he was really trying to help and be just her friend.

But why? Why did he appear all of a sudden in her life to be just a friend?

"No. That's fine. We can be friends." Could Ana really just be friends with such a deliciously tempting man?

"Good. I'm glad you've decided to accept my friendship and leave that god damn place. I feared I would have to force you." He smiled.

"Wasn't the same that you did a few minutes ago?" Ana murmured but was cautious to keep the tone to herself because she could already conclude the man was a sort of serial mafia killer in those underworld wars. Rubbing on his wrong side would be a dumbwit step from her. If not for her, she needed to take care of her mom.

Since they would be friends, as he requested, she would eventually decipher what motto he has to pull her to his trap because she did not trust him the least bit.

It was only a means to an end.

He uncurled his leg from the knee and leaned forward to take a sip of his drink, then directed his gaze out to the stage where a woman in her late forties was singing a awfully slow song.

Ana took the opportunity to devour him with her eyes. He was hot, gorgeous like a mouth watering cupcake.

He dropped his head in his hands and began rubbing his temples with his thumbs. Something was wrong with him and that made her heart skip a beat in worry.

Fortuitously, he spoke before she could ask for her relaxation. "I have heard your car broke. So who used to help you between the club and brothel?"

That Joseph is a chatterbox and she was going to pluck out his tongue so that he would never speak again. "My friend, Sasha, always takes me home." He nodded, and a minute later he turned his head to face her.

"I have booked a room for you adjacent to mine in the hotel I stay in. Tomorrow at nine in the morning I will be waiting for you and we will be going to meet your mom. Afterwards we will go and see a friend of mine who owns a huge land in South Street. I will introduce you to him and you can rent the shop. We can have lunch and my driver will accompany you to procure all the materials required for the business." Ana stared at him flabbergasted. What was she going to do with this man?

"That isn't necessary. Why would you take my problems on your head?" Just then the waiter came with their menu.

His impassivity was superseded by some other expression she couldn't quite discern. Care? Concern? Compassion? "From today forward all your responsibilities are mine. You will stay with me as my person." There was possessiveness in his words accompanied with affection if she was not wrong.

"Are you okay otherwise?'' He knotted his fingers resting them on the table giving her his undivided attention.

Heat crept on Ana's face for his regard. Till date there was nobody living in the world who cared for her.

"In every way, are you okay?" He added in the question. Ana did not know what more she needed to say to give him the confidence that she was good. She could only nod.

He checked her face thoroughly of any hidden emotion and she bit her lip. The man was hot and added to it he was bringing dangerous feelings in her to which she was not supposed to yield. Women of her kind cannot afford dreams of a happily ever after with husband and kids. Nurturing such thoughts would only land her to ruin.

She figured it was time to leave. Being around him was making her anxious and annoyed too. And the fact she still desired him prompted her to question her sanity.

She finished her pizza faster than usual and Jacob had it tough to control his smile at the way she was eating.