Griffin was quiet for a few minutes.If he was surprised by what she had just said,he didn’t show it.
And then finally,he asked.”Do you only want to have sex with me because of your father?“
Daphne swallowed,not knowing how to reply to that.
She knew that deep down, she was physically attracted to him but she didn’t want to admit to it.
Her cheeks heated even more and she stared at her fingers.
Griffin finished off his cigarette just as the traffic light turned green.
But he didn’t move.Instead,he pulled over at the side of the road.Daphne looked at him in confusion,but before she could ask why,he unbuckled her seatbelt.
She gasped when he pulled her up from the passenger’s seat and made her sit on his laps,fitting her thighs on the either side of him.
She swallowed when he took off the coat from her body.Her wet clothes clung to her skin,outlining all her curves,his trousers got wet because she was sitting on top of him.
The winds outside the car howled loudly.The windshield wipers rhythmically wiped away the droplets of rain.The glass of the car was tinted but he didn’t stop Daphne from feeling so nervous.
But she didn’t fight him or try to get off him.Instead,she was burning with excitement.
He cupped her face,pulling her down and sealing her lips with his.
Daphne’s body engulfed with flames.Pulsing waves of heat unfurl inside of her, starting at her mouth and then rippling down her body,tingling in the tips of her breasts before traveling even lower.
His taste suffused her taste buds.Her lips parted on their accord and Griffin took full advantage by sliding his tongue inside.
When her tongue tangled his,he made a low growling noise in the back of his throat and the erotic sound vibrated through her body,immediately.
He pulled back a bit,staring into her eyes and then he pressed his lips against hers again.
The kiss felt so incredible.
More incredible than the last time.
Daphne had never felt anything like this before.
His tongue slid over hers,she stroke his cheek and oh boy,the scratchy feel of his stubble on her palm intensified the pleasure already wreaking havoc on her body.
His face was strong and masculine and so sexy.
The sheer maleness of him triggered another burst of need.
She needed more.
She didn’t expect to but she needed more and more of him.
Vaguely,Daphne wondered when she had become so wanton.
With an anguished moan,she angled her head to deepen the kiss and her tongue eagerly explored his mouth.
Maybe hungrily too.
Griffin threaded his fingers through her hair and tugged her closer.One powerful arm curled around her hip to keep her in place.
Her breasts were now crushed against his rock-hard chest and she could feel the wild hammering of his heart.
His excitement matched her own.The raw,husky groan he released tickled her lips and sent her pulse careening.
Griffin badly wanted to lower the seat and have her right here in his car but he oddly he didn’t want to have sex with her in his car.He wanted to have her on a bed.To take his time and taste every inch of her.
He pulled back away from her and said,breathlessly.
“There’s…there’s a hotel nearby.How about we spend the night there?”
Oh he would take his time with her and get this attraction out of his system.
Daphne swallowed,seeing the intensity of the lust in his eyes.She thought it was best to remind him of her condition at this moment so he wouldn’t go back on his words after bedding her.
“Do you agree on taking my father’s case?If I’m going to have sex with you,you will…”
“Your father’s case.”He drawled,a bitter edge of his voice.
Didn’t she feel this attraction?
Was it one-sided?
He hated to think that it seem as if she was forcing herself to have sex with him.
He had never taken a woman against her will.
And no matter how attractive this woman was,he wasn’t going to start with her.
He wanted her willing.
He wanted her to need this as much as he needed this.
Not because of her father’s case.
Daphne saw the lust in his eyes had been replaced with anger and she began to panic.She really didn’t mean to make him mad.She just wanted him to take up her father’s case.
In an attempt to get him lustful over her again,she leaned down and kissed him.
But he didn’t reciprocate.
He just stared at her.
Daphne’s cheeks flushed,she had never done this before and she could see her attempt at seducing him was failing,failing woefully.
He pulled away from her and murmured.
“Get off me.I’ll take you home now.”
Daphne sighed seeing he had lost interest in her.She felt so sad and embarrassed.
She shakily climbed back onto the passenger’s seat and fastened her seatbelt.
Griffin drove off but he felt so uncomfortable throughout the drive.His trousers were tight and his manhood was still making more and more of a tent in there because he couldn’t stop stealing glances at her.
While Daphne sat,dejectedly on the passenger’s seat, she didn’t put on his coat.She just leaned against the window wondering what went wrong.
Of course, she knew it was wrong to sell herself to him in exchange of his services.But he didn’t accept money when she offered it,neither did he accept her pleadings.
She felt the only solution was to give herself to him.
Why did he refuse after suggesting they go to an hotel?
He was such a difficult man.
She grew more frustrated and desperate by the minute.
By the time they pulled up at the front of her home,the rain had stopped.
Griffin didn’t get out of the car to open the door for her like the last time.He simply nodded at her,indicating she should leave.
But Daphne didn’t want to give up.She just needed to save her dad.
“Mr Reyes, can I have your number?”
“No.”The refusal was instant.
Daphne pouted and then he said.
“Go ask for help from Gary O’Connell.He’s a quite respected lawyer and if he decides to take on your father’s case,his sentence might be lighter.”
As he spoke,he handed her a business card.”That’s his phone number.“
Holding the card in her hand,Daphne still sat in his car.
Was it so hard for Griffin to take on her father’s case?
Why was he making this difficult for her?
Griffin reached past her and opened the door.
“We have nothing more to talk about,Miss Howard.And stop selling yourself for favors.It’s a shameful thing.”
Daphne’s heart sank.
She ruefully got down from his car and shut the door.
Without wasting any time,Griffin sped off.
***********
Daphne arrived home,ruefully.Seeing that she was home,Nora hurried up to her and looked at her,hopefully.
Feeling cold and wet,Daphne shook her head in defeat.
Nora sighed in disappointment.She couldn’t blame Daphne though.She knew Daphne must have tried all she could to get help from Griffin.
“Your clothes are wet.Go change.Take a warm shower and come take some drugs so you wouldn’t catch a cold.”Nora said,softly.
Daphne nodded,quietly.She took a shower and then some medication but at the end,she still caught a cold.
As Daphne tried to sleep it off,her phone rang out.
It was Layla.
“Hello,Daph!Did you get home safely?How was the drive with Griffin?”Layla asked,excitedly.
Daphne told her everything that happened in a weak and hoarse voice,sneazing from time to time.
Layla was stunned.”What?You guys kissed?!If he had suggested you go to an hotel,why did he change his mind again?!Daph,do you perhaps think he’s unwell?Maybe he can’t function as a man.”
That made Daphne laughed but when she thought about it,Griffin seemed more normal than any man she’s been with.
He was very capable of making her feel things she didn’t know existed.
And when she had been sitting on his laps,she had felt his…his erection.
She shut her eyes,trying to get rid of this intense lust.
“Hello,Daph,are you there?”
“Oh..I am…well…em..he’s normal.He’s very normal.”
She heard Layla sighed.”Well,I guess you should keep trying.I know it’s wrong of me to advise you to do something like this but this is the only thing I can think of right now.You have to try harder and seduce him.”
Daphne nibbled her lower lip recalling his last words to her that evening.
She was sure that he was never going to fall for a seduction.
Maybe he wasn’t that attracted to her.
After chatting with Layla for a while,she bid her goodnight and went to sleep.
********
When Daphne awoke the next day,it was almost noon.
Nora wasn’t home and the house was so quiet.
Daphne’s condition had worsened.She took her temperature and found out that she had a high fever.
She dragged herself out of bed and ate something,and then she managed to get a taxi and she headed to the hospital.
Unfortunately,the hospital was crowded,Over an hour later,it was finally her turn to see the doctor.After a quick assessment,the doctor asked a nurse to give her an IV drip.
It was already 3:pm by the time Daphne was put on a drip.She was exhausted and soon fell asleep,leaning against the chair.
It just so happened that Griffin had accompanied his mother to the hospital to get her medication.Just as they were about to leave,he saw a familiar figure in the transfusion room.
It was Daphne,asleep on a chair.
With a needle protruding out of the back of her hand,she looked so fragile and vulnerable.Griffin couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
She looked so pale.
He shouldn’t have let her get drenched by the rain yesterday.
He should have gotten out of the car and hold out an umbrella to her as she rushed to get into his car.
And why the heck was she here?
She should have gotten a private ward or something.
Following his son’s gaze,Magda saw him staring at the young girl,intently.
“Do you know her?”She asked him.
Griffin blinked.”I’ve..I’ve met her once before.”He lied,pretending to sound casual.
“Really?What a small world.When I was in line for registration,you know I don’t like buying my way out of things that regular people have to wait for.That lady over there offered me her space on the line even while looking so pale.”
Griffin nodded,silently and looked at Daphne again.
The latter had just woken up.When she saw Griffin,she was so startled that she forgot she was hooked onto an IV.She stood up in a hurry,the transparent infusion tube immediately turned red as blood was drawn out due to her sudden movement.
Shaken,Daphne quickly sat back down.
Griffin frowned at her while Magda offered her a warm smile.
She had immediately taken a liking for Daphne thanks to their brief interaction on the line.
She turned to face Griffin.
“Why don’t you stay and keep her company for a while?You said you know her,right?She looks very sick and there’s no one around her.”
Deep down,Griffin wanted to but he pretended he was only staying because his mother begged him to.
“Fine.I’ll stay with her.”He rasped.
Daphne was taken aback.She didn’t expect Griffin would agree to what his mother had said.
Griffin first escorted his mother to the parking lot.
As she got into the car,she gestured at her son to lean closer to the window.
“Griffin,that girl at the infusion room.I might not know much about her.But seeing how selfless she was today even while being sick.I know that she’s a good girl.I like her already.You’re not getting any younger.You’ll be thirty soon.Don’t let this girl slip by your fingers.She’s perfect for you.”
Griffin smiled,faintly at her.
If only his mother knew that Daphne was the ex-girlfriend of her future son-in-law.
Would she still think Daphne was perfect for him?
Griffin thought it wasn’t necessary to tell his mother that Daphne was Jacob’s ex.Afterall,he was only interested in sleeping with Daphne.There was nothing more to it.After sending his mother off,Griffin returned to the transfusion room where Daphne was sitting in a daze.He felt his trousers growing tighter and that made his teeth clenched.Damn it!Even while she looked so pale and sick, she still managed to get him so aroused.He adjusted himself,discreetly and sat beside Daphne,putting on an aloof look.“How long do you have to stay here?”He asked,coldly.Daphne wasn’t expecting that he would really come back to be with her.She didn’t want to think too much about it so she replied.“The doctor said I have one more bag of drip left.And then I’ll be discharged.”Griffin didn’t say anything anymore.He brought out his cellphone and tried to get busy with work to distract himself from the beauty beside him.Daphne sat there feeling uncomfortable by the awkward silence but she didn’
Daphne left his house,dejectedly.But she didn’t go home immediately.She didn’t want Nora to see the sad look on her face.She wanted to get rid of the look before she goes home.Night fell and Daphne walked down the street alone.The Ferris wheel in a theme park came to life with colorful light.From a distance,she could see the silhouette of a young couple hugging and kissing under the Ferris wheel.She stopped and looked at the romantic scene,quietly.She had always longed for romance in her life.And then she realized Jacob rarely took her out on dates.He was always too busy to take her out.She recalled the exciting way her body responds to Griffin.It was the first time in her life that her body was responding to a man like that but she couldn’t be with Griffin either.He wasn’t even interested in her to take the risk and be with him.She sniffed as tears fell from her eyes.Would she ever love and be loved in return for all the right reasons?Would she be loved like the beautiful
Seeing them entering the restaurant,Daphne quickly covered her face with the menu and cursed at her bad luck.But Asher,oblivious of her panic,called out to his friend.“Yo!Jacob!”Jacob grinned and was about to say hello but then his eyes fell on the girl sitting across Asher,the menu was doing so little to cover her face.His smile disappeared.Frowning,he walked up to Asher’s table.“What are you two doing here?”He asked,unable to hide his annoyance at the fact that Daphne was having dinner with another man.“My father is helping Daphne with a case.We met by chance at the front of his office and I offered to treat her to dinner.”Asher explained.Hearing this,Jacob’s expression darkened even more.He knew that Asher had a fondness for Daphne.“Why would you offer to treat her to dinner?Everyone knows you rarely take women out.”Jacob sneered.Lucia who has been standing beside Jacob the whole time felt uncomfortable by his mood.“Jacob,do you know this woman?”She asked,tentatively.As
Griffin’s car pulled up to a stop at the front of the Thai restaurant so Jacob could get his car.Jacob got out the car and thanked Griffin,politely.The two men exchanged meaningful glances.Griffin pulled away slowly but Lucia quickly climbed onto the passenger’s seat from the back seat.“This is a moving car.You should be more careful.”Griffin scolded his sister.She stuck out her tongue playfully at him and fastened her seatbelt.All of a sudden,her eyes lit up mischievously.“That woman at the restaurant,you know…Asher’s partner.We didn’t talk much but I got to know that her name is Daphne…she’s so beautiful and sexy.”Griffin swallowed, discreetly and rolled down the window.For some reason,he started to feel hot.But Lucia was oblivious of that and continued talking.“I almost thought that there was something fishy about her and Jacob but thankfully,she’s Asher’s girl so I don’t have to worry about her.”Griffin didn’t say anything and kept his eyes on the road.After a long tim
Daphne left his house,dejectedly.But she didn’t go home immediately.She didn’t want Nora to see the sad look on her face.She wanted to get rid of the look before she goes home.Night fell and Daphne walked down the street alone.The Ferris wheel in a theme park came to life with colorful light.From a distance,she could see the silhouette of a young couple hugging and kissing under the Ferris wheel.She stopped and looked at the romantic scene,quietly.She had always longed for romance in her life.And then she realized Jacob rarely took her out on dates.He was always too busy to take her out.She recalled the exciting way her body responds to Griffin.It was the first time in her life that her body was responding to a man like that but she couldn’t be with Griffin either.He wasn’t even interested in her to take the risk and be with him.She sniffed as tears fell from her eyes.Would she ever love and be loved in return for all the right reasons?Would she be loved like the beautiful
Seeing them entering the restaurant,Daphne quickly covered her face with the menu and cursed at her bad luck.But Asher,oblivious of her panic,called out to his friend.“Yo!Jacob!”Jacob grinned and was about to say hello but then his eyes fell on the girl sitting across Asher,the menu was doing so little to cover her face.His smile disappeared.Frowning,he walked up to Asher’s table.“What are you two doing here?”He asked,unable to hide his annoyance at the fact that Daphne was having dinner with another man.“My father is helping Daphne with a case.We met by chance at the front of his office and I offered to treat her to dinner.”Asher explained.Hearing this,Jacob’s expression darkened even more.He knew that Asher had a fondness for Daphne.“Why would you offer to treat her to dinner?Everyone knows you rarely take women out.”Jacob sneered.Lucia who has been standing beside Jacob the whole time felt uncomfortable by his mood.“Jacob,do you know this woman?”She asked,tentatively.As
Griffin’s car pulled up to a stop at the front of the Thai restaurant so Jacob could get his car.Jacob got out the car and thanked Griffin,politely.The two men exchanged meaningful glances.Griffin pulled away slowly but Lucia quickly climbed onto the passenger’s seat from the back seat.“This is a moving car.You should be more careful.”Griffin scolded his sister.She stuck out her tongue playfully at him and fastened her seatbelt.All of a sudden,her eyes lit up mischievously.“That woman at the restaurant,you know…Asher’s partner.We didn’t talk much but I got to know that her name is Daphne…she’s so beautiful and sexy.”Griffin swallowed, discreetly and rolled down the window.For some reason,he started to feel hot.But Lucia was oblivious of that and continued talking.“I almost thought that there was something fishy about her and Jacob but thankfully,she’s Asher’s girl so I don’t have to worry about her.”Griffin didn’t say anything and kept his eyes on the road.After a long tim
Nora stared at her stepdaughter with pity.After a while,she made up her mind and gave a bank card to Daphne.Jacob hadn’t been able to freeze this account because it had been for her retirement savings.Daphne held the card in her hand and burst into tears.“I’ll take it but just for now.I’ll replace this morning and I’ll make our lives better again.”Daphne promised,tearfully.She felt she had brought bad luck to her family for ever being involved with Jacob.“I have a small apartment in the suburb.Though it’s old and small,I can live there for now.Just focus on winning your father’s case,okay?”Nora said.Daphne sniffed and nodded.When Nora was discharged from the hospital,Daphne took her to the apartment she rented after they lost their house.It was a 60-square-meter two bedroom unit that was located in an old,dilapidated apartment complex.The decoration was simple and shabby,a stark contrast to their former comfortable residence.Nora looked around and settled down on the lumpy so