Chapter 26

Alitha's POV

"Hey, lovebirds!" It was as if we were plunging down from each other's paradise when we heard Glaiza's interrupting voice. "What are you waiting for? Come over here if you'll not kiss each other!" That was she said and turned her back from us. We looked at each other again and laughed at the same time.

"That friend of yours is really different. That's why my friend is crazy for her." "Yeah, she's really different." Soon, he will discover more traits of my best friend. We walk toward a small cabin not far from the lagoon. I was impressed when we reached the cabin. The cabin is made of stone bricks and woods. Niko put his hand over my shoulder and guided me inside the house.

Cedrick is putting woods in the fireplace while Glaiza is busy looking at her boyfriend. Her silly smile crept on her face when she saw me. I know what's the meaning of that silly smile she's showing me. "We will cook later, Ali. For now, we have decided to go for a swim." She said reaching Cedrick's hair and caress it. I smirked at her.

I can't really still believe seeing her sweetness toward Cedrick. We're both new to this kind of thing called relationship. Not just a simple relationship but an intimate relationship with an opposite sex. So, where did she learned that tactics or moves? Ah, I'm sure she saw that in movies. "It's fine with me. I would love to swim at this fine weather." "Me too!" She excitedly exclaimed.

"Why don't you go change? Cedrick and I will cook for lunch while you two are swimming." Nikolai insisted. I didn't know that he can cook. "You know how to cook?" He soundly laugh. "Yeah. It's just a simple frying and grilling." "Oh, I thought I have a chef boyfriend here." I tease him. "Wait 'til you have a taste of his cooking." Cedrick suddenly stand up and face us. "He grew up alone and he didn't like the taste of their servant's cook at first. He was used to his Mom's cooking that's why he tried and tried his best to copy the taste of his Mom's cooking."

I feel my heart tightened when I heard that from Cedrick. He was too young to experienced the heartache and pain when he lost his mother. Thinking about the sufferings he had been through pierce my heart and soul. I picture the young Niko struggles in the kitchen alone while he was cooking. The ingredients scattered all over the counter, an apron he's wearing was untidy, sweat all over his young and innocent face. I constantly closed my eyes to prevent the tears from falling.

"I want to see you cook." I abruptly told him. Seems like he did not expect me say that but he still managed to answer with a smile on his face.

"Sure. It's up to you." He raked his hair and emplace his hand over my shoulder. He was about to kiss my temple when Cedrick interrupted.

"I think I will be with my girl right now. I will leave you two cook. Okay?" Niko shows his dirty hand on Cedrick's sight. But the later just grind and secretly tease him. We've waited until we couldn't see Cedrick. He faced me and ask me. "What do you want us to cook?"

"I am not good in cooking. I will be your assistant for now." I show him my excitement in whatever we will be doing later.

"Are you saying that you'll learn how to cook? For me?"

"No. Yes, ahm.. I don't know." I want to be honest with him but I don't want him to think I am eager to learn how to cook so that I can cook for him. That I am desperate enough for him to be fond at me just how he fonds his Mother.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, yes it is. And I believe that I am beautiful in his eyes because he won't like me if I am not. But will it be a plus factor that I should also be good in cooking? Because he's good at it.

"Okay. Just watch and learn." He winks and pulls me to the kitchen. I can't wait to see him cook for us. I was right then when I imagined him looked sexy as he moved and walked in the kitchen. Just as what I see him now. I was looking for an apron but I couldn't find any. Until he told me that he forgot to brought that cloth here.

"It's okay. I always cook without that. In fact I intend to cook without.." And he started to strip in front of me. He removed his shirt and throw it on the table. I was shock of his action but I was shock more when I saw his hairy wide chest, flat stomach with hairs down to I don't want to think where and his oozing abs attracting me to touch them one by one.

"Stop eye-raping me." He let out a mischievous laugh and tease me more when he winks at me.

"I am not!" I shook my head and secretly swallowed the lump in my throat. I haven't informed that I have a sexy boyfriend. Literally sexy and eye catchy! Jesus! My eyes are not virgin anymore. Jeez!

I saw an apple in the counter and throw it in him. "Put your shirt on!" But he catch the apple and took a bite still staring at me. "It's not proper to cook without your shirt!"

"I always cook like this. Besides it's hot and I don't want to get sweat when I cook." I shook my head and look at him with disbelief. Somehow he got a point but it's not that hot in here. How can I concentrate assisting him when I can't help but to look at his body?

"You're free to stare at me. It's yours now, baby. Not mine anymore but yours." I throw him the banana but he catches the fruit just like what he did earlier. "Oh, banana?"

"Niko?! Shut up! I will leave you alone if you don't stop!" He started to laugh and put his hands up, palms facing me.

"I'm sorry. I was just teasing you." He said still laughing.

"I don't like it." Because it's getting on my nerves. And it thrilled me! I wanted to say those also but I stop myself from saying so.

"Come here." He said after a while and he looked serious this time.

"I'm okay here. I'll watch you."

"You said you will help me. Come on, I will teach you." His hand gesturing me to come closer to him. I want to learn so I walk toward him. He catch my hand and pulled me closer to the counter. He's behind me holding both my hands. I don't know if it's me or him but I feel everything went in slow motion.

His hand motioned mine to get an onion. He motioned my other hand to get the knife. It feels like our hands are molded and suited each other. I'm having a mixed emotions while he did that to me. I can't understand my own hands because it moves according to his touch and the way he guides mine.

But before we cut the onion, I felt his chest pressed in my back. He lowered his head and sniffed my hair. "Why do you smell so good, Ali?" His raspy voice made me close my eyes and feel the closeness of our bodies. After he sniffed my hair, he buried his head in the crook of my neck. He continued sniffing my scent and he's like an obsessed man emptying the scent in my neck.

His left hand slowly traveled up to my elbow. I hitch my breath when his hand found my stomach. It lingered there for seconds or so and then he continued hugging me from behind. He gripped my waist tightly. He stops sniffing but I felt his tongue touched my skin. I was halted when he did that.

"I.. I know how to.. how to chop an onion." I want to scold myself for it came out with a moan instead of complain. He did not mind what I said. Instead, he continued what he's doing. He's licking my neck up to his content. He licked after he sucked and he licked again. I was in daze and lean on him but we both jolted away from each other when we heard a loud voice calling his name. I move closer to the counter and felt him lean his back on the kitchen sink.

"Y-yeah!" His voice quivered. He cleared his throat and answered again. "Yeah!"

"What the hell, bro? I've been calling you many times but you didn't answer. Can't you hear me?" Cedrick show up from the living room. My hands are shaking a bit but I still manage to chop the onion.

"I - I was busy ordering Ali what to do. What is it?" He started to normally talk but his voice became irritated when he asked.

"We will go back to town. I forgot to buy us wine and drinks. We won't take long."

"Okay. Take your time." He seriously told him.

"Sure. Did I miss something?" I look at Cedrick who is now frowning and staring at us. I shook my head and smile at him when he looks at me.

"No. Please go. You're interrupting us." Niko's tone was full of irritation.

"So, I interrupted something? I'm sorry." He laughed. "You may continue with what you're doing. We gotta go." Cedrick winked at his best friend and saluted me.

It was long enough when Cedrick and Glaiza leave. I finished chopping the onion but Niko behind me still leaning on the sink. I turned to him. "I'm so sorry about that."

I don't know if what's he's sorry about. Was it because Cedrick found out what we're doing? Or was it because he kissed me? I shrugged and walk to pick up his shirt. "It's okay. You have nothing to worry about." I folded his shirt and placed it back in the side of the counter. "Shall we cook now?"

"Sure. Let's start." I avoided his gaze but I walk close to him enough to see what he's going to do. He started chopping the other ingredients. He looks serious with what he's doing now. Contradict to his teasing and joking with me earlier. He looks engrossed while stirring in front of the stove but I found him gorgeously hot while doing that.

His biceps are moving and his muscles are visible in my eyes. He got the most captivating body all men envied. His charisma is drowning me and making me forget the boundaries I had set.

He sautés the garlic and onion when he turned and our eyes meet but he immediately averted his gaze. I frowned when I realized that he's avoiding me. I feel a sudden pain when he did that. I walked toward him and stopped next to him.

"Is something wrong?" I calmly asked. I don't want him to feel that I was hurt.

"Nope." I watch him cook but still, he can't look at me.

"Are you sure?" He just nod. "Why do I have this feeling that you're avoiding me?" I hope he didn't sense the pain in my voice. I saw him turned off the stove and sighed. He faced me.

"First of all, I was not sorry that I kissed you in your neck. I.. I was sorry because Cedrick almost saw us. I swear I did not heard him at first."

"I don't understand." Okay, he's not sorry he licked and sucked my neck. I felt relieved knowing that. But Cedrick didn't saw us, so what's bothering him?

"You're a different girl. You deserve to be respected. What if Cedrick or Glaiza saw me did that to you? That.. that kind of, you know, is for private places only and not probably not here in the kitchen."

I raised my brow and can't believe hearing that from him. "I get it. So you think that I'm a conservative type of a girl?"

"I want to respect you. I respect you, really! That's why I felt ashamed of my actions toward you earlier. I don't want them see me doing that to you, again."

Oh. He will not do that again? He's crazy.

"Nikolai Johnson is hell a conservative type of a man, yeah?"

"Only to you."

"Okay. I understand. But it doesn't mean that you have to avoid me. I hate you. Wait until I do the same."

"Hey?" He abruptly hug me. "That's not my intention. I got carried away earlier, thanks to you by the way." He sounds sarcastic but I secretly grinned. "Embarrassment was the only feeling I felt when Cedrick leave us. I can't face you nor talk to you. I don't want you to think that I'm fast but I know that you're thinking that already because of what I did. I jut couldn't help it." I look up and saw him having a hard time explaining. He stared at me with a gaze full of desire. "You're a tease, baby. You can't expect me to behave when you're so close to me like this." His voice became soft and low.

"Then don't."