Let's feed you

Danger alarms went in her head when he leaned closer to her, so close that she could feel his breath on her chin. 

Bella gripped the desk tightly, holding her breath. 

She noticed the nonchalant look on his face. It seems like he has yet to notice their proximity and he was not doing this with any intention unlike her who had wild thoughts running amok in her head since the very first moment he leaned closer to her. 

''M-Mr. Niklaus?" 

''Mm?" Niklaus tilted his head to the side. 

Bella pressed her index finger on his chest, slowly pushing him away, ''A little distance will be more proper lest I am accused of seducing you again.''

''Miss Bella, are you taunting me?" he asked, letting her push him.

''I am stating facts,'' Bella shrugged, ''Does it bother you?" 

He looked at her face which was screaming 'Say yes so that I can go quiet and give you cold shoulders' and his lips twitched. This woman would really do that, ''Of course not. Nothing that you do can bother me,'' he smiled like a Cheshire cat. 

Her eyelids twitched ever so slightly but she nodded like a professional, ''I see.'' 

''You didn't answer me.'' 

She raised an eyebrow, ''I didn't ask for any help from the Vice President.'' 

''I will drop you at the mansion since we are on the same way,'' he said before thrusting one of his hands inside his pocket and walking out. 

Bella speechlessly glanced at his back. What's up with him going from one topic to another? She wanted to say that she can take a cab but with her current condition, she found him more reliable. Although she had cash, but there was a little of it. She had to save that money for the whole month till she got her first salary. 

Of course, meanwhile, she hoped she would be able to go back to her world before that. It would be for the best. 

With that determination in her mind, she followed after Niklaus. 

Only after she got inside the car did she notice the lack of the driver inside the black sedan.

''I am not your driver,'' Niklaus glanced at her through the rearview mirror. 

Bella nodded, ''Uh… I know that,'' she quickly slid out of the backseat before sitting next to him in the front passenger seat.

Feeling his gaze on her, she followed his line of sight and noticed him staring at her chest and waist portion, ''You per…'' she stopped speaking when she realized that he was looking at the seatbelt. 

Bella wanted to dig a hole and bury herself. She did not remember the last time she was this flustered around someone. She had always been a rational person and even if it was a pervert, she would deal with the situation calmly instead of calling them out like this. 

But somehow, this man was different… in ways that she hated to admit. Two days down, and she wanted to stay far far away from him even though the universe seemed to be manipulating her to be around him. 

When she came to Trident Empires, she did not expect him to be the CEO nor did she think she will be joining work on the very first day itself, or sitting in the CEO's car was also not a part of her considerations but everything happened just in that way. 

''Seatbelt,'' Niklaus had placed his elbow on the steering with the side of his head propped on his fist. He sat in that position while looking at her. 

Bella snapped out of her daze before putting on her seatbelt, ''We are good to go.'' 

The corner of his lips tugged up and her gaze wandered to his lips for a moment.

She quickly moved her face away and pressed her face against the glass pane, looking at the road. 

She decided to not look at him. It would be much better that way. 

But oh, how wrong she was!

Her stomach let out a protesting growl and following that, the sound of masculine laughter reverberated in the car. 

She glanced at Niklaus and her cheeks slowly turned red, ''What's there to laugh about? Haven't you ever been hungry?" she glared at him, both out of embarrassment and annoyance. 

He raked his fingers through his head before shaking his head helplessly, ''I don't starve myself.'' 

''Neither do I,'' Bella continued glaring daggers, ''I did not expect I would start working from today.'' 

''I thought it was some of your detox going on,'' He noticed her confused gaze and explained further, ''When we were young, you once said you like to have your diet in check and you have these routines of detox where you eat limited things to keep your figure in check,'' As he said so, his gaze roamed on her body from top to bottom. 

Bella crossed her hands in front of her body in a defensive posture, ''Don't be a perv,'' she grumbled, ''It's not some botox, just work…'' she hated the fact that she knew nothing about the previous Bella who is the original supporting female character. 

She always liked to calculate things in advance so that nothing would come as a surprise to her but at this point, everything was unpredictable. 

''But you could have had something for lunch. You didn't have to starve yourself."

Bella did not reply to him. It was out of habit that whenever she worked, she would lose track of time. Usually, it would be Ben, her secretary who will remind her to take her meals. Or at times, even her grandfather. 

"Why did you stop the car?" Bella turned to look at Niklaus. 

"Let's feed you," Niklaus alighted the car and walked to the other side before opening the door for her. 

Bella stepped out of the car, "It's not that urgent. I can wait till we reach the mansion."

"You are a qualified secretary."

"Huh?" Bella blinked. What was he talking about? 

"If you die, it would be a hassle to look for another one," he said with a straight face before turning around and walking towards the French restaurant.