Her Forbidden Billionaire

Chapter 4

Raina and Dean were finishing the Christmas pudding and the ice cream sundae when Raina asked about how the business was going.

“It is going pretty amazing, not to brag or anything. Our team just came back from a successful film festival in Europe where our actors, actresses and movies took the biggest prizes of the night,” he said.

“That must be a fantastic feeling, right?” She was staring at him in admiration.

“Yeah, it is… We are super busy now. You know, the award season is coming up and we run several campaigns for our movies. And there is a strong chance we will get nominated,” he said with a huge grin; his fingers were tented under his chin.

Then something appeared before Raina’s eyes. Some headlines she had read or just leafed through. “Don’t tell me that Jennifer Smith is represented by you!” She exclaimed.

Dean chuckled, dimples appearing on his cheeks. “I am glad you know her. Yes, she is precisely the actress we are pushing through in the business right away.”

“Wow! I loved her in that drama when she lost her husband and son. I cried my eyes out. She was unimaginably good,” she said, the scenes from the movie she had watched some time ago appearing before her eyes. It had truly been an emotional and touching movie that Raina thought of as one of the best movies of the year, if not the best one.

“She was really good in that one, I have to say,” Dean replied, not lifting his gaze off of her.

“You seriously have a great insight for spotting amazing, unique talent. I guess, it is you who we have to thank for fantastic movies.” No matter what they spoke about or what was going through her head, there were Veronica’s words running across the back of her mind. Dean was a hot guy, hands down and hats off. All it took was him to sit just like that and look at her and blink with his eyelashes and she could fall in love.

“Oh, it’s business really.” Dean suddenly took his hand away from under his chin and placed it above her. His touch was cold against her burning skin. She involuntarily took a deep breath and didn’t let it out. The butterflies in the stomach were frantically waving their wings, she thought she would vomit. What was this strange feeling inside her? “But enough about me. Tell me something about yourself,” he said as his thumb slowly fondled her chocolate skin.

“Well, the grocery store is going pretty much awesome. We have had some setbacks this year, but our hopes are that thanks to the Christmas season we will redeem ourselves. The co-workers are a joy to work with. They are so supportive and came up with astonishing ideas…” She was just warming up when Dean interrupted her.

“Interesting… But tell me something about yourself. Let us leave the business aside. It’s Christmas, right?” His eyes held a strong glint that was ambiguous to Raina.

“Hmmm…” She said and focused on the smeared plate before her. What was happening to her personally? The better question was what she would tell him. That she broke up with a jerk? That she was preoccupied with work and work and only work? That she was often left all on her own and she feared that she would never find her true love and soul mate until the end of her life? “I am doing quite fine, myself.” She smiled.

“Oh, you are not getting away with that, dear Raina.” Did he call her ‘dear Raina’? Surprisingly, sweat sprang on her forehead.

“It’s the truth really. There’s nothing else I can say…”

“There must be something. You see, the single thing I have learned through all these years is that every person has a story. All of us have scars and bruises we want to hide. Everyone has something they hold back. A story they keep for themselves. Just tell me something about yourself.”

Raina couldn’t help it but raise her shoulders.

“Come on, imagine that I am an interviewer and that you are my guest…” He stood up and shouted as if there was an audience around them, but it was invisible to her. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Dean Franklin’s Late Night Show!”

“Seriously? Dean Franklin’s Late Night Show? You have to be better than that.” Raina chuckled.

“Okay… Ladies and gentlemen, good evening and welcome to Late Night Stories with Dean Franklin!”

“Much better!” Raina exclaimed.

He nodded and winked. “Tonight we have an exclusive guest! It is the unbelievable, unforgettable, charming, gorgeous and my dear friend – Raina Barnes!” He clapped fiercely with his hands.

“Oh, my, you’re exaggerating.”

“Don’t dodge the subject, Raina. Now, tell us something about yourself!” He smiled at her.

She stood up and went to the stereo and slid a CD of ballads which played at low volume. “I am recently out of a relationship with a complete dork. I am left alone to survive and find my way in the concrete jungle while my mother lives overseas and doesn’t give a damn about her daughter, it seems. I haven’t heard from her, I don’t know if she is healthy or ill or needs my help or cries every morning with memories and thoughts of her daughter. My dearest friend, Veronica… If it weren’t for her, I would die out here alone and no one would notice. Yes. That’s my lonely life in a nutshell.” Raina sighed as tears slid down her face. She didn’t know why she took off her skin and showed him her soul. There was a heavy lump in her throat and she realized then and there that it was gone. She suddenly felt lighter and found a weak smile in her.

Dean saw her emotional like that and came to her and hugged her. Her head was on his shoulder as his palm gently caressed her hair. “There, there… You said it yourself. People have setbacks and we survive these setbacks. Everything will be alright, okay?”

He captured her face between his two big powerful hands. Her glassy eyes were slowly clearing and Veronica’s words came to her again. He was so drop-dead gorgeous and so other-worldly kind. Raina placed her fingers on his shoulders and leaned toward him. He, too, did the same. And they kissed. His lips brushing against hers. Soft and caring like she never knew they could be. She felt his touch on her waist as her hands locked on the back of his head. Slipping her tongue into his mouth she connected with him, driven by desire and perhaps something more than that.

The slow tune lulled them in, enriching the atmosphere as they still couldn’t get enough of each other, not breaking the kiss. They finally separated.

“You are a beautiful woman, Raina,” he whispered and sat on the couch. She sat next to him. They remained like that in silence as weird, awkward thoughts preoccupied the minutes.

Raina bit her nails from anxiety. What were the both of them thinking?

“It was a wonderful and sad story. Thank you for sharing that with me,” Dean spoke suddenly as if the kiss never happened.

They talked some more about their lives, laughing about their childhood silliness and telling each other funny anecdotes which kept them awake until the small hours of the night. They giggled at the fact that they had been practically linked several years back by their parents and they had had absolutely no idea of the closure they now shared.

“… Yeah, it’s amazing really. I didn’t even know who you were on the phone.” She smiled as a fleeting thought passed through her. “Oh, wait, I have to get something.” Raina stood up and went to her bedroom. The gift she had bought the previous day was wrapped in an elegant blue and silver box. She took it and went back to the living room. “I have a present for you.”