25 I Dare You

Stupid.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She told herself while dragging her drenched self from the terrace to her room.

"Ms. Robinson." He calls her from behind but she keeps on walking ahead of him. "Come on, take the towel."

She turned back to glare at him but saw him equally drenched. "You better help yourself first and then help me."

He walks up to her blocking her path. "I made us both fall in the water, it's now my duty to help you out before I help myself."

Yeah! Before she could give any answer, Ezra dropped both of them into the swimming pool. Leaving no room for decision or discussion. Scarlett knows now how Ezra will make it possible to make her fall for him. Exactly by giving her no choice but to accept him.

She raises her eyebrow at him, "how are you planning to do so?"

He looks down at her body. Clothes sticking to her skin. Her slender neckline was decorated with water droplets and the urge to run the tongue over it to quench his thirst grows. "Why don't we start by opening your clothes?"

Gasp.

"Mr. Knight! Behave!" She starts walking away from him again, shaking her head. It's useless, useless to put barriers between them as he always finds a way to break them.

"Hey, that was a joke. I wasn't being serious." Even though he was being real, he wouldn't admit it out loud. Not yet, "what I was going to say is, you should change your clothes quickly."

Scarlett gives him a fake surprised look, "oh wow, why didn't I think of this before?" Then glares at him, "you think I'm stupid?"

"I think, that you think, I'm stupid."

"Wait what?" What's with him talking in riddles today?

He chuckles, "come on we need to change fast."

"I was already on it if you haven't seen it." She retorts continuing her walk until when her feet failed to feel the ground and found herself being lifted up. "What are you doing?"

"My legs will work faster than yours so, I thought, why not help you out?" He says not meeting her eyes because he knows they are squinting at him right now.

"How kind Mr. Knight, I'm so grateful." She spats at him.

"Tone down your venom Ms. Robinson." He playfully warns her to which she sighs in defeat.

Scarlett can't believe they fell into the swimming pool together. Why would he do that? Why would he want to lose himself to her?

He has everything, a big house, money and women who are willing to give themselves to him. Then why would he want to do all these small little kindnesses to her or say anything to give her stomach a fluttering feeling?

There's no other reason than the one she confirmed in the swimming pool.

He wants to fall together.

It's fantasy, it has to be. Ezra is being delusional thinking she and him will ever work.

The ringing of the buzzer in her room echoes breaking her thoughts. That means he needs her right now.

"Ugh, give me a break from you!" She groans to herself but eventually tidies herself up before going to the living room. "Yes, Mr. Knight?"

She greets him as soon as she sees him sitting on the couch in a proper crisp shirt and trousers. He's working from home yet he still wears formal attire. He looks up at her and gives her a small smile before handing her the paper he was reading. She takes it from his hand and gives him a confused look.

"Let's go to my study room, I'll explain further there."

He stood up and made his way upstairs while she followed him behind. Once reaching, both sat down on the two seats close to the study table.

"So," she starts to ask, "what's all this about?"

He just simply smiles down at her, "a set of rules and the punishments if you infrign them."

Her eyebrows furrow while reading the set of rules, "don't roll your eyes at your boss, yup I know about that already."

"Go on, read it all." He nods at her when she gives him a 'are you serious?' look.

"Fine." She mutters under her breath.

Rule 1. Never roll your eyes at your boss. Okay, she's learning this to avoid.

Rule 2. Don't interrupt your boss while he's speaking. Wait, has she ever done this? She can't remember though.

Rule 3. Never misplace your boss's belongings without asking or informing. Yes, she remembered one day she found a torn pair of shirt and trousers set in his closet. It had blood stains and was dirty. She thought it was a waste to keep something unusable and so put those in the waste bin. Later, that day he screamed at her for doing it but then instantly apologized as he understood for not informing her beforehand.

Rule 4. Never go out of the building for any reason without letting your boss or his Butler know about it. She remembers that once she got down the penthouse just to visit the garden the elite society had but the problem was, she wasn't informed about it. Jones reported to Ezra when he entered the house in her absence. He probably thought Stella stole from Ezra and ran away. But the surprise they got when she came back was funny. The look gave it all as if they saw a ghost. Ezra was mad at her but Jones was irritated with something. Of course he was irritated because he was proven wrong again with his accusations against her.

Rule 5. Always have the driver let you drive to places you wish to visit. Well, she was about to go grocery shopping the day before yesterday. She had to put on a different makeover in order to not get caught by the sight of the wrong people. Returning from the departmental store she saw Ezra was already home. He was shocked seeing her carrying heavy bags by herself but it wasn't that difficult for her honestly.

Rule 6. Maintenance of the timings and the orders according to schedule is necessary. Which is boring, like she thought in the morning she needs to talk about it with him.

"I read your rules Mr. Knight." She says looking at him.

"Very well Ms. Robinson, I hope you will obey them all." He says standing up from the seat of her opposite and walks to the head chair and starts his laptop to work. He expected her to leave right away but still found her sitting on the chair with a hesitant look on her face. "What's the matter?"

She looks up expectantly but fumbles on her words, "Ezra- I mean Mr. Knight, about rule 6… I wanted to talk about it."

He smirks seeing her taking the rules seriously, "what about it Ms. Robinson?"

She bites her lips nervously, and the act gives him sweet shivers down his crotch. He should have added this clause of not biting on lips as it is turning him on and he is hardly getting any release lately. He even stopped fucking Carly, as nothing about her gives him release anymore. His body and mind wants only one woman.

The tempting fragile vixen in front of him.

"I... wanted to say. I mean I don't get it... you know. Ugh! How do I put this into words?" She mutters mostly to herself making it difficult for him to understand.

"Come close and tell Ms. Robinson, I can barely hear you say anything." He says but his internal devil plans just as she comes close to his chair he will grope her ass and settle her down directly on his crotch. Then she would ride him to his release and have him give her a pleasant release too.

He was too busy to fantasize her that he didn't notice she came near to his chair but was at a safe distance. Better, far better than what he was dreaming about. He wouldn't want to have her for the first time in his office. He would rather take her in his bedroom and make it all about her.

"I…" Ezra looks at her nervous face and wonders what she wants to talk about Rule 6. "I want you to change Rule number 6."

He questions, "why so?"

And then he saw the cutest reaction of her, she pouted. With those luscious lips, she pouted. "It's so boring, how can someone live a life which is systematically designed by some other person?"

He shakes his head in confusion, "what do you mean?"

"Your dietician set your food chart, your working out schedule, your sleeping schedule and even how much time you should spend to spare. I mean, you are basically living a robot life except for the time we…"

"Interact?"

She admits sheepishly, "yeah."

Time with Stella always feels short to him. If she wasn't pointing it out today he wouldn't have cared to think about the daily routine he has been living. "I never had any problem with it, I wouldn't want it changed any other way."

"But…"

"But, of course if you want to have it in other ways; I dare you to change. Change the rule to your liking any day and anytime."

She looks surprised with hope in her eyes, "really? You would let me do that?"

"Why not? But then be ready for the punishments you might get for committing infringement of rules." He says making her eyes bulge out of her sockets.

"Punishments? What kind of…" she looks down at the paper work again and reads the end of the rules.

Punishment for breaking any of the rules will be a kiss, however and whenever your boss will want.

"A kiss?" She asks, "why would you want to kiss me?"

"Why won't I?" He replies instantly to her doubt. She needs to know how desirable she is to him. "Even now, all I can think of is to kiss the confusion out of your head by making you sit right on my lap."

She gulps audibly hearing him while her heart races a marathon. "You are scaring me."

He gives her a comforting smile, "I won't be the monster you are afraid of, I'll be slow and gentle with you." She looks down at her feet, probably hiding her emotions. "I dare you Ms. Robinson, take the risk. Change the rules which are binding my life and face the consequences. It won't hurt, I promise."

She opens her mouth to reply but the sudden doorbell rings, making them alert of a guest's arrival.

"Shit." She heard him curse under his breath. "Always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Were you expecting someone?"

He doesn't meet her eyes this time replying, "it's Carly."

And the day when she saw them both together in a compromising situation flashes in front of her eyes in Ezra's office.

One realization pings her heart, is she just another Carly to him?

A burning sensation brews up within her, she knows; she can't see Carly and Ezra together.

Her heart will break if something like that day happens again.