Chapter 6
Chapter 6
6.Chapter 6 A First Kiss
It was almost afternoon by the time Mikayla woke up. When she opened her eyes and saw the hotel’s iconic chandelier, her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly lifted the quilt and was relieved to see her clothes intact. Looking up, she caught the gaze of a man with piercing gray eyes watching her intently. Sitting cool and collected in his sharp suit, the tidy buzz cut he wore only added to his distinguished vibe. This was new for Mikayla; she’d never found a buzz cut so, well, hot, before.
Soon, Mikayla snapped back to reality, her cheeks burning. “Is he gone?” she asked, referring to Jaxon.
“Yeah,” came the reply, his voice as smooth as aged whiskey.
“And he… how did you know?” Mikayla stammered, feeling a bit awkward.
“You should be more careful.” Carlos snapped his fingers, and a muscle man strolled in. “Meet my personal driver. He’s gonna be your shadow from now on.”
Touched by Carlos’ pure trust, Mikayla didn’t feel like arguing. After all, if he hadn’t shown up in time, the situation could have been dire. She didn’t expect Jaxon to stoop to such low measures for the marriage alliance.
Watching muscle man, Mikayla quickly noticed something about him—his movements were too precise, too deliberate for an ordinary person; he must have training of some sort. Her suspicion was confirmed in the next moment when Carlos spoke. “This is Josiah Haartman, my go-to guy. He is trained in combat and was the black belt champion last year.” He turned to Josiah and instructed, “Keep close to Ms. Salvatore from now on.”
Mikayla saw a trace of reluctance on Josiah’s solemn face, but he didn’t dare to disobey Carlos. While she felt sorry for him getting stuck with her, selfishly, she was all for it. Safety first, after all.
Mikayla’s curiosity about Carlos kicked into high gear. At first, she figured he just worked in the same field as Juliet’s brother Xavier, but now, with the way he was dishing out contacts for the city’s bigwig and setting her up with a black-belt driver like it was no big deal, her imagination started running wild.
And if she ever found out that the only friend he had in the city was that very high-roller she’d been sizing up as a bigwig? That might just blow her mind.
“I mean, it’s kinda weird to keep calling you ‘fiancé’, right? What’s your name?” Mikayla asked with a charming smile.
“Carlos Ludwig,” he replied.
Mikayla was floored. Carlos was the eldest son of the Ludwig family—one of the four prominent families. He was once the talk of the city, but rumors had it that he went abroad for studies and later joined some secret military training. It seemed like he had just faded from the spotlight. And now, he was actually her fiancé! Thinking of their first meeting when she had mistaken him for some poor guy and said she would provide for him, she was so embarrassed she hoped the ground could swallow her up.
Noticing her astonishment, Carlos leaned in. “Having second thoughts?”
Mikayla chuckled and shook her head. She offered her hand, all smiles. “Mikayla Salvatore. Can’t wait to be your fiancée!” The warmth from his rough hand met hers as they shook. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
“Glad to be your fiancé,” Carlos responded with his own grin.
For a moment, Mikayla was taken aback by his smile. It was the first time she’d seen it, and it was as enigmatic as Carlos himself.
“I might have to take off for a couple more days,” Carlos said, his voice cool but tinged with a hint of reluctance.
Mikayla let go of his hand and nodded. “Go ahead. I’ve got Josiah here, so no worries,” she said, casting a glance at Josiah who hadn’t moved an inch. Then, she took a breath and threw in. “So, when are we picking a date for the wedding?”
Carlos paused for a second before answering. “Let’s talk to our folks once I’m back. We’ll pin down a date then. Cool with you?”
“Cool,” Mikayla agreed, and the next moment, a fleeting kiss landed softly on her lips.