Dakota's POV
"You're flustered. Calm down, Dakota." Bruce said as he drove us to the office. I glared at him from the back, our eyes meeting through the mirror.
"Easy for you to say, you're not the person who just had your engagement announced on TV. I cannot marry him. I can't... Not now. I just..."
"Hey," his voice softened, which was a surprise since he looked angry. "It's going to be okay. Just go talk to him."
"Oh, he's not going to listen." I nearly wailed.
"Then stand him down, Dakota! You're the one he is to marry so you must agree first. It's that simple. I'm tired of you letting everyone walk on you." His voice hardened. But then again, so did mine.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"You don't even know me! You've been here for like what, two hours and you're already making reports."
"Three days and I have seen enough."
An anger I was certain I'd never felt before burned within me and I wanted to scream. But I wasn't going to him the satisfaction of that. The mistake he'd done was failing to lock my door. So I reached out, opened the door—
He turned around, an alarmed expression on his face. "Don't you da—"
And just like that, I jumped out of the moving car. Not without some scratches and causing a havoc on the company's parking lot. Horns blared around me and a few camera's started rearing it's ugly head. I jumped up with such speed, not minding the broken ankle, and raced into the building.
Quick footsteps followed behind. Without turning I knew it was Bruce. I'd memorized those footsteps of his. Gallant. Annoying. Comforti—
The ding of the elevator dragged me out of my head. "Don't ever do that again." He sneered. "You could have injured yourself and then what?"
"Then perhaps you'd be a little bit more kind. I am going in there to face, no doubt, my superiors who would be ecstatic that I'm getting married. A marriage I don't even want but have to accept. Forgive me if I don't share your notion of being reckless. What you saw in the parking lot is all the reckless I can be, sorry."
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the elevator dinged again. I stepped out and just as I'd expected, everyone had been waiting for me.
"Congratulations!" They all yelled at the same time, bright smiles curving around their lips. I smiled at them, hoping that it was convincing enough.
My personal assistant, Angie, practically hopped to me. Her cheek must have been burning with the way she was smiling. She handed me a cup of coffee. "Good morning, miss Harper. Here's your sweetened coffee. Your other sweetened coffee is waiting for you in your office, if you know what I mean." She said and winked. I shook my head and started walking to my office, focusing my mind on the burn of the coffee on my palm as it distracted me. Absently, I could hear Bruce coming up behind me.
"You must introduce me to one of his brothers." A staff loudly whispered behind me.
I held my hand up as we got to the office. "Stay here."
Bruce glowered. "I'm coming with you."
"No, you will stay here."
"What are you going to tell him?" He asked, his voice softened with concern.
It was my turn to glare at him. "I guess that would be my business, don't you think." And without another word, I pushed the door and slowly slid past it. Harry smiled.
"There you are. You finally showed up. I was beginning to think you were running away from me." Oh, you got that right.
"Nope. Just navigating traffic." I said and we just stared at other. He reached into his suit and smiled slowly. His hands came out with a red velvet box.
"Uh..."
"It's yours." He said, handing me the box.
"What is?" I asked and he frowned.
"Open it." He ordered and I did. An twelve carat diamond sat comfortably inside. "Beautiful, is it not?"
"Yes. Very." I said and clamped the box shut. His eyebrow knitted again.
"Aren't you going to put it on?"
Oh, his audacity I admired. He wouldn't bother his knee by going down on them. I exhaled, trying my best to remain calm."Don't you think this is something we could have discussed together first before broadcasting to the whole world that we're going to be getting married?"
"I don't understand. We've been dating. Didn't you see this coming?"
Did I? Maybe before I found out he'd cheating. Not now. I swallowed, trying to choose my answer wisely. "Not in this manner, I didn't."
He laughed. "Oh, you want me to get down on one knee, huh?" No, I want you to stop being a cheating idiot.
"It's not about the posture, Harry."
"It's not? Then what is it about?"
"I don't know... The fact that there's always a new woman every week. I can't view myself to you while you go around—"
His voice was low and dangerous. "I apologized. I always apologize. I told you Jessica was the last one, didn't I?"
"I don't want you to tell me, dangit. I want to see it. With my own eyes, I want to see you start showing this relationship a little more respect and until then..." I swallowed, my heart thudding because of the words I'd already said and the one that sat at the tip of my tongue. "Until then, I cannot marry you."
"You are going to marry me, Dakota." His eyes darkened and he stepped forward slowly. This was a part of him I had never seen before.
"I am not going to marry you." I said, taking a few steps backwards. Setting distance between us.
"You are going to marry me!"
"I will not—" before I could finish the sentence, I was pinned against the wall with such speed. It was like we'd flown there. His hands tightened around my neck and he lowered his head to whisper in my ear. I could feel his breath against my ear as I struggled to draw in air.
"You are going to marry me, Dakota, and that is that. Do you understand?" He whispered. I nodded, choking. "No, I want to hear you say it. Say you'll marry me." He bellowed.
"I'm going to marry you." I choked out, tears I couldn't control dropping from my eyes and into my cheek, my chin and his hands. His fingers loosened around my neck and he turned around, wiping his wet hands against his Armani suit's jacket.
I tried to touch my neck but it stung so much. I wiped the tears with my sleeves but there was always more.
"I'm sorry." His voice was back to normal. It was even filled with remorse. So was his eyes, I noticed as he turned around. He was another person altogether. "you should have just accepted the ring and then we'd drink to our new life together. I bought wine and everything. All you had to do was just freaking say yes." He said and started walking close to me.
"Are you okay?"
"Stay away from me, Harry." I tried to say but it came out in a hoarse whisper. My throat ached.
He groaned. "This is not going to be one of those occasions where I beg and beg for your forgiveness, is it?"
"Just stay away from me. Please." I said, but he kept on coming on to me. The knock on the door paralyzed him to a spot. I quickly wiped my face, careful not to ruin the make up I'd put on in the car. Thankfully I hadn't used mascara.
Bruce's cologne filled the air as he walked into the room. "You have a meeting over at Colgate, miss Harper. Said I should remind you."
What? I had no meeting there. What... Oh. This was a saving call. I immediately nodded, wondering how he knew I had to get the heck out of here. "Of course, thank you Bruce."
"I guess you have to go then, hon. I'll see you at home. Parker invited me for dinner over at your house." Harry said and came closer, his smile was almost perfect and he placed a soft kiss that felt like thorns on my forehead. Then he turned and walked away but not before picking up the velvet box.
***
"Something happened back there." Bruce said, his eyes on the road. He'd insisted I ride in the front of the car whtg him which was good and bad. Good because I didn't have to worry about Harry snatching me up back there. Bad because it was like I couldn't control my own teary gland. Bruce kept handing me tissues.
"Nothing happened, Bruce, for the zillionth time." I sniffed. "Where are you even taking me? I have no meeting scheduled for today." I asked, but he said nothing. Then the car stopped and he turned to me. He reached out for my face and I flinched. But he was just trying to caress my face and he did. His other hand joined the movement. Perhaps it was crazy but I felt safe again. And before I could control myself I fell into his arms and violent sobs took over. He didn't say anything... He just held me. The car silent apart from the weeping that I couldn't stop.