Chapter 17

Yasmin and Caleb were inches apart. Their breath mingled, their noses almost touching. It felt as if they were about to kiss at any moment. The air between them grew thick with unspoken tension. Caleb raised an eyebrow, his body relaxing against the chair as he rested one hand on her waist. "What if I want the endorsement for Sparkle?" Yasmin whispered, her voice dripping with sweetness as she leaned in closer. "Would you give it to me?" Her lips, flushed and temptingly close, were a taste he hadn't indulged in for a long time. Her soft and sweet voice made his chest tighten. Caleb lowered his eyes. Suddenly, his hand slid to the back of her head, and he kissed her. Yasmin's eyes widened in shock. Two seconds later, she regained her senses and immediately tried to push him away. But Caleb had already anticipated her struggle. He grabbed her wrist in one swift motion, and before she could react, the world spun. She was trapped between his embrace and the desk as he kissed her. "Mmph! Let go… Mmmph…" The intense kiss made her body go limp from the lack of oxygen. She was unable to resist. Only when he sensed her gasping for air did he finally show some mercy, releasing her. His gaze bore down on her, dark and predatory. It was like a carnivore toying with its prey. Yasmin didn't hesitate to slap him across the face before wiping her mouth in disgust. The sound of the slap was especially deafening in the silent office. Caleb's jaw tightened. He clenched his teeth, his voice hoarse as he spat out, "Yasmin, you're the only person who dares to slap me." She had done it twice! Luckily for him, the kiss had left her weak, so there wasn't a visible handprint this time. "Serves you right!" Yasmin snapped, still breathless. She wasn't afraid at all, and only disgust filled her face. "Don't you dare use your filthy mouth on me again!" Caleb's fingers gripped her chin, his lips curling into a cold smile. "This filthy mouth just kissed you. So, who's dirty now?" "At least I admit to what I've done. What about you? Do you want me to spell out what you and Veronica were doing here? We're all adults here, Caleb. Would it hurt you to have some decency?" Caleb was puzzled. "What?" "When I arrived, why were you changing?" she demanded. "I worked out after lunch. Shouldn't I change? He grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand flat against his abs. "You like touching these, don't you?" "Who the hell likes touching you?" Yasmin yanked her hand back as if electrocuted. Even she did not know she had a habit of unconsciously touching his abs in her sleep. She suddenly lost all interest in the conversation. There was no point anyway. He could lie as much as he wanted. Who knew if he was telling the truth or not? And working out? What kind of exercise? The kind that took place on the bed? Yasmin was about to say something when she suddenly froze. "Caleb!" she yelled, her voice rising. "This is the workplace! And we're getting divorced!" The heated atmosphere was shattered in an instant. Caleb cooled down and returned to the topic of their conversation. "Sparkle has already been given to Veronica. Pick any brand you want under Grant Group." Yasmin pushed him away and stood up. "Don't disgust me with your offers." What she wanted was never the endorsement. She just wanted to see if, for once, Caleb would choose her over Veronica. Unfortunately, he never would! Not before, not now, and not ever. … News of Caleb's decision traveled fast. Yasmin received a private message from Edward as soon as she reached the office. She was instructed to serve as the exclusive liaison between their team and Caleb. Edward stole a glance at her. No wonder he had felt that there was something off about Caleb's attitude toward her. It turned out that Caleb had taken a liking to this stunning intern! Yasmin was so flustered that she went straight to the restroom to calm down by splashing cold water on her face. "Yasmin, what happened to your lips?" Karen had followed her in, and she was now staring at Yasmin's reflection in the mirror. It was then that Yasmin finally noticed the faint sting at the corner of her mouth. Her skin had broken slightly, probably from how rough that kiss had been. "Heat rash," she said with a deadpan look. Karen folded her arms. "Tsk. Yasmin, do you think I'm that gullible? Let me remind you that if you start messing around with clients during a project, you might get reported!" "Relax, Ms. Emerson. You're overthinking things." Yasmin turned on her heels and walked out, not bothering to argue. She thought to herself, "Report? Please, someone, go ahead and report Caleb for workplace sexual harassment!" … In the evening, the rain came suddenly and heavily. Yasmin had forgotten her umbrella. After work, she stood outside the Grant Group building, planning to book a ride. The cold wind was already making her shiver. Just as she was about to book a ride, an Audi A5 pulled up in front of her. "Yasmin, let me give you a ride!" Adrian rolled down the window, smiling warmly. Yasmin declined politely. "No, no! I can get a cab just fine, Adrian." "It's pouring, and it's rush hour. Getting a ride will be tough. Come on, no need to be polite!" As Adrian's car stopped in the rain, another car pulled up behind him. It was a sleek black Rolls-Royce. Yasmin's heart sank at the sight. She glanced over and saw the window at the passenger side wind down, revealing Harris. "Mrs. Gra—Ms. Whitmore!" Harris almost slipped. "Let me give you a ride!" The back seat window remained closed, but Yasmin knew that the man sitting inside was, in fact, Caleb. The Rolls-Royce had drawn plenty of attention, and soon, a small crowd had formed. Their eyes darted between Yasmin and the two cars. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and got into the Audi A5. She wouldn't get into Caleb's car. Harris didn't know what to say, and his smile visibly stiffened. Through the rear-view mirror, he glanced at Caleb in the backseat. His expression was shrouded in the shadows, unreadable. But the tension in the air caused Harris and the driver to feel as though they were suffocating. "Mr. Grant… " Harris gulped. "Who is that?" Caleb asked flatly. "Judging by the car, he's Yasmin's colleague from the legal team. His name is Adrian Elsher," Harris replied. Harris had heard of him before. Warren had praised Adrian multiple times, and he was undeniably good-looking with a sharp presence that made him stand out. Harris added, "He's also a Dunville University law graduate. He's Mrs. Grant's senior in university." Caleb instinctively caught on to the word. "Senior?" He instinctively remembered what Yasmin had said before about wanting to get together with her senior from university.