Chapter 303
Chapter 303
Chapter303 She was Only a Substitute? Standing beside the flower beds in the nigh breeze, August was in front of his car.
Being a bit tipsy, he tried to steady himself by leaning against the car languorously while squinting at the direction of the stairs.
He actually couldn't account for his behavior now.
He had been drinking with Joshua in Perfect Fortune just now to dissipate the gloominess in his heart.
Yet Lucia's face kept floating into his mind, making him even more upset.
He thus kept on drinking, and was a bit drunken when he eventually left Perfect Fortune.
Burton was to send him home, yet he just gave him the address of Lucia without much thinking, probably because he was already unable to think.
The sound activated lights on the ground floor was lit before long, and Lucia appeared some seconds later.
Wearing a long ivory overcoat which got her white and spidery legs exposed outside, she ran towards him like a butterfly, her hair floating in the air.
Feeling a crush in his heart, August just couldn't take his eyes off her.
Lucia went up to the car, and passed him the bottle of icy water after taking a gasp.
"Now you can let me know the matter"
Looking down at the bottle, August got his eyes fixed on her thin wrist.
"I'm sorry I wasn't helping today."
he muttered after a moment's silence. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
He'd promised her in his office that he would keep her safe, yet in the end he wasn't the one who managed to help her out.
Lucia paused for some seconds before she finally grasped what he meant.
"It's OK.
It's gone now."
said she blandly.
She knew the situation had been quite disadvantageous to August, when Bishop was challenging him and Eliot had to consider the broad picture fairly.
August was actually fighting alone, and she was already quite gratified when he was willing to back her up in such a circumstance.
Hearing her reply, August looked up at her, frowning, "So you are not blaming me?"
"Not at all."
Lucia shook her head.
After a short silence, it suddenly occurred to August that Jamie had mentioned the girlfriend stuff to her, and that made him even sulkier.
Noticing Lucia was taking her hand back after giving him the water, August abruptly stretched out his hand to get hold of her wrist and dragged her toward him.
Since he was being tipsy, that action made him stagger before he held her into his arms out of reflection to keep himself steady.
Lucia was astounded.
She frowned and tried to push him away, yet his grip of her waist was so tight that she couldn't move at all.
"I might be drunken."
came his hoarse and low voice.
Lucia just felt her heartbeat quicken.
She even began to feel a little dizzy, probably because of the smell of alcohol from his body.
She had to hold him tighter, as this drunken man might fell down any minute.
But August abruptly turned round with her in his arms, and thus pressed her against the car.
He now just beseiged her between his arms which were leaning against the car at her both sides.
Lucia looked up at him in surprise.
"What..."
She broke off as she suddenly found this drunken man was regarding her with his rarely bleary eyes.
His hair was no longer as orderly as usual, with some locks falling down over his forehead.
His tie had been loosened and two buttons at the top, undone, just to reveal his bronze chests.
Now he was no longer the chilly August, and seemed quite appealing to her somehow.
August suddenly bent down slowly and whispered to her, "I'll try my best to make you carefree in the future..."
His voice was so low and tantalizing that her face began burning as her heartbeat went even more rapid.
Seeing she was still in silence, August raised her chin up with his hand, "Did you hear me?"
Feeling an ineffable urge, Lucia had lost the strength to push him away.
She only bit her lip and took a deep breath, "You've drunk too much..."
She was absolutely right, or else he wouldn't allow himself to utter such frivolous words to her which he had hidden well in his heart when he was sober.
But now, he only ignored her remind, and approached her ear under his breath, "Could you still dine with me in the company?"
Lucia just felt herself almost paralyzed, and her mind really a mess now.
Why was he doing this? She couldn't help considering those ambiguous words of his.
As she was thinking hard, something occurred to her -- she actually had seldom dinned with him in the canteen, but it was Jeanne who often ate with him.
Lucia was quite certain now August was mistaking her as Jeanne.
That idea just got Lucia to stiffen up.
She was not to be the substitute, she said to herself, especially when the man was not sober enough! She calmed down and demanded seriously, "Let go of me."
"What if I refuse to?"
August stroked her face with his warm hands and abruptly bent down to kiss her.
Lucia was totally puzzled, though she regained enough composure some seconds later as to push him away.
August hadn't expected such a reaction from her, and staggered backward.
"What's wrong?"
he frowned at her.
Regarding the man who was trying to come closer again, Lucia just felt her brain in a buzz.
"Don't you touch me!"
She just didn't want to be the substitute for other women, nor would she allow him to treat her as a tool to vent his lust.
Conscious of the panic in her eyes, August stopped going forward, only eyeing her quietly.
"August Adams, I'm not your belongings under your command.
Wake up, you!"
Having flung the words at him excitedly, Lucia ran into the building in panic before August could get around to making any reaction.
August was stupefied, only feeling more sullen seeing Lucia fleeing in such a flustered manner.
He had approached her out of instinct, only to find her detesting him so much.
But she didn't object to Jamie's touch in the passage today, did she? How come she was in such a desperation facing August? She might dislike me very much, August figured.
Thinking of that, he clenched his fists unconsciously and got lost for quite a while.
He then got into the car and got Burton to go when he finally woke up.
After that, he collapsed into the seat and closed his eyes.
Although he had drunk a lot, his mind was actually still well functioning.
He was getting even more sober when his mood was spoiled as though being poured with cold water by Lucia’s reaction.
His phone buzzed on the way.
It was a message from Jeanne, "August, it's the last day tomorrow.
We'll have to check the suits and do the rehearsal for the engagement.
Could you spare tomorrow for me whatever important business you are to have tomorrow?"
August took his eyes off the screen and held the phone tighter.
It would the last day indeed, and the engagement was to be held the day after tomorrow.