My tongue had been caught up until this moment and it wasn't until the music started that my ability to speak returned.

The song “Give me love” by Ed Sheeran started playing as Riddian's arm clamped around my waist and his free hand clasped mine. He pulled me closer until the space between us was almost nonexistent and I gulped.

Slowly, we began dancing to the song, moving round and round the dance floor along with many other pairs of people. I tried to keep my distance though, as much of a distance I could keep with the dance requiring us to be close. I never looked up into Riddian's face as we moved however, and I couldn't even keep track of all the thoughts that were swirling around inside my head.

A few  that came and went though were: keep your distance Kat, keep your distance; one, two, three, four, don't you dare step on his shoes!

Riddian groaned as I stepped on his shoes and immediately I started apologising. Believe it or not, it was actually an accident, but throughout my series of sorry-s,  I never once looked back up into his face.

Suddenly, I felt his hands tighten around my waist as he pulled me closer in one swift movement. Now I could feel his body against mine and it was almost as if we were one and not two. I looked up at him, shocked, but everything slipped away as soon as my eyes caught his. It was almost as if I had become lost in all their magnificence.

My steps faltered for a second, but my feet regained consciousness as soon as Riddian pulled us to a stop in the middle of the dance and just stared at me!

I stared back at him, not knowing what to do as we were only standing there while everyone else was either dancing or watching those who were.

"Riddian, what are you-"

I was cut off when he lowered his face so that his lips were hovering near my ear, and I trembled as he whispered,

"Wait for it."

I didn't even get the chance to ask what he meant when the song reached the chorus for the second time and we were moving again. Our eyes never left each other as we swirled round and round again. Then when the song reached its bridge where a whole series of “my-my”s were being sung, Riddian started twirling me in his arms, over and over again before he pushed me out and then pulled me back in on multiple occasions.

I couldn't help the grin that stretched across my lips. Then although I couldn't believe it myself, I saw him smirk more than once throughout it as well, but whether he would admit this later or not did not bother me as all I could do was focus on the present. Even a giggle slipped once from my mouth when he twirled me again, and I was not at all embarrassed.

Riddian slowed the pace of our dancing as the song came to an end, but even when we were only standing still in the middle of the dance floor, I couldn't help the smile that remained on my lips. Riddian could however since he had gotten rid of his own and only stared at me intensely now.

My breath hitched for a second but then applause was heard.

I looked around in surprise and a bit of embarrassment when I realized that all eyes were on us and we had been there, ignorant. Pulling away from Riddian as best as I could with his hands still around me firmly, I tried to make things less awkward. Riddian surprised me by taking my hand in his and pulling me off the dance floor and into the crowd.

"Where are we going?" I asked, still a bit dazed.

"I want you to meet a few people."

We made our way over to a group that had been at the edge of the crowd watching us. Out of all the faces there, I recognised only six, the remaining eight I had never seen. There was the familiar Whitney and Dominic Remora, Jalessa, and the newly met Kaelon Kingston. The other two were just some business magnates I recognised among the group, men by the names of Matt McCallister and Bradford O'Connor who I hadn't personally met.

Before we reached them however, I saw the tallest man there who looked like a slightly older version of Kaelon, say something to some of the other unfamiliar ones which caused about five of them to leave without a word. 

I gulped a little nervous. 

"Ms. Harrington," Riddian brought me forward. "You already met Kaelon, this is his date Kasey and his brother Kellian," Riddian introduced me to one of the two unfamiliar women and then the same man who caused some of the people to leave. 

"Hello," I greeted them politely. She waved slightly and he nodded his head curtly in response but then groaned as the other unknown woman beside him elbowed him in the side. "Nice to finally meet you Ms. Harrington," he whispered, still in pain when he shook my hand as the others chuckled. 

"That's his wife, Paige," Riddian smiled and I almost had a heart attack. 

"Hi," she grinned with a small wave and her grin was so contagious I couldn't help reflecting it. 

"And then these two idiots are Matt and Brad," Riddian continued, surprising me and everyone else there as they all became silent. Everyone was looking at him in wonder and disbelief which made me think that there was something deeper about that simple phrase.

The silence was broken when Matt came forward and hugged me tightly with a huge grin on his face. 

"Nice to meet you Kat! Heard so much about you," he told me pulling away and I looked over at Riddian to see him glaring. Matt paid no attention to this however and went even further. "I mean this guy just can't seem to shut up about you girl," he jutted his thumb out to Riddian, "And you're one fire cracker aren't you? I heard you shot his a-"

A hand was suddenly over his mouth and it turned out to belong to Jalessa who was laughing a bit. My cheeks were in flames and I tried my best to cover them discreetly but all the females present seemed to notice while all the men were looking at Matt. Paige especially was smirking at me and that made me blush even more. 

Jalessa finally removed her hand and Brad took the initiative to continue the conversation. 

"You'll have to forgive him. He doesn't know when to shut up sometimes," he gave a sympathetic look to him and smiled lightly at me. I smiled back. 

"You all seem to go way back," I found myself saying in awe making them look down at me. 

"Yup, we do go all they way back," Jalessa answered. "From the days of the iC," she smirked and though that seemed like a bad memory for the three Remoras, Kellian, his wife and Brad; Jalessa, Kaelon and Matt-- the fun side of the group it seems-- smirked while Kasey looked as clueless as myself.

"What's the iC?" I dared to ask. Jalessa looked surprise and they turned to look at Riddian who shook his head as if to say 'no' which in turn made me frown. They didn't want to talk about it?

Jalessa shook off the tense atmosphere and instead smiled. 

"It was a business club that we had once," she replied.

"And you were all apart of it?" 

"Only the Kingston boys, Brad, Matt, Riddian and myself. Whitney and Dominic were too young and the other members aren't... here with us in the moment."

"Oh," I mumbled looking from one to the other, now very curious about this 'club' but silently musing over it.

Whitney, seeming to realise the silence that was going to descend on us, jumped in before it could arrive.

"Enough with the dreary talk, how about we actually have some fun and participate in the ball activities," she suggested. "I think they just announced the start off the auctioning."

A series of mutters and mumbles followed until all seemed to agree.

:*:*:*:*:*:*:
Some time later....

"So... Riddian has finally found someone," Paige smirked at me as us girls were sat at a table while the men had gone off to go do... men stuff, whatever that may be. 

I choked on air.

"Um, sorry?" I asked blushing a little. "Me? No. I'm just his assistant who got stuck with him because his father is a devil," I shook my head. 

"Hey that's my father too you know," Whitney smirked. "But I'm glad he got to the both of you before I had to take my own drastic measures."

I rolled my eyes. 

"What are you talking about?" Jalessa asked with a mischievous grin which Whitney replied to with a just as evil smile. 

"My dad is the one who made Katherine come here with Riddian. Used  some excuse about interviews and stuff."

"Wow, Charles is one evil but smart man," Jalessa replied and I found my jaw dropping as I listened to the two go on and on about it, even causing Kasey, who was a bit clueless to everything happening, to join in. It was Paige who drew my attention back.

"So how long have you liked him then?" she inquired making me splutter. 

"What! I don't like him!" I quickly told her.

"You can't fool me. I'm like an expert at this," she leaned back and took a sip of her champagne. "I also am not blind and saw the way you were both looking at each other on the dance floor."

"I don't... I-"

"Don't worry, he likes you too," she laughed a little. "You may be confused but those guys have a lot of secrets between them and I just happen to know some of their strange ways."

My eyes widened, then narrowed in curiosity.

"Like?" I asked intrigued.

"Like the fact that Riddian trusts you a whole lot. Did you see how casual his friends were acting around you, that's because they know this too. The fact that he called Brad and Matt idiots before you told us that, and even after the dance, that's why Kellian sent the other people away. They were just dates of Whitney, J and the rest of the boys and they don't show their true selves to people they don't trust. Something about business rules," she informed me. I had to blow out a breath.

"Wow, that's a lot to take in."

"Why? I'd say that's a good thing," she continued, sipping her champagne again. "Having someone you trust and who trusts you back just as much... is everything I could ask for. You've got a good thing going for you love, don't let it slip away," she smiled sadly at me and I almost asked her if she was alright when she stood.

"I need to use the restroom, be right back," she told me with a fake smile and then left the table. I frowned at that last bit of the conversation and turned to ask the others if they noticed anything but the men came back and a woman went onto the stage to start an auction of properties across the world.

I'd just ask later...

:*:*:*:*:*:*:

I waved to Whitney and Dominic as they drove off in a car with their dates. The ball had ended about half an hour before but the boys hadn't finished catching up with each other and so they decide to stay longer... Well except for Kellian and Paige, they left long hours before. 

Paige didn't bother coming back after using the restroom and neither did Kellian. As for the rest, they were leaving or left by that moment. 

"Let's go Ms. Harrington," Riddian motioned towards me and then to the car before us. I smiled at him and he went to pull the door open to allow me in when he realised that it couldn't open. He tried again.

"It's locked," he said as if it was the strangest thing. I snickered behind my hand and quickly turned away as he looked over at me. He took out his phone quickly. 

"Mr. Jones? Where are you?— By the car— Okay," he spoke and then hung up just as I spotted the driver coming from a darkened spot by the mansion.

"Sorry for the delay sir, there was something wrong with the car and I had borrowed some tools and just returned them," he explained. Riddian nodded in understanding and then finally opened the door to allow me in. I gave him a mischievous smile as I passed him and then slipped into the car. He came in after me and closed the door before blatantly staring my way.

I blushed the colour of lava but because it was dark, I doubt he could see this.

"What?" I asked, ignoring Mr. Jones who was trying repeatedly to start the vehicle.

He didn't answer. Just stared.

I chuckled lightly and smirked at him.

"Fine, how about another question. How was your night Mr. Remora?" I inquired, deciding to kill time.

"Not as bad as I thought it would've been," he responded with a tilt of his head and I had to roll my eyes at his vagueness. Then remembering our conversation from some time ago, I nodded at him again.

"So you weren't lying. You actually do have friends." He chuckled and began to respond when grunting was heard from the front seat followed by some very clean curses. We both looked up to Mr. Jones still trying to start the car. Seeming to realise the sudden silence though, he turned after a few seconds and started apologising again.

"Sorry sir but there still seems to be a problem. I will have to call for another car."

Riddian grimaced but nodded nonetheless. "Go ahead," he jerked his head in agreement before turning back to me, "and as I was saying, yes. I believe I told you so."

I laughed a little at his childishness and again he was smiling. Clearing my throat, I fixed my dress on my knee.

"They seem cool. Even the one who seems to have more problems than you since his behaviour is even more stoic. I like his wife though, she's nice."

"You mean Kellian and Paige," Riddian clarified, looking out the window to where Mr. Jones was outside talking on the phone. "Yeah Kellian has a few skeletons of his own, but he has become a lot more open since I've known him so if you think he's bad now... I doubt you could've tolerated him before.  And as for Paige, to tell you the truth, when I first found out about her I never liked her."

"Why?" I asked, surprised to hear this while I too was distracted by Mr. Jones coming back towards the car. 

"Well it was quite simple, she wasn't from a very rich background to be with a man like him."

Mr. Jones was at the door now, pulling open the one to his seat when I froze at the reality of what Riddian had said.

"The car will be here in an hour only. That's the best I could do sir but if you want you can stay in the house until it arrives," Mr. Jones suggested to which Riddian shook his head.

"Here's fine," he spoke to which the former nodded and then exited the car again, closing the door in his wake. Riddian turned back to me to find me glaring only. "What?" he shrugged innocently.

"Did you serious just say that?" I inquired still a bit shocked and where anger was concerned, getting there.

He rose an eyebrow as if confused by my behaviour but I just glared harder.

"You know for such a powerful man you can be such an idiot!"

At that his eyes narrowed at me and his expression hardened. That didn't affect me at the moment though because I was freaking pissed!

"If I were you Ms. Harrington, I would watch what I say."

"Why? Because I'm not from a rich background and don't deserve to speak to the likes of you?"

It was Riddian's time to freeze. His cold expression didn't change though and I had to stop myself from slapping some warmth into his cheeks.

"You know I didn't mean it like that and you should mind your tone because I am still your boss."

"Mind my tone? Really?" I asked but then snapped with a growl, "Just because she wasn't rich you thought she was a gold digger?"

"Well yes. Normally every girl we see enter our circle without a little money of her own is always some kind of gold digger. I have no other reason to think otherwise."

"You don't even know anything about her!"

"And you do? Trust me, with how fast they were married without any knowledge of them dating before, there is no other explanation. Kellian deserved a lot better than her is what I had initially thought, though I don't see what your problem is when that's of the past and I don't have a problem with her anymore."

"First of all, it doesn't matter that it's in the past! And secondly, Paige doesn't deserve being in the presence of bastards like you. She deserves a lot more than to be trapped into a circle of rich asses!" I hissed and then flung the door open before stepping out and slamming it once more.

Riddian stepped out right after on his side, doing the same, gaining Mr. Jones' attention. "Now what are you doing Ms. Harrington?" I heard him yell after me.

"Going back to commoners like myself! Being around you now is starting to make me feel sick!"

He laughed harshly. "You wouldn't even be able to find commoners like you around places like this! But of course you wouldn't know that!"

I gasped, turning to him for a second to watch him cuss something at himself.

"You know what? Forget you!" I yelled and then stormed off in the direction of the front gates which I would leave my boss through.  Would I be going back home or far away when I turned onto one of those roads? I didn't know, and I did not care! As long as it would take me away from him...

"Where do you think you're going?" he yelled again. I flashed my head towards him with a scowl and looked away quickly, not stopping or answering. I heard him growl loudly and then shoes scrunching against stone, coming in my direction.

"Don't follow me!" I screamed back at him, but he of course didn't listen. A few hours later...

"It's really small."

"There's only one bed."

Thank God he followed me.

:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:

Author's note

So it's been a long time.... I have been sooo busy with school I haven't had much time for myself lately. Exams are also coming up so I can't promise too many updates in the next month or two but I'll be working on them. Thanks for reading and remember your feedbacks are very much welcomed. Vote, share, love... Until the next,

💕S4_angel