Date The CEO.com

Chapter 241: Plus Midnight Cake for Dessert?

"Are you supposed to be here?"

Eve looked at her watch. "Office hours are over but you're on overtime, right?"

Ambryan had removed his suit jacket once more. Only this time, his tie was also missing. The first two buttons of his striped dress shirt had been undone. A bit of his collarbone and chest peeked out from underneath. 

He approached her and kissed her on the cheek. "I decided to take it at my home office."

The dress she wore emphasized the shape of her shoulders and her waist. The sleeves cinched on her wrists like sweatbands. The deep red colors of the fabric's polygon pattern complimented her hair and contacts well. 

Just like a giant strawberry.

But sexier.

"Oh, really? Since when?" Eve taunted, crossing her arms over her chest. He did do that when he wasn't in the middle of something important that could affect his momentum. 

Except, if he needed to feed the cats, he would have planned that from the beginning.

"Around when work hours ended." Ambryan shrugged. He headed over to the fridge for a glass of water. "Oh, you're also more than welcome to eat the pie. Mom dropped it off the other day so it might go bad soon."

Eve hopped onto a stool and pulled the slice of pie closer. The crispiness of the crust reminded her of a croissant. Its crunch was music to her ears. "If you were going to be home early anyway, what am I doing here?"

Ambryan leaned on the refrigerator door and sipped. "You still arrived before I did, didn't you?"

She glared at him through the corner of her eye. "The cats are asleep though."

"Unforeseen circumstances."

"Sure, sure."

Chuckling, he set the glass down and joined her on the island counter. A stool apart, he watched her take the first bite. Her eyes closed and a moan sounded in her throat. Her jaw moved slowly as she savored every bite. 

It gave him enough time to take a photo.

"I really didn't plan this," he defended.

Eve sneaked a peek at him. Ambryan smiled from ear to ear, not convincing at all of his statement. "Like I could believe you when you're grinning like that. Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet. You?"

"I was thinking of having instant noodleswhich of course you don't approve of." She nearly choked on the pie from attempting to laugh. The sour expression on his face was hard to miss. 

"It should be low in calories," Ambryan pointed out.

Eve left half of the pie alone. How could he say something like that after letting her eat a pastry? Silently sulking, she positioned the fork on the side of its plate. Then, she shifted her full attention towards Ambryan. "Fine. What do you suggest?"

At her question, he leaned forward and said, "Why don't I cook?"

Her eyebrows rose in suspicion. "For someone with work to do, you sure have a lot of free time."

"It's only right to entertain one's guest," he explained.

Eve shook her head. This was a setup and she knew itwhether he admitted to it or not. Before Blueberry came to the picture, he had no problem feeding Kiri by himself. If he couldn't, someone else did. There wasn't a need for her to be around.

But to want her around was another story.

And it made her heart flutter.

"Well, I won't turn down free food," she 'reluctantly' sighed. 

Ambryan stood up and pecked her forehead. "Make yourself at home."

Turning his back on her, he circled around the island counter and pulled out the things he needed. Eve decided to leave him alone and checked on the cats. When she opened the door, Blueberry snapped his head up and blinked. His silent stare caused her to stop moving.

The two of them stayed that way for about a minute. 

Kiri yawned and rolled onto her side. Her sudden movement caught Blueberry's attention. He cleaned the back of her head, meowing. The scene had Eve melting so she stayed out of their way and looked for a book to read from the shelf.

Ambryan felt his mobile phone vibrate in his pocket. Keeping an eye on Eve, he softened his steps on his way to the front door and opened it. "You have everything?"

Wen handed over two bags of food. "Yes, Mr. Hathaway."

"Good. Thank you."

"No problem," she assured him. A beep came from her smart watch, making her frown. "We have an update on Ms. Eve's activities the past few days. I'll send it to you right away."

"Nice work." Ambryan nodded. That should give them a clue as to why she really resigned. The letters couldn't have stayed in the wastebasket all this time nor could they have been random. Given that she chose her identity as Evangeline, she must have a plan.

Her body double had also gone to her hometown on her behalf.

It was too elaborate for him to brush off.

"Enjoy your dinner." Wen bowed before leaving the premises.

Back in the kitchen, Ambryan prepped the ingredients for orange chicken. He picked green beans and cauliflower for the side dish. He figured adding two different colors would make the dish more pleasing to the eye. 

"Something smells good in here." Eve announced, sniffing the air while strolling back to the kitchen. Then, she pointed to the two furballs hot on her heels. "Look! Even the cats came out."

Kiri and Blueberry sprinted for their food bowls. Blueberry reached it first and waited for Kiri to catch him. He didn't eat until she started. It was too adorable. Eve was thrilled how well they got along. There could be little kittens soon.

Ambryan glanced over his shoulder. "It's almost ready."

Eve chose the stool farthest from the pie. Folding her arms over the island counter, she observed the kitchen from the utensils he used down to the spices that had been taken out of hiding. 

"Have I asked you where you learned to cook?"

"I cooked a lot during my college years. As you've noticed, I dislike fast food. Richard wasn't reliable in the kitchen either so I usually made our meals." The answer came without hesitation. 

"No restaurant nearby?" She asked.

"It costed too much."

"How about a home chef?"

Ambryan gave her a look, arching his eyebrow.

She raised her hands in surrender. "I'm just teasing. Need any help?"

"Two plates please."

"Got it."

Eve still remembered where the ceramic tableware was placed. She took out two large plates for the dinner, enough room to spread the orange chicken and vegetables. Ambryan cut the orange chicken into two servings and put them on the right side. 

The fragrant smoke hit her nose.

And a growl came from her stomach.

Ambryan chuckled. "Give me 10 seconds and you can eat."

Eve averted her eyes, hiding her blush. It wasn't her fault that he did an incredible job. She must have been born under lucky stars to know such talented cooks. While Ambryan finished the plating, she inspected the fridge for refreshments but settled with water.

"Dig in," he declared as he set the plates on the island counter. "The last thing I want to hear from mother is that I'm not feeding you well."

"How would she if she doesn't know?"

"It's my mother. She'll find a way."

Blowing on a spoonful of chicken and its sauce, Eve resisted to eat right away. She could tell that the dish would taste a hundred times better when hot. The only problem was that her mouth wasn't burn resistant. 

Once the temperature passed the tongue test, she ate the chicken cube whole. It tasted exactly as it smelled. The orange zest and ground ginger danced in her mouth. Then, she noticed the hint of honey and sesame oil. Garlic and pepper also came through.

It was packed with flavor. 

Now, she knew why there were steamed vegetables. 

They subdued it a little so she could refresh her taste buds and eat more.

Ambryan propped his elbow on the counter, dangling his spoon under his chin. He hadn't touched anything from his plate. "How is it?"

"If you keep cooking like this, I'll become fat." Eve ate a cauliflower. It scrapped off any sauce that lingered in her mouth and pushed it down her throat.

"Don't worry. I'll look after your diet." Ambryan ate differently. Each bite was accompanied by a cauliflower or a string bean. 

Eve kept her hazel eyes on her plate and scoffed. "After you just gave me pie?"

"Certain sacrifices must be made to avoid imminent danger." 

Her mind caught on the underlying message. "So to not upset your mom, you gave it to me?"

"I said no such thing."

He didn't have to! Of course, it benefited him. He killed two birds with one stone by offering the pie to her. It avoided Avery's wrath and avoided the calorie gain. Eve grabbed the water, drinking half of it. 

"It's getting really late," Ambryan commented after finishing his share. The amount was just right. His stomach felt full but it still had room for more. He always ate this way for dinner. 

Eve gazed at the window. It was late but that was expected. She had gone home even later than this due to work. "Not by much."

Ambryan wiped the corners of his mouth. "It could be dangerous. Why don't you stay the night?"

The piece of chicken on her spoon dropped back to the plate. He avoided her wide eyes and observed the cats. 

Eve rewired her brain to get it working again. "Stay the night? Is that what you said?"

"Do you have anything better to do at your apartment?" Ambryan inquired, turning his head back towards her. "You can always waste time anywhere."

"I have a photoshoot early tomorrow," she shot back.

"Nanzie can pick you up from here."

"The media would notice."

"We're a couple. It's not a scandal."

"The couch can be uncomfortable."

At that, Ambryan titled his head sideways and brushed a finger over his lips.

"Who said someone has to sleep on the couch?"