━━ CHAPTER TEN / investor

The morning was slow. After their spat the previous night, Eliana hadn't made any move to speak to him. Her head was too full of thoughts. Anxieties over Relya and now Poe. And it was like her heart was waging war on itself. Seeing Relya had all of these feelings flooding to the surface that she had long abandoned and Poe's incessant teasing made her flustered and nervous. She didn't know how to act around either of them.

So, she kept to herself. She showered early and then sat at the table, going through mission intelligence for the rest of the morning. Poe had tried to make conversation but the most he got out of her was her breakfast order. He felt oddly dejected but tried not to think about it. Instead, he relished in the peace and quiet.

They both knew that their lunch with an investor would be a difficult one. It was where they were going to get all the information they needed. At least, for Eliana's half of the mission, this investor could be the key to everything. But he was not a man who trusted easily as Eliana had been told that from the moment she met him.

Even getting a meeting with him had been difficult. So she had to play the role of Hana perfectly and they had to be the perfect couple. The perfect front. But Eliana almost felt too confused to want to put up that front. Relya, at some point in the morning, invited Eliana to dinner that night at their favourite restaurant.

It had sent Eliana through another loop and now, as she stood with Poe and the investor, she felt like breaking down. Poe could tell something was wrong but any attempt to put a comforting hold on her had been rejected. If the Investor had noticed, he didn't say anything as they walked over to their table and sat down.

Just like the dinner with Bream, the chat began as superficial. A back and forth conversation about the more basic aspects of life but they all knew why they were there so it eventually turned to the topic at hand. Investment. Eliana had all of the specifics memorised in her head and she pulled herself together enough to be able to play the part perfectly.

She spoke as if she knew what it all meant and she argued her case in the diplomatic way she had been taught by Relya. It was easy enough. The Investor was malleable. Not too malleable but enough that Eliana could have her way. Or, well, Hana could get through to him with ease. He was a sucker for a pretty face and a chunk of credits. It was so many that it would be hard to turn his nose up at it but still, he was stubborn.

"You've been very convincing here but what reason do I have to trust you?" The Investor asked as he tilted his head. Eliana's eyebrows pulled together and the man let out a sigh, "The way I see it - and forgive me for my bluntness but you are a woman who is clearly having marital issues and is seeking to find thrill in investing in projects without knowing what you are funding. Although your proposition is not something to be sniffed at, it is irresponsible." Eliana's face fell into a frown and she looked at Poe. Everything she had done had failed and her whole world felt like it was crashing down on her. She nodded her head slowly and looked down at her meal.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" Eliana asked but she didn't wait for a response. She got up and went straight to the fresher. Poe's eyebrows furrowed as he watched her walk away and it only took him a moment to realise he was stuck in this now. He would have to continue the negotiations but that was just fine with him.

The door to the fresher slammed closed behind her and she went into the first cubicle, locking the door behind her. Her back rested against the door and she let out a deep sigh. Tears pricked her eyes as she sank to the floor. Her hand pushed up against her head and squeezed her eyes shut.

She had been off her game all afternoon. She knew that but never had someone been so scathing and so aware without knowing her. The marital issues comment was oddly correct. She was supposed to be in love with Poe but she found her eyes and thoughts drifting to Relya. Whether it was out of genuine love or confusion, Eliana didn't know but it was exhausting.

And after Poe had smothered her with flirting and arrogance the previous night, she didn't want to have to talk to him. She didn't want to pretend to love him anymore because she had a feeling it was dangerously close to the truth. Not that she would admit that to herself. She would never admit it. It would make everything too complicated.

She just had to get herself, make it through this lunch and then she could relax before seeing Relya. It would be easy. So, she forced herself to her feet and headed back out to the table. When she returned, the Investor seemed to be in higher spirits. There was a smile on his face and Poe seemed rather pleased with himself.

"Your husband is an excellent negotiator," the Investor commented and Eliana smiled. She nodded her head, forcing some semblance of normalcy onto her face. It felt so difficult. She didn't know what to do. Everything felt so loud but she just focused on the Investor, "And he has certainly convinced me but..." The man trailed off and Poe's face fell. Eliana glanced between the two men and then down at her meal. She pulled her glass of water towards her and drank the rest of it. This whole restaurant was far too much. She wanted to get out, "I would rather we discuss this in a less public setting, at my apartment, to ensure we all understand this deal."

Eliana didn't even have to think before she agreed. The "Of course, that would be wonderful" escaped within seconds of his words stopping. Maybe it was the want to leave, maybe it was the desperation for success that made her agree unwittingly but Poe did not seem pleased. His face twisted in slight annoyance.

But he had to go along with it so he took the lead, giving over his contact details. They then paid and left. Eliana was quiet the entire trip back to the hotel room. But the second the door closed, Poe turned on her harshly.

"Are you out of your mind!?" He shouted. Eliana had only just been getting her footing back and Poe's sudden change in tone made her flinch. She looked at him and he stared back at her, unimpressed.

"We would get nowhere if I didn't agree," Eliana snapped. Her tone matched his. She knew that he likely didn't mean to seem so angry but it still made her feel stupid. He was acting as if she had committed a crime. She had gotten them a deal.

"We have no idea about him! No idea how dangerous he is and if we would walk into a trap! You cannot agree to things without discussion first," He continued to shout as he stepped closer. Eliana glared at him, completely baffled. He was impulsive, he made decisions like that all the time without consulting a soul.

"You're such a hypocrite." She turned away from him and went to the closet. She needed a new outfit for her dinner with Relya. It was in a few hours but she needed to get out of the hotel and away from Poe. His teasing was exhausting and she didn't want to be shouted at anymore. She had tried her best with the cards she had been dealt.

"I'm a hypocrite?" Poe scoffed. His hand pushed through his hair and he crowded Eliana from behind, "You make comments about me fucking my way through the Resistance but at least I didn't sleep with my boss." His words were said with so much venom so close to her ear and she turned on him in an instant.

Her hand collided with his cheek as she glared at him, "Don't talk about her like that!" Poe was completely taken aback by the hit and he stared at her. It took Eliana a moment to realise what she had done and her face fell in an instant. Her entire demeanour crumbled as she stared at him. She had never hit him before. Even in their worst arguments, there'd been some shoving, maybe a playful punch or two but never something she meant. And she had actually meant it.

"I'm sorry." The words tumbled from her mouth and she meant them too. She never intended to hurt him.

"Maybe I should make you angry more often if you do that." The words were so unexpected and Eliana stared at him, her head spinning. Her whole head hurt. Physically hurt but she couldn't seem to move her eyes off of him. He was such an enigma. She couldn't even tell if he was deflecting or actually meant it. It confused her.

"I didn't want to do that," She mumbled. Poe shrugged a little and she finally pulled her eyes off of him. Her body turned back to the dresser and she began to pick through clothes again. That was a mistake. Her hand was still tingling from the hit and she could only imagine Poe could still feel it. The sting. She felt horrific.

Then, his hands landed on her hips again and she paused in her movements. Her whole body tensed up and he turned her around so that she was facing him. He leant down and cupped her cheek with his hand. Their faces were inches apart.

"We can't have people thinking we're having issues, Eliana," He whispered against her lips. There were centimetres between them and then he closed the gap. The kiss was so soft but where his hands went was the complete opposite. They moved from her hip down to her thigh and he pinned her against the wardrobe door. Her thigh hooked lazily around his waist as she pulled him closer. Both her arms went to wrap around his neck before he caught her wrists. He pinned them up against the wardrobe and she groaned into his mouth.

"Poe," She murmured softly. He moved his lips from hers to trail down her neck. His lips left open-mouthed kisses against her skin and she couldn't help the breathy-whine that escaped her lips. This was weird. She knew that. It was all under the guise of being undercover but the more he kissed her and the more his free hand roamed her skin, the more real it seemed.

He dropped the hand that was pinning her wrists up and she reached out to tug on his hair. It was wrong. It was so wrong. But she didn't care. With a yank of his hair, she pulled their lips to meet again. Her tongue sliding into his mouth. It was his turn to groan as she grabbed a hold of his hand, forcing him to pull her other thigh over his waist.

Once she had a firm hold around his waist, he pulled them away from the wardrobe. He hitched her up his torso and carried her over to the bed. She shouldn't be doing this. She knew she shouldn't but it felt so good. He dropped her down onto the bed and his lips trailed down her chest again. His fingers moved to undo the buttons of her shirt and his lips trailed after his hands but then their room door opened. Eliana's head shot to face the door and the housekeeper stood there, suddenly looking very embarrassed. Poe's kisses had stopped and he looked up. The housekeeper left in seconds and Eliana sighed.

"I need to get ready to see Relya," She mumbled. Poe nodded. Their actions suddenly seemed so foreign to them both. Eliana wanted Poe to keep kissing her. Some part of her wanted to drag him back down by his hair and kiss him but the embarrassment from being caught made her see reality. They were not together. They were not in love. It was all just an act.

So, she pushed herself up from the bed and walked over to the wardrobe, picking out an outfit. Her heart still thumped and she couldn't deny that all of that had turned her on but she couldn't let herself feel like that. She couldn't let herself be so stupid. Not when she was meeting her ex in a little over an hour.

Poe cleared his throat and pushed his fingers through his hair, walking over to the table. He sat down and took his datapad from the side, beginning to flick through the intelligence he had gathered. He could feel her gaze on him whenever she let herself stare for too long but he knew better. They couldn't do that and she had made her position very clear with him.

He would respect that even if he wanted to continue what they had started and rip her clothes off just to get a momentary taste of her.

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