❝And why d'you say
It's just another day, nothing in my way
I don't wanna go, I don't wanna stay
So there's nothing left to say?❞

Chapter Four:
Terms and Conditions
(cont'd)

"You done?"

Hans was glancing down at me, an unreadable expression on his face. Wordlessly, I got up and walked past him, toward the set of doors from which we had entered a half hour ago. Hans was right behind me as I walked over to the parking lot. He was right there to witness me enter his car, slamming the door with enough force to rattle the Earth. And he was beside me the whole drive back to the hotel, the heat from his body radiating toward me and not in the same way it did last night. But in a way that made me loathe him.

The empty silence between us gave me time to think. Why had he brought me here to witness this...negotiation? Was it his way of trying to prove to me that he had an identifiable flaw in his entire plan? If I had known that he couldn't really hire me without the help of someone who actually worked in the company, I could have figured a way out. I could have ended this before it had even begun. Was this his way of making me feel stupid and putting me down even more?

When the car pulled up in front of the hotel entrance, I wasted no time in leaving. The gust of wind as I opened the door of the car whipped the long, dark strands of my hair back as I stepped out. My mind continued to rage, hands curling into fists as the nails bit into my palm. The pain was real. This was all real.

Without a parting glance, I left. I stormed my way into the hotel, no doubt alarming the receptionist who gave me a shaky welcome. Ignoring her and the others staring at me, I opted for the stairs, stomping on each step up till my room. Granted it was three floors to get there but it did wonders for my anger.

You can hire her on the basis that I've seen her naked...and wet.

So that's how he saw me. As a worthless woman he could trick into taking a job through sex. He had bought me. Hans looked at me as a professional conquest and nothing more than that. Instead of interviewing me for the job, he had slept with me instead. The realization made me feel cheap. Disgusted.

You whore.

I took in a deep, shaky breath, silencing the tormenting voice in my head. Fishing the key out of my pocket, I rounded the corner of the stairs to my floor and stopped immediately.

Hans was already there, waiting for me. Leaning against the wall by the side of my door, he stood with his arms crossed across his chest. His eyes zeroed in on me, picking up the rise and fall of my chest as my heart raced for breath. He probably thought I was stupid, for having taken the stairs. Hell, he'd probably pegged me as 'stupid' the moment he'd picked up that phone. I didn't give a shit. Or really, I tried not to.

My foot steps were heavy and echoed off the carpeted floors as I walked forward. When I reached my room, I ignored him, truly pretending like he was invisible as I jammed the key in and started to step inside. Clearly, the man didn't enjoy being treated like empty air as the next moment, I felt his strong hand wrap around my upper arm, yanking me back and in the process, slammed the door to my room shut.

"What are you so rattled about, Tris Henderson?"

I didn't face him, keeping my eyes trained on the blurring red carpet. Fuck, not now.

"Let me go."

I fidgeted against him, trying to break free.

"We didn't get to go over your contract, yet," he whispered into my ear, his body pressing into my back. "I wasn't quite done with you for the day."

"Let me go!" I cried out, louder. I turned my head to glare at him from over my shoulder but it fell short when the tears came in the way. He flinched back, immediately dropping his hand as if scalded by my very touch. The teasing light in his eyes died out upon seeing my face. I would have thought it was guilt if I didn't know any better. Men like him didn't have a heart to be capable of feeling guilty. He just couldn't handle being around a crying woman.

Taking this to my advantage, I twisted the door knob and stepped inside my room, whirling around to close the door. I almost did it too, only he stuck his big dumb foot in the way.

"Open up, Tris."

My hands shook as I pressed against the door. I shut my eyes, feeling the drops trickle down my face. I hated that I was crying. Especially with him around.

"Get out of the way," I hissed, coherent enough despite the growing pools in my eyes.

"Open. The. Goddamn. Door."

I thought I felt him use more than just his foot this time. Pissed to the core, I took a moment to do just as he asked, opening the door by just the slightest amount. Enough for him to believe that I was actually letting him in. He slipped his foot out of the way to step in, and that's when I did it: I body-slammed against the wood to shut the fucking thing. Not quick enough.

The door swung open. He stepped through it, overpowering me. Warm hands grabbed my wrist, pinning them above my head and next thing I know, I was pressed up against a wall with an infuriated Hans right against me.

"What the fuck was that about?" I flinched at his words, at his touch. Not because they hurt but because his close contact was bringing up an all too familiar feeling. He noticed my cringing and thought differently of it as I felt his grip on my hands loosen. "Why are you crying?" he asked, gentler this time. I hated that. How deceptive he could be, acting like he actually cared.

I squirmed, angling my body away from his but to no success. I could still feel his chest, the hardness of the muscle underneath the shirt. It was the last thing I wanted to feel when I was trying to despise him with all my might.

"Answer me, Tris."

I growled up at him, meeting his eyes with my hazy ones. "Get out of my room."

"Stop crying and I will."

I laughed, a dry laugh. "Stop pretending like you legitimately give a fuck about how I feel and get out of my room, Hans. While you're at it, get out of my life too because all you've done is ruin it."

If my words had any effect on him, he didn't show it. His face was stoic as ever. My lips trembled as I stared up at him.

"You're upset," he stated.

"No shit."

The surprise must have shown on my face when he stepped back, dropping his hands from my wrists. He turned around and I thought he was about to leave, to my complete relief, but all he did was shut the open door. Turning back to face me, he said in a soothing voice, "Let's talk."

Because that was the obvious solution.

"Talking won't get us anywhere," I spat, cradling my wrists with my hand.

Hans smiled. The fucker smiled. "You're right," he sighed, tilting his head as he smirked. "Talking never works with you."

The words 'don't even think about it' were on the tip of my tongue I knew what he would do next, and I knew I wouldn't have the will to stop him.

Hans moved forward as his hands wrapped around my waist, his head bending down to capture my lips in a kiss. I started punching him on his chest but soon, melted into his touch, my eyes closing as I kissed him back against the best of my judgment. His mouth was soft, lips delicate and not at all demanding, unlike last night. His hands trailed up the side of my body, fingers snaking around the back of my neck tenderly to cup my face, while his thumbs rubbed away the last of my tears.

"Stop it," I pleaded, fingers pressing into his shirt. He moved back, to let us breathe. I needed it. "You can't trick me, Hans. When you do things like this, you have me almost believing."

"Almost." His lips turned upward as he weighed the word. I felt his fingers trace circles along the side of my face. It lit the skin beneath it as I pressed my face closer against his hand.

"Stop it," I groaned. Collecting the last of my strength, I pushed him away lightly. My hands flew to the top of my shirt which at some point, had been unbuttoned. When had he even...

"I carry a certain degree of professionalism in my work life which won't involve you getting into my pants." Although I had said that with all the seriousness in the world, Hans cracked a toothy grin. Honestly, I should have kicked his face in considering he'd had me in tears just seconds ago.

"Technically speaking, you won't be working for me," he raised a finger in the air to make his point, stepping closer again. I backed up until I felt the wall behind me and had to suck in a breath when he leaned forward, pressing his palms flat against either side of my head. "I have nothing to do with your 'professional' life as you so put it."

"Except for getting me into this whole mess to start with."

His smile fell, ever so slightly. Maybe it was all in my head but I thought I saw shame flit across the shadow of a mask he seemed to wear. A mask that had disappeared once in the presence of a friend.

"Why are you doing this?" It didn't come out accusatory, like it should have. There was not one iota of anger or sadness, of pain or regret in my voice. It was something else. It scared me.

His right hand lifted from the side, tilting my chin up to look at him. I almost crumbled under his touch, my body both tensing and falling apart every time he touched me. Hans felt the shudder that overcame my body as his thumb pressed against my lower lip. Just when I thought it was going to happen again, he released me, stepping back and letting his arms fall to his side.

I let out my breath, hands flying to my neck where I felt the heat compound slowly, creeping up to my face which started to blush. Hans didn't comment on the sight of me turning scarlet-red. He didn't answer my question either.

"I'll book your flight for later this evening, and send the ticket to the hotel."

I watched him with widening eyes. Was he letting me go?

"Jasper will be getting in touch with you shortly regarding the job details."

No. No, he wasn't. I rolled my eyes to myself. Of course not.

"Unless, you'd rather I deliver the terms and conditions of our contract in person..." Hans raised his eyebrows suggestively, giving me a sinful grin.

"I'm good," I said quickly, giving him a pointed look.

Hans smiled and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. He turned one last time. Without meaning to, I found myself memorizing the image of him in my head. Not in the hateful, nasty way I should be either. His eyes seemed lighter, and he was smiling the one-in-a-million smile he'd unveiled around Jasper. It was genuine.

"Until we meet again, Tris Henderson. And next time I see you, I don't want your eyes all red and stuffy. It's really unflattering."

"You're such a dick," I muttered and started to close the door, only to have him come in the way again. "Seriously?" I threw my hands in the air. "After all that we just-"

He kissed me again. Maybe he was right before about this being the best way to shut me up because it worked like a charm. No man had ever made me react the way Hans did. It was like my body completely lost control, pressing, kissing, longing for more than was safe. But I guess 'safe' had been thrown out the window the moment I had accepted this job...hell, the moment I had met him and he had ruined me body, mind, and soul.

When we parted, I was on my toes, searching for another. His lips pressed against my ear, crooning in that velvet whisper, "I mean it. I don't want you crying, alright?" He pressed a kiss against my cheek before moving back, enough to pierce his gaze right through my own. "Not unless I'm fucking you of course."

Normally, a line like that would make me laugh at the ultimate cheesiness of it, but Hans floored me. Perhaps, it was his voice that did it. Or his eyes. Or the fact that images from the last time he'd been inside me came flooding through my brain. I nodded, ever so slightly and released a breathy 'okay'. Hans stepped out of the doorway and into the hall. We shared a final, heated stare that had me wanting to pull him inside and let him take me up against the wall but ill-timed affections weren't really my style. None of this was.

"Goodbye, Mr. Castellan." With a sarcastic smile, I couldn't help adding, "Thank you for all your services."

The dry humor did not go missed as Hans cracked a small smile. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, looking almost shy.

"You're welcome, Rae Williams."

With the final image of him blushing like a school boy, I shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down onto the floor in a crumpled, hot mess. I could hear his retreating footsteps and the ding of the elevator not too far away. It took me a while to make out the blood rushing through my ears and rapid beating of my heart were all because of him. How did he have the power to make me want to kill and fuck him at the same time?

I don't want you crying, alright?

When you do things like this, you have me almost believing.

Even I didn't know what I'd meant by that.

Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I breathed in deeply before dialing the emergency number. I needed to talk to someone. I needed to talk to her. The ring went only twice before she picked up, practically screaming at me.

"Helena, I know you're mad but I have a lot to tell you and you're probably going to want to kill me."

"More than I already do? I highly doubt it." She stopped berating me for a millisecond to consider. "Tris Anna Henderson, what did you do to the dress I bought you?"

Shit, I had forgotten about that.

I paused. "Okay, I have two things to tell you."

"You ruined the dress and killed someone?"

"No. I ruined the dress and fucked someone."

Silence.

"...I am incredibly worried, if not incredibly aroused. Continue."

_____

Song: Nothing In My Way by Keane

This update is late by one day and I am incredibly sorry for that. Yesterday was a super awesome but tiring day and I literally crashed when I got home.

Also question time - what do you find is the biggest turn on and turn off? I'm curious to know.

The next chapter will be up on Wednesday! Please vote and comment if you liked this chapter and Hans' sudden show of affection.