Chapter 289 - 289: Bribe

After their lunch, Erick and Elle were now heading back to XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters.

"Elle?" Erick called out

"Huh?" Elle responded.

Erick chuckled. Then Elle turned to look at him, pouting.

"Ali! I am Ali, not Elle." Elle corrected him.

Erick snorted and just continued driving. Elle felt relieved. Erick didn't insist on bringing up the topic of Elle.

Erick stole glances at her from time to time. He even slowed down his driving, prolonging their journey going back to the headquarters. Elle noticed what he was trying to do but she didn't mind it as she just went along with him.

"Thank you for today." Erick softly said to her.

'Thank you for staying alive and coming back.' This was what Erick truly meant by saying that.

Elle just put on a faint smile as she nodded at him.

"I should be the one thanking you. After all, you were the one who paid for our bills."

Erick let out a husky laugh.

"Don't thank me. I said it's not free. You have to make it up for me and return the favor. You owe me… remember?"

"Hmm. Yeah, I know. Don't worry. I promise I will make it up to you." Elle said to him meaningfully.

'I have a lot of catching up to do with you. We lost our two years.' Elle thought to herself.

Then Erick picked up his phone from his pocket and handed it over to Elle. She looked down, watching the phone in his hand confusedly.

"I'm driving. Can you please add your number in my phone? I want to keep in touch with you… Elle, I mean Ali." Erick explained to her.

"Is that okay with you?" Erick added.

Elle's lips twitched but she tried her best to suppress her smile. She gladly accepted his phone and registered her phone number on it.

"Okay, Chief Lee. Hmm. Can you also update me if you have a great story for us to cover? You know things such as big scopes, exclusive interviews, and interesting cases. I want to be the first reporter to respond to the scene." Elle smiled and winked at him.

Erick couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle.

"Ahem… I think you are the one taking advantage of me." Erick said jokingly.

"Hmm… but others also do this. Our fellow reporters have connections with the police authorities that's why they always get big scopes. Don't you want to be our connection? Hmm, it's okay if you don't want to. I'll just find someone else."

Erick frowned after hearing that. "Why will you find someone else if I am already here? You can take advantage of me all you want. I won't stop you. So… use me well."

Now, it was Elle's turn to burst out laughing.

"What bribe do you want, Chief Lee? I don't think you are generous enough to do this without asking for any return." Elle teased him.

"Hmm, I am not accepting a bribe from anyone. But since you bring that up. Then I will make you an exception. You are right, I should ask for a return for me to benefit from this connection too." Erick said as he played along with her.

"Ok. It's a deal. Anyway, what bribe do you want to receive in exchange or should I say how much? Name your price." Elle said to him confidently.

Erick stopped the car and he averted his gaze to the petite girl sitting beside him.

With his twinkling eyes and charming smile on his face, he leaned over closer to her and said. "I want you."

Elle:"..."

She froze on her seat. His closeness made her mind go blank. She couldn't think clearly as his scent was intoxicating her. She tried to speak but couldn't utter a word.

Her cheeks heated up instantly. Her stomach fluttered, her heartbeat fast. 

'[email protected] Erick! Why are you torturing me like this? I don't have strong self-control. I want to ravish you here right now!'

Elle couldn't help but bite her lips as she tried to restrain herself from doing something inappropriate.

Erick didn't move away from her. He missed her a lot that he was also on the edge of his self-control right now. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to kiss her. 

But as much as he wanted to do that, still, he couldn't. Not unless Elle would stop pretending and admit to him that she was Elle.

Elle could also see the yearning in Erick's eyes as his eyes lingered on her eyes down to her lips. Elle felt like she was losing her oxygen as she held her breath. Her mind was slowly losing its control over her body.

Then they heard the loud honking sound coming from the car behind them. That magical moment was ruined.

'Oh, God! Thank you. You are still helping me until now.' Elle mumbled to herself.

She took her courage to push Erick away from her. Then Erick continued driving the car. She laughed nervously to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Chief Lee... I think your joke is quite frightening. I didn't know you are the kind of person who will ask for that kind of thing as a bribe. I think so highly of you so don't disappoint me."

Erick just looked at her innocently.

"I am not joking," Erick said to her firmly.

Elle didn't know whether she should be glad or be mad at him.

"Eh… are you saying that you really want me as a bribe? Do I look like an easy girl in your eyes? How unprofessional and inappropriate behavior you have here, Chief Lee?!" Elle squinted her eyes at him and ranted.

Then Erick's eyes widened in realization. Elle misunderstood what he meant. Erick was not able to control himself and burst out into a peal of laughter.

"Hey, why are you laughing now?" she asked him, the confusion was written all over her face.

"I think you misunderstood what I had said a while ago. Sorry for not elaborating on it. I mean I want you to give me some of your precious time. If I want to ask you and invite you out I hope you will not refuse me. That's the bribe I want." Erick explained to her.

"But… if you also want that 'thing' in your mind… I can also consider that." Erick added as he gave her a cheeky grin.

"Aw!" Erick grunted as Elle punched him on his shoulder after saying his last statement.

"Are you really a pervert, Chief Lee?" Elle said as she shot him a sharp glare.

Erick let out another husky laugh.

"I am not the one who was having perverted thoughts just a while ago." Erick teased her.

Erick received another punch from Elle. 

'Erick never changed. His shamelessness is still to the highest level.' She thought to herself as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. 

Erick stopped teasing her. She was now looking mad. But he was enjoying this simple moment with her. He was really grateful. He waited for so long and now she was back.

He would not force her to tell him the truth. He would wait for her if she was ready to talk about everything that happened in the past two years. He knew she had her reason for doing this.

'I will not force you but I will make you speak the truth willingly.' There was a gleam in his eyes when he thought about that.