chapter seventeen: Tangled fire

Lily’s POV

Dinner with Andrew Sterling was… torture pure torture.

The restaurant was silent except for the occasional clinking of cutlery and murmured conversations from nearby tables. Andrew sat across from me, the golden light from the chandelier tracing his sharp jawline, the edge of control in every movement.

He barely looked up from his meal, but every time his eyes did meet mine, I felt stripped bare — like he could read everything I wasn’t saying.

“Eat,” he murmured once, voice calm but commanding. “You’ve barely touched your food.”

I obeyed, mostly because his gaze left no room for argument.

And because I wasn't in the mood for arguments

After dinner, the silence between us stretched like a tight rope — one wrong step, and I’d fall right into the dangerous thing simmering between us.

“Thank you for dinner” I said

He only grunted

When we got back to the suite, I threw off my heels, kicked them under the couch, and took a deep breath.

It was just one night. I’d sleep on the bed and Andrew will sleep on the couch. No problem.

Except Andrew had other plans.

He walked in from the bathroom, shirtless, his hair slightly damp from a shower. He tossed a pillow onto the bed, glancing at me.“ I'm not sleeping on the couch,” he said simply, like his word was law.

“What!,” I protested weakly.

He gave a small smirk — not his usual mocking one, but softer. “I'lll wake up with a crick in my neck. We can share the bed Lily”

The way he said my name — deep, steady — did something dangerous to me.

“I'm not sharing a bed with you" I snapped

“Then sleep on the sofa”

“I'll get neck pains”

He only glared

Fine__two can play this game, I went into the bathroom, took a shower and wore my strawberry pink nightie and packed my hair in a bun.

I walked into the room and Andrew froze

“What are you wearing?“

“A nightwear” I ignored him and lay on my side

“Don't test me Lily” he said

“Really, Andrew I just want to sleep”

I turned and closed my eyes when all of a sudden, the night we played strip poker came rushing back and I laughed a little

“Care to share the joke?“ Andrew asked

“No actually”

I turned to face him and his eyes were already on me, the intensity of his gaze wiped the smile of my face.

I gulped, he looked very delicious shirtless and his hair damp like that.

I could feel the heat changing

Stop it Lily

Andrew stared at my lips and I licked them subconsciously, his eyes darkened

“You don't know what you're asking for lily” he said

I rolled my eyes and he grabbed my hand

“Let me go” I gasped

“You're playing with fire”

I struggled with him and the strap of my nightie fell loose, exposing my left boobs.

My face heated as Andrew looked at it and back at me

“Fuck” he muttered and grabbed his pillow and walked to the couch

*****

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The next morning, I slipped out for some air, while Andrew was still sleeping. The resort’s garden was bathed in soft sunlight, dew still clinging to the grass. I just wanted to stretch, breathe, forget.

That was before I saw Ryan.

He was standing near the fountain, arms folded, eyes sharp with something between regret and resentment.

“Lily,” he said, voice low. “We need to talk.”

I froze. “There’s nothing left to say.”

He stepped closer. “Simce when do you work with Sterling Enterprises?“

“Since when do you care?“

“You just graduated recently how could you bag a job there?“ He said his eyes blazing

“I don't owe you any explanations, you cheater”

He laughed

“There's no way you could have gotten that job, you fucked him didn't you”

The slap came before I even thought about it. My palm stung, but the satisfaction was instant.

Tears pricked at my eyes, partly from rage, partly from pain. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that, Ryan.”

“You're just a slut Lily, you acted all hurt when you found out about me and Melanie, yet you're sleeping with your boss, you're a new worker how do you get to come on this very important trip” he yelled

Typical Ryan

“Fuck you Ryan”

I turned away quickly before the tears spilled over. My chest ached, the humiliation pressing in like a weight.

I tried to clean my tears but they just spilled more.

When I got back to the hotel suite, Andrew was already there — standing by the window, watching me.

His expression darkened when he saw my eyes.

“What was that?” His voice was low, dangerously calm.

“No one that matters,” I said, brushing past him. My voice trembled slightly.

“I won't ask again Lily”

I snapped and faced him

“You don't get to ask me anything, the night we had sex I told you my boyfriend cheated on me, that was the boyfriend, and you can't act holier than thou because you also said it was just sex and nothing more” I yelled

But he didn’t move, didn’t stop watching me.

Then, without a word, he picked up his jacket and walked out.

The tears dropped freely now

Through the window, I saw him cross the courtyard — his stride deliberate, his jaw set tight.

And when I realized the direction he was heading… my heart stopped.

He was going straight toward Ryan.

*****