3:Dangerous Attraction

SOPHIA LANCASTER

I stared at my reflection at the giant mirror in the room, I let out a deep breath fully dressed. I was supposed to meet Ethan Calder regarding the ridiculous business deal we were talking about.

My phone buzzed on the dressing table and I picked it up, Lola's name flashed on the screen. I almost ignored it, but I knew she'd just call back.

"Hey," I answered, my voice flatter than I intended.

"Soph! I got your text. Seriously, what is with the doom and gloom? Why are you so down about Daniel wanting to turn your marriage into an open one? Seriously, girl, this is an opportunity!"

I leaned against the mirror, "An opportunity for what, Lola?" I asked, my voice flat.

"To explore! To start building yourself, Sophia! You're still married, right? This gives you space to breathe, to figure things out. Who knows, maybe you guys can even find your way back to each other later."

Her words meant to be comforting were like salt in an open wound. I squeezed my eyes shut, she didn't get it."It's not about exploring, Lola," I said, "I want my husband. I want our marriage, the one we promised each other."

"Oh, honey! Love isn't a fairytale. People are complicated. Just... don't close yourself off to the opportunity here. You're sad now, but you're also free."

"Okay, Lola," I mumbled, not having the energy to argue. "I have to go, I have that meeting. We'll talk later."

I ended the call before she could reply, dropping the phone back. Why couldn't anyone understand? With a fortifying breath, I grabbed my leather portfolio and my handbag and walked out of the bedroom.

I drove to Calder Corporation and met a receptionist with a flawless smile, who directed me to an elevator and when the doors opened, another assistant was waiting to lead me down a wide corridor to a set of double doors.

Finally, I arrived at his office and I stepped inside, he rose from behind his desk as I entered and locked eyes with him for the first time. Ethan Calder is a handsome man, the kind of looks that made you forget how to breathe for a second. He wore a charcoal grey suit, the top two buttons of his white shirt undone, revealing a hint of a strong, tanned throat.

His eyes were truly captivating, his grey eyes swept over me and I felt an unwelcome heat crawl up my neck. My heart gave a sudden, traitorous lurch against my ribs.

"Mrs. Lancaster," he said, "Thank you for coming."

He gestured to one of the chairs opposite his desk. I sat, forcing my spine to remain straight, my hands clutching the portfolio in my lap like a shield.

"Mr. Calder. Thank you for your time," I replied, "Daniel... my husband is very excited about the potential of our companies working together."

I opened the portfolio on my lap and slid it onto his desk. "This is the proposal we discussed, it details the projected growth."

He didn't even glance at it. He simply pushed the file to the side, his gaze never leaving my face. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his long fingers steepling under his chin.

"Sophia," he said, the use of my first name both intimate and presumptuous. "I didn't ask you here to talk about business."

My heart skipped a beat, "I'm sorry?" I asked, "I was under the impression this meeting was about the merger."

"The merger is a secondary concern," he said, his grey eyes seeming to look right through me, past the dress and the polite smile to the fractured woman beneath. "I have a different proposal in mind."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "What kind of proposal?"

"You are an exquisitely beautiful woman, Sophia," he stated, not as a compliment, but as a simple, undeniable fact. "And since our first meeting, I've found myself... interested."

"Mr. Calder, I..."

"Allow me to be direct," he continued, cutting me off smoothly. "I am a man who gets what he wants and I want you. I'm proposing a relationship, you give me your time, your company... and in return, I will grant you any wish you seek anything at all."

I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. A laugh escaped my lips. "Are you serious? Mr. Calder, are you feeling alright? In case you've forgotten, I'm a married woman."

A faint smile touched his lips, "Am I mistaken," he said, his voice dropping, "or isn’t it now an open marriage?"

The blood drained from my face. How could he possibly know that? Did Daniel tell him that and is that why he asked me to come here today?

"That is none of your business," I snapped.

"I make it my business to know things," he replied calmly. "I did my research before extending an invitation."

I couldn't breathe. Shoving my chair back, I stood up on shaky legs, my composure completely gone. "You are not a serious person," I said, my voice trembling with rage. "This meeting is over."

I turned, I was almost at the door, my hand reaching for the handle when his hand closed around my wrist.

He gently but firmly pulled me back and my back hit the wood of the door with a soft thud. He didn't slam me against it yet it left me utterly caged, his body was like a wall in front of me, his hand still on my wrist, his other resting on the door beside my head.

The close proximity was overwhelming. My heart hammered against my ribs, I could feel the heat radiating from his chest, smell the clean, expensive scent of his cologne, it was intoxicating and terrifying.

How could this man, this stranger, affect me so much with just his presence? My body was betraying me, "Let go of me," I breathed, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Not yet," he murmured, "I know what's happening, Sophia. Mr. Hawthorne has another woman for months. He proposed this 'open marriage'. So I ask you, why shouldn't you have a man of your own? A powerful man. A man who can give you anything you want, anything you wish to reclaim."

I tilted my chin up, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as I could muster. "If, and that is a very big if, I ever decide to have another man besides my husband, you can be damn sure that you wouldn't be the one to tell me how to go about it."

A genuine smile finally broke through his façade."Are you trying to rekindle a fire that's already burned? Sophia, think about it. If Daniel truly cared, if he truly loved you with the devotion a woman like you deserves, he would never, ever share you. He wouldn't have made your marriage a business transaction. He is prioritizing himself, it's time you started doing the same."

The thought of everything that has been happening, the thought of what Lola had said earlier, and the audacity of him to think he has a say too overwhelmed me with anger.

My hand moved before I even thought about it, and my palm collided with his cheek before I could stop it. His head snapped to the side from the force of it. For a heart-stopping second, we were both frozen. I could see the red print of my fingers beginning to bloom on his strong jawline.

I didn't wait to see what would happen next. I shoved him hard in the chest, pushing him back a step. The surprise of it gave me the moment I needed, I wrenched the door open and fled, half-running down the corridor, the sound of my own ragged breaths and the furious beating of my heart roaring in my ears.

I didn't look back.

I just ran.