2. SECRETS DON'T STAY BURIED

"Where have you been, Samantha? You didn't come home last night. I hardly slept waiting for you."

Samantha nearly choked on her food. Her mother’s sudden question shattered the quiet lunch.

She took a quick sip of water before facing her mother, who stared across the table with intense eyes. Even her father, sitting right beside her, stopped chewing to wait for her answer.

"I visited Rose, Mom. She just came home from Japan, remember?"

The lie slipped out smoothly and practiced. Samantha lowered her head, focusing intently on slicing the meat on her plate. She couldn’t bear to meet her mother’s warm, trusting gaze.

Her mother knew her too well. She could spot a lie a mile away, and Samantha desperately needed this cover story to hold. If the truth came out, the interrogation would never end. Worse, her mother might actually faint if she discovered her daughter had spent the night having wild sex with a complete stranger from a bar.

"Just make sure you let us know where you are next time so we don't worry. A simple text will do, Samantha."

Samantha exhaled a quiet sigh of relief. The excuse had worked.

She looked up and offered a sweet, reassuring smile. "I'm sorry, Mom. Rose and I just got caught up in a great conversation, and I completely lost track of time."

Her mother picked up her fork again. "Don't worry about it anymore. Just don't scare us like that again." She sighed, glancing at the clock. "Now, hurry up and eat. Isn't today your first day at work?"

"Yes." Samantha smiled, tension leaving her shoulders.

"Go straight home as soon as your shift ends. No lingering at bars," her father interjected, his voice stern.

"Yes, Dad. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. It's not like this is my first time working a night shift."

"Even so, you're still a young woman. The world isn't a safe place anymore, Samantha. You're our only child, and we don't want anything happening to you."

Samantha offered a tight nod. Her father had always been fiercely protective, and while his strictness could be suffocating, she knew it came from a place of deep love.

"By the way, Alfred called me last night," her mother added casually. "He was looking for you. Said you weren't answering his calls and texts."

Samantha’s heart hammered against her ribs at the mention of her boyfriend's name. She forced her expression to remain completely blank.

"I'll stop by his apartment on my way to work," she replied, forcing herself to swallow another bite of food.

It was useless. Her mind kept drifting right back to the hotel room. She kept remembering the way Damon had consumed her, pinning her down and taking her over and over again. Now, with Alfred’s name hanging in the air, a sickening wave of guilt washed over her.

It was almost funny. She had completely thrown her conscience out the window the night before, but now that the euphoria had faded, the shame was back with a vengeance.

She cursed herself silently, wanting nothing more than to slap some sense into her own face for being so incredibly weak for a handsome stranger.

Setting her fork down, Samantha started to stand up to clear her plate, but her body instantly protested. A sharp, stinging ache radiated through her hips and core. Her knees actually trembled under her weight.

She let out a sharp hiss of pain, drawing her mother’s attention instantly.

Her mother paused, her brow furrowing. "Are you all right?"

Samantha forced her posture straight, breathing through the throbbing ache. She swallowed hard before meeting her mother’s worried gaze. Her father was staring now, too.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just a little dizzy from standing up too fast. Truly, I'm okay."

Her mother gave a slow nod, seemingly buying the excuse.

"All right. I'll just put this in the sink," Samantha said, turning away quickly.

Every single step toward the kitchen sent a jolt of soreness through her lower body. She gritted her teeth, hiding the winced expressions until she finally managed to escape into her bedroom.

Sinking onto the mattress, she buried her face in her hands. "Ah! This hurts like hell," she whimpered, closing her eyes against the memory of Damon's ruthless pace.

***

"Where were you last night?"

Alfred didn't even let Samantha step across the threshold before launching the question.

She had anticipated the confrontation and already rehearsed her script. She was going to double down on the lie she told her parents. She had even texted Rose earlier, begging her best friend to back up her story.

"Won't you even let me inside first?" Samantha asked, flashing him her most charming smile.

Alfred offered a chilly stare before turning around and walking away. Samantha let out a heavy breath, stepping into the apartment and closing the door behind her. She tracked him straight into the kitchen.

He stood at the sink, his back to her as he aggressively washed a plate.

Samantha set her handbag on the kitchen table and crept up behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She rested her chin on his shoulder, but his posture remained rigid.

"Babe, I'm so sorry," she murmured into his skin. "Rose and I were catching up, and I completely forgot to check my phone."

"I called you a dozen times, Samantha!" Alfred snapped, his tone sharp with irritation.

"My phone was on silent, buried deep inside my bag. I didn't even see the missed calls until this morning. I swear."

If there was an award for world-class liars, Samantha knew she’d be standing on the podium. The web of deceit was getting thicker by the hour.

"Then you should have called me the exact second you woke up."

Samantha tightened her grip, sliding her hands up to his chest before burying her face in the crook of his neck—his ultimate weakness.

"I wanted to apologize to you in person," she purred softly, planting a trail of delicate kisses along his jawline and up to his cheek. "I'm so sorry, babe. Please don't stay mad at me."

She kept up the sensory assault, brushing her lips against his warm skin until a reluctant smile finally broke through his icy exterior.

"Are we good now? Hmm? Tell me we're okay, babe." She nipped at his cheek, eliciting a low chuckle from him.

Samantha studied his face. Alfred was naturally handsome, but his features softened beautifully whenever he smiled.

Gently turning his chin toward her, she pressed her lips to his in a sweet, lingering kiss. Alfred froze in surprise for a fraction of a second, his lips closed, before the tension melted away. He pulled her flush against him, returning the kiss with growing hunger. They lost themselves in each other for three solid minutes, only breaking apart when their lungs screamed for air.

Alfred kept his hands firmly anchored on her hips, while she kept her arms looped around his neck. He offered a cute, exaggerated pout that made her laugh out loud. She reached up and playfully pinched his nose.

"Ow! Not the nose," he complained, though a grin ruined his tough-guy act. "But seriously, don't do that again. You worried the hell out of me. I thought something terrible happened to you."

Samantha stroked his cheek, offering one last reassuring kiss. "I promise, it won't happen again."

Alfred smiled back, his eyes darkening with a familiar heat. Samantha leaned in to claim his lips a second time, but he gently caught her shoulders and pushed her back.

She blinked, her brow furrowing. "What? I thought you forgave me."

"I did. We're great. But isn't today your first shift at the new job? You're going to be late if you don't leave right now. Rolling late on day one is a terrible look."

Samantha pouted dramatically. "Are you seriously kicking me out? You get a kiss, and now you're discarding me?"

Alfred rolled his eyes playfully. "Stop being an drama queen. Go to work, and come back when you start missing me."

Samantha’s playful smile returned. "Fine, I'm going. But just to be absolutely certain... you're not angry anymore, right? We're completely fine?"

Alfred chuckled, giving her a firm nod. "Yes, we're completely fine."

"Okay. I'm off." She grabbed her bag from the kitchen table.

She took three steps toward the front door before a wicked impulse hit her. Spinning on her heel, she marched back over to him.

Alfred raised an eyebrow. "Now what?"

Samantha lunged forward, crashing her lips onto his for a fast, breathless kiss. Before he could even process the sudden affection, she dropped her hand down and boldly gripped his crotch through his jeans.

"Samantha!" he gasped, his eyes flying wide.

She tore herself away, sprinting out of the kitchen with a loud, echoing laugh. "Bye, babe! I love you!" she yelled, slamming the apartment door behind her.

She had only made it a few yards down the hallway when her phone buzzed in her hand.

Alfred: Naughty girl.

Samantha smiled, her fingers flying across the screen.

Samantha: I love you.

She slipped the phone away, shaking her head. Relief washed over her. She had screwed up monumentally, and there was no valid excuse for what she had done with Damon. But she genuinely loved Alfred, and she refused to lose him over a momentary lapse in judgment. What happened in that hotel room was a freak mistake. One that would never, ever happen again.