Dangerous distraction

Allison’s POV

My eyes were squeezed shut, as if that could somehow protect me from the overwhelming presence of the man in front of me. He was intimidating beyond words, and all I could do was obey.

His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer. For a moment, it felt like my soul left my body. His fingers slid down my thigh, sending shivers racing through me.

How did I go from wanting a warm bath to standing naked in front of a stranger, letting him touch me like this?

Goosebumps prickled my skin as his touch traveled upward—over my belly, then my chest. A soft moan slipped from my lips when he pinched my nipple. My body betrayed me, trembling under his control.

This was wrong. Every rule I’d ever lived by shattered in that bathroom. But stopping him felt impossible. His touch was electric, awakening parts of me I didn’t even know existed.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice calm, controlled. “Or should I stop?”

My lips trembled. I shook my head, not even sure what I was agreeing to.

“What was that?” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin.

Before I could answer, he lifted me effortlessly and placed me on the bathroom counter. My breaths turned shallow, my chest rising and falling rapidly as his dark eyes studied me—like I was something he intended to claim.

I knew I was playing with fire. Every instinct warned me to run. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to know how far this could go.

His hands found my breasts again, slow and deliberate. I bit my lip, stifling my moans as pleasure rushed through me. His mouth closed around my nipple, gentle and possessive, and my body shook.

I was lost. Completely.

His hand moved between my legs, teasing close enough to make my knees weak. Reality slammed into me, and I pushed against his chest.

“Please…” I whispered.

He froze. His gaze locked onto mine.

“Are you still untouched?”

Heat flooded my face. “Yes.”

Silence filled the room. I waited for anger, for rejection—but instead, something unreadable flickered in his eyes.

“If you’re a virgin,” he said quietly, “you don’t understand what you’ve stepped into.”

His lips brushed my neck, sending another wave of heat through me—

Then everything shattered. The door opened and someone barged in.

Footsteps rushed closer. Panic surged through me. I was naked.

“Boss we are running late!”

“Stop right there, Diego!” he barked.

In an instant, he stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.

“Oh shit!” the person exclaimed before retreating.

My heart hammered. Not just from fear. He had protected me.

“Get dressed,” he ordered, turning away.

I wrapped myself in a towel and dressed quickly. When I stepped out, he stood by the window, a cigarette between his fingers, the city lights framing him like something unreal.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Allison.”

“Allison,” he repeated, slowly.

“When do you finish work?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

He nodded. “Go back to work. And don’t take baths in strangers’ rooms again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Not sir. Clyde.”

“Yes… Clyde.”

I left with my heart racing.

The rest of my shift passed in a blur. I couldn’t focus. No man had ever seen my body before today, and the memory burned beneath my skin.

Zach’s sharp voice snapped me back to reality, but even his irritation couldn’t dull the warmth lingering inside me.

When my shift finally ended, I went home exhausted—yet buzzing.

The twins greeted me, Mom asked about work, and I smiled through it all, keeping my secret to myself.

Later, sitting by my window, I wondered if I’d ever see him again.

The thought hurt more than it should have.

Unable to breathe in my own thoughts, I went for a walk.

The park was quiet. Cold. Peaceful.

I sat on a bench, watching couples pass, wondering if something like that was ever meant for me.

I hugged my knees, trying to steady my racing heart, replaying every moment from the penthouse.

Then a voice cut through the night.

“I thought that was you.”

I froze. My chest hammered. Slowly, I turned.

He was there. Every inch of him, the way he carried himself, the dark intensity in his eyes, made my knees weaken.

“You’re here,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said, low and magnetic. “And it’s good to see you again, Allison.”

My heart raced, my stomach flipped. I wanted to run, to collapse, to reach for him—all at once. But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.

He stepped closer, and the night seemed to shrink around us. His gaze burned into mine, dark and unreadable.

“You’re real,” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said. “And you’ve been on my mind all day.”

Every instinct screamed danger—but every other part of me ached to be near him.

In that moment, I knew my world had shifted. And it could never go back.