5.

Callista

“You’re awake?”

His voice slid into me like a blade wrapped in velvet. It didn’t just reach my ears; it crawled under my skin.

I didn’t even breathe.

He stood there, he didn’t just stand, he loomed shirtless.

Only a white towel hung low on his waist, clinging just enough to make it indecent.

Water still dripped from his body, sliding down his chest in slow, sinful trails. His skin gleamed under the soft light, every muscle carved like something sculpted by a damn god.

No….scratch that. He was a god.

A terrifying, unfairly beautiful one.

My eyes betrayed me, dragging over him before I could stop them. His broad shoulders, defined chest and abs so sharp they looked like they could cut glass. And his arms…

God.

His arms.

Veins ran along them, thick and visible, flexing slightly as he shifted the tray in his hand. They looked strong enough to break things. To hold things….FUCK….to hold me.

Heat rushed through me so fast it made me sick.

What the hell was wrong with me?

I jerked my gaze away like I’d been burned, my body reacting before my brain could catch up. I scrambled backward on the bed, the sheets tangling around my legs as fear slammed into me.

“What the hell?”

My voice came out hoarse and shaky.

He didn’t move immediately. Just stood there, watching me like I was something interesting. Something… his.

That look made my stomach twist.

“I brought you breakfast,” he said casually, like this wasn’t completely insane.

Like I hadn’t just woken up in a strange place with a half-naked man who looked like sin and danger combined.

My eyes flickered to the tray which contained eggs, sausages and a bowl of soup.

So painfully normal it made my chest tighten.

“I don’t want it,” I snapped quickly, my voice gaining a bit of strength. “I don’t want anything from you.”

He tilted his head slightly, staring at me. Oh my gosh…he way he stared at me made me forget my name.

Then, slowly, he stepped closer. Every step sent a jolt of panic through me.

“Stay back!” I shouted, my voice rising, cracking. “I said stay the hell away from me!”

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. “Damsel,” he murmured, his voice dropping lower. “You almost made me hit you last night.”

My heart slammed violently against my ribs. “That’s nonsense!” I snapped, even as my hands trembled. “Don’t you dare act like you’re doing me a favor!”

His smirk deepened like he enjoyed this.

My gaze darted around the room quickly. A laptop sat on a nearby table open.

“When the hell did I turn that on?”

My memory felt foggy, like pieces had been ripped out and thrown away.

Before I could even process it, he moved again. He reached over and casually shut the laptop, the soft click sounding louder than it should’ve.

My throat went dry.

He stepped closer again, closing the distance until I could feel him. His presence swallowed the air around me, thick and suffocating.

“Did you see it?” he asked softly.

My brows furrowed. “See what?”

His brown eyes locked onto mine. “I fulfilled your wish,” he said, almost like he was teasing me.

A cold shiver slid down my spine.

“What are you talking about?” I whispered.

He chuckled. The sound was low, dangerous… and annoyingly attractive.

My fear snapped back into place like a whip.

“Did you abduct me?” I demanded, my voice sharper now, fueled by panic. “What do you want from me? Money? How much do you want?”

He laughed.

“Do I look like a fucking beggar to you?” he asked, his voice suddenly colder.

My breath hitched. He leaned in slightly, just enough to make my pulse spike uncontrollably.

“I’m your savior,” he added with a smirk. “You almost made me hit you, remember?”

My stomach twisted violently. Savior? This body…m…man?

“You’re insane,” I said, my voice trembling despite my effort to keep it steady. “You’re completely insane.”

His eyes softened, that was somehow worse.

“I saved you,” he repeated quietly.

“No,” I shot back immediately. “You kidnapped me!”

He sighed, like I was being difficult. “You were in danger,” he said. “You just don’t remember it yet.”

My heart skipped.

Heat crept up my neck despite the fear clawing at my chest.

I hated that my body reacted. “Stop looking at me like that,” I snapped.

“Like…” I faltered, my words catching in my throat. “Like I belong to you.”

“You don’t?” he asked softly.

My breath caught.

“Hell no!” I snapped. “I don’t belong to anyone…especially not some psychotic, half-naked…”

My words died because he stepped closer.

I pushed myself back further, my hands gripping the sheets tightly. “Don’t come any closer,” I warned.

My breath hitched as his fingers brushed a damp strand of hair away from my face.

The touch was… gentle…so damn gentle it confused me.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured.

My eyes flickered to the door behind him. If I could just..

“You won’t make it,” he said calmly, like he had read my mind.

My stomach dropped. “I didn’t even move,” I snapped.

Damn it. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to hold his gaze.

“I’m not staying here,” I said firmly, forcing strength into my voice even though my chest felt tight. “Whatever sick game you’re playing…”

“You asked me to kiss you last night… do you remember begging me to take you to bed too?”

My breath hitched.

The words slammed into me, knocking the air clean out of my lungs. For a moment, I just stared at him, my mind going completely blank.

“No…” I whispered, but the denial sounded weak, even to me.

His gaze didn’t waver.

In the video, I did ask him to kiss me.

Heat rushed to my face, burning through my skin. My heart started racing again, this time for a completely different reason.

But… begging him to fuck me me to bed?

No way.

“I didn’t…” My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Would I?

My memories were foggy, broken into pieces that refused to connect. I tried to force something to surface, but all I got was a dull ache in my head.

Oh God. What if he was telling the truth?

My hands began to tremble before I could stop them. Panic crawled up my spine, sharp and suffocating. I quickly looked away from him, my breathing turning uneven as my thoughts spiraled out of control.

Did I really say that?

Did I really want that?

And… did he…My chest tightened painfully.

Without thinking, my hands moved, hesitating for only a second before I glanced down at myself, fear gripping me tightly. My body felt… normal. No obvious signs of being laid.

“Did you…?” I started, but the question refused to come out fully. My throat tightened, fear choking the words before they could form.

I couldn’t even look at him now because I was scared of what I might have done.