1. Seduced By a Stranger

Tallulah's POV

“Fuck, it's cold.” I voiced, pulling the sheets above my head. The heater had begun saturating the hotel room, and the air freshener had a pleasant smell.

I can't believe I'm at a five-star hotel, with a credit card in my purse containing thousands of dollars. And it was all thanks to my mom who got engaged to Mr Winston, a wealthy ship builder. I can't wait to meet my step family.

But this was no time to be hiding underneath a blanket, I should be out there celebrating with some drinks at the bar. After all, my days of being broke were over, and my mum was finally getting married after decades of loneliness.

••••••

The elevator doors slid open, revealing the passage leading to the hotel's bar which I strode into. But I began having second thoughts when I noticed the crowd of people in the room. Unlike other regular bars, they were all mannered, having small talks, and holding glasses of expensive drinks and wine.

The music being played on the speakers was slow and soothing. Some of the couples were waltzing on the dance floor, embracing their partners on occasions.

I wasn't used to being around this many people. And to make matters worse, they were all rich, spending thousands of dollars on whiskey bottles. But thanks to my new rich stepdad, I had become one of them. So I better get accustomed to their practices.

“A glass of martini, please!” I said, flashing a smile at the bartender who smiled back.

I watched the manner in which his fingers moved as he swiftly mixed the ingredients.

“Here you go, miss.” He voiced, handing me the tumbler.

I was about to ask for an entire bottle of whiskey, so I could drink it in my room. But a warm husky voice swept across the edges of my hearing, leaving my limbs frozen in their tracks.

“Put it on my tab.” He said, sliding a credit card across the counter.

I could tell that his gaze was fixated on me, but I couldn't bring myself to lock eyes with him, so I took it slow.

I started from his finely pressed pants which matched his brown shoes, glistening from the disco lights. Then my gaze moved up to his chest area, noticing how well built he was. His large chest perfectly fitted his lean muscular arms and broad shoulders.

Also, his sky blue shirt did a good job in coating his husky structure, but he ruined the perfect dressing by slightly folding up his sleeves. It was obvious that he was one of these rich fellows, and that scared me.

“Thank you.” I seethed, finally looking up to see his face.

But the sight left me breathless. His firm masculine voice was just a fraction when compared to his undeniable handsomeness.

I had expected to catch a flirty smile on his face, but instead, he remained expressionless, staring at me without blinking. The silent stare was becoming awkward, so I decided to break it with an introduction.

“Uhm, I’m Tallula, but my friends call me Lula.” I introduced myself, reaching for a handshake.

But when he grabbed my hand, he slowly pulled my fingers towards his lips, and kissed them.

“I'm really sorry for gawking at you.” He voiced. “Your beauty's just breathtaking.”

“You must be a model.” He assumed.

The feeling of his mouth on my fingers sent shivers of electricity down my spine. I subconsciously gulped down the lump of martini in my mouth.

“I'm not, but thank you.” I replied, “I'm more off a financial account.”

“Wow! An accountant. So you've also got a stunning brain.”

Damn! He sure knows how to use his words. I'm glad I changed into this evenly pressed red gown before coming down here. I could feel blood rushing into my cheeks as his compliments hijacked my mind and heart.

“I'm Mark.”

“Nice to meet you, Mark.”

He ordered a glass of whiskey, which he sipped gently. But I could feel his gaze washing my skin from time to time. He was very young, probably a few years older than me. I was starting to wonder how he got this rich at such a young age.

His gaze shifted to the dance floor and he cleared his throat.

“So your friends call you Lula, huh?”

I nodded.

“Yep, so does my mum.”

“Cool. But what does your boyfriend call you?”

I smiled. So that's his way of asking if I'm single.

“Well, he doesn't call me. Maybe it's because he doesn't exist, yet.”

“Let's change that, shall we?” He husked, stepping forward towards me.

I don't know if it was the alcohol or just my body flowing with his vibes, but I drew closer to him, trailing my finger down his chest.

“What do you have in mind?”

His gaze narrowed and shifted to my lips, and his eyes fell down to my cleavage.

“Fuck! I was going to ask for a dance. But if you wish, we could just skip that part and you could take me to your hotel room.”

I giggled.

“Easy, tiger, we just met. But I'm glad you didn't ask me to dance. I don't know how to.”

“Come on, it's not that complicated. I'll teach you.”

“Please, no. I can't.” I begged. But he didn't give me much of a choice.

I reluctantly followed him as he tugged my arm, leading me to the dance floor. When we found a spot, he grabbed both of my wrists, resting my hands on his shoulders. I could feel the warmth of his palms as his hands slipped around my waist.

“Follow my steps.” He whispered.

Soon enough, we were both dancing at a slow pace on the crowded dance floor, but it was beginning to feel like we were the only ones on it. His hand slowly trailed down my back until it rested on my behind. I hugged him tightly as his fingers stroked my back and ass.

“Lula, have you ever felt like you've known someone for a long time, even if you just met him?” he asked.

I was still thinking of how I would answer that question, but unknown to me, there was an even more difficult one yet to come.

“That's how I feel right now. I know we just met, but I think I wanna spend the rest of my life with you.”

I don't know why, but whenever he says romantic stuff like this, my brain just shuts down. I can't think of what reply to give, or what expression to display. So I remained silent, waltzing with our bodies intertwined. I tried not to let him notice my shallow breaths which he continued to trigger by whispering compliments into my ear.

Our waltz continued, until he asked the most bizarre question which made me gasp.

“Lula, would you fuck a man on the night you met him?

My gaze faltered and my body was tempted to give in to his charms. But I remembered how my mum had severally warned me about letting men lure me with sex. She said she had learnt the hard way when my father ghosted her after getting her pregnant. And I didn't want to ruin my life by making the same mistake she made.

•••••

After the dance was over, he offered to accompany me to my hotel room. I knew he might still try to have sex with me, but I needed more time, so I could decide for myself if I wanted him or not.

“That’s my door.” I announced, pointing at my room.

“Number 23,” he seethed, “I'm also down the hall.”

I unlocked the door with my key card, leaving it ajar so I could bid him goodnight. But he stood at the door staring at me pleadingly with those cute and irresistible eyes.

“What if it was just a kiss?” He whispered.

My expression twisted in confusion.

“Would you kiss a man on the night you met him?”

He strode forward, making me retreat into the room, and before I knew what was happening, he shut the door behind him, leaving me trapped in this hotel room with nowhere to run to.

“Lula, I want you. And I'm pretty sure you want me too. So make up your mind now, or you'll never see me again.”