RomanThe shock on her face was almost amusing. Eyes wide, mouth parted—like she just stumbled into a world she didn't want to believe existed."Speak up, Roman," she said, voice sharp. "Why do you have a picture of my father in your office?"I didn't respond. Instead, I walked past her slowly, hands in my pockets. I stopped at my desk, pulled the chair back, and sank into it with ease."I knew you'd react this way," I said finally, my voice flat. "Which is why I didn't say anything since then."She blinked, clearly thrown. "What does that mean?"Ah. That confusion. I liked it on her. It was better than her fire, better than her bite. Because when she was confused, she was vulnerable—and when she was vulnerable, she let me in without knowing it."It means exactly what it sounds like," I said lazily, pulling open the top drawer and flicking through a few files just to mess with her head. "You're a stubborn Maya. You panic first, then think later. I wasn't about to hand you another rea
MayaI felt lodged somewhere between my throat and the heat pooling deep in my belly. I shouldn't want this. I shouldn't want him. But damn him... he knew exactly how to push every one of my buttons.His knee pressed between my thighs, just enough to make my legs shift and squeeze, my body responding like it belonged to him. "Still silent?" Roman teased, his mouth hovering just above mine, breath mingling with mine like a sin waiting to happen. "I guess I'll just have to make you speak another way.""Roman..." I warned, but even I didn't sound convinced.His hands slid to my hips, pinning me harder to the wall like he knew I needed that pressure to stay grounded. I hated how much I liked it. My fingers twitched, traitorous and needy, before they lifted and found his chest. The warmth of him beneath the fabric, the hard ridges of muscle—I didn't think, just moved.I slid my hand down, found the first button of his shirt and started working on it. Alcohol and want blurred my judgment. M
MayaI splashed cold water over my face, hoping it would wash away the heat crawling under my skin. It didn't."Shit," I muttered, gripping the sides of the sink. Being in the same space with Roman was seriously messing with my head. And body.I had felt it—every inch of him—without him even touching me. All he did was step closer, breathe near my damn neck, and suddenly my knees had gone weak like I'd never seen a man before.And then he had the audacity to say something dirty. That smug, infuriating smirk on his face like he knew exactly what he was doing to me."Asshole," I hissed under my breath, staring at my reflection. How the hell was I supposed to face him now? He knew. That bastard knew he'd turned me on.I let out a frustrated groan and grabbed a towel to dry my face. My stomach growled then, a loud and unapologetic reminder that I hadn't eaten anything. Great. Just great. Now I was flustered, humiliated... and hungry."Perfect," I muttered, yanking the bathroom door open.
Roman I pushed the door open and stepped into the guest room. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, mixing with the sterile scent of the bandages I'd used. My eyes landed on the pale frame lying in the bed, looking like a ghost of a man.Finally.The guy stirred, his eyelids fluttering before he forced them open, blinking a few times like he couldn't believe he was still alive. I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms loosely."You're finally up," I said, my voice flat, giving him no hint of sympathy.He struggled to sit up, his face tightening in pain as he moved. Every wince, every shallow breath was a reminder of how close he had come to death. His eyes darted around the room in panic, taking in the unfamiliar walls, the closed door, me.He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't give him the chance. Dragging a stool across the floor, I set it down by the bed and sat, folding my arms across my chest and fixing him with a hard stare."I don't have time for bullshit,
Maya"Go to your room."That was the first thing Roman said. No panic in his voice. No shock. Just calm, like this was something he dealt with on a regular damn basis.I blinked at him, then looked down again at the body lying motionless by the door. My stomach twisted."What do you mean go to my room?" I snapped, whirling on him. "Someone is lifeless here and you're telling me to go to my room?"His jaw tensed. His eyes, usually heated with something dangerous and dark, were now sharp and angry. "I said go to your room, Maya. I'll handle it."That tone. It wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be. It had weight—thick and heavy enough to press against my chest. I didn't know if I wanted to punch him or scream.But what scared me more than the body on the ground was the way Roman looked—like this wasn't new to him. Like he wasn't fazed by it. Like he'd seen worse.And maybe he had.I didn't know why I was suddenly so terrified... and angry. "I'm not going anywhere," I said, standing my gr
MayaBy the time we stumbled through the front door of his place, I was dizzy with need, lips swollen, breath short, heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. Roman didn't speak—not that I expected him to. The silence between us buzzed louder than words ever could.And then he grabbed me—one smooth, commanding movement—and lifted me off the floor.I gasped, wrapping my legs around his waist, arms locking behind his neck. His mouth found mine again, rough and hungry, as he strode into the living room like a man on a mission.The second we reached the surface of the dining table, he knocked everything off in one sweep of his arm—papers, a glass, something that shattered on impact. He didn't care. Neither did I.I was too busy clinging to him, letting the sound of his rough breaths and the way his hands slid over the curve of my body feed the chaos unraveling inside me.Roman set me down on the edge, his body pressing against mine, his hand gripped my jaw as he forced me to meet his ey
RomanI hadn't planned to attend the damn party. But when a longtime client Mr Smith called in a favor, asking me to keep an eye on his precious granddaughter for the night, I didn't exactly have room to say no.I kept to the edge of the crowd, scanning the room casually, until my eyes locked on her.Maya.She was surrounded by a group of young people, glass in hand like she owned the damn room. My gaze swept over her—long legs, soft curves, the teasing hint of skin the dress barely managed to cover—and for a moment, everything else disappeared.My cock twitched at the sight. Of course it did.Even after all the bullshit between us, after she walked out on me, she still had that effect. The same effect that made me want to throw her over my shoulder and remind her exactly who the hell she belonged to.But she didn't even show much reaction when she saw me. Our eyes met for half a second, then she turned away, lifted her champagne, and sipped like I wasn't standing ten feet away.Like
Maya"Caleb?" I blinked, stunned.He stood there in front of the counter, hands in his pockets, wearing that familiar calm expression he always did. His suit was perfectly tailored, not a wrinkle in sight."What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice more breathless than I intended.He smiled. "I could ask you the same thing."I wasn't ready for this. Out of all the people I could've run into here I never expected him. After avoiding him the other day. He stepped closer, eyes scanning my face like he was trying to figure out what I was thinking. "You look... different."I lifted my chin. "Is that a compliment or a polite way of saying I look like hell?"He chuckled softly. "It's just an observation. Do you have time to talk?"My heart stilled.That question—simple as it was—made my mind spin.My breath hitched, and before I could stop myself, the words slipped out. "Did my father send you to bring me back?"His brows lifted slightly, the only indication that I'd caught him off guard.
Maya"You sure you wanna sell this?" The guy behind the counter looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "It's brand new. Barely even touched." He hold up the laptop accessing it. I nodded. "Yes."He looked at me again, eyes squinting probably suspicious of me. "If you don't want to buy then forget it." I stretched my hand to take the laptop from him when he moved it away. "No that's not what I mean. You don't look like someone who can-""Who can have something as expensive as this," I completed for him. I won't lie that his words hit a spot. Here people see me as a poor girl unlike in my own house where I'm that spoiled girl to her parents. But then again right now I am just a girl standing in front of him with too much pride and not enough patience.He slid a form across the counter. "Okay. Sign here."My fingers tightened around the pen as I scrawled my name. The guilt sank in immediately, dragging like a weight in my chest. I shouldn't be doing this.But I had no choice.This mornin