Chapter 3

Catherine:

My eyes were burning as I struggled to open them, my hands both covering my face as I felt someone jumping out of the bed.

I gulped nervously as soon as the strong scent of cigarettes mixed with manly cologne tickled my nose. My eyes were suddenly wide open. At first it was his shadow that I saw, a tall muscular guy. But then my eyes landed on the huge tattoo of a serpent curled around a burning skull, it was taking up a large space on his bare back. My heart started racing in my chest, it sent terror through me.

There was only one question in my mind, and I needed to know the answer to it. I was going out of my mind.

My brows furrowed. He was only in his briefs! The scene wasn’t so bad from my corner, but why was he in  my room?

I finally looked around, it was when I realized that  wasn’t my room. Since my room walls weren’t red. I blinked, my hands reaching for my eyes to wipe them. 

Suddenly, a horrible knot tightened in my stomach once I noticed him grabbing the clothes they were lying on the ground, right next to a very familiar blue blouse…

I narrowed my eyes. The realization hit me hard when I realized the blue blouse was mine…

I gasped, my eyes drifting down my body. I froze, my hands tightening over the blanket that’s covering my naked body.

My cheeks were heating up, as I suddenly started to realize what had happened last night…and where I was…

“What…happened?” I managed to say, my eyes couldn’t even stare at him, but looked blankly toward the white blanket that was wrapped around me.

“You don’t remember?” His sharp, cold voice made me look into his eyes for the first time.

I only nodded, avoiding his gaze. “That’s odd…I usually leave a nice impression” His Italian accent was like music to my  ears. 

Oh my god, what the hell have I done? I shook my head  silently.

“I have to admit, I thought you’d win the bet…” He added a smirk playing on his lips as he started to wear his black leather shoes.

“What?” I’m confused, and my head was still spinning, probably from last night or from the shock…

“I made a bet with a friend…That you’ll come back for the money” He explained further.

My lips parted, my head snapped toward him in shock, but he only continued to stare at me for a few moments, before looking away, clearing his throat nervously.

“I never lose a bet” The confidence in his voice made me even angrier, and crashed!

“So, that's what happened…You used me to win a stupid bet” I gritted my teeth, my hands holding the blanket tighter, as if somehow I was angry with it, not him. But all of a sudden, he started to walk toward my side of the bed, annoyance and anger was pretty clear on his face.

“You really don’t remember, huh?” He seemed a bit offended. All that he cared about was his  stupid  ego. I don’t even bother to answer him, my eyes staring blankly toward the wall in front of me.

“You asked for a price. Although it was a high price I gotta admit” His surprised face was telling me I might’ve lost it real bad last night, even worse than that time I got drunk and burnt my father’s precious car.

“I think it was worth it…Especially when I found out later that you’re a virgin” His words made me look away from him. I held my tears back.

“I mean, you were a virgin, not after last night of course!” His smirk made the tears struggling to fall down my cheeks, but I couldn’t let him win and see how broken I was. He had already taken everything away from me.

“What the hell are you doing in a place like this?” He whispered,  his hand pushing my chin up to meet his gaze. He seemed really curious and suspicious.

I swallowed, but didn’t even dare to answer his question.

“You weren’t what I expected at all, but I guess it was worth every penny” He dared me to say something. How could I? He literally ruined me! I was saving myself for the right person. My virginity was gone, all because of the pervert bastard!

He stood right in front of me, leaning in, his scent made me want to vomit as I started to remember images from last night.

The way I knocked on his door, the way I threw my body against his, and the way I kept kissing him even though he tried to stop me…

Oh my god! It wasn’t just him, it was me!

My heart dropped as I remembered every little detail…I wanted him last night just as much he wanted me!

It was me! All along! I started it, but he didn’t stop it either!

I gulped, staring right into his black eyes. “Something to remember me with, Catrina” He called out my name, and I suddenly remembered him moaning my name like that last night…

It was wrong, but him calling me that way made all my anger fade. All of a sudden it was so dangerous to stay close to him

I knew it wasn’t  the right time to admit it, but was it fair to say that him being so close wasn’t just dangerous but also was turning me on? I closed my eyes, then opened them only after a few moments to see the wide smirk back to his lips.

“It’s good to know you’ll remember me as your first,” He said before leaning closer to me. I flinched. My sudden move made him pause before he looked deep into my eyes. 

“I don’t know what brought you to this place,” His words made me feel so terrible, it’s the same my mother would say if she knew about this…It was heartbreaking!

“But girls like you don’t usually belong here” His words sank deep in my heart, it was as if he knew me too well to spit them out.

The guy suddenly grabbed a pile of money  from his coat. then threw it on my side of the bed.

“I hope this will make you stay away from this place…” He said with a serious tone.

I frowned, still confused. “You don’t understand…” I didn’t know why I felt the urge to explain what I did last night, but I just continued to stare blankly at him, frozen and tongue tied as he made his way out of the room.

So, after he took advantage of me and used me,  he was trying to be a gentleman? That was the weirdest thing I had ever witnessed!

I looked down at the pile of money on the bed. I couldn’t believe that was actually happening…I couldn’t believe I’d become that person! I sold myself to a stranger for money!

Tears were too heavy inside my eyes, struggling to fall, but I couldn’t even cry.

My head was still spinning as I jumped out of the bed, my knees were trembling and I didn't even dare to look behind me, still denying the fact someone already took my virginity on this bed, terrified to even see the mark of my virginity between those white sheets.

My eyes started to scan the room, searching for my clothes, since I wasn’t wearing any…

I squinted once I spotted my black jeans lying not so far from the bed, reaching out for them, my eyes caught something else, a flash drive.

I reached for it, and grabbed it from the floor. I was sure it belonged to him. If someone as rich as him was carrying such an item in his coat, then it meant it was very important to him! Whatever this flash drive held, it must be important…important enough to keep on him at all times…