22

Chapter 22

Darcy's Pov

I left the kitchen without looking back.

“She needs space; I would respect that.”

11:30pm sharp but sleep avoided me just the way Adrian had in three days now.

The time stretched.

I looked up at the ceiling, some times, I stared into nothingness as my thoughts raced from one point to the other. Restlessness settled.

The clock in my room ticked constantly—2:47 AM, 3:15 AM, 4:03 AM, each minute it moved made me restless.

“I’m afraid... it’s inappropriate,” She said, her words repeating itself in my mind. I could hear her soft voice clearer when she said that.

Her gray eyes filled with a vulnerability that struck deeper than any rival ever could.

What stung the most wasn’t just that she had said it; it was that she was right.

And I had no response for her.

Any relationship between us would be fundamentally uneven—I controlled her salary, her living arrangements, and, indirectly, her freedom. Yet even with that knowledge, I craved her. Recklessly. Desperately.

The following day…

The office became my sanctuary in the morning. I threw myself into work with focus and used a lot of energy trying to remove the thoughts of Adrian from my mind.

I did a lot of work, filling my schedule with conference calls, reviewing contracts and strategic planning sessions, leaving no room for distraction.

It didn’t work.

Even while discussing quarterly forecasts, I found myself wondering what Adrian was doing with Pink. During merger document reviews, I imagined her laughter resonating in the mansion. In a video call with Tokyo, I caught myself staring blankly, reminiscing about her kiss.

By 2 PM, I'd reached my limit.

“Mark,” I called, summoning my assistant to my office. “I need you to arrange something for me this afternoon.”

He appeared at the door, tablet in hand, always professional. “Of course, sir. What do you need?”

I pulled up an I*******m profile on my phone—a model I’d seen on my feed earlier, tall with sultry smiles. The kind of woman I wouldn't have hesitated to take out a year ago. “Get me her number and set up lunch for afternoon at two. Somewhere upscale, but not too public.”

Mark's expression remained unchanged, but I noted the slight pause before he nodded. “Certainly, sir. Any specific message to convey?”

“Just tell her Darcy Rodrigo would like to take her to lunch.” I spoke with deliberate arrogance, a shield for the desperation beneath. “That should suffice.”

And it did. Mark returned twenty minutes later with a confirmed reservation and a positive response from the woman—Sophia was her name. She’d be ready at three, excited about the opportunity.

Perfect. Just the distraction I needed. A reminder that I was Darcy Rodrigo, capable of attracting any woman I desired. That Adrian Martinez wasn’t special, wasn’t irreplaceable, and certainly wasn’t the only one who could make me feel—

I chopped off that thought before it could finish.

This would work. An intimacy with someone else would prove that my fixation on Adrian stemmed solely from her being forbidden fruit. This one encounter would reset my perspective and help me regain clarity.

I almost believed it.

“Sir,” Mark cuts in interrupting my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“About Adrian Martinez...”

“Not now,” I interjected, dismissing him.

---

Sophia arrived at the restaurant, friendly and effortlessly charming. She was genuine, not arrogant, just... engaging.

“Darcy Rodrigo,” she said with a soft laugh, extending her hand.

“Sophia,” I replied with a smile.

“Thanks for meeting me.”

“We talked smoothly over wine and a light lunch. She was funny and her laugh was charming. I love that she spoke openly, which made her easy to talk to.

But each time she laughed or smiled, I couldn’t help but think of Adrian, her warm laugh and her natural, spontaneous ways.”

“You seem… distracted,” she observed softly, reaching across the table.

I forced a smile. “Long day,” I lied. Yes, my day had been long but not for the reasons she thought.

Lunch wrapped up, and I insisted on driving her home. As we walked, the interaction grew more playful, suggesting mutual attraction. Sophia touched me lightly, her interest evident. When we reached the parking lot, the desires that she had, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

The engine made a smooth sound as I parked in a private car park.

The air shifted

"Kiss me," I commanded.

She didn't waste any time, she leaned closer, and kissed me.

We kissed passionately. Our tongues, rolling on each other's mouths.I couldn't resist her.

She traced her fingers down to my pants, closer at the zip pants, I was hard already.

My hardness wants to break free from my pants. As she opened the zipper, it sprang up. She chuckled.

She used her hands at first to stroke it, while I leaned forward kissing her for some time. She lightly brushed her fingers on my thigh, I felt the warmth, the pleasure.

Then she used her mouth. As she moved up and down my shaft my hand found its way to her hair, guiding her gently. Her warm mouth slid in and out.

Every gentle motion—the way she pressed closer, the sensation of her breath on my skin was too intense I lost control.

Inside the car, the world faded between us, leaving just the strong energy we had between us.

She took her time, stroking my shaft in the right precision like an expert in the game.

She teased me and sucked my perker while I moaned softly. I held my steering wheel to maintain my focus.

Her eyes searched for mine, seeking approval while enjoying the pleasure. Her lips and teeth did wonders to my shaft until I reached the breaking point. I moaned slightly.

The orgasm came in full force and shot off in her mouth and she took it in without spitting any out.

I loved what she did to me. She was intentional.

Still, I let it unfold, yearning for distraction, desperate to prove I could focus on someone other than her.

I allowed her hands to explore my body but while doing so, my mind kept returning to Adrian—her gray eyes, the taste of her lips, her touch.

When Sophia pulled back, she licked her lips in a seductive way. We shared a short laugh.

“You taste good… ,” she said, her eyes filled with excitement.

I smiled, grateful for the moment, however transient it might be. “You have that effect on people,” I replied.

Sophia's touch was calculated, every gesture aimed for maximum impact. Adrian’s touches felt natural, and they completely made me go wild.

Even though I knew I was making a mistake, I've gone too far to stop. I convinced myself that if I slept with Sophia, If I proved I could find satisfaction with someone else outside other than Adrian then maybe this restless wanting of Adrian and her body would finally go away.

"Would you like to continue this somewhere more private?" I asked, speaking with practiced seduction I had said to over countless flings.

Sophia's eyes sparkled. It showed her mission was successful, "I thought you'd never ask."

After finishing in the car, we went to a discreet sleek hotel.

Inside the city view was magnificent, showing forth through the expansive windows. The twinkling lights resemble stars.

This was a familiar space I had shared with others, but tonight, it felt different.

Sophia moved toward me, eager and soft, but I felt like a man torn in two. One part wanted to lose myself in her, to demonstrate that Adrian didn’t define my desire. The other part says even if I slept with other women I was still much attracted to Adrian and I could never replace.

Once the door closed, Sophia wasted no time to come at me with practiced eagerness.

Her lips found mine, and I kissed her back. I traced kisses on her earlobeß down to her neck as she moans carelessly while in my thought Adrian Martinez kept coming forth the way I kissed her that night at the hallway.

She wasn’t Adrian. Nothing about this felt right.

But I pressed on. I want to prove something to myself, even as the emptiness of it threatens to suffocate me.

Then I unzipped her clothes and took off her red laced bra. I suckled on her hard nipples then we reached the bed and Sophia was enthusiastic, giving, adhering to the script we both knew too well.

It meant nothing.

She moved above me, her body beautifully lit in the dimness, her sounds of pleasure filling the quiet room. Any other man would have been completely absorbed, finding satisfaction in her offerings.

But my mind kept showing me Adrian’s naked body as I looked at Sophia’s. It couldn't just stop coming...

I closed my eyes, those gray eyes were looking back at me with heat and vulnerability, her lips the very one I tasted greedily that night.

Sophia's body moved against mine with a shared hunger. The pleasure was at its peak. Her wetness was out of this world. She was sweet.The sounds of sex filled the hotel room.

We didn't stop grinding until we were at the peak of it all. She moaned my name loudly. But at the end of it all when my juice filled her cunt the only name I could remember and I moaned was...

ADRIAN...