54

Chapter 54

Darcy’s POV

When the driver finally moved Brittany’s car disappearing down the driveway, I paused at the entrance frozen , fists clenched.

Brittanys had the gut to enter my house to come do her dramas. The audacity of that woman.

She came into my home, my space place—uninvited, acting like we still belong to each other and all her drama this evening happened right in front of Adrian.

I closed the door shut harder than I meant to and pressed my back on it, my eyes shut.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “fuck, fuck.”

What must Adrian think of me now? She saw Brittany kiss me. Heard her lies about our past. And I hadn’t even stopped her. I’d just stood there, too stunned, too aware that Adrian was watching.

Now Adrian probably believed I was two-timing her. Maybe she believed that I'm a kind of man who used women and couldn’t be trusted or maybe she was the reason I called her a mistake. Since we last had sex for a month now, I've been avoiding her to resist the urge of having another with her because she's my daughter's nanny.

I moved upstairs, my footsteps sounded through the quiet house with thoughts running wild in my mind.

A long day. Still not over

In my room, I sat on the sofa of the bed, my elbow on my tights as I bent my head down, thinking.

My mind replayed back to last night. To the club. To the woman I’d met there.

She was tall, blonde, bold and sexy, my kind of woman. She’d forced me to dance with her on the dance floor, what I rarely do. She rocked me with her big ass. My dick was already standing. It was a distraction,so it was easy.

We ended up in a hotel room. The sex was good, mechanical—two strangers chasing relief, not connection.

But even then, as she moved above me, all I could see was Adrian. Her face. Her hair. Her body.

Her tiny waist was just like Adrian's and her big breast with dark nipples turned me on, she had a tattoo drawn on her left breast exactly where Adrian's natural mark was and for the whole sex time I suckled them like I've missed Adrian's. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

The next morning was worse.

I woke up, half-asleep as I lean closer to the woman and kissed her.

“Adrian,” I whispered against her lips.

She froze. “I'm not Adrian,” she snapped.

When my eyes were fully opened, I noticed I was still in another woman's arm,not Adrian, “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean...”

“Alright," she said, picking her clothes. “You’re not the first guy to call me someone else’s name.”

I left money on the bed, near her, to me it was guilt money and then I walked out without looking back.

I drove home, thinking about why I couldn’t stop seeing her even when I get intimate with another woman. Maybe I might just open up and tell her I want her. She was everywhere.

And now, after hearing from Leo about the threats against Adrian and Pink… then having Brittany show up and pull that stunt in front of her—it was too much. All of it.

I went to the bathroom, spilled cold water on my face, and my reflection caught the mirror.

Dark circles. Tension in my jaw. A man on the edge.

That was me.

I needed a reminder of what mattered. I went to see if Pink was okay.

She was playing with the unicorn Brittany gave her, when I entered.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I said,“ Are you okay?”

She looked up, her eyes wide. “Daddy, who was that lady?”

“That was Brittany. She’s... someone Daddy used to know.”

“Do you like Ms Brittany?” she asked.

The question took me by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“She kissed you. Do you like her? Like in movies?”

My chest tightened. “It’s complicated, sweetheart.”

“But Ms. Adrian looked sad when she saw it,” Pink said softly. “I don’t want to see Ms. Adrian sad.”

I gave out a fake smile. “I don’t want that either.”

“Then why did you let that lady kiss you?”

I sighed. “Sometimes things happen very fast, adults can't control it. But you’re right, next time I will.”

She nodded her head like she understood. “Remember your lesson daddy you always tell me to express myself instead of keeping quite ”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “ I admit I failed in my own advice. I'll adhere to it next time.”

She hugged the unicorn toy again. “It’s pretty daddy, but I like Ms. Adrian more than Ms Brittany. She’s nicer.”

I laughed. “Yeah, Ms Adrian is a very nice lady.”

“I like Ms Adrian more than that other lady,” she said firmly. Looking deep into my eyes.

“Alright, sweetheart. Time for bed.” I kissed her head.

Later, Adrian walked in the room with a cup of warm milk for Pink. Our eyes met then she looked away at once. She smiled at Pink, her face calm but her silence said everything. She’d seen too much.

I wanted to explain, to tell her the truth, but with Pink right there, I couldn’t.

She handed Pink the milk and turned to leave.

“Please. Stay” I said quietly

She paused, then sat on the chair by the window. I started reading Pink’s bedtime story.

My voice stayed steady, but inside my heart wasn’t. I could feel Adrian’s presence in the room, it was quiet but strong. It made everything tense because they were unspoken words between us

When I finished the story, Pink was fast asleep, her tiny hand still on my shirt. I looked at Adrian.

She’d fallen asleep too on the sofa, her head resting on the wing. The soft light made her look peaceful, almost fragile.

I stood up, I was very careful not to wake Pink, then I got a blanket. Adrian deserved to be comfortable. As I got closer to where she was sleeping, I noticed how young she looked in sleep—no fear, no high walls. Just softness.

I leaned closer to tuck the blanket around her shoulders—

Then she moved.

Before I could shift from her, her hands reached up and were on my neck, pulling me closer.

“Adrian...” I started, but her lips met mine.

I froze.

She was kissing me.

Her eyes were still closed. She was asleep. This wasn’t intentional. But the kiss—

It was soft. Gentle. Real.

Nothing like Brittany’s forced display downstairs. This felt genuine, like something buried deep had finally slipped through her dreams.

Every part of me screamed to pull away. To stop. But I couldn’t.

I just felt her lips on mine, for those seconds I thought I had fulfilled my dreams.

Then she turned away, her breathing steady as she kept sleeping.I stood there, stunned, my heart racing, I bit my lower lips.

What just happened?

It had to be a dream—a sleep reflex. She hadn’t meant it.

But still, my heart refused to calm down.

My heart beat increased.

Then I walked out of the room. In the hallway, I pressed my back on the wall, my hand touched my lips.

“She was asleep,” I whispered. “It didn’t mean anything.”

But the lie tasted bitter. Because that kiss—accidental or not—had felt more real than anything in years.

More real than Brittany’s desperate games.

More real than last night’s empty encounter.

I moved to my room and shut the door, pacing everywhere with the thoughts of her lips on mine. My heart was still racing.

This was bad. So damn bad.

I couldn’t fall for her. Not like this.

Adrian was under my roof. Dependent on me for her job, her safety, everything. If anything happened between us, it would be wrong. But Pink likes her.

It was not easy to sleep tonight, the way she held me and kissed me but I couldn’t forget. The warmth of her lips on mine, her soft moan. Wild...

Then, I stood by the window, looking out in the dark night. How I'll see her tomorrow and pretend nothing happened? I thought. Pretend that kiss didn’t exist.

Tomorrow I’d deal with the threat on her and Pink. Verify if Mark sent the messages just like I ask him to.

I’d tighten security. Prepare for the gala. And face Brittany, again.

But tonight, I couldn’t push all my worries away. Adrian’s kiss made me smile but I didn't want to admit that her lips on mine brings down strong walls I've built against love.

I felt something real for her.

And it terrified me. A lot.

Because if I let myself fall for Adrian—really fall and she left, or lied, or hurt me like Brittany had... I'm not sure I’d recover from the heart break.

I laid down facing the ceiling, my hands on my hands. Thinking.

This was impossible. But whenever I closed my eyes , all I could see was Adrian's soft lips. All I could feel was that kiss.

Something I shouldn’t want.

But I want, anyway. I didn't just want a kiss now, I craved her body. Desperately. Dangerously. Completely.