Chapter 3: Lesson One

NAOMI's POV

"Lesson one starts now."

Ang mga salitang iyon echoed sa penthouse, and suddenly the air felt thicker, heavier. Parang kulang ang oxygen.

Raze's thumb was still tracing my lower lip, and I couldn't move. Hindi ko alam if I wanted to pull away or lean closer.

"Tell me, Naomi," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. "When was the last time someone touched you?"

My cheeks burned. "That's... that's personal."

"Everything about this is personal." His hand moved from my chin to the side of my neck, his fingers warm against my skin. "Answer the question."

"Three months ago," I admitted quietly. "Before Marcus and I broke up, we hadn't... we hadn't been intimate in a while."

"And before that? When was the last time someone made you feel good?"

I swallowed hard. "I don't... I don't remember."

His jaw tightened. "He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

"It wasn't just him. I—" I stopped myself. Why was I explaining this? Why did I feel the need to defend myself?

"You what?" Raze pressed, his eyes searching mine.

"I never knew how to ask for what I wanted," I confessed. "I was always too embarrassed. Too scared of being judged. So I just... went along with whatever he wanted."

"And what do you want, Naomi?" His hand slid down to my collarbone, fingers tracing the edge of my dress. "Right now. In this moment. What do you want?"

You. I want you.

But I couldn't say that. Hindi ko kayang sabihin.

"I want to stop being afraid," I whispered instead.

He smiled—not the predatory smile from before, but something softer. Almost... gentle?

"Then that's where we start." He stepped back, and I immediately felt the loss of his warmth. "Lesson one isn't about sex, Naomi. It's about control."

"Control?"

"Yes. Control over your own body. Your own desires. Your own pleasure." He walked toward the couch, sitting down and spreading his arms across the back. "Most people think sex is about the physical act. But it's not. It's about the mind. About knowing what you want and not being afraid to take it."

I stood there, unsure of what to do. "I don't understand."

"Come here." He gestured to the space in front of him.

My legs moved before my brain could catch up. I walked toward him, stopping a few feet away.

"Closer."

I took another step.

"Closer, Naomi."

I moved until I was standing directly in front of him, between his legs. He looked up at me, and the intensity in his eyes made my knees weak.

"Do you know what your problem is?" he asked.

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me."

A hint of amusement crossed his face. "You're too much in your head. You overthink everything. You worry about what other people think, what they want, how they'll judge you. And because of that, you've forgotten how to feel."

His words hit too close to home.

"So here's what we're going to do." He leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees. "I'm going to ask you questions. And you're going to answer them honestly. No overthinking. No filtering. Just raw, honest answers. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Good." His eyes locked onto mine. "Do you think I'm attractive?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"Simple question. Do you find me attractive?"

"I... yes. Obviously."

"Why obviously?"

"Because—" I gestured at him helplessly. "Look at you. You're... you're gorgeous."

"What specifically do you find attractive about me?"

Oh God. Was he serious?

"Your eyes," I said quietly. "They're intense. Like you can see right through people. And your hands..." I trailed off, embarrassed.

"My hands?" He held them up. "What about them?"

"They're... strong. And the way you move them, it's... confident."

"What else?"

"Your voice. The way you speak. It's commanding but not aggressive. And your—" I stopped, shaking my head. "This is embarrassing."

"No. This is honest." He stood up, and suddenly he was towering over me again. "You're allowed to want things, Naomi. You're allowed to find someone attractive. You're allowed to say it out loud without shame."

"It's not that easy."

"It is. You're just not used to it." His hand came up to cup my face. "Let me ask you something else. When you look at me, what do you want me to do to you?"

My breath caught. "Raze—"

"Answer the question."

"I want..." God, I couldn't say it. I couldn't.

"Say it."

"I want you to kiss me," I blurted out. "I want you to touch me. I want you to make me forget everything except this moment."

The words hung in the air between us.

And then he smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Are you... are you going to do it?"

"No."

My heart sank. "What? Why not?"

"Because lesson one isn't about me giving you what you want. It's about you learning to ask for it without fear." He stepped back. "You just took the first step. You admitted what you wanted out loud. That's progress."

"But—"

"No buts. This is how we build your confidence, Naomi. Step by step. Layer by layer." He walked back to the bar, pouring himself another drink. "You're going to go home tonight. And tomorrow, you're going to think about what you want. Really think about it. Not what you think you should want. Not what someone else wants. What you want."

I stared at him, frustrated and confused. "That's it? That's the whole lesson?"

"That's the whole lesson."

"But we didn't even—"

"Sex isn't just about the act, remember?" He took a sip of his whiskey. "It's about the anticipation. The build-up. The tension. Right now, you're frustrated. You're confused. You're probably a little angry at me."

He was right. I was all of those things.

"Good," he continued. "Hold onto that feeling. Let it simmer. And when you come back tomorrow night, we'll explore it further."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Same time. Same place." His eyes met mine. "Unless you want to back out?"

Did I want to back out?

No. Despite the frustration, despite the confusion, I wanted more. I wanted to see where this would go.

"I'll be here," I said firmly.

"Good girl." There it was again. Those two words that made my stomach flip. "Now go home, Naomi. And don't forget to think about what you really want."

I left his penthouse in a daze.

The entire elevator ride down, my mind was racing. What just happened? We didn't even do anything, pero pakiramdam ko I just experienced something... profound.

He was right. I was frustrated. Confused. Angry.

But I was also... excited.

For the first time in months, I felt alive.