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CHAPTER ONE

Author: Lizbeth Rose
last update publish date: 2026-05-24 16:26:38

BEVERLY

Having a crush on an older, more capable man had completely ruined dating for me.

No guy my age ever measured up.

Not when I knew what it felt like to be cared for by someone who remembered every little thing about me. Someone who listened when I spoke. Someone whose voice alone could calm me down after the worst days of my life.

Still, I had tried.

Which was exactly how I ended up dating Dylan.

Or rather… about to break up with Dylan.

I planned to spend the night at his apartment, which was why I showed up unannounced with an overnight bag hanging from my shoulder and a bottle of cheap wine in my hand.

Thank God I did.

Otherwise, I never would have caught him in the act.

The moment I stepped into his apartment, something felt wrong.

There were heels near the couch.

Not mine.

A woman’s laugh echoed softly from somewhere deeper inside the apartment, followed by Dylan’s voice—low and flirtatious in a way I had never heard directed at me.

My stomach dropped.

Slowly, I walked toward the bedroom.

The door was half open.

And there he was.

Half naked.

A blonde girl straddling his lap while his hands gripped her waist.

For a second, my brain completely stopped functioning.

Then the wine bottle slipped from my fingers and shattered against the floor.

Both of them jumped apart.

“Beverly—”

“What the hell is this?” My voice cracked so sharply it barely sounded like mine.

The girl scrambled off the bed, grabbing her shirt.

Dylan stood up fast. “Wait, babe, calm down—”

“Calm down?” I laughed in disbelief. “You’re cheating on me!”

The girl looked deeply uncomfortable now, eyes darting between us.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “You said you were single.”

I snapped my head toward Dylan.

He cursed under his breath. “Can you just—”

“No,” I cut him off. “No, actually, explain it. Explain why your tongue was halfway down her throat while I’m standing here looking stupid.”

The blonde grabbed her purse awkwardly. “I’m leaving.”

“Yeah,” I muttered bitterly. “Great idea.”

She practically ran out of the apartment.

The second the front door slammed shut, silence filled the room.

Heavy.

Ugly.

Dylan dragged a hand through his hair. “You’re overreacting.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

I actually laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because I genuinely couldn’t believe the audacity standing in front of me.

“You cheated on me,” I said slowly, “and somehow I’m the problem?”

He rolled his eyes, already irritated like this conversation inconvenienced him.

“You wanna know the truth, Beverly?”

“No, actually, I’d love another lie.”

“You never wanted me.”

That caught me off guard.

“What?”

“You heard me,” he snapped. “Every time we tried to have sex, you acted stiff as hell. Like you were forcing yourself through it.”

Heat rushed to my face instantly.

Not embarrassment.

Anger.

“You barely even get turned on,” he continued harshly. “Do you know how frustrating that is? I’m your boyfriend, and every time I touched you, it felt like you were somewhere else.”

Because I was.

Not physically.

But mentally?

Always.

Some stupid part of me kept comparing every man to a voice on the phone. To impossible standards no real relationship could survive.

Still, hearing Dylan throw it in my face made humiliation burn hot beneath my skin.

“So that justifies cheating?” I shot back.

“I’m saying maybe if you actually acted like you wanted me—”

“Oh my God.” I stared at him like he was disgusting. “You seriously think this is my fault?”

He scoffed. “You can’t even relax around me.”

I stepped closer slowly, fury vibrating through every inch of me.

“No,” I said coldly. “The problem is that you have absolutely no idea how to touch a woman.”

His expression darkened.

“And judging by what I just walked in on,” I continued, “you probably think thrusting for five minutes counts as skill.”

“Beverly—”

“No, shut up. You wanna talk about me not getting aroused?” I laughed sharply. “Maybe learn how to actually turn a woman on instead of treating sex like a cardio workout.”

His jaw tightened.

Good.

“God,” I muttered, grabbing my bag from the floor. “The male ego is actually terrifying.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“And you’re bad in bed,” I fired back instantly.

That one hit him.

Hard.

His face darkened immediately. “You didn’t even give me a chance.”

I swung my bag onto my shoulder. “Trust me, Dylan, if that was your best effort, I didn’t miss out on anything.”

“Beverly—”

“Enjoy your fake orgasms and community vagina.”

His mouth fell open slightly.

I pointed toward the hallway. “And maybe next time you cheat on someone, don’t light candles everywhere like you’re filming a low-budget romance movie.”

Then I walked out.

My heart pounded violently the entire way down the stairs.

Not because I was sad.

Oddly enough, I wasn’t.

Just angry.

Frustrated.

Embarrassed that I had wasted months trying to force feelings that were never fully there.

I got to the parking and got into my car driving back home, probably to go raid the wine cabinet and enjoy a midnight karaoke. Definitely not crying over that cheap idiot.

When i got to the house,everywhere was already dark and quiet. The workers had definitely retired for the day, I told them I wasn't coming before but here I am.

The foyer lights were off, the faint silver glow from the moon spilled through the tall windows, stretching across the marble floors in pale streaks. The mansion felt too quiet at night. Too large. Like it swallowed sound whole.

I kicked off my heels with a sigh, rubbing my forehead as exhaustion finally started settling into my bones.

God, what a disaster of a night.

First heartbreak.

First cheating scandal.

And apparently my first official lesson in how painfully stupid modern men were.

I was already planning which bottle to steal from the wine cabinet when something shifted in the darkness.

I froze.

Someone was sitting on the couch.

My breath caught instantly.

The figure was barely visible, nothing more than a dark silhouette blending into the shadows of the living room. Long legs crossed lazily. One arm resting against the armrest.

Watching me.

A strange chill crawled up my spine.

How long had he been sitting there?

The moment he heard my uneven breathing, he stood.

Tall.

Very tall.

My pulse stumbled violently.

Every instinct screamed at me to ask questions, but for some reason, my body stayed rooted in place as he started walking toward me.

Slowly.

Controlled.

His footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor.

And God

There was something terrifying about how calm he moved.

No rush.

No hesitation.

Like this house belonged entirely to him.

Like everything inside it did too.

When he finally stopped in front of me, I still couldn’t properly see his face. The darkness hid it completely.

But his presence?

Impossible to ignore.

“You’re late.”

My breath hitched.

That voice.

Deep. Smooth. Familiar enough to make my chest tighten painfully.

No.

No way.

Before I could think properly, he turned slightly.

“Follow me.”

That was it.

No explanation.

No introduction.

Just a command spoken in the same calm tone that had haunted my dreams for years.

I stared at him in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“Come with me.”

Every logical thought in my head told me this was insane.

But my feet moved anyway.

Which honestly felt even more insane.

Funny how easily I followed him without another word.

We went up the stairs in complete silence until he stopped in front of a door, he opened it with a password and stepped aside as if saying 'ladies first.'

I walked into the room that looked like something out of a sex scene. Just as I was looking around, he pulled me closer and began to kiss me.

I kissed him back too, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist as he held me up. He walked few steps as we kissed and dropped me in front of a bar.

Before I could get my bearings, he already cuffed my wrists and ankles to the bars.

"Wait, wait. What's going on?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a little bit of annoyance and asked, "Don't you know what you are here for?"

"No, I'm Beverly." I said ,hoping that could clear the confusion.

He froze. "What did you say?"

"I'm Beverly." I repeated.

"Fuck, fuck." He muttered as he began to uncuff me immediately. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"You really didn't give me a chance ,with all the commands." I mumbled.

He pulled me out of the room and locked the door after him. "Forget whatever you saw this evening."

I stared at him while rubbing my wrists. “That’s literally impossible.”

The man exhaled sharply.

Even in the darkness, I could feel the tension rolling off him now. Controlled before. Agitated now.

Interesting. Very interesting.

“You brought me into a BDSM dungeon,” I whispered in disbelief. “Then handcuffed me to a bar.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be you.”

“Well, thank God we solved that mystery.”

He muttered another curse beneath his breath.

I crossed my arms slowly, finally finding enough courage to really look at him.

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  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

    BEVERLY The morning arrived with a blinding sheet of sunlight pouring through my veranda doors. The moment my eyes cracked open, my hand shot instinctively to my throat. My fingertips brushed against the smooth, firm band of leather, tracing the cool, solid weight of the silver letter D resting in the hollow of my collarbone. A shiver of pure, remembered heat rushed through me. It hadn't been a dream. The contract, the ropes, the maddening touch of the feathers, and the heavy click of the buckle behind my neck—it was all completely real. I showered carefully, making sure not to get the premium leather wet, and dressed for the day. Per the protocol, I had to maintain the perfect illusion of the innocent ward. I chose a high-necked, cream-colored knit sweater that completely hid the choker from view, pairing it with dark denim. To the rest of the world, I was just Beverly. But beneath the fabric, the heavy silver initial pressed into my skin with every movement, a secret, humming c

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

    BEVERLY The sudden absence of the teasing feathers left my skin humming with a lingering, hyper-sensitive warmth. I stood perfectly frozen in the center of the room, my chest still rising and falling in shallow, ragged gasps as I waited for Damian’s next command. The soft purple silk rope remained securely knotted behind my waist, a heavy, binding reminder that my autonomy still belonged entirely to the man standing before me. Damian did not make me wait long. He stepped behind me, his massive, solid frame blotting out the warm light of the fireplace as his shadow enveloped mine. The cool air of the study brushed against my lower back as his large, calloused fingers found the central knot of the silk restraint. With a few smooth, practiced movements, he loosened the tension. The heavy purple ropes uncoiled from my skin, sliding down the silk of my dark slip and pooling onto the plush rug around my bare feet. The relief was instantaneous, but my arms felt heavy and strangely numb a

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

    BEVERLY The soft, dark purple silk felt incredibly smooth against my skin, but the tightness of the wraps was absolute. Damian worked in silence, his large, warm hands moving with a practiced, mathematical precision as he looped the rope around my wrists, anchoring them securely together at the small of my back. He didn't rush. He pulled each knot firm, ensuring the restraint was snug enough to prevent any movement, yet careful enough not to pinch my skin or restrict my circulation. When he finally pulled the working end of the rope through the central knot, fastening it with a heavy, definitive tug, the reality of my situation settled deep into my bones. I was bound. I had no hands. If I lost my balance, I couldn't catch myself. If a stray strand of hair fell into my eyes, I couldn't brush it away. I was completely, utterly at his mercy. Damian stepped back. The silence in the study returned, thick and vibrating with a sudden, heavy tension. I stood in the center of the plush ru

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

    BEVERLY The day dragged by with the agonizing weight of a century.I spent the entire day confined to the estate, the vastness of the mansion suddenly feeling like a beautifully gilded waiting room. I tried to distract myself with my coursework, sitting on the edge of my bed with a textbook open on my lap, but the words swam together on the page. Every few minutes, my eyes would inevitably dart to the digital clock on my nightstand.Twelve o'clock. Two-fifteen. Five-forty.The silence of the house was absolute. Damian had left early in the morning for a sudden meeting at his downtown headquarters, leaving me entirely to my own devices. I was grateful for his absence; it gave me the space to breathe, to process the terrifying reality of the contract currently locked in his desk drawer. But as the afternoon sun began to dip below the horizon, painting my bedroom in long, violet shadows, the anticipation returned with a vengeance.By eight-thirty, my heart was beating a steady, frantic

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

    BEVERLYMy training begins now.The words hung in the warm, dim air of the study, heavy and immutable. I sat frozen in the leather armchair, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. The transition was so sudden, so seamless, that my brain struggled to catch up with the reality of what I had just signed. The contract was locked away, and with it, my right to say no to anything other than my safe word.Damian stood directly in front of me. Without the barrier of the mahogany desk between us, his sheer size was overwhelming. He looked down at me, his dark eyes absorbing the frantic rise and fall of my chest, the way my fingers clutched the armrests of the chair, and the deep, telltale flush covering my throat."Stand up, Beverly," he commanded.The instruction was simple, but his voice carried that new, gravelly weight of absolute authority.I swallowed hard and stood up immediately. My legs felt weak, slightly unsteady, but I forced myself to stand straight, my bare feet

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

    BEVERLY The air inside the private study was always heavy, but tonight it felt thick enough to suffocate me. The room was illuminated only by a single amber desk lamp and the dim, flickering embers of the fireplace, casting long, imposing shadows across the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Damian sat behind his massive mahogany desk. He looked immaculate, a striking figure of absolute authority with the top button of his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His dark eyes locked onto me the moment I stepped inside, tracking my every movement as I gently clicked the heavy oak door shut behind me. "Sit, Beverly," he commanded. His voice was a low, gravelly vibration that instantly made my knees feel weak. I walked across the plush oriental rug, my feet sinking into the fabric, and took a seat in one of the heavy leather armchairs directly opposite his desk. I kept my back straight, smoothing the fabric of my dress over my knees, trying to mask the violent trembling o

  • Sweet Little Temptation    PROLOGUE

    BEVERLY I still remember the smell of the hospital that night. Antiseptic. Cold air. Death. It clung to my skin long after they covered my father’s body with a white sheet. I was sixteen years old, sitting alone in a plastic chair with trembling hands and swollen eyes while nurses walked past m

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER FOUR

    BEVERLY The remaining bite of my pancake suddenly tasted a lot like victory. I chewed slowly, my eyes locked on Damian as he finished the last of his coffee. The man drank it black, obviously. No sugar, no cream, just pure, bitter energy to fuel whatever dark empire he ran when he wasn’t busy lur

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER THREE

    BEVERLY I woke up entangled in my duvet with no idea about how and when I actually fell asleep. There is no need for me to actually hide out in my room. He must have definitely disappeared again ,just as usual. Getting off my warm and extremely comfortable bed,I went into the bathroom to shower

  • Sweet Little Temptation    CHAPTER TWO

    BEVERLY I recognised his voice from the numerous calls and late night chatting over the phone. I finally saw him, my crush,the man who has been taking care of me in place of my father. The kiss flashed through my mind again. That was the first time I ever got turned on from a kiss. God.

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