CHAPTER 6

I woke up thirsty, my mouth dry, my body restless. I lay there for a few seconds, staring into the

dark, hoping the feeling would pass. It didn’t.

So I got up.

The house was quiet as I stepped into the hallway.

As soon as I stepped out of my room, I froze.

He was in the kitchenSitting at the island.

I stopped instinctively, but it was already too late. The moment I stepped out, he turned his

head and looked straight at me. There was no pretending I hadn’t been there.

I forced myself to keep walking

His gaze dropped.

I felt it like a physical touch as his eyes traced over me, lingering on places I suddenly became

painfully aware of, the curve of my hips, the way the fabric clung to my body, the bare skin I was

unconsciously showing.

My breath hitched.

Then his eyes lifted back to my face, and he smiled.

Like he hadn’t just unraveled me with a single look.

I returned the smile, though mine felt shaky, and walked past him toward the fridge, my heart

pounding loud enough to drown out my thoughts. I grabbed a bottle of water and turned…Straight into a perfectly chiseled chest.

I stopped short, my body hovering just inches from his. Heat radiated off him, warm and

intoxicating.

My breath stuttered.

I could smell him, clean, masculine, something faintly woodsy that made my stomach tighten. If

I lifted my hand, just a little, I could touch him. Feel him. Just for two seconds. Just enough to

know he was real and not some figment of my exhausted mind.

My fingers twitched.

Then,

He reached past me.

Pulled out a pack of grapes.

Closed the fridge.

And stepped away.

Just like thatThe spell shattered.

I stood there for half a second too long, gripping the water bottle like it was a lifeline, before

forcing myself to move. My legs felt weak as I walked past him, toward the hallway.

“Goodnight, Sierra,” he said calmly as I passed.

I was too embarrassed to speak.

“Goodnight,” I whispered back, barely audible.

I made it into my room and shut the door quietly behind me. The moment it clicked closed, I

leaned my back against it and sucked in a sharp breath.

My chest heaved, my heart racing like I’d just run for my life.

“What the fuck just happened?” I whispered to the empty room.

I slid down the door slowly, pressing a hand to my chest, trying to calm the nerves inside me.

This jobThis house.

Him.

I already knew one thing with terrifying certainty.

This was going to be dangerous.

But, I'm not the type to turn down a little adventure.

——

Sleep barely came.

I kept waking up, staring into the dark, my mind replaying the same few seconds over and over

again.

By the time I finally gave up, the clock read 6:00 a.m.

I lay there for a moment, listening to nothing and everything at the same timeHe would be leaving for work at eight.

I pushed myself out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. The tiles were cold under my

feet, grounding me. I closed the door behind me and turned on the shower, stepping under the

spray as warm water poured over my shoulders, my back, my skin.

The minute I closed my eyes, fragments of that night returned in small flashes

Blindfolded and handcuffed, in less than two seconds, I felt something cold on my skin, being

trailed down and caressing my nipples.

It was like I could feel it in reality.

A sharp gasp slips out of my mouth before I can stop it, my back pressing harder into the tiled

wall as the water runs down my skin.

Another fragment flashes.

He places both of my legs over his shoulder, and without further hesitation, I felt the heat of his

mouth and his tongue trailing down my thighs close, enough that my pulse spikes violently.

My breath breaks.

In the shower, my chest rises and falls unevenly. The steam feels thicker now. My fingers

slowly slid in between my legs, trembling“Stop,” I whisper to myself, not sure if I truly want to.

But my body reacts anyway, heart racing, knees weak, the echo of sensation crawling under

my skin.

I pressed my forehead against the cool tile, eyes squeezed shut, fighting the rush, fighting the

reminder of how deeply that night had etched itself into me.

How dangerous it still felt.

And how desperately I still so wanted it.

The realization hits me slowly.

This job hasn’t even properly started, and already my body is betraying me. Already my

thoughts are slipping places they shouldn’t.

This isn’t just attraction, it's power.

I exhale shakily, my chest tight.

“You came here for work, not pleasure.” I tried to tell myselMy reflection flashes in my mind, a woman who has spent five years building walls brick by

brick, surviving on control and discipline. A woman who couldn’t afford to want.

And yet here I am, breathing unevenly, pulse racing, losing my grip because of a few seconds

in a kitchen.

Because of him.

If this is what a single night in the house does to me, what happens after a week? A month?

What happens when the tension doesn’t fade but deepens?

I shake my head, water streaming down my face trying to wash the thoughts away.

“This is bad,” I murmur to myself.

This isn’t just about temptation.

It’s about control slipping through my fingers, and the terrifying truth that I don’t know how to

get it back.

My mind was spiralling so much, I hadn't realised when someone walked in until I felt a

presence standing two inches behind me.

Oh Fuck