Page 15 of Tempted By Eden

Now, I’m stealing cash from a man who doesn’t even remember my name, working at a place where my worth is measured by how well I can submit to the desires of strangers.

This isn’t who I wanted to be. This isn’t the life I dreamed of.

Keep moving forward, Cora. You have to. There’s no going back.

I pull out my phone to order a rideshare and notice a missed call from Emily. My thumb automatically taps the voicemail icon, and I listen as I slowly make my way toward the street.

“Hey Cora, hope you don’t mind the late call, but I finally have news! There’s a position available for you at Hayes & Hayward Media. Remember you interviewed there a while ago? It’s a newly created role in their publicity department, and they’re looking for an immediate start on Monday. See, I told you it would all happen quickly. I’ll email you the details over the weekend. Let’s catch up for coffee once you’re settled in. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

I close my eyes. A wave of calm rolls over me as relief sinks in, steadying my frayed nerves. For the first time in what feels like forever, I exhale, releasing all the anxiety I’ve been holding on to.

It’s about damn time.

Chapter ten

Cora

“Momma, you awake?” Leowhispers in my ear. I open one eye to find his tiny face just inches from mine, his breath tickling my cheek.

“I am now,” I murmur, trying to stifle a grin while I yawn. I roll onto my back, pulling him into a big bear hug. He squeals, his giggles reverberating through my chest.

The movement sends a dull throb through my muscles, the lingering soreness a reminder of the night before. But it’s not the sex or being paid for it that fills me with guilt. It’s Jonathon… and the money I stole.

What the hell was I thinking? Taking his cash?

It was reckless, impulsive, beyond stupid. When he reports me to Madame Sophia, I’ll have to face the humiliation of explaining myself—and giving the money back. I can’t show my face there again. If this new job at Hayes & Hayward Media doesn’t pan out, I’ll be right back where I started: financially fucked. I’ve risked everything because of my stupid ego.

Seeing Jonathon again really messed with my head, knocking me off balance in a way not even five-inch stilettos could achieve. I groan out loud, covering my face with my hands.

“What’s wrong, Momma?”

“Nothing, baby. Absolutely nothing.” I force a smile, pushing the thoughts away. “Alright, time to get up and get cracking. How about we do something fun today?”

“Yes!” Leo leaps off the bed and runs down the hallway shouting, “Grandpa! Grandpa! We’re going to the zoo!”

I chuckle. The kid would go there every day if he could. Slowly I peel myself from the bed and stagger toward the bathroom, my core aching from being thoroughly used. A pulse of heat flows through me at the memory of Jonathon deep inside me.

The sex was incredible, his dominance addictive. No denying that. His hands, his tongue, the way he manhandled me—it was everything I remembered and more. But there’s an edge to him now, a newfound control that left me breathless. He seemed to have discovered a darker, more commanding side of himself, and damn, did it suit him. His gorgeous body, and that cock. Honestly, it should come with a warning label. The amount of times he made me scream…

I step into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on me. A soft sigh escapes my lips as I trace my hard nipples with my fingers, sensitive after the punishment they received. They’re still red and puffy from being pinched, pulled, and sucked. My own touch is a poor substitute for his, but it’ll have to do. I pinch them harder, welcoming the sharp, pleasurable burst of pain. My hand drifts lower, circling my needy clit, but just as I begin to lose myself in the sensation—

“Are you coming, Momma?” Leo’s muffled voice filters through the bathroom door, shattering the moment.

Sighing, I turn off the shower and reach for a towel. “Another minute and I would’ve.”

***

“Are you okay?” I ask Dad as we settle onto a park bench at the zoo. He lets out a soft grunt, his face tight with hard lines. We’ve been here for hours, and he’s shattered. There’s no way he was well enough to join us, but he’d never say no to Leo. He’d battle the crowds and his own pain just to see our boy smile.

I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he takes a slow breath, trying to mask the discomfort. I want to fuss over him, but I know he hates it when I hover. Instead, I quietly hand him a bottle of water.

The air smells of hay and sunscreen—scents that usually bring me comfort. But today, everything feels distant, disconnected. Leo is at the edge of the giraffe enclosure, his face lit up with fascination as the towering animals stretch their long necks toward a high basket of leaves. But I can’t stay present. My thoughts keep drifting back to last night. To Jonathon. To what I did.

“Yeah, I’m okay, darling,” Dad finally replies, though the wince in his expression tells a different story. After a pause, he adds, “What’s going on with you? You’ve been lost in your head all day.”

“What do you mean?” I turn toward him, my eyebrows pulling together.

He gives me a look—the kind that says “I know you better than that.” And he does. We’ve been close ever since Mom passed away and Leo came along. He’s been my rock, the one person I can always count on. But last night? I can’t share that with him… not in detail, anyway. The thought of what I did makes my stomach churn. It’s not just Dad who’s feeling queasy today.

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