Page 19 of Tempted By Eden

Every instinct screams at me to run, but I can’t. I can’t move, I can’t breathe, I can’t think beyond the overwhelming presence of him—this man who holds my past and now, somehow, my present in his hands.

Nathan’s eyes dart between us. He mouths,What the fuck?but I’m already gone, my feet moving of their own accord as I follow James out of the auditorium.

My legs struggle to keep up with his long, purposeful strides. I’m half-jogging, my heels clacking on the polished floor, my breath shallow. The walls of the hallway blur around me.

What the hell is happening?

My mind races, trying to piece together some semblance of reason, but nothing makes sense. Not the way he’s acting, not the urgency in his steps, and certainly not the dark look in his eyes.

All I know is I’m following a man who was supposed to stay buried in my past, a man who’s now much more than just a memory. As he leads me down the hallway, away from the safety of prying eyes, a cold dread claws at my sanity.

Chapter twelve

James

When I glance backto ensure Cora is keeping up, I catch her stumbling in her sky-high heels. A slight smirk pulls at my lips but I don’t slow down. If she wants to keep up with me, she’ll have to work for it. I control the pace—always.

I find the nearest boardroom and push open the door with more force than necessary, the loud bang startling the group inside. Their heads snap up in unison.

“Out. Now,” I demand, my voice low and laced with an edge that brooks no argument.

The four employees exchange tense glances, clearly sensing the volatility in the air. Without a word, they gather their laptops and papers, avoiding eye contact as they hurriedly exit the room. One or two of them shoot Cora a curious, almost sympathetic look as she pulls up behind me, slightly out of breath and flushed.

“Inside, Miss Rossi.” I hold the door open, nodding my head toward the now-empty room.

She storms past, and her scent—a tantalizing mix of vanilla and citrus—hits me, pulling Saturday night’s memories to the surface. I wrestle the urge to react, keeping my composure by a thread.

I follow her inside and close the door with a definitive click. Now that we’re alone, I let myself really look at her. Her black skirt clings to her curves in all the right places. Curves my hands know all too well. Her cream blouse offers just a hint of cleavage, enough to make me remember the way her skin felt under my fingertips, and her heels elongate her legs—legs that were wrapped around me, urging me to go deeper, not even two days ago. My cock stirs at the thought, but I grind my teeth, shoving the distraction aside. Now isn’t the time.

When I finally meet her gaze, there’s anger in her eyes. Her chest rises and falls, her breathing ragged with the strain of holding back.What the fuck does she have to be angry about?

I’m about to make her nuclear.

“You’re done here,” I declare, as I stare her down, daring her to challenge me. “Pack your shit and get out. Now.”

“What?” She sucks in a sharp breath.

Did she really think this was going to play out any other way?

“I don’t hire thieves and hookers in my company,” I snap, my composure starting to fray.

Her mouth falls open, and for a moment, she looks genuinely stunned.

“What kind of shit-show is Madame Sophia running?” I demand, my anger spilling over. “First, you steal from me. Then you find out who I am and waltz in here to do… what, exactly? Blackmail me?”

“What?!” She gasps again, her eyes wide with shock.

Or is it guilt?

“Is that all you’ve got?” I let the words hang in the air, watching her squirm under the pressure of my silence. When she doesn’t answer immediately, I arch an eyebrow. “You’ll need a better vocabulary if you want to keep working here, Miss Rossi. I’m beginning to think HR seriously dropped the ball with you.”

Her expression hardens, fury sparking in her eyes. Good. She should be furious.

Cora might think she can outsmart me, but I’ve dealt with women like her before. Whatever she wants, she isn’t going to get it. I’m no stranger to manipulation—women have tried before, but they’ve always been easy to manage. My preference for power dynamics complicates things, but my lawyer handles those situations without breaking a sweat. They typically leave with a settlement and a warning, vanishing just as quickly as they appeared. But nothing like this has ever happened at Eden, which is exactly why I pay their steep membership fees—to ensure a safe, discreet space for play.

When I realized Cora had looked through my wallet and stolen my money, I was livid. I should have reported her to Madame Sophia, but since she had no way of knowing my identity, losing a grand didn’t seem worth the hassle of an investigation. Chump change, really. But now, this is a different ball game. No one plays me.

How she found her way into my company, I don’t know. But I will find out. And when I do, she’ll learn just how dangerous it is to cross me. I’ll crush her little plan before she even knows what hit her.

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