Page 3 of Savage Temptation

First impressions last long, and arriving with a big fat coffee stain to a place that lives and breathes class, beauty, and exuberance, didn’t exactly play to my advantage.

I took my blazer off, followed by my white silky blouse, and started washing out the stain with water and soap, standing only in my lacy bra. I mumbled every dirty word in my dictionary, cursing that perfect stranger for possibly ruining my life. As the stain spread wider, I couldn’t hold a couple of stray tears from falling.

I was done for.

“I believe this is yours?” I jumped from the unexpected deep, manly voice that rang from behind me. I could hear his grin in those words without even having to look at him.

A new rush of heat and embarrassment flustered my cheeks in all shades of red as I stood half naked in front of this stranger.

He held my phone in his hand, stretched out to me, his eyes dropping to my waist before slowly climbing back to set on mine.

He studied every inch of exposed skin while my reaction came slow and late. I covered my chest with my arms as my eyes searched the small space for my jacket. It was lying on the vanity right beside him. Too far from my reach, too close to him.

“Could you…” I finally asked, pointing to it, rushing to wipe my face as his eyes diverted to my jacket.

“Come get it.” He dared me. But I couldn’t move.

I’d self-combust if I stood that close to him again. Instead, I stared back at him, my breathing making me even more aware of my naked chest. For a moment there, I thought he was going to move forward and close the space between us. For a moment there, I wished he did.

“I hum…”

“Don’t flatter yourself!” He grunted after clearing his throat, tossing my jacket to me. “You’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before. Not the best sample either.”

I might be innocent, but I’m observant, too. His words didn’t match his actions at all. His tongue had swept across his lips. The still-wet trail of saliva shining on them was proof of his unrestrained reaction. That was all it took for the heat on my cheeks to travel south and settle between my legs. He wore rudeness and bluntness just as well as that damn alluring suit he had on.

But that little lie? I caught it.

My chest filled with a strange sense of pride at that realization. I needed to revert to the problem I was facing to bring my mind back to earth.

“This is the ladies’ room! Can’t I get some privacy?” My supposed anger came out weakened by his unrelenting stare. The heat of his gaze was setting me ablaze, disconcerting me together with my focus.

“You dropped your phone.” He wiggled the damn thing in front of me again. “But I get how throwing a tantrum can get you blindsided.” He turned the phone in his hand, inspecting it with a scowl. “Do they only sell last century’s devices where you come from? I understand if you don’t want it back. I can just throw it away and do you a favor.” This man was all arrogance and good looks. Damn fucking enticing in all the wrong ways.

“Give me that. Now get the hell out!” I yanked the phone away with my free hand and turned my back to him, shielding myself from the effect those magnetic emeralds had on me.

“You’re welcome. And by the way, it’s a common bathroom and not a ‘ladies’ room.’” He mocked me with a poor imitation of my voice while pointing to a sign that said ‘His and Hers.’ “Have a nice life, Smallville.”

Through the mirror, I saw him staring at me for another second, nodding in disapproval before finally leaving, allowing me to breathe and blush in peace.

That masked ‘good deed’ was nothing but an excuse to taunt me.

His arrogant tone hit a nerve deeply braided in my body, but truth be told, I was mostly unsettled by the heavy pounding of my heart against my chest, paired with that flutter in my stomach and weak knees.

Why was my body reacting this way to such a prick? I couldn’t deny that he was irrevocably good-looking. He had a bad-boy-worse-man vibe going on, despite the classy and expensive-looking black suit that hugged every inch of his perfect body.

That man might have just ruined my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and here I was, swooning and daydreaming about him. He was infuriating and a complete jerk, yet somehow, there was something about him that pulled me in like a magnet.

He ruined everything with his arrogant and condescending talk, paired with the way he belittled me with his gaze just as fast as it had feasted its way up my skin.

I shook my head to get him and his bad manners out of my mind. I had to clean myself up and run if I still wanted a chance at this interview.

Scrubbing to no avail, I decided to go without a shirt, pulling my suit jacket on and fastening all the buttons. It gave me more cleavage than I wished for, but if I was careful enough, it wouldn’t reveal more than what was appropriate for these situations.

There was no time for another glance in the mirror. I rushed out of the café, heading as fast as my heels would take me towards AD’s headquarters, hoping to God I could still make it there on time.

Chapter 2

Liam

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