Chapter 27
Hazel's POV
I was panicking for no reason. As I sat through the rest of the meeting, which was utterly boring, I felt an inexplicable discomfort, a craving to just get home and lie in my own bed.
My body jolted slightly when Val suddenly rested his hand on my thigh, a gesture so casual yet so out of place.
What is this? What do you even call this? I felt completely out of my depth. I wanted to move his hand away, but it wouldn't budge. I looked up to see him maintaining his reserved, cold, and indifferent facade—as if he wasn't doing anything strange at all.
I hoped he wouldn't go any further, but the moment his fingers slid higher, I felt on edge and restless. I placed both of my hands on my inner thigh to prevent him from intruding, but I had forgotten just how shameless this man could be. He simply slipped his hand right under my gown.
Sitting there awkwardly with his cold hand against my warm skin, my entire focus shifted.
The words from the meeting faded away as he slid his hand between my legs. I tried to clamp my legs together but only succeeded in caging his hand in place. His fingers slid forward, and my hand, which was meant to be a barrier, was nothing against him. I swore that if anyone looked under the table, I would beg the earth to swallow me whole; the shame would be beyond words.
He slid his hand around my thighs, caressing me, and I felt myself getting hot. I tried to look professional in front of these executives, but Val was utterly shameless. He forced his hand toward my panties, and a gentle stroke on my clitoris sent a tremble through my body, making it difficult to maintain my composure. I had never been this sensitive, and I couldn't understand when it had started.
"Get out!" a cold voice boomed from across the room. The executives immediately cleared out, no questions, no disrespect or even a slight of confrontation, leaving only Val and me behind. I quickly pushed his hand away.
"You're so shameless," I remarked, pulling down my gown and placing the small vial of drugs on the table between us. "Mother said this is for you, so drink it." My body was still flushed, but I was not interested in being at the mercy of a beast. I was ready to go home.
"You came to me without injecting your inhibitors or putting on your patches, and you're in a rut. Or should I say 'in heat,' because your peach pheromones are leaking." Val's voice was a low growl as he pulled me into his embrace.
"In heat?" I questioned, and the realization hit me all at once: the sudden strange feeling in my body, the intense craving to bury myself under blankets, and my overwhelming sensitivity to his touch.
"I'll go put it on, get it done," I stammered, trying to slip away, but he took the vial from my hand and stared at its contents.
"This drug is a powerful, one-of-a-kind aphrodisiac," he said, his words shocking me. "Are you sure you were clueless and walked innocently into a trap, or were you craving me?" Before I could defend myself, he bit my ear gently and then began to suck on it. My words were swallowed back, and my whole body reacted to his kiss; my ears were so sensitive.
Don't tell me that after all my running and slipping away from him, I delivered myself to his doorstep. I thought to myself, then remembered Mrs. Paula. That sly woman! She tricked me into this! I cursed her name, furious and desperate to escape this beast. I prayed someone would just burst into the room and interrupt us.
"Thinking of something else?" Val whispered in my ear before biting the sensitive skin beside my neck. "I'll make sure you won't even remember your own name." Looking at his face, I saw those golden flickers on his iris and then notice that powerful effect of his pheromones. I knew for sure there was no escape.
With those words, he lifted me into his arms. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him as he made his way toward the door.
"Wait, let me down! You can't go to your room with me like this…" My words were cut short as he claimed my lips. His grip on my neck was firm, not choking me, but not letting me go either.
What have I gotten myself into? I questioned, but I couldn't stay clear-headed for long as my senses evaporated, replaced by the intense pleasure from our kiss. He was a great kisser, with a serpentine tongue. The moment his office door slammed shut, terror screamed through my spine. Fear was almost choking me, and an urgency—not love, but an undeniable pull—lingered in the air. My gaze fell on the closed door.
"We are just getting started," Val's voice echoed, leaving me covered in goosebumps.