"This smells so good," Grace commented with a sigh.
Crystal smiled at the compliment as she placed the half-opened, medium-sized pink dish, with steam rising from the stew inside, on the dining table in Maria's home.
She leaned back and reached for the large silicone stirring spoon. Picking up Grace's white porcelain bowl from beside the already filled ceramic plate of rice, she began dishing out the stew.
"It's a shame your sister couldn't stay for the meal," Crystal said as she served Grace. "I made it with so much love, too."
Grace smiled at her. "I don't mind it being just the two of us," she replied. "I could use the company."
Crystal's ears perked up. She froze just as she was about to pick up her own bowl from the chair beside Grace.
Was Maria a bad older sister too?
This could work better for her in more ways than one.
"It's difficult when you're not alone but still feel alone," Crystal said, finally lifting the bowl to serve herself some stew.
She then pulled out the chair and sat beside Grace, who was already mixing the rice on her plate.
"You don't want to be here?" Crystal asked, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand as she looked at Grace.
Grace twisted her mouth slightly. "Mmm, not really," she replied. "I'm only here because my mom wants me to be like my older sister."
"Oh, dear," Crystal said, sitting up slightly. "Have you ever told either of them how you feel?"
Grace kept her gaze on her food as she stirred it. "My mom would dismiss my decisions as teenage influence, and Maria would always pretend she doesn't enjoy being mom's core example of what a daughter should be like."
"Oh my," Crystal said with a brief sigh. "That's a lot of pressure for a teenager like yourself. You should be allowed to find yourself."
On the contrary, Grace had no idea how lucky she was to have gotten a scholarship to Minchstone.
Such a prestigious school that most equally prestigious colleges wouldn't turn down its graduates.
Those were the kind of doors Crystal wished she could open for her younger brother, who was still in their town, just a class below Grace and also a teenager.
"I also genuinely believe slimmer girls are prettier and nicer, too," Grace said with a smile toward Crystal before she faced her food and lowered her head to take a spoonful of white rice already mixed with the red stew.
Crystal moved her hand from her chin to her chest. "How sweet," she said. "But…do they body-shame you too?"
Grace shrugged and swallowed. "They never really say it," she replied. "But I can tell it's in their thoughts and I don't care."
Crystal raised a brow. "Right! You aren't living your life for them anyway."
"And if Maria was so successful and the perfect example," Grace continued, "Why does she still have to work under someone else?" She scoffed. "It's all a stupid lie."
"Indeed it is," Crystal said quietly.
Grace's contempt for Maria could be her greatest tool in digging out the truth.
It wouldn't be hard getting Grace to spill some of the details about the personal visits Maria usually made.
"Maybe you can tell me about the things you miss most back in our town," Crystal said, leaning forward to pick up her spoon before dipping it into the bowl of stew.
"I miss my friends," Grace said with a half-mouthful of rice. "Tracy and Moon. They look like me, so we're great friends."
Crystal turned her head to glance at Grace and smiled. "I'm sure we'll be great friends, too."
Grace turned toward her, swallowed, and flashed a smile back.
**
Miles' eyes left Maria's, his focus wavering as his gaze dropped to her chest again.
She shifted nervously, and his eyes moved lower, taking in the soft curves of her waist, visible beneath the flared design of her dress.
The curtains fluttered as the night breeze blew in through the balcony, carrying the cool scent of incoming rain.
Only the bedside lamps, one on each table, cast a warm, muted glow across the room.
"I understand I needed to be clearer," she said, lifting both arms beneath her chest, pressing them higher—soft and full beneath the cream fabric of her dress.
A corresponding wave of desire grew firmer beneath the rayon fabric of the pristine white towel around Miles' waist.
"I need us to talk about where I stand in all of this," Maria said, her arms tightening protectively around herself as she felt shy under his gaze. "Where my decisions stand."
Miles met her eyes, and she quickly lowered her gaze to the side, the gloss of her lips inviting even in her hesitation.
"You can't make decisions," Miles said.
Her eyes immediately snapped back to his, surprise and confusion mingling in her expression, as though she hadn't played a part in bringing things to this point herself.
"I don't…" she began.
Miles moved forward, and she stepped back.
He paused and raised a brow.
"I won't excuse acting clueless, Maria," he said. "I'm already really angry with you."
Maria swallowed and blinked, briefly lowering her head before abruptly raising it again as Miles approached.
She continued moving backwards.
"Your father was there," she said, letting her arms drop from her chest to her sides. "There was nothing either of us could have done."
Miles scoffed, continuing towards her. He noticed her legs come to a stop against the bedside table behind her, while her eyes briefly fell to his chest despite her apparent effort to maintain eye contact.
"There was something you should have done," he replied. "Maybe we should discuss your speaking-out skills."
"There is nothing wrong with my…oumph!"
Maria's protest was cut short as Miles closed the distance, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her flush against him.
She immediately placed her soft palms flat against his chest.
Her breathing quickened; desire began to seep through the surprise in her gaze, and despite her defensive palms, the soft curves of her bosom slowly melted into him as she tried to push against him.
Abruptly, he tightened his arm around her, making her shift uncomfortably in his hold.
"You keep misunderstanding your flexibility in this agreement," he said. "I specifically warned you not to let him touch you, and you blatantly ignored my demand."
Her eyes widened and her palms pressed harder against him.
"They could have misunderstood," she said, almost out of breath as the soft cushion of her bosom also pressed further into him.
Miles nearly closed his eyes to savor the contact, but swallowed the impulse instead.
"So you'd rather I misunderstood?" he countered.
"It's not like…" Maria said as she struggled against his hold, though her movements only stirred his desire further, doing nothing to ease his grip.
"Please, sir," she pleaded. "I just want to be trusted too in…"
Maria quickly turned her head away as Miles brought his face closer.
Miles' anger flared. Had Daniel actually touched her? Was that why she was resisting even his kisses now?
Maria leaned her upper body away from him. Instantly his palm shifted lower, making her go still, a slight tremor passing through her.
"You're not letting me speak," she complained, the frustration breaking through. "I don't want to have no say in this arrangement. If not, I'd rather not be a part of it."
**
"Ahh!" Maria yelped as Miles spun her in a single fluid motion and tossed her onto the firm mattress beside them.
His scent enveloped her immediately, leaving her with barely a moment to think before his hands hooked firmly beneath the backs of her knees.
Maria gasped, her hair falling across her face as he yanked her lower, drawing her closer to the edge of the bed.
He knelt between her legs, leaning forward, his eyes fixed intensely on her as he moved closer.
Her face flushed red as the rough fabric of his towel brushed against her bare thighs.
Her dress had ridden up, ruffled by the movement.
She let out another short gasp as he moved both hands from beneath her knees before using one to gather both her wrists, pulling her forward until she was forced to meet his gaze.
"What happened that night?" Miles hissed, his breath brushing against her face.
Maria's insides clenched.
She wanted him closer, but instead, she looked away.
Her gaze immediately landed on his bare arm, braced against the bed beside her.
Faint, thick veins traced the prominent ridges of his biceps.
She bit her lip and lowered her gaze.
"It's not ethical to resolve a misunderstanding like this, sir," she murmured.
He yanked her closer still.
"The only thing provoking me will cost you is your career," he warned.
She immediately turned, finally meeting the smoldering amber depths of his brown eyes.
Deep, his brows knitted into a frown—uncomposed this time.
He actually looked worried.
Could he be insecure about losing her?
"I want to have a say. That's all I'm asking," she replied.
"I gave you a chance to decide, and you ended up alone with Daniel," he said, his voice still on edge.
"And at the end of the day," she managed, trying to move away slightly, "he's still my boyfriend."
Miles' eyes darkened, and Maria's gaze subconsciously dropped to his waist.
Her eyes traced the deep V-lines running down both sides of his hard stomach before disappearing into the twisted, frayed edges of the towel.
"I don't…" Maria began again, her eyes rising to his face. She was afraid of his eventual reaction. "I don't like to be tossed."
Miles tightened his grip around both her wrists as his face moved closer.
His fury made their breathing quicken.
"Answer my question, Maria," he demanded, both of their gazes dropping involuntarily to each other's lips.
Maria's arousal began to cloud her thoughts, her eyes slipping from his lips to the tight, hard lines of his neck.
"No I won't," she said, meeting his eyes again. "Not until I have grounds to do so."
Miles leaned back, releasing her hands before rising to his feet.
He kept his gaze fixed on her while Maria fought the traitorous urge to let her eyes stray back to the towel around his waist.
"I want you to further illustrate what giving you a say looks like," he said, his stare dropping to her knees, which were now pressed together, her bare thighs still entirely vulnerable to his scrutiny. "Whether through your words or actions."
Maria wriggled her toes, but they brushed against the hard skin of his calf.
Miles stepped farther back, and Maria's heart unexpectedly sank with disappointment.
She hadn't wanted him to step away.
But it was better she asserted herself now. Otherwise, her life would soon become a tangled web of control in the hands of the Genova brothers.
She slowly lowered both feet to the floor, sitting at the edge of the bed.
Glancing up briefly at him, she adjusted her dress over her thighs and bit her lip, confused about what she should do or say next to drive her point home.
**
Miles watched Maria as she began to rise from the bed.
She'd be faster if she knew how little restraint was holding him back.
His mind was made up.
She could not decide the circumstances of whatever would happen between them.
Her eyes lowered as she stood before him, only a breath away.
Maria wrapped her arms across her chest.
"I want to handle my decisions with…" She hesitated. "…with Daniel."
Miles' temper flared, but of course, he didn't let it show.
"And some of them were established in my absence that night?" he asked.
Maria leaned back. "T-That night…," she replied, her voice dropping, "…he got violent."
Miles' curiosity deepened. It took him everything in him not to grab her arm and force her to meet his eyes.
"Explain violent, Maria."
Maria began to step aside. "I don't want to talk about s…"
Her voice was cut off by Miles' sudden grasp around her arm.
He yanked her back towards him, pulling her closer.
Her eyes blinked repeatedly in surprise as she tried to make sense of the anger in his expression.
"How dare you assume you can utilize me just like that?" Miles hissed.
"That's not what I meant!" Maria protested, struggling to wrench herself free.
Miles only hauled her closer, his fingers tightening around her arm. His breathing quickened as Maria's warm, plush side settled against his groin.
"You most certainly do not trust me enough to keep our involvement a secret if it's beginning to tilt more in favour of your supposed-to-be-ex-boyfriend," he said.
"It's not favorable for you either," Maria whined, her tone dropping as she subtly tried to create distance."The both of us are not supposed to be doing this."
Miles' restraint loosened, and his hand immediately moved from her arm to her waist, pulling her closer again.
Her resistance weakened.
"Yet I'm the only one who stands to survive this," he said, his arms tightening like a vise as she froze, her eyes widening in alarm.
"You will never—" she struggled again. "…touch me ever a…"
Miles tightened his grip around her waist until Maria stopped struggling.
"The least of your problems should be whether to let me or not," he said fiercely into her ear. "If you think Daniel is one of your biggest concerns right now, then I'll give you twice the reason why a man like me cannot be crossed."
"I'm not trying to breach the agreement," Maria said, attempting to lean away from the heat of his breath against her ear despite his hold. "I'm scared of what Daniel might do if my decisions look too different. It might be too obvious we have something between us to…to the public."
Miles' hand slid lower from her waist, coming to rest firmly on the soft curves of her rear.
Maria instinctively flinched against him.
Her face tilted closer, close enough for his nose to brush her cheek.
"What did Daniel do?" he demanded, his palm fighting the urge to settle more firmly over her soft curves.
Maria leaned back again but Miles held her in place, the restraint in his palms quickly slipping.
She tilted her neck away in response, but his lips couldn't help but brush against the rising goosebumps forming along her cheek.
His breath caught as he grew stiffer beneath his towel, the growing pressure unmistakable against her hip.
"Sir…" she whispered.
"Then you're comfortable with me assuming the worst and perhaps terminating our agreement entirely—along with its already established benefits," Miles challenged.
Maria straightened and tried to pull away, but Miles held still.
"You seem to think I'd let you off that easily," he said fiercely against her ear, "with my investments, my time and influence left to waste out like that?"
"I can always hand the project over to Pete or…"
"I'll personally see to it that you're sacked from the company," Miles said calmly, correctly anticipating her reactions as she froze again.
She swallowed and turned her face towards him.
"You continue your career with me, or it's better off existing without me," Miles continued, leaning closer until he could feel her breath against his face.
"That's not fair," Maria said, her lips trembling. "You didn't tell me…"
"The project will be annulled," he cut in, "and I will personally fund publicity exposing your incompetence, even beyond the shores of Mapla city."
Maria's pupils trembled.
He hated seeing her upset.
He hated being the one provoking the tears beginning to glisten in her brown eyes.
But there was no other way he could secure the entanglement between them.
"He tried to…" she managed, her voice shaky as she lowered her gaze to choke back her emotions. "Daniel wanted to force his way with me."
Miles' jaw tightened.
He gave her a slight shake, forcing her to look up at him.
"Then what happened?" he asked.
Tears rolled down the left side of Maria's cheek.
"My-My friend's visit prevented him from going further," she confessed.
**
Maria struggled to keep her emotions contained despite the heaviness in her eyes and the tremor in her lips.
Miles was worse than Daniel.
He was threatening not just her career but the very foundation of her chances of being hired by any other reputable company, even beyond Mapla.
The same man she had shared a passionate kiss with in his car.
She had mistaken him for someone more, not the man now staring directly into her eyes.
A man who continued demanding information despite her tears.
"I'll let you make the choice," Miles said.
His arm loosened around her, and she moved away, turning to face him fully.
Her calves brushed against the wooden bed frame.
Maria blinked and lowered her gaze, her hands folded beneath her chest.
Inwardly, she chided her body for beginning to miss Miles' touch again.
"You needed a say after all," Miles added.
Thunder rumbled again, and Maria flinched. Her legs felt too heavy to move.
Daniel would definitely support her being fired from the company.
The possibility of rebuilding was almost nonexistent if Miles truly meant his threat.
Maria raised her gaze to meet his, but it lingered as it travelled up the lean, sculpted muscles of his frame to his broad shoulders.
The warm lamplight reflecting caught the bare expanse of the left side of his chest, casting the other half in deep shadow.
She had known this all along.
He was only a nightmare disguised as a dream.
Then she met his gaze.
"You…never said all of this," Maria said, tears rushing to her eyes again.
"Neither did you mention Daniel was still a variable in our arrangement," Miles replied. "Only for you to answer my question on the same day with being left alone with him."
Maria's eyes widened.
She remembered his question in the car.
She had kissed him to evade it.
Maria lowered her eyes, briefly noticing the straight outline beneath the fabric of his towel before biting her lower lip and quickly looking away.
Her tears were momentarily held back by her conflicting feelings.
"I'm getting impatient," Miles warned. "Your decisions and my time range are not conveniently aligned."
The pressure of Maria's tears peaked as she turned to face him again.
"D-Daniel won't…let you," she managed.
Miles laughed, shaking his head briefly.
"Classic," he said. "I have to be the problem because of my reaction to your breach of our arrangement. And, of course, I'd also like to watch you confess your infidelity to him."
"We've not slept—" Maria paused and Miles' eyes dropped intently to her lips.
"And yet you're standing right in my bedroom," he said, lifting his eyes to hers again. "And I'm a hundred percent sure the drive from your home wasn't instigated by me."
Maria's gaze and hands lowered, her fingers clasping together in front of her as her cheeks warmed.
He was right.
She was here of her own accord, willing to bask in the experience of his body as well as the fruitful benefits she was already enjoying from their ongoing project, but also on her own terms.
A condition she was beginning to realize might have been nothing more than an illusion because of Miles' jealousy of Daniel.
Her fingers clenched tighter.
An arrangement in which only his feelings mattered. Painfully similar to what Daniel had turned out to be.
But it felt more genuine.
Was Miles' affection also a trap?
"Then I'll leave," she said.
If he hated her enough to ruin her because of her autonomy, then it had all been a lie.
Nothing but a facade.
Silence.
Maria raised her head to look at Miles.
Why wasn't he saying anything?
What could be going through his head?
**
Miles' gaze hardened as he watched Maria, his fists clenching tighter at his sides.
He was fuming, uncertain how to control the emotions surging beneath his skin.
She actually didn't mind losing him?
Maria lowered her gaze, lifting one arm to gently rub the middle of the other.
The wind blowing in from the balcony grew colder.
The refreshing scent of vanilla that clung to her only fuelled the fury boiling inside him.
"I'd like…" she began, then hesitated. "I'd like to take my leave now. "T-Thank you for the opportunity."
The nerve she had to think she could simply walk away after wasting his time.
Or was it his ego that had genuinely been bruised by the fact that she hadn't chosen him or his better way of doing things?
"Have a good night, sir," she said, slightly bowing her head.
His eyes dropped instead to the slight, tempting dip of her cleavage before she straightened and turned toward the bedroom door.
Miles tilted his head in disbelief as she began to walk away without waiting for his dismissal.
Her defiance had grown over time, nurtured by the blurring lines of his unprofessionalism toward her, but he wasn't planning on returning to professionalism either.
He moved after her.
Maria gasped, her startled reflexes pushing her to lunge faster for the round brass door handle.
His eyes dropped briefly to the sway of her wriggling rear as she struggled with the latch.
But the door was locked.
And of course, Miles reached her.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he crushed her soft, yielding form back against him.
"Sir…" she breathed out as his free hand moved beneath her chin, gently tilting her head to the side, toward his face.
He drew in a deep breath before lowering his head to exhale against her neck, letting his warm breath drift over her skin.
Her grip on the doorknob weakened instantly, her body offering little resistance to his touch.
Rather than pulling away, she instinctively leaned backward into him.
"Tell me how to get you out of this dress," Miles murmured, his voice thick with raw demand.
"D-Does this mean…?"
Maria gasped, her hands flying backward as Miles' palm abruptly slipped from her chin to cup her breasts with his entire arm.
"I certainly did not endorse questions meeting my requests," he said, his lips beginning to graze the side of her face as he pressed firmer against the lush cushion of her backside.
He felt her swallow. Tiny, breathless sounds began to escape her lips as he couldn't stop his palm from kneading the soft, heavy curves of her chest.
Slowly, her hands drifted up the sides of his towel.
Miles didn't wait. Both hands moved to the sides of her dress, hiking the fabric higher as he took a half step back, giving Maria just enough space as he hauled the garment up and over her head.
"Hmm," Maria groaned softly as her hair tumbled free from the restrictive neckline.
Miles tossed the dress carelessly aside, stepping right back into her space.
Her body bare, better, save the grey mesh of her lingerie.
Maria's body instinctively arched backward into him, her lips parting on an uneven breath as both Miles' hands began to massage her breasts right through the thin, sheer fabric of the bra.
"Sir, please…" she croaked out, their lips inches apart, as her hands instantly came up to grip his wrists, trying to withhold him back. "H-Hold…"
"Stop teasing me, Maria," he breathed, refusing to stop as one hand spanned across her chest to keep up the pressure while the other glided down over the soft pouch of her stomach.
"Me?" Maria jerked her head back, but Miles only brought his face closer, his fingers grazing the elastic waistband of her panties.
His other palm amidst kneading across her chest trapped the hardened tip of a nipple between two fingers.
A soft sigh escaped her parted lips, warm air brushing his mouth as his fingers dipped beneath the fabric.
It tempted him to capture her lips in a deep kiss but not yet.
Miles needed to watch her undoing.
Needed assurance that her words meant nothing.
His fingers below sank lower, sliding against the smooth skin beneath the mesh.
"You'd have to prove to me," he whispered, lifting his gaze to meet hers, "what actually happened between you and Daniel that night."
Maria's brows furrowed, her grip tightening around his hands but Miles maintained his hold without yielding an inch.
"We need to speak properly about…." Maria managed, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her face to the side as she tried to wriggle free from his hold.
"I needed help out of my towel, anyway," Miles murmured.
Maria stayed still.
She was acutely aware of the loosened towel around his waist, its edge dipping low as her hips rested against the firm contours of his lower abdomen.
His fingers below sank deeper into her panties.
The unbearable tautness of her nipple between his fingers made him clamp down as his kneading grew more urgent.
"Ha…" Maria sighed, her closed eyes softening as she relaxed back against him, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin beneath her underwear.
"The office has enough sections for us to converse properly," he said, his voice as urgent as the rhythm of his fingers on her chest. "In my apartment, we let our bodies handle the talking."
"It could still pass for—" Maria began, her voice faltering into a soft moan as his fingers tightened more firmly around her nipple.
Miles gently kissed the edge of her smooth jaw, enjoying the way her lush frame relaxed further into him, making it easier for his hands to explore her.
He leaned closer, his lips nearly brushing hers as he whispered,
"Still pass for what?"
Her eyes opened and her half-lidded gaze rose to meet his, her skin warmer from the heat of his touch.
She looked away and shifted uneasily, her waist pressing against him as if trying to push his unyielding frame away.
The strands of her hair radiated a distinct, sweet scent of citrus.
Miles leaned closer to her nape, taking in the fragrance.
"It could still pass for a courtesy visit," Maria whined breathlessly in his arms.
"Every part of you tempts me," Miles countered before dropping a soft, lingering kiss beneath her ear, "and under these circumstances—which you're very aware of—you chose to come alone instead of with the others to give me a courtesy visit?"
Maria pushed back against him in helpless frustration, and his fingers dipped further in response, gliding right over the wet slit of her core.
"Mmm," Maria moaned out, her eyes shutting again as her body leaned into his.
Miles inhaled sharply, using every ounce of his strength to forcefully restrain himself.
He pulled back slightly, drawing one of her hands with his until she turned.
It felt free.
No resistance.
Desire and uncertainty clouded her expression.
Her resolve seemed weaker now; she stood with her back against the door, just as her attention backed it as well.
Miles didn't hesitate.
He stepped farther back, gently drawing her towards him by the hand and she followed—effortlessly, maybe entirely compliant.
"You shouldn't think I don't understand you, Maria," he said. "More than anyone else, I'm certain of what you need."
Lightning flashed, and Maria's eyes widened slightly as she paused near the edge of the bed.
"I'm still…" she began.
"Yet you can't deny it," Miles interrupted smoothly, drawing her closer.
Maria's palms immediately rose to rest flat against his bare chest, the two of them standing at the very midpoint of the bed's edge.
Cooler air swept in from the balcony, caressing their bare skin as their breaths mingled.
Maria's fingers lifted nervously as she swallowed.
Her chest inches away from pressing against his.
Miles kept his hands by his side, revelling in her confusion, even as her eyes remained fixed on his lips—unaware that he was no longer the one holding her close.
"Don't make this look like flame ever burned a moth," he added softly before his palms came to rest on the full curve of her hips.
"Maybe have some decency," Maria said.
Both their eyes rose to meet each other.
"Cause I belonged first to your brother," she added.
Miles' rage was immediate. His jaw tightened fast.
Could he be right about Daniel touching her that night?
Maria lowered her gaze and bit her lip, visibly intimidated by his silent reaction.
Slowly, Miles let his attention drift to the supple curves beneath his palms.
He stepped closer, invading her space, and Maria's hands stiffened against his chest as she tried to lean back, only for his grip on her hips to keep her in place.
"There's another part of what happened with Daniel that you're leaving out," he whispered beside her face.
"It shouldn't even matter to you what happens between my boyfriend and me," Maria shot back, still trying to lean away.
Miles had had enough.
**
Maria shivered as Miles' hands slowly moved up her waist, making it easy to enjoy the gradual pull of his warm embrace in contrast to the cool air around them.
Her palms remained against his chest, doing little to create distance between them.
He was so hard-headed.
"On the night of the fundraiser…" he whispered, his breath weakening her knees. "We gave the security cameras a show out on the VIP veranda."
Maria froze.
But Miles' hand didn't.
He had already reached the back of her bra.
"A video I had to pay four million to keep secret," Miles continued, his fingers clasping around the fabric.
Maria blinked twice, swallowing hard.
Goosebumps broke out across her skin again, and it had nothing to do with the air drifting in from the balcony.
Her hands pressed stiffly against his shoulders, but he refused to let go.
Her remaining hope of surviving Miles' rage was that the scandal might pass as idle gossip, and perhaps Daniel would even step in to protect her from the fallout.
Maria leaned her upper body further away, bringing her hands defensively across her chest.
"W-We didn't—"
Miles snapped the hook open, drawing a sharp gasp from her as he pulled her sharply against him.
Her palms slapped flat against his solid shoulders again.
"We didn't what, Maria?" His voice hardened.
"I'd rather not…," she murmured, her lids lowering as her released breasts in the loosened fabric of her bra grazed then pressed against his chest.
"I'd rather you did," Miles whispered, his palms gently kneading her curves downward until she was pressed flush against his groin.
Wait! When had his hands dropped lower?
She was actually the one still holding on to his chest.
"Don't you remember?" his voice poured over her, blending his sea-breeze fragrance with the warmth of his breath. "There was a balcony there too."
Maria leaned away, but there was little to nothing she could do about the non-existent distance between them.
His hands distracted her too, their persistent yet gentle movements making her increasingly aware of the firm pressure beneath the rough fabric of his towel.
Why hadn't it dropped yet?
She bit her lip and closed her eyes again, unable to draw herself away any further as a soft sound escaped her. "I had too much to drink…it was—"
"Don't you dare," Miles cut in, unnervingly calm, his breath soft against her lips.
"It certainly didn't look like your hesitation on your part, at least to the camera," he added.
Maria opened her eyes to meet his. His gaze had lowered to her lips.
Tears of frustration welled up, warring with the conflicting sensations stirring within her.
She was done for.
For the very first time, she regretted taking Jenny's advice.
Ambition had finally mutated into a trap.
"You have nothing else," Miles' voice brought her back, his lips brushing hers. "Your reputation also remains at my mercy."
"We can be partners," she said. "I'll intentionally keep my issues with Daniel out of the way; you wouldn't have to see or…"
"Shut up, Maria!" Miles sneered, his kneading abruptly freezing and tightening into a grip.
"This is not supposed to be what you want in return," she said, even as her lips trembled.
In one swift movement, Miles grabbed her waist and flung her onto the mattress.
Her head grew hazy and her eyes shut as she landed on the bed.
"You lied to me," Miles said, turning to face her.
Maria brought a hand over her chest and the other to her forehead.
"I don't like to be tossed," she murmured, managing to open her eyes slightly.
Through her blurred vision, she caught sight of Miles standing before her.
"I gave you the endorsements," he continued, reaching for the fabric around his waist.
Maria lowered the hand on her forehead to the bed, using it to support her upper body as she sat up, her knees pressed together.
Her eyes instinctively dropped to his groin, widening as the towel finally unraveled and Miles tossed it aside.
His length was thick, rigid, and more imposing than she'd anticipated.
Daniel's size didn't even come close.
"The opportunity to stand before influence and prove yourself," he went on, and Maria forced her gaze back up to meet his eyes.
She shuffled backward, moving a little further from the edge of the bed where he stood, her hands still clutching the loose bra across her chest.
"You're the one misunderstanding me on purpose," she said, trying her best to keep her eyes on his face, though they inevitably wandered downward again.
It was no wonder now why he was attracted to her physique as well.
A man like him would have no trouble with the full cushions of her thighs.
"Your eyes genuinely convinced me in that regard," Miles said as he bent forward, placing his hands on either side of the bed, with her knees between them.
Her eyes met his.
He was dead serious, angry that Daniel could have gotten his way with her.
But Maria's toes only dug deeper into the mattress beneath her as her stomach tightened.
She wanted him closer.
She moved one knee slightly apart from the other and Miles' eyes immediately lowered to the space between them.
"Maybe take what you want…" she began, trying to sound confident despite her nervousness. "…and let me handle my issues with Daniel. H-He wouldn't give so much trouble if he didn't suspect…"
Miles dragged his eyes up to her face, his frown softening. "I honestly don't care what he suspects. I own this version of you, not Daniel."
Maria's heart plummeted, and she shuffled backwards again, moving further away from him.
"You don't own me. No one does."
Miles scoffed, this time climbing onto the bed after her.
"I'll put you somewhere I'm the only one who gets access to you. If you insist on staying at your current residence, Daniel's visits must cease as well."
Maria frowned, tightening her hold around herself as her knees snapped back together.
"You're just…as…as terrible as he is."
"I never claimed to be a saint," Miles replied before lunging forward to seize her by an ankle and sharply pull her back towards him.
Maria's elbows buckled and she felt flat against the bed.
Her hands slipped from her chest leaving her exposed as her back arched slightly.
Her vision drifted towards the coffered ceiling as the cold air made her nipples tighten painfully and—of course…the feel of Miles' grip softening into fingers beginning to trace their way up her calf.
"What did you expect after intentionally leading me on?" He asked, his breath fanning against the inner curve of her knee.
"We didn't do anything," Maria murmured, her knees trembling and losing their strength.
Her toes curled into the sheets again; she wanted him closer, far more than she cared to admit.
Everything about him was so perfect, except like every man, his ego.
"Ha!" Maria gasped as Miles firmly grasped her hips, pulling her towards him so her lower thighs pressed against his chest, the backs of her calves brushing his shoulders.
"You've not proved anything different since you got here," he said, his breath hot against her right ankle.
Maria bit her lip as his heat pressed into the space between her inner thighs, sliding to rest right against her core; he nudged gently against the delicate mesh.
"Oh Miles!" Maria whispered helplessly, turning her head to the side while one palm flattened against his stomach in a feeble attempt to push him away.
Miles kept his hold firm yet gentle, his fingers creeping up to slip beneath the light elastic waistband of her panties as he leaned forward, watching her with a mix of amusement and hunger.
"You look better when you're not telling me what to do," he said.
Maria's palm weakened against his stomach as she shivered, slowly turning her head back to face him.
He scoffed, leaning back as he dragged the band of her panties lower.
She groaned, arching her back as she tried to pull away from him.
"You should have told me you wanted a puppet, Miles Genova!" she snapped.
"You are not taking me for a fool, Maria Delton!" Miles hissed back, pulling her closer with a sharp tug at her underwear.
Maria kicked her legs in a frantic, uneven rhythm, but every movement only made it easier for Miles to slide the fabric lower until it came off her hips.
Her core clenched tighter as the mesh peeled away from her skin, catching midway down her thighs and leaving her completely bare just inches away from his rigid, eager heat.
Her head sank further into the mattress, and both hands dropped to her sides.
What was the point of resisting him?
She couldn't risk a video, and Miles was definitely not lying.
She had been careless on the balcony of that museum with him.
It was an open space, so CCTV cameras were definitely present.
Everyone would see it.
Her only benefit in this was the sex, because even the project now looked like a cell.
One whose key Miles was determined to keep.
"I just can't take you seriously," Miles whispered, making Maria jolt as his heat grazed the skin of her inner thighs—now aware that her panties had reached her ankles and Miles' nose too.
He had no filter!
She wriggled her ankles.
"You are such a weird man," she groaned.
"Not sure I could be any less of a weird man to truly enjoy this moment with you," he replied, his breath warming her heel as her underwear slipped free and fell away.
Maria sank back into the mattress, her eyelids closing halfway as her thighs cradled his length, wanting him lower.
She squeezed her eyes shut the moment Miles released her hips and leaned forward, her thighs parting to give him complete access.
Maria bit her lower lip, anticipating the press of his tip against the bare skin of her core.
Instead, she felt only the firm brace of his palms on either side of the bed.
"See why I can't take you seriously?" Miles added and Maria's eyes snapped open.
Her cheeks warmed as her gaze met his, intense and fixed on her.
Lightning flashed across the balcony, its sudden brilliance reflecting off his skin.
Then came the heavy patter of rain, followed by cool air that blended with the scent of sea-breeze.
"Admit that I affect you," Miles breathed, wedging himself with his elbows as he lowered himself carefully over her.
Their faces were now only a breath away.
Maria saw her chance.
One that could allow her hands to explore him too.
She moved, holding his gaze nervously as her palms settled against his sturdy shoulders and her fingers travelled across the rippling hills of muscle along his arms.
"Yes…all of you," she whispered, edging closer till her breath grazed his lips."My decisions outside our interaction shouldn't matter."
Her eyes dropped to his lips, but his remained on her.
She swallowed hard.
"Right now, it's just us," she continued, her gaze flickering back to his as she drew him closer, her core aching for the friction of his body moving higher up her thighs.
His eyes dipped to her lips, and hers matched the movement, parting slightly as the warm, steady rhythm of his breath washed over her.
"No one else," she whispered as their lips hovered on the verge of contact.
Suddenly, Maria's breath hitched in shock as Miles pulled back.
Cursing under his breath, he grabbed both her wrists and yanked her body upwards from the mattress.
"Ah!" she screamed, barely getting a chance to recover before he flipped her face down beneath him, pinning her hands out in front of her.
Maria frowned, lifting her head to protest, but he immediately leaned over her again—and she bit back a sharp breath as his thick, hard length slowly slid against the cushion of her full curves before his weight pressed down too.
"Oh my…" she breathed, her gaze fixed ahead as heavy rain drummed steadily beneath the night sky.
"I'll put our agreement on paper if I have to," Miles said, his voice a gravelly whisper warming the shell of her ear. "And you can save all that manipulation for the police as well."
Maria froze.
Police?
What did he mean?
"I never wanted to…"
"Part of this…interaction," he cut in, pressing his body heavier into hers, forcing her fingers to instinctively claw into the bedsheets beneath them, "will involve you proving you stayed loyal to my demands."
Fear began to rear its ugly head through the intoxicating haze of Maria's arousal.
What had she gotten herself into?
And just how far was Miles willing to go?