PERFECT TEMPTATION

SEVEN

Two weeks and he had still heard nothing from her. It was as if he scared her away that night. Why else would she have kissed him and suddenly run off? He had not been to their house and Jonathan only met him at clubs these days. He did not seem suspicious of him though. If he was, he would be able to tell.

He was dying to see her again, or at least get her to answer his calls even though he knew it was wrong. He was busy obsessing over another man's wife, but she had somehow led him on too and it was so unfair of her. Once again, she had ignited something in him and left him without an explanation. Just like she had done years ago. When at the time he had shut his heart from love.

He was only having fun, until she walked into his life. She was different from the other girls he had been with. She was new to the game but in every way, she was bold yet submissive at the same time, and for her, the pain and pleasure was a distraction. A good distraction from what she was going through which she never revealed.

She was secretive but in her mind, she thought of herself as an open book. She was an enigma, one even he, the 'woman expert', could not figure out.
Now here he was again, going down the very road he had managed to leave years ago, and yet this time was somehow much deeper. He could not get her off his mind. This time what he felt was more than some sex crave. He wanted her for himself.

"Is this one better?"

The girl standing by his closet asked, pulling him out of his trance. He was not even sure of her name. He had picked her up at the club the previous night and now she was putting on his shirt trying to find out which one he liked more.

She was cute, with her hair dyed in blonde, and a beautiful body, but even with all that, she could not help him take Leena off his mind. Just like all the other girls had failed before. Back then he hooked up with so many of them up until he found his only distraction. Work.

That was exactly what he was going to do. He would immerse himself in so much work, he would not have time to think of Leena. That was once he got rid of this girl. They had a tendency of getting carried away thinking there was more to it than the sex.

"Baby everything you've worn looks great on you..."

"Aaaaaw thanks handsome," she smiled, kicking him off his sentence, clearly unintentionally.

"...but I have to go to work. I have a meeting so I'll  drop you off as we go."

This one was not stubborn. She did not insist on staying back, or trying to make him breakfast before he left. She agreed to leave with him, and once he dropped her off, he would block and delete her number, then forget she existed.

It was a toxic trait. That he was well aware of but at least he never led them on. He made his intentions very clear and never got involved with the same woman twice. It took a lot to be in the list of the most eligible bachelors in the city. Took a lot more to top that list and he did. What made it easier to keep it up yet equally hard was the fact that he was in love with someone else. Someone he clearly could not have. But there was something enticing about forbidden passion that made him want to keep going. He was not giving up on Leena that easily.

"Organize an appointment with my designer Gerry. Make sure to tell her that she should show up at exactly 4."

Gerry was his assistant. A guy way too good at his job that it sometimes felt like Micheal took advantage of his amazing skills. He never asked questions unless it was really necessary and Michael, without doubt, had grown fond of him.

He had a busy day with a line up of meetings till later at noon. The moment he was done, he called Gerry to confirm if he had called Leena and arranged for their meeting only to find out she had other plans.

"Sick?"

"Yes sir," Gerry said," she asked that you discuss everything with her on facetime as she does not want to infect you."

"I see."

He knew she was lying and now it was more than clear that she was avoiding him. If there was one thing he knew about Leena, it was that she never let being sick keep her from her job. Besides, she watched her health more than anything as key to keeping herself fit and fine as hell.

He had a plan B though. A good business man always did and he had grown to become one of the very best.
He may not have seen her for all those years but he knew how to make her crack.