THE TEMPTRESS

||Elevator||

•STEPHANIE•

"I got some intel on your brother. Turns out, he stayed in New Mexico for a year before he fell off the grid."

Kaden's revelation hit me unexpectedly. While I wasn't shocked about the news concerning my fake brother, it threw me off in the middle of our 'date.' Bringing up a topic like that wasn't exactly ideal for the current mood.

Trying to keep things light, I took a quick sip of my wine and feigned surprise. 

"What else did you find?"

I had only briefed Steven on handling the details of my fake brother's plans. I wasn't privy to every little detail strategically placed for Kaden to stumble upon during his wild goose chase for a non-existent person we conjured up just to ensure he kept his end of our deal.

The mention of New Mexico indicated that he had just uncovered the initial step of our scheme. Was he dragging his feet on purpose? Well, it wasn't a big deal. 

The longer we kept this charade going, the more time I had to flawlessly execute my plan for Luca.

"That's all my guys could dig up," Kaden replied, pushing his dessert plate away. "But don't worry, progress is being made. We'll find him."

His hand landed reassuringly on mine, and I felt a warmth spread through my body. I flashed a forced smile, quickly retracting my hand and tossing my napkin on the table.

"Should we go?" I asked.

Surprised, he leaned back in his chair, smirking. 

"Why the rush? We've got nothing else on the agenda tonight, so just chill."

I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes and scoffed. "But I-"

"You got somewhere else to be?" He interrupted, leaning forward. "Or meeting someone else tonight?"

I maintained eye contact for a moment before letting a genuine smile play on my lips. 

"No, of course not."

"That's what I thought. So, you're staying with me tonight."

His words took me aback, and panic set in as I watched him rise from his chair.

"What?"

He chuckled, smirking down at me. 

"Why so surprised, Miss Gray?"

Any retort I had died when he approached, his lips almost brushing mine.

"Don't tell me this is your first time staying in a hotel with a man?" he teased, his warm breath sending a shiver down my spine.

"It's not," I managed, forcing a smile.

He straightened up and extended his hand. "Ready to go?"

Swallowing hard, I placed my hand in his, letting him lead me out of the restaurant.

I lied. It was, indeed, my first time sharing a hotel room with a man. 

I'd never been in such a situation, let alone had a real boyfriend to spend quality time with. Yet, with him, it felt strangely authentic, like I was navigating new experiences and emotions with a real boyfriend, even if he wasn't one. At least, not to me.

He stirred emotions I couldn't quite explain, and at this point, I wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Ask me why I picked out that dress for you." He grinned, leading the way.

"Why?"

Glancing over his shoulder, he smirked. "Because I knew it would look stunning on you."

I suppressed a smile as we halted by the elevator. He hit the button, turning towards me.