DARK SEDUCTION

Chapter 46

I lay on my side, watching the woman beside me. Her chest rose and fell with each gentle breath, her lips slightly parted as she slept, completely at ease in the afterglow of our love making . There was a faint sheen of moisture on her face, evidence of the intensity with which she had given herself to me. I smiled to myself. She loved me at least, she believed she did. It was written all over her face, in the way she responded to me, the way her body moved in rhythm with mine. She gave me everything, asking for nothing in return, a sentiment I was all too familiar with. But as I studied her closely, another thought crept into my mind. How did I end up here? No, more importantly, how did I end up with her in this hotel room?

My life was governed by rules, rules that I rarely, if ever, broke. Discretion was paramount when it came to my lovers. The high stakes of my position as the heir to Dana Group demanded it. Scandals were to be avoided at all costs. Yet, here I was, waking up in a hotel room beside a woman I couldn't quite place. The events of the previous evening were a blur, shrouded in a haze of alcohol. I recalled the clinking of glasses, the dull throb of music in the background, and the warmth of bodies pressing together in the dim light. She seemed familiar, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't quite make the connection past our being classmates at high school but I knew I was missing something quite significant . It was as though she was a figure from a dream, someone I had met in a different lifetime and her loyalty to me seemed like what you would  call a puppy dog love, more loyalty and gratitude than anything else and I wondered what did for been to elicit such, I could come out and forthrightly ask her but I felt it was better if she felt comfortable enough  with me to confide in me.

I sat up slowly, careful not to wake her as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My head was still foggy, and I rubbed my temples, trying to clear my thoughts. The clock on the nightstand glowed with an ominous red light 6:30 AM. Damn it, I was late. I had to be at the office in less than an hour. Normally, I would have been long gone by now. I never stayed the night so staying nights was indeed a rarity. It was a rule I had come to live by after learning the hard way how desperate women could become when given the wrong idea. I couldn't afford to let anyone think there was more to our relationship than mutual satisfaction. My reputation both personally and professionally depended on it.

As I stood up, I glanced back at the woman in the bed. Her hair was splayed out on the pillow, a cascade of dark waves that framed her delicate face. Even in sleep, there was a hint of vulnerability about her this stark loneliness, something that tugged at a part of me I thought had long since withered away. I shook my head, dismissing the thought. This was nothing more than a one-night stand, a brief moment of indulgence in an otherwise carefully controlled life.

I quickly made my way to the bathroom, the cold tile underfoot helping to ground me in reality. The reflection staring back at me in the mirror was one of a man who had long since mastered the art of emotional detachment. My blue eyes were clear, my jaw set with the determination of someone who knew exactly what he wanted and what he didn't. I was cold, calculating, and focused on one thing above all else: success. Fun and pleasure were secondary, distractions that I allowed myself only when it suited me.

The hot water from the shower cascaded over my skin, washing away the remnants of the night before. I scrubbed my body with mechanical efficiency, my mind already shifting gears to the tasks that awaited me at the office. Meetings, reports, decisions that could make or break the company all of it demanded my full attention. I couldn't afford to be late, not even for a second.

After drying off, I dressed quickly, my hands moving with practiced ease as I buttoned my shirt and adjusted my tie. There was no time for breakfast just a quick cup of coffee from the hotel room's small kitchenette before I headed out the door. But as I reached for my briefcase, a pang of something guilt? stopped me in my tracks.