Embers Of Hope

Chapter 4

Maya's POV

I've been home for several hours. Blake and Matteo should be coming back soon. Damn that woman she messed up my plan. I was so close to getting information out of Jason.

Now I have to think of another way to get information.

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling. Two years of marriage with her. You can't even call it a marriage. I've probably seen her maybe five times in the span of the last two years. She goes on business trips she comes back we buttheads and then she leaves again.

It's like we're playing a never-ending game of tug-of-war, and I'm not even sure what we're fighting for anymore. I roll over, the cool sheets offering no solace.

I don't let her get close to me I keep her at an arms length. We do public appearances go to business meetings act like we're in love but behind closed doors this marriage means nothing.

I never wanted to marry her. It was supposed to be a strategic alliance, a way to strengthen our families' ties and gain power in this cutthroat world. But somewhere along the way, the lines blurred.

The front door creaks open, and I hear the familiar laughter of Blake and Matteo echoing through the hallway. A few seconds later the door to my room opens and Blake walks in.

"You know there's a thing called knocking."I say, raising an eyebrow at Blake as she saunters in, a playful grin plastered across her face.

She shrugs, undeterred. "Knocking is for when you want to wait. And I didn't want to wait."

I watch, wide-eyed, as Blake pulls her shirt over her head, her confidence radiating in the dim light of my room. "What are you doing?" I manage to stammer, my heart racing for reasons I can't fully comprehend.

"I'm getting ready to sleep."

I roll my eyes, "You have your own room."

Blake smirks, unfazed by my annoyance, "We're married and married couples sleep together."

"It's a fake marriage." I mutter.

She leans against the door frame, "Is that why you're kissing trashy men?"

"And even If I was doing that out of my enjoyment how is that your problem. It's not like you don't sleep around."

Blake walks closer to the bed, "And why exactly would you make that assumption?"

I raise an eyebrow, challenging her. "Because you're you. The only way you can blow off steam is by having sex."

I sit up completely. We're face to face. She doesn't say anything. I slowly raise my hand and run it over her bulge, feeling the unexpected warmth and the solid presence beneath her jeans. The tension in the room thickens, charged with a mixture of uncertainty and something more primal.

Blake's breath hitches, her eyes widening slightly. "Maya..." she starts, but the words trail off as if she's unsure of what to say next.

"See Blake. Look at the way you just got hard for me. You're just looking for a release."

Blake's jaw tightens, but her eyes stay locked on mine, a mix of frustration and desire flashing in their depths. "Maybe it's not as simple as that," she mutters, voice low, almost a growl.

I smirk, my fingers teasing the waistband of her jeans, "Are you saying nothing would happen if I pulled your pants down right now Mrs.Xavier?"

Blake's eyes darken, the tension between us crackling like electricity. "You're pushing your luck, Maya," she says, her voice dangerously low, but she doesn't move. She's waiting, like she always does, for me to make the next move.