Chapter 7

The room was dark. The man stumbled in, clearly tipsy, tugging at his tie and peeling off his clothes as he walked, leaving a trail behind him. By the time he reached the bed, he was down to just his boxers. It wasn't until he stood beside the bed-unsteady and hazy-headed-that he noticed someone else was already there. A petite figure curled up tightly under the blanket, creating a clear bulge. He blinked, rubbing his aching temples. Then, reaching out, he pulled the blanket back and switched on the bedside lamp. Under the warm yellow light, a graceful silhouette appeared. Vanessa's short dress had ridden up from her earlier struggle, revealing a long pair of slender legs spread slightly in a skewed position. Above that, her smooth, pale skin peeked out, leading up to her elegant neckline... Because of who he was, it wasn't the first time someone had tried to send a woman his way. Most came dressed barely or in skimpy lingerie, throwing themselves at him. But looking like a homeless waif? That was a first. His Adam's apple bobbed. He bent closer, brushing aside the strands of black hair covering her face. Her small face, barely bigger than his palm, was smudged with a bit of dirt. Even so, where it wasn't, her skin was flawless-almost too fair. He frowned and, without a word, scooped her up and carried her toward the bathroom. He had issues with cleanliness. Even if he was curious about this woman, there was no way he'd touch her in this state. The minute the shower spray landed on Vanessa, the effects of the drug started wearing off. Her nerves slowly came back online. She blinked, groggy, looking up-only to see a tall, broad man standing above her, eyes locked on hers. His body was all muscle, lean but defined, the kind of man who looked slim in a suit...and absolutely sinful without one. Perfectly built. Dangerously close. And very, very real. As her eyes wandered up past his distraction-level abs, she met a pair of sharp, deep-set eyes, as dark as ink, intense and unreadable-dangerous. "Who... are you?" Her voice trembled, hazy though her mind still was. Something about him screamed trouble, and even in her fog, she felt alarm bells going off. She instinctively stepped back, but her foot slipped, and she started to fall. She thought she'd hit the floor hard, but instead, the man casually reached out and caught her in his arms. The drug was still in her system, making her limbs weak. She tried to push him away a couple of times, but it was no more threatening than a kitten's pawing-only made his heart itch more. "Mm, playing hard to get?" His voice was smooth like velvet, with that deep, soothing tone that could easily belong to a professional cellist. He reached out with long, elegant fingers and lifted Vanessa' chin, taking a good look at her face. Cleaned up, she was much more pleasing to the eye. Just like he guessed-she was a stunner. Those eyes, shiny like obsidian, had a sparkle that brought to mind stardust. A delicate nose, full lips that were ridiculously tempting, and that dazed look she had-pure innocence tangled with subtle allure. It stirred up something deep inside him he normally kept locked away. He honestly hadn't expected a girl sent to his room would be this much of a knockout. Whoever plotted this obviously put in real effort. Not bad at all. Just for her, the mastermind behind this deserved a thank-you. "I'm impressed," he said with a half-smirk, leaning in to kiss her. "Mmh..." Vanessa's head spun even more. His kiss was hot, demanding, making the blood rush all over her body. She wanted to push him off, but her strength was shot thanks to the drug. She couldn't do a thing as he kept going, completely taking control... ***** Her whole body ached like she'd been through a grinder. Gritting her teeth, Vanessa struggled to sit up in bed. The golden sun creeping through the window finally made her realize last night wasn't some crazy dream-it really happened. Her eyes locked on the sharp stain of blood across the white sheets. That was all it took to snap her out of any last bit of denial. Last night, she lost something precious-her virginity-just like that, and to a man she didn't even know. Only thing she could vaguely remember was that he looked pretty decent. If she had to find a silver lining, at least her first time wasn't with a complete toad. A neat pile of brand-new clothes sat on the side of the bed-even the underwear was included. Clearly left by that guy. Vanessa winced through the pain and got herself dressed with much effort. And then came the kicker-a check sitting right next to the clothes. The amount written on it had enough zeros to make anyone's head spin. Really now? This was how he wanted to settle things? Like she was some kind of service he'd paid for? Sure, she was dead broke, but that didn't mean she had to give up her pride. Vanessa scrounged around the room for a pen, then scribbled a note across the check: "Your service last night? Not bad. Think of this check as your tip." Once a check had writing on it like that, it couldn't be cashed. He just lost that money-but she liked that. It could totally count as her 'paying him.' With a bit of fire in her eye, she slapped the check onto the nightstand.