Chapter Fifteen
My hands were still shaking as I hurried to the elevator across the hall. My boots scuffed across the floor as I fled his office, just as I’d fled Meridian Solutions the day I’d witnessed what I shouldn’t have.
The voices in my head were louder than they’d ever been, and my mind was a complete mess. I couldn’t believe what had just happened in there, and I was yet to come to terms with it.
I tried to remain as calm as possible, but the few workers around were looking at me like they’d heard everything. Maybe their gazes had nothing to do with what happened inside Anton’s office. Maybe it had everything to do with the way I was moving so fast.
The elevator opened with a quiet ding, and I wasted no time running inside. I drew a deep breath and hit the ground floor button. My feet tapped frantically on the floor as I waited for the doors to shut, hoping no one else would join me on the ride down.
Luckily, no one did, and soon the doors closed. I combed my fingers through my hair—which was much messier than when I’d arrived. My heart was hammering against my ribs as I rubbed my sweaty palms over my jeans.
I could smell his expensive cologne on me, the rich scent lingering like a ghost I couldn’t shake. Throughout the descent, my mind was reeling with a myriad of thoughts that kept me distracted.
The sound of my own moans echoed in the back of my head, a reminder of what I’d done, of what I’d let happen in that office. I didn’t come here to get laid by a man I barely knew—a man I was still investigating.
This is bad. This is really bad, I thought, my thumb tracing the curve of my swollen lips.
The minute the elevator stopped and the doors opened, I hurried out into the lobby and didn’t pause until I was completely out of the building.
Images of his face contorted in pleasure occupied my mind, accompanied by the sound of guttural growls. The way he kissed me, the way his possessive arms wrapped around me like he owned my body, still stole my breath away. Literally.
The man definitely knew how to please a woman. And what was that thing he did with his tongue and fingers that made me come so effortlessly?
I practically jogged through the parking lot to get to my car. Once I was inside, I started the engine and drove away with squealing tires.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed softly, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” The words burst out of me in a nervous rush.
A wave of emotions hit me all at once—anger, regret, shame and something that felt an awful lot like satisfaction.
Be angry all you want, but the truth is, we needed that fuck.
Shut up! my voice of reason snapped. We barely know the guy, and he’s already been between our legs—have you no shame?!
No. Not really, my voice of audacity replied unapologetically. I mean, I’m too busy recalling the way he handled us like a man to wallow in shame.
The two wouldn’t shut up, and their voices threatened to rip my mind to shreds. I was so angry at myself for lacking self-control—I should’ve just walked away the second I noticed things were getting heated.
Why didn’t I just leave when I had the chance?
Because you wanted it, you fuckin’ hypocrite, said my voice of audacity.
You didn’t walk away because, deep down, you thought he was attractive and irresistible.
You wanted him so badly, and you yielded.
He then helped you clear all the cobwebs down there, and you liked it.
A pause. Admit it, Aria. You liked it. You liked the way he made you feel like a woman. You enjoyed every bit of it!
Doesn’t make it right.
Somebody help me out here ’cause I can’t seem to find the problem with two adults having consensual sex, Audacity replied. Did you guys forget? He literally said he wasn’t going to touch Aria if she didn’t want him to. That right there was golden. Hot as hell.
We fucked a stranger! Reason emphasized.
Yes, and it felt good! came the reply. When was the last time we had an orgasm? We fuckin’ came! We came, and we liked it because it was good!
We have a code!
Fuck the code!
“Enough, both of you!” I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but the words came out before my brain could stop them. “Jesus Christ!” I yelled in my car, slapping against the steering wheel as I drove back home.
I’d never been more confused and frustrated before.
Deep breaths, Aria. Deep breaths, Audacity said. Eyes on the road. We just had the best sex ever. Can’t have you sending us to the other side in a car crash.
“Shut the fuck up!” I slammed the back of my head against the headrest.
Speaking of fuck. His cum was so warm, wasn’t it? And damn, the way he stared into our eyes when he filled us up.
“That’s it. You’re done! Time out!” I growled, burying that pesky little voice in the back of my mind.
When I eventually got home, I headed straight into the bathroom. And while bathing, I scrubbed hard, as if trying to wash away the scent of him and the guilt of what I’d done.
I spent the rest of the day trying to focus on investigating him and the true reason behind his presence at the Hargrove Annual Summit. The reason I set up that meeting with him was to know for sure whether what I saw on his company’s website was real.
And although they had a physical office and some staff, I still thought something was off. Especially because Anton, as always, didn’t give me a straightforward answer.
I’d gone over there, confident and ready to unravel the truth, but ended up getting unraveled myself. I wanted to see right through him, but he did more than just see through me. He went through my legs.
Shame wrapped around me like silk. And although my voice of audacity was right about everything I felt, I couldn’t bring myself to admit it.
For the first time, I felt compromised. Not just physically. But also mentally and emotionally. And that’s why I swore to regain control.
Before going to bed that night, I made a conscious decision to find out whatever Anton Vasylenko was hiding. I was going to channel all my energy into unveiling the truth about him.
It didn’t matter that he had a physical, functional office and a working website. Anton Vasylenko was lying to me. He wasn’t who he claimed he was. The man exuded too much power to be an ordinary import consultant.
Nothing about him was ordinary. Nothing at all.
The fact that his touch was strangely similar to my mystery man’s was a nudge in that direction. Whatever he was hiding, I was going to find out.
And if you find out that our mystery man and Anton Vasylenko are the same person, what’re you gonna do?
That question lingered, a reminder that I didn’t even have a working plan.