Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Lilith
I must've lost my mind. Maybe I was already dead, and everything that just happened was some twisted hallucination Hell cooked up for me.
I'd been a wreck all week. I slept with my ex-boyfriend's father while drunk, and I'd been waiting for him to come after me.
Now he was here. And he wanted to marry me?
"Why would you marry me? What could I possibly have that's worth this?" I stared at Andrei, heart hammering. He had to be joking. But his expression was sincere, not a crack in it.
I couldn't believe a billionaire would want to marry me. If I had anything worth noticing, it was my PowerPoint skills. I was decent with a computer. God, I was spiraling. I had no idea what he was thinking.
"I want to marry you. But if you need a reason—I need a wife to solidify my position." Andrei smiled at me, but I still didn't get it. Why me?
I spread my hands. "Sir, you should marry someone in your league. I'm not worthy of you."
"You're young, beautiful, innocent, and sweet. No one would say you're not worthy of me. If anything, they'd say I don't deserve you. Besides, you slept with me. You should take responsibility."
"No, that's not—there are so many women better than me. They're the ones who'd be worthy of you." Andrei was handsome and loaded, the kind of man women threw themselves at. He was too good. I didn't dare reach for that. And besides... I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I can't marry you."
When I finished, Andrei didn't look disappointed or angry like I expected. He just narrowed his eyes slightly and took a step toward me.
I backed up on instinct, but my tiny apartment was only so big. Two steps and my back hit the wall.
He braced both hands on the wall beside my head, trapping me between him and the concrete. He was so tall I had to crane my neck to see his face. The position made a few strands of silver hair fall over his forehead. His blue eyes were calm as a deep well, not a ripple in them.
"I thought you'd say yes." His voice dropped low, like the slow draw of a cello's deepest string.
My heart skipped a beat. My cheeks burned. He had this effect on me—one sentence and my whole body went weak. But I clenched my fists and forced myself to finish.
"I don't hate you, and I don't want to refuse you like some irresponsible player." I took a deep breath. "But marriage—I haven't even thought about it. Luca and I dated for three years before we... and you and I just met..."
"Luca." He cut me off, voice flat, but I felt the air pressure spike around us. "You're still using my son as your benchmark?"
"No!" My face burned hotter. "I just—I just think this is too fast. We've known each other for less than a week, and I'm your son's ex-girlfriend. My body isn't that great, I'm not that smart, someone like me standing next to you..."
"Are you finished?"
He lowered his head, lips nearly touching my ear, breath hot against my skin. I shivered.
"First, I completely disagree with every single thing you just said about yourself.
Second," he pulled back slightly and lifted his hand, thumb brushing my lips where I'd bitten them, "when I asked you to marry me, it wasn't because I needed just any woman.
Do you think I'm the type to hand out marriage like charity? "
His thumb lingered at the corner of my mouth. Those blue eyes looked straight into mine with an invasiveness I couldn't escape.
"I..."
"Third," he didn't let me speak, fingers sliding from my lips to my chin, lifting it gently, forcing me to keep my head tilted back, "you said you haven't thought about it yet. That means you have to consider it."
I had no comeback. His logic seemed off, but my brain had stopped functioning. All my thinking ability had been stirred into mush by his gaze and the hand holding my chin.
"I understand, little princess." He finally released my chin and stepped back, restoring the distance. "Don't rush to refuse me. I think you need time to consider. In three days, I'll expect your answer."
He pulled a business card from his pocket and set it on my nightstand, on top of the stack of old books.
He took my left hand and bent to kiss the back of it. His lips were dry and warm, leaving a burning mark on my skin. I actually felt scalded. My fingers curled reflexively, and then—I must've completely lost it—my palm rose of its own accord and touched his face.
His skin pressed against my palm, rough and warm. He didn't pull away. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, nuzzling my palm with his cheek. The stubble pricked my skin lightly, but it made my heart pound like it would burst from my chest.
Then my sanity returned. I jerked my hand back, hiding it behind me, fingernails digging into the back of my hand.
God, what was I doing?
It was all because of Andrei's face. He pulled at me like gravity. Logic. I needed logic.
"Until next time, little princess." Andrei smiled, pressed a kiss to my lips, and walked out of my tiny room.
The door opened and closed. A car engine started. The sounds faded away. The apartment fell quiet again, leaving only my racing heartbeat and that business card on the nightstand, silently declaring everything that just happened.
I jumped onto the bed and buried my face in the pillow, desperately trying to process it all. This wasn't a situation I could handle. In three days, I probably still wouldn't change my mind.
A whole day passed. Then another. Life kept running.
Andrei didn't contact me. That was good.
Let everything go back to normal. Everything that happened before—that wine-red nightgown, that damn toy, that door that changed everything when it opened—all of it should become an interlude tucked away in the back of my memory.
Maybe when my sister got better, years from now, I could tell her about it like some absurd adventure story.
Yes. Everything would go back to normal.
Day three. Monday. I got up, washed up, put on my most presentable white shirt and black dress pants for work.
Two slices of bread left in the fridge. I heated them in the microwave and washed them down with milk.
On my way out, I glimpsed that business card with its gold-stamped name and phone number. I shoved it into the deepest part of the drawer.
At Gray Advertising, the office was on the third floor. When I pushed through the glass door, Cindy leaned out from behind the reception desk. She had gorgeous platinum blonde hair.
"Morning." She looked me over. "You don't look great. You okay?"
"A little off. Didn't sleep well."
Last night, my head was full of Andrei and what he'd said.
I'd thought it through clearly. I wouldn't say yes to Andrei. But thinking about never seeing him again made my heart ache for no reason.
At ten a.m., I finished organizing last week's client invoices to take to accounting.
Passing the break room, Cindy stopped me.
"Thomas wants to see you in his office."
I froze. "About what?"
"He didn't say." Cindy shrugged, but her eyes held a hint of worry. "Probably wants you to work late again. He's been targeting female employees lately. Be careful."
I put the invoices back at my desk, took a deep breath, and walked toward the boss's office at the end of the hall. I knocked.
"Come in."
Thomas Gray sat in his oversized executive chair, documents spread across his desk.
He was in his early fifties, balding, beer belly, always kept the AC cranked way down. Every time I came in here, I felt uncomfortable.
Seeing me, a sleazy smile spread across his face.
"Lilith. Close the door. Sit."
I did. He was my boss.
"How's work been?" He stood up, came around the desk, and moved next to me.
He stood too close. Close enough I could smell that cologne mixed with cigarette smoke. "Settling in okay?"
"Fine." I stared at a blank spot on the wall, avoiding my boss's gaze.
"You know, business hasn't been great lately." His hand landed on my shoulder, fingers slowly tracing circles on my shoulder blade. "The company doesn't need so many administrative positions. I could fire any of them. Of course, I don't want to fire you. You're my most promising employee. But..."
My stomach dropped. Was I getting laid off today? But my sister's illness depended on this paycheck.
"Sir, please give me another chance. I can do better. I really need this job." My voice shook with anxiety.
"Of course, that's exactly what I'm doing—giving you a chance. As long as you work well for me."
As he spoke, his hand slid from my shoulder to my lower back, then squeezed my ass hard.
"Ah!" I jumped up, scrambled away, and tried to shield myself with my file folder. "Sir, what are you doing?"
Even I couldn't miss what he meant. My stomach churned. It was revolting. Thomas's ugly face made everything worse.
His slimy gaze followed me. I felt like he was undressing me with his eyes. I wanted to run out immediately, but Thomas blocked the door with his fat body.
"Be my woman, promotions and raises won't be a problem." He stepped closer, mouth twisting into a smile that made my scalp crawl. "Otherwise, you know how it is. Fresh intern fired just weeks in... whatever I say, people will believe."
He was threatening me. I shook with rage.
I backed up until my lower back hit his chair armrest. The backrest reeked of his body odor, the leather shiny with sweat stains.
"You can't do this!" My voice rose, trying to sound brave. "I'll report you. This is sexual harassment!"
"Go ahead and report me. We'll see if the cops believe me or you—the woman who stripped down to seduce her boss to avoid getting fired.
" He sneered and lunged at me, pinning me against the chair.
His weight crushed me. I couldn't breathe.
I struggled desperately, hands shoving at his chest, but I wasn't strong enough.
"No! Please don't!"
One fat hand pinned my shoulder. The other started ripping at my shirt collar. The sound of buttons popping rang in my ears. My terror peaked.
Stomach acid broke through my last restraint. I threw up right there.