Kitten

Arabella slowly raised her head and looked at the unfamiliar man in a suit standing before her.

“Yes?” she stammered. “How can I help you?”

He smiled suddenly, his expression soft and approachable, accentuated by the eyeglasses he wore. Then, he introduced himself, “I’m Clay Hudson,” bowing slightly. Arabella gave him a curt nod in return.

Still smiling, he added, “Can you please come with me? My boss would like to talk to you.”

Hearing the word “boss” made her heart race. “Boss?” she murmured.

“Yes, Mr. Sebastian Bancroft, madam,” he said with a smile, as though mentioning his boss's name should bring her some sort of relief.

Arabella’s face paled as she weakly muttered, “Can I not see him now? My father is still in the operating room, and I need to stay here.”

“Hmm, I’m afraid that won’t do. I’ve been instructed to bring you to him by any means necessary if you’re unwilling to come,” Clay said with a sigh.

Arabella bit her inner lip and glanced around. As if reading her thoughts, Clay added, “I’d rather not cause a scene here. After all, this is your workplace, madam. Please come with me quietly. It’s not as though we’re going far. You’ll meet him inside the private suite where your father will be transferred after the operation.”

“What?!” she burst out. Without another word, she stood up and strode quickly toward the upper floors of the hospital, heading for the VIP suites.

The lack of security in the hospital astounded her. How could he so easily bypass everything and barge in without any issues?

She felt like her world was about to crumble under the weight of the mess she was in, but regret never crossed her mind. She would do anything for her father!

Arabella opened the door to her father’s suite, and there he was… Sebastian Bancroft… sitting comfortably on the sofa, arms crossed and legs casually folded. His expression was stoic as he stared at her from head to toe, his gaze sharp and assessing. Then, he suddenly frowned.

He stood and began walking toward her.

“I told you, you will not get any information from me…” she reiterated with a dark expression, trying her best to conceal the growing fear welling up inside her.

She was a brave and bold woman, someone not easily intimidated, but with this man… she felt…

Arabella bit her inner cheek, frustration bubbling within her. She couldn’t even pinpoint what she was feeling right now. It was foreign and unsettling!

When he moved his hand and was about to reach her, Arabella’s defensive instincts quickly kicked in. Her hand shot up, grabbing his wrist in a firm grip. There was no way she would let this man touch her!

Sebastian paused, and his frown deepened. Instead of withdrawing, he adjusted his posture, stepping closer. His free hand hovered at his side, and Arabella could read his next move.

She quickly twisted his wrist sharply, intending to throw him off balance, but Sebastian anticipated her. He countered with his hand sliding free of her grip and reaching out to redirect her momentum.

She barely had time to recover before he pressed forward, forcing her to take a step back. Because of her stiletto shoes, she suddenly stumbled. Before she could fall, Sebastian managed to catch her wrist and pulled her to him.

To her surprise, he fell to the floor, pulling her with him so she landed on top of him. She quickly moved to get up, but Sebastian acted faster, his arm securely wrapped around her waist, pinning her against him.

“So, is this how you did it last night when I was drunk? Did we do it with you on top of me like this?” he questioned her with a straight face.

Arabella’s face reddened in embarrassment. “Let go of me! I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t remember a thing,” she lied. She felt like the air around them was disappearing with how close their faces were.

But Sebastian just stared intensely into her eyes, and the next thing she knew, he rolled over and hovered above her. His weight was balanced but firm, one hand pressing her wrists against the floor while his knees anchored her legs. Her eyes widened as she struggled, their position too much for her to handle. He was between her legs.

“Hmm, this position is way better. You see, I won’t let you knee my groin a second time, kitten. Look at how scared you are right now. Just a while ago, you were so fierce... I guess your father taught you well to fight after being a bodyguard for so long,” he murmured with a smirk.

“So, is your memory refreshing now? Is this the position we were in last night, kitten?” he said with that devious and dangerous smile.

She glared up at him, her chest rising and falling as she tried to shake the sensation of being cornered. Then, as he shifted, his face came within an inch of hers, his breath brushing her cheek.

“Tell me the truth now while I’m being nice, kitten,” he murmured, and her body stiffened as his lips brushed her skin.

“Stop this! And stop calling me kitten! That’s not my damn name, and I’m not a cat!” she barked, writhing to get away from him. But he was too powerful, grabbing her wrist and pinning it above her head.

He growled, and Arabella’s eyes widened when she felt something hard poking her. It was the bulge in his groin.

“Alright, I’ll tell you everything, but release me first, and let’s talk properly,” she demanded, her heart beating fast in sync with her quickening pulse.

Sebastian smirked and hoarsely uttered, “I have my men guarding the door outside, so if I were you, I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t, so release me now,” she quickly reassured him.

“Not so fast though,” he murmured as his eyes darted to her lips. And before she could say another word, Sebastian suddenly crushed his lips against hers.

‘What the heck is he doing now?!’