James's P.O.V. When Selena walks away from me, I close my eyes, trying to steady myself, but her fragrance still stays. Since last night, I can’t get her out of my mind. Her lips, her touch—damn, she’s doing something to me, some kind of magic that has me completely drawn to her. When I walked into this mansion earlier and saw her sitting on the sofa—the girl I kissed at the bar—I was stunned. She’s Selena, my friend Denver’s daughter. Fuck! I kissed Denver’s daughter. But how could I have known? When I kissed her, I had no idea who she was because I’d never met her earlier. I came to New York a few days ago for a business project. My life is in Texas. Last night, I asked my assistant to dig up information about the girl I kissed, thinking I’d track her down. Before I could even get her details, the truth hit me like a bomb. I’ve decided that I will never let Denver know what happened. I can’t let anything ruin our friendship. Denver has always been there for me since I lost m
Selena’s P.O.V.Mom told me today that she and Dad are going on a business trip, which means I have to live with James Luther for more than a month.At least it shows they care about me, and that makes me feel good. They want to ensure I’m safe, especially after what happened a few months ago. I was attacked, and since then, they’ve started paying more attention to me, making sure I’m protected. Though it’s frustrating sometimes, I can’t deny that their concern makes me feel loved.But staying with James isn’t going to be easy. How am I supposed to live under the same roof as him, knowing I can’t act on my desires? Knowing I’ll spend every day wanting something I can’t have? Damn! It’s a big challenge for me.I sit on the bed, packing my bags with Lily’s help. My mind keeps drifting to James—his smouldering gaze, his sharp jawline, and the way his mere presence ignites something within me I can’t seem to control.For the past week, I’ve done nothing but fantasise about dirty things wi
James’s P.O.V.Seriously. God is testing my patience.What I saw today… I can’t get it out of my head.Selena. She was standing in front of me in nothing but a black bra. Her soft, perfect tits, begging me to free them. I swear they are made to fit in my hands. I wanted to grab them, feel their softness, and savour every inch of her.But I can’t.She’s forbidden to me.And yet, her slim, curvy waist, and those hips that sway like they’re designed to drive me mad—God, her body is perfection. My dick hardens at the thought of her and twists painfully in my pants.Right now, all I want is to rush to her and ram myself deep into her.Just stop it, James. Stop thinking about her like that.No matter how much I try, I can’t take the image of her half-naked body out of my head as I lie down on my bed. Her flushed cheeks when she saw me… everything about her is burned into my mind.Damn! She is driving me insane.I run my hand through my hair, frustrated, before picking up my phone and starin
Selena’s P.O.V. “For the past few days, you’ve seemed so lost, Selena. Is something bothering you?” Stella asks after the first lecture ends, as I sit between her and Zoe in the college classroom. “Yeah, you’ve been acting weird. Spill it,” Zoe adds, leaning closer. “We know you’re hiding something.” I stare at them, shocked. Am I that obvious? Has Mr Luther been occupying my thoughts so much that even they’ve noticed? “It’s nothing.” I try to brush it off, although I know they won’t leave me until I tell them. “Don’t lie to us.” Stella gives me a angry look. “We’re your best friends. You can trust us.” Zoe says, “Yeah, we’re not letting you leave until you tell us what’s happening.” I knew it! But can I really tell them? Would they judge me? What if they think I'm crazy for being so obsessed with my father's friend? “You both have to promise you won’t judge me.” As I say, they both glare at me. “Seriously, you think we’ll judge you, Sel?” Zoe asks, folding her arms
Selena’s P.O.V.Two Days LaterI plan to go to the club after college to distract myself from Mr. Luther again. Since I saw him, I don't know why he hasn't left my mind. Every night, I make myself come, imagining him doing wild things with me. Living under the same roof with the person I desire more than anything is driving me insane. Every time I see him, my body heats up. As I settle into the car, my driver informs me, "Mr. Luther has instructed me to take you directly to the mansion, Miss Selena. No other stops allowed."This infuriates me.What does he think he's doing? Controlling my life? Who the hell does he think he is?I thought living with James would give me some freedom, but he is the same as my father. But I won’t follow his orders.As I return to his mansion, I directly storm into his bedroom, but he isn’t there. Then the sound of running water from the bathroom catches my attention.It means he is in the shower. “Mr. Luther…” I yell, calling out for him, my brows fu
James’s P.O.V.At night, I return to the mansion and head straight to Selena’s room to check on her.I knock on the door, but she doesn’t answer.“Selena, are you inside?” I ask, knocking again, but get no response.Why isn’t she opening the door?I wait a few more minutes before asking a maid to bring a spare key to her room.As the maid returns with the key, I unlock the door, only to find the room empty. I also check the bathroom, but it’s empty.My brows furrow in anger. How could she leave like this? I strictly instructed her not to go anywhere, yet she disobeyed me. The guards are stationed outside—how did she even manage to sneak out?I storm out of the room and head straight to the security team.“Where is Selena? Did any of you see her leave?” As I bark at the guards, they exchange nervous glances, clueless.One of them stutters, “Sir, we didn’t see her leave. She was in her room the last time we checked.”“Useless.”I feel the rage rising, but beneath it, there’s something e
Selena’s P.O.V.The next morning, I wake up holding my head, which is pounding like crazy.“Ugh, my head is spinning,” I groan, pressing my palms against my temples.My throat feels dry, and my entire body is heavy, like I’ve been hit by a truck. Slowly, I blink my eyes open, and it takes me a second to recognize where I am.It’s Zoe’s guest room.What am I doing here?The events of last night are a hazy blur, and I try to sit up, groaning again as the movement makes the room tilt slightly.“Good morning, sleeping beauty.” Zoe walks in, holding a glass of something. “Here, drink this. It’ll help with the hangover.”I take the glass and take a sip of the drink. The sour taste of lemon jolts me awake.“What happened last night?” I ask, my voice hoarse. “I… I don’t remember.”Zoe raises an eyebrow and smirks. “Oh, you don’t?” As I shake my head, she continues, “You got completely drunk and acted like me. Clumsy. And you said some very interesting things to Mr. Luther.”I freeze mid-sip,
Selena’s P.O.V.After returning from college, I’m coming to Mr. Luther’s room to meet him. I need his permission for something, though I already know what his answer will probably be.These past few days, I’ve been trying to keep my distance from him. Our conversations are just exchanging pleasantries, just enough to keep things civil. I’ve obeyed his rules, coming straight home from college like he wanted, trying to avoid any confrontation.But I feel suffocated. I’ve always lived under rules—first my father’s, and now his. It feels like my life isn’t my own, like I’m just a puppet for everyone else’s expectations. I thought I’d finally be able to live my life on my terms for a month after leaving my father’s house, but I’ve only traded one prison for another. I can’t even go to college without security.I come to meet him to ask for something I’ve never had—permission to go on a college trip. I’ve dreamt of this moment since I was in school, but my father never allowed it. Now I’m p
James’s P.O.V.As soon as the call ends, I start the car, gripping the wheel tightly. Denver slides into the passenger seat with fear etched in every line of his face. Just as I pull onto the road, his phone rings again.My heart almost stops beating.Is it Max?Did he send the video he told about?I pull over to the side of the road. I really feel like I can’t breathe. Denver’s hands tremble as he opens the message. His face turns white and his lips part in horror. Every muscle in my body tenses as I lean over, eyes locked on the screen.The video begins to play.Selena is tied to a chair, her wrists bound behind her, ankles strapped to the chair’s legs. Her head hangs low, dark hair falling over her face, tangled and messy.But the sight that shatters me is the crimson streak running from the corner of her lips—a trail of blood smudged against her delicate skin. Her cheek is swollen and a dark bruise forms just below her eye.I grip the steering wheel tightly in a fury. Her pain m
James’s P.O.V.Liar.She is a fucking liar.It has been eight days since she left my life and one week since that kiss.When I first saw her kissing another man right in front of me, I believed it—I believed she had moved on in just one night. I was hurt, broken, angry, and frustrated. But then I realised something. That’s exactly what she wanted. She wanted me to hate her, to walk away from her, to move on.But I won’t.I know she was acting that day because I saw the love in her eyes when she was with me. I have felt it. The same love I have for her.She is running away from me because of her father. She wants me to forget her. But that’s never going to happen. I can’t forget about her. No one can make me forget her because I saw my future with her, and I will do anything to make that future a reality.I won’t give up on us so easily, Selena. I know you want me as much as I want you. From the moment your lips touched mine, you became mine. And we are meant to be together—forever.I
Selena’s P.O.V.Pain.My heart is heavy with unbearable pain. Today, I pushed James away from me forever, and it hurts more than I ever imagined.I kissed someone else when all I wanted was to run to him, to hold him so tightly that nothing and no one could separate us. He is the one who makes me feel special, the one who gives me the attention I have craved my entire life. The way he takes care of me stole my heart completely.When I saw James standing at the entrance of my college, I knew I had to do something to make him stop following me and move on with his life. That's why I kissed that guy in front of him.But the moment our lips met, my heart shattered into pieces. Letting another man feel my lips, when the only man I ever wanted was James, felt like a betrayal.But now… now James will hate me to the core.That’s what I wanted, right?This is what’s best for me.I can’t disappoint my father by going back to James.I grab the glass kept in front of me and gulp down the alcohol
James’s P.O.V.It’s been two days since Selena left my life, and last night she left my house too—she’s vanished from my life completely. For the past two days, she has completely ignored me, as if we never had anything between us. It hurts like someone is stabbing a knife into my heart again and again.I was yearning to hold her, kiss her, touch her—just once in the last two days. But I couldn’t. She’s running away from me, and I can’t force her to stay.For the first time in my entire life, I felt like spending the rest of my life with a woman, and now she’s running away from me.Why, God? Why?I miss her so damn much that my body aches for her touch, for her warmth. My eyes long to see her face, her smile—the smile that melts my heart every time I see it. Without her, I feel like I’m losing myself. I try to numb the pain by locking myself in my room and drinking, but nothing helps.I get up from the stool, grab my keys from the table, and make up my mind—I need to see her, even if
James’s P.O.V. Unbearable pain. I feel unbearable pain in my chest for letting Selena go, even after knowing that she needs me like I need her. Because I don’t want to make things difficult for her, I don’t want to force her to choose me instead of her parents. I never want to push her for anything. Now she's gone from my room, from my life, and I feel completely incomplete without her. I get up from the bed and sit on the mini bar stool in my room before starting to drink directly from the bottle. I feel a type of emptiness that I've never felt before.The bitter liquid burns down my throat, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I take another sip, hoping it will numb the hollow feeling inside me, but nothing happens. Her voice, her touch, the way she looked at me with those eyes full of unspoken words—I can still feel it all. And yet, she’s gone. I let her go. Tears stream down my face as I slam the bottle onto the counter before gripping the edge as I struggle t
Selena’s P.O.V.But I can’t tell him that I love him. I’m too scared.What if I tell him, and everything gets ruined? What if my parents hate me?No. No. I can’t bear to see the disappointment in their eyes. This can never happen. No matter what, I’ll never let my parents hate me. If I have to destroy my own happiness, I’ll do it for them—because my only goal is to please them and finally receive their love. I can’t let anyone come between me and that goal, not even James.I take a deep breath and say, controlling my emotions. “ I don’t care what you feel. Let me go, James. I told you from the beginning—we have no future. I never gave you false hope.”My voice sounds foreign to me.His grip loosens.Now is my chance to leave. He won’t stop me after hearing my ruthless lie—that I don’t care about what he feels.But the truth is, I do.I feel his pain as if it were my own. And I know—I’m breaking his heart.I’m breaking mine too.And God… I will never forgive myself for hurting him.Bu
Selena’s P.O.V.The next night, I lie in bed with James in his room, lost in thoughts about us. We’ve grown so close recently that my heart aches at the mere thought of leaving his mansion and returning to my parents’ home. I know it’s going to be the hardest goodbye of my life.But right now, with the few days I have left with him, I want to live them to the fullest.I’m wearing James’s shirt, and his face is buried in my chest, his muscular arm wrapped securely around my waist. I’ve never felt so safe in anyone’s arms before. Why can’t I keep this man forever?I play with his hair as he lies silently on my chest—his “softies,” as he calls them. I feel his warm breath on my skin, seeping through the open buttons of the shirt. It comforts me so much that I could live my entire life like this… and even die like this. But I can’t. And the pain of that truth is unbearable.He lifts his head and notices the sadness in my eyes. “Hey, where are you lost when you’re right here with me?”“Now
Selena’s P.O.V.The weekend trip ends as quickly as it begins. It’s like a dream I never want to wake up from. When I’m with James, time seems to fly.James takes me everywhere. We explore the charming streets of Paris hand in hand. He insists on buying me everything I admire—scarves, perfumes, even a silver bracelet I can’t stop looking at.He’s spoiling me like nobody else before. God! I’m going crazy.We visit museums, but I’m too distracted by the way he watches me instead of the art. We sip wine at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. He feeds me strawberries dipped in chocolate, calling me his queen.We ride a boat along the Seine, the city lights reflecting in the water, and he holds me as if I belong to him—because I do. Maybe not forever, but in these precious moments, I am entirely his.Every moment with James is magical. We share laughter and make sweet memories whenever we visit. At night, we fuck each other like there’s no tomorrow. Life with James feels like heaven
James’s P.O.V.“I want to take you out for the weekend, Selena.”“What?”“Yeah. Can you give me two days?”“Where do you want to take me?”“That’s a surprise,” I say, looking at her. “I just want to spend time with you—freely.”“But…”Before she can say anything else, I place my finger on her lips. “Please, Selena. I want this. Don’t say no.”I have never begged in front of anyone, and I never thought I would go this crazy for someone. But for Selena, I’m willing to do anything—things I’ve never done before.She nods with a smile on her face. “Okay. My two days are all yours.”A grin spreads across my face at her words. Without a thought, I grab her waist and press my lips against hers once again.***“Oh my God, Paris! I’ve always wanted to visit this city,” Selena exclaims in joy and her eyes sparkle as we land in Paris at night.“You’ve never been here before?” I ask in surprise, watching her excitement. Seeing her this happy makes me feel like I made the perfect choice. I always w