The Guilt of LustFor the second time since his stay, Hayden slipped into her room in the early hours of the morning. The first time he did it, she was unsuspecting and was asleep with her door open. He hadn’t watched her for long—just about an hour or so. He felt like a creep watching her in her sleep, but her windows were open and the rays of the moon slipped into her room. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen, and he swore he would never do it again. As a matter of fact, he told himself to take the deed to the grave. She was innocent and would not be ensnared in his traps.But Lola was different from the others. He didn’t know what he was expecting from her when she found out he was the one she met first, but he certainly didn’t expect her loyalty to run deep. It intrigued him. He wanted to know if she was just afraid or Jarrod had a strong hold on her. Whatever it was, it made the challenge even stronger.As he slipped into her room for the second time, he told himself t
Seeds of Guilt and LustLolita moved back immediately. This was going all too fast for her. She hasn’t even fully processed Hayden’s presence in her bedroom and now her boyfriend was home? What had she ever done to the universe to be put in this kind of position?Tessa gasped at the scene, but otherwise she stayed back and didn’t say a word. The tension in the air was so tight, Lolita could almost smell it. Hayden’s right hand was tucked in his pocket while he watched his brother, his gaze still ablaze with interest. It was almost as if this was a game to him, like he was happy to be caught in Lolita’s bedroom.“You’re home early,” she managed to say, even though her voice sounded crooked.“And for the right reasons too,” Jarrod retorted. “Are you hooking up with my brother?”“No, no!” she waved her hands desperately in the air. “I would never, you know that!”“You would never do that, yet I caught him touching you?”“He’s only touching my face!” She turned frantically to the other br
Oaths and Promises.Lolita lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. After Hayden’s departure, the house had been unbearably silent. Jarrod was in long calls with his mother and brother, probably discussing Hayden’s inappropriate behavior. Twice, she heard some crash in his office and she stood outside nervously, not sure of how to handle the situation.Lolita had never been directly involved in confrontational business before. She had been just the princess he expected and wanted her to be, never soiling her hands or body. It worked fine in the past because as an orphan, she had no one to turn to. She wanted to calm him down, to apologize for being so easy, but when he came out of his office hours later, he simply touched her face and smiled.“He’s gone now, but not for long. He’s promised that he would never touch you again.”And then he left to make them dinner. He was so calm and quiet as he prepared their meal, which made Lolita more anxious as the seconds passed. She looked into
Is It or Is It Not?Samantha grabbed her hands from across the table. “Girl, that’s rape. That’s sexual assault. You have to report this.”Lolita shook her head and tried to take her hand back. “I consented to it. I Said ‘Yes’ to him. I can’t report it and even if I wanted to, he’s going to use that against me.”“You agreed under duress. You felt threatened by his actions and wanted to save yourself first. I mean, think about it. He cut both of your wrists!”“A blood covenant, he said.”“That’s bullshit. Nobody does things like that anymore. I’m not sure people even did. That’s consent under duress! Come, we have to report it.”Samantha was about standing up when Lolita pulled her down. “He drove me here, Samantha, and he’s waiting for me outside, I can’t follow you to a station.”Samantha’s eyes widened. “What?”“Yeah. I’m not sure I even want to do this. It’s not that serious.”“You feel pain in your ass and now he’s stalking you?!”Lolita’s face reddened. “We’re in a public space!
IllusionsTessa sighed dramatically as they passed by a line of condoms. She massaged one pack before turning to her friends.“Do you guys know when I’ll be able to use one of these?” She asked.Samantha raised her brows. “You’re asking us when you’ll be able to use a condom?”“With Hayden, dummy! With Hayden!” She folded her arms and glared at Samantha. “Didn’t you listen when I told you that Hayden and I didn’t get to the sex part with each other?!”“You did?” Samantha glanced at Lolita and away. “I don’t think I remember you mentioning that part…?”“How would you, when you’re thinking about Lolita all day!” She grumbled. “Why would you be thinking about her? She’s perfect: she has a boyfriend and would get married soon and leave us!”Lolita bit her lips. The outburst was unnecessary, but when Tessa was like this, it was best to keep quiet. Samantha’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to Lolita.“You’re going to marry him?”Lolita coughed uncomfortably at the question. Seeing her
Acts and Rumors.Hayden pushed himself off the wall but kept the space between them.“You’re here.”Lolita licked her lips and remained composed. “You know I would. You lured me here.”He laughed. When he cocked his head at the side and still watched her, she felt stupid. He was laughing at her. There was no way he would have lured her if she wasn’t interested in the first place. It was her curiosity that pushed her to investigate the silly movement she noticed earlier. She would have let it be; then she would not have come in here and see him chilling against the toilet wall, like he knew she would come.“Go back to him,” he said gently. “I’m sure your bodyguard would be tearing the place apart looking for you.”“Can’t blame him now, can you? When we’ve got on you the loose,” she retorted.He straighted, his face darkening as anger clouded his vision. “What?”“I know about it, Hayden. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors too. That’s all I hear when I walk pass anything and anyone that’s
Expectations and Realities.Lolita curved into herself. The silence in Hayden’s wake was loud. For the longest minute, Tessa was still too shocked to speak. She stared at the door and then to Lolita, as if trying to connect the dots between her and Hayden.“You told me that there was nothing between you too,” she started in a low voice. “Last time in your house when Jarrod caught you both in that position—”“That was nothing, I swear! What you saw then was completely misleading!”“Is that what you’re going to say about this time too, Lolita, that it was misleading? Will you say that I’m blind and did not witness what I just witnessed?”Lolita pressed her hands together in a plea. “Don’t tell Jarrod, I beg you. I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I thought it was him—”“Don’t you fucking lie to me right now? You and I both know that you can clearly differentiate them. Is the slight color change in Hayden’s hair not a dead giveaway?”“Not enough. I was drunk—”“You look clea
BROTHERSJarrod was waiting for his brother in Hayden’s suite when Hayden arrived. He was drunk, staggering mostly through the door and blinking in surprise when he saw Jarrod. Jarrod was holding an empty bottle of wine in his hand, giving the illusion that he’d been waiting for so long that he had the wine keep him company.Hayden hiccupped as he walked slowly into the room. “When the receptionist downstairs told me that I had gone in earlier and she didn’t see me leave, I actually thought she was being stupid, yet here you are.”“Here I am,” Jarrod repeated.“A pleasant surprise, brother. I was wondering when you were going to face me head-on, seeing as you’ve sort of spread some rumors with my name. It hurts, you know?”Jarrod laughed. He stood up and brandished the wine bottle in the air as he spoke. “Look at you, coming back here wasted when you could have been elsewhere spoiling your name! You think I spread some rumors with your name? Look at you, Hayden.”Hayden grinned. He pas