4| I want you

Damien

ONE HOUR EARLIER

My jaw clenched as I stared at the shattered glass on the floor. The heat of my anger burned beneath my skin, but I kept it tightly under control. I had no interest in losing my temper. That wasn’t my style.

I leaned against the couch, legs crossed, as I tried to control my breathing. The entire room was tense, as nobody dared to talk. They knew better than to speak a word without my permission.

"You must have a death wish." I spoke, my voice hoarse and raspy despite trying to control my anger. "Should I send you to your maker if you're that eager to meet him?"

The waitress kneeling flinched, her face pale with fear as she instinctively moved back. But there was nowhere to run. She would be foolish to even think of running after what she did.

I tilted my head, watching her squirm. "Or maybe I should just make sure you never use those hands again?"

"M-mr Russo, please forgive me. I must have been out of my mind for a minute. I..... I am so sorry." She sobbed like a pitiful creature, finger clutching the fabric of her skirt, as she trembled uncontrollably.

I looked at her indifferently. Any other man would have been won over by a beautiful woman's tears, yet I found hers pathetic and irritating. The sound of her weeping echoing in the room only fueled my anger.

Why do they always resort to tears when they get caught? Do they think those crocodile tears would work on me?

"Mr Russo. I didn't think that—"

I cut her off with a sharp look. I wasn't interested in excuses. It was a waste of time. "You had the time to use your brain before spiking my drink with an aphrodisiac." I drawled. "But seeing you like this, I highly doubt you have one."

I knew I spoke with words sharper than a knife. I wasn’t nice. Everyone knew that. It’s why they avoided me—well, part of the reason. I hated being touched. Ever since the accident fifteen years ago, when I lost my parents in that car crash, I hadn’t let anyone get close.

I could still remember my mother’s hand gripping mine, her fingers turning colder by the second. I’d held on to her for what felt like hours, refusing to let go even though I knew she was gone. Her hand was ice, but I’d clung to it, desperate for some warmth that never came. Since that day, I couldn’t stand the feeling of someone’s touch. It was always cold.

"It was a mistake, I swear!" She shuddered, sobbing even harder.

"Indeed, it was. Spiking my drink, that was your first mistake." I paused, looking at her with cold disgust. "Touching me? That was your second. And it will be the one you regret the most." I threatened, my voice taking a darker tone as I remembered how she touched me with those filthy hands.

She glanced at the manager, who was standing at the doorway as if he could save her. I shifted my attention to him. His face was pale and sweaty. When he noticed me staring, he looked down, stuttering. "I-I...we... I'm-"

I raised my hand up to silence the useless words coming out of his mouth. "Clean this up." I commanded in a whisper. I didn't need to raise my voice to be heard. "And make sure you fire her and get her arrested for sexual harassment."

Getting angry wasn't my style. Yes. But getting even was. Everyone had to be responsible for their actions.

The bodyguards rushed forward and grabbed the woman. I ignored her cries as I made my way into the bathroom. I needed a bath. A long one.

I drank a glass.

I peeled my clothes off, tossing it onto the counter, before turning on the shower. I ran a hand through my wet hair, pushing it back from my face as the water trailed down my broad shoulders and sculpted chest.

"Fuck." I groaned in frustration. The heat on my lower body was getting harder to ignore. I thought I could control it, but she must have added a lot more aphrodisiac than I thought.

This was not the first time a woman would do something dumb to get in my bed, but I didn't expect an employee of one of my hotels to spike my wine with a sexual stimulant.

No matter how much I tried to wash the arousal off, I felt like hundreds of fires were burning inside me. I wanted to release no; I needed it, but I was not planning on letting a woman touch me.

After a long moment, I shut off the water, stepped out of the shower, and reached for the towel. With a swift motion, I wrapped it low around my waist; the fabric clinging to my damp skin.

I walked out of the bathroom, running a clean towel through my jet black hair. I picked my phone from the bed, my thumb scrolling through my contacts for my secretary's number. I needed him to get the wine tested for any more substances. If that woman kept anything else in my drink, getting thrown into prison would be the least of her concern. She'd have to worry about making it through the night.

I sauntered back to the main room but froze when my eyes landed on a woman in my penthouse. Not the one who had been dragged out of my room in tears, but another one.

She sat on the counter, leg crossed as if she was the owner of the place and I was the intruder. Her hair was messy and unkempt, her face flushed, and her hazy eyes unfocused as she stared back at me through the round-rimmed glasses.

My eyes flicked down at the empty bottle on the table, then at her. I frowned, slowly taking in her flushed cheeks and the way she looked at me like I was a piece of meat.

She drank the whole damn thing. Where the hell did this crazy woman come from?

I clenched my jaw, annoyance flickering in my chest. "You have two seconds to explain yourself. Or I will make you regret ever walking through that door."

She stared at me, not a bit intimidated by my threat, instead she stood up and walked closer. I moved back instinctively to avoid her touch. “What the hell are you doing?”

"I-I'm so hot. My body is acting weird. What did you put in the wine?"

My throat tightened. The nerves of this woman to just walk in here and blame me for doing something disgusting. Does she have any idea who she was talking to?

"I'm not playing games with you. Get ou—"

"Fuck it." She grunted, shutting me up. Before I knew what she was doing, she unzipped her dress and shrugged it off.

My expression darkened as my gaze traveled over her body. She was stunning. She had that kind of beauty that made men want to worship her and lose their composure. She stood there half-naked, her chest rising and falling with a hungry look in her eyes.

For a moment, my body reacted to the sight. A flicker of heat in my blood.

I looked away, my brows drawing together in confusion.

Did my body just react to someone? Impossible. It must be the drug. I told myself, but deep down, I knew I was lying. When the waitress tried to seduce me, the drug had been more potent. But I wasn't attracted to her, so why this one?

"Ah, I'm so horny. I want you." She wrapped her arms around me, drawing me towards her and forcefully pressing her lips against mine.

My breath hitched in my throat and my eyes widened in surprise. It was not the fact that she had the audacity to kiss me; it was something else that made my heart pound against my chest in excitement.

Her hands.....were warm.

My pupils dilated with lust and a new sense of emotion swelled inside me. My body seemed to have a will of its own. I pressed her against the wall, an arm hovering about her head as I deepened the kiss.

I groaned as pleasure rolled through me, fingers tangling possessively in her soft blonde locks. I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I wanted her. This was the first time a human touch filled me with a different type of emotion. And I wanted to explore it.

I subconsciously grind my growing length against her, causing her to gasp against my lips. The sinful sound snapping me out of it. I pulled back, my breathing shallow and labored. No, I can't take advantage of someone's vulnerable state. No matter how difficult it was to control myself. I shouldn't take it further. But before I could take a step back. She tightened her arms around my neck, refusing to let me go, her voice soft and desperate. “Please, fuck me. ”

She ran her lips down my neck, then kissed me on the shoulder, sending a trail of kisses down my naked chest.

“Shit.” "A low groan escaped my lips as I lifted her off the floor and carried her to my room. “There is no way in hell you're running after this.”