I sucked a breath. His face was near mine. I could also taste his breath of mint and whiskey that made me heady. A taste of man and power.
And with knowing me, did it mean in a Biblical sense? Does he want to take me to bed?
This is Damon Savas. He does not leave parties and events without a woman in his arm. Did he choose me to be his companion for the night?
I was no stranger to indecent proposals from Mauro and other men. They made my skin crawl. Not with Damon. With him, I will go everywhere. And I will allow him to do wicked deeds to my body.
Why am I entertaining this thought? I protected myself and had been pending off men who want to be the first man in my life. I should be running away from him. But Damon was intriguing. His eyes hold the promise of pleasure.
It is a welcome thought compare to Mauro's grubby touch.
I want to experience pleasure with the man I want – a passion so strong that drives me crazy, kisses that could make me smile at the memory of it.
I want to give myself freely. Not because I have a debt to pay. Not because I had to sell myself to be free.
I want to be free. Period.
Not necessarily with Damon. I thought being physically attracted to someone was a myth. A lot of men had shown interest in me. They were equally good-looking, rich, and some were even active in different advocacies. I wondered why I don't feel any spark at all. Sometimes I want to believe that I am frigid. Or my libido had shut down to protect myself from people who wanted to take advantage of me.
Until Damon Savas.
I took a step toward him until I could feel the heat of his body from his dinner jacket. I am not a forward woman when it comes to seduction. I am not sure if I will do it right. I am itching to touch him, but I steeled myself. I took another sip of my drink without taking my eyes off his face. "In what way do you want to know me, Mr. Savas?'
"That is a loaded question. What do you desire the most right now?"
He was asking me about what I want. My desire. He was not telling me what he wanted or imposing. He was giving me a choice.
Ever since Papa sold me to Mauro, nobody had asked me what I wanted to do. It was all about what they want to do with me. How I would become a robot, following every command. If there were things I am enjoying right now, just like my job, I had to fight for it because no one will do it for me.
It was so rare that someone was asking about what I want.
My throat felt dry. I want to be free. That's taking it too far. I have no freedom. At that moment, I just want to be like any woman who wants to be owned by him, even just for a night. Or an hour. Or any chance I could get.
I licked my lower lip. "I want…"
"Savas, stay away from my girlfriend!"
I GROANED when I heard Mauro's voice. His face was red as he lunged toward Damon and me.
Shit! I already lost my chance to be alone with Damon or even to answer his question. I should have kissed him when I got the opportunity. Yes, I am this desperate for a bit of taste of freedom. A little taste of the man of my own choosing.
"He is your boyfriend?" Damon asked in a lazy drawl. He did not look mad. He looked rather amused. Maybe he was thinking that I was flirting with him even though I already have a boyfriend.
"No! I am his executive assistant," I clarified through gritted teeth.
Before I could even explain to Damon, Mauro pulled me by the arm as if protecting me from Damon. How ironic. He was the one I was actually trying to escape from.
Mauro pointed his finger at him. "Don't talk to her. Don't look at her. She is mine. You'll regret if you ever come near her again."
I nearly groaned and rolled my eyes. Mauro was being territorial again. My boss was like a kid who was robbed of his toy. It was not the first time that he confronted a man with driving him away from me. I saw how Mauro crushed his enemies. I once had a suitor back in college that annoyed Mauro because he won't leave me alone. One night, he was found beaten to a pulp. They made it look like a fraternity did it, but her suitor said the people who beat him looked like goons. Mauro had hulking bodyguards and security at his disposal. It was the same thing for my suitors back at the office. After being beaten, they resigned.
And with every word Mauro spoke, his finger dug deeper into my flesh. I was scared that he would hurt me this time.
Damon did not look threatened, though. Instead, he tilted his head, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of my arm in Mauro's grip. "Are you hurting, Ayisha? Does your boss hurt and bully you a lot? You are free to transfer to my company if you want. I can be a good and generous boss. I won't hurt you. I am pleasurable to work with." He gave emphasis on 'pleasurable' that Mauro was fuming beside me.
The fury in Damon's eyes and the seduction in his lips mixed. It melted my heart both ways. Nobody asked if I was okay, hurting, or scared. For men, I was just an object that Mauro bought and owned. Others thought lowly of me. But Damon treated me as human. Not an emotionless object.
I don't know if Damon was just trying to annoy Mauro, or he was really sincere in hiring me as his employee. Nobody would dare take me away from Mauro, especially if he got a tight grip on me literally and figuratively. Damon was the only fearless one.
I just hope he was not simply kidding around because, at that moment, I wanted to accept his offer and transfer to his company. I felt like I was a traveler in the desert who was offered a liter of cold, icy water. I would gladly accept it with my own hands.
"He will just fuck you and treat you like trash, Ashiya. Then you will be out of work," Mauro whispered like a devil above my head. "And think about your family…"
I froze, and I choked. There was a threat in Mauro's voice. I could not just simply leave my family. What guarantee do I have that when I transfer to Damon, he will help me with my debt to Mauro? A playboy like him is only good for one night of fun.
Mauro must have a point. Damon Savas would not take me seriously. He never took a woman seriously. He was a successful businessman. Does he really need me?
Mauro is presenting himself as the lesser evil. And even though it's hard to accept, no matter how much concern Damon showed me, the price for him to pay was too much to get me. Who would pay seven million pesos for an executive assistant? When many women were willing to be his slave for a lower price.
Damon turned the glass of wine with his fingers. "Do you want him, Ashiya?"