Greyson entered the apartment and closed the door so softly, glancing around the dimly lit space that felt lifeless, as if no one was there.
He walked toward the light switch on the wall near the stairs and pressed it, illuminating the room. His eyes immediately found Alexis standing at the top of the staircase.
He froze, eyes unblinking, unwilling to miss the sight before him—she stood there in black lingerie with a sheer red robe, loosely draped without tying the front.
"Damn, what is she trying to do? I thought she was so innocent… but she's actually seducing me!" he cursed inwardly, watching as she slowly descended toward him.
"Have you never seen a sexy woman before?" Alexis asked with a slight smirk.
Greyson remained silent, his breath hitching when Alexis wrapped her arms around his neck, staring deep into his eyes. Their faces were so close that he could inhale the intoxicating scent of roses from her.
"What?" Alexis whispered.
"What are you doing?" Greyson whispered back.
"I…" She furrowed her brows and pulled back slightly. "I'm just doing what I should as your contract lover… welcoming my partner… the way I'm supposed to…" she explained, her voice slightly uneasy.
He smiled and lowered his gaze to her outfit.
"In that ...?"
"Then what?" She crossed her arms. "Is this wrong? I thought you came here just to demand that I fulfill my duty as your contract lover… which means we're going to…"
"So you assumed I would ask you to sleep with me?" He cut her off before she could finish, his hands suddenly gripping her waist, pressing their bodies together.
She took a sharp breath, her chest tightening from the pounding of her heart. She swallowed hard.
"I…"
"You always think I'm as bad as that bastard," he whispered.
She was stunned, her gaze locked onto his striking blue eyes that seemed to silence her.
"You know, I like the way you think," he said with a faint smirk, brushing his thumb over her lips. "It means you understand what I want."
"Of course… After all, what other reason would you have to be here if not to use me?"
Greyson said nothing, continuing to stare into her green eyes.
"I know men like you…" Alexis averted her gaze and reached for the buttons of Greyson's shirt, her fingers trembling. "Men like you wouldn't hesitate to spend money just to get what they want… including keeping a woman behind their wife's back."
"That's true…"
"Then why act so surprised by my outfit? By my assumption?"
"I…" Greyson suddenly looked away, clearly uneasy.
"Stop acting innocent." She hesitantly ran her hand over his chest, studying his handsome face. 'Damn. What am I doing? Am I playing with fire?'
Greyson swallowed, glancing down at her trembling hand on his chest.
'Is she actually scared? What should I do?' he wondered, but before he could find an answer, Alexis cupped his face and stood on her toes, pressing her lips to his.
He froze, but the softness and sweetness of her lips awakened something primal within him, compelling him to respond aggressively. His hands slid down to grip her hips.
"Mmhh…"
"You started this… so you won't stop it now," he whispered before kissing her again, hungrily trailing down to her neck.
"Ah… sir… ah…" She tilted her head back, unable to suppress her moans.
In a swift motion, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom, kissing her all the way until he gently laid her on the bed. He hovered above her, breathing heavily as he took in her natural beauty.
"What?" he whispered.
"I…" She hesitated, avoiding his gaze.
"Are you scared?"
"I… I thought you wouldn't care if I was or not."
"So you are scared?" He raised an eyebrow.
She remained silent, turning her face away.
"Then why did you try to seduce me if you weren't brave enough to go through with it?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Her head snapped up, eyes burning with frustration as she clutched his shirt.
"Because I've never done this before!" she snapped, her voice shaking. "Your behavior confuses me—I don't know what to do… I have no choice, I can't think clearly! I…"
He silenced her with another kiss.
She shut her eyes, unable to stop her tears from falling, but slowly opened them again when he pulled away.
"I don't want to hurt you," Greyson murmured.
"What?" Alexis squinted at him, but he turned away and lay down beside her, staring at the ceiling.
She sat up, watching him with confusion. 'What is he thinking? Is he really a bad person or not?'
Greyson let out a long breath and turned to look at her, reaching for her hand.
"I don't want you to think badly of me," he admitted, his face filled with sadness. "And I don't want to keep you here against your will… I don't want to make you sad, I don't want you to feel like my prisoner… like you have to obey my every demand."
She was stunned.
"Alexis Reed…" Greyson sat up and knelt before her, holding her hands. "Maybe this sounds ridiculous, but it's the truth… I fall in love with you… and it's understandable if you don't believe me… if you see me as a bad guy like Jerry or whoever he is. But… I can't accept the idea of being apart from you while that love is starting to consume me. That's why I created that contract," he confessed, his voice laced with pain as he lowered his gaze.
"I… I don't understand," she whispered, her heart pounding.
"I love you!" he declared, forcing himself to meet her eyes. "I want to be with you, but my situation doesn't allow it! And when you chose to leave, to cancel our original contract, and even hate me because you didn't believe in my love… I became desperate… Because I wanted to keep you close to me, I didn't want to lose you! Alexis Reed…" He sighed heavily and looked away again.
"So… this is all because of love?" Alexis asked cautiously.
"What do you think? Am I a villain? Am I like Jerry?" Greyson asked with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head. "I'm not like that… Even when I wanted to be cruel just to keep you by my side, I couldn't. This is who I am… I can't be rough to you… I can't accept the idea of forcing you… especially when it's your first time… I can't…"
She exhaled slowly, gazing into his sorrowful blue eyes. She couldn't deny that his words moved her, but she still wasn't sure she could believe he loved her.
"I'm sorry…" Greyson released her hands and turned away. "I can't…" He quickly got off the bed, but before he could leave, Alexis grabbed his arm.
He turned, surprised by her innocent expression.
"Please don't!" she pleaded.
Greyson froze, staring at her.
"Please don't go!" she begged, releasing him. He immediately turned to face her, and she nervously forced herself to meet his gaze, memories of her painful past flashing in her mind.
"I've never felt like anyone cared about me until I met you… I'm sorry if my distrust hurt you… but it's only because I have trust issues."
He said nothing, just staring at her intently.
"Mr. Whitmore… I…" She grew even more anxious. "I think I need you… And if you truly have fallen for me… then don't let me go… Stop me… Give me a chance to love you back…"
She took a deep breath and lowered her gaze. "Even in the end, I'm just a mistress."