Abby

Chapter 44

"I see. Look, Abby, experience or not, I'm unsure if I want to be involved in any way with you with Eden in the picture, even just doing a scene."

I pressed further, wanting to understand his reasoning. "Is that the only reason?"

Victor considered my question before conceding with a nod of his head, "Mostly, yes. You may be inexperienced, but that's most of it. If that situation ever changes, we could discuss it."

Satisfied with his response, I rose to leave. "Thank you, Victor."

❖

I walked down the hallway of Eden's hotel towards the familiar suite where we had spent those few intimate weekends. I knew the turn of every corner, recognized the soft brushing of my feet against the carpet, memories from our time here lingering in every detail. My brain tried to convince me not to go through with this.

"He's rich, you know. And did you forget how good he is in bed?"

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I reached the door. The dark wood was cool against my fingertips as I touched it, feeling the grain as I hesitated, closing my eyes.

"You know you don't want to do this..."

I took a deep breath and knocked twice. The sound reverberated off the walls, punctuating the air with a sharp crack like a whip. I could hear the hard thud of my heart echoing in my chest as I waited for a response.

"It's not too late to change your mind..."

After a moment, the door opened, and he stood before me with a sexy grin on his handsome face. The face had invaded my dreams since the first time we were together, but he was always more breathtaking in person.

"Hello, beautiful. Come in," he said, his voice deep and seductive.

I felt a tingle between my legs at the sound of his voice. His two-day stubble and piercing blue eyes wouldn't make this any easier either.

"Hello," I said, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.

As I walked past him, I caught a whiff of his cologne, a deep, musky scent with hints of leather and sandalwood. It was intoxicating, weakening my resolve even further.

I composed myself as he closed the door behind us, those damn eyes never leaving my body. He motioned for me to sit on the couch while he sat opposite, studying my face, his gaze intense.

"You seem different," he said after a few moments of silence.

"I am," I said confidently, although inside, I was shaking like a leaf. "I know about your offer to Madeleine."

He said nothing at first, running his finger along the armrest of his chair before finally speaking. "She told you?"

"Yes. Why the hell would you offer to buy out my contract? You hardly know me now, and you certainly didn't then!"

He leaned forward, his eyes locking with mine. "Because I wanted you," he said, his voice low and husky. "I had to have you from the moment I saw you that first night. And when you told me you would be working for Madeleine, I wanted to do whatever I could to get you out of there."

He paused, his eyes piercing into mine, refusing to look away. "Listen, I know it was probably the wrong thing to do. And I know it looks like I was trying to manipulate you, but that wasn't my intention. I just wanted an opportunity to know each other better without the club's lifestyle interfering." He paused again before continuing, his voice softening. "I saw what I wanted and went after it... that's how I am."