Cruel Temptation | ongoing

chapter four

It was red and sultry, undeniable what the designer had had in mind went setting about that piece.

I looked back into this dark eyes.

"I'm going to need to see the room," I told him. "For measurements, so we can sort a price out."

"Barton will take you."

And just as he said those words, the door opened and Barton, the man who'd assisted me before, was waiting.

"Come back here when you're done," he said in a voice that practically screamed, 'NO ROOM FOR DISCUSSION.' "Don't wander."

I shouldn't have felt the way I did when he was ordering me around. But, holy shît, was I turned on by his superior tone.

♖ ♖ ♖

I was taken to the room. It was large, very large. Fit for royalty.

I set about doing what I needed to do.

"Will you be alright for a few minutes?" Barton suddenly asked when he reappeared at the door. He'd been waiting outside for me. I had a mind to tell him I wouldn't be able to navigate my way back, but I didn't have the heart to when I caught sight of his distressed face.

I nodded, smiling lightly. "Yeah, no problem."

I thought it was Barton back already when a knock came on the door about three minutes later.

"Pardon me?" A woman said from the door. She had poked her head round, and was looking directly at me. "Is this room taken?"

I looked at her, confusedly... taken? But then I saw her glance at my supplies and realised maybe this was her and her husband behind her's room for the night and it looked like I was setting up camp here.

"Oh, no, of course," I said, picking my things back up and piling them into my arms. "I'm just finishing up."

"Splendid," she said, gripping my arm as I passed like old women tended to do. "Thank you so much, dear."

I went to say 'no problem,' but the door was already closed and there was quite a big problem: I had no clue how to get back.

I debated whether I was going to chance the venture back or just wait for Barton, but when it had been a good ten minutes and Barton was nowhere to be seen and suspicious noises were leaking out of the room I'd recently vacated, I decided chancing it would have to do.

I went down some stairs and along a few corridors, getting myself more and more confused as I went on. It was too late to turn back now, though.

I ended up outside of a large room, filled with tables and sofas and I noticed a bar not too far away. I walked inside, looking around for the person that looked the nicest to ask for directions.

"Excuse me?" I asked a blonde woman standing alone. She may not have looked the nicest with her severely plucked eyebrows and pinched mouth, but she would have to do. "Do you know where I can find Mill- Mr Dreyton's office?"

She turned slowly and looked me up and down in distaste. "You won't get anything from there. He doesn't partake."

"Pardon?"