An unexpected jolt made Maria's vision spin. She groaned quietly, feeling dizzy as the car wheeled into the compound. She was unsure of what was happening around her but knew enough about the burning pain in her heart, urging her to release the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.
The beautiful lights of the mansion shone brightly in front of them, and it almost looked like the stars themselves surrounded her as she sat there, trying to comprehend why they were there or how she had ended up in that place.
When the car eventually came to a stop, the engine cut off, and the other passengers began to exit as well. It was until a tug on her arm brought her consciousness back to reality.
She found Jayden staring straight at her, his body language gesturing her to come out of the car, as he bent against the car door waiting for her to move. She stared back at his eyes for some time, silently questioning the entire situation, and then finally stood up from the car.
Her legs wobbled beneath her body the moment she lifted one foot, her body reacting strongly to the liquor still residing within her system. She stumbled forward a bit, trying to regain her balance but failed terribly.
The two bodyguards came to her rescue until Jayden dismissed them, stepping closer to take her hand instead and pulling her along toward the main entrance without any word. He led her through the house, ignoring the curious gazes they received from servants and guards, while her vision was too blurred to even notice the whispering groups.
They entered a different corridor in which they were met by the chief maid who seemed to be waiting for them already, in respect to Jayden's command.
The sturdy woman immediately acknowledged the young master's presence with a bow, including the younger maids positioned behind her. "Welcome back, sir. The room has been prepared with everything you have asked for." She informed Jayden, glancing at the tipsy doctor in his hold.
Jayden made no response and walked away without looking back at the women, locating the room located at the end of the hallway and opening the door for the lady with him to step inside. "You will stay here tonight, and return home as early as you wish." He finally talked, his arm pointing slightly at the large space.
Maria's gaze flitted between the room, unable to find the right words as she studied it. Everything in the bedroom was spotless; white walls decorated with dark mahogany furniture and a king-size bed, complete with a luxurious quilt spread across it. On the other side of the room stood a glass door leading to a balcony, and the scent of fresh flowers drifted through the room. As expected, it was an impressable view but she doubted her current condition gave her the right to admire it so openly.
Her attention was drawn back to Jayden when he let go of her hand, and the sight of him made her notice he already retreated three steps back. "Goodnight." He uttered in a low tone, preparing his exit already. His job with her was done. The main reason he had abandoned his night rest was to get her drunkenness home safely and had accomplished something similar.
But Maria hesitated, not wanting him to leave just yet when a particularly dark secret of hers wished to be shared in her intoxicated state. "You might not know this..." She started, her words stopping him from walking away fully, and he slowly turned to face her, exceptionally hiding his curiosity from his face. "Tonight...reminds me of when my grandfather died. I got so drunk, I heard I almost got myself killed." She continued hesitantly, biting her bottom lip while her eyelashes lowered.
By now, the few heavy truths she had just spat captured his whole attention. He watched her as her lips curled into a tiny smile that didn't seem genuine enough for him to believe it was really a happy memory she was referring to and then turned her head away from him as she continued speaking, her voice barely audible.
"Maybe you just saved me again. Because deep down... I knew why I kept on drinking and drinking..." Her voice went lost as she swallowed her emotions while blinking back the tears that threatened to overflow from her eyes. "I do not tend to be a pity party but... I usually don't know what else to do except to be so pathetic after a loss." She added and tilted her face to look at him only to find his expression completely frozen and his eyes fixed onto her face with a serious look. "Thank you..."
Jayden stood rooted by the door, fighting between the two emotions raging inside him at that moment: a sudden urge to step closer to her and wipe down the tear that was gathering at the edge of her eyes, or the equally strong impulse telling him not to be controlled by how he felt towards her.
He had always been a logical person, one who was not supposed to be easily swayed by others, and only intervened in people's problems when they affected him directly. That being said, he couldn't deny that she possessed a very potent emotional control over him, something he had never felt before, and certainly wasn't able to resist.
As much as he was reminding himself to be levelheaded, he still found himself wanting to break his nonchalant rules and ask her what was causing her so much pain. "Is that why you left earlier?" And then the question slipped out of his mouth without him thinking it through. "Why you drank so much? He added a second late, his voice becoming softer in comparison to the hard tone of his previous question.
A soft smile crept on the side of Maria's lips. "Yes..." She answered softly, the tears still falling. "Ted lost his father and I can't help but be reminded of the ones I already lost..." She insisted, not entirely sure why she chose to confide her deepest worries in someone like him for the first time in a long time.
His shadow moved closer, and she could feel him hovering near her side. Her eyes fluttered twice, relishing the warmth radiating from his body and his nearness. He smelled of his familiar woodsy fragrance and somehow it was intoxicating her senses as a new wave of tears rolled down her face without her permission.
She suddenly found his hand cupping her cheek, gently bringing her face toward him before he wiped a lone drop of tear that fell from the corner of her eye with his thumb. Her breath caught in her throat at such an intimate gesture. It had been so long since she let out her emotions freely without holding anything back, and that included being comforted in any form.
The gentle caress lasted for a while before he eventually said something to break the silence that engulfed them. "...It will be alright..." He gave the best attempt at reassurance he could give since sympathizing with others had not always been his forte. Still, he tried nonetheless.
Maria nodded, even though she was not sure how that was going to happen. Her actions caused his palms holding her face to slip away from her cheek, leaving her skin feeling bereft, and she quickly cleared her throat before speaking. "I am sorry for being so bothersome. It's late, I should let you go to sleep." her voice cracked as she spoke, a small smile replacing her sorrowful expression as her lips lift in a weak attempt to mask her true feelings. "I will try to do the same," she added with the weakest hint of a laugh escaping her lips.
His eyes shifted to the side as he watched her figure stagger deeper into the room, maintaining his silence as he restrained himself from following after her, no matter what reason he had for doing so.
Judging by his emotions toward her lately, it would be a very risky action to keep being alone with the same lady that had been constantly occupying his mind, influencing him to break his rules.
These were the thoughts that plagued his mind when the moving lady suddenly missed a step, sending her stumbling backward and almost tripping over her own feet. Her action instantly attracted his attention, and he found himself stepping forward before he could think better, taking that particular risk without further consideration.
"If you are really sorry, get a grip." he scolded quietly as he reached out to grab both of her arms, steadying her stance in front of him.
She looked up at him with her eyebrows arched upwards, watching him move her closer to the bed. "Everything around me seems to be spinning round and round," she muttered apologetically once he lowered her against the thick mattress, her lips curving slightly upward despite the circumstances.
Jayden paused his movement, looking down at her face and studying her soft beam under the glittering lights of the chandelier in the ceiling. For a moment, there seemed to be an invisible magnetism drawing his attention to that little smile of hers. He could not understand why his heart was pounding faster than usual, nor could he explain why his fingers seemed to want to reach out and brush down those soft strands of hers.
He looked away from her and shook his head internally, banishing all the confusing notions swirling within his mind. "Stop smiling like that," then he said with a frown, averting his eyes from hers momentarily once again as she watched him blankly with furrowed brows.
Her smile didn't fade away, turning into an amused chuckle. "Why not?" She whispered, tilting her head to the side to read the seriousness in his eyes.
His gaze met hers at her words, and a prolonged silence stretched itself between them before his figure bent slowly above her, closing half of the gap between them. His hands slowly rested on each side of her face, brushing a few stray curls behind her ears. "Because..." he paused as his gaze dropped to her parted lips, and a sudden urge raised his hand to trace their shape. "If you continue, I'm going to kiss you." For some inexplicable reason, he found himself being sincere with his emotions, confessing that particular desire that had been tempting him for days now, and it was funny how he had admitted it to her.
When she heard those words, she felt a shiver run down her spine at the unexpected revelation, her lashes flickering constantly under his watchful gaze. At the moment, Maria was no longer sure if she had heard him right or if her drunkness had impaired her hearing. "Mr. Stanley..." she tried to say, trying to sound as composed as possible but failed miserably.
Her hands instinctively dropped to hold his wrists as his fingers grazed her skin lightly, caressing every inch of her flushed skin. She was about to mention his name in a similar incoherent way when his own words came out, more shocking than his first ones.
"Can I?" His question came out soft, holding back the urge to press his lips against hers that very moment. He waited for her response as his fingers lingered on her jawline, brushing her sensitive skin with the lightest touch.
Maria was speechless, unable to articulate her thoughts properly. Her fingers tightened on his wrists as she stared into his brown orbs, her breathing growing heavier by the second.
She was not sure any woman could decline such a request from a man like him, and she never knew she could be this affected by him. More than anything else, she knew how wrong it was to encourage him especially considering her present state of mind yet she found it so difficult to refuse him.
Her eyes slowly roamed across his attractive features, memorizing every part of his face and wondering if he was aware of his hypnotic charm. He watched her act with a longing expression as if her very presence was making him crave her more, and that alone encouraged her to push her face closer to his until her lips were just close enough to touch his.
Jayden froze at that exact moment, sensing a rush of electricity traveling through his veins at the sight of her lips gradually drifting closer to his, her warm breath fanning and tickling over his neck.
"Maria..." but then he stopped her before she could go any further, his voice hoarse as he broke the contact between them. He was not yet sure of how she felt towards him. She could be under the influence of alcohol and might regret her actions in the morning. "I won't be able to stop if I really do..." he warned huskily, placing a finger on her chin to tilt her face up as he observed her intently. "...and you are drunk," he added, finding it hard to suppress his growing arousal.
Her breath hitched slightly, and he was soon to figure out his words had no effect on her decision when she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I don't think I can be this courageous if I am sober." Maria smiled softly, and that was his new weakness.
The fact that the tension between them had become so intimate was already crazy enough, an abnormal happening that she was not sure going further with him would make things any crazier. She was not sure if she needed a distraction and Jayden was perfect at the moment, but she was definitely attracted to him.
With her hands raising slightly to wrap themselves around his neck, she dared to inch closer, completely closing the gap between them until her lips captured his with the lightest touch and she immediately pulled back, her chest heaving heavily.
He met her eyes, his expression looking completely frozen as his hands remained at the sides of her face, the taste of her lingering against his mouth like an echo of a memory. Nothing had ever had that much effect on him; not a single kiss had ever stirred such strong feelings inside him that made his heart speed up with an intensity that left him breathless.
His hands trembled slightly at the sensation that spread through his body, one of his hands reaching out slowly to stroke the hair as he leaned forward again, his lips parting to openly admit his attraction toward her.
"I think I like you," he confessed quietly, and that was his last attempt at using his brain to think straight before he allowed himself to be drawn into the trap of her addictive lips, capturing their sweetness in the warmth of his own, and groaning softly against them.
He pulled her closer, responding to her soft moans as his hand slipped to rest firmly against her waist, the other sliding under her chin to pull her lips to his full, and each bewitching taste was more intoxicating than the last, filling his senses with a burning desire that was impossible to resist.
They were enough to tell him how much trouble he had gotten himself, the insane electricity and increasing desire for more.
His lips moved along hers, his body bending closer towards the bed to become more intimate with her, and Maria couldn't deny the notice of his warmth seeping through her clothes.
Her entire world seemed to be crumbling down beneath his intense kiss, leaving her utterly defenseless and vulnerable.
It was only a matter of a second when he tumbled on the bed, lifting her up with ease to sit on top of him with her legs wrapped around his hips, and a grunt of satisfaction escaped his throat as he devoured her lips with his own, savoring every bit of her taste.
Every breath they took was a gasp of pleasure, the heat between them increasing with each passing second, her hands roaming up his neck to cradle his jawline, and his hands gripping her thighs tightly.
Things had strongly taken to wild turn between them and it seemed that both of them had been suppressing this particular need for too long, causing them to lose control.
Maria was far from sober, but the alcohol had not numbed her senses in any way. The passionate sensations that coursed throughout her body drove her to place her hands on his shoulders, urging him to take things further.
He pulled away from her for a brief moment, gasping for air as he stared into her blue eyes with an intensity that made her tremble. He felt her palms slide down over his back, her fingers digging deep into his skin as she gripped him tightly.
"Don't stop," she pleaded, watching him with hooded eyes.
And that was all he needed to hear before going completely ballistic in response, moving forward once again to take charge of her mouth with renewed energy and earning a breathless gasp from her as he nibbled her lower lip gently, his tongue delving deeper to taste the alcohol tangy flavor inside of it and the intoxicating sweetness of her kiss, and she could only whimper at the touches of his hands that was beginning to trail from her collarbones all the way down to her bare waist, his fingertips brushing past the silkiness of her dress, and it didn't take long before she felt them beneath the thin fabric.
***
Hello, Fam!
Yes, I know. My updates have been coming really late and I apologize for that. I guess it's a sign that this festive period has been keeping me quite busy and I really tried my best to make some time to keep this book ongoing.
Speaking of the festive period, it's New year's eve! I wish everyone a prosperous year ahead and all the best wishes in the world for the future. I really look forward to writing more exciting stories and being part of your 365 days.
Continue to stay tuned, things are about to get more fun in here, if you know what I mean.
Hehe...
Bye, lovelies!
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