BLOODY TIES

ri

erations. The air was thick with anticipation as I made my way to the meeting room. All the employed applicants from yesterday's interviews were pr

the faces in the room. My gaze lingered on her empty seat, the anticipation roiling like a storm inside me. It was an unusual feeling f

behind her with just the right amount of drama. "Why are you late?" was the question my eyes posed, although I kept my expr

her gaze flicker in my direction, and the charge hung thickly between us. I recalled on Michael's pres

e real. It wasn't just that she had become an orphan overnight; it was also the fact that she now had no home, no anchor in this chaotic world. The whispers of the neighbors played back in my mind-

as anything but innocent. She exuded an allure that was almost predatory, and as unsettling as that thought was, it only fanned the flames of my attraction

once the contracts were signed, they would no longer have the freedom to back out. They were entering a world where loyalty was purchased, and life was cheap. They would be committed to us completely. There was no going back. I

the room, I felt a na

room. Maya hesitated but stepped forward, curiosity flickering in her eyes. As the door

osing myself to dark thoughts, thoughts that had very little to do with my duties. Letting out an annoyed sigh, I tried to force the primal

and sex had always been an afterthought, an occasional release that didn't require attachments. Yet the more I fought against it, the more I found myself yearning for her. I ha

ore she appeared, door swinging open and slamming shut behind her. Dressed provocatively as always, Lucy knew exactly what my

tried to silence the battle raging in my mind, but the frustration festered. Maya was the

ven trying," she observed, pulling me from my reverie with a smirk as she reached into the drawer to retrieve a condom. The gest

nside me. "Stop," I said sharply, grabbing her wrist with more force than I i

," Lucy teased, her voice dripping

job, Lucy!" I growled

ve, her aura. As I let myself go, the tension of the desires I'd been suppressing was about to break free. I imagined what it would be like if it was Maya giving me this pleasure

ing my lips like a hushed spell. The wave of ecstasy rip

in incredulity. ""You can't be serious!" She pulled back, shock plastered across her face. "Of all the women here, not Valeria, not Mar

at she was interested in more than just professional work. She wanted to be by my side, and I had taken advan

pulling up my trousers with a galling sense of finality. I was enraged-not

air between us had irrevocably changed. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me in the quiet aft

of Maya flooded back. She was a mystery I was desperate to

s that had clouded my judgment. And yet, here I was, besieged by a woman whose traumatic past seemed to reflect the chaos I was immersed in

ers of Maya's chaotic life. Perhaps it was my duty to protect her, or maybe it was the onset of another

what cost would I p