Chapter 25: Goodness Gracious

OLLIE

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I am not having sex with you, mister,” I panicked, cringing against the headboard and grabbing the silky sheets with my hands for something to hold on to.

This was his bedroom, I knew, because his bed smelled like him—a mix of expensive cologne and his own manly scent.

He watched me, amused by my actions, and a deep laugh rose from his stomach.

I’d never heard him laugh like this before, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was his real laugh.

“Olivia, you are not my type, and you are highly intoxicated,” he said, staring at me in disapproval with a light smile as he crossed his arms.

“Yeah, sure. Asshole.” I called his bluff.

“As entertaining as it is to mess with you, I have important things to do. For example, I need to fix the mess you just made with my stakeholders.” He turned away and left me locked in his room.

~Fucking tequila.~

Maybe I deserved this punishment.

I could barely stand the massive, pounding headache as I worked one of my legs out of the duvet and onto the floor as an anchor.

Was it still midnight? No, I was almost sure I’d fallen asleep for a couple of hours, yet everything around me swirled like I was riding a bull in a fucking rodeo.

I swallowed thickly, my chapped lips screaming for a miracle.

I needed water immediately.

They felt so dry, like death.

No amount of liquid or painkiller was going to help enough.

I groaned as a deep pain shot through my eyes.

~What did I drink yesterday?~ Was it tequila?

I ignored the feeling, letting my body crash back against the bed again.

Trying to stand was a mistake.

I needed to save this energy to survive.

Even breathing was hard.

I closed my eyes and relaxed, my body snuggling back into the silk pillow.

Silk?

I took a deep breath of the fabric.

It smelled so good.

Smoky, like sandalwood with a note of leather, vanilla, and…

My eyes popped open at the realization.

Darius.

~Shit, shit, shit.~ Wasn’t the threesome a dream?

I scanned my surroundings, seeing that this was not my room.

No, Olivia, you were definitely dreaming.

It was a dream, just a dream.

My eyes quickly scanned the room.

This bedroom was neatly organized, like a showroom in a furniture gallery.

A set of dark wood items complemented a gray palette.

Masculine, elegant, and minimalist.

~Oh, no.~ Did I hook up with that beast yesterday?

Only one nightstand and night lamp were set by the bed, on the right side of it.

A phone resting on top started ringing.

~Shit, shit, shit!~ I looked at the door, knowing I had to get out of here, but first I instinctively touched my body.

~Phew.~ I exhaled, relieved to feel the fabric of the large dress.

I was dressed!

Nothing had happened between us.

At least I had some part of my dignity.

The door handle turned, and I looked up to see shirtless Darius entering the bedroom.

Of course, he had to be shirtless and wearing those black gym pants that could never do justice to his hotness.

His rough muscles were covered in sweat, and tiny drops slowly ran from his neck to his big chest, to his ripped abs, into his...

~Olivia, stop!~

“Uhm, good morning,” I greeted him, red-faced, while I shrank back onto the bed.

I wanted to disappear from the face of the earth.

Of course, he ignored me, making me feel invisible.

He didn’t even bother to look at me when he crossed the room and snatched his phone from the night table.

“Hello?” I said again, but he didn’t spare me a glance.

Whatever he was listening to on those earphones was more entertaining than the hangover Olivia on his bed.

I watched him curiously, looking at his face.

It was a cold and unbothered mask.

I could swear a glimpse of exhaustion passed over it, maybe even some genuine concern.

Had he slept at all?

He stopped in front of a big dresser to check his messages, turning his delicious back to me as he cursed in a low, unintelligible voice.

I couldn’t stop myself as my eyes wandered over his strong, athletic back, tracing his long muscles until I found those two sexy holes in his lower back.

He had dorsal dimples.

I loved dorsal dimples.

Suddenly, I was feeling hot, too hot, so hot that I would willingly jump into a fucking ice bath.

I swallowed hard as I touched my hot forehead and then my rapid chest.

Was I sick?

Why was I sweating like this?

~I was hyperventilating!~

This was not healthy.

It almost felt like I was having a menopausal hot flash mixed with the worst hangover of my life.

But I was still in my twenties.

How was that possible?

Wasn’t menopause something that happened when you were in your fifties?

“Goodness gracious,” I muttered when he unzipped his pants.

The fabric hit the floor, giving me a complete view of his bare butt.

The Greek god walked straight to the bathroom while checking his phone.

A confident, relaxed, very naked Darius.

Was he trying to kill me?

At this point, if I had a heart attack, I’m sure people would applaud at my funeral for the things I’d seen.

But there was one thing I hadn’t seen yet.

~Olivia, you dirty girl!~

I didn’t blink as I followed him with my eyes until he disappeared, leaving me with my jaw so open that it was ready to snap off at any moment.

~What the fuck just happened?~

I swallowed hard and took a big breath.

My thoughts were not helping at all, so I decided to take baby steps, starting with getting out of this room.

~Okay, relax, Ollie. Be cool about it. It is not the first time you’ve seen a man naked.~

True, but I’d never seen someone that looked like ~that~.

I climbed out of the bed, feeling like a bag full of shit, and moved to the door.

I turned my head when I heard the water running and humming coming from the bathroom.

He was singing in the shower!

~Focus.~

My hand twisted the handle.

It was locked.

~No, no, no.~

I tried again.

It was truly locked.

Was this some kind of joke?

This psychopath locked me up in his bedroom and got naked?

I pounded on the door as hard as possible, but it felt pointless once I heard his deep laugh coming from the bathroom.

He must have heard how I was trying to get out and found it amusing.

Somehow, something about this was making everything fall back into place. The party, Archibald, the proposal, Blondie, the kiss, and that deep, devilish laugh.

I remembered it all, and it made me furious.

I would not let him intimidate me, even in my state, still dizzy.

I walked decisively to the bathroom, ready to show this man the power of my wrath, even when I felt like crap.

~Whatever you do, don’t look at his butt, it will deceive you.~

I entered the bathroom and opened his shower door with a quick, swift movement.

To my surprise, he was still laughing while soaping his body.

“Open the door!” I demanded, crossing my arms.

“No one is going to hear you,” he said casually. “These walls are soundproof, and no one from the staff is allowed on this floor on the weekends.”

“Listen, you asshole, open the door right now, or I’ll—”

“You should get in. The water is warm.” He turned to face me.

I gaped at his naked torso.

My curious eyes went straight to his—

~Holy mother above.~