Reluctant Desires

Chapter 8

Dave’s POV

Who knew that a boring charity event would end in the best damn way possible? I woke up, stretching lazily, only to be met with— emptiness.

The bed beside me was cold. She was gone. I exhaled through my nose, rubbing a hand down my face. Not surprising.

Fiona.

A beautiful name. An even more beautiful sound when I moaned it. I smirked to myself, running my tongue over my bottom lip, as flashes of last night rushed back.

The way she had been so damn shy at first—nervous even. But that only made it sweeter.

How her breath had hitched when I touched her. The way her body had melted, surrendered under my hands.

And then— I frowned.

Something nagged at the back of my mind.

I had been too lost in the moment, too drunk on the taste of her, the feel of her, to think much of it. But now, in the quiet aftermath of the night, the memory came back clearer.

The way she had tensed.

The soft gasp of pain.

How tight she had been—too tight.

I sat up, my jaw tightening. No. No way.

I hadn’t… I couldn’t have— "f**k," I muttered under my breath.

Was she a virgin? My stomach coiled.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the thought. But it wouldn't leave.

The slight resistance when I first pushed in. The way her fingers had dug into my back.

The quiet, almost hidden pain in her eyes.

I hadn't noticed then. I should have.

Because if I had—

A sharp exhale left me. I took her virginity. Raw.

My jaw clenched. s**t.

I should feel guilty, right? Regretful? But instead, something darker curled in my chest.

Possessiveness.

The thought that I was the first man to have her, to own that part of her, sent a slow thrill down my spine. I groaned, rubbing my temples.

This was dangerous. Fiona wasn’t like the women I usually f****d—women who knew the score, women who wanted nothing more than a few nights of pleasure with no attachments.

Fiona was different. And I hated how much that intrigued me. Dragging myself out of bed, I headed to the bathroom, turning on the shower. The water cascaded down my back, but it did nothing to wash away the memory of her.

The way she had looked at me—wide-eyed, trusting, vulnerable.

The way she had felt beneath me.

And the way she had left before I even woke up.

A slow, predatory smirk crept onto my lips.

Clever girl.

She thought she could just disappear? Just like that?

I chuckled under my breath, shaking my head. This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

****

I barely made it through the door when I was met with an unwelcome sight.

Karl.

Perched on my couch like he f*****g belonged here. I let out a slow, irritated sigh, rolling my neck before calling his name with bored disdain. "Karl."

He turned, flashing me that s**t-eating grin he always wore when he needed something.

Pathetic.

I already knew where this was going. Karl was a leech, and no matter how many times I cut him off, he always found a way to crawl back—thinking he was owed something. Let me make this clear—he wasn’t. This game of his had been playing out since we left the orphanage. I still remember the first time he tried to act like he was some kind of savior.

He handed me a poster for a scholarship, pestered me into applying, and when I won, that was it—he latched onto it like a lifeline. Telling everyone who would listen, "I made Dave. He wouldn't be here if not for me."

As if I hadn’t been the one to put in the work. As if his one measly suggestion gave him a claim to my empire.

Delusional.

I shrugged off my jacket, not bothering to sit. I wasn’t wasting more than five minutes on this bullshit.

"So," I drawled, unbuttoning my cuffs. "What is it this time?"

Karl stood, clasping his hands together like some desperate salesman.

"Oh, Dave, please," he started, his tone dripping with fake humility. "I really need to start doing something for myself. I can’t keep depending on you for everything."

I raised a brow, mocking amusement curling in my chest.

"You don’t say?"

He nodded, so damn serious, like this was some grand revelation.

I scoffed. "You finally grew a spine, huh? Thought I was going to spoon-feed you forever?"

Karl chuckled nervously. "No, no, it’s not like that. I just—look, I want to be part of your company." I stilled.

And then, I laughed. Cold. Cruel. Amused.

"You want what now?"

"A position in DT Empire," he said, standing pathetically straight, like he was gearing up for a job interview.

I dragged my gaze over him, slowly, dissecting him, making sure he knew just how ridiculous that sounded.

"What exactly would you be doing in my company, Karl?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

He swallowed before dropping the real bomb.

"I want to be a shareholder."

The silence stretched.

I tilted my head, staring at him as if he had grown another f*cking head.

And then I laughed again. Harder. Colder. This time, downright vile.

"You? A shareholder?" I sneered, taking a step closer. "Do you even know what shares are, Karl? Do you have the first f*****g clue what it means to own them?"

Karl shifted, his confidence cracking, but I saw it—the glint in his eye.

He was about to pull the same tired card.

I smirked, shaking my head. "Don’t. Don’t even f*cking try it."

His mouth opened, but I cut him off.

"Save me the sob story. Save me the whole ‘I helped you get where you are’ bulls*it. It’s old. It’s tired. And frankly, it’s f*****g pathetic."

Karl clenched his jaw. "But I—"

"You did nothing," I snapped, my voice dropping dead cold. "You handed me a f*cking poster. That’s it. And yet, for years, you’ve been strutting around like you built my empire with your bare hands."

I took a step forward, letting my words sink in.

"You are a parasite, Karl. You take. You whine. You beg. But you don’t build."

His face paled.

"And now you think you’re entitled to a seat at my table?" I chuckled darkly. "Get yourself checked. Your delusion is getting worse."

Karl swallowed hard, his fake bravado completely shattered.

I moved past him, grabbing a glass and pouring myself a drink.

"Now," I said, taking a sip, not bothering to look at him. "Get the f**k out of my house."

He hesitated.

I turned my head slightly, giving him a lethal stare.

"And Karl," I added, my voice calm but edged with warning, "next time you come here unannounced, you’ll be speaking through the gate."

I took another sip, dismissing him like the insignificance he was.

And just like that, Karl turned and walked out, his shoulders stiff, his pride bleeding all over my marble floors.

Good.

****

I sat at my desk in my room, fingers moving absently over my laptop keyboard. I had considered going to the office today, but the idea of dealing with people felt exhausting. Staying home and working in silence seemed like a better choice.

Or so I thought.

Because soon enough, the distinct sound of my bedroom door creaking open disrupted my concentration.

I didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.

Only two people in this world dared to walk into my room without knocking.

John and Raymond.

And since Raymond was off at a friend’s place, that left only one option.

Turning away from my laptop, I watched as John strode in like he owned the damn place, his usual cocky grin in place.

I leaned back in my chair, unimpressed.

“John.” My tone was flat. “What is it you want?”

He didn’t answer immediately, just walked over to my bed and sat at the edge like he had all the time in the world.

“I have something you’ll be interested in,” he finally said.

I arched a brow. “New building?”

He scoffed. “No.”

I exhaled through my nose, already losing patience. “Then what?”

That’s when he dropped the bomb.

“I have information on Fiona.”

My entire body stilled.

Just like that, my full attention was on him.

John noticed, of course. The smirk on his face widened, knowing he had me exactly where he wanted.

I didn’t urge him to continue—I didn’t need to. He was already too pleased with himself to stop talking now.

“She’s an orphan,” he started, watching me carefully. “Has a little sister. And a best friend.”

I made the connection instantly. The woman from last night. The one who dragged her onto the dance floor.

Interesting.

“She also holds an MBA in Supply Chain Management,” he continued, his voice laced with intrigue.

That detail actually piqued my interest, Fiona didn’t just have beauty. She had brains.

“And,” John added, his smirk turning knowing, “she’s into crocheting. Owns a brand that’s actually pretty well-known.”

An entrepreneur.

That was unexpected.

I tapped my fingers against my desk, already thinking of my next move. I needed to see her again. And maybe, just maybe, I’d get lucky with her again.

John chuckled, shaking his head. “I know that look.”

I didn’t respond. Because he was right.

He sighed dramatically, pushing himself up from my bed. “Just be careful, Dave. The last thing we need is a scandal.”

I smirked. “Worried about my reputation?”

“I’m worried about our empire.” His tone was serious now. “You and I both know that once the press gets wind of you being involved with someone, they’ll dig. And if she’s not built for that kind of scrutiny…” He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging.

I rolled my neck, exhaling. “Noted.”

John gave me one last look before heading for the door.

As soon as he was gone, I leaned back in my chair, my mind already working through the possibilities.

Fiona.

She had left before dawn, thinking she could slip away without consequence.

She thought last night was just a one-time thing, But now, with this new information, I knew one thing for certain.

I wasn’t done with her. Not even close.