Contract Marriage with Billionaire

"In the lion's paw"

From Grace's Perspective:

We had reached the last floor, and this one probably belonged to Christian. When we approached the vast door, Christian entered first, tossing his jacket onto one of the chairs ahead.

"What are you doing? You're not thinking of staying here tonight, are you?"

He sat down on a sofa with a relaxed posture, leaning back.

"Why not? It's my hotel, can't I stay?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, Christian? You won't stay, and neither will I."

He began to speak with a teasing smile on his face.

"Are you afraid of being attracted to me? Don't worry; you don't interest me."

With every passing moment, my anger intensified. I'd surely regret what I was about to do tomorrow.

Suddenly, I sat down beside him as if nothing happened and took a sip of the drink from the table.

"Trust me, Christian, you're not even close to the last man on Earth I'd be attracted to."

He challenged me with a raised eyebrow, moving closer.

"Prove it." As he brought his face closer to mine, I didn't flinch a bit. There was such a magnetic pull between us that I could swear my fingertips were tingling. My gaze slipped to his sharp jawline and full lips. Realizing where I was looking, he moved even closer, blowing his breath on my neck and whispered, "Not attracted now, are you?"

He had started this game, and I was determined to beat him at it. Suddenly emboldened, I did to him what he had done to me. My lips brushed gently against his skin, moving past his cheek, and I whispered into his ear, "Not attracted at all, Eldor."

I could see the vein in his neck pulsating. We were playing with fire, and neither of us intended to stop. He pulled me towards him, our bodies pressed together, and brought his lips inches from mine.

"You're still a terrible liar, Grace, and I'm going to prove it."

Suddenly, his lips met mine. An electric jolt shot through me. I noticed Christian was momentarily taken aback as well. Passion ignited between us. It felt like we'd opened the floodgates of a dam that had been closed for years, and now, nothing could stand in the way of this intense desire. As Christian deepened the kiss, my fingers found their way to his hair. He lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. As he started walking towards the bed, a surge of realization hit me. What was I doing in the arms of this man after everything? Suddenly, I pulled away from him, a confused expression on his face.

"Put me down, now."

I intended to grab my things and leave, but he caught my arm and stood in front of me.

"What's going on, Grace?"

"What's going on? I'm so drunk that I just kissed a scoundrel like you. Tell me, Christian, what could be worse?" I said, wiping my lips furiously, but he gripped my chin.

"A scoundrel like me, huh? Would you prefer to kiss that fake Italian?"

I looked at him sarcastically.

"Trust me, I'd even prefer to kiss a frog over you, especially an Italian."

I ended my sentence with a sultry tone, biting my lip. I wanted to infuriate him as much as possible. A deep-rooted loathing was burning within me.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving."

"You can't go anywhere in this condition. Don't worry; I won't stay here."

"I told you I'm leaving, Christian. Didn't you hear?"

"And I said you're staying, Grace. My men must've already informed Alexander that I found you and accommodated you in the hotel. So, you can't go anywhere unless you want to make things even more suspicious."

This was a classic Eldor move, always forcing me into situations. It always had to be his way, right? But this time, I wouldn't let him have that satisfaction.

"Believe me, I couldn't care less about the consequences. I couldn't give a damn about you or your demands."

I turned around, flipping him off, and left the room. A triumphant smile formed on my face, oblivious to the awakened beast within.

******

from Scott

From Scott,

In the middle of the night, Christian had called me to find out where Grace was and make sure she was okay. Now I was in the massive hotel of the Eldor Family. I had come to check on Christian. God knows what had happened between him and Grace. I knocked on the door of his room and entered. He was watching New York from the huge windows. The city was displayed in all its splendor. He had a whiskey glass in his hand. He slowly turned to me and asked with a displeased expression.

"I don't recall asking you to come here?"

"What's going on, Christian?"

"It's none of your business, Scott. Now that you see nothing's wrong, you can go home."

"We both know something happened tonight, Christian. Don't even try to fool me. I haven't seen you this thoughtful in a long time."

"I told you nothing happened, Scott. You know I don't like being questioned."

"The way you're covering up, something definitely happened."

"You won't leave until I tell you, will you?"

"You know me, Eldor. I never stop until I hear what I want. It's been years since you last shared anything with me, my friend."

He turned his face back to the city before starting to speak again.

"Grace and I kissed."

"What?"

"You heard me. We kissed. She was drunk, and it was just a momentary impulse for me. It was just a thing."

"Just a thing, huh? Don't make me laugh, Christian. If it was just a thing, you wouldn't be up at this hour."

"Enough, Scott. That's what I said. Now that you've heard what you wanted, you can go."

Scott was right; this wasn't just any kiss. It had ignited a rage in Christian, one that he couldn't understand. Was it the anger of not having or the hidden and deep remorse of a mistake he made years ago? He didn't know. One truth stood out: a wild desire had awoken in him, and even he couldn't discern it from his anger. But when he realized it, nothing could stop Christian. He was a man who got what he wanted, and the only thing he hadn't achieved in life was right in front of him again - more stubborn, stronger, and sexier than ever.