TRAPPED BY DESIRE

STRETCH

The door was made of glass, making it slightly transparent, enough for one to make out a figure inside, but not clear enough to reveal much.

He slowly closed the door, withdrawing his hand before stepping into the closet instead.

Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he examined his tired eyes under the dim light. He retrieved the small container of sleeping pills from his pocket, staring at the label pensively for a long moment before selecting a single tablet.

Placing the container down on the drawer, he exhaled wearily before leaving the room to find a glass of water.

Alana stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped snugly around her chest, feeling completely invigorated after her brisk bath.

With her eyes closed, she savored the comforting sensation of the towel against her damp hair, letting the steam fade from her skin.

Her tranquility was shattered when she opened her eyes to find Roman sprawled on the couch, sound asleep, but she quickly relaxed when she noticed his steady, even breathing.

Silently, she retrieved her body lotion from the dressing table and slipped into the closet to change. Her gaze landed on the prescription container sitting atop the drawer in front of the mirror.

She picked it up, scrutinized the writing briefly under the light, before setting it back down exactly where she found it.

Now lying on her stomach across the bed, Alana was completely engrossed in her book, idly kicking her legs back and forth through the air. Darkness had completely settled outside.

Her attention shifted over to Roman when he mumbled something in his sleep, marking the third time he had stirred in just the last few minutes. She had been struck earlier by how vulnerable he looked, still encased in his tight formal suit with a silk tie that seemed to actively choke him in his absolute exhaustion.

After a moment's hesitation, Alana rose from the bed with a pillow in hand and approached his quiet form. She bent down, gently sliding the pillow beneath Roman's head to make him more comfortable.

"Kim." As she reached down to loosen the knot of his tie, he stirred and mumbled the name again, causing her to freeze instantly in place.

Is he seriously dreaming about one of his call girls right now? Alana wondered, raising a dark brow at his sleeping face.

But just as she thought he was settling back into a deep sleep, his fingers suddenly shot forward and seized her hand, forcefully pulling her down onto his chest.

"Don't leave me... please," he mumbled again, his voice raw.

Her eyes widened in pure shock, and she immediately tried to stand, but Roman wrapped his other arm tightly around her waist.

His grip on her hand remained completely unyielding, anchoring her firmly in place against his chest.

His heavy, spicy cinnamon scent immediately enveloped her, drawing her in like an intoxicating spell that she found increasingly difficult to resist.

Alana swallowed hard against the lump in her throat, attempting to free her hand without waking him, but his tight hold only tightened further in response.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted the tense moment. Alana remained completely silent, not wanting to wake Roman up. The knock came again, followed by the heavy creak of the door as Jane entered the bedroom.

The older woman's eyes widened at the sight before her, but she quickly averted her gaze to the floorboards.

"Sorry to intrude. Dinner is ready, Miss," she announced professionally.

"I'll be there in a minute," Alana responded, her voice a bit strained, and Jane quietly left the room.

After several minutes of careful, gentle maneuvering, Alana finally managed to free herself from Roman's heavy embrace.

Noticing the bright crimson mark she had inadvertently left on his white collar that morning, her cheeks instantly flushed with a wave of warmth.

She carefully removed his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt so he could breathe easier before leaving the room.

The woman's name he had called out still lingered heavily in her mind, but she didn't want to dwell on it. It wasn't her business anyway.

Having finished her meal downstairs, Alana returned to find Roman still fast asleep on the sofa. She readied herself for bed, then lay down, casting a sideways glance at Roman and wondering whether he might be getting cold from the draft.

She considered asking Jane for an extra blanket, but ultimately decided against the favor.

He could f*****g freeze for all she cared; she wasn't going anywhere near his reach again. She stole one final glance at his shadowed silhouette, a small sigh escaping her lips before finally falling asleep.

It was nearing midnight when Roman's eyes flew open, as though he'd just jolted awake from a vivid nightmare. He sat up slowly, his gaze settling on the dim bedside lamp as he blinked several times to clear his vision.

Standing up, he began to remove his rumpled clothes. His hand paused on the button of his trousers when he noticed Alana sleeping soundly on the bed.

After a brief pause, he proceeded to strip off the rest of his clothes before entering the bathroom to wash up.

******

The following morning, Alana awoke to the sharp sound of her alarm blaring from the nightstand. Her eyes blinked open against the bright morning light, yet she made no immediate move to silence it.

Recalling that Roman had been sleeping on the couch when she drifted off the previous night, she sat upright, her eyes finding an empty couch.

She turned off her alarm before heading into the bathroom for her morning routine.

Applying minimal makeup to hide her tired eyes, she opted to leave her hair loose, just as she had done the day before. She wore a very short red skirt paired with a white long-sleeved top tucked in neatly at her waist.

She completed the outfit with black, leather thigh-high boots. She stared at herself in the mirror, pleased with her appearance before stepping out of the room.

Roman was on a call in the living room, a lit cigarette held between his fingers as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line.

His gaze landed on Alana the moment he noticed her cross the threshold, his eyes slowly sweeping over her exposed legs and outfit. He frowned, something possessive flickering in his green eyes before he abruptly looked away.

Noticing the visible irritation on his face, Alana entered the kitchen, wondering what could possibly be upsetting his mood this early morning.

She poured herself a bowl of cereal and began eating. She paused mid-spoonful when she heard a sharp message notification chime on her phone.

Reaching for the device, anticipation flickered in her eyes. But that tiny spark quickly faded when she saw it was only an automated calendar reminder. She dropped her phone back onto the counter, thoroughly disappointed.

She had spent the last day waiting for a text or call from Troy, but the silence from his end was deafening. She wasn't desperate to hear from him.

Or maybe she was, just a little. Seeing him yesterday had completely reignited feelings she had thought were long gone.

After all, he had been her first and only love, the first man she had ever had romantic feelings for, and someone she had once felt completely safe around.

After finishing her cereal, she washed the bowl in the sink and stepped into the living room.

She glanced at Roman, who was still on his call. When their eyes met, she gestured toward the front door that she was leaving for campus. Roman raised a single finger, motioning for her to wait.

"I'll call you back," he said into the phone before ending the call with a click. He stubbed out the nearly finished cigarette in the crystal ashtray on the table.

"I'll give you a lift," he offered as he headed toward the elevator with his keys.

"Don't bother, because I won't be able to thank you like I did yesterday," Alana said, causing him to halt in his tracks.

Roman smirked, his mood lightening slightly before continuing his stride. "I won't be asking for anything today."

The ride down the avenue was quiet. Alana glanced at her phone screen every now and then, which Roman noticed through his peripheral vision but chose not to comment on.

"We're having dinner with my family tomorrow evening," Roman announced suddenly, breaking the long silence.

Alana turned her head to look at him in complete surprise. "Tomorrow?" she asked, wanting to confirm she'd heard him correctly.

"Yes," Roman replied, keeping his focus on the traffic ahead.

"Does it have to be tomorrow? Can't it be postponed until next week?" she asked, her anxiety rising.

"Believe me, Alana, I would if I could, but no one in this city says no to my grandfather," Roman replied smoothly.

"Did you have something important planned for tomorrow evening?" he asked.

"No," Alana replied, leaning back in her seat, suddenly feeling deeply apprehensive about the setup.

She wasn't ready to meet his high-profile family so soon. She doubted she could successfully convince them that she and Roman were actually dating.

She stole a quick glance at his stoic profile, wondering how he expected them to pull off such a believable performance. She didn't even like the man, so how could she fool anyone into believing they were genuinely into each other?

Convincing his family that they were deeply in love felt like an impossible stretch.

When the car stopped in front of her college gates, she checked her bag to ensure her phone was there this time before hurriedly getting out of the vehicle.

Roman watched her until she disappeared from sight. His calm expression soon shifted into a heavy frown as he reached for his phone and dialed Erin's number.