CHAPTER 4
1092 Words
Lottie spent the entire day avoiding Nathaniel.
She lingered in meetings longer than necessary, let her phone go to voicemail, and refused to so much as glance in his direction when he walked past.
But she wasn’t foolish enough to think he hadn’t noticed.
Nathaniel Sterling always noticed.
And now, as she stood in the middle of the exclusive Blackwood Gala, she could feel his piercing gaze cutting through the crowd, burning into her like a live wire.
She swallowed hard, fingers tightening around the stem of her champagne flute.
The gala was a dazzling affair—golden chandeliers, a live orchestra playing something elegant and sweeping, men in tailored suits, women in glittering gowns.
But she couldn’t just bring herself to focus.
Not when she could sense him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hunting.
Her pulse quickened once again.
She should keep avoiding him at all cost.
She should stay on the other side of the ballroom, engage in polite, meaningless conversations, and pretend that last night—the kiss that ruined her—never happened.
But then—
A strong hand wrapped around her wrist before she could make the decision.
Heat licked up her skin.
She turned—
And her breath hitched.
Nathaniel stood before her, towering, imposing, in a black-on-black tux.
His expression was unreadable, but his grip on her wrist was firm. Unyielding.
His voice came in a low, quiet command. “Come.”
She blinked. “Nate, I—”
He didn’t let her finish.
His grip tightened, guiding her through the crowd with effortless dominance.
People turned to watch.
They always watched Nathaniel Sterling.
But right now, he wasn’t giving them a second glance.
Because his focus was entirely on her.
And then—
They were on the dance floor.
The moment his hand found her waist, Lottie knew she was in trouble.
The orchestra played something slow and sultry, and Nathaniel pulled her close, too close, his fingers pressing into her lower back — She could feel his pen*s
Her pulse skittered.
She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder, trying—and failing—to create even an inch of space between them.
His gaze bore into hers.
“You’ve been avoiding me.” His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he spoke, sending a violent shiver through her body.
She swallowed, fingers curling into his tux. “And you don’t like that, do you?”
“No.” His grip tightened. “I don’t.”
The words weren’t just a statement.
They were a warning.
He led her into the slow, intimate waltz with impossible ease, his movements fluid and controlled.
Lottie struggled to breathe.
Every glide of his hand, every shift of his body against hers sent white-hot tension curling around her spine.
This was dangerous.
This was playing with fire.
And yet—
She couldn’t pull away.
She lifted her gaze, meeting his head-on.
His eyes darkened.
And then—
“If you want me,” she whispered, heart hammering, “take me. But don’t ever pretend that this is nothing.”
His jaw ticked.
Something snapped.
And in the next moment—
They crashed together
The penthouse door slammed shut.
Lottie didn’t have time to think, to process.
Nathaniel’s hands were on her—hard, demanding, possessive.
He pinned her against the wall, his mouth crashing down on hers.
She gasped, and he swallowed the sound, his body pressing flush against her.
This wasn’t like last night.
This was desperate. Unforgiving. A claim.
His hands skated down her sides, bunching the silk of her gown.
Lottie’s fingers trembled as she grasped at his tux, her body melting into his.
God, she wanted this.
She had spent too long pretending.
Too long denying herself.
Her head tilted back as his lips dragged down her throat, a low growl rumbling in his chest.
“Tell me to stop,” he breathed against her skin.
She didn’t.
She couldn’t.
Instead, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him back down into another shattering kiss.
And that was all the permission he needed.
He lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist as he carried her toward the bedroom—
Where everything would change
Nathaniel had been prepared to devour her.
To ruin her completely.
But then—
He felt her tremble.
Not in pleasure.
But in hesitation, one that looked like she was scared of something
He stilled.
His lips barely brushed hers, his breathing ragged. “Lottie.”
She hesitated.
And then—softly, like a confession:
“I’ve never… done this before.”
Silence.
Nathaniel’s grip on her tightened.
His entire body went rigid.
“Never?” His voice was hoarse.
She nodded, her cheeks burning. “Yes—Yes—Ne-ver, she stuttered.”
The ice in him melted in an instant.
His fingers traced her jaw, slow and reverent.
“Then let me do this right.”
Lottie’s breath hitched.
Because the ruthless billionaire—the man known for his merciless dominance, his brutal control—
Suddenly became impossibly tender.
His kisses turned slow, his touch careful, almost hesitant.
He asked her what she liked.
He waited.
He let her set the pace.
And when he finally claimed her, it wasn’t just desire.
It was worship.
He broke himself apart for her.
And Lottie?
She finally let him. Uhhh, she felt a piercing pain — She instantly recoiled.
I am so sorry, you would feel better after a while — He reassured her
For a long time after, he held her.
His fingers traced lazy circles on her bare back, his lips brushing against her forehead.
Lottie curled into him, feeling something deeper than just lust.
Something she wasn’t sure she was ready to name.
But then—
Nathaniel’s body tensed.
His grip loosened.
And when she tilted her head up, she saw it—
The shift.
The walls slamming back into place.
And then, in a voice devoid of emotion—
“This can never happen again.”
Lottie froze.
Her heart plummeted.
She saw the war in his eyes.
But he was already lost.
And then—
His phone rang.
Nathaniel reached for it, still staring at her, his expression unreadable.
He answered, voice lethal.
“This better not be about Lottie.”
A beat of silence.
Then—
Victor Langston’s voice came through the speaker, smooth, taunting.
“Let’s talk business, Nate.”
Nathaniel’s blood ran cold.
“You want the deal?” Victor’s voice was laced with amusement.
“I want the girl.”
- Writer
