Forbidden thoughts
1138 Words
chapter 3
Aurora stared at the empty plate on her tray, cheeks still flushed with the shame of having obeyed him. She’d eaten. She’d bathed. And when she’d slipped on the clothes he’d left in the wardrobe, her entire body betrayed her.
The dress clung softly to her skin, silky against her thighs. She swore she could smell him in the fabric—a subtle, masculine scent that wrapped around her like invisible arms.
“Ugh,” she groaned, tugging at the hem. “Why does my stupid body react like this?”
It wasn’t fair.
Every brush of his fingers earlier had lingered too long in her memory. Her chest tightened, her breath shortened, and her stomach fluttered in ways that terrified her.
She buried her face in her hands. No. No, no, no. This isn’t me.
Her mind instantly went to Olivia. Olivia, who always seemed to have the answers. Who had been bold enough to experiment, to laugh about boys, to dive into experiences Aurora only dared whisper about.
Aurora wasn’t inexperienced—at least not in her head. She’d watched porn. She’d touched herself in the dark once or twice, testing limits, curious about the reactions of her own body. But that was private. That was hers.
This—this storm in her veins, this wild pulse every time Millano was near—felt like something else entirely.
And she hated him for it.
She cursed under her breath. If only I had my phone, Olivia would know what to say. She always does.
She crawled into bed, clutching the pillow, whispering a prayer into the darkness: “Please, just give me my phone tomorrow. I need to talk to her. I can’t keep this inside me.”
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Morning came with soft light flooding the tall windows. The lock clicked open.
Aurora blinked in surprise. For the first time since arriving, she was allowed to leave her room.
The house felt massive as she padded down the stairs. Her eyes roamed the cavernous hallways lined with art, the cold marble floors, the vastness that seemed to swallow her whole.
Two men in black followed at her heels, their expressions blank, their presence suffocating.
She scoffed under her breath. “Really? Bodyguards? Am I a prisoner or a princess?”
They didn’t answer, only shadowed her steps.
The house was silent, almost unnervingly so. No maids bustling about. No girlfriends in skimpy robes lounging in the halls. No one.
The realization pricked at her heart in a way she didn’t expect. He lives here alone? No woman?
The thought unsettled her. And then… it warmed her.
Aurora shook her head violently, shoving it away. “What does it matter to me?” she muttered.
She wandered into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of fresh juice, and sipped it slowly, letting the chill calm her nerves. Eventually, she returned upstairs, her guards trailing silently.
When she pushed her door open, her breath caught.
Spread across her bed were boxes. Shiny, new. A sleek laptop. Stacks of textbooks. A brand-new set of headphones. And there—oh, God—her phone.
Her heart leapt. “Finally!”
She rushed forward, snatching it up, clutching it like a lifeline. Her thumbs danced across the screen before she even thought. She didn’t care how it got here, or when. All she knew was she could finally call Olivia.
The line rang.
And then that familiar voice answered. “Aurora! Girl, where have you been? You disappeared!”
Aurora’s chest loosened at the sound. “Liv…” Her voice broke. “You have no idea. Everything’s a mess.”
“What happened? You sound weird.”
Aurora sucked in a shaky breath. “I didn’t even get to mourn Dad properly. This man—this… this stranger just… took me. Brought me here. And Liv, it’s so confusing because…”
She hesitated, chewing her lip.
“Because what?” Olivia’s tone sharpened with curiosity.
Aurora’s cheeks flamed. “Because my body reacts to him. And it’s driving me crazy.”
There was a beat of silence, then Olivia’s wicked laugh. “Oh my God. Don’t tell me he’s hot.”
Aurora groaned into the phone. “Liv, don’t start—”
“Come on, spill! How old is he?”
Aurora hesitated. “He was Dad’s best friend. So… I don’t know. Maybe forty? Fifty?”
Another laugh burst from Olivia. “Aurora, are you kidding me? That’s—wow. But wait. You said your body reacts? Girl, maybe he doesn’t look fifty.”
Aurora flopped onto the bed, groaning. “He doesn’t. That’s the worst part. He looks… younger. Like early thirties maybe. He’s… ugh. He’s just—”
“Dangerous?” Olivia teased.
“Yes!” Aurora hissed. “And cold. And impossible. He’s like a wall of ice. But…”
Olivia’s giggle was sharp. “But he makes you hot, huh?”
Aurora covered her face with a pillow. “Liv! Don’t say it like that!”
“Why not? Sounds like you’ve got a forbidden crush on your daddy’s best friend. That’s juicy, babe. If I were you, I’d explore it.”
Aurora’s heart thudded painfully. “Explore? Liv, that means sex.”
“And?” Olivia’s voice was dripping with mischief. “You’re nineteen, not twelve. You’ve thought about it before, don’t deny it. You’ve watched stuff, you’ve touched yourself—you told me.”
Aurora winced, her whole body warm. “That was different.”
“Uh-huh. And now you’ve got a living, breathing, insanely hot older man who makes your stomach flip and your thighs press together. Honey, maybe this isn’t a curse. Maybe it’s a gift.”
Aurora buried her face deeper in the pillow. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” Olivia’s chuckle softened. “Look, maybe it’s not as bad as you think. Maybe you should let yourself… feel it. See where it goes.”
Before Aurora could argue, a man’s voice cut through the phone. Olivia’s boyfriend.
“Oh crap,” Olivia whispered quickly. “I’ve gotta go. We’ll talk later, okay? And Aurora—don’t overthink. Sometimes the things we’re most scared of are the things we want most.”
The line went dead.
Aurora sat there in stunned silence, the phone pressed to her chest.
Explore?
Her mind spun with the word. Explore him. Explore Millano Cole. Her father’s best friend. The man who had locked her in a mansion, who ordered her around, who bent her will without lifting a finger.
Her lips parted, trembling as the thought rooted itself deeper.
Instead of shame, excitement spread like fire in her veins.
“Oh, Aurora,” she whispered to herself, a flush rising in her cheeks. “What’s happening to you?”
- Writer
