The Good Man’s Temptation

Honeymoon was supposed to be happy. For Eris, it wasn’t. It was a nightmare she couldn’t escape. Her husband, Tyler Swatson, was out of the villa their parents had rented in Maldives. Probably with other women. She didn’t care, as long as he didn’t touch her but she knew it wouldn’t always be like this. One day, he might demand she play the role of a wife. At least with a stranger, it would have been her choice. Eris wanted to run, but she couldn’t. If she did, her sister Ivy would be dragged back into this life. Ivy was free now. Eris had to endure this, for her. Their parents controlled everything. She had worked herself to exhaustion for their company, yet it meant nothing. When this honeymoon ended, she would return home as a wife with no freedom. After a quick shower, she changed into a simple dress and left the villa. The club inside the resort was overwhelming, too loud, too chaotic. She walked out almost immediately. Barefoot, she wandered until she found a recliner facing the ocean. The night was quiet. She wasn’t. Tears slipped down her cheeks despite her efforts to stop them. A handkerchief appeared. Eris looked up. A stranger stood there. Handsome. Calm. He smiled, and she looked away. He sat beside her. She said nothing, staring at the dark water instead. The handkerchief appeared again, and a gentle voice followed. "I don't mind, really, but your tears ruined your makeup." Hearing that, Eris Murrey immediately took her compact mirror from her clutch bag and looked at herself. She was embarrassed beyond belief when she realized that the man was telling the truth. She was indeed a mess, but she didn't take the man's handkerchief. Instead, she took a small face wipe to clean her face until she had no makeup on. And while she was doing that, the man was just watching her, making her feel awkward because makeup can enhance beauty, and at that moment, she had none and looked bare and raw. "You look prettier without your makeup on." Eris couldn't help snorting because she'd already heard that before. "Is that a pick-up line?" "No. It's a fact." The man's voice didn't waver, and the confidence she heard made her believe that it was indeed true. "Thanks, I guess." Silence fell between them. "People come here for two reasons," the man spoke again, breaking the silence. "To have a honeymoon or to have fun, but you're crying...so I can't tell." Eris had left her wedding ring in the villa because she wasn't comfortable wearing it, and she was thankful for that. She wasn't proud nor happy that she was married. It was the opposite. She sighed. "I'm just someone trying to have fun." Then her eyes unconsciously glanced at the man's fingers to check if there was a ring there. And to her surprise, she actually felt relieved that they were bare. "You? Why are you here?" The man shrugged. "Business." That made her eyebrow raise. "Business...?" The man smiled, and everything looked so bright all of the sudden. "Yeah. I delivered something to a friend." "Oh." Silence fell between them again. And then, it was the man who broke it again as he offered his hand for a handshake. "I'm Dirk Donnovan," the man introduced himself with the nicest smile she'd ever seen. "May I know your name?" In her mind, Eris knew it was a bad idea, but at that moment, she didn't really care and just wanted the man to know her name. "Eris Murrey. Nice to meet you." She felt Dirk slightly squeeze her hand when he accepted her handshake, but other than that, he didn't do anything else. "Um." Dirk had a lopsided smile as he confessed, "Would you find me creepy if I told you I followed you from the club?" Eris stopped. "You...followed me?" Dirk nodded. "Yeah. I was about to approach you, but you left." "The club is not my scene, I guess." Dirk playfully narrowed his eyes at her. "A beautiful woman who was crying and claimed that she's here to have fun, but confessing that the club is not her scene. Hmm...not mysterious at all." Eris couldn't help but chuckle hearing Dirk’s playful tone, and she retaliated as she mimicked him. "A man who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and who was here for business, offering me a handkerchief and confessing that he actually followed me here. Hmm...not creepy at all." Dirk chuckled and laid himself on the recliner. And Eris couldn't help watching how sexy and hot he looked in that position that she had to drag her gaze away. She'd met a lot of handsome men in her life, but Dirk was on another level. "Are you alone or did you come with friends?" Dirk asked after a few seconds of silence. "With friends," Eris instantly lied. "But they're busy hooking up with the guys they met earlier." Dirk turned to look at her. "Want to hook up with me?" Her eyes widened hearing such a bold and uninhibited question. "What...?" "Hook up. With me," Dirk repeated, like it's the most common thing to ask someone they just met. Maybe because he's a foreigner and they have a different culture when it comes to s*x? "If you're uncertain..." Dirk got up and sat on the reclining, facing her. "We can start with a kiss." Dirk sounded so convincing that she was actually listening to him! "And if you find the kiss revolting, we'll stop, I'll apologize and we'll just talk about anything under the..." Dirk looked up at the moon and back to her again. "...Moon." Eris blinked at Dirk, surprised. "You're not going to leave since you didn't get you want or throw a fuss?" Dirk shrugged. "I'm not that rude." Eris was actually stunned that Dirk would back down and accept a 'no'. How many times had she met a man who couldn't accept a 'no' and threw a fuss? Too many to mention, one being her father, who couldn't accept a 'no'. "And if I said no?" "Then it's a no," Dirk said suavely with a nice smile that was swaying her. "There's nothing I can do if you don't want it." "That's actually a first." Eris looked down at her lap when she remembered what happens when she says no to her father's orders. It's pure hell to be punched and slapped by her father for saying 'no'. Not only her father, but also all the men her parents wanted her to date. When she said 'no' to their advances, it always ended badly for her. And now, here's a man who would back down if she said no. Who would not force himself on her. "You'll back down even if you don't get what you wanted?" Eris couldn't help being skeptical. It's not that she didn't believe him, she was just too used to men who can't accept the answer 'I don't want to' and 'no'. Dirk shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "I get to talk to you. That's plenty." Eris didn't know how to answer that one. It was sweet in a way. "Then no, I don't want to hook up with you," she answered, testing him. To her surprise, he just laughed merrily and laid himself on the recliner again, looking at the night sky. She found it intriguing and refreshing. "So, Miss I-don't-want-to-hook-up-with-you..." Dirk trailed off in a playful tone as he glanced at her. "What are your plans tomorrow? Will you be busy?" Eris shook her head. "No. I'll be going home tomorrow." "Oh." Dirk actually lost his playful smile at her answer before he jumped to another topic. Dirk and Eris talked about everything under the moon like what Dirk said. Just sharing their ideas and opinions. Even talking about insignificant things in their life, just passing the time. They were enjoying each other's company so much that they didn't realize it was already midnight. Eris only realized it because Tyler sent her a message, looking for her and asking where she was. Her mood became sour in an instant. All the light emotions and all the happiness she felt while talking to Dirk vanished, and she was filled with so much anger and bitterness. "Is something wrong?" Dirk asked, seeing how her expression changed after she put her phone back in her bag. "Nothing." Dirk knew it wasn't nothing. Maybe he's taken up so much of her time and she now has to go. As much as it pained Dirk, he had to let her go and end this 'talking under the moon' thing. It's already past midnight. "I'm sorry for taking so much of your time." Dirk got up and smiled at her. "I had fun talking to you. Have a safe trip tomorrow." Dirk said his goodbye, but Eris didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to go back to the villa and face her husband, the stranger. She didn't want to see the face of the man her parents forced her to marry because of money and business. "Hey! Want to hook up with me?" Dirk froze in his tracks and turned to her, stunned. "What...?" It was his turn to be shocked. Eris got up and faced Dirk while biting her lip shyly. "Want to, um, you know, sleep together?" Dirk was lost for words and only got back to his senses after a couple of seconds. "Are you sure? Because my answer is yes." "Yes. I'm sure." Eris nodded with determination. Dirk offered his hand to her. "If you take my hand, there's no going back —" Eris accepted Dirk’s hand. "You're really sure?" Dirk asked again, remembering her rejection earlier. She nodded. "Yes." "Okay. Come with me." Eris was silent as she followed Dirk with their hands intertwined. She was secretly amazed when Dirk took her to his villa, it was a villa that only wealthy individuals could afford. It was even more expensive than the honeymoon villa she was staying at. "Come on in." Dirk opened the door to the villa. Eris didn't hesitate. She entered the villa and looked around. Except for the backpack on the sofa, there was nothing personal inside. She bit her lower lip. "Regretting your decision?" Dirk asked as he stood in front of her, then he motioned his chin towards the door behind her. "You can leave if you want." Eris turned to the door. She knew she could leave if she changed her mind and Dirk wouldn't stop her, but she didn't want to leave. She faced Dirk again and threw her clutch bag on the sofa. "I'm staying." Dirk nodded slowly before he crossed the small distance between them. He was taller than her by four inches, so she had to look up while Dirk had to look down for their eyes to meet. And in a heartbeat, without her realizing, their lips met, and a tingling sensation shot through her body, making her open her mouth and move her tongue and lips. It was a foreign sensation to her, but she liked it so much that she found herself wounding her arms around Dirk’s neck as Dirk wrapped his arm around her waist. Dirk groaned at the taste of her lips. The feeling of not wanting to let her go came over him, but he knew he needed to pull away. With great difficulty, he finally managed to put some distance between their lips. "How was it?" Dirk asked in a whisper as he nibbled her lips. "Still not changing your mind?" Eris nibbled his lips back. "I'm still staying." Dirk smiled against her mouth. "That's good to hear." Dirk licked the corner of her lips and continued kissing her softly while his hands were all over her body. "But I have to ask, and I don't mean to be rude, but do you have experience?" Eris stopped kissing Dirk and pulled back a little, frowning. "Does it matter?" "Yeah." Dirk caressed the side of her face, fixing her slightly messy hair that was messed by the wind. "So I know if I have to be gentle or not." Her frown deepened. "Isn't 'I'll be gentle' a scam?" Dirk chuckled, and he became even more charming in her eyes. "Not really, but sort of." "Then don't say it." "How about instead of 'I'll be gentle,' I'll say 'I'll be careful not to hurt you so much'?" Dirk offered as an alternative. Eris smiled at that. "Yeah. That's better." "Okay." Dirk smiled and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I'll be very careful not to hurt you so much." "Thank you." Dirk pressed his lips on her forehead, stunning her, before he claimed her lips once again. This time, he didn't stop nor pull away. And she didn't want him to either. Their lips mashed, their tongue danced inside each other's mouths, and piece by piece, her clothing started dropping to the floor, from her dress to her underwear, until she was naked and sprawled on the soft mattress. Eris knew this was wrong, she knew it would end badly for her, but at that moment, she didn't care. Because for the first time in her life, she made a choice for herself and not someone else's. He was her choice.