Guilty by Desire

Chapter 5: The Hotel Window

The world completely dropped away. The bustling street, the noise of the traffic, the air in my lungs—it all vanished. The only thing in sharp, terrifying focus was the man standing directly in front of me.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs. My fingers were curled into the fabric of his dark shirt. His hand was still resting firmly on my waist, branding my skin through the layers of my clothes.

He searched my face, his silver eyes mapping every feature. The memories of that night hit me with the force of a freight train.

His gaze dropped to the butterfly inked on my hand. A slow, devastating smirk curved his lips.

"Athena."

A wicked jolt of electricity shot straight to my core just hearing my name roll off his tongue.

"Alessandro."

His smirk softened into a genuine smile. His hand slid from my waist to the curve of my lower back, pulling me a fraction of an inch closer.

Why. Why. Why.

I pushed against his chest, stepping out of his hold. "I—I have to go."

I shoved my phone into my purse, ducking my head and moving to walk past him.

His hand shot out, his fingers wrapping firmly around my wrist.

I gripped the wooden headboard, a loud moan tearing from my throat as he slammed into me. His hand wrapped around the back of my neck, tilting my head back as his lips dragged roughly over my skin. My panting echoed in the hotel room, growing louder with every relentless, driving thrust.

The mattress bowed under our weight. He kept me completely grounded, his chest flush against my back.

"f**k," he growled hot against my ear, his pace quickening. "You feel so f*****g good, baby."

Hot tears pricked my eyes from the overwhelming, agonizing pleasure. I bit my swollen bottom lip, rolling my hips back to meet him.

This is wrong. This is so wrong. But it felt entirely too good to stop.

"I'm so... close," I gasped, my internal walls clenching violently around his length.

"Open your eyes," he commanded, his grip on my neck tightening just enough to make me whimper. "I want to see how good I make you feel."

I shattered. A loud, broken cry ripped from my lips as the orgasm tore through me, a blinding pulse of heat radiating from my core straight to my brain. I collapsed flat against the mattress, my lungs burning as I gasped for air.

Alessandro’s lips trailed down my spine, his teeth sinking gently into my skin right between my shoulder blades. I thought we were done. It had to have been my fifth climax of the night. I was completely spent.

He shifted, his warm breath fanning over my cheek.

"I'm just getting started with you, darling."

"Athena?"

I violently snapped back to reality. I was standing on the pavement, my thighs squeezed tightly together, my breath coming in short, erratic pants.

Alessandro was watching me intently. "Can we talk?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Athena. Please."

You have a husband. You have a husband.

I stared into those silver eyes. God, I had missed them so much.

"Okay," I relented, my voice shaking. "But not here."

"Follow my car." He stepped back, but not before lifting a hand to brush his knuckles lightly against my cheek.

I practically ran to my car.

I pulled out into traffic, keeping his sleek, black sports car directly in my sights. In my rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of myself. My cheeks were flushed.

Because of the high-profile nature of the Dubois case, I couldn't risk being photographed with another man. I flashed my brights, signaling for him to follow me instead, and led us toward a secluded, heavily wooded nature trail just outside the city limits.

Keep Oliver in your head. You are a happily married woman.

I parked the car, took a massive, shuddering breath, and stepped out onto the gravel.

Alessandro killed his engine and stepped out. He leaned back against the sleek frame of his car, crossing his arms over his chest. The white dress shirt pulled taut across his broad shoulders and muscular chest. He looked impossibly tall, his relaxed, alpha posture making the air between us feel incredibly thin.

His eyes slowly trailed down my body, studying me with the same dark hunger he had that night. He noticed the way my knees were pressed together. His lips twitched.

"I see you kept your word," he murmured.

"I did."

"After six months, I finally found you." He stepped away from the car, closing the distance between us. He reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

I jerked my head away. "I'm married."

Alessandro hummed a dark, low sound in his throat. His hand dropped, catching my chin and forcing my face up so I had to look at him. "That didn't seem to matter when I was f*****g your brains out against my hotel window."

His free hand slid down my side, settling heavily on my hip.

"That was a mistake. I... I love my husband."

My eyes darted down to his chest. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a silver chain. A pendant hung from it.

The other half of the heart lying against my own collarbone.

"I thought you would have thrown that out by now," I whispered.

"Never." His thumb stroked the curve of my hip. "And you never got rid of yours."

He caught my hand, his thumb tracing the butterfly ink.

"What did you want to talk about?" I pulled my hand out of his grasp.

"I've missed you."

"We spent one night together. How can you miss me?"

A dark chuckle vibrated in his chest. "I can't get that night out of my head."

I can't either.

"Well, you need to move on. I'm married, and—"

"I didn't care that you were married then, and I don't care now." His jaw set into a hard, unyielding line. He stepped directly into my space, his chest brushing against mine. His hand returned to my hip, the grip possessive.

"Alessandro, we can't do this." I planted my hands flat against his solid chest, trying to push him away. He didn't budge an inch.

"The way your body responds to me tells a very different story."

I hadn't realized how heavy my breathing had gotten. He stepped forward again, wedging his thigh firmly between my legs, parting them. His hand slid from my hip, slowly tracing up my inner thigh.

Just as his fingers brushed the edge of my center, I shoved him hard.

"We can't," I choked out, stumbling back against the side of my car. "That was a one-time thing."

He stared at me, his silver eyes flashing with a dangerous mix of frustration and raw desire. "It happened more than once, if my memory serves me right."

He stepped back, the loss of his heat leaving me cold.

"I'll let you get back to your husband." The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable.

He reached out, catching my hand one last time. He lifted it, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss directly over the butterfly tattoo.

"Have a good day, Athena."

"You as well. Alessandro."

I watched his taillights disappear down the gravel road, my entire body trembling.

God, this was going to ruin me.