CHAPTER 3
1373 Words
SELENE EVANS
I barely slept after we arrived in Seattle.
I spent the night staring at the ceiling, replaying everything in my head.
Jasper’s betrayal. Dorian’s animalistic kiss. The impulsive wedding. And, most of all, the fact that I’m now legally married to a man I don’t know.
I’m still wearing the damn ring on my finger as I walk through the mirrored entrance of the building where I work.
Every time I look at it, my stomach twists into knots. Where is Dorian right now? Sleeping? Disappeared forever?
“Good morning, Selene!” greets Owen, one of the IT guys, with a cheeky smile.
“Have you heard the big news?”
Blinking hurts. My head feels full of shards of glass.
“What news?”
“Today the big boss is coming down here. Mr. Graves. The owner of the company.”
I feel my legs go weak. I swallow hard, trying to keep a neutral expression.
“Cool…” I mumble.
Owen leans closer, conspiratorial.
“They say he’s a billionaire. And that no one knows anything about him. That he’s… kinda strange.”
“Strange how?”
“Oh, I don’t know… Some people say he’s not entirely human.” Owen laughs.
“Nonsense, right? Anyway, good luck if you run into him!”
I’m trying to stay invisible at my desk when the manager of my floor, Mr. Daniels, suddenly appears out of nowhere with a friendly smile.
“Selene, dear, can you do me a favor? I need you to take this file to the top floor, the penthouse. Directly to the meeting room. Mr. Graves is up there with the directors.”
I freeze.
“M… Mr. Graves?”
“Yes, yes. Go on! And give them your best smile!”
I take a deep breath, grab the folder, and head to the elevator, almost tripping over my own feet.
I ride up to the penthouse, my heart pounding like drums.
I stop in front of the huge double frosted glass doors. I take a deep breath. Knock twice.
And step inside.
My eyes find lots of men in suits gathered around a large round table, talking, and they all look at me.
But I almost drop the folder I’m holding when I see one person.
Oh my God.
My eyes widen as I see that the man sitting in the main chair at the table is none other than Dorian.
My husband.
It’s like the world stops.
Dorian is here, sitting at the head of the table, in a flawless suit, hair slicked back, his face serious as he talks with several suited executives.
Our eyes meet.
It’s only a second. But it’s enough to make me feel completely naked.
He looks at me as if he could devour me whole.
That look… hot, possessive. The faint golden glow flashes in his eyes but fades in the blink of an eye. He adjusts his expression, becoming cold, impassive.
“Good morning, Miss Evans. How can I help you?” he asks, as if I’m just another employee.
My face burns.
“I… uh… b-brought the file…”
I walk closer, placing the folder on the table.
My hands tremble. I can smell his cologne — woody, wild — and my whole body reacts.
A memory throbs in my mind: him naked, over me, kissing me, and more…
He takes the file, barely looking at it. He simply says:
“Thank you. You may return to your floor.”
I leave the room dazed, heading to the break room for coffee.
My hand shakes so much I can barely hold the cup. The bitter smell of the coffee makes me nauseous, but I need something to anchor me to reality.
I’m turning to leave when I bump into someone. The coffee flies, splattering right onto Dorian’s dark pants.
“Oh my God!” I exclaim.
He lowers his gaze to his pants, takes a deep breath, and looks back up at me.
There’s something… almost amused in his eyes.
“We really should stop meeting like this, Miss Evans.”
Without thinking, I drop to my knees on the floor and start scrubbing the fabric of his pants, and then I realize what I’m doing.
I try to clean the coffee, but he grabs my wrist. His touch is firm, far too warm.
It’s so strange because the coffee was scalding hot, yet he doesn’t seem to feel pain at all.
I try to dab away the coffee with a napkin, but he holds my wrist. His touch is firm, far too warm.
“You’re going to burn yourself.”
I glance down at his hand and see he’s still wearing the same wedding ring as mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me who you really were?” I whisper.
He leans in, his lips almost brushing my ear.
“And you? Why did you run off after leaving me alone in bed?”
My whole body heats up.
“We need to annul this marriage.”
He releases my wrist slowly. But doesn’t move away.
“Why?” he asks quietly, his voice husky.
“Because… all of this is crazy! We don’t know each other! I know nothing about you!”
He comes even closer and places his hand against the wall, trapping me between his arm and the counter. The heat of his body surrounds me.
Anyone who walks in here could see us.
“Don’t you like the idea of being my wife, Miss Evans? Was the s*x not good for you? I can do better next time. And sober.” he smiles, his eyes glinting.
His tone sends shivers all the way through me.
“I… I…”
He leans his face closer.
His lips almost touch mine. His breath is hot, fragrant, with a slight wild edge.
“Dorian… Mr. Graves… we’re at work…”
He smiles, almost wickedly.
“So what?”
“You’re my boss…” I whisper.
For a moment, it seems like he’s going to kiss me, and I want him to.
My heart feels like it’s about to explode in my chest. But he pulls back when we hear footsteps approaching.
“Go back to work, Miss Evans.” he says before leaving.
I return to my floor in a daze. The wedding was supposed to be tomorrow with Jasper. But that’s not happening. Not ever.
Sitting at my desk, I open my browser.
I type “Dorian Graves.”
A flood of results appears.
Magazine headlines, gossip sites, corporate blogs. All screaming the same thing: billionaire. Mysterious. Tycoon of hotels, casinos, real estate.
I open an article.
There are photos of him at fancy events, in expensive suits, with gorgeous women hanging on his arm. I feel a strange pang in my chest.
And then I find a different photo.
He’s shirtless, in the forest, looking like he’s running.
His muscles defined, his skin covered in sweat. But what makes me hold my breath are his eyes.
There’s something about him, and I don’t know what it is.
The workday ends. Everyone else has already left. I’m organizing my desk when I hear an elevator bell.
The doors open.
And there’s Dorian.
He’s not wearing a tie now, the collar buttons undone. His golden eyes devour me when they see me.
“Get in, Selene.”
“No, I’ll wait for another one…”
He gently grabs my arm, pulling me inside. He presses the emergency button. The elevator stops between two floors.
“You can’t just stop the elevator!” I protest.
“I can. And I will.”
He comes closer until there’s no space left between us. I feel his chest pressing against my breasts. His breathing grows heavier.
The lights go out inside the elevator, and only the red emergency lights start flashing around us.
I furrow my brow, holding my breath when I see his eyes glowing in the dark—not in any normal way.
“What are you?”
He smiles at me before touching my face, using his other hand to keep me pinned against the elevator wall and his body.
“I’m your husband…”
- Writer
