Chapter 5 – The Man, The Myth, The Temptation
635 Words
Elara hadn’t expected the gossip.
She had barely been working at Oasis of Joy for a week, yet Damien DeLuca’s name rolled off every tongue like a whispered legend.
“Did you see him in that suit last night?”
“Ugh, I’d do anything to have just one night with him.”
“Forget one night—I’d sell my soul to be his.”
Elara scoffed as she overheard two waitresses giggling near the bar. The way women spoke about him was almost cult-like.
Tali, her closest friend at the club, caught her expression and smirked. “Oh, don’t even pretend you don’t see it.”
Elara raised a brow. “See what?”
Tali rolled her eyes dramatically. “Girl, come on. Damien DeLuca is literally s*x on legs. That man could order me to jump, and I’d ask how high.”
Elara fought the urge to roll her eyes. “He’s my boss.”
Tali smirked. “So? That doesn’t make him less hot.”
Elara opened her mouth to argue—but hesitated.
Because if she was being honest, she had noticed.
The way Damien carried himself—commanding yet effortless. The sharp cut of his suits, the way they fit over his powerful frame. The slow, calculated way he spoke, like he was always five steps ahead of everyone else.
And then there were his eyes.
Dark, unreadable, but somehow always knowing exactly what she was thinking.
It was annoying.
And distracting.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Tali, he’s not some untouchable god.”
Tali leaned on the counter, amused. “No, but he’s damn close. And let’s be real—he’s not just hot. He’s powerful. And that? That’s a different kind of sexy.”
Elara ignored the flutter in her chest. She refused to be one of those women who fell for power.
She had seen what power did.
And she wanted nothing to do with it.
The Rumors
Despite the admiration Damien received, there were other whispers too. Darker ones.
“They say he’s killed people.”
“He’s got the police in his pocket.”
“I heard he made a guy disappear for crossing him.”
Elara frowned. She had heard these things before—but now, working so close to him, she wasn’t sure what to believe.
He felt dangerous. There was an edge to him, a presence that made people obey without question.
But had she ever actually seen him do anything illegal?
No.
Still, something told her that if he did have blood on his hands, it wasn’t something he’d lose sleep over.
Noticing Him
That night, she brought some documents to his office.
He was at his desk, sleeves rolled up, leaning over papers with an intense focus. The soft light from the lamp cast shadows across his sharp features, highlighting his strong jaw, his furrowed brows, the way his forearm muscles tensed as he wrote.
Elara swallowed.
This was ridiculous.
Why was she staring?
She cleared her throat. “I have the reports you asked for.”
Damien glanced up, and just like that, the air in the room changed.
His gaze flicked over her, slow and assessing, like he could hear every thought racing through her head.
“Thank you.” His voice was deep, smooth—like he knew the effect he had on people.
Elara forced herself to breathe. “Anything else?”
He smirked slightly. “Are you uncomfortable?”
Her spine straightened. “No.”
Damien chuckled, setting his pen down. “Good.”
She turned quickly before she did something embarrassing, like blush.
But as she left, she couldn’t shake one annoying, frustrating, undeniable thought—
Damien DeLuca really was dangerously attractive.
And she was starting to notice.
- Writer
