CLAIMED BY THE COLD BILLIONAIRE

CHAPTER SIX: THE TEST OF CONTROL AND DESIRE

The morning after the penthouse meeting Sophie felt like she was walking around in a cloud. The memory of Damien was still really affecting her. Every single thing he said and did was stuck in her head. Sophies hands were shaking a bit as she made coffee. She held the mug tight like it was the only thing that could keep her going. Damien was still, on her mind. She could not stop thinking about him and what happened with Damien.

Clara saw Sophie walk into the office away. Sophie looked really pale. She was also glowing. "You look really tired " Clara. Raised one of her eyebrows. "What happened at the meeting in the penthouse? Tell me everything, about the penthouse meeting " Clara said to Sophie.

Sophie let out a breath. She said that it was really tough. Damien is a special person. He is not like anyone that Sophie has met before. Damien pushes you to your limits. He tests your body, your mind and your feelings. It is very tiring to be around Damien. Sophie thinks that Damien is, unlike anyone she has ever met. He makes you feel exhausted all the time.

Clara gave a smile like she knew a secret. "Welcome, to your life she said. "You have to be careful. That man is not a person. He does not play by the rules.. Yet... I think you are going to like it. I think you are really going to like the way that man does things.

Sophie looked down. "I do not know " she said. "I want to fight against him. At the same time I feel something for him." She could not finish what she was saying. The truth is, Sophie did not want to say it loud but she really wanted his attention, his control, the way he pulled her in the way Sophie felt when she was around him the way he had this dangerous pull, on Sophie.

By 7 PM that night Sophie found herself standing in the lobby of Damiens building again. She felt nervous and excited. Terrified all at the same time. The ride up, in the elevator was really quiet. It felt like torture. Each floor that the elevator stopped at felt like it was taking forever to get to the one.

The doors. She walked into Damiens penthouse again. The city lights were shining brightly outside the windows. Damien was standing by the window with his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes looked at her as soon as she came in. Damiens penthouse was really nice. The city lights made it look even better. Damien was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her.

The man said "You are punctual" in a voice but the way he said it made her feel like she was, in trouble it was like his words were heavy and that made her chest feel tight.

"Yes " Sophie said, her voice was steady even though her stomach was doing flips. "I am here."

He did not move away. He just stood there every part of him showing that he was in charge. "Tonight will be different " he said after a while. "Tonight I am not seeing how good you are, at your job. I am seeing how well you can keep your feelings in check how well you can control yourself and how willing you are to deal with desire without giving in to the Hotel Manager, the desire that the man was talking about the desire that he wanted to test.

Sophies heart was beating fast. "I will try hard " Sophie said in a soft voice.

"" Damien said, taking a step closer to her. Damien was a guy and he filled up the whole room. The warmth from his body made Sophies skin feel funny. "You need to get this Sophie " Damien told her. "Desire is, like a weapon. You can use it. It can use you. Tonight Sophie will have to deal with it. She will have to face her desire and try to control it. If Sophie can not control her desire it will control her. That will be bad. Desire can be very strong. It can hurt Sophie if she is not careful. Damien was serious when he said that Sophie would have to resist her desire or it would consume her.

Sophie felt her breath catch. She said "Consumed". It sounded really strange, to her. What did it mean to be consumed by something? Sophie thought about this for a moment. She repeated the word to herself. Consumed. It was a weird feeling.

"Yes" he said softly leaning in a bit closer to me. The thing between us is really strong. What is going to happen is inevitable. The relationship between us will have a choice that I will have to make. The choice of what to do with the relationship, between us will not be easy to make.

Her heart was beating fast in her chest as he walked around her slowly his eyes always looking at hers. "You will see what it is like to be in a spot but still be in charge. That is being strong. That is having power. That is how you survive when things get tough that is survival, with the power and the strength that you have with the survival."

Sophies hands shook a little as she held onto the sofa. She was trying to calm down. "I will survive " Sophie said to herself in a voice. Sophie really meant it she would get through this.

Damien stopped in front of Sophie so close that she could feel the air move when he did. He said to her "You will, Sophie, if you keep your mind clear and your boundaries firm."

The next hour was really tough. Damien and the girl sat across from each other talking softly each word chosen carefully each look meaning a lot. Damien asked her questions that made her think about how honest she was being how she felt and what she really wanted. Sometimes he would lean in a bit and she could feel how strong his presence was. Her heart was beating fast. She did not want Damien to see how much she wanted him. Damien was trying to get to her. She was trying not to let him. The girl was sitting there looking at Damien and Damien was looking back at her the tension, between them was palpable. Damien kept asking her questions. She kept answering, all the while thinking about Damien and what he was doing to her.

Damien said this out of the blue. "You are thinking about me" he said in a voice but it was a voice that told you to listen.

Sophie said "I am focused" and she tried to stay calm. She wanted to keep her cool. Sophie was really trying to stay focused.

He said "Focused" again his eyes were really dark and intense. Your pulse gives you away Sophie. Your hands give you away too.. When you hesitate that gives you away as well. Sophie do you see what I mean? Trying to resist is a thing but it is not going to work Sophie. Resistance is something we imagine Sophie.

Her cheeks felt really hot. She said "I can resist" but it was hard for her to say that because her body did not believe it. Her own body made her feel like she was not telling the truth. She said "I can resist". Every word she said felt like a lie, to her.

He smiled a little. It seemed like he was happy with what he was hearing. "That is good. That is what I want. That is what I demand from people like you.. Tonight the tables will be turned and you will also find out what it feels like to have no control over what happens to you to have no say in what the night brings to be at the mercy of the situation and that is what I am looking forward to that is what the night will bring, a lesson, in what it means to have no control.

Sophies stomach was doing flips. She said "I have no control?"

"Yes" he said softly leaning closer until the faces of the people involved were inches apart. "I want the person to feel the pull of the danger and the thrill of the situation and yet remain steadfast to the cause. The test is for the person to see if they can do that to see if they can feel the danger and the thrill and still not give in that is the test, for the person, the test of the thrill and the danger.

Her breath stopped in her throat as she looked at him. She could not say no to the way her body felt. Every part of her was feeling something. Every feeling she had was telling her to move to him to just give in.. She did not move. She made herself stay where she was. The heat was building up inside her. It was all because of him.

Damien whispered to me "You are really something " He said it in a way that was almost like he was talking about something. "You are strong and smart. At the same time you are still very much human. You are scared of wanting things. You still feel that way. That is not something you see every day Damien thought. Damien found this about me to be very rare Damien said to himself.

Sophie spoke quietly. She said "I want to pass your test" in a soft voice. She really wanted to pass your test. Sophie wanted to do a job on your test.

He said to me "You will." Then he stood up straight.. Then he said, "And yet you should know this." Every moment that the two of us spend together every time we look at each other every word that we say to each other every little touch that we give each other... All of these things change us. The moments we spend together shape me. They shape the person that you are and they also shape the person that I am.

The room felt like it was full of energy. This made Sophie feel like she could not breathe. She felt her heart beating fast and her pulse was going crazy.. Sophie made herself stay calm. Sophie had to keep herself from falling because the room was so tense. The tension, in the room was affecting Sophie.

After what felt like a long time Damien finally stepped back. He said "Tonight is over.. Remember, Sophie the tests are not done yet. The thing between Damien and Sophie is getting stronger. Sophies desire is getting stronger.. Saying no to Damien will not always be easy, for Sophie.

Sophie nodded. She felt relieved and really tired. The personal test that he gave her was over. She did great. She did not give in to the way he was trying to pull her and she stayed calm.. Sophie knew this was not the end of his tests. Sophie was sure that he would try to test her with the magnetic pull of his personality. The personal test that he gave Sophie was the beginning.

As she walked out of the penthouse the city lights down below got all blurry because of her tears. She was crying because of the excitement and fear and the way she felt about him. The city lights were shining bright. All she could think about was him. She felt really alive and totally overwhelmed by her feelings. The way he made her feel was, like nothing she had ever experienced before. She was completely caught up in the way she felt about him.

A message, from Damien came up on her phone when she got into the elevator:

You did a job tonight. The boundaries were really tested. I can see that you have a desire to learn. You are getting better, Sophie,. Remember that this is just the start.

Sophie’s lips trembled as she read it. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, she didn’t know if she could withstand the next test—but one thing was clear: Damien Blackwood was already claiming her, and she had no choice but to surrender… in body, mind, and heart.