In the arms of two sins

Chapter 32

Elias POV

I was already in my office when morning came.

Sleep had been pointless. I made sure she didn't stress while sleeping.

Richard knocked before entering, Amira right behind him.

He placed a file on my desk, murmured something about schedules, then excused himself, leaving us alone.

Amira smiled as she took a seat across from me, crossing her legs with deliberate ease. She launched straight into business—Dubai investors, numbers, timelines, expectations. I nodded when required, responded when necessary, but my attention kept drifting.

Was she awake?

Had she rested like I told them to make sure she did?

I had sent clothes up to the suite before dawn. Comfortable ones. Shoes. Breakfast. Instructions for her not to leave yet. To rest.

Why do I care so much?

“Mr. Lawson”

Amira’s voice pulled me back.

“You’ve been quiet,” she said lightly. “That’s not like you.”

I glanced at her. “Apologies. Continue.”

She did, but after a moment, she stopped again, studying me. “You’re not listening.”

“I am,” I said automatically.

She smiled, unconvinced. “Then tell me what’s occupying your thoughts.”

I stood abruptly, pushing my chair back. “Excuse me for a moment. I won’t be long.”

Before she could respond, I was already heading for the door.

The corridor to the executive suite felt longer than it should have.

I stopped in front of the door and inhaled deeply, steadying myself. This was unnecessary. I only needed to check on her. To make sure she is fine.

Nothing more.

I opened the door.

At the exact same moment, the bathroom door opened from inside.

Mara stepped out.

For a second, the world froze.

She was wrapped in a towel, hair damp and loose around her shoulders, skin still flushed from heat. Water droplets trailed from her hair onto the floor, catching the light.

Her eyes met mine.

Neither of us moved.

Then reality crashed back in.

“What” she started, then stopped, her voice rising. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” My throat tightened. “I should have knocked.”

She took a step back, flustered, then another

Her foot slipped.

Everything happened at once.

She gasped. I lunged forward, hoping to catch her before she could hit the floor. But before I could catch her, her towel slipped and my arms locked around her instinctively, steadying her, holding her upright.

The breath left my lungs.

She was completely bare in my arms. It was the first time I had ever seen her like this, and the feel of her skin against mine was dangerously soft. I tried so hard to look away, to be a gentleman, but my eyes failed me. They dropped to her rounded breasts, seeing her pink n*****s pulled tight and hard from my touch. I swallowed hard, the air in the room turning thick and hot.

“Let go,” she said, her voice sharp.

I released her instantly, stepping back as if I’d been burned. She clutched the towel against her body, her face flushed dark, not from the heat, but from pure embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice thick. I turned my head away quickly. “I didn’t realize you were… I shouldn’t have come in.”

She didn’t say a word.

The silence felt even worse than her anger.

“I’ll leave,” I added. I began walking toward the door with my eyes squeezed shut, one hand reaching out blindly, searching for the door handle. “I’m sorry.”

I stepped out and shut the door, leaning my back against the wood. My heart was thundering.

Get a grip.

This was crossing lines I had sworn never to touch. I looked down, seeing how my desire had betrayed me; My d**k was straining against the fabric of my trousers, a clear sign of how much she affected me.

It took several minutes of deep, agonizing breaths to compose myself before I could walk back into the office. Amira was still there, waiting.

“You didn’t keep your promise of coming back early,” she said the moment she saw me.

I said nothing. I just sat down, trying to look professional while my mind was still in that room.

“Seems like what you went to do was very important,” she added, watching me closely.

“Sorry I took so much of your time. We can continue now,” I said.

“That apology isn’t accepted, Mr. Lawson,” she said with a small laugh. “How about we celebrate this successful collaboration with a private dinner instead? Before I head back to Dubai.”

“Sure,” I said. I didn't have the energy to argue.

Later, when Mara finally walked into the office, the air shifted. I felt her presence before I even looked up. Through the glass wall, our eyes met. The memory of what happened in the suite surged between us—unspoken, heavy, and completely unresolved.

I was the first to look away.

“This discussion would be better continued downstairs,” I said abruptly, standing up. “Shall we?”

Amira looked surprised, but she was pleased. She gathered her things and we left together.

The elevator doors opened on the ground floor. As we stepped out and walked down the hallway, my eyes caught someone through the glass walls of the PR department.

My heart stopped.

The woman from the photograph.

The same woman who was with Philip in that image I couldn’t forget. She walked right out of the PR door. I had no idea she worked in my own company.