Chapter 1: The Mask of Honeyed Lies
Victoria adjusted the silk robe around her honeyed skin, the fabric whispering against her curves as she gazed out the window of her private room at El Jardín de los Deseos. Madrid’s evening lights flickered like forbidden promises, and her reflection in the glass was a portrait of contradictions—sharp cheekbones, full lips painted crimson, and dark eyes that held secrets too heavy for even her strong shoulders to bear. She was a Brazilian goddess in a Spanish cage, her beauty a weapon and a curse. Her phone buzzed on the vanity, Sunny’s name lighting up the screen. Her heart clenched, a mix of love and guilt.
“Hey, meu amor,” she purred into the phone, her voice a velvet caress. “Miss me already?”
Sunny’s warm chuckle crackled through the line. “Always, Vic. You sound tired. Rough day consulting?”
She forced a laugh, her fingers tightening around the phone. “Oh, you know, just wrangling clients. They’re a demanding bunch.” The irony stung her tongue. If only he knew how demanding. “But tell me about your day. I need a distraction.”
As Sunny rambled about his life back in Brazil, Victoria’s gaze drifted to the door. Her next client, a regular named Javier, would be here any minute. A businessman with a silver tongue and a hunger for her that bordered on obsession. She hated how her body responded to the thought—anticipation simmering beneath her skin despite her mind screaming loyalty to Sunny.
“Vic, you still there?” Sunny’s voice pulled her back.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Just... daydreaming about us. Soon, okay? We’ll be together soon.” Her words were a prayer and a lie.
A sharp knock interrupted, and her pulse quickened. “I’ve gotta go, amor. Work calls. Love you.”
“Love you too. Don’t work too hard.”
She ended the call just as Javier stepped in, his tailored suit doing little to hide the predator in his smirk. “Victoria, mi reina,” he drawled, loosening his tie. “You look like sin itself tonight. Ready to play?”
She stood, letting the robe slip just enough to reveal the lace beneath, her stance commanding. “Javier, let’s get one thing straight—I don’t play. I dominate. You’re here for my rules, not yours. Got it?”
His eyes darkened with lust, a wicked grin spreading. “Oh, I love when you take charge. Tell me, does that boyfriend of yours know how fierce you are? Or is this side of you just for me?”
Her jaw tightened, but she masked it with a sultry smile, stepping closer until her breath grazed his ear. “Keep talking, and I’ll make sure you can’t speak at all. Now, strip. I don’t have all night.”
Javier obeyed, his shirt hitting the floor as his gaze devoured her. Victoria’s mind warred with her body—guilt for Sunny, power over Javier. She pushed him back onto the plush bed, her fingers trailing down his chest with deliberate control. “You think you can handle me tonight?” she teased, her voice dripping with challenge.
“Try me, reina. I’m already hard just looking at you,” he growled, his hands reaching for her hips.
She swatted them away, straddling him with a smirk. “Patience, cariño. I decide when you get to touch.” Her own heat betrayed her, a wet ache building as she felt him beneath her, but she wouldn’t yield—not yet. She leaned down, her lips hovering over his, her breath hot and taunting. “Beg for it.”
Javier’s eyes burned, his voice rough. “Please, Victoria. I’m fucking dying here.”
Her laugh was low, dangerous, as her hand slid lower, teasing the edge of his waistband. The room pulsed with tension, her control absolute, their bodies on the brink of an explosion waiting to ignite.
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