Temptation's Edge

Chapter 1: Unlocked Desires

The click of my heels echoed through the marble corridor as I stormed out of Maxwell’s office, my blood boiling hotter than a summer pavement. Seeing Camilla’s smug face, wiping her mouth like she’d just devoured a feast, and Maxwell’s infuriating smirk—it was a punch to the gut. I wasn’t his keeper, and he sure as hell wasn’t mine. So why did jealousy claw at my insides like a feral cat?

‘I was wondering why I was kept waiting. I can see you’re... occupied,’ I’d snapped, my voice dripping with venom. Camilla had the audacity to perch on his lap, purring, ‘Good for you, because my baby and I are just getting started, and we’ll be here for a very long time.’

I didn’t give them the satisfaction of a response. I turned on my heel, grabbed my bag from my office, and called Adele. ‘I’m coming over,’ I barked into the phone, not waiting for her reply. When she opened her door, her face was a storm cloud. A bouquet of roses and a gift box sat on her table—tokens from Killian, the leech who wouldn’t leave her alone.

‘Mr. Blackthorn sure knows how to sweep a lady off her feet,’ I teased, inhaling the flowers’ scent before she dropped the bombshell. ‘They’re from Killian.’ I let the bouquet fall to the floor. ‘What the hell does that parasite want?’ I spat. ‘After the restaurant fiasco, he’s got the nerve to send you this crap?’

Adele’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘I found it at my doorstep. Thought it was from Rafe. I’m tossing it in the trash.’

‘Oh no, honey,’ I countered, a wicked grin spreading across my face. ‘We’re not trashing them. We’ll send them back to his address—or better yet, to that woman he’s been slinking around with. Ruin their little parasitic love nest. And don’t you dare ask him to come here to pick up his garbage.’

Adele smirked, nodding. ‘I’ll handle the return. But I’m surprised you’re here. Thought you’d be driving home with your husband.’

I scoffed, sinking into her couch. ‘Thought so too, but he’s busy pleasuring himself with Camilla. So, I found my own way.’ I spilled the whole sordid scene, and Adele’s jaw dropped. ‘What audacity! He gets to sleep around while you stay loyal?’

‘Loyalty wasn’t in our vows,’ I shot back, my tone sharp as a blade. ‘We didn’t sign up for better or worse. I can do whatever I damn well please. Which is why I’m here.’

Adele’s eyes narrowed, suspicion glinting in them. ‘Why are you really here?’

I leaned forward, a mischievous spark igniting in me. ‘Can we go out tonight? I don’t want to go alone. Let’s have fun. Maybe I can find a hot stranger to clear the cobwebs down here.’ I gestured playfully between my thighs, and Adele’s face lit up with a devilish grin.

‘Girl, I’m in. Let’s get dressed,’ she said, practically vibrating with excitement.

At the club, dressed in one of Adele’s slinky numbers, I scanned the sparse crowd. No one caught my eye—probably because I kept comparing them to Maxwell’s infuriatingly perfect frame. Disappointed, I danced with Adele, downed a few drinks, and resigned myself to another night with my vibrator. It had been five years since Maxwell’s touch—wild, passionate, and raw—had set my body ablaze. My skin ached for that fire again.

Adele dropped me off at home. ‘If your husband throws you out, don’t hesitate to call me,’ she warned.

‘He’s too busy with Camilla to notice I’m gone,’ I replied, hugging her before stepping out. But when I reached the door, my key wouldn’t work. I banged on it, frustration mounting. Had Maxwell changed the locks? After ten minutes of futile pounding, I was ready to call Adele back when the door swung open.

There stood Maxwell, shirtless, grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips, the outline of his impressive cock teasing through the fabric. My anger melted into something hotter, more dangerous. I snapped out of it, glaring. ‘Why’d you change the locks?’

‘Why are you just getting home at this hour?’ he fired back, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine. I pushed past him, but in a blur, he had me pinned against the wall, his hard body caging mine. ‘Answer me, Amelia. Where’ve you been, dressed like this?’

His breath was hot on my neck, and I could feel the heat radiating from him. My pulse raced, my body betraying me as I felt myself getting wet. ‘None of your damn business,’ I hissed, but my voice wavered, dripping with a challenge. ‘You don’t own me, Maxwell. Or did Camilla not satisfy you enough to keep your hands off me?’

His eyes darkened, a predatory glint flashing as he pressed closer, his hardness evident against my thigh. ‘Careful, Amelia. Keep talking like that, and I’ll show you just how much I’ve been craving you.’

My breath hitched, but I held his gaze, unyielding. ‘Try me,’ I dared, my voice a sultry whisper, knowing full well the explosion that was about to ignite between us.