Chapter 12

The door swung open and an unimaginable wave of fear took hold of my nerves. There was always going to be a small part of me that hoped it was Lily. But I knew better than to assume that it was her. After all, even as the headmaid, there was no chance that she would purposely barge into the master bedroom like this.

No, instead I was faced with a sight I’d never thought I would ever see...

A freshly showered James dressed in nothing but a thin towel with several droplets of water trailing down his muscled chest and lower abdomen. My jaw went slack and my heart rammed violently within my ribcage.

Holy hell.

We both froze where we stood, blatantly staring at one another without a single word being said.

I was perfectly transfixed on him. My eyes wanted to trace every detail and commit to memory. I knew I should have at least tried to pull myself back, but I couldn’t help it. It was like something was keeping me rooted to the ground where I stood.

Why? Why couldn't I pull away?

Something inside of me, a feeling—a burning urge, wanted me to reach out and try to touch him.

Each and every small water droplet that clung to him, begged me to follow it down the span of his god-like physique until it hit the waistband of his towel.

And that goddamn towel...I was so used to seeing James in only suits and professional attire that I’d never given the possibility of ever seeing him in something else. Especially not something so...skimpy.

The moment my eyes really started to linger on the distinctive bulge that formed beneath the towel, I knew I had to break myself from this self-induced trance.

But it was clear that I wasn’t the only one who struggled to compose themselves. I felt James’ intense stare burn into me like a pair of scolding hot pokers. He raked his gaze over my body from my bare feet all the way up to my damp hair.

Then it struck me. I had nothing more than a thin towel wrapped around me. I was literally just as naked and exposed as he was!

“Oh my god!” I hissed.

I stumbled back, not knowing what was behind me and hit the corner edge of the bed frame. I quickly lost my balance and found myself falling backward.

James’ expression shifted from lustful to immediate concern as he tried to close the space between us. He reached out his arms, trying to catch me from falling. But it was too late. Before I knew what was happening, he’d managed to wrap a single arm around my waist but now the two of us were tumbling to the floor.

James twisted himself around, allowing him to buffer my fall. We both let out a disgruntled groan when we finally hit the ground. I was sprawled across his bare chest, wondering why I suddenly felt so warm.

My towel slipped away in the process.

My chest heaved in total mortification. I pressed my hands to his chest, trying to push myself off of him. Our eyes locked and my whole body went still. It was as though the world stopped spinning for a brief moment.

His intense gaze ignited a fiery feeling of desire within me. We were stuck in a compromising position but it was also a very intimate one. I tried once more to push myself up and pull back, but I lost the second I came into contact with this hot, toned chest.

James snaked one of his hands around my waist, pulling me back against him. His other hand came to rest upon my cheek while the pad of his thumb grazed over my lower lip. My heart began to race, nearly exploding inside my chest.

Both of our breathing patterns grew shallow and rugged. James took control and pulled me down to meet his lips. I easily melted into his touch and graciously allowed him to deepen the kiss by having his tongue press between my lips.

I felt his body move beneath me. He curled a strong hand through my drying hair and kept me locked in place while the hand on my hip started to wander. I moaned and gasped when he swept his palm over my backside.

‘God, yes,’ I thought hazily. ‘I don’t want this to ever end.’

Suddenly, my ears started to fill with the unexpected sound of someone calling out our names. “Mr. Derek?” Lily shouted. I could sense her getting closer. “Mia? Is everything alright—oh! Oh my...”

James and I immediately shot up from the floor and scrambled to collect ourselves. He’d purposely covered my exposed body and snatched up the towel to quickly wrap around me. My face flushed as I struggled to catch my breath.

My head started to ache from all the excessive thoughts that filled my head.

‘Oh, great,’ I muttered to myself. ‘Knowing Lily, this whole scene is going to spread all over the house like wildfire.’

My brows furrowed at the thought as I tried to face James. “Well, so much for your promise to stay in separate rooms,” I said dryly. “Why did you decide to go back on your word? It’s only been one damn night!”

“Mia, relax,” he said passively. “I merely came in here to grab a change of clothes.”

From that point on, the two of us spent the rest of our time getting ourselves together in complete silence. As I followed James down the first floor of the house, it was clear that Lily had already begun sharing the story of what she’d witnessed earlier.

Many of the staff members peered at us and muttered whispered comments to themselves of James and I’s ‘uncontrolled passion for each other’, leading my frustration to grow.

“I’m blaming this whole misunderstanding on you,” I said bitterly.

James turned his head to glance at me. Even though I was able to see only half his face, I could tell that he was smirking. His eyes filled with unbreaking challenge.

"You call it a misunderstanding, but do you really believe that?" he asked.