The cold morning air rushing over her skin jolted Thalassa awake. Snapping her eyes open, the first thing she realized was that she was lying on a hard, warm, and familiar chest.

Memories of the previous night flooded her mind. It felt like a dream, but Thalassa knew better than to fool herself into thinking she hadn't been fully aware of her actions. Bracing her palm against the bed, she carefully lifted herself off Kris's chest, moving slowly to avoid waking him. She froze when he shifted and turned his head, but thankfully, he remained asleep.

Quietly slipping out of bed, she stared down at him-at his beautiful, peaceful face as he slept, the naked expanse of his body, and the erection that had done things to her last night only he had ever been able to do. A sharp pang of guilt pierced her chest.

What would he say if he knew the real reason she had kissed him last night?

She had kissed him out of sheer desperation and fear. She had done it to distract him, to stop him from asking too many questions about what was in the room she desperately didn't want him to see.

But as soon as he'd kissed her back with a hunger that ignited a familiar ache within her and made her weak in the knees, her emotions had gone into overdrive, and one thing had led to another. Fuck, what had she done?noveldrama

This was not part of the plan. It had never been. The plan was to destroy him and his family, and afterwards, return to New York to continue her life after getting the justice she deserved. Not to give herself again to the man who had played a role in her suffering-who still refused to believe his mother had harmed her.

She knew he was going to wake up with expectations, expectations she couldn't afford to entertain. She couldn't let him disrupt her plans. More importantly, she couldn't let him find out the truth she'd been hiding for the past three years. The truth she'd feared he might uncover last night.

Swallowing hard, she gathered her dress from the floor and slipped it on. Her breath caught when Kris stirred and groaned, waking up. Before his eyes could fully open, she quickly donned the mask of indifference she had grown so used to wearing around him. 2 His gaze found her, and a slow, sexy smile curved one corner of his lips. A shiver ran through her core, but Thalassa stood firm.

"Do you really have to get up so early?" he asked, his voice still husky with sleep. "Can't we stay in bed a little. longer?"

Thalassa's expression remained cold. "There's no storm anymore, Kris. Get dressed and leave."

The smile faded from his face as the last traces of sleep disappeared. He sat up slowly, confusion clouding his features as he stared at her. "What?"

"You heard me. The only reason I let you stay last night was because of the storm, but it's over: You have no reason to be here anymore."

Kris stared at her for several long seconds before letting out a small, disbelieving chuckle. "This has to be a joke, right?"

"You're the only one laughing." Thalassa replied flatly.

Pursing his lips, Kris stood from the bed in all his naked glory, his morning erection towards the ceiling. "Lassa, I thought after what happened last night..."

"What happened last night, Kris?" she interrupted, raising a brow. "We fucked. It's not like you haven't done that before. I'm a woman with desires, and I have the right to act on them. I was horny, and you were the only man available. The wrong choice, but it doesn't matter because it was just sex. It meant nothing."

Kris felt a sharp pang of pain, her words cutting like a knife Last night had been the happiest he'd been in a long time, but he should've known she'd push him away again. That's what she always did.

Before Thalassa anticipate his next move, Kris lunged forward, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her flush against him. She gasped, her body tensing as his warmth enveloped her.

"You and I both know last night didn't mean nothing," he growled, his voice low and fierce. "It meant as much to you as it did to me. And no, we didn't just fuck, Lassa. We made love, and that's entirely different."

His bare, rock-hard cocked pressed insistently against her belly, reigniting the desire she fought so hard to

suppress.

With great effort, she kept her expression neutral. "You need to be in love to make love, Kris. I understand your desperation, but the feeling isn't mutual."

"Liar," he hissed, his lips hovering so close to hers that they almost touched. Her pulse quickened, remembering exactly what those lips had done to her the night before.

You can lie to me with your mouth, but your body told me everything I needed to know as I made love to you again Please don't fight against this."

Thalassa met the plea in his eyes with an icy look. "You can keep being delusional if you want. I won't stop you. But gather your things and get out. I need to go scrub your essence off my skin."

The reminder of what he would do every time they made love during their marriage weakened his hold on her. Taking advantage of the moment, Thalassa pulled free and stormed out of the room. In the hallway, she leaned her back against the wall, her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

She had done so well up until now. Why did she have to mess everything up by giving in to him? Her emotions were now spiraling out of control, and she wasn't sure how to deal with them. Barely thirty seconds passed before the door swung open. Thalassa immediately straightened as Kris stepped into the hallway.

His desperate eyes took her in before he took a step closer. Thalassa..."

"You're dressed. Now leave," she said curtly, cutting him off.

"And if I refuse?" His voice was quiet, but the threat was clear.

Her heart skipped a beat. Having him stay the night had been a grave mistake, and she couldn't allow him to stay a second longer. The longer he remained, the more likely he was to discover her secret.