Chapter 7: Find Another Man
Find another man to take care of that. The words echoed endlessly in Roxanne’s head as she stood frozen in the middle of the bedroom, staring at the closed door Christian had walked through.
For several long seconds, she couldn’t move. The cruelty behind the statement settled deeper with every passing moment, wrapping itself around her, leaving her completely numb.
But it wasn’t just the insult that burned, it was the twisted permission beneath it. Another man. He was actively telling her to go, to cross that line.
The realization slammed into her ribs, and slowly, the agonizing sorrow in her chest quietly died. Her fists curled tight at her sides, the hot tears on her cheeks instantly drying under the heat of her anger.
Stripping off her clothes with trembling movements, she stepped into the bathroom. Steam quickly filled the space as warm water cascaded over her skin, but even beneath the steady rush of heat, Christian’s words refused to leave her mind.
Find another man. Find another man. The words rang in her ears, keeping rhythm with the thud of the shower spray.
Closing her eyes, Roxanne gave up fighting the tide. She let the defense walls in her mind crumble slowly, allowing her thoughts to drift back to the dark, scented luxury of the VIP lounge.
Her imagination immediately locked onto the memory of the stranger’s massive, commanding hands. Following the phantom sensation, she wrapped her own arm tightly around her waist, squeezing the skin.
She recalled the intoxicating scratch of his lips grazing the bare column of her throat, and her fingers drifted upward, tracing the sensitive path. A sharp, helpless gasp escaped her lips before she could catch it, swirling into the rising steam.
Her hand slid lower, tracking down her abdomen and gliding between her thighs, recreating the exact way he had parted her legs. The moment her fingertips pressed against her hypersensitive, aching pussy, a shiver racked her entire spine.
The steady, pounding rush of the hot water heightened every nerve, slicking her skin as she began to slide her fingers over her swollen clit in slow circles. Her lips parted, her breath hitching as the fantasy completely consumed her.
In the dark of her eyelids, it wasn’t her own hand touching her. It was him.
A low, trembling moan escaped her throat. A heavy throb of pure pleasure pulsed deep in her belly, so intense her knees buckled. Reaching out, she slapped her palm against the tiled wall of the shower to steady herself. Her imagination brought him right into the steam with her.
She could almost feel the towering, rigid heat of his body anchoring her from behind. Her fingers moved faster, rubbing harder against the friction of the water, her mind utterly filled with the image of those dark eyes watching her surrender through the cutouts of his mask.
Her moans grew louder, fracturing into desperate, shallow breaths as her rhythm turned frantic. The tension stretched to a breaking point, and then, an explosion of liquid heat dripped between her legs.
Roxanne threw her head back against the tiles, her hips bucking helplessly against her fingers.
"I want you," she cried out into the steam, her voice thick and broken as the intense, throbbing climax rippled through her entire body.
She clung to the wet wall, her chest heaving violently as the waves of pleasure slowly crashed and receded, leaving her beautifully, completely exhausted. Finally, she blinked her eyes open.
The steam cleared slightly. She was entirely alone.
Releasing a long, sharp exhale that sounded like a sigh of mourning, she quickly rinsed off, stepped out into the cold bedroom, and slid beneath the sheets, curling her body into a tight, protective ball.
.
The sudden vibration of her phone against the nightstand cut through the quiet room. Roxanne turned over, her heart skipping a beat as she grabbed the device and unlocked the screen. A text from an unknown number illuminated the dark.
I will be patiently waiting for when you are ready, because I’m not letting you leave the next time you walk into my lounge. ~ Stranger.
Roxanne bit her lower lip. Every single nerve in her body burned with the desire to text him back, to tell him she was his.
But not tonight.
Tonight belonged to the funeral of her marriage.
With a steady hand, she flipped the phone face down on the mattress, leaving the message glowing in the dark, and closed her eyes to finally let the night go.
—
Roxanne’s brows creased as warm sunlight spilled across her face, dragging her slowly from sleep before she was ready for it. She groaned softly and lifted an arm to shield her eyes, squinting against the sharp morning light pouring through the curtains.
But the moment she pulled her arm down and her vision cleared, she froze. Her heart violently leaped into her throat.
She jolted upright against the pillows, her breath catching as she found Christian sitting on the edge of the mattress, staring directly at her. Her chest heaved, a cold sweat breaking out across her skin.
Did he know? Did he track her phone? Oh god, did he know about the lounge?
Christian narrowed his eyes slightly, tracking the sudden, frantic rise and fall of her chest, before the tense lines of his face relaxed. "I didn’t mean to startle you," he said smoothly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Roxanne frowned faintly, still trying to steady her heartbeat.
Experience had taught her that if Christian woke her up with a smile, it only ever meant one of two things: he either needed her to ghostwrite another one of his high-stakes corporate projects, or he needed her to play the part of the dutiful, smiling wife for his bosses.
She pressed her lips into a thin, bitter line, pulling the sheet taut against her chest. "Is everything alright? You almost gave me a heart attack."
Christian exhaled a long breath, smoothing down the front of his designer shirt. "I need you to make an appearance tonight."
Roxanne let out a quiet, hollow breath and nodded. As expected. Pushing the heavy duvet aside, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Where are we going?"
"An exclusive dinner with the top executives of the company," Christian said, his eyes lighting up with professional ambition. "This one is a massive deal, Rox. Some of the most powerful, influential investors in the city are going to be at the table, and I need to make an absolute flawless impression."
This is why you’re keeping me around, Roxanne thought bitterly, her stomach turning as she watched him preen. To be a shiny prop. To make your corporate handlers think you actually have your chaotic life together.
She suppressed a heavy sigh and leaned against the edge of the dresser, looking at him for a quiet moment. "Alright. I’ll go."
"Good," Christian said, getting to his feet. Then his gaze drifted over her casually. "And please," he added, "don’t wear any of those boring clothes you like. Get something new. I want people to see my wife is at least trying to look good."
The casual insult sliced right through her, but Roxanne didn’t give him the satisfaction of a reply. Instead, her attention was pulled away by the buzz of her phone on the nightstand.
She stepped over, picked up the device, and tapped the new notification. The moment the message appeared on the screen, her eyes widened slightly, a sudden rush of heat flooding her cheeks.
Good morning, beautiful. I can’t wait to fully experience your beautiful body. ~ Stranger.
Roxanne swallowed hard, her pulse spiking with a dangerous, exhilarating thrill. Her eyes darted over the top of the screen, tracking Christian as he arrogantly fixed his tie, completely oblivious to the wolf scratching at his door.
Slowly, a sharp, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
