Gina woke with a pounding headache, her temples throbbing with each heartbeat. She blinked, trying to clear her blurry vision, and took in her surroundings. The room was strange and unsettlingly masculine. Heavy mahogany furniture filled the space. The grand four-poster bed she lay in was covered with dark blue, velvet curtains. To her right stood a massive dresser, its brass handles glinting dimly in the early morning light.
Panic gripped her as she realized she was naked under the duvet. She pulled it tightly upwards and around her, her breath quickened as she scanned the room with her eyes, hoping to find some clue where she was.
"Where am I?" She shuddered, her heart raised faster when she noticed the cufflinks neatly arranged in a tray and a large ornate mirror reflecting her terrified expression.
A scream tore from her throat, echoing off the walls. The door of the bathroom creaked open, and her eyes snapped towards it. A man stepped into the room, water dripping from his dark hair as a towel was tied around his waist. His physique was imposing, with broad shoulders, tapering to a muscle chest and a trim waist. His muscles were well-defined, glistening with moisture.
Gina's eyes traced the droplets that travelled down his chest, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks burning. But it was too late; he had caught her staring. Their eyes met, his dark electrifying blue eyes holding her gaze with an intensity that made her throat dry.
"Enjoying the view?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Gina's voice trembled with anger and dread. "What did you do to me? How could you take advantage of me like this?"
He raised an eyebrow, leaning against the door frame. "Take advantage? It should be the reverse in this case."
"Huh?" A frown settled on her face as she felt a loss of words due to her confusion.
"You don't remember last night at all, do you?"
She shook her head, her anger giving away to confusion. "Just tell me what happened!"
He sighed, crossing his arms around his chest. "You were on a cliff, about to jump. I saved you and brought you here. The least you could do is appreciate me for taking away your pain last night like you wanted."
Gina's eyes widened as fragments of the night before started to surface. The cliff, the despair, the transfer with the piercing blue eyes. "I didn't ask for this." She protested weakly.
His expression softened slightly. "You begged me to take you with me. Said you'd do anything. When we got here, you wouldn't let go of me, you pleaded for me to stay, to end your suffering. And then you…" He paused, his gaze intense. "…you begged me to. Pleasure you. You said it was the only way you could forget."
"No," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "I would never…"
"But you did." He took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "You were desperate, and I…"
"Stop!" She walked, cutting him off. "I don't believe you!."
"It's the truth," he said quietly. "You were hurting, and I …" He sighed again, running a hand through his damp hair. "I helped you the only way I knew how."
Tears welled in Gina's eyes as she pulled the duvet tighter around her. "How could you? After everything I've been through, this is how it ends? Giving in to a total stranger?"
"Lass, I…"
"Don't you dare!" She snapped her voice breaking. "You don't even know me."
He rolled his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Maybe not."
Gina glared at him, her heart pounding. "And you thought sleeping with me would fix it? You took advantage of my vulnerability!"
The man sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, Gina's words already getting under his skin. "I didn't break you, you were already broken when I found you."
Gina clenched her first, her nails digging into her palms. "You had no right."
The latter was already tired of exchanging words with her. He already warned her about the consequences of, and now she was blaming him.
"You begged me, little lass." He repeated, his voice low. "I couldn't just leave you like that."
Silence hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Gina's mind raced, trying to process everything. "Who are you?" She finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Mark Hughes," he replied simply, not wanting to talk about himself he went on to their previous conversation. "I'll be responsible for anything that happens to you." My info is in the card." He said tossing his card on the bed.
Gina ignored him, she gazed at the card that contained his information. She ran her hands through her hair, nothing was working on her own accord which made her even more furious.
He would have just allowed her to end her life. So she thought
Having a one-night stand with a total stranger was the least thing she had expected to happen to her and even worse, something even bad might happen to her afterwards.
Mark ran out of words. He warned her about it but all he could do was fulfil her wish so he shouldn't be feeling guilty about it, but it can't be undone.
Their silence was disrupted by a sound on the door. Mark groaned in frustration as he couldn't get out with his bare chest but upon hearing his assistant's voice he opened the door. Mark's assistant whispered some certain things to him, and he nodded his head before dismissing him.
"I'm done with the chit-chats now. I'd be leaving you to reflect on yourself." He said to her before dashing to the walk-in closet.
Gina let out a deep sigh. She couldn't stand up from the immense pain she was feeling underneath, and she was naked. She remembered her luggage falling off the cliff and her phone….
"Where the hell is that phone?" She muttered, scanning the titled marble floor, and found her phone on the cupboard, close to the lamp. Gina tried to reflect on herself to know what she wanted but nothing was coming to mind.
She grabbed his card nonchalantly only for her jaws to drop in awe as she gasped out loud.