INFATUATION Prologue

Diva

HOLY HELL! WHAT in God's name happened?

Cotton mouth and nausea had me instantly regretting the previous night as I swung my leg over the side of the bed with an audible grumble. My poor bladder ached with the need to empty, so I stood on shaky legs, my temples throbbing the instant my feet hit the plush carpet.

Carefully maneuvering around my bedroom, I ventured into the short hallway and slowly made my way toward the bathroom,my eyes adjusting to the darkness with every step. After I'd taken care of business, I washed my hands and headed back, still a little groggy and a lot hung over.

As I reentered the space, I saw the bright green light of the alarm clock. 4:22 a.m. Needing to climb back under the covers, praying with a bit more sleep I'd start to feel better, I choose to crawl across the bed to where my pillow was still bunched how I liked. As I placed my hands on mattress, my knee following me as I clumsily climbed on top, something stopped me. Hell, someone stopped me.

A hard body.

A deep groan escaped as my knee came down on what I assumed to be a very sensitive area .

Scrambling for my footing, shock ripped through me as I stumbled backward and fell flat on my ***. Thud! My head caught the edge of the wall, instantly bringing tears to my eyes.

So much for my headache going away.

As the pain invaded, I clutched the back of my skull, cursing out loud as if I was myself.

But I wasn't by myself.

Someone was in my room with me.

In my bed.

"Jesus Christ!" a gruff voice exclaimed. "Are you all right?" Before I could answer, I heard the rustle of the blanket before the light flicked on, blinding me instantly. It took me a minute to adjust to the blaring intrusion, my eyes opening and closing so often I looked like I had some sort of nervous twitch.

The mystery man, someone I'd not even looked at yet, reached down and gripped my arms, pulling me to my feet and holding me steady as I collected myself. Once my eyes finally adjusted,I shrugged off his hold and took a step back.

I took another step back, clueless as to what on earth I'd drunk last night to find myself in this position . This wasn't me. I didn't bring randoms home. Ever. I finally looked at the guy, my gaze landing on the small smile on his face. My mouth dropped open in shock.

"Erm, hi?" I said awkwardly while I slowly scanned him from head to toe . I'd felt his warmth enclose me when he helped me to my feet, but what I hadn't realised was that the heat was radiating from his nakedness. Well, to be more accurate, he wore black boxer briefs...but nothing else.

"Solomon," he offered.

" I remember." I was slightly offended he thought I'd forgotten his name, as if I'd make out with a man whose name I didn't know.

The fine lines of his torso pulled back my attention. All too clearly , I imagined gripping his broad shoulders as he pinned me to the wall. His thighs were thick and muscular , his *** no doubt perfection, as well. The visual was all too clear, and I couldn't help but wonder if rather than my imagination, if he'd actually done that to me last night. Just the thought had my heart picking up speed.

Plopping back down on the bed, he nestled in and crossed his arms over his chest. I had no doubt he was settling in for the long haul. My eyes were so busy studying him, I missed what he said. I heard a faint sound, but my brain couldn't compute actual words.

"What did you say?"

The corners of his lips turned up, revealing a perfect , white set of teeth. His dark hair was a tad unruly but in a run-my-hands-through-it type of way. Light stubble covered his jawline, his need to shave every day most likely quite a hassle.

"I said you were very drunk last night, and I needed to make sure you got home safely." Awkward moment passed before either one of us spoke, and because I was still lost in having my fill of him, and trying to remember what had happened the night before, he was the one to break the silence.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He arched a brow. "You're making me think things. Bad things."

My eyes widened in surprise at his playful tone. Everything about this situation took me way out of my comfort zone.

"I'm not staring at you," I lied. Bringing my fingers to my forehead, I started to rub. "I just don't understand. What happened last night?" Admittedly, I was embarrassed I'd let things get out of hands, a large part of prior evening a haze. I made a promise to myself long ago to never let anything interfere with my well-being, to always be aware of my surroundings. I guess I really messed up.

As I moved around the other side of the bed, I realised my state of undress ,with only a white T-shirt and cotton panties covering the most intimate of places. Snatching the comforter to cover up, embarrassment stole over my skin, a reaction he found rather amusing.

My awkwardness was quickly replaced with irritation. "Are you going to tell me what happened, or are you going to just sit there and laugh at me?" I quipped, the tone of my voice a little more than harsh.

"Sorry," he mumbled before beginning the tale of the previous evening. "Considering how drunk you were, I'm not surprised you don't remember anything. Although,"he continued as he put his hand over his heart, "I'm a little upset you don't remember what happened between us."

Taking a deep breath and preparing for the worst, I slowly opened my mouth to speak. " What do you mean?" Regret slowly weaved its way through me. "Please don't tell me we had sex."

"Why, would that be so awful if we did?" Amusement lit his startling beautiful green eyes.

Sometimes my mouth didn't filter what my brain was thinking. My response was one such example, "Yes, it would. I'd like to remember my first time." I brought the blanket up to cover my mouth as though the simple gesture would erase what I'd said.

I was a twenty-eight-year-old ******.

Even if I didn't have a history or a "reason" for holding back and deciding not to screw around, the decision was mine. I didn't have to justify or explain myself to anyone. The fact was,my choices were my own.

I wished at times virtue and innocence were reasons behind my decision, but life wasn't always kind. Instead, I had a past which killed my trust in the opposite sex.

And didn't that make my current situation even crazier, all the more difficult to grasp!

My brain was in danger of malfunctioning, and my heart threatened to burst out of my chest with how damn hard it was pounding. The only thing keeping me routed was,despite him being a stranger —sort of— I felt weirdly safe. I didn't have time to process that , but the two times I'd previously met him, there was an ease and familiarity I felt with him.

When I heard him suck in a breath, I turned towards him, my eyes lingered a little too long on his mouth. " That's what your comment meant," he said, the look on his face one of comprehension.

I swallowed hard, biting back my mortification. "What comment?" Oh, God, what the hell did I say!!

"Last night. When we were in the hallway , you told me you wanted me to be your first. I thought you were talking about a one-night stand." My breath hitched. "I have to admit ,while the thought of you picking me for your first one-nighter was flattering, it was also upsetting." When I knitted my brows, he explained. "Going home with some random stranger is dangerous , Diva." He shook his head in disapproval, and I found myself mesmerized by the action. " You really need to be more careful. Actually ,scratch that as you don't have to worry about ever doing it again."

"Why?"Curiosity gripped me tightly.

" Because ."

" Because why?" Yes, any moment now,

my head was surely going to explode. This situation, this conversation, his nearness...it was all too much. And hell if my traitorous body wasn't reacting.

A rush of air escaped his lips, his frustration beyond obvious. "Because I'll keep a better eye on you. Make sure you never drink that much again. That's why." Seeming satisfied he'd had his say, he looked away and stared straight ahead as if he was carefully choosing his next words.

Meanwhile, I was mimicking a gaping fish quite spectacularly. My pulse quickened ,my heart picking up its pace and ramming against my chest. My face heated. Both incredulous and confused, I struggled to form words. I hated he was right about picking up a random guy, but still...who did he think he was?

There was nothing like a dose of reality to make my body behave at least. Finally, I found my words. "What makes you think you have any say over what I do?" I scoffed. "Truly, I'm confused." I considered diving into a speech of being a grown women who could make her own decisions. Good or bad. But that was not a conversation i was willing to have. Instead, I changed direction. "Thank you

for getting me home last night. But I think it's best if you go."

He stared at me a beat."Never again, Diva. I mean it."

Before I could think of a retort to his statement, he jumped out of bed and pulled on his jeans first before throwing his shirt over his head. Sitting back down on the edge of the mattress, he leaned over and reached for his shoes. After he'd finished, he stood to his full height and locked eyes on me.

"Wait," My tone sounded desperate, but I needed to know. "What happened last night?"

His expression became less guarded."What do you remember?"

"I remember going out with my friends and having a few drinks, seeing you at some point, then kissing you in the hallway. Other than that...nothing." I turned my head, embarrassed I couldn't recall any other details, especially after returning home.

" I helped you carry drinks back to your table before you casually dismissed me." His eyes narrowed a little, and if I read him correctly, he seemed offended. "And yes, we did share a moment." He fell silent, the arch of his brow telling me he enjoyed drawing out our conversation. I wanted to scream but kept my temper in check instead.

"And once we got here?" I crossed my arms over my chest, remembering to keep the cover pulled high.

He walked the five steps towards the door, pulled it open and glanced back at me, an indiscernible expression appearing our of nowhere. Trying to decipher the look on his gorgeous face was too much, especially with my cloud head.

So I just gave up.

"I'd never take advantage of you , especially while you were drunk." Breathing a sigh of relief, I parted my lips to respond but he disappeared before I could utter a word.

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