It was past midnight when I finally made it home.
The penthouse was dark and quiet, exactly how I liked it, but the moment I stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer that led into my house, that scent wafted into my nostrils.
The same maddening, haunting scent I'd first caught six nights ago at Club 69. The smell that had clawed at my insides and had nearly driven me half-crazy and made me want to touch her, taste her and claim her in ways that frightened me.
I paused for a moment, taking in the scent. It was stronger and richer than the first time, like it seeped into my walls, my furniture, and my air. Without thinking, I followed it like a dog tracking its master, and it led me straight to the living room.
And there she was, curled like a child on the rug in the centre of my living room. Her red hair fanned around her like a flame. Her chest rising and falling gently with arms tucked under her cheeks.
She wore a thin nightgown that did nothing to hide the curves beneath, but in all, she looked so innocent and vulnerable. There was no trace of the fire-spitting siren who'd shunned the man she loved for three years.
The urge to wrap her in my arms grew so strong that I lowered myself to my knees beside her. That was when I noticed the tear stains on her cheek; she'd been crying.
As if to comfort her, I reached out to brush a strand of hair over her face when that voice came to me again, resonating from the depths of my soul.
Mate. Master.
I froze, my hands suspended mid-air. For a second, there was nothing except the sound of my beating heart, and I'd almost concluded that I was hallucinating again when the voice came again, it was louder than the first time.
Mate. Master.
At that exact moment, Naya's eyes opened, and our gaze met. She stared at me blankly for a second without recognising me, and then it was as if she finally remembered who I was and smiled.
"I was waiting for you, my love," she said softly "What took you so long? The pups are already in bed. Would you like me to reheat your food?"
I blinked and turned to look behind me. Perhaps she was talking to someone else. But it was just me and her in the living room.
My love? The Pups?
The way she said it stirred a deep ache in my chest that was almost painful. Like she'd said these words to me a thousand times. I could only stare at her, and for a moment, it felt as if I'd lived in this scene. The words, the feeling that came with it, didn't seem strange to me.
"I'm sorry about this morning," she continued, rising slowly into a sitting position. "I was angry and said all those nasty things. You do the best for me and the pups. I'm sorry, I was ungrateful."
I was still watching her, totally confused, when she lifted her hand and caressed my cheek, with eyes filled with warmth and longing.
Her touch sent electricity through me, filling me with a recognition that I didn't understand. It was as if my body knew her touch and had known it for lifetimes.
"Let me make it up to you, my love," she whispered. Then, without warning, she leaned closer and took my lips.
Her lips were soft as they moved against mine with a gentleness that felt more intimate than passion. I sat there still trying to understand what was happening. Did she mean the words she said? Did she know I was the one?
No, this wasn't Naya, but it was her lips, her scent, her body pressing against mine.
She kissed me slowly, like she had all the time in the world. Her lips moved to trails along my face, brushing easily along my cheeks and my closed eyelids as if she was savouring the taste.
I felt every part of my body weaken as her touch spread through me, filling me with an unexplainable feeling of love. At that moment, I wanted to scream on the rooftop of my love for this woman, but with her tongue shoved down the inner crevices of my mouth, I could only return what she was giving.
At that moment, something inside me broke, and I kissed her back.
All the control I prided myself on vanished. The ice around my heart melted. In that moment, I wanted to possess her. I felt the hunger in her mouth as she retook mine, the hardness of my body against her as she pressed urgently against me and with a moan of pleasure at the new demand, I drew her closer to me.
I strained against her, feeling her throbbing heart on mine. I kissed her with a hunger I'd never felt before and a need that went beyond physical desire.
This felt like coming home.
She gasped in pleasure, writhing underneath me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I flipped her back onto the rug, catching her with my arm so she wouldn't hit the hard ground and pressed my body against hers, still kissing her like I would die if I stopped.
My lips found her neck, sucking at that spot below her ear that made her moan. How did I know that spot? How did my body know exactly where to touch her?
Her hands roamed over my chest, tracing my arms, my shoulders, and down to my chest. She pulled at my shirt, unbuttoning it with shaking fingers. I shrugged it off, barely noticing when it fell to the floor.
"Please," she whispered, her voice thick with need. "Make love to me, darling. I want to feel your heartbeat against mine."
Her hand slipped to my waist as she reached for the buckle of the belt. She tugged at it and, after several unsuccessful trials, she groaned in frustration. Then her hand moved lower and rubbed against my hard bulge straining against my pants.
A growl tore from my throat.
I bit down on my lip, trembling at the sensation that coursed through me. She palmed my bulge with one hand while she rubbed up and down my shaft, stopping now and again to rub at the cap.
Her body pressed into mine, and her gown rode high on her thighs.
I gripped her breasts, through the thin nightgown, feeling her swollen nipples. She whimpered and arched under my touch.
We were frantic now, acting like we'd been apart for years and couldn't stand another second of separation. My hands roamed her body, memorising curves I somehow already knew. Her hands clawed at my back, pulling me closer.
Somehow, I managed to free myself of my trousers and briefs, coming to lie next to her. Her gown had ridden to her belly, exposing her wet womanliness to me.
Our lips reached for each other's again, pressing against each other with desperation.
"Love me, Hazem," she whispered against my mouth. "Love me the way you used to."
Hazem?
My body tensed, like a wire had been pulled too tight. Something inside me seemed to come alive.
Hazem? I didn't know that was, but my soul did.
I deepened my kiss as my hands roamed over her body. My hands were everywhere—her breasts, her thighs, the wet heat between her legs. I settled between her legs, trailing wet kisses down her inner thigh.
All that existed in this moment was her. This woman and this feeling of finally finding what I'd been searching for.
It was several moments before I realised that her frantic movements weren't born of passion. She was fighting me.
It so surprised me that I released her immediately and pulled back.
As soon as she saw that I'd let her go, she shoved at my chest and scrambled away from me.
"You pervert!" she shouted; her eyes had misted with tears. "Is this why you let me stay in your house? To take advantage of me?"
I stared at her, confused and totally disoriented.
"You—" I started.
"Don't you dare!" She jumped to her feet. Her hair was wild, her lips were swollen from my kisses, and her cheeks were flushed red. Her nightgown clung to her body, outlining her curves.
I closed my eyes and tried to block out the image, trying to control the want still hammering through me.
I wanted her so badly, and seeing her like this, dishevelled, shaking with anger, wasn't helping.
"You know what?" she said, stalking to the corner of the room to grab her duffel bag, "this won't work. I am a fool for trusting I could be safe with you."
"Wait—"
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr Ward," her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'll take my chances under a bridge."
That snapped me out of it.
I rose to my feet. "Naya… Stop."
That overwhelming need that had filled me moments ago had disappeared like it had never been.
I looked at her coldly. "You came to me, Naya. You called me your love and seduced me. You kissed me too and called me Hakem."
She stared at me with incredulity. "What?"
"Yes," I nodded. "You said our pups were asleep and asked if I wanted you to reheat the food. Don't you remember?"
"Why?" She scoffed. "Why would I do that to someone like you? Mr Ward, I don't know what kind of women you've met or been with, but men like you are not my kind. Big, insufferable bullies with rich daddies, who think the world revolves around them."
"And yet here you are, at my mercy after pleading and rolling on the ground, asking for my help. Who's the bigger fool, Miss Rivers?"