The bathroom door swung open, releasing a cloud of warm, lavender-scented steam.
Alyssa stepped out, her skin still damp and glistening under the soft bedroom light.
She didn’t bother with clothes.
She never did.
Sleeping naked was her small rebellion, a private luxury in a life full of borrowed rules.
She dried herself slowly, the towel dragging across her shoulders, down her arms, over her thighs.
Then she tossed it aside and let herself fall onto the bed, the cool sheets a gentle shock against her warm skin.
She reached for her phone and connected her earbuds.
Music flooded her ears—soft, melodic, familiar.
She hummed along as she scrolled through her messages, her legs rising and falling lazily in the air.
A notification caught her eye.
Kai.
Her heart did a little flip.
He had finally replied after leaving her on read for days.
She opened the chat and laughed instantly.
He had spammed her with pictures—some ridiculous, some adorable.
A congratulatory message.
A handful of voice notes.
All celebrating her promotion from a C-list actress to an A-list star.
All celebrating her signing with All Stars Entertainment.
Kai was the busiest actor in Country A.
The top male star.
The one everyone wanted to work with.
Fans shipped him with Kylie, the top female actress because their names rhymed and they looked stunning together.
But to Alyssa, Kai was just Kai.
Her friend.
Her safe space.
She saved his photos, laughing at the funny ones, and typed a quick reply.
Meet me at the usual café tomorrow.
8 AM.
Don’t be late.
She sent the same message to Lisa.
She needed to tell them the truth before they found out through the media.
That she was married to Alexander Blackwood.
Even if he hadn’t given her permission to speak.
She sighed and opened her work schedule for tomorrow.
Busy.
Of course.
She placed her phone and earbuds on the small table beside the bed, turned over, and let out a scream.
Alexander was lying beside her.
His body was stretched out on the bed, one arm behind his head, his grey eyes fixed on her.
He looked like he had been there for a while.
Watching.
Waiting.
“How long have you been—”
She didn’t finish.
A large hand cupped the back of her head, fingers threading through her damp hair.
He pulled her forward, and his lips crashed into hers.
There was no warning.
No gentle lead-in.
He claimed her lower lip, sucking it into his mouth, tasting her with a roughness that sent a jolt straight through her body.
Alyssa froze for a split second then her eyes fluttered closed, and she melted.
She opened her mouth, and he took full advantage.
His tongue swept inside, hot and demanding, exploring every corner as if he owned her.
And in that moment, she felt like he did.
Her hands found his chest, gripping his shirt, trying to steady herself.
But he was relentless.
He devoured her like a man starved, his kiss deep and aggressive, his breath mingling with hers in heated bursts.
She tried to match his pace.
She couldn’t.
He was too much.
Too intense.
Too everything.
His teeth grazed her lower lip, gentle but firm, before he pulled back just enough to look at her.
His eyes were dark.
Burning.
His chest rose and fell against hers.
Alyssa’s lips were swollen, her breath ragged, her body trembling with the aftermath of his kiss.
Her heart was still racing from the kiss.
She stared at Alexander, her lips tingling, her mind struggling to catch up.
“How did you get in?”
A cold smile crossed his face.
“You really think you can keep me out of your room, Mrs. Blackwood?”
She bit her lip, looking away.
Of course.
He was Alexander Blackwood.
He probably owned half the buildings in this city.
A simple door lock meant nothing to him.
Alexander reached past her, his arm brushing against her bare skin as he turned on the bedside lamp.
Warm light flooded the room.
“You seem to like staying in the dark,” he observed, his voice low.
Alyssa swallowed.
She needed to change the subject.
“About the NDA… can I still tell Lisa and Kai about it?”
Alexander’s eyes didn’t leave her face.
“You want to tell them tomorrow. So why are you asking for my permission now?”
Her stomach dropped.
How much did he see?
She didn’t know when he had entered the room.
Which meant he could have seen everything.
The messages.
The pictures Kai sent.
The way she had saved his contact name with those little love emojis.
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no.
She wanted to scream.
To bury her face in the pillow and disappear.
I’m naked.
I’m completely, utterly naked.
Again.
Panic surged through her.
She tried to scramble off the bed, but Alexander’s hand shot out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against him.
“Let me go!” She squirmed, trying to break free from his iron grip.
He didn’t even flinch.
She pushed at his hands, but he was solid.
Unmovable.
Smack.
His palm connected with her bare buttock.
The sound was sharp in the quiet room.
Her body jolted, a gasp escaping her lips.
“Y-you know that hurts!” Tears pricked at her eyes.
She had never been spanked before.
The sting was shocking, foreign.
Alexander’s voice was calm.
Controlled.
“Be a good girl and stay still. Good girls don’t get punished.”
She sniffled, her pride warring with the sting on her skin.
“I want to get my nightwear. Besides, this is my room. Not yours.”
“Still talking?”
Smack.
Harder this time.
“Ouch!” Tears spilled down her cheeks.
The slap landed directly on her bare skin, and the pain radiated through her.
She stopped moving, her body going limp against him.
She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.
His own eyes were closed, his breathing steady.
“We’re not supposed to be this close,” she whispered, her voice shaky.
“It wasn’t in the contract. Sharing a room.”
Alexander opened his eyes.
They were grey, unreadable.
“Some things will have to change. To convince my family of our marriage.”
She bit her lip.
“Then about the kiss earlier… does that also need to be added to the contract between us?”
A long pause.
“What was your lesson number one, young lady?”
Her breath caught.
She remembered.
The words she had spoken so confidently just few minutes ago.
“Touch me without restraint…”
“Nor control,” he finished for her.
Oh no.
What was I thinking when I said that?
Alexander’s hand traced a slow line up her spine, sending shivers across her skin.
“Should we continue from where we stopped last night?” His voice was a low murmur against her ear.
“Or should we rest tonight? After all… we have 364 days left.”
Alyssa closed her eyes.
She understood perfectly.