Sleeping with the Enemy

And I do think it's sweet, really, but...has Slater never heard about the concept of T.M.I.?

Zee

Good girls don't get drunk.

But since being a good girl hasn't won me the guy I love, I think it's time for a change. I'm ready to go bad and do bad, but when the bartender finally gets to my spot and asks for my order—-

"A Shirley Temple, please."

"Gotcha. I'll be back in a minute."

"Thanks." I keep my smile in place, but inside I'm cringing and shrinking in absolute shame.

BAD!

That's what you came here to do, Zirconia Verhoff!

You came here to do bad things!

But the first chance I get to be bad, what do I end up doing?

Order a girly, non-alcoholic drink, which is so not bad that I think someone in kindergarten has better chances than I do at making it to Santa's naughty list.

The bartender comes back with my drink, and this time I can barely summon a smile.

You are such a loser, Zee.

I need to do better - no, wait, that's wrong. I need to do a lot worse.

Really, really worse like—-

Aha!

A guy seated at the other end of the counter is trying to catch my eye.

He looks nice enough, and I'm not so clueless that I can't tell if a guy has the hots for me. I know I just need to smile or stare back at him for a few more seconds, and he'll get the drift. He'll come over, and we'll do bad things together.

I mean, they even have Billie Eilish's Bad Guy playing now. It's the universe telling me I still have a shot at this. I can still be bad.

So what I do, of course...is to quickly lower my head and stare at my drink like it's the most fascinating thing in the world.

Gaaah.

I suck at being bad.

I don't even understand why I'm doing this, and I might as well resign myself to being a nun. Nic's the only guy I've ever loved, but instead of being his bride I end up...a bridesmaid in his wedding.

You suck, Zirconia—-oh!

The quintessential tall, dark, and handsome man suddenly slides into the stool next to me, and I suddenly feel like I'm being given one last chance to do bad things.

His lips curve when he catches me staring, and...I still end up staring at him because I have no idea what I should do next.

Why is it so hard to do bad things?!

"Ciao, signorina."

"C-Ciao," I hear myself whisper back even as I'm still unable to stop staring at him. There's just something so compelling about this man that I feel as I've been placed under this spell of enthrallment.

Gray eyes gleam down at me, and I suddenly feel like fanning myself. Has someone turned the AC off...or is it because this stranger is too smoking hot for me to bear?

He's the first man other than Nic to make me feel this way, and I...I...

I think if it's him, I can go really, really bad.

Rafael

I see her the moment I walk inside the hotel's crowded pub.

A classy-looking blonde seated at the bar, her slim, long-legged figure draped in silk. There are other women in the bar, of course, but she quietly outshines them all with her air of refinement.

There's something about her that's so fucking pure. Just something about this woman that an asshole like me can't help but want to see how much I can corrupt her.

Other women try catching my eye as I make my way to the bar, but I don't even bother taking my gaze off my target.

She's all I want and need, and when another guy attempts to take the vacant stool next to her, I just fucking look at him...

Yeah, that's right.

I see the recognition in his eyes quickly turn into fear.

Run away, little boy.

And now that the coast is clear, I take the stool next to her and don't waste another moment to say hello.

She turns to me in nervous surprise, but her lips seem to automatically move in response.

"C-Ciao."

Her voice is soft and clear, but because it's also as impeccably pure as the rest of her, I'm already imagining how fucking sexy it would be, to hear that voice of hers moan and scream the dirtiest words.

I can feel her pretty violet eyes studying me now, and when she bites her lip...it's as if she's suddenly entertaining thoughts she's never entertained before, and when she finally lifts her gaze back to mine...

"Would you like to have sex with me?"

It's a good thing I don't have a fucking drink in my hand or I'd end up choking on it.

"I know this is out of the blue," she says in a rush, "but I haven't misread the signs, have I? You're attracted to me...aren't you?"

My lips press together, and I let a few seconds pass because I enjoy the sight of her squirming.