Ficorpio
Chapter 1
My boyfriend was acting strangely while we were making out.
I had put on the lace lingerie he’d been dying to see, yet he hadn’t touched me once.
The bedroom lights were off. I leaned close and breathed against his ear. “It’s a surprise for you. Do you like it?”
His breathing turned ragged.
Delighted by his reaction, I thought it was working. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him with even greater enthusiasm.
Then my boyfriend’s voice came from outside the room.
“All the lights are on. Where is everyone?”
I froze. Heat rushed through my entire body.
If Evan was outside, then who was the man in my arms?
I scrambled off him in the darkness and clutched both arms over my chest.
“Who are you?”
I kept my voice low as I stared fearfully at the shadow in front of me.
A moment later, a deep, cool voice answered.
“Adrian Sterling.”
The name stopped me cold.
He was Evan’s roommate. I’d seen him a few times when I came over to visit Evan.
Adrian had always struck me as aloof and quiet, the kind of man who wasn’t easy to approach. Whenever we crossed paths, we merely nodded at each other. We’d never exchanged so much as a greeting.
Remembering what I’d just done, I flushed scarlet. “What are you doing in Evan’s bedroom?”
“Borrowing a phone charger.”
His answer was simple, but I was on the verge of panic.
I was wearing almost nothing. Adrian and I were alone together in a pitch-dark bedroom. If Evan walked in and saw us, no explanation in the world would make this look innocent.
With no time to think, I grabbed my discarded clothes and smartphone, then hid inside the wardrobe.
“Please don’t let Evan find me,” I whispered to Adrian.
Adrian was silent for two seconds. Then he came over and closed the wardrobe door for me.
At that exact moment, the bedroom door opened.
Evan walked in and switched on the light, flooding the room with brightness.
“Adrian? What are you doing in my room?”
Adrian picked up the phone charger from beside the desk. “I came to borrow this.”
“Oh.”
Nothing in Evan’s voice suggested that he suspected anything.
“By the way, have you seen Sophie? She texted me that she was coming over.”
“No.”
Sweat broke out across my back.
Today was our first anniversary. Before leaving work, I’d texted Evan to tell him I had a surprise for him that evening.
He had to stay late at the office, which gave me plenty of time to come over and prepare. I’d planned to offer myself as his anniversary gift the moment he got home.
Instead, I’d ended up kissing the wrong man.
“My computer’s acting up,” Evan said. “Can you take a look at it?”
“Sure.”
Once Adrian led Evan into his own bedroom, I hurried out of the wardrobe and got dressed. Then I gathered my things and slipped quietly out of the apartment.
On the way home, I texted Evan.
[I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wasn’t feeling well today, so I didn’t make it. I’ll have to owe you that surprise for now.]
He replied almost immediately.
Chapter 2
[Are you okay? What happened? Do you want me to come over and keep you company?]
[No, it’s fine. I’m already in bed. You should get some rest too.]
I just wanted to be alone and calm myself down, so I quickly turned him down.
[Okay. I’ll come see you tomorrow morning.]
[Mm.]
I set my phone aside and let out a quiet breath of relief.
As soon as I got home, I hurried into the bathroom and ran a bath.
The warmth enveloped me, bringing a brief sense of comfort and peace. But the scattered images in my mind kept rising to the surface, completely beyond my control.
Adrian hadn’t responded to me at all.
When I had held him, pressed myself against him, and kissed him so passionately, he hadn’t crossed the line even once.
Even when I had taken his hand and—
He had only breathed a little harder, his breathing slightly uneven.
That was all.
Given the difference in our builds, Adrian had more than enough strength to push me away. But he hadn’t moved.
He had simply let me do whatever I wanted to him.
At the thought, my heart began to race. Heat spread through my entire body.
Adrian’s reaction… hadn’t it been a little strange too?
Had he known it was me in that room?
I quickly stopped myself from following that line of thought.
I had been the one who mistook him for someone else in the first place. Blaming him afterward would have been even more shameless.
He had been willing to cover for me and lure Evan away. The least I could do was be grateful.
Early the next morning, Evan arrived with his arms full of grocery bags.
“How are you feeling? Any better?” he asked after I got up.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just a little tired yesterday.”
“It’s getting late. Go wash up while I make breakfast.”
I nodded.
By the time I came out, Evan was already busy in the kitchen.
Evan and I worked at Sterling Holdings, though we kept our relationship discreet at the office. We’d been together for over a year, and in all that time, he had treated me like a princess.
Whenever we had a day off, he would come over and cook for me. With him around, I barely had to lift a finger. He even took care of the laundry and cleaning.
For every holiday and anniversary, he planned thoughtful dates and chose my gifts with care. On the rare occasions we argued, he was always the first to apologize. He never let things reach the point where I cried.
I was slow to warm up to people and found it difficult to let anyone in. When Evan and I first started dating, I’d only agreed because I thought I might as well give him a chance.
But after more than a year together, I felt I knew him well enough.
That was why I had decided to take our relationship to the next level last night.
I just hadn’t expected my plan to go so disastrously wrong.
Chapter 3
Once Evan had finished preparing a full spread, he called me over to eat.
“I made all your favorites. Try them.”
He filled my plate and watched me expectantly.
“Okay.”
I nodded, warmth spreading through my chest.
What happened yesterday had been an accident, but I still couldn’t help feeling that I had somehow wronged Evan.
Halfway through the meal, I finally asked, “What’s your roommate Adrian like?”
“Adrian?”
Evan paused. “He’s a good guy. Why?”
“It’s just… whenever I come over and see him, he always seems so distant. I was curious about what he’s like when it’s just the two of you.”
“He takes a while to warm up to people, and yeah, he can come across as cold. But he’s actually a decent person.”
“I see.”
I hesitated before asking, “Is he single? Does he have a girlfriend?”
“I’ve never seen a woman come looking for him. He always keeps to himself, so I assume he’s single. Plenty of women at the company are interested in him, though.”
Adrian worked at Sterling Holdings too, although he was in a different department from Evan and me.
He was exceptionally handsome and attracted plenty of attention around the office. Even I had heard people talking about him.
Evan raised his eyebrows as he took another bite. “Why are you suddenly so curious about him?”
Then he teased, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for someone else. Have you got your eye on him now?”
He was obviously joking, but I denied it at once.
“No! Of course not!”
Evan laughed. “I’m teasing you. I know my sweetheart only has eyes for me.”
“As long as you know.”
On Monday morning, I headed to Sterling Holdings.
I hadn’t expected to run into Adrian Sterling in the elevator.
After the awkwardness of that night, I instinctively lowered my head and avoided his gaze. But we were bound to see each other often at work, so I gathered my courage, looked up, and managed a strained smile.
Adrian didn’t react.
He stepped in beside me, his expression as cool and unreadable as ever.
Fine.
Apparently, I was the only one who felt awkward.
A crowd of employees poured into the elevator behind us, forcing Adrian directly behind me.
We were pressed so close that I could feel the warmth of his body and catch his scent. He wore a subtle woody fragrance. I had no idea what cologne it was, but it smelled incredibly good.
I’d caught a faint trace of it that night too. Since I hadn’t suspected anything at the time, I’d ignored it.
Now his warm breath brushed the back of my neck, accompanied by that familiar scent, and every moment from that night came rushing back.
Heat flooded my face all the way to my ears.
Get a grip, Sophie!