Married To My Ex, Now Billionaire Boss

Tainting Her Innocence

AISHA

LIGHTNING STRIKE. That was what it felt like when I pressed my lips against his.

Spencer’s strong arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me toward him harder as if he had wanted to ever do that for so long. His expensive business suit graced the satin summer dress I was wearing, and it certainly felt like two different worlds colliding.

I gasped when he nibbled my lower lip. It felt like the world spun, and my knees got weak.

“Oh my god,” I grasped his arm to balance myself. With the rush of heat, anticipation, and tension… I couldn’t see things surrounding me. The beautiful interior of the suite and the porcelain furniture around us were getting blurry from my sight.

“Lean toward me,” Spencer’s soft voice echoed closest to my ear. And I closed my eyes when I felt the warmth of his breath on my neck. “You don’t have to explain yourself.”

Soft feathery kisses landed on my shoulders. I held my breath as I allowed Spencer to trace the parts of my body that screamed his name.

Flashbacks crossed my mind…

“Spencer! You don’t have to defend me from Nichole’s friends. They can create all the rumors they could make, but we know the truth!”

“And just stay quiet about the entire school’s rambling even if I am, in fact, dating you?”

“I told you already they don’t have to know.”

“They already do. I just spared you in conforming it, AV.”

In my memory, I saw my high school self—soft natural curls cascading along my back wearing our school uniform while Spencer was wearing our soccer team’s varsity jacket. I was pretending not to smile, but his assertiveness tugged something at me. On that day, we started officially dating. And everyone at school knew about it.

Nostalgia washed over me, but it immediately disappeared as soon as I felt the cold air-conditioning onto my skin.

Spencer’s hands stopped roaming around my back, and he was just gazing at me.

I could feel my entire body numbing from the pain in my heart. Of thoughts after thoughts rambling inside my head.

I bowed my head down. Covering my face with both of my hands, I started to sob.

Not even a part of me thought I’d get to be in such a whole different scenario one after another, and right now—in what felt like a brief moment, I was wrapped in the arms of a stranger that I had shared a past with.

“It’s the alcohol. I’m s-sorry.”

Spencer’s familiar touch grazed down the small of my back as he hugged me. But after the quick brush of warmth from his body against mine, I just felt my heart aching even more. Why am I freaking behaving this way?

This just doesn’t feel right.

I pushed Spencer away, backing several steps away from him.

The several glasses of wine that I gulped in just one sitting were taking a toll on my system. I was dumb enough to kiss him. I don’t know if it was the pain of just breaking up with my boyfriend today or if I was desperate to know if I still felt anything for him despite the years that passed by.

Or I was just stupid.

God, I guess I was just stupid.

I cleared my throat and wiped my face. I inhaled a deep breath and looked up to Spencer once again. “I apologize if I had been emotional. I knew I didn’t have any reason to. You are just someone I have known from high school and nothing more. And yet…” My words held so much conviction until I said the last line. “I am grateful for your hospitality tonight, Spencer. Good night. I assure you I'll be gone first thing tomorrow.”

But before I could walk away, Spencer grabbed my wrist. “What if I’d like you to stay, Aisha?”

But why? I would like to ask, but I bit my tongue. The silence echoed inside this massive luxurious suite. From the massive glass wall just beside the living room, I could see the view of the city lights. It looked majestic.

I blinked away the tears with that little distraction, I was able to put on a convincing expression. “Just to let you know I don’t care about the past. I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Spencer nodded. He stood up straight and nodded his head as if he is agreeing to an unfavorable subject. Yet he still said, “I respect that.”

We stared at each other for a few minutes.

“I just wanna know how you have been, Aisha.”

Before I could respond to Spencer, I heard my phone ring. I looked away from him and I unlocked my phone.

The first thing that popped up on my screen was Ricky’s name. The message was a picture of him kissing his female workmate right in the airport lobby.

“Jerk!” I shouted as I threw my phone at the wall. “How did I even get myself involved with a cheater,” I mumbled to myself.

I looked up at Spencer and I saw his gaze softening.

“Do you wanna hear a really dumb life story?” I said. I sat back on the sofa and poured myself a glass of wine. I gulped a glass, then another, and another as I started mumbling about anything that came to my mind.

The alcohol allowed me to let go and just talk…

Until I found myself getting dizzy.

“I really need a friend,” I mumbled as I touched his face. “Just a friend.”

Spencer held me by my waist and carried me in his arms. He lifted me off the couch and started walking while he was still carrying me. “Let’s see about that.”