Imani's legs felt like jelly as she climbed the grand staircase, each step echoing in the cavernous hall of Nier's home.
Her heart pounded, not just from the climb but from the storm raging in her mind.
Nier's touch still burned on her skin, those hands, rough and sure, tugging down her jeans, grazing her curves like he already owned her.
She could still feel the heat of his breath on her neck, his voice low and commanding, whispering all his promises of taking care care of her, and even going as far as to set rules that tore her loyalty to Marcus to shreds.
"Don't fuck your husband anymore, not a touch."
The words looped in her head, a mantra she didn't want to follow but couldn't shake it off no matter how much she tried.
Marcus, her high school sweetheart, her rock for fourteen years, the father of her son, his face was fading, replaced by Nier's crimson eyes, that smirk, that unshakable confidence. She gripped the banister, her nails digging into the polished wood.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?"
She muttered under her breath.
"Sigh... Marcus don't deserve this… but Nier… shit, he has gotten me all fucked up right now."
Her thoughts churned as she reached the left wing, the hallway stretching out like a damn museum.
Making her way to Tanya in Elara's dressing room, she passed the seven rooms Nier mentioned, alongside the three bathrooms. Her mind kept flipping between guilt and desire. Marcus was good, solid, a man who loved her even when she was a mess. But Nier? He was fire, danger, everything she didn't know she craved until he pinned her to that wall, his hand on her throat, promising to take care of her in ways Marcus never could.
"I'm losin it."
She whispered, shaking her head.
She reached the last door at the end of the corridor, heavy oak with a gold handle that felt cool under her trembling fingers. Pushing it open, she stepped into the dress room, and her jaw dropped.
The room was a palace of fashion, a cathedral of many colors, and design. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors lined one wall each, reflecting racks upon racks of clothes, silks, satins, and sequins shimmering under soft recessed lights.
A velvet chaise lounge sat in the center, flanked by glass cases filled with jewelry that sparkled brightly.
Shelves held neatly folded swimsuits, lingerie, and dresses in every color, size, and style, organized like a boutique for royalty.
A faint scent of lavender hung in the air, probably from some fancy-ass diffuser tucked in a corner. It was overwhelming, a subtle reminder of Nier's lavish world he call he day to day life, a world where money was nothing but an object for happiness, a world where every desire could be indulged.
Tanya was already there, standing in front of a full-length mirror, her reflection showing off a swimsuit that made Imani's breath catch in her lungs.
It was a deep emerald one-piece, cut high on the hips with a plunging neckline that barely contained Tanya's massive boobs, the fabric hugging her curves like a second skin on her body.
Tanya's hands smoothed over her hips, her glasses fogging slightly as she bit her lip, clearly caught between excitement and embarrassment.
"¡Dios mío, Imani!"
She said, her voice a mix of Spanglish and awe as she turned.
"How do I look? Is this… this is too much, no? I really don't know, I haven't worn anything like this since… highschool."
Imani forced a grin, her mind still a mess of Nier and Marcus.
"Girl, you lookin like a whole snack in that."
She said, her tone playful but strained.
"Them curves poppin out in very sexy way, I fit's you hun."
"You think!?"
"Do I think, I bet Nier is gonna lose his damn mind when he see's you."
She stepped closer, pretending to inspect the swimsuit, but her eyes were distant, her thoughts spiraling."
But as she approached Tanya caught the look in Imani's eyes, her own nerves bubbling up.
"You okay, chica?"
She asked, a little worried.
"You're… I don't know, you seem off. And downstairs, with Nier… about you being wet, don't you think it's weird we are feeling sexually attracted to him."
She trailed off, her cheeks flushing as she adjusted the swimsuit straps, clearly fighting her own battle.
"Like I had to get out of there, Imani. He is such a hunk. I keep thinking things I shouldn't. About him. About… things David can't do as a man, It so wrong, but…
She bit her lip, her hands trembling.
"He is like, so perfect, no? Like he is better than my husband, and I hate myself for thinking this."
Imani nodded, her throat tight.
"Yeah, I feel you."
She said, her voice low, raw.
"Marcus is my heart, he always jas been. But Nier? He is like a damn drug. I said some wild shit downstairs, Tanya., even things I haven't told you, like for example, about pegging Marcus… shit I ain't never reveal that to now. And then I grabbed his ass, talkin bout bendin him over? Girl, I don't even know who I am right now."
She laughed, bitter and shaky, running a hand over her short afro.
"He got me thinkin bout leavin Marcus, about givin up everything. Even my son is startin to feel… far away. Like Nier's all that matters right now."
Tanya' eyes widened, her glasses slipping again as she stepped closer.
"¡Ay, Imani, no! You can"t… we can"t let him do this to us. Marcus is good, your son needs you. And David…
Her voice cracked, her hands clenching.
"David is a mess, I know that much, but he is my husband. I've been with him 22 years, since we were kids basically. But Nier… he is making me want things I shouldn't despite just meeting him today. Like, I wanna be his, chica. I want him to… to take me. And it is scaring me, this isn't normal."
Imani swallowed hard, her eyes drifting to the racks of swimsuits.
"I know, sis. I told Nier his touch feels better than Marcus. I said some gnarly shit, stuff like I would divorce my man if he asked. What the fuck is that? I am causally out here betrayin my whole life for a man I just met."
She shook her head, her voice dropping to a lower tone.
"He told me to find the sluttiest swimsuit in here, to wear it for him. And I am gonna do it, Tanya. I can’t stop myself."
Tanya's breath hitched, her hands fidgeting with the emerald swimsuit.
"I know he was dangerous, Imani. Not just hot, not just rich. Something is definitely wrong with how he makes us feel. We know this much, yet we accept it. Like we're not ourselves, yet we are, or maybe I am nothing but a cheating whore all this while."
She glanced at the door, her voice barely audible.
"I picked this swimsuit cause it looks quite bold to me, but… I picked it for him. Not for me. I want him to look at me, to want me. And I hate it. But I can't help but get overly excited by this too."
Imani nodded, her heart twisting as she moved to the racks, her fingers brushing over a crimson bikini, barely having any strings basically a sexy looking scraps of fabric.
She pulled it off the rack, holding it up, her lips curling into a shaky smirk.
"This the one."
She said, her voice low.
"Slutty as hell, just like he wants. So I am gonna wear it, and I am gonna make him lose it."
She looked at Tanya, her eyes glassy with guilt and desire.
"Look girl, imma just say it as is... Marcus ain't never made me feel like this. Nier has got me ready to burn my whole life down, and I don't even care anymore, I love him, I love him so much, I almost dont want to share him with you."
"The feeling is mutual chica, but what do we even do in a situation like this."
"Hmmm....
Imani began to think, and then she came up with a great idea.
"Let's drain his balls, maybe we jus need to get the lust out of our system."