Guilty as Gorgeous | Chapter 19
By the time she emerged from the water late at night, the pool was deserted. The mother and child were gone, and even Panthakant had vanished.
Phutphitchaya rinsed off and changed into an oversized T-shirt, denim shorts, and flip-flops. She was heading toward the elevator, bag in hand, when a massive silhouette materialized in front of the door, causing her to recoil in startle.
He had showered and changed as well. "Care for a stroll?"
"I'm exhausted, sleepy, and I'd much rather be in bed, sir."
"In exchange for me reconsidering the new partner and spokesperson?"
Her brown eyes flickered with a momentary spark of hope before clouding over with hesitation. "Didn't you say you don't mix business with women?" She deliberately omitted the word 'pursuit.'
"Not if the cost outweighs the benefit," he finished the sentence for her.
"I hope you aren't expecting anything more than a walk and a waste of time."
"Better let me worry about that, Hottie."
She should have refused; Phutphitchaya told herself that. Yet, the intense gaze fixed upon her seemed to override every rational thought.
"I need to put my bag in the locker first."
"I'll take care of it."
His hand reached out with gentlemanly poise, and she found herself handing over the bag. She waited as he disappeared into a nearby luggage room, returning in less than a minute to walk beside her out of the hotel.
"Do you come to Pattaya often, Paan?"
"Every now and then. Lately, it's mostly for work. And you?"
"My first time here was when I brought Kate to Thailand. My mother loves the sea—yacht parties, dancing all night, sunbathing."
"And what do you like?" she asked, curiosity piqued.
"Scuba diving, watching the sunset, swimming before the sun comes up."
"What!?" She let out a small gasp. "You? Seriously?"
"What's 'me' supposed to be like, darling?" The handsome man arched an eyebrow.
"A businessman, a half-caste, a bad boy, a total womanizer." She defined him with a string of blunt labels before casting a sidelong glance. "I assumed you'd prefer your mother's lifestyle over being a nature lover."
"An actress, a villainess, a sexy star raised in the nineteenth century." Panthakant looked down at the woman beside him with amusement. "If we hadn't met under those specific circumstances, I would have invited you for a drink at the lounge downstairs."
"Meeting under the wrong circumstances doesn't mean you know me at all." She immediately built a wall, sensing he was becoming far too perceptive.
"Do you always have this defensive reaction toward men like me?"
"Only toward men who are chauvinistic and don't know how to respect women, sir."
"Like men like Sia Maitree?"
"That old man can't even be called a man. He's just a lecherous beast in human skin."
His face clouded instantly as he pulled her to a stop on the beach. "Did he hurt you?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because I care," Panthakant answered bluntly. "Now give me a straight answer. Don't dodge."
Her eyes blazed with a hostile fire as she recalled the incident from over two years ago—one that had caused immeasurable damage to both her and her best friend. "Yes. He did."
She hadn't even finished when the arm he held was squeezed so hard she felt her bones might crack. He loosened his grip immediately when she looked up and glared at her. However, the rebuke on her lips died in her throat when she saw his expression—cold and emotionless, yet with eyes so fierce and dangerous they warned her not to come any closer.
"Sorry, Hottie. You okay?"
"I'm fine." She rubbed her arm gingerly.
"Is this why? Is this why you seem to hate men so much?"
Phutphitchaya stared at him in confusion for a moment before realizing that her lack of 'experience' had been misinterpreted as something else.
"You... you think Sia Maitree raped me?"
"The way you're talking, what else am I supposed to think?" He frowned.
"I wasn't finished before you nearly crippled my arm." She wrinkled her nose, looking away. "He tried. But someone saved me. It was someone else who ended up paying the price."
"He didn't touch you?"
"Even if he didn't succeed, that Sia caused me nothing but trouble. He destroyed my friend's life. Do you have any idea how devastating it is for a woman to be raped? Many times, not only does the law fail to punish those animals, but the victims are raped over and over again by society's judgment. They're left with emotional scars, nightmares for a lifetime. Some people even look at them as if they're the ones at fault, even though the woman is the victim. But a man could never understand."
As she finished her outburst, she was caught off guard as his slender frame was pulled into a crushing embrace. The unexpected reaction knocked the breath right out of her. A strange illusion made her feel as if a flash of white light hit her eyes as his powerful arms tightened, nearly making her disappear into his broad chest.
"Thank God…"
"You don't need to pity me."
She muffled her words, unsure how to handle a gesture of comfort that felt so warm it was almost burning. Especially when he loosened his hold, tilted her small chin up, and captured her lips in a kiss before she could even brace herself.
The world went blurry for the woman being kissed. The touch was invasive and demanding, yet possessed an underlying softness that sent jolts of static electricity from her head to her toes. She let his hot tongue sweep in, invading and exploring her soft mouth, savoring the intoxicating taste he had sampled once before, as if he held a sovereign right over her seductive body.
Her heart raced as the sensation of desire took hold. Her lips parted to receive the crushing, heavy kiss that made her blood run hot. She felt an urge to press closer against the hard, unyielding body that felt as solid as a rock, so different from her own soft, feminine frame. She might have lost control for much longer if he hadn't reached down to squeeze her heart-shaped buttocks, grinding them against the burgeoning hardness below—and if there hadn't been a faint gasp from nearby.
"Mmph…" Phutphitchaya jerked her head away, her heart sinking when she saw someone watching from the corner of her eye. "Let… let go!"
"Dammit!" her aggressor groaned breathlessly. "Stay with me tonight, Hottie."
She went rigid at the blunt invitation. It was enough to shatter every trace of the previous passion in a heartbeat. She shoved him away with all her strength, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"You've taken advantage of me again!"
The large frame only stumbled back a step. He looked down at the beautiful woman in front of him, confused. He moved to grab her as she began to retreat, preparing to flee.
"Hey! Did I do something wrong?" She kissed him back, didn't she?
"If you don't let go, don't say I didn't warn you."
"We haven't even finished our walk yet, darling. The beach road over there has some fragrant coconut water for sale."
He actually had the gall to ask her to keep walking? Treating her like a child with a food bribe!?
Phutphitchaya let out a low hiss of warning and wrenched herself free for the second time. This time, the man let her go.
"Keep it for your own face! I'll find a coin to put in your mouth soon enough!"
What the hell? The half-Thai man didn't understand the stinging sarcasm.
By the time he could process it, she had already turned and bolted back into the hotel.