Not even a little, not deeply at all, not after what happened in the elevator
She thought about it constantly , about how Damon looked at her, the way his breath felt on her skin like a sinful promise, the fact that she didn't stop him, even though she knew she should have
And now, it was ruining her life
She wanted it to end, especially with her job at risk, especially with cameras, the stylists, and rumors everywhere, but her body was disloyal and desiring.
She hated that she felt so helpless,
She hated that they made her feel so powerful,
She told herself to remain calm when she went into the building that morning, to look straight ahead, to stand tall, and to speak clearly
But as soon as she walked onto the floor and saw both Damon and Andrew far away in the studio and she gasped slightly
They weren't talking to each other
Just standing there, watching her, as if they knew she was coming before she got there
Andrew smiled first, relaxed, like he knew something, with that same spark in his eyes
Damon didn't smile at all,
But the desire in his eyes said everything she needed to know
Kareen quickly turned toward the dressing room
She needed to be alone, if only for just a moment,
Somewhere to take a breath and to clear her head
She opened the door and closed it behind her, the click of the lock sounding louder than she thought it would
She breathed out, setting her bag on the bench and taking out the silver dress she was supposed to try on for the shoot tomorrow
It sparkled like temptation itself, smooth and soft in her hands
She took off her clothes fast, hoping the cold air would stop her from feeling so much heat in her stomach
But it didn't help at all
Her hands shook as she tried to zip up the dress halfway
She saw herself in the mirror, out of breath, bare legged, and her lips slightly open as if she was already thinking about him
Or even worse, about both of them
The door opened behind her suddenly
Kareen turned around quickly, her heart racing, only partly dressed
Damon walked in first without hesitation
Andrew came in right after him
They shut the door and didn't say anything
She took a step back slowly, holding the fabric tightly to her chest
"What are you doing?" she asked them, her voice quiet and shaky
Damon kept his eyes locked on hers,
Andrew leaned on the makeup table like he had all the time in the world.
"You didn't reply to our messages," Andrew mentioned casually
"I didn't think they needed a reply," she answered, trying to stay calm
"We think they did," Damon replied, moving closer, his voice was smooth but also a little threatening
Kareen stepped back again, hitting the wall behind her, she couldn't move back any further
"I can't do this," she whispered to them
"Why not?" Andrew questioned
"Because this is my workplace," she explained, with her chest moving up and down quickly, "Because it's crazy, because people are already suspicious, and this isn't..."
Her words stopped when Damon got very close, so close that she could feel his body heat through her light, shiny dress.
"You didn't refuse," he said,
"I'm refusing now," she said, but her voice shook,
"Really?" he questioned, his eyes becoming slightly more narrow, "Then why are you shaking so much?"
Kareen squeezed her hands into fists, pushing herself harder against the wall, trying to keep her knees from giving way.
"You have to leave," she said quietly,
Then, Andrew moved, ever so slowly, and he locked the door behind him.
"You don't want me to do that," he said, getting closer to her on the other side,
And she really didn't want him to,
God help her, she really didn't want him to,
Just the small space between them made her head spin, made her legs squeeze together, and made it hard for her to breathe.
She wanted to yell at herself because of it.
Damon moved his hand out, gently touching her arm, slowly, it was hardly even a touch.
Her skin felt like it was on fire.
Andrew came closer, speaking softly near her ear.
"Just say stop, and we will," he whispered, "But if you don't say anything, we'll take what you've been hiding."
Her heart beat so loudly, she was sure they could hear it.
She opened her mouth to speak,
But she couldn't say any words,
She hated them for causing her to feel like this,
She hated herself even more for not stopping it.
"Okay," she said quietly, shaking, "But here's the deal, no drama, and nobody can ever know about it."
Damon's eyes got very bright,
Andrew smiled like a wolf that had caught something to eat.
"We agree," they said at the same time,
And just like that, the dress fell out of her hands,
The shiny dress fell to the floor with no noise,
Kareen stood there, barely breathing, her chest going up and down as both men got closer to her, Her heart wanted to run, but her body had already decided to stay.
Andrew got to her first.
His fingers slowly went down her bare arm like he had been waiting a long time to touch her again, his mouth gently touched her collarbone, slowly and like he owned her, making her gasp as her head went back without her thinking about it.
Damon didn't hurry,
He looked at her with that cold, fiery look in his eyes, the look that said he already knew what would happen, and maybe she knew too.
He moved in behind her, his hands holding her hips like she belonged right there, stuck between them, shaking and unable to do anything.
Kareen made a soft, sad sound, a quiet sound she didn't realize she made until it had already happened.
Andrew came in close again, his lips touching her ear.
"You don't have to act anymore," he whispered, "Not here, not with us."
Damon's hand moved higher, his fingers spreading against her stomach, pulling her back against his chest.
"You asked for this in Tokyo," he whispered in her neck, "You didn't say the words, but your body showed it."
She hated that it felt so true.
They weren't rushing things.
They weren't being clumsy.
They were guys who knew the right moves for a woman to crack,
And Kareen, she was not cracking,
She was unraveling
Andrew started kissing her deeply, pulling her face close with one hand and moving the other down her waist.
Damon's hand went further down her body.
She made a soft, desperate sound, her hands held Andrew's shirt tightly, as if it could stop her from falling.
She had never felt anything like this, not even on their first night together.
This wasn't just wanting someone in the dark.
This was a planned, strong desire,
This was control mixed with a powerful obsession,
And her body loved every bit of it,
She felt herself being lifted up, her back touched the cold mirror as Andrew kissed down her stomach, Damon kept her steady, watching her eyes the whole time.
There was nowhere to hide now,
No chance to pretend.
She was theirs, in this room, at this moment.
And the only rule was to be quiet.
No one could know about this,
No one could see them,
But if anyone had, they would have seen a woman totally undone,
They didn't just touch her,
They studied her carefully,
They knew exactly where to touch, when to stop, when to take, and when to wait.
Her body shook when she finally felt release, sharp and intense.
She wasn't even sure whose name she called out.
And somehow, that made things even worse.
When her feet finally touched the floor, her legs could barely hold her up.
Damon stepped back, straightening his sleeves as if nothing had happened.
Andrew moved more slowly, moving hair away from her face.
She looked at both of them,her lips slightly open, her skin red, trying to understand what she had just done.
"I meant what I said," she said, still trying to catch her breath, "This stays in this room, no rumors, no problems, and no mistakes."
"Agreed," Damon said, with his voice cold again, as if the passion never happened,
Andrew just smiled, his eyes softer now, but still hard to read.
"Of course," he said, "Just a normal team meeting, right?"
She laughed without any humor, grabbing her dress from the floor and wrapping it around herself.
"Exactly."
Neither man tried to touch her again.
They gave her space as she walked to the other side of the room, reaching for her bag with shaky hands.
She didn't look back.
She couldn't.
Not when her skin still felt the heat of what had happened.
Not when her heart still didn't know what it wanted.
Outside the room, voices went by in the hallway.
People were still working.
The world kept going.
Only she had stopped.
And now, she had to start moving again.
Kareen quietly slipped out, leaving both men behind with only the smell of her perfume and her silence.
She didn't know what this was.
But it was everything.
And nothing.
All at once.