Chapter 11. Desires

I returned to my bedroom, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Elona's presence in the kitchen had ignited a storm of emotions, a relentless yearning I was determined to quell. She was very young, my daughter's best friend, and my closest confidante's child. Entertaining such desires was a dangerous game I couldn't afford to play.

Maggie, the woman who had accompanied me home, had been patient enough. She was lying on the bed, her legs crossed sensually as she gazed at me with sultry eyes.

"What took you so long, Tristan?" she purred, her fingers tracing circles on the bedspread. "I have been waiting for you."

I tried to push Elona's image from my mind as I approached Maggie, her alluring presence a stark contrast to the turmoil in my head. I leaned in to kiss her, but my heart wasn't in it. My thoughts were consumed by the young woman who I had just left in the kitchen.

Maggie, direct and assertive, pulled away, her brows furrowing.