A MAN'S WARNING

The morning air was sharp and heavy with the promise of rain. I was out in the yard hanging laundry on the line, the damp fabric clinging to my arms, when Clarissa’s voice cut across the quiet.

“You should stop bending over like that.”

My spine stiffened. Slowly, I turned to find both of them leaning against the fence, arms folded, smirks firmly in place.

“Why?” I asked cautiously, clutching the sheet in my hands.

“Because the pastor might see you,” Isabel sing-songed. “And we both know you’d love that.”

Clarissa’s grin sharpened. “She probably dreams about it. Him watching her every move, her pretending not to notice.”

Heat crept up my neck. “Shut up.”

They laughed in unison, delighted at the reaction they’d pulled from me. Their laughter followed me all the way to the back steps, clinging to me like burrs.

---

When I stepped inside, he was there.

Nathaniel.

He stood leaning in the doorway of his study, his shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, his tie loose around his neck. He didn’t say anything at first—just watched me. My heart tripped in my chest.

“They shouldn’t talk to you like that,” he said finally, his voice low, rough.

“They always do,” I murmured, setting the basket down too quickly.

He pushed away from the doorframe, closing the space between us in a few strides. His shadow fell over me. “Do you like it?”

I blinked, startled. “Like… what?”

“The way they talk about you.” His gaze was piercing. “The names they call you.”

“No!” The denial tumbled out too quickly, too desperate.

His eyes narrowed slightly, lingering on my burning cheeks. “Then why do you blush?”

My lips parted, but no sound came. Shame flushed through me, hot and undeniable.

His jaw tightened. He leaned closer, his voice a dangerous whisper. “You think I don’t see it? The way your thighs press together when they mock you? The way you look at me when you think I’m not watching?”

My breath hitched.

“You don’t know what you’re playing with,” he continued hoarsely. “You’re not a child anymore. Men will see you. Men will want to ruin you. Men like him.”

My throat tightened. “The pastor?”

His eyes darkened. “Yes. Stay away from him.”

I swallowed. “Why do you care?”

For the briefest second, something flickered in his gaze—raw, dangerous, unguarded.

“Because I want to ruin you first.”

The words slammed into me like fire. My heart stuttered, my pulse roaring in my ears.

---

The rest of the day passed like a fog I couldn’t break through. His words haunted me, replaying in a loop that made my chest ache and my stomach twist.

By the time dinner came, the tension in the house was a living, breathing thing.

Clarissa and Isabel were in rare form, whispering to each other, shooting me sly looks across the table.

“Pastor Gabriel looked at you again today,” Isabel teased, her grin sharp. “Everyone saw.”

Clarissa leaned back, crossing her legs. “Bet she loved it. She lives for his attention.”

Mother’s fork clattered down against her plate, the sound sharp as a slap. “Enough. All of you.”

For a brief moment, hope flickered. Maybe—just maybe—she was about to defend me. But then her eyes shifted, landing on me with ice-cold judgment.

“And you,” she said, her tone venomous. “Stop provoking them. Stop provoking everyone. You walk around this house like temptation itself. It’s shameful.”

Tears pricked hot behind my eyes. “I don’t—”

“Don’t lie to me.” Her lips curled. “You enjoy it. Every glance, every whisper—you enjoy it.”

My throat closed. “No, Mother. I don’t.”

Her voice was final, cutting. “Slut.”

The word dropped like a stone into my chest

---

Later, in the stillness of night, I heard the knock on my door.

I hesitated, staring at the handle, before slowly pulling it open.

Nathaniel stood there, his face shadowed, his expression unreadable.

“Come with me,” he said.

Something in his tone made resistance impossible. My legs carried me after him down the silent hallway, through the darkened house, into his study.

He shut the door behind us. The click echoed like a warning.

“Sit.” He gestured to the leather chair opposite his desk.

I sat, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

He remained standing, looming over me, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides. “Do you know what they say about you?”

I nodded faintly. “Yes.”

“That you’re a whore. A temptress. That you want every man’s eyes on you.”

Shame burned my cheeks. “They’re lying.”

“Are they?” His voice cut like a blade.

Tears pricked my eyes. “I—I don’t want to be like this. I don’t want them to call me those things. But when they do…”

His eyes locked on mine. “When they do what?”

The confession slipped from me like a secret I could no longer hold. “It excites me.”

Silence fell, heavy and dangerous. His chest rose and fell, his jaw flexing.

“You don’t know what you’re playing with,” he said hoarsely. “You’ll be destroyed.”

I swallowed hard, my voice barely audible. “Then destroy me.”

He moved before I could blink. His hand shot to my waist, yanking me flush against him. His breath was ragged against my mouth.

His mouth slammed against mine. Mine unpracticed, his demanding and dominant seeking my tongue. The kiss was brutal, hot and demanding. He kept sucking on my tongue like how I knew he would eat me out, hot, brutal and sinful.

He lifted me onto the desk in one swift motion, his body pressing between my legs. My dress rode up, his hands gripping my thighs possessively.

His hands slipped between by thighs , caressing the skin there, my body ignited with goosebumps. I felt heady, horny and hot all over. I could feel feel my pussy leaking copious amount of juices, panties getting soaked and sliding juices onto his fingers.

A groan ripped from his throat as he pulled back just enough to stare at me, his eyes blazing with hunger and guilt.

“You’re going to destroy me,” he whispered, his forehead pressed to mine.

“Then let me,” I breathed.

His hands trail higher , rubbing me through my panties , my legs shook at the sudden onslaught. I moaned. “ Oh my....", the sensations were heady , I've never felt like this before.

Suddenly, he tore himself back, shoving away from the desk like he’d touched fire. His chest rose and fell in ragged bursts, his fists curling at his sides.

“Go,” he growled. “Before I can’t stop myself.”

I stumbled off the desk, my body still trembling, my lips swollen, my thighs aching with need. Pussy hot and throbbing with intense need.

I fled the study, heart racing, desire burning through me like a sin I could never escape.

Back in my room, I collapsed against the door, breathless.

His words echoed in my head. Because I want to ruin you first.

The cruelest part? I wanted him to.