“My room?” he says finally, voice unreadable.
I nod, swallowing thickly.
“I mean… You used to live here, right? You have your own room.” I try to sound casual, but my voice comes out all wrong. Tight and breathless.
I need someone to shut me up, please, please. I swear this is one of the reasons I hate that I can speak to him freely.
He doesn’t say anything at first. Just keeps looking at me like he’s trying to solve something. Like I’m a puzzle that’s missing a few pieces, but he’s determined to put it together anyway.
Then, finally, he nods once.
“It’s upstairs,” he says. “I’ll show you.”
He turns and starts walking, and I follow.
My legs feel like they’re moving on their own.
***
The hallway is quiet. Too quiet.
I follow Alex through the east wing of the mansion, my heart thudding against my ribs like it wants to escape. The further we go, the more distant the sounds of laughter and music become, swallowed by silence and marble. Every step echoes. Every breath feels heavier.
His room is at the far end, tucked away from everything else. Of course it is. Of course, Alex would exist slightly outside the world like this—close, but never quite reachable.
He opens the door and gestures for me to get in. My feet move before my brain catches up. It’s warm in here.Unexpectedly warm. Soft lighting spills across the room, casting shadows on dark, elegant furniture. The bed is massive. The walls are lined with shelves and lots of books. A single painting hangs above the headboard: a stormy ocean, with all its churning waves and silver skies.
I glance around, trying not to let my nerves show.
“It’s… more cozy than your penthouse,” I murmur, then look back at him.
Alex hums, tugging at the collar of his shirt, his fingers unfastening the first button with deliberate slowness. Then he pulls at his tie, loosening it with one hand. I don’t mean to stare at his neck, but I do. At the curve of it. The subtle pulse just beneath his skin. His big, veiny hands. The muscles shift beneath his sleeves.
I should not stare, but I do
“You have ten seconds to stop looking at me like that,” he says, voice deep and smooth, “or I’m going to come over there and kiss you, and I will not stop with just that.”
The words land in my chest like fire.
I try to look away. I really do. But I can’t. My gaze clings to him, hungry, terrified, lost. Ten seconds. Ten seconds of thunderous silence stretch between us.
And then he moves.
His stride is slow but purposeful—like a predator who already knows there’s no escape. My breath catches. I instinctively take a half-step back. But he reaches me, his hands grip my waist, pulling me in like I belong nowhere else but here.
Then, his mouth is on mine.
There’s nothing gentle about it. No patience. Just heat and desperation and something raw, something I can’t name but feel down to my knees. It steals my breath. I gasp into the kiss, and it feels like relief, like I’ve been drowning all night and only now remembered how to breathe. His lips are fierce, claiming andrelentless, moving against mine like he’s trying to brand me, like he needs me to feel him.
His hands grip my jaw, tilting my face to deepen the kiss, to take more, and I give in without thinking because there’s no room for thought anymore. Just this ache and heat, and the way my body shudders as his mouth devours mine.
My hands tremble as I grip the front of his shirt, pulling him closer like I’ll break if there’s even a sliver of space left between us.
And dear heaven, he tastes so good, so freaking mesmerizing.
His hands slide down my back, tugging at my jacket. He strips it off with ease, letting it fall to the floor. Then my shirt—his fingers slip between the buttons of my silk shirt and push it off my shoulders. I don’t stop him. I can’t. I want more.
He lifts me effortlessly, and I let out a breathless gasp as he sets me down on the edge of the table. My thighs wrap around his waist on instinct, and his cock, already hard through his pants, rubs against mine with just enough friction to make me lose my mind. My back arches. I moan, desperate and soft, biting my lip like that’ll stop me from falling apart.
