23 – Bound by Fire

23 – Bound by Fire

Ellie's POV

“Go to bed, little lamb, our business is far from finished.”

Like a command.

Like I was his to order.

Anger flared, but I turned on my heel and marched away, ignoring the heat pooling in my stomach.

Because this was exactly why Adrien Devereaux was dangerous.

Not just because of his power.

But because he knew how to make me want to give in.

And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could stop myself

Adrien’s POV

She’s unraveling.

Slowly. Beautifully.

Ellie thinks she can fight it, but I see the way she reacts when I touch her, when I whisper things I know make her squirm.

She wants me.

She just isn’t ready to admit it yet.

But she will.

\-----------------------

The next morning, I find her in the penthouse kitchen, standing at the marble counter with a cup of coffee.

She looks up when I enter, her grip tightening on the mug.

Still thinking about last night.

Good.

I stride past her, plucking a glass from the shelf and pouring myself a drink. Not whiskey this time. Just water.

“What’s on your mind, little lamb?”

She glares over the rim of her mug. “Don’t call me that.”

I smirk. “But you are.”

She huffs. “And what does that make you? The big bad wolf?”

I sip my drink, watching her over the rim. “Something like that.”

Her throat bobs as she swallows, and I see it—that flicker of hesitation, the war in her mind.

I let the silence stretch.

Then, casually, “I bought you something.”

Ellie blinks. “What?”

I pull out my phone and tap the screen. A moment later, the elevator doors slide open, and a man steps out carrying a sleek black portfolio case.

Ellie’s eyes widen.

I take the case and set it in front of her, flipping it open.

Inside, perfectly preserved, are the blueprints for a boutique gallery. Her gallery.

Ellie’s hands tremble as she touches the designs, her breath hitching. “This is—”

“A space downtown. Yours.” I lean in, my voice dropping. “To create. To display. To sell.”

Her lips part, her pulse fluttering. “Adrien, this is too much.”

I smirk. “I don’t do too much, Ellie. I do whatever I want.”

She looks up at me, searching my face. “Why?”

I tilt my head. “Because I can.”

She inhales sharply, and I watch the emotions dance across her face—gratitude, confusion, frustration.

And something else.

Something darker.

Something dangerous.

She’s falling.

I can feel it.

But Ellie isn’t the only one caught in this descent.

Because for the first time in a long, long time...

So am I.

\------------------

Ellie’s POV

The gallery is breathtaking.

Everything about it—the arched ceilings, the massive windows, the polished floors—screams luxury.

I run my fingers over the blueprints again, my mind spinning.

This is real.

Adrien made it real.

And I don’t know how to feel about that.

He steps closer, his presence like gravity, pulling me toward him.

“What’s wrong, little lamb?”

I shake my head. “I just... I don’t know what to say.”

He leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “Then don’t say anything.”

My pulse stutters.

His fingers brush my wrist, featherlight, but the touch burns.

I swallow. “Adrien—”

“Say thank you,” he murmurs.

I exhale shakily. “Thank you.”

His lips quirk up. “Good girl.”

Heat floods my veins.

Damn him.

Damn the way he makes me feel.

Because no matter how much I want to deny it, I know the truth.

I’m already his.

I shouldn’t let him get to me.

But as Adrien’s words settle in my bones, as his presence coils around me like a vice, I realize something terrifying.

I don’t want to fight it.

His fingers graze the back of my hand, slow, teasing, making my skin prickle with awareness.

“Why are you doing this?” My voice barely rises above a whisper.

He tilts his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Doing what?”

I swallow, pulling my hand away. “This. The gallery. The contract. Me.”

His smirk deepens, but there’s something unreadable in his expression. Something that makes my stomach tighten.

“I told you, little lamb,” he murmurs. “Because I can.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the haze he always puts me in. “I don’t want to be owned, Adrien.”

His smirk vanishes.

And in a flash, he’s behind me, his hands bracing against the marble counter on either side of me, caging me in.

The air shifts.

Thickens.

My breath hitches.

Adrien leans in, his lips grazing the shell of my ear. “Then don’t act like something that needs to be claimed.”

A shudder racks my spine.

I hate that he’s right.

Hate that, despite every warning bell screaming in my head, I’m melting into his touch.

“Do you want me to stop?” His voice is silk, wrapping around me, pulling me deeper into his world.

I don’t answer.

Because I don’t know the answer.

His lips barely touch the side of my throat, a phantom tease, and my entire body clenches.

Damn him.

Damn me.

One of his hands moves, his fingers tracing a slow, deliberate path down my arm.

Then lower.

Lower.

My grip on the counter tightens.

Adrien chuckles. “Still pretending you don’t want this?”

I close my eyes, biting my lip. “You’re impossible.”

He hums, his breath hot against my skin. “And yet, here you are.”

I snap my eyes open, turning just enough to glare at him. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

His smirk returns, dark and knowing. “So are you, little lamb.”

And then, just like that, he steps away.

The heat between us vanishes, leaving me breathless, confused, wanting.

Adrien picks up his glass of water, taking a slow sip, watching me like he knows exactly what he’s done.

He sets the glass down, then tilts his head. “I have a meeting. Don’t go running off.”

I glare at him. “I don’t take orders from you.”