Chapter 13: Chapter Thirteen

**Alexander**

The knock at my door came sharply, more determined than necessary. My gut already told me who it was before I even opened it.

Leonardo.

I swung the door open just enough to see his face, his dark eyes blazing with a mix of anger and determination, sending a dangerous thrill through my chest.

“What?” I said, keeping my tone as clipped as possible.

“We need to talk,” he said, stepping forward without waiting for an invitation. The door slammed shut, and before I could protest, he was inside, standing too close and filling the room with his maddening presence.

“Leonardo, it’s late. Whatever this is, it can wait until morning,” I said, my voice tight.

“No, it can’t,” he replied, his tone low and deliberate. “You threw a tantrum earlier about boundaries, and now you’re avoiding me? That doesn’t work for me, Alexander.”

I stiffened at the way he said my name, his accent curling around it like a caress. “I’m not avoiding you. I’m trying to maintain professionalism—something you clearly have no concept of.”

He smirked, a wicked curve of his lips that made my pulse stutter. “Professionalism? Is that what you call the way you stared at me all day?”

“I wasn’t staring,” I snapped, stepping back instinctively as he moved closer.

But he didn’t stop. “You sure about that?” he murmured, his voice dropping as he closed the gap between us. “Because I could feel your eyes on me every time I turned around. And the way you provoked me, taking your shirt off—”

My back hit the wall, and suddenly there was nowhere left to retreat. “You’re out of your mind, Leonardo. It was hot.” 

Leonardo planted a hand on the wall beside my head, leaning in with a slow, deliberate motion that sent my heart racing. Somehow, this scene was starting to be a constant. “Oh, yeah, it was hot... And then you talked about boundaries,” he said, his breath warm against my cheek. “But tell me, Alexander... What are your boundaries?”

I could taste him again in his sweet breath, that same earthy, minty scent from before. His lips almost caressing mine; his body so close that I could hear his heartbeat—*or was it mine?*— “You need to leave now.” I said, fearing that fire I was drawn to.

His other hand came up, brushing lightly against my chest before trailing upward, his fingertips grazing the sensitive skin of my neck. My body betrayed me, a shiver running through me despite my best effort to remain impassive. I wanted to push him away, to tell him to stop, but my limbs felt frozen, caught in some invisible pull I couldn’t break. Like a moth to the flame, I was about to get burned—and I couldn’t even bring myself to care.

“Is this a boundary?” he whispered, leaning closer until his lips were mere inches from mine. His wild hair fell across his forehead, brushing lightly against my skin, and his scent—something woodsy and undeniably him—invaded my senses, clouding my thoughts.

Before I could answer, he pressed his body against mine, igniting every nerve in my body with the heat of his touch. My breath hitched, and his lips found mine. The kiss started slow, almost testing, but quickly deepened, his mouth moving against mine with a passion that left me lightheaded.

My mind screamed for him to stop, to back away before this spiral became unstoppable. But my body had its own agenda, leaning toward the warmth he offered like it was some forbidden drug. All that existed was the way he felt, the way he tasted, the way he made my carefully constructed walls crumble. My hands gripped his shirt before I even realized what I was doing—pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. I felt his length pressing against mine, and when his teeth bit into my lower lip, my own member responded with an annoying twitch.

When he finally broke the kiss, we were both breathing heavily. He leaned his forehead against mine, his voice low and teasing. “I can say kissing isn’t a boundary. Good.”

I stared at him, my mind a chaotic mess of anger, confusion, and something dangerously close to desire. “I don’t want this,” I said, but the words sounded weak even to my own ears.

He chuckled softly, his lips brushing against the corner of my mouth before trailing down to my neck. “I think your cock hasn’t gotten that memo yet, Prince Charming,” he murmured, his voice dripping with seduction.

His lips grazed the sensitive skin just below my ear, and I bit back a gasp, hating how easily he unraveled me. His fingers slid along my jaw, tilting my head slightly as he continued his slow, deliberate assault. “You can’t lie to me, Alexander. I see right through you. You want me.”

“I don’t.” Oh, but I did... The desire I felt for him made my legs tremble. 

Before I could make sense of it, his right hand reached for my bulging crotch between our bodies. I could feel every shed of pride and defiance leaving me when he began to lower my zipper, nibbling on my earlobe. His eager fingers found my pulsating erection as they crept inside the waistband of my underwear and pants. "You do want me..." he murmured into my mouth, applying the perfect amount of pressure to my cock; his hand smoothly gliding up and down my shaft, displaying those fully worked forearm muscles. 

"Wait, I—" He probed my mouth with his tongue before hushing me with a fiery kiss. Now I was in serious trouble, rushing wildly toward the flames. His slow, methodical movements over my hard, pulsing flesh consumed me and sent thrills of ecstasy through my body. Every touch pushed me over the edge and left a path of glittering pre-cum in its path.

As the pool of fire surrounded me, scorching my soul beyond repair, he gently sucked on my earlobe with a deep whisper. “Is this a boundary?”

Feeling his hand work on my cock, I wanted to scream it was. The entire scene was off limits, forbidden, but when his strokes grew in intensity, all I could muster was a growl of need and desire. 

“Ok, now that we’ve established yours, let me tell you mine,” he continued jerking me off, slowly and methodically now. “You are mine, and I don’t like sharing. Loose the country girl or, like I said earlier, I will. Anything anyone can give you? I can give you better, and I want *all* of you in return, babe.” 

“Stop,” I panted, my hips bucking shamelessly as I tried to meet his thrusts—a mocking contradiction to my words. Every part of me screamed to push him away, but I remained rooted in place, helpless against the storm that was Leonardo Vittorio.

He pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, his eyes dark and filled with something that made my stomach flip. “Tell me to leave,” he said softly. “If you really want me to, tell me. I’ll go.”

The words caught in my throat. I couldn’t say them. And he knew it.

A slow smile spread across his face, and he stepped back, leaving me breathless and unsteady against the wall. “That’s what I thought,” he muttered against my trembling lips. “Good night, Alexander. I’m glad we had this talk.”

And just like that, he was gone, leaving me alone with my raging erection, a racing heart, and the sinking realization that no matter how much I resisted, I was already his in ways I couldn’t deny.