24 – Dangerous Desires

24 – Dangerous Desires
Ellie’s POV

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

He laughs, a low, sinful sound. “Keep telling yourself that.”

And with that, he turns and strides out, leaving me standing in the kitchen, my heart pounding, my body on fire.

I exhale sharply, pressing a hand to my chest.

Damn him.

Damn me.

Because I think I just lost whatever fight I was putting up.

And I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back.

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Adrien’s POV

The little lamb is slipping.

She’s fighting it, clinging to her self-control like a lifeline.

But I feel it.

The way her body reacts before her mind can catch up.

The way her breath hitches when I get too close.

The way she wants to be devoured but doesn’t know how to admit it.

Not yet.

I give her space after our moment in the kitchen, knowing she needs time to process. To drown in her thoughts.

But I’m not a patient man.

Which is why, later that night, I find myself standing outside her bedroom door.

It’s late. The penthouse is quiet, save for the faint hum of the city beyond the glass walls.

I don’t knock. I don’t need to.

I push the door open, stepping inside.

She’s sitting on the bed, her laptop open, but her fingers are still on the keyboard, her mind clearly elsewhere.

At the sound of my footsteps, she looks up.

And freezes.

The room is dimly lit, casting long shadows over her delicate features. Her lips part, surprise flickering in her eyes before she quickly masks it.

“What are you doing here?”

I shut the door behind me. “Checking on you.”

She raises a brow. “I don’t need checking on.”

I smirk. “That’s debatable.”

Her gaze sharpens. “Adrien—”

“You’ve been thinking about me.” I cut her off smoothly, taking a slow step closer.

She tenses. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“Am I?” I close the distance, watching as she shifts, her breath unsteady.

She doesn’t move away.

She should.

But she doesn’t.

Her throat bobs as she swallows, and I see it—that flicker of hesitation. That want.

I reach out, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my fingers barely grazing her skin.

She shivers.

My smirk deepens.

“Say it,” I murmur.

She frowns. “Say what?”

“That you’ve been thinking about me.”

She scoffs, shaking her head. “You’re delusional.”

I tilt my head. “Am I?”

Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t deny it again.

Instead, she exhales sharply, shoving her laptop aside and standing up, her chin lifting. “You can’t just barge in here whenever you want.”

I step closer. “I own this penthouse, Ellie. I can do whatever I want.”

Her glare sharpens. “I’m not one of your possessions, Adrien.”

I smile, dark and knowing. “Then stop looking at me like you want to be.”

A sharp inhale.

A flicker of something dangerous in her eyes.

But before she can say anything, my phone buzzes in my pocket.

I don’t move right away, watching her, waiting, pushing—

Another buzz.

Annoyed, I pull my phone out, glancing at the screen.

Helen.

I sigh, rubbing my temple. “Duty calls.”

Ellie blinks, her expression shifting. “Helen?”

I don’t answer. Instead, I give her a slow once-over, then smirk. “Don’t wait up, little lamb.”

And with that, I turn and leave.

Ellie’s POV

The moment Adrien is gone, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Damn him.

Damn the way he gets under my skin, the way he makes my body betray me.

I sink onto the bed, my heart still hammering.

Helen.

His assistant? Or something more?

I shouldn’t care.

But I do.

I clench my fists, hating the jealousy curling in my stomach.

Adrien isn’t mine.

And I’m not his.

So why does it feel like we’re tangled in something we can’t escape?

I shouldn’t care.

I repeat the words like a mantra, but the jealousy coiling in my chest doesn’t listen.

Helen.

I’ve seen the way she looks at Adrien.

Like she belongs to him. Like she’s already had a taste of what he’s capable of.

And now he’s leaving—to meet her.

Something bitter stirs inside me.

I snap my laptop shut and stand abruptly, pacing the room.

It doesn’t matter.

I’m here on business. I signed a contract, and that contract doesn’t include feelings, attachments, or messy emotions.

Just my mother’s hospital bills. Just my future.

So why does it feel like Adrien is slowly unraveling every piece of me?

I run a hand through my hair, frustration boiling in my veins.

I need air.

I grab my coat and step out of my room, making my way to the penthouse balcony.

The city stretches before me, glittering under the night sky, its lights a stark contrast to the storm brewing inside me.

I take a deep breath, letting the cold air bite at my skin.

I should go back inside.

I should forget the way Adrien looked at me before he left. The way his touch lingers like a ghost on my skin.

But then I hear something.

A low chuckle.

A sultry moan.

The sound drifts up from below—from Adrien’s bedroom balcony.

I freeze, my heart slamming against my ribs.

I know that sound.

It’s the sound of him with someone else.

With her.

I take a step closer, gripping the balcony railing, peering down.

The curtains in Adrien’s room are partially open.

And inside—

A dark silhouette moves against the dim light, a man’s broad shoulders, a woman’s delicate hands tracing down his chest.

His head tilts back, a deep groan escaping his lips.

My stomach twists violently.

I don’t have to see his face to know.

It’s him.

It’s Adrien.

A lump rises in my throat, but I don’t move.

I can’t.

I should walk away.

But instead, I watch.

Helpless.

Trapped.

Helen’s voice carries through the night, soft and teasing. “You’re distracted.”

Adrien chuckles darkly. “Maybe.”

She presses against him, her lips grazing his jaw. “I could help with that.”

Another deep hum of approval. Another brush of lips, another soft moan.

And something inside me snaps.