25 – Obsession Burns Deep

25 – Obsession Burns Deep

Ellie's POV

And something inside me snaps.

I don’t wait to hear more.

I spin on my heel, rushing back inside, slamming my bedroom door shut behind me.

My pulse pounds in my ears, my skin hot, my breath uneven.

I hate him.

I hate how easily he plays with women like they’re his to use and discard.

I hate that I care.

That he can do this—right after being in my room, looking at me like I’m the only thing that exists in his world.

But I also hate the way my body reacts.

Because despite the rage, despite the jealousy—

A part of me is burning.

A part of me wishes I was the one in that room.

And that terrifies me more than anything.

Adrien’s POV

I knew she was watching.

I felt her presence on the balcony, the weight of her gaze pressing down like a phantom touch.

But she didn’t stay.

I heard her door slam, the sharp finality of it slicing through the night.

Good.

She needs to understand.

I don’t chase. I don’t beg. I don’t love.

I consume.

I take what I want, and when I’m finished, I walk away.

Sophie shifts beneath me, her nails raking down my back. She’s panting, body trembling, but my mind is somewhere else.

Somewhere upstairs.

With her.

I should be lost in this moment, in Sophie’s hands, in the heat of release.

But all I see is Ellie’s storm-filled eyes, her soft lips parted in anger and something deeper.

Something darker.

Something she doesn’t want to admit.

I pull away from Sophie abruptly, my patience snapping.

She blinks up at me in confusion. “Adrien?”

I don’t answer. I grab my pants, slipping them on with sharp, precise movements.

Sophie sits up, the sheets pooling around her. “You’re really doing this?”

I glance at her, my expression unreadable. “You knew what this was.”

She laughs, but there’s an edge of bitterness. “Yeah, I just didn’t think she would get under your skin like this.”

I pause, my jaw tightening.

Then I smirk.

“She hasn’t.”

It’s a lie, and Sophie knows it.

But I don’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction. I grab my shirt, tossing it over my shoulders, and leave.

I don’t go to my room.

I go to hers.

Ellie’s POV

Sleep refuses to come.

I’ve been tossing and turning for over an hour, but every time I close my eyes, I see them.

I hear them.

Adrien’s deep, guttural moans. Sophie’s breathy gasps. The way his hands must have moved over her body, the same way they threatened to move over mine.

I hate it.

I hate him.

A sharp knock startles me.

I jolt upright, my heart slamming against my ribs.

Another knock, slower this time. Controlled.

I already know who it is.

I don’t move.

I don’t breathe.

A beat of silence stretches between us.

Then—

The door handle turns.

Panic surges through me. “Adrien, don’t.”

He ignores me. The door swings open, and he steps inside, tall and commanding, his shirt unbuttoned, exposing the sharp ridges of his abdomen.

His gaze locks onto mine, dark and unreadable.

I grip the sheets, my voice sharper than I intend. “Get out.”

He doesn’t.

Instead, he moves, stalking toward me with slow, deliberate steps.

A predator in the dark.

I scramble back, my pulse hammering. “I mean it, Adrien. I don’t want to do this tonight.”

He cocks his head. “Do what?”

I glare at him. “Play whatever game this is.”

His smirk is lazy, but there’s something dangerous beneath it. “You think this is a game?”

I swallow hard. “Isn’t it?”

His jaw clenches.

And then he’s on the bed.

I barely have time to react before his hands cage me in, his body pressing close but not touching.

Not yet.

His voice is low, a lethal whisper against my ear. “Tell me to leave, Ellie. Really tell me to leave, and I will.”

I open my mouth.

The words don’t come.

Because I don’t want him to leave.

I want him to stay.

And that terrifies me more than anything.

Adrien doesn’t move. He hovers over me, his breath warm against my lips, his presence overwhelming.

I should push him away. Tell him to leave.

But I don’t.

Because deep down, I know the truth.

I want him.

I’ve wanted him since the moment I met him, since he whispered in my ear that first night, since he smirked like he already knew how I’d sound moaning his name.

But I can’t give in.

If I do, I lose.

I wet my lips, forcing my voice to stay firm. “Adrien… leave.”

His dark eyes flicker, his expression unreadable.

Then—he smirks.

That same lazy, arrogant smirk that drives me insane.

“Liar.”

Before I can protest, his hand moves, skimming down my arm, his fingers trailing over the thin fabric of my nightgown.

I suck in a sharp breath, my body betraying me, heat pooling between my thighs.

His voice drops lower. “Say it again, Ellie. Tell me to leave.”

I open my mouth—

But nothing comes out.

He chuckles darkly, his fingers curling under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “That’s what I thought.”

I want to slap him. I want to kiss him.

I want to stop this madness.

But then he does something that makes my entire body freeze.

He presses his lips to my throat.

Soft.

Slow.

Dangerous.

A whimper escapes me before I can stop it.

His grip tightens, his voice rough. “You’re mine, Ellie. And I’m going to make you accept it.”

My heart slams against my ribs.

Before I can respond, his mouth crashes against mine in a sensual kiss.