Chapter thirty one

Chapter thirty one

Vivian's Pov

I couldn’t wait to get home.

The day had dragged me through a fog of exhaustion, then the dinner and everything else.

I was just going home because I needed to sleep.

That's what I kept telling myself on the drive here.

I reached the penthouse, got out, thanked the driver and paid him.

It was like every step toward the house was pulling me into something I couldn’t quite name, something dangerous. My breath hitched at the thought, but I didn’t want to stop. I wanted it. Needed it.

The front door clicked softly as I slipped inside, and the silence that greeted me was unfamiliar. No laughter, no music, no voices echoing off the walls.

I glanced toward the living room and noticed Finn and Sebastian weren’t there. My chest tightened for a moment, but then a strange excitement bloomed inside me.

Maybe it was relief that the house was quiet. I didn’t care to figure it out. Or not.

I moved quickly up the stairs, my footsteps light and cautious on the soft carpet. The hallway smelled faintly of vanilla and musk, comforting scents that usually calmed me, but tonight they only sharpened my senses. My pulse quickened as I reached my bedroom door, hand trembling just a little before I closed it behind me.

No sooner had I shut the door than my phone buzzed. My breath caught as I saw his name flash on the screen.

Come to my room. The message ordered.

My fingers shook as I unlocked the phone and stared at the message again. I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever this was.

Part of me screamed to run, to hide, to forget the whole thing, but deeper down, beneath the nerves and uncertainty, a fire sparked. I swallowed hard, my throat tight, and then I let myself move.

The hallway stretched long and quiet as I stepped out of my room. Each footfall echoed softly, mixing with the racing beat of my heart. When I reached his door, it was cracked open just enough to let a warm, golden light spill into the hallway like an invitation.

I pushed the door gently, and my breath hitched.

There he was.

Kade.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless, elbows on his knees like he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

The light hit his skin just right—golden, soft, like it wanted to worship him. And maybe I did too, a little. His hair was a mess, like he’d been dragging his fingers through it all night, and I wanted to know if it..... if he, felt as chaotic as it looked.

His back curved forward slightly, muscles shifting as he moved. Not a gym body—no, his was leaner, rougher, like he’d earned every inch of it the hard way.

There was this subtle strength to him, like he could pin me without even trying, and the thought made something low in my stomach tighten.

My eyes dipped, traitorous, hungry bastards.

The waistband of his sweats sat low on his hips, clinging just enough to hint at what was underneath.

And yeah, I saw it. The way the fabric tented slightly at the front, the shape unmistakable. I didn’t mean to stare, but hell, how could I not? It was just there. Bold. Unbothered. Like he knew I’d look. Like maybe… he wanted me to.

And God help me, I wanted to.

His eyes locked on mine, dark, intense, and full of something that I recognized as heat, desire, want. Lust. The air between us stretched tight, the tension the room visible.

Then his voice cut through it, low and deliberate.

“Crawl to me.”

I blinked, unsure I heard him right. My body tensed, but I didn’t move.

“The hell did you just say?”

He didn’t repeat himself. Just watched me with that unreadable expression, like he was already sure of how this would play out.

I crossed my arms. “You think you can just say something like that and I’ll drop to my knees like what? Your pet?"

His voice dropped lower, but the edge sharpened.

“I won’t tell you again.” A pause. “Get on your fucking knees… and crawl to me.”

My chest tightened. A flicker of heat licked up my spine, rage and adrenaline tangled with something even more dangerous, desire. I hated the way my body reacted to that tone, to the sheer weight of his presence.

I held his gaze. “You don’t give orders. Not to me. And I sure as hell don't have to follow them."

He stepped forward, just one slow, calculated step. No threat in his movement, but it knocked the breath from my lungs anyway.

“You’re still standing,” he said. “I thought I told you to do something Vivian. Now. Don't test me. Either you crawl to me like the good girl you are, or you get out of my room. The choice is yours."

I should’ve slapped him.

I should have picked the second option like a normal person and walked the fuck out of there.

But I didn’t.

Something deep inside me pulled taut, like a thread drawn to the edge of snapping. It wasn’t fear. It was the challenge.

The tension. The thrill of meeting someone who didn’t flinch when I pushed.

My lips parted, then closed again. I hated how quiet it got in my head.

Slowly yet deliberately, I dropped to my knees.

My hands touched the carpet, cool and soft beneath my fingers. Then my knees followed.

Suddenly, I was on all fours, exposed and vulnerable in a way that made my breath catch. My heart hammered so loudly I was sure he could hear it, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from him.

Every nerve in my body buzzed with electricity—the heat rising in my cheeks, the flutter in my stomach, the sharp ache between my legs.

I began to crawl. Slow. Deliberate. Each movement was a silent surrender to the pull he had over me. My hands slid forward over the carpet, my knees pushing me closer and closer, my body trembling but unable to stop.

Closer.

Until I was right in front of him, trembling, breathless, utterly undone.