Chapter 60 In The Absence Of Control
Seraphina froze at the doorway.
For a moment, she simply stared at him, her fingers still resting on the door handle as if she had forgotten how it worked.
The very person she had been thinking about all night- now standing right in front of her.
Her throat tightened as her eyes moved over him.
He was dressed simply, in a fitted black shirt and black trousers, nothing ceremonial like earlier, yet he still carried himself with an effortless presence that made everything else fade. His hair was slightly damp, darker at the ends, as though he had just stepped out of the shower. A faint, clean scent drifted from him, subtle but unmistakable, and it did something dangerous to her senses.
She drew in a quiet breath before she could stop herself.
Julian noticed.
His gaze lowered briefly to her lips, then returned to her eyes.
“May I come in?” he asked.
The question caught her off guard, her neck straining from looking up at him. He was too tall.
She raised a brow. “Since when do you ask for permission?”
A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
She stepped aside.
He entered without brushing against her, though the air between them shifted the moment he crossed the threshold. She closed the door behind him, the soft click echoing louder in her ears than it actually sounded.
She then turned to face him.
“Why are you here?”
Julian inhaled slowly, then exhaled just as sharply, as though steadying himself.
“You looked beautiful today,” he suddenly said.
Her heart skipped at the unexpected words, or maybe it was the person who said it.
She forced herself to remain unaffected, lifting her chin slightly. “I know.”
His eyes darkened faintly.
He stepped closer, stopping just enough to leave space between them.
“You looked…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Stunning. Like no other woman I’ve seen before.”
Her pulse betrayed her, quickening in her chest. What was he doing? Or trying to gain?
She swallowed.
“Not even Joanne?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Julian’s mouth curved into a knowing smirk.
“Are you jealous, Seraphina?”
She shook her head lightly. “There’s nothing to be jealous about. You and Joanne just seem to have a lot of chemistry. She couldn’t stop talking about you.”
Julian’s expression shifted slightly.
“You spoke in private?”
“Yeah,” Seraphina replied calmly. “She said she would have gifted me something, but I already have you.”
Julian scoffed faintly, the sound low and dismissive.
“You won’t have to worry about that again.”
Her brows pinched.
“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.
His gaze remained fixed on her. “What do you mean?”
She crossed her arms lightly, expression serious. “You’re acting like someone interested in me now. But you told me before that you couldn’t afford distractions. You said we should stay apart.”
His eyes did not leave hers.
“I wish I could let you stay apart.”
Her breath caught.
“What does that mean?”
He did not answer with words.
He stepped closer.
Close enough that she could feel the warmth of him. Close enough that her breathing grew uneven without her permission.
His hand lifted slowly, deliberately, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to.
She didn’t.
His fingers touched her hair first, brushing along the strands before trailing down the side of her face, following the natural curve of her cheek.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
Her lips parted slightly, and she ran her tongue over her bottom lip without realizing it.
That was all it took.
Julian lost control.
He kissed her. He dropped caution aside and yielded to his hungry needs.
She staggered slightly at the force of it, but his arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly against him. His lips moved against hers with restrained intensity that no longer felt restrained at all.
She could feel everything he had been holding back.
She pulled away just enough to breathe, but his hands remained on her.
“You should think,” she whispered, her voice unsteady. “This isn’t good for your focus.”
His eyes searched her face.
“I think,” he said quietly, voice heavy. “this moment is worth every distraction that comes after.”
Her breath hitched.
She closed the gap this time.
Julian unraveled.
His restraint snapped completely as his lips moved from hers to her jaw, then lower, to her neck. He bit gently, enough to make her gasp.
A soft sound escaped her, feeling his hard bulge against her stomach. Almost at her hips. Her body lit up at the feeling of it.
His forehead rested briefly against hers as he looked into her eyes.
“I want you in my bed.” he said as a matter of fact and urgency. No filter, no hesitation.
Her fingers tightened around his shirt, holding him as though letting go was no longer an option.
“I’m all yours,” Seraphina whispered, not knowing where the words came from, but too far gone in his charm and seduction to care about her careless words.
His jaw tightened.
“I don’t do boring sex.”
Her lips curved faintly, her voice barely above a breath even though she didn’t know what he meant. “I’m in for the surprise.”
His pupils darkened.
He lifted her into his arms without warning, holding her securely as he carried her out of the room.
She did not protest.
Even as they got inside the elevator, she asked no question. She wasn’t joking when she said she was in for the surprise. She hadn’t felt this kind of thrill in a while.
He didn’t touch her there, but the tension between them was louder than any physical contact. Their breathing filled the enclosed space, uneven, charged.
When the elevator stopped, he intertwined his fingers with hers and guided her toward a hallway- to a secured door. Even the feel of his fingers clasped with hers now was overstimulating for her. She didn’t understand it.
He entered a code and the door unlocked.
He guided her inside, and suddenly-they were inside a dark room.
“I can’t see,” Seraphina murmured.
All she could hear was their breathing.
Then the lights came on. Julian had just flipped the switch, lighting up the room in Red color.
Red.
Her breath caught as she took in the details inside.
The space was immaculate. The bed was massive, stark white against the darker surroundings. The walls were finished in expensive material, polished and flawless.
And then she saw the rest.
Objects she had only ever read about in fiction books. Items she had only seen in movies, never in reality.
Neck straps, dildos, vibrators, handcuffs, nipple clasps- all carefully hung and arranged on a stand that was made to house them.
Understanding dawned on her slowly.
Julian gave her time to take it all in. When she didn’t say anything or protest, he stepped closer, stopping right behind her.
His lips brushed her ear as he murmured,
“Are you ready, to lose your morals in my dark room, Phine?”
His voice was lower now- rougher and almost unrecognizable.
Her body reacted fast before her mind could intervene.
Every instinct told her to step away.
To slow down.
To think.
But she didn’t.
She wanted to know him.
This side of him. Without thinking of the women he might have brought here before.
“Say something,” his voice strained. “My patience is thinning.”
Her breath trembled.
“Yes, please.” she whispered- then turned to face him fully, her lustful gaze holding his darkened ones.
“Show no mercy.”