Page 3 of Forbidden Empire (Sinful Gods #1)

Three

E sme

Aidon's gaze burned into me as I paced back and forth in his dimly lit penthouse office. The air was thick with unspoken tension, contrasting with the positive energy of the bright sunlight shining down on Las Vegas this morning.

Aidon leaned against the desk, his arms crossed in front of him, demanding answers without speaking a word.

"You're wasting time," he said after he was tired of the wait. "If you have a plan, lay it out."

I stopped mid-step and turned to face him, giving him a mocking laugh. "A plan? Do you think we can take down Zeno's empire with just one plan? This isn't a game of chess, Aidon. It's war."

"Then tell me where to aim," he retorted. "Because all you've been doing is talking in circles."

I moved across the room and stood just inches from him. "You think it's that simple? Taking down Zeno doesn't happen by barging through his front door. He's not stupid."

Aidon straightened, his tall frame casting a shadow over me. His body warmth pressed against me without ever touching, and for a moment, I wondered if he might close the distance.

But he didn't. He never showed me more than a glimpse of his intensity, just enough to unsettle me. Just enough to keep me hanging on the edge. Just enough to remind me of everything I lost when I walked away.

"Then enlighten me," he challenged with dangerous softness. "What do you need from me, Esme?"

I hesitated, feeling my confidence waver under his piercing gaze.

For a few moments, memories surfaced, from Zeno's smug grin as he warned me what would happen if I ever stepped out of line to the lies I told for him to survive.

I pushed the past away and focused on Aidon, uncertainty rising up.

Was Aidon the answer, or was I making another mistake? But I pushed those thoughts aside and steeled myself.

"I need your access," I said, my voice steady. "Your resources. Zeno has a vault that very few know about. And those who know, only a trusted one or two can access. I know the location and how to get in."

Aidon raised an eyebrow. "A vault? What's inside?"

"Leverage," I replied. "Enough to bring Zeno down from the inside out. But it isn't in a typical location and protected by a system that perhaps your connections can bypass."

There was a tense pause as we both let the weight of my words sink in.

A heavy silence lingered between us, filled with unspoken questions and doubts. I saw Aidon's mind working, taking in my words, dissecting them, and looking for any cracks in my story.

Finally, he spoke up again. "If I agree to this, there's no turning back. You betray me again, Esme..."

You'll kill me, I said with a roll of my eyes. "Yes, Aidon, I've heard the threat before. But if I betray you, I'll face much bigger problems than just you. Zeno doesn't forgive traitors."

Family or not, I was a tool to Zeno, a pawn to use as he pleased—no more. I couldn't do it anymore.

"We'll plan this together," he declared with finality. "But understand this, Esme, the moment I sense you're playing me, our partnership ends."

I couldn't help but smirk at his warning as I leaned against the desk he had just vacated. "Then you better hope I don't play you."

The tension lingered long after our exchange had concluded. It was like a thick fog hanging around us, suffocating and filling every part of the office with its heaviness. The walls felt too close, the room too small, and every look from Aidon was like a spark just waiting to ignite.

Needing some fresh air to clear my head, I approached the window. But his voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You're holding back."

I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my chest. "I have told you what you need to know."

"No," Aidon countered, moving closer until we were a breath apart. "You have told me what you want me to hear. There is a difference."

The room seemed to shrink as he closed the distance between us until I felt his warmth radiating off him, hot and suffocating.

My back pressed against the cool glass, a stark contrast to the fiery intensity of his presence. He didn't touch me yet, but his nearness alone overwhelmed me.

"What are you so afraid of, Esme?" His voice was low and dangerous, like a growl. "That I'll see the truth? That I'll see you?"

"You don't know anything about me," I shot back, my voice wavering as his eyes locked onto mine, unyielding.

His question tore into my resolve, revealing the cracks I work so hard to hide. It felt like a sharp knife, cutting through my defenses and leaving me exposed. His hand brushed my cheek as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear, leaving an electric charge that sent shivers down my spine.

Don't I?" His voice was soft but laced with frustration and hurt. "You want me to trust you, but you won't give me a reason to. Why is that, Esme? What are you hiding?

My heart felt heavy with guilt and longing as his words hit me harder than I wanted to admit.

I considered telling him everything for a moment, letting him in just enough to quiet the growing storm between us.

But the weight of all the unsaid words between us charged the air further, threatening to snap at any second.

My breath caught in my throat as his fingers lingered near my jaw.

His intense gaze searched mine for answers I couldn't give.

"Aidon," I began, but before I could finish, he closed the gap between us and kissed me.

I responded without thinking, my hands clutching his shirt as I pulled him closer. It was as if a raging storm exploded within me, a mix of anger and desire that stole my breath away.

His grip on my waist tightened, our bodies pressed close as our lips moved in an urgent dance driven by passion and frustration.

"You're impossible," he muttered against my mouth, his voice rough with emotion.

"And you're predictable," I shot back in defiance.

His low laughter vibrated over my skin as he retorted, "You drive me insane, Esme."

"Good," I hummed, feeling alive in this chaotic moment as I held onto him. "Then we’re even."

The kiss deepened, our tongues battling for control as they slid, rolled, and dueled against each other.

My pulse pounded in my ears, and goosebumps prickled down my spine. Aidon's overwhelming presence, oppressive and electric, filled the room, making it clear that something dangerous simmered beneath the surface.

"I should walk away from you right now," he growled in a low and rough voice. "You're chaos, Esme. You unravel everything you touch."

"Then let me go," I replied, my body betraying me as I leaned into him despite knowing nothing could come of this. "You hate me, remember? I'm just a liability."

His grip tightened, not meant to harm but to remind me that he held the reins, even as the fire in his eyes may make me believe otherwise.

"Hating you would be easy," he murmured, his lips so close they almost brushed against mine. "But I don't. And that's the problem."

The weight of his words hung between us, undeniable and heavy. My heart raced in my chest, and my breath caught as the air grew thick with an unspoken tension. He was so close now, his woodsy scent enveloping me like a vice.

"Aidon," I whispered, but he cut me off.

"No more talking," he commanded, as his free hand slid up to cup the back of my neck and his fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head back.

His lips crashed down with a primal force, igniting a fire that burned through me hotter than any wildfire.

This wasn't a gentle, sweet seduction but a battle of wills and a surrender all at once. The intensity building was years in the making, raw, untamed, and desperate.

Logic said to push him away and end this before it went any further. Except I found myself pulling him closer and fisting the fabric of his shirt.

He groaned against my lips, a sound filled with pent-up desire and longing. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against him, and I gasped at the feeling of his hard, thick cock locked between us as if it were a brand marking me.

"Is this what you wanted?" he rasped, his lips trailing from my jaw to my throat. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin there, sending shivers down my spine.

"You tell me," I managed to say, my voice trembling with need as I tangled my fingers in his hair. "You're the one in control."

He chuckled against my skin, the vibration of his voice sending tingles through me. "Control? With you, that's a luxury I don't have."

The tension between us kept growing, driven by a fiery passion that blurred the borders between anger and desire. Every touch, every kiss, deepened the ache inside me.

"You drive me insane," he muttered against my neck, his breath hot and ragged.

"Good," I whispered back, tugging on his hair just enough to make him groan.

He pressed himself against me with determination, teasing and tormenting me until I couldn't handle it anymore. At that moment, nothing else mattered except us being locked in this fierce dance of lust and desire. But then he pulled back, meeting my gaze with dark, burning intensity.

"You don't play fair, Esme," he growled, his tone laced with desire and frustration.

I smirked at him, my desire fueling my confidence. "And you love it."

A flicker of dangerous intent flashed in his eyes, hinting he saw right through my bravado. He kissed me again, all traces of gentleness replaced by dominance and need.

The sound of our ragged breaths filled the room, adding to the palpable lust consuming us. He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine as he cupped my face. It was a small gesture that cut straight to my core, making me want something I couldn't have.

"You're exhausting," he murmured, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips right before he brushed his mouth over mine.

This time, the kiss was slower but no less intense. It was a lingering exploration.

Aidon's hand followed the same directive, gliding over every curve and dip of my body, igniting sparks wherever he touched. With deliberate movements, he cupped my breast through my shirt and pinched the hardened tip, eliciting a moan from between my lips.

I clutched at him as my core spasmed and arousal pooled between my legs.

His other hand slipped beneath the hem of my shirt, brushing against the bare skin of my inner thigh.

I moaned and whimpered, dropping my head to Aidon's shoulder. His scent surrounded me, a heady mix of spice and danger that made every nerve in my body come alive. He tilted my neck, his breath coasting over my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

With skilled fingers, he grazed over my throbbing clit.

"Aidon," his name escaped my lips like a desperate plea.

Each touch sent electric shocks through me, igniting the fire inside until it turned into an inferno begging for more.

"You're so fucking wet."

"It's only like this with you."

My confession seemed to unlock something primal in him as he shifted and lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, needing to hold him close. The room blurred as he carried me to the primary suite, his weight pressing me into the soft mattress beneath us.

He captured my lips again, then moved lower, scoring his teeth and tongue down my neck. His mouth left a fiery trail in its wake, igniting every nerve in my body.

"Say it again," he murmured, his voice rough and commanding. "Tell me you want this."

"I want this," I whispered, arching my back as he buried his face against my pelvis.

He reached up and tugged the straps of my dress down my shoulders, exposing my body to his gaze.

"You're fucking beautiful." His eyes seemed to glitter with hunger as if he were a man possessed.

No one had ever looked at me with such intensity before. Aidon's palms settled on my hips, his touch electric and setting fire to every inch of my skin.

"I have to taste you. It's haunted me for too fucking long."

In an instant, he removed my underwear and delved between my legs without hesitation.

"Oh, God," I cried out, my back arching off the bed as I fisted his hair in my hands.

He devoured me, driving my need higher and higher. Everything inside me tightened, reaching that point I craved so desperately. Then he thrust two fingers into my pussy, curving them to hit the right spot inside me, and I shattered.

It was exhilarating and what I needed.

But it also made me realize that Aidon was the one man who could do this for me, and I hated how much control he had over me.

He pulled away from my body and stepped off the bed to shrug off his clothes. He was a Greek god with a body designed for both fighting and fucking a woman senseless.

He climbed over me and caged me with his large body. His touch was electric, setting fire to every nerve I possessed. His lips found mine again, deeper and hungrier, a battle and surrender all at once.

The room seemed to pulse with the intensity between us, every sense heightened. His taste was an intoxicating blend of whiskey and something darker, something uniquely Aidon.

"Please," I whimpered, lifting my hips in desperation to feel him inside me.

His response was a low growl that vibrated against my lips. "What do you want, Esme?"

"You already know," I breathed out.

"Make it crystal clear," he demanded against the shell of my ear.

His voice was rough and commanding, impossible to ignore, igniting a deeper desire within me.

I held his gaze, unflinching. "I want you to fuck me."

"Are you saying that's all we do?" He fisted my hair, a crease forming between his brows as he positioned himself at my sopping entrance.

I responded without thinking, "It's all I can say it is."

"I see." He slammed into me with a ferocity that took my breath away.

The heat between us surged, wild and unrelenting. There was no more talking, just the primal sounds of carnal lust filling the room. Aidon pounded into me with a brutal and unrelenting rhythm.

I raked my nails down his skin, desperate to leave my mark on him. Our actions were raw and emotional, and neither of us would acknowledge them once it was over. But for now, we kissed, touched, and consumed each other.

My orgasm rushed over me like a volcanic explosion, my pussy clamping down on his pistoning cock, flooding him with my arousal.

This man could play my body like no one else.

It wasn't fair.

"One more time," he growled, and before I could even process what he had planned, his palm slid between us to circle my sensitive clit.

I lost myself in the sensations, knowing deep down that there was no future for us, no matter how much we both wanted it. But in this moment, as we came together again, calling out each other's names, nothing else mattered.