Page 22

Adrian

I watch Sophia freeze at my desk, her fingers clenching around the USB drive. My heart pounds hard, each beat a reminder of how close I am to losing everything. Again.

"Go ahead," I say, keeping my voice dangerously soft. "Don't let me stop you."

She doesn't move as I step into my study. Her shoulders tense, but she stands her ground. Even now, when she's about to destroy me, her defiance sets my blood on fire. The past week flashes through my mind—her gentle touch, her understanding eyes when I told her about Elliot, the way she curled into me afterward. She's become my addiction, far more potent than mere control.

"You knew I'd find out." I take another step closer.

The security alert had hit my phone during the board meeting, and I'd left without explanation. The drive back was torture, my mind cycling through possibilities until I saw the truth on my cameras.

My hands clench at my sides. The rage burns hot, but underneath lies something worse—desperation. This isn't like Elliot. With him, the betrayal came without warning, a knife in the dark. But Sophia... I've watched her internal struggle all week. I saw how Mara's words about Daniel affected her. I should have acted then.

"Were any of those moments real?" I hear myself ask. "Or was it all part of your plan?"

The hurt in her eyes cuts deeper than any accusation. "You destroyed Daniel's life."

"To protect what's mine." I close the distance between us, near enough to catch the slight tremor in her breathing. "I won't let anyone take you away. No one will meddle in our affairs and get away with it."

The USB drive sits between us like a loaded gun. One leak and my empire crumbles. But it's not the business I'm worried about losing. It's her, the only person who's seen past my walls and touched something I thought died with Elliot's betrayal.

"I won't let you leave." My voice drops lower, a promise and a threat wrapped into one. "You know that."

She lifts her chin, challenge flashing in those eyes that have haunted me for two years. "You can't control everything, Adrian."

"Watch me." I reach for her face, my fingers trembling with the need to possess, to keep, to own. "I'll burn the world down before I let you go."

I let my hand fall away before touching her, the space between us charged with possibility and danger. "You have two choices, Sophia. Destroy me and walk away, or..." My hands find her shoulders, steadying us both. "Stay and rule beside me."

She sucks in a sharp breath. This wasn't what she expected, not destruction or subjugation. My fingers drift to her collarbone, tracing the delicate line there. Her presence softened my rigid edges over the past week, drew out feelings I'd buried beneath layers of control and power.

I lean down, bringing my lips close to her ear. Her scent fills my senses, something uniquely her. "Think carefully. I'm offering you everything. All this power, all this control, shared between us."

The USB drive trembles in her grip. I watch her process my words, see the calculations running behind those expressive eyes. She's always been different, not just another conquest or asset to control. From the moment I first saw her art, raw and honest in ways I'd forgotten how to be, I knew she could either destroy me or complete me.

"Why?" she whispers. "Why share what you've spent years building?"

"Because you've already changed everything." The truth spills out before I can stop it. "You make me want more than just control. You make me want..." I pause, the words sticking in my throat. Vulnerability feels like jumping without a safety net. "You make me want to be better."

Her body sways slightly toward mine, and I fight the urge to pull her closer. This has to be her choice. After everything I've orchestrated, everything I've manipulated, this one decision must be hers alone. The power to destroy me or save me rests entirely in her hands.

"No more secrets?" she asks, testing the waters. "No more games? No more tracking my every move?"

"Complete transparency," I promise. "Between us, at least. The rest of the world..." I let the implication hang between us.

How could she say no? How could she say yes? I teeter between the two options, agonized by her silence. I want to let her think, but I'm possibly losing her, right this second.

I can't bear it.

"You need to think this long?" I growl, startling her. "Do you even know what you're walking away from?"

"I-I haven't said I was walking away!" she yells back, but her voice doesn't hold the conviction I need.

"You need me to show you what you're trying to leave behind? Huh?"

There it is, the haze of lust passing over her eyes. I know what I do to her. I know that no one else has done it like me.

And no one else ever will.

I pluck the USB drive from her fingers, and she doesn't resist. The weight of it—my entire empire condensed into this tiny device—feels insignificant compared to the electricity crackling between us. I set it on my desk with deliberate care.

"Whether you choose to stay or go," I say, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "you still need to be punished for this betrayal."

Sophia's breath catches. Her pupils dilate, and a visible shiver runs through her body. The sight of her reaction ignites something primal in me. This is what we both need—what we crave.

I grasp the back of her neck, my fingers threading through her hair. With firm pressure, I guide her down until she's bent over my desk. Her hands splay across the polished surface, pushing items off and sending them crashing to the floor. I can feel the rapid flutter of her pulse beneath my grip.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" I lean close, my words brushing against her ear. Her only response is a shaky exhale that tells me everything I need to know.

I pull up her dress, baring that perfect ass to me. My fingers trace the outline of her pussy through her panties, feeling the heat radiating from her core. She's wet already, the evidence of her desire making my cock twitch. But I won't give her what she wants.

I grab a fistful of hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her back against me. Her moan vibrates through my hand, sending a jolt straight to my groin. I slap her ass, hard. The sound echoes through the room, followed by her sharp gasp. I take control, and she gives it to me.

"This is for plotting against me," I growl, the intensity of my voice matching the force of each subsequent smack. Her ass cheeks turn pink, then red, as I lay down the punishment she craves. With each spank, she seems to savor the pain, her moaning growing louder.

"You like that, don't you?" I ask, my voice low and dangerous. "You like being reduced to this."

"Yes," she breathes. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I'm sorry for betraying you."

I tug her hair, forcing her head back. "What do you want, Sophia?"

"I want you," she whispers, her voice thick with need. "I want your punishment. Please."

I smack her ass again, relishing the power I have over her. "Again. Louder. Tell me what you want."

"I want your punishment, Adrian!" she cries out. "Please, punish me. I've been so bad, and I need it. I need you."

Her words send a rush of blood straight to my cock. I want to fuck her senseless, brand her as mine, but not yet. I pull again, bringing her close, our bodies flush against each other.

"You're mine, Sophia," I murmur, my lips brushing her ear. "Say it."

"Yours," she pants. "Always yours." Her ass squirms against my cock with need.

I push her face down onto the cold desk surface, her breath coming in quick gasps. Her ass is a work of art, and I want to worship it. I rip her panties down, baring that perfect flesh. Her skin is flushed, and I know my mark is there, a brand of my possession.

I press my nose against her ass, inhaling her musky scent. She jerks at the intimate contact, a soft cry escaping her. My tongue traces the puckered entrance, tasting her. Her body shudders as I continue my exploration, my tongue slowly running along her crack.

Her skin is like a drug, and I can't get enough. I want to devour her, mark every inch of her as mine. My tongue flicks against her, earning another cry of pleasure.

I can't resist any longer. I slip a finger into her pussy, already wet and ready for me. Her hips buck, seeking more. I add another finger, stretching her, feeling her heat envelope me.

Her moans fill the room as I tease her clit, circling it with my thumb while my fingers plunge deep. Her body bucks wildly, riding my hand as I increase the pace.

"Please," she whimpers, her body on the edge. "Let me come!"

I replace my fingers with my tongue, burying it deep into her pussy. Her cry of pleasure echoes through the room, music to my ears. I lap at her greedily, tasting her sweetness. My tongue flicks against her clit, sending shockwaves through her body.

Her hips buck wildly, her ass clenching as she rides my face. I hold her thighs tight, keeping her close, not letting her pull away. She's mine to pleasure, and I won't stop until she's satisfied.

Her breath comes in sharp pants, her body tensing as she teeters on the edge. I suck on her clit, adding more pressure, and feel her body explode. Her cries ring out as she comes, her juices flowing over my tongue.

I lap at her, riding out her orgasm, savoring her taste. Slowly, her body relaxes, her breath evening out.

I stand up, and our eyes lock, and I see the desire and satisfaction painted on her face. I lean in, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She sucks the taste of herself on my tongue.

"Mine," I whisper against her lips.

I lift her onto the desk, her legs wrapping around my waist as I stand between them. I enter her in one swift thrust, our eyes locked, our lips a breath apart. Her eyes widen at the force of my possession, but she meets my intensity with her own.

I grip her hips, holding her steady as I withdraw and thrust again, deeper this time. Her breath comes in short gasps as I set a relentless pace, my hips snapping forward. Her back arches, pressing her tits into me. I tweak a nipple hard and pull her hair, tilting her head back to expose the graceful line of her throat. Her skin is flushed, and her lips part on a silent moan as I thrust into her again and again. Our bodies move as one, a desperate dance of desire and domination.

I lean down, my mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss. Our tongues tangle, tasting each other, our passion igniting even further. I want to devour her, possess her, merge our souls together.

Our eyes remain locked as I move within her, my thrusts becoming harder, more urgent. Her walls clench around me, and I know she's close again.

"Come for me, Sophia," I growl against her lips. "Come on my cock."

Her eyes flutter closed as she loses herself in the pleasure. Her inner walls clench around me, milking my cock as she surges over the edge. I feel her juices flow around me, her body trembling in release.

I thrust into her a few more times, riding out her orgasm, before finding my own release. My hips stutter as I fill her with my seed, claiming her as thoroughly as any man can claim a woman.

I hold her close, my arms wrapped around her like a shield against the world. My face is buried in her neck, breathing in her scent, and I whisper the words that scare me more than anything else I've ever said.

"I need you."

I expect her to pull away, to take advantage of my moment of weakness. But instead, she clings to me, her legs tightening around my waist.

Her fingers trace lazy patterns on my back. I can feel her heart pounding against my chest. In this moment, there are no games, no manipulations, just two people holding on to each other as if the world might end if they let go.

I want to stay like this forever, lost in the warmth of her embrace. But I know I can't keep her locked in my arms forever, sheltered from the consequences of our actions.

I bury my face in her hair, inhaling her scent, committing it to memory. Maybe, just maybe, we can make this work. Maybe we can find a way to navigate the mess we've created. Together.

The thought sends a rush of determination through me. I'll do whatever it takes to keep her by my side. I'll burn down the world if that's what it takes to protect what's mine.

Her fingers gently stroke my back, calming the tempest within me. For now, I let myself just be. I let myself hope that maybe, against all odds, things can be alright.