Bound by Lust

The mansion was eerily silent after Esme stormed out, leaving Kael alone in the dimly lit room. He stood there for a long moment, unmoving, his mind replaying their conversation. Her words echoed in his head, louder than he wanted them to.

I think you owe me more than just your indifference.

Kael clenched his jaw, irritated at the unfamiliar feeling creeping into his chest. Esme was testing him—pushing boundaries he hadn't realized he had. He had always been in control, always dictated the pace of his relationships, if they could even be called that. But Esme… Esme was different. She wasn't bending to his rules. And that angered him more than he was willing to admit.

With a slow exhale, he turned away, walking toward the massive glass window overlooking the city. The night stretched before him, glittering lights casting a glow over the streets of Italy. He should've felt at ease here, in his own space, his own world. Instead, there was a gnawing sense of unease.

Esme hadn't backed down.

And that… annoyed him.

Esme's Room

Esme sat on the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the silk sheets as she tried to steady her breathing. She had spoken out of anger, but every word she had said had been true.

Kael didn't see her as anything but a temporary piece in his life, and that realization burned in ways she hadn't expected. She had never planned to care—not even a little. This was supposed to be a business arrangement. No emotions. No expectations.

Yet, here she was, seething at the thought of Kael treating her like she was nothing.

She hated it.

She hated him.

Or at least, that's what she kept telling herself.

A knock at the door made her jolt from her thoughts. She frowned, expecting Maria or one of the staff. "Come in," she said, keeping her voice steady.

But when the door opened, her breath hitched.

Kael stood there, his tall frame leaning against the doorframe, his black shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up. He looked infuriatingly relaxed, but his sharp eyes held an unreadable intensity.

She sat up straighter, masking her emotions. "What do you want?"

Kael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The room felt smaller instantly, the air charged with something unspoken.

"I should be asking you that," he said, his voice dangerously smooth. "What exactly are you trying to do, Esme?"

She scoffed, standing up, crossing her arms. "Oh, I don't know, maybe trying to remind you that I exist?"

Kael's lips twitched slightly. "I never forgot."

Esme's heart stuttered at his words, but she masked it with a glare. "Then maybe act like it."

He stepped closer, the warmth of his body brushing against her senses. "You think I don't notice you?" His voice was lower now, more controlled, but laced with something dark. "You think I don't see the way you react to me?"

Esme swallowed hard, refusing to step back, even as the air between them grew suffocating. "I think you enjoy playing games, Kael. And I think you enjoy pretending you don't care when you actually do."

A muscle in Kael's jaw ticked, but he didn't deny it.

Silence stretched between them, thick with tension, neither one willing to be the first to break.

Then, in a move that sent Esme's heart into overdrive, Kael reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. The touch was barely there, yet it sent a shiver down her spine.

"You want me to treat you differently?" he murmured. "Then stop acting like you don't know exactly what you're doing to me."

Esme's breath hitched. She hated how easily he could flip the power between them. How easily he could turn her anger into something… else.

She swallowed, forcing herself to hold his gaze. "And what am I doing to you, Kael?"

A slow smirk curved his lips, but his eyes darkened. "You're testing my patience."

Esme's heart pounded as his fingers traced down her jawline, slow, deliberate. She should have pulled away. She should have said something sharp, something to break whatever was happening.

But she didn't.

Because for the first time, Kael wasn't walking away.

And neither was she.

****. ****. ****.