She didn't expect to fall asleep on him.
Not after what they did.
Not after the things he made her feel with just a glance, a kiss, a growl against her skin.
But here she was—naked, tangled around Alec Virelli like she belonged there, his breath warm against her temple, his hand lazily stroking the bare skin of her thigh.
They hadn't spoken since she collapsed against him, trembling and spent. The kind of silence that wasn't awkward. The kind that felt… safe.
She hated how safe it felt.
Because safety meant she'd start to trust him.
And trust was dangerous.
"Still planning on running?" Alec's voice rumbled low against her ear, lips brushing the shell of it.
Her breath hitched. His voice always did that to her.
"No," she whispered. "I think I'm too tired to escape this time."
He chuckled softly—dark and amused. "I could get used to you like this."
"On your lap?" she teased faintly.
"In my arms."
That shut her up.
A silence stretched between them. One laced with heat. With meaning.
He tilted his head, eyes lazily tracing her face.
"Tell me your name."
She blinked. "You're asking now?"
Alec's fingers slid up her spine, slow and careful, making her shiver.
"No more games. I want to know the name of the woman who drove me insane, vanished like smoke, and is now half-asleep on my chest like she didn't just wreck me again."
She swallowed. Hesitated.
He kissed the corner of her mouth.
Then her cheek.
Then lower—his lips moving gently to her neck, where he placed a soft, warm kiss just above her collarbone. Not demanding. Not possessive.
Just… gentle.
It made her exhale like she hadn't breathed in years.
"…Serena," she whispered.
He froze—just for a second.
Then said it like a secret against her skin. "Serena…"
The way he said her name made something twist in her chest. Made her legs press closer around him. Made her feel real.
"Serena," he repeated, a little deeper this time, while his fingers tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "Beautiful name. Dangerous lips."
She laughed softly. "I'm not dangerous."
"You are," he murmured. "The most dangerous thing that's ever touched me."
She looked up, meeting his eyes. "You don't even know who I am."
"I know what your moans sound like," he said quietly. "I know what you look like when you come undone. I know how you tremble when I whisper your name—Serena—against your neck."
He kissed her again. There. Soft. Searing.
"I know enough to want more."
Serena felt something crack inside her.
It wasn't just lust anymore.
It was deeper. Darker. Like he was reaching for something no one else had ever tried to touch.
"Why me?" she asked, her voice small.
Alec leaned back just enough to study her, his expression unreadable.
"Because I've had everything. The women, the money, the control. But you…"
He brushed his thumb along her lips.
"You made me forget I had rules."
---
Later That Night
They didn't move for a while.
They stayed wrapped in each other's warmth, Alec lazily caressing Serena's back with his fingers while she listened to his heartbeat.
She closed her eyes. Pretending. Just for a second.
Pretending she could stay.
Pretending he wasn't dangerous for her.
But the truth was… she wanted more.
And that terrified her.
Because Serena Vale had built her entire life on not needing anyone. Not letting anyone close.
She had a past. A reason she ran. And if Alec knew what she was hiding… he'd never look at her the same again.
"You're thinking too loud," Alec murmured, voice deep with sleep and mischief.
She looked at him.
"What if this is a mistake?" she asked softly.
He gave her a lazy smirk, hands still cradling her bare thighs.
"Then we'll make the most beautiful mistake the world's ever seen."
---
Unseen… Someone Was Watching
Across the street from Alec's penthouse tower, in the darkness of a parked car, a camera lens clicked shut.
The man in the passenger seat lit a cigarette, blowing smoke out the window as he looked at the captured photo of Serena—naked, straddling Alec in his living room. His expression unreadable. Cold.
"So that's where you've been hiding, sweetheart."
He tapped ash into a tray and zoomed in on her face.
"You left me," he muttered. "Now you're warming another man's lap?"
The driver didn't speak.
The man flicked his lighter shut.
"I want everything on Alec Virelli. Every asset. Every weak point. And I want her… back in my bed."