Ava tried to bury herself in work. Meetings, reports, logistics—all of it blurred together under the weight of her thoughts. Two men—both powerful, both dangerous—wanted her.
One, with ice in his veins and secrets in his smile. The other, with fire in his blood and fury in his grip.
She wasn't just caught between them. She was the fuse.
Kai had barely spoken to her all day. But every glance was a threat. A promise. A storm.
By 8:00 PM, the office was nearly empty. Ava packed up her things, heart pounding. She walked to the elevator, pressed the button—
The doors opened. Kai stood inside.
She froze.
He said nothing. Just raised an eyebrow.
She stepped in.
The doors closed. The air changed.
He hit the emergency stop.
The lights dimmed. Silence.
He turned to her, voice low. "I don't share."
She met his gaze. "You don't own me."
He stepped closer. "You let him touch you."
"Barely."
"Barely is too much."
She backed into the wall. "You're jealous."
"No," he said. "I'm territorial."
Then he kissed her. Hard.
She melted into him. Their bodies collided like waves and stone. His hands gripped her hips, her nails raked his shoulders. Heat exploded through them.
She broke the kiss. "This doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything."
"You're obsessed."
"With you."
She opened her mouth to respond—
He dropped to his knees. Ava's breath caught. "Kai—" He didn't speak. Just pushed her skirt up to her waist, slowly, deliberately. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
His eyes locked on hers, heat burning behind his calm. "Let me remind you who you belong to."
His tongue was on her before she could say another word. Soft at first. Then demanding. Possessive. Ava's hand slammed against the elevator wall as he devoured her, as if trying to erase Lucien's taste before it even existed.
He knew exactly what he was doing—every flick of his tongue, every groan from his throat made her body shake. And he didn't stop. Not when her legs trembled. Not when she moaned his name like a curse. Not even when she begged.
When she finally came, gripping his hair and gasping, he looked up at her, lips slick with proof of what he'd done. "This doesn't change anything," she panted.
He rose slowly, kissed her mouth—letting her taste herself—and whispered:
"It changes everything."
By the time the elevator moved again, Ava could barely stand.
He walked her to her car.
"Text me when you're home."
"Since when do I take orders?"
He leaned in. "Since I put my mouth on you in a locked elevator."
She drove away, mind spinning.
That night, Ava didn't dream. She relived.
The next morning, she woke to a single message from an unknown number:
[He'll destroy you, Ava. Come to me before it's too late.]
No name. No trace.
But she knew who it was.
Lucien.
She stared at the screen. Then deleted the message.
But somewhere in the dark, Lucien whispered to himself:
"She's mine too."
And Kai? He sat alone in his penthouse, pouring a drink, watching a black-and-white photo of a man with Lucien's face pinned to a wall.
"I should've killed you the first time."
But now it wasn't just about the past.
Now, it was about Ava.
And there were no rules anymore.