● Nicholas ●
By the time I got home, my head was a complete mess. I had gone to her room earlier, already wound tight, only to find it empty. Then she showed up later, drunk, wearing that dress, and everything in me snapped. Fuck.
This was lust. Pure, ugly obsession. The kind that convinced me it would disappear the moment I finally had her beneath me, writhing, begging. I knew that was a lie, but my body didn't care.
I headed straight to the cellar and poured myself a glass, draining it in one go. I had never wanted a woman like this. Never had one gotten under my skin so fast, so deep. The feeling clawed at me.
I poured another. Her image flashed in my mind—the fragile curve of her neck under my hand. How easy it would be to squeeze, to take control, to break her just to put her back together again. The thought made my jaw tighten. This wasn't good. Not for me and not for her either.
Half the bottle was gone before I finally forced myself to move, dragging my thoughts with me as I headed to my room.
***
The plans for the day had been simple enough—fly out to California with Leon, handle the Rebecca situation, and get everything moving. But then the call came from Jonathan, reshaping the day entirely.
He had found a free hour before the weekend and invited me for lunch at his house, pushing the California trip aside for now. It wasn't something I could refuse, and part of me was glad. Every meeting, every interaction with him brought me closer to the truth, closer to the roots of his dealings, and this one promised to be no different.
I stepped into yet another tailored suit and headed out to the senator's house. There was a rush of satisfaction knowing he had reached out to me personally. It felt like a step forward, a chance to start "working together" under the guise of civility. And then there was her—Sienna. Even before arriving, I could see it in my mind: her startled expression when her parents finally introduced her to me. The thought sent a spark through me, anticipation twisting into something darker.
The lunch was set outside, the summer sun painting golden highlights over the perfectly manicured lawns and sparkling pool. I had expected a formal, controlled meeting, but my attention was drawn elsewhere before the first course even arrived. Jonathan and Everlyne were there, chatting politely, but Sienna was nowhere in sight. The anticipation I had built over the hour tightened like a coil in my chest.
"I am so happy that you actually found time to join us," Everlyne said with a bright smile as the maids served the first plates. I nodded, raising a glass of water casually. "No one can refuse the senator's invite," I replied smoothly, letting my eyes drift over the compound. Everything was flawless, but my gaze caught Sienna making her way toward the pool.
The yellow bikini showed through the almost transparent cover-up, and the sight of her hit harder than it should. She turned her head, and our eyes locked. Recognition dawned instantly on her face, shock sharpening her features, and something dark and satisfied stirred in me. With just how she looked, she could use me if she wanted to, twist me around her fingers without even trying, and the thought made my jaw tighten.
"Sienna," her father called. She paused before walking toward us gingerly. I watched her closely, hating that I wasn't the only one allowed to see her like this, hating that her beauty existed beyond my reach.
"This is my daughter. I don't know if you two have met before," Jonathan said, glancing between us. Before she could speak, I stepped in. "Not really." Her eyes flicked to mine, narrowing, but she smoothed her expression the moment her mother looked her way.
"It's so nice to meet you, Sienna. I'm Nicholas." My voice was calm. She didn't move closer, only tucked her hair behind her ear, distance written into every motion.
"Nice to meet you too," she replied politely while turning toward her father, who told her to go get dressed and join us for lunch.
I watched her until she disappeared back into the house, that sheer cover-up swaying around her legs like it knew exactly what it was doing.
"Nicholas," Everlyne's voice broke through, polite and curious, "I heard your father retired. You must be terribly busy with the company now."
My gaze finally dropped back to the table as I reached for my glass. "Busy, yes," I replied, "but I learned from the best. My father always said if you can't juggle a few fires at once, you don't deserve to stand near them."
Jonathan let out a quiet chuckle. "That sounds exactly like him."
I nodded, though my thoughts were nowhere near business. My hands itched, my focus drifting toward the house she had disappeared into. I shifted in my seat before standing. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."
"Of course," Everlyne responded warmly, lifting her hand to gesture toward the house. "Down the hallway, second door on the right."
"Thank you," I replied, already stepping away from the table, my mind set on anything but the directions she had just given me.
I had already roamed this house two nights ago, memorizing every corridor, every blind spot, every camera angle. I knew this place inside out, down to the quiet creak of the floorboards. The bathroom visit was just a formality. I stepped back into the hallway after a few minutes, adjusting my cuffs, when the soft click of shoes reached my ears.
I turned, and my gaze fell on Sienna.
She had changed, just like she had been told. A light, casual summer dress clung to her in a way that looked effortless, the fabric brushing her thighs with every step. Decent, by her parents' standards. Dangerous, by mine. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, loose strands escaping to frame her face—soft and deceptively innocent. I had told her last night not to tie her hair up. The defiance on her face almost made me smile.
My eyes betrayed me, drifting to her neck, bare and exposed. Dark ideas stirred before I could shut them down, my jaw tightening as I straightened. She froze when she noticed me, surprise flashing across her face before she schooled it into something guarded.