iressa''s POV

    "Talk about what?" I kept my tone light-bored. It was too easy to y dumb. Too satisfying.

    He took another step toward me.

    I backed up until the cold steel of the patio railing met my backside. His eyes

    tracked the movement, and his lips pressed into a firmer line.

    "Don''t do this," he said-like he was pleading, but too proud to let it show.

    "Don''t do what?" I tilted my head. "I have no idea what you''re trying to talk about."

    He exhaled hard. "I''m talking aboutst night. About the intimate moment we shared."

    I arched my spine just slightly, sliding one foot forward to exaggerate the curve of

    my hips. The slit in the silk dress I wore rode higher on my thighs. I made sure of

    it.

    I blinked slowly. "Last night?"

    He stared. Waiting.

    I shrugged. "Can''t say I remember much."

    A bold lie. Every damn second of it was burned into me. My thighs still ached. My lips still tingled from what I did to him.

    But watching that muscle in his jaw flex, watching his patience start to crack- God, I loved this part. Riling him up. Pulling him close, then pretending I didn''t want him at all.

    A sh of anger lit his eyes.

    "Seriously? Stop ying games. Aren''t you tired of them?" he growled.

    "Game?" I echoed, pressing a hand to my chest. "What game, Gabriel?"

    I crossed my arms, purposefully pushing my breasts higher-knowing full well he''d notice.

    "To the best of my knowledge," I continued sweetly, "nothing happenedst night." He stepped closer.

    I didn''t move.

    "And if anything did happen-which I''m not confirming-it probably wasn''t worth remembering. It faded with the night. It''s morning now. Time to move on."

    The lines of his face hardened, his brows drawing together. He hated this-me brushing him off, pretendingst night hadn''t lit me on fire from the inside out.

    And I loved it.

    God help me, I loved watching him get worked up over me.

    His patience snapped.

    In one swift motion, his arms locked tightly around my waist, dragging me against him.

    My body mmed into his, and I felt everything-his heat, his frustration, his hunger-pressing into me like a drug I''d forgotten I was addicted to.

    I gasped as he yanked me forward, forcing my ass to rest against the cold railings, caging me with his body.

    Then his lips grazed the shell of my ear-slow and seductive.

    "Do you need me to remind you what happenedst night?"

    My heart stuttered. My knees threatened to give out.

    "I could start with the living room," he said, his voice a low, yful tease. "Or

    maybe when you walked in on me in the shower."

    His fingers slid up my side, slow and possessive.

    "You didn''t run, ire. Didn''t even flinch. You just watched me stroke myself— moaning your name."

    My breath hitched.

    "You were so turned on," he growled, mouth hot against my neck. "You touched yourself. Right there. In the doorway. You didn''t even try to hide it. Because you wanted me just as badly as I wanted you."

    I swallowed hard, my thighs clenching involuntarily, a pulse beginning to throb between them, making it impossible to hold onto my restraint.

    Then his hand rose-fingers brushing against my lips, parting them gently.

    "You surprised me," he murmured, his gaze locked on my mouth. "You took every

    inch of my cock... used that sinful little tongue to nearly destroy me."

    I gasped his thumb pressed into the corner of my mouth, sensually, teasing the memory out of me with every stroke.

    "You didn''t gag. Not once." His voice was quiet yet filthy. "You looked so sweet, so hungry... like you''d been waiting for that moment."

    He leaned in closer, breath warm as it ghosted over my cheek.

    "That was your first time, wasn''t it?"

    I didn''t answer.

    "You did it so perfectly," he whispered. "Like you''d practiced... like you prepared for it. Just for me."

    His nose brushed the side of mine. His lips hovered over my cheek.

    "My sweet, dirty girl."

    His lips grazed my throat, then his tongue dragged along the sensitive curve beneath my jaw.

    My breath hitched-shallow, ragged. Heat stirred low in my belly, rising until it coursed through every nerve like wildfire.

    He knew exactly what he was doing. Every word, every touch, designed to make me lose myself in him.

    But I wasn''t going to surrender that easily.

    Instead, I bit down gently on his thumb-half yful, half warning-hoping it might push him back.

    It didn''t.

    He chuckled, dark and low. Then-smack.

    I gasped as his palm came down hard on my ass.

    My eyes flew open in stunned silence, a jolt of shock and heat shooting through

    me. "Gabriel..." I breathed, my voice barely audible.

    The sting hit, hot and aching—and I hated how much I liked it. The way it sank through my skin, down to the heat between my legs causing wetness to seep out of me.

    His thumb dragged lower from my mouth, gliding down to the valley between my breasts.

    Then it stroked up, between my cleavage, teasing one nipple into a hard, desperate peak.

    Gabriel grinned against my skin. That smug, victorious grin I both loathed and craved.

    "Don''t test me, iressa,” he murmured. "Not when you already know how far I can go."

    I sucked in a breath, every nerve in my body alive and needy. My back arched slightly against the railing, my breasts pushing into his hand.

    "Look at you," he murmured, voice filled with smug pleasure, as his finger circled my nipple-taunting, until it tightened into a hardened peak beneath his touch.

    "Your body gets hot at just the slightest touch. So tell me again... what exactly are

    you pretending to forget?"

    My lips parted, ready to shoot something back-to say anything, anything to knock that grin off his face-

    "Dad!"

    We froze.

    Adrian''s voice-groggy, scratchy-shattered the moment.

    Gabriel didn''t move. His hands stayed locked around my waist, holding me hostage in that electric, burning proximity. The hard line of his thigh brushing between mine.

    I pushed at his chest. "Let go," I warned under my breath.

    He finally released me just as Adrian stumbled onto the patio. His hair a mess,

    shirt rumpled, faint bruises on his face and dark shadows under his eyes.

    "Dad... ire... you''re both up so early," he mumbled, massaging his temple like

    he could press the hangover out of his skull.

    Gabriel''s face turned to stone, as his eyes narrowed at Adrian.

    "On the contrary, it''s past eleven," he snapped. Just because your drunk ass

    drawling out of bed nowe

    mean the rest of the world

    froze for you."

    Adrian blinked, disoriented. "Oh... shit. I didn''t realize. Last night''s still a blur-"

    Gabriel lost it.

    "No shit?" he cut him off, stepping forward. "You came home drunk after almost costing us a major deal? Is that how you treat your responsibilities?"

    Adrian winced, rubbing his head. "Dad, please, not now. I''ve got a splitting headache. I just need coffee or—"

    "I''ll split more than your head if you interrupt me again."

    Adrian fell quiet for a moment.

    "Jane!" he shouted toward the house. "Coffee! Please!"

    Jane appeared cautiously at the patio door.

    "Of course, sir, I—"

    "Jane," Gabriel barked. "You will do no such thing."

    Jane froze, confused.

    "If my brat of a son wants coffee, he can damn well get it himself. Understood?"

    Jane nodded quickly, startled.

    Adrian winced, eyes on the floor. "Dad, I said I''m sorry. I know I messed up, but—”

    "One more word," Gabriel growled, stepping into his space, "and that won''t be the only privilege I strip from you."

    Adrian shut his mouth, shoulders stiff.

    Gabriel sneered. "Don''t think there won''t be consequences. The bruises on your face? I assume you were in a fight. Which only makes your punishment worse." He exhaled, straightening his cuffs. "I''ve got a lunch meeting with Randolph. I

    won''t let your idiocy sour my mood. But when I get back..."

    He didn''t finish the threat. He didn''t need to.

    He walked off, shoving past Adrian without a second nce.

    I watched him disappear, then turned to Adrian.

    For the first time, he didn''t seem like the arrogant heir. He looked small. Lost.

    But my sympathy had a limit.

    Gabriel had every right to be furious. Adrian was a disaster-spiraling, reckless, careless.

    And I was done giving him grace.

    After he showed upte for the meeting, I was ready to forgive him. But after the party? And now seeing him like this?

    No way.

    I turned away from him, picked up my chilled juice, and took a slow sip.

    "ire..." Adrian stepped closer. "I remember some of what happenedst night.

    The fight... I''m sorry. About everything."

    I set the ss down and met his eyes.

    "Adrian. I actually believed you were changing. But yesterday? It showed me it''s

    worse than I thought."

    I gestured to his face. “Your dad''s right. You look horrible. Go clean yourself up."

    He touched the bruises like he was just noticing them.

    "Whatever is going on with you?" I stepped past him. "Don''t use me as your excuse for attempting to screw up your life."

    He reached for my hand. "Please. My dad hates me. Not you too. I need you.

    Now more than ever."

    I flung his hand away.

    "What you need," I snapped, "is to grow the hell up and stop acting like a spoiled

    child."

    Then I turned and walked away.

    He called after me.

    I didn''t look back.