CHAPTER 256: CHAPTER 256 WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

His hand shot out, his grip firm as he pulled her toward him in one swift motion. She gasped, her heart leaping into her throat as her small body was suddenly pressed close to his chest. She had to tilt her head back to look at him, her wide brown eyes locking onto his stormy gray ones.

"Leo..." she whispered nervously, her lips trembling slightly.

He didn’t answer. His large hand slid upward, cupping her cheek. The contrast made her shiver—her skin was soft and warm, his palm rough and calloused, the touch both tender and rough. His thumb brushed slowly across her flushed cheek, as if memorizing her.

Her lips parted slightly, and her breath came quick, uneven.

His face lowered until his lips hovered close to hers, close enough that she could feel his breath...warm and intoxicating. His voice, when it came, was deep, husky, and so sensual it made her knees weaken.

"Bella..." he said, each syllable slow, molten, dripping with intensity. "The more I thought you were shallow water..." His eyes darkened, burning straight into hers, "...the more you’re turning into an ocean I can’t escape."

Images flashed through his own mind, unbidden—the way she had sat in that control room, her innocent face masked by focus as she retrieved every shred of missing footage. That moment had marked her forever in his eyes.

Her innocence. Her hidden strength. Her beauty. Her fire.

And now she was here, trembling in his hands, looking up at him with doe eyes that made him want to ruin her sweetness and worship it at the same time.

His thumb brushed across her lower lip, lingering there as if testing his own restraint.

"Tell me, bunny," he murmured, his voice so low and sinful it sent shivers down her spine, "how much deeper are you planning to drag me?"

"W-w-w-hat do you mean?" Bella stammered, her voice trembling as if the air in her lungs refused to obey her. Her eyes darted away, but Leo’s thumb pressed lightly against her cheek, feeling the vibration of every shaky word she spoke.

His gray eyes darkened, his expression shifting from curiosity into something sharper, something far too intimate. His thumb stroked the line of her jaw slowly, deliberately, as though he could coax the truth out of her skin.

"What I mean," he murmured, his tone deep and unrelenting, "is how do you know how to retrieve those missing footages?" His gaze bore into hers, sharp as steel yet burning with heat.

Bella’s heart pounded wildly. She tried to glance away, but his hand held her firmly, guiding her chin back toward him. "I-I know," she whispered, her voice small.

"You know," he repeated softly, dangerously, his thumb brushing across the corner of her lips before trailing down to stroke her soft jawline. His face lowered, closer and closer, his breath mingling with hers. "I know you know..." His voice dipped into a husky whisper, each word brushing against her skin like fire. "...but tell me what I don’t know."

Before she could answer, his lips touched her jaw.

Bella froze, every nerve in her body sparking at the sensation. The roughness of his lips, softened by the faintest warmth, contrasted so much against her tender skin that it felt like a shockwave traveling straight through her chest.

"Leo..." she whispered, her knees weakening as he didn’t stop.

His lips moved slowly along the delicate curve of her jawline, claiming the fragile line inch by inch. Then, as if savoring her, he tilted his head slightly and buried his face into the cascade of her hair. He inhaled deeply, his chest expanding, his voice rumbling low against her ear.

"You smell..." his words were broken with a restrained growl, "...like strawberries and warmth. Sweet. Addictive."

Bella’s breath hitched violently. She didn’t know where to place her hands—on his chest to push him away, or to clutch his shirt and pull him closer. Her fingers trembled against her nightdress as her mind spun.

Every touch, every word, every whisper from him made her feel like her body wasn’t her own anymore.

And Leo, towering over her, his lips still dangerously close, wasn’t asking for permission. He was claiming space around her, intoxicating her senses, making her world shrink until it was only him.

His hands suddenly caught her waist, strong and unyielding, and Bella’s entire body jolted as if struck by lightning. Heat rushed up her neck, flooding her cheeks until her whole face was crimson. Her lashes fluttered nervously, her gaze dropping to the bed as though she could hide her burning expression.

But Leo wasn’t letting her hide.

With a slow, deliberate motion, his fingers slid under her chin and tilted her face up toward him. His grip on her waist tightened, holding her steady, keeping her trapped in his presence.

"What... what are you doing?" Bella asked in a voice barely above a whisper, trembling as she searched his face.

He didn’t answer.

Her lips parted in shock when, in the next heartbeat, he pressed forward and pushed her down onto the mattress. His movements were controlled, powerful, as though every inch of her body belonged exactly where he placed it. His hand slipped lower to her knees, and with an ease that stole her breath, he adjusted her position beneath him—guiding her as if she were weightless, fragile in his grasp.

Then he hovered over her, his tall frame casting her in shadow. His gray eyes bore into hers, sharp and stormy, but darkened with something she had never seen before—desire, raw and unrestrained.

Her chest rose and fell too quickly, her breaths short and panicked, yet she couldn’t look away.

He lowered his face until his lips grazed the line of her jaw, brushing her skin like a dangerous promise. The heat of his breath seared her ear, and her heart hammered so wildly she thought it might burst.

His right hand trailed slowly down her arm, the rough pads of his fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake. She gasped softly, clutching the bedsheet, not knowing where else to put her hands, not knowing if she should resist or give in.

Pinned beneath his body, her senses drowned in his heat.