CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER 330 PARROT

"Yes, come in," Riley said, setting the glass of liquor down with deliberate care.

He ran a hand over his face briefly, thinking about the situation he was in.

Patience was the key—this was a long game, and he couldn’t afford to reveal too much too soon.

Every move had to seem natural, effortless, as if nothing was at stake.

One wrong gesture, one slip of the mask, and everything could unravel.

Creak!

The door swung open, and Juliet stepped inside.

She was striking, impossibly so, with a tall, curvaceous figure that seemed to command attention even before she spoke.

Her presence filled the room without a word.

Her face, however, told a different story: innocence mingled with weariness, and there was a subtle vulnerability in her eyes that betrayed the heavy burdens she carried.

Barely in her twenties, and yet the weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her like mountains on fragile shoulders.

Riley’s gaze instinctively followed her, scanning her figure with a mix of curiosity and calculation.

He noticed the way she carried herself—graceful, yet alert, as though every step was measured.

The confidence in her stance intrigued him, while the faint trace of fatigue hinted at struggles she hadn’t spoken of.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Juliet?" he asked smoothly, his voice calm, almost disarmingly casual, though his eyes betrayed a subtle assessment.

Juliet’s lips curved into a small, polite smile, but her eyes didn’t soften.

There was a fire in them, a spark of defiance that suggested she had learned long ago not to trust appearances.

Riley’s eyes lingered a moment longer, noting the contrast between her outward beauty and the inner strength that radiated from her.

He was already beginning to map out his approach, thinking several steps ahead.

Juliet stepped fully into the room, the soft click of her heels echoing slightly against the wooden floor.

She tilted her head slightly, as though studying him just as much as he was studying her.

"I heard you might need someone to talk to," she said evenly, her tone carrying both poise and a hint of challenge.

Riley leaned back slightly, letting the moment stretch, giving her a sense of control while subtly asserting his own.

"Perhaps," he replied, voice measured, eyes never leaving hers.

"But tell me, Juliet, do you always enter a room with such... authority?"

Her lips twitched at the corner, a small, almost imperceptible smile breaking through.

"Only when the situation demands it," she said, stepping closer, her confidence clear in every movement.

Riley’s mind raced, analyzing the dynamics.

This wasn’t just a casual visit; it was an opening, an opportunity to gauge his reaction, his boundaries, and his vulnerabilities.

Everything about her—the grace, the subtle tension, the careful poise—told him she was no ordinary woman.

And Riley thrived on challenges.

Juliet finally came to a stop a few feet from him, folding her hands lightly in front of her.

Her gaze held his, steady and calculating. Riley could feel the silent negotiation taking place: who would make the first move, and who would hold the upper hand.

Riley, as always, remained still, his expression calm, unreadable.

Juliet, however, could not claim the same composure.

She was one of the Wheeler patriarch’s daughters, a girl of extraordinary beauty, and her task tonight was both simple and agonizing: seduce Riley.

The weight of duty pressed on her chest like a physical force.

Normally, she might have wanted love, or at least the freedom to choose, but that was a luxury she could not afford.

Her actions now would cement her family’s position, forging a bond with Riley’s clan that would last for generations.

Every movement, every glance, had to be measured, precise, and irresistible.

She drew in a deep breath, willing herself to steady the tremor in her hands.

Slowly, deliberately, she began to remove her clothing.

Each piece fell away with a soft whisper, a rhythmic cadence that was meant to captivate.

Her eyes flicked up to Riley’s, meeting his gaze with a mixture of determination and reluctant vulnerability.

Her body, revealed piece by piece, was flawless: curves that invited desire, skin like silk, and an innocence that only made her allure stronger.

By the time she stood completely bare, the air between them had thickened with anticipation.

Any man would have been undone in her presence, and Riley was no exception.

Yet, unlike most, he watched with that signature calm of his, a slow, measured smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

His eyes roamed over her, lingering with appreciation, hunger barely restrained.

Juliet’s heart raced. She felt the heat of desire rising, mingling with the tension of obligation.

She knew that Riley was more than just a man; he was a test, a challenge, a key to her family’s future.

Every inch of her body was meant to tempt, to ensnare, yet every glance reminded her of the sacrifice she was making.

Riley finally spoke, his voice low and even, carrying just the faintest trace of amusement.

"You’re beautiful," he said. It wasn’t a question or a command—just an acknowledgment, simple and undeniable.

Juliet’s breath caught at his words.

The power she held over him was immense, yet the restraint in his gaze reminded her that this game was far from over.

As she took a tentative step closer, the room seemed to shrink around them.

The tension between duty and desire, between control and surrender, hung thick in the air.

She could feel his eyes on her, measuring, appreciating, but never crossing the line.

And yet, that restraint only made the attraction more intoxicating, more impossible to ignore.

When they were just a step apart, Riley finally moved.

"Hmmmm..." Juliet gasped as his lips met hers.

It was her first kiss, a sensation so intoxicating that it made her knees weak.

His lips were firm yet gentle, insistent yet patient, and the world seemed to shrink until it was just the two of them.

Heat pooled in her chest, a rush of blood that left her breathless, and her body responded instinctively, arching toward him as if drawn by some invisible force.

His hands began to explore, gliding over her back with deliberate care, tracing the smooth curve of her spine.

Every touch sent sparks of electricity through her nerves.

Slowly, deliberately, his hands moved lower, caressing her hips before settling on her ass, squeezing and lifting with a firmness that made her gasp.

She could feel her desire building, wetness pooling in the places that had never known attention like this.

Riley’s touch was confident, precise.

His fingers teased her most intimate places, brushing lightly, then pressing just enough to ignite a fire within her.

Juliet’s breath came in short, uneven gasps as pleasure mingled with the thrill of danger.

She had never felt this way before; she had never been touched with such awareness of her body, such knowledge of how to unravel her restraint.

And yet, even as her desire burned, she felt a flutter of fear—fear of crossing a line, of stepping too far.

But those fears were short-lived.

Riley’s hands returned upward, cupping her breasts with a firmness that sent tremors down her spine.

He kneaded her large, sensitive curves, pinching her nipples in ways that made her arch instinctively against him.

Every movement, every press of his lips against hers, was a lesson in temptation, a test she couldn’t resist.

Time seemed to stretch, each second drawn out as if the world had paused.

Five minutes passed in a haze of kisses and touches before Riley finally broke the kiss, leaving her panting, trembling, and drenched in raw, unbridled arousal.

Her skin felt electric, alive under his gaze, and the ache in her body was undeniable.

"You have one chance to change your mind, Juliet," Riley said, his voice low, controlled, carrying an unspoken command that made her shiver.

"You can still turn back. Tell the elders in your clan that you can’t do this."

Juliet froze for a heartbeat. Her mind raced. Duty and desire warred within her.

She thought of the clan, the weight of expectation pressing down on her like a stone.

She thought of what she had already done, the steps she had taken to fulfill this gamble.

And then she thought of Riley—the only man who had ever touched her in ways that left her breathless, trembling, and utterly undone.

The thought ignited something in her. Fear turned to determination, hesitation to resolve.

She had come this far. She had given herself to this moment.

To turn back now would be to deny the pull she felt in her body, the fire she had allowed herself to feel.

"No... I want this," she whispered, her voice soft but steady.

And then, as if to seal her choice, she pressed forward, capturing his lips in a kiss this time her own.

There was urgency now, a hunger that mingled with her desire, a need to claim the connection on her own terms.

She felt him respond, matching her with equal intensity, his hands holding her close, grounding her even as he inflamed her senses.

Juliet’s body pressed against his, every nerve ending alive, and a delicious tension coiled tightly in her stomach.

Every brush of lips, every trail of fingers acRiley her skin, brought waves of heat and shivers, building toward something she had never imagined possible.

She had given herself to the gamble entirely, and the risk only heightened the pleasure, made every sensation sharper, every heartbeat faster.

Riley’s eyes met hers, dark with desire but tempered by the control that made him so dangerous, so irresistible.

"You’re certain?" he asked, his voice husky. The single word was more than a question—it was a challenge, a moment suspended between restraint and abandon.

Juliet nodded, her breath catching.

"Yes. I’m certain," she murmured.

Then, without hesitation, she leaned into him, claiming the next kiss with all the heat and daring of a girl who had decided she would no longer hide from desire.

The room seemed to shrink further, the air thick with tension and the scent of skin and anticipation.

Every touch, every sigh, every heartbeat was amplified, echoing in the charged silence between them.

The world outside could wait; right now, it was only Riley and Juliet, desire and duty entwined in a dangerous, intoxicating dance.