"Yes!"

Something inside him snapped, as if the chain that had kept him at bay all this time had finally broken, unleashing a desire that he had buried deep within him.

For years, he had taken pride in his control. Not breaking under pressure. Not giving in to demands and temptations.

The Mafia Don who ruled the underworld with an iron will. The business tycoon who dominated the global market with savage determination. No one could force him to do anything, not his allies, not his enemies, and not even his father.

Until that single word changed everything.

Barely inside the elevator, he couldn’t stop himself from pushing her against the wall.

His lips crushed into her like a tidal wave, fierce, consuming, and demanding.

His strong arms wrapped around her body, firm, possessive, as if afraid she would suddenly vanish from his grip.

"What are you doing?" She finally asked when his lips glide across her cheeks, her chin, down her long neck, finding the pulse that beat erratically underneath his lips.

Ding!

Instead of answering, he grabbed her wrist and hastily pulled her out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened.

"Where are we going?" She asked, her eyes roamed around the hallway until he stopped on the first door.

Pinning a few numbers on the lock, the door automatically clicked open.

In a matter of seconds, he dragged her into the room and pinned her against the solid wood behind her, effectively closing the door shut.

Then, his lips curved into a victorious smile, as if he had just closed the biggest deal of his life.

"Wait!" She stopped him. "Wait, Oliver." Her hand lifted to his face. Her finger gently brushed against his lips, and then pushed against his chest until he gave her a bit of breathing space.

"Don’t tell me that you changed your mind?" He felt his frown deepen as his eyes searched her face.

Something unfamiliar suddenly gripped his heart.

Disappointment. Panic. Fear.

Six years.

After Amelia left, he had locked his heart, guarded his emotions, and refused to care for anyone except his son. He might have married Hazel, but he had built a wall that no one could penetrate, not even his wife.

As far as he was concerned, he believed he could never give his heart to anyone else, no matter how much he tried. Only one woman resided in his heart, but she left him with a broken and shattered heart.

Since divorcing Hazel, he had stayed single, unattached, and alone. Devoting most of his time to building a future for his child.

He had rejected every matchmaking his mother had planned for him. Deep in his heart, he knew that he could only love one woman in this lifetime.

Until Sophia showed up.

In some twisted fate, she stormed into his life without warning, striking thunderous lightning that shattered whatever was left of his defenses, leaving him weak and vulnerable.

"No!" She finally answered in what felt like the longest minute of his life. But in truth, it was just a few seconds. "No! It’s nothing like that."

Her eyes looked beyond his shoulder, full of curiosity. "Whose place is this?" She studied every inch as if she were trying to find a clue.

But she suddenly stiffened when her eyes landed on one corner.

For a brief second, she closed her eyes as if she needed it to calm her nerves down.

Then, she moistened her lips as if they had suddenly gone dry, sticking her tongue and gliding it around those red lips until they glistened.

"It’s mine." He answered as she turned to face him. "Technically, it’s ours now." Then, he finally moved out of her way, allowing her more room to explore the apartment.

The penthouse suite was designed similarly to any bachelor’s place. Monochromatic colors painted the walls, huge windows, with thick, gray curtains, and high ceilings covered most of the area. Then, modern minimalist furniture and fixtures decorated the spacious room.

The only thing that truly hinted that this was his home, and not just another one of his expensive properties, was the painting and the two figurines by the fireplace.

The rest were just something that the interior designer bought to make the place look aesthetically pleasing.

"But I only stayed here when it’s too late to go home." He explained. His real home was still the one that he shared with his family.

Then, he noticed how her eyes were glued to the painting by the fireplace. "Do you like it?" He found himself asking.

The painting was nothing special if judged by its monetary value. Even the figurines were not extraordinary. But to him, they were priceless. They were irreplaceable.

"Yeah!" She said in barely a whisper as she strode closer to the fireplace, eyes locked on the inexpensive masterpiece. "It’s lovely."

Actually, it was just a painting of a slice of strawberry cake on a platter with a thin vase on the right side, holding a single red rose.

It was something that he and Amelia had accidentally bought in an online auction at a very low price. When he saw it, he meant to throw it away. But Amelia stopped her, saying it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

It became his first anniversary gift to her. Then, it had become their yearly ritual. On their second anniversary, she picked a cute wolf figurine because Amelia said he looked like an Alpha, ready to defend her at all times.

In their third year, he picked a wild tiger because he knew that underneath Amelia’s sweet demeanor and kindness, she was the strongest person he knew.

When he left their apartment, these three things were the only objects he took with him.

"Come on." Let me show you the rest of the place.

Pulling her hand, he dragged her across the room, showing her the kitchen, the small gym, his private office, the guest room, and finally the master bedroom. His room.

"Now that you’ve seen the place. Can we continue where we left off?" This time, he slowly moved towards her, like a predator, hunting his prey, until she had nowhere to go.

Trapped between him and the bed behind her, she stopped and held on to his shirt, afraid that she would lose her balance.

He would have stopped if she said no. But the hunger in her eyes spoke louder than if she ever answered him.

Slowly, he pushed her to sit on the edge of the bed while he knelt before her. Starting with her feet, he removed her shoes and let his lips do the talking.

One garment at a time, he stripped her, leaving her only in her underwear.

"Damn, you’re so beautiful." He mumbled, but he was not only referring to her physical appearance.

Beauty was just skin deep.

She was more than that. She was special.

Not because she reminded him of Amelia. But because she was her own person. She was Sophia.

"I guess it’s my turn now." Her words oozed with confidence, but her eyes told him a different story. Even her fingers clumsily unbuttoned his shirt as if she had never done this before. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

But he didn’t say anything. He just patiently let her work on removing his shirt and pants until he was left with one piece of clothing.

One minute, he was looking at her. The next minute, he was on top of her.

The kiss started with teasing. A small peck on her chin, on her cheeks, on her forehead, before he moved to her lips.

When her lips began meeting him halfway, he knew that was it. There was no holding back. He took the plunge, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow.

As she opened her mouth to breathe, he took that as his opportunity to explore and to deepen the kiss further.

The room was suddenly filled with deep throaty moans and the sound of profound longing and burning desire.

With experienced hands, he easily removed what was left of their clothes, leaving them with nothing but skin to skin.

"I want you, Sophia." He muttered in a barely recognizable hoarse voice as unadulterated lust overwhelmed his thoughts.

From her neck, her breasts, her hips, and down to her thighs, he explored her body, filling his lips with every inch of her flesh.

As he lunged in between her legs, spreading them wider until he could reach her heated core, he thought he had reached heaven. But then again, he realized he just stepped into the pearly gates.

"Damn, don’t tease me, Oliver." She complained in a voice that was almost inaudible.

Her feet thrashed around him as his tongue glided on her slit. Her hands held on to his hair as if trying to control him.

"I need you, Oliver." She continued, whispering, shouting, begging. Repeatedly.

But he ignored her, as he continued to lick her folds and tongue fucked her core, wanting to give her the most delicious ending to this torturous experience.

"Hold on, baby..." He muttered. "Just a little more."

Until—

"That’s it..." He sighed in satisfaction as he tasted the gush of that delicious hot liquid through his lips.