Love Across the Light Years -The Devil CEO Indulges My Lies.-Chapter 48: Be the devil.

The situation wasn’t any better before, but now that it had suddenly twisted into something far worse, Adelyn should have been terrified.

Yet she wasn’t.

Instead, her head tilted slightly to one side, as though trying to get a better glimpse of the pair of orbs before her that looked strangely enchanting.

She couldn’t look away from them at all.

Especially not when she saw them soften, little by little, as though recognizing her presence.

Even the fingers pressed around her neck loosened. They still held her —but no longer with the same fierce restraint.

"Do ... we know each other?" she asked, regaining a little strength back in her voice.

She didn’t know what exactly was making her feel better, but the restlessness that had been tearing through her earlier was slowly fading. Not completely —but enough for her to feel some relief.

She was still weak. Still sluggish. Still burning.

Yet under his touch, it all felt ... bearable.

Dylan glowered, his jaw ticking.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

His voice carried an edge of restrained fury, sharp and controlled.

Yet somehow, Adelyn wasn’t scared at all.

She should have been. She was in such a vulnerable state, after all.

But she wasn’t.

Instead, she felt ... safe.

Safer than she had been a few moments ago.

Her lips curled up into a foolish little smile as she stared at the shadowed outline of the man before her.

She didn’t know him. But ...

She must have gone crazy to feel safe while someone held her captive like this.

She couldn’t deny it.

Not when she could feel herself growing bolder in such a dangerous situation.

Her hand moved instinctively.

Slowly, she reached out and touched his face, her fingers brushing over his skin. The faint stubble of his beard grazed against her fingertips.

"Your eyes are ... mesmerizing," she murmured softly, keeping that foolish smile of hers on her lips.

Her fingers trailed upward, lightly brushing against his lashes.

"Let me stare at them a little longer ... okay?"

Dylan’s expression tightened.

Anyone looking at him would have immediately known he was struggling to control himself.

Yet the one who needed to notice it stood in complete oblivion.

"You —"

"Shhh–!"

Before he could speak, her finger pressed against his lips, silencing him.

"Didn’t ... you hear me?" she mumbled faintly. "Your eyes are pretty, let me watch it a little longer. Don’t ... disturb."

His jaw ticked again.

But he didn’t push her away.

Nor did he interrupt her this time. He obeyed her words naturally.

Instead, he simply held her —more gently now. His hand slowly moved down her back, steadying her so that she wouldn’t stagger or fall behind.

His brows remained furrowed as he studied the flush on her cheeks and the haze clouding her eyes.

She wasn’t in her right state.

He could feel it in the heat radiating from her body.

And given his condition, the proximity between them would only turn dangerous —he knew it.

Yet still held her ... if only for another moment.

When it became harder for him to restrain himself any longer, he finally spoke.

"You shouldn’t be here."

The words came through gritted teeth, strained with effort.

His fingers tightened briefly against the small of her back before loosening again, as though he were constantly reminding himself to stay in control.

But every passing second only made it harder.

He knew his situation was already on the verge of collapse.

And having her this close ... could help him. Stabilize him.

Yet every time he saw the unfamiliar way she looked at him —those distant, searching eyes —another urge surged within him.

The urge to shove her away.

To push her away the same way she had done to him in the past.

But then, when he noticed how close she stood to him today —another temptation rose within him.

To pull her closer.

To hold her so tightly that she could never walk away again.

However, over the years, he had learned better than to surrender to such impulses.

He had learned to understand what she wanted. And what he might never be able to give her.

And that learning taught him to resist ... resist until the very end. Just so that she would be satisfied.

Adelyn, meanwhile, continued staring at him curiously.

The more she looked at him, the more striking his features seemed.

Was he really that handsome?

Or was her delirium simply playing tricks on her mind?

With a slight pout forming on her lips, she took another step closer to him.

Dylan’s heart thudded heavily.

His expression hardened. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" she replied lightly.

She reached up and caught his chin between her fingers, tilting his face slightly so he couldn’t turn away.

Her gaze examined him closely, noticing the crease between his well-defined brows.

"I am just checking whether you are really as handsome as you look," she said slowly, "or if it’s just the darkness playing tricks on me."

His expression darkened instantly.

His hold tightened around her waist, almost making her wince.

"Don’t test my patience," he said lowly. "You know better than anyone else that I am no saint. If I lose it ... you will regret it tomorrow."

Adelyn stared at him and swallowed, as though finally intimidated.

But the next second, her lips curled up again.

She let his fingers trace his jaw.

"Do you know me?" she asked.

But when he didn’t answer her, even after a long stretch of moment, she pouted and said,

"How did you know I prefer the devil more than the saints?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Dylan frowned and closed his eyes. It was tormenting, and she was only intensifying it further.

If this continues, he would lose control completely —and break the promise that was between them.

"You should go back," he said coldly, stepping away from her.

But the moment he moved —

Adelyn grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him back.

Half out of need.

Half out of a desperation that coiled deep inside her.

The movement was clumsy, and she nearly stumbled.

But before she could fall, Dylan’s arm wrapped around her again, steadying her firmly against him.

"You —"

"Shh ..."

She silenced him once more.

Her eyes widened slightly, a faint complaint between them.

"Be the devil, if you want. I don’t want you to be a saint. But don’t send me away."

She held his hand and slowly pressed it against her cheek. "Okay?"

She knew she was acting dangerously audacious.

Even through the haze clouding her mind, she could feel it.

But could she be blamed?

He was indulging her boldness so well that it only made her push further without caring for the consequences it could bring.

Dylan froze.

The temptation —the desire he had been resisting all along —stood on the brink of breaking free.

Her word had pulled at the last thread of restraint he possessed.

"Do you even realize what you are asking for?" His voice was low, carrying a warning he didn’t hide.

Adelyn gazed up at him and blinked almost innocently.

Then she nodded before wrapping her arms around his shoulder to cling onto him properly.

"I asked you to be a devil ... so that you would keep me with you ... forever and ever."

A faint laugh escaped her lips.

Dylan’s expression hardened further.

He reached and gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Since you asked for it," he said quietly, "don’t blame me later."

Before Adelyn could even process his words, he suddenly lifted her over his shoulder.

"I didn’t break the promise," he murmured darkly. "Your own words nullified it. Even if you forget it tomorrow, I don’t care."

And without waiting another moment, he carried her deeper into the suite, disappearing into the darkness that led to the bedroom.