Chapter 3 Irresistible Temptation

Victor's arm was heavy around me, an anchor I couldn't escape even if I wanted to. His breath was steady, calm, completely unaware of the storm raging inside me.

But I couldn't pretend any longer. Not with the raw memory of Killian still searing in my mind, burning into my skin.

I lay still, my body betraying me, aching for something that had no place in my life. Not when I was supposed to be Victor's.

But everything about tonight felt like a lie. From the engagement ring on my finger to the gentle press of Victor's lips on my shoulder, nothing felt right.

And then I remembered Killian. His face. His eyes dark with desire. His mouth. God, his mouth.

I felt the heat rush through my body again, as though I could still feel the press of his lips, the fierce grip of his hands, the savage way he'd taken me.

I needed to stop thinking about him.

But the more I tried, the more my body betrayed me. The pulse between my legs throbbed, reminding me of what I'd lost control of. What I'd given control to.

Slowly, quietly, I pulled away from Victor's embrace and slipped out of the bed. The cool air hit my bare skin as I made my way toward the bathroom, desperate to splash some water on my face, to wash away the desire that clung to me like a second skin.

I looked at myself in the mirror, my lips bruised, my neck marked with the evidence of Killian's hunger. I wiped away the dampness on my face, but nothing felt clean. Not anymore.

I knew what I had to do. I had to act like everything was fine. I couldn't let Victor see the wreck I had become inside. I wasn't allowed to.

I returned to the room and climbed back into bed beside Victor, trying to hide my unease. His arm draped over me again, and I stiffened beneath the weight. His lips brushed the back of my neck, but I couldn't push away the memories of Killian's kiss.

"Ivy?" Victor murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah?" I forced a smile, trying to sound convincing.

"You're quiet tonight," he said, his hand slipping beneath the sheets to rest on my hip. "Everything okay?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah. Just tired. Long day."

He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press further. His hand slid down my body, slipping between my thighs. My stomach flipped in a way I didn't expect. This isn't right, I thought. But it was Victor's touch, steady and sure, nothing like the desperate, raw craving I had felt earlier.

I should've stopped him.

But I couldn't.

When his fingers slid against me, I froze. The desire I felt for Killian rushed back at once, making it impossible to ignore. But I wasn't ready. Not now. Not with Victor.

"I'm not feeling well," I blurted, pushing his hand away gently. "Headache. Just... tired."

Victor paused, his fingers still hovering near me, his expression unreadable. "Alright," he muttered. "We can just sleep then."

I nodded, forcing my body to relax as his arm wrapped around me again, pulling me close. I breathed deeply, counting each second until I could escape. I had to.

****

The house was quiet, but I wasn't ready to face it. Not tonight.

I waited until Victor's breathing deepened, before slipping out of bed and padding toward the door. I needed air. I needed to breathe.

The cool night air hit my skin as I stepped outside. The tension between my legs, the ache in my body, gnawed at me, but the garden was empty. Or so I thought.

There, near the stone wall, stood Killian.

I didn't need to see him to feel the tension in the air. It hit me like a wave, making my heart race and my breath catch in my throat. I should turn away. Should go back inside. But I couldn't.

His dark eyes found mine immediately, and I felt a pull, like gravity itself had shifted.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tremor in my chest gave me away.

He didn't answer immediately. He simply watched me with those predatory eyes, his gaze trailing over my body, lingering just a little too long on the marks he'd left on me earlier.

"Your parents asked me to stay the night," he said, voice low, almost mocking. "They don't want me driving back at that hour. It was late."

I clenched my fists at my sides. "Why didn't you say anything inside?"

Killian took a step forward, his body impossibly close, until the heat of him seemed to press against me. "I didn't think it was necessary."

His lips curved into a smirk, but it was his eyes, dark and filled with desire, that had me frozen in place. I tried to move back, but there was nowhere to go. The garden wall stopped me.

Killian leaned in, his breath hot against my ear, his voice a whispered threat. "I see the way you look at me, Ivy. You can lie all you want, but I know what you really want."

"No," I whispered, but the word didn't have the strength I wanted it to. "You... can't. This is wrong."

He laughed, a low, sinful sound that made my insides tighten. "It's too late for that, sweetheart. You can pretend all you want, but you know as well as I do that this was never about right or wrong. This is about us."

His mouth found my neck again, his lips brushing over my skin as his hands roamed down to my waist. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. All I could feel was him, his hands on me, his lips burning every inch of me.

I didn't fight him this time. I couldn't.

Before I knew it, his mouth claimed mine, hot and demanding, and I was lost.

I let him kiss me, let him claim me again. His tongue slid into my mouth, deep and possessive. And when his hands slid beneath my dress, pulling it up, lifting me against him, all I could do was moan in response.

"Ivy," he growled, his lips parting from mine, eyes dark with something savage. "You're mine."

"No," I gasped, but my hands found his chest, pulling him closer, my body arching into him, betraying me.

"Yes," he snarled. "You've been mine since the moment I touched you."

And with that, he pulled me fully against him, his hands lifting my dress higher, his fingers working quickly, desperately.

And I let him. I let him make me his again.