CRUEL OBSESSION

Chapter twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-Three

The mansion was quiet that morning, but tension still hung in the air like electricity. Damien had left Sienna in their room briefly, and the visitor’s presence had already unsettled her. She paced softly near the balcony doors, trying to shake off the unease.

Sienna’s thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of heels clicking across the marble floor. The woman appeared in the doorway—a vision of sharp confidence, dressed in black, her gaze scanning the room like a predator assessing prey.

Damien’s expression hardened immediately. “You’re early,” he said, his voice a growl.

“I don’t waste time,” the woman replied smoothly, her eyes briefly flicking to Sienna. “We need to discuss the merger. Your personal life—” she paused, eyebrow raised, “—doesn’t concern me.”

Damien’s jaw tightened. “My wife does. She’s not part of this conversation.”

Sienna’s pulse raced. She wasn’t sure if she should step forward, hide, or just melt at the protective fire burning in Damien’s eyes.

The woman smirked, almost teasing. “Your wife?” Her gaze lingered on Sienna with a measuring, faintly condescending look. “Interesting choice.”

Damien’s dark eyes narrowed, the kind of glare that made people step back. “She’s mine,” he said simply, voice low and dangerous. “Do you understand?”

The woman tilted her head, considering him. “And what if I don’t care?”

“Then you’ll regret it,” Damien said, his tone calm, but every muscle in his body coiled with warning. “Trust me.”

Sienna shivered at his possessive aura. The way he claimed her without words, without touch, yet with every fiber of his being—it was intoxicating, and thrilling.

The woman’s smirk didn’t falter. “I like a challenge,” she said smoothly, then turned, heels clicking sharply on the floor as she left.

Damien exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. His eyes immediately found Sienna’s. “You okay?” he asked, voice softer now, but still threaded with warning.

Sienna nodded, walking closer. “I’m fine. I knew you’d handle it.”

He stepped forward, pressing a hand to her lower back, pulling her flush against him. “I will always handle it,” he murmured, lips brushing her temple. “No one touches what’s mine.”

Sienna felt a flutter of heat at his words, combined with the memory of last night. “I like that… I like that you care so much.”

Damien tilted her chin, capturing her lips in a slow, deliberate kiss. His hands roamed her body with the intensity of someone trying to memorize every curve, every shiver, every soft gasp. She clutched at his shirt, dragging him closer, melting against his body.

“You’re dangerous,” she whispered against his lips, breathless.

“Only for you,” he murmured, teeth grazing her shoulder lightly before his hands slid under the fabric of her nightgown. He moved with a mix of reverence and need, carefully exploring her skin, leaving fire in every place his fingers touched.

Sienna gasped, arching against him. “Damien…”

He paused for a heartbeat, forehead resting against hers, voice rough and trembling. “Say it again. I need to hear you.”

“I want you,” she whispered, voice husky, heart pounding.

Then he moved again, lips trailing down her neck to her collarbone, hands tracing her sides, slowly, teasingly, building tension that made her shiver with need. Every brush of his lips, every pull of his fingers, sent waves of warmth racing through her.

“You feel like fire,” he murmured, voice low and thick. “And I can’t get enough of it.”

Sienna’s fingers threaded into his hair. “Then don’t stop,” she whispered.

Damien’s lips captured hers in a desperate, claiming kiss, and this time, there was no holding back. They sank onto the couch together, bodies entwined, moving with a mix of need and tenderness, exploring, claiming, and answering every silent plea between them.

He whispered her name, gasped her name, and every sound left her trembling under his touch. He made her feel seen, wanted, and chosen—all at once.

Hours could have passed or just minutes; time didn’t exist. There was only them, only the heat and desire, the gentle brush of skin on skin, the whispered promises of “mine” and “always.”

Finally, they collapsed against each other, breathing heavy, hearts pounding in sync. Damien’s arm draped over Sienna, pulling her close. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“You’re mine,” he murmured again, almost to himself.

“And I’m yours,” she whispered back. “Forever, if you’ll have me.”

His lips pressed to the top of her head, soft, reverent, and intimate. “Always,” he promised. “No one else. No one ever.”

They lay there in silence, wrapped in each other, the world outside the mansion forgotten, if only for a moment.