Tempting The Forbidden

Boundaries and Bedrooms.

(Elara)

My eyes were heavy with sleep as Damon drove for another hour before the road narrowed and curved up a steep hill. I struggled to keep my eyes open as the trees grew thicker with no other cars in sight.

And then, we pulled up to a gate. Damon entered a code on a keypad, and the metal gate slowly opened, revealing a long driveway that created a path through the woods.

At the end stood Damon’s house or mansion really. It rose from the trees like a secret struggling to be kept hidden.

It wasn’t just a house. It was a statement. A fortress of glass, steel, and stone, hidden behind a secured black gate and surrounded by pine trees that stretched toward the sky like age old monuments. Three stories, all sharp lines and wide windows, with terraces that overlooked a lake glimmering in the distance like a spilled secret under the early morning sun.

I had seen rich people’s homes before as my father had many powerful friends, but this… this was something else. Cold, majestic, and breathtakingly private.

Damon said nothing as he parked the sleek black SUV in the driveway and stepped out without sparing me a glance or a word. I didn’t move at first. I was still stunned. The ride here had been soaked in deafening silence as he hadn’t spoken once. I had sat there, wrapped in tension and curiosity, watching the strong line of his jaw and the way his hands gripped the wheel like he was punishing it.

He came around and opened my door. I stepped out, blinking against the early light as the scent of the pine trees hit me.

“This way,” he finally said, grabbing my duffel bag before I could. His voice was low, controlled. As always.

I followed him up the stone steps to the front entrance still looking around in awe as I came face to face with the double glass doors. I watched with curiousity as he swiped his fingertips beneath a security panel and a soft click was heard before the door opened.

My breath got stuck in my throat as I laid eyes at the interior of the building. It was beyond beautiful with a floating staircase of glass and steel spiraled upwards. Vaulted ceilings soared above and underneath my feet were polished black marble that sparkles like they had been cleaned throughly.

A piano sat at the center of the living room making me wonder if he played at all. To the right was a lounge with grey sectionals and a big fireplace. To the left, tall glass doors led to a terrace overlooking the water.

There was an open concept kitchen with sleek white counters,black cabinets and state of the art appliances. I didn’t know what I expected Damon’s home to look like but this wasn’t it.

I felt like an intruder in his space as his face bore a frown like he didn’t want me here.

“Your room’s this way,” Damon said gruffly.

I followed him down a wide hallway with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. We passed what looked like a private gym, an indoor spa, and a wall of bookshelves so high they needed a ladder.

He paused at a tall white door and pushed it open.

“This is yours.”

A queen sized bed stood in the middle of the room, with grey sofas close to the window area. To the left was a wall of windows which opened a private balcony with perfect views of the window.

“This is beautiful Damon,” I said in awe, running my hands through the soft curtains that adorned the window.

He set my bag down near the bed and stepped back. He didn’t come inside. “You’ll have privacy. No one comes here. It’s secure. So you are safe.”

That word again. Safe. I wasn’t sure what that even meant anymore.

“Thank you,” I said softly as I watched him clench his jaw. He seemed annoyed with me. But for what reason?

His gaze met mine. It was Intense as he didn’t blink for a moment. “I didn’t do it for thanks.”

I tilted my head to the side in confusion.

“Then why?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. His hands clenched at his sides. “Because your father asked me to protect you.” He paused. “And because… I needed you away from all that noise.”

“All that noise,” I repeated, barely above a whisper. “Or all those eyes?”

His silence told me everything. And nothing at the same time.

“You should rest,” he said after a while. “I’ll have food sent up if you want it.”

Then he turned, walked away and shut the door behind him.

I stared at the door for a while before my phone beeped, pulling me out of my thoughts. I checked the screen to see a text from Camila.

Camila: You alive? Or has Daddy’s best friend locked you in the attic yet? 😏

Me: I’m still alive. The House is huge. He lives in a mansion but he is still… being Damon.

Camila: Mmm. Silent, broody, mysterious. You know that’s code for s****l tension, right?

Me: Cam!

Camila: What? Just saying. You’re alone. In the woods. With a man who clearly wants to devour you but feels guilty about it. You could weaponize that, you know.

Me: I’m not seducing him.

Camila: Who said anything about seducing? Just… lean into the tension. Use it. If nothing else, it’ll make great material for your journal.

Me: You’re insane.

Camila: But right. Goodnight, sexy hostage.

I shook my head with a smile tugging on my lips and tossed my phone onto the bed.

‘I better unpack,” I thought to myself.

Grabbing my bag that Damon had set by the bed, I tossed it on the bed and began to select my clothes for the wardrobe.

I unpacked in silence as I thought of how awkward things were between Damon and I. But even then, I found myself drawing closer to him like a magnet.

And maybe, just maybe, I would someday get what I wanted amidst all this chaos.

Him.