MR.VOSS’ DESIRE

Sparks in the Dark

Seraphina Hart's phone rang at eleven thirty that night, slicing through the heavy silence of the guest suite like a blade.

She had been lying on the silk sheets, staring at the ceiling, her body still humming from Damien's earlier proximity. The tank top clung to her damp skin, and the thin lounge pants did nothing to hide how slick and swollen she felt between her thighs.

Every time she shifted, the fabric rubbed against her sensitive c**t, sending unwanted sparks of need through her core. She had almost given in and touched herself, imagining his rough hands instead of her own, his thick c**k pressing against her instead of empty air.

She answered on the second ring, heart already sinking.

"Mom?"

"Sweetheart." Her mother's voice was weak but warm, the familiar lilt strained by pain and medication. "The hospital called earlier. They said the payment came through. A full year covered? Seraphina, how did you manage that?"

Sera sat up, pressing the phone tighter to her ear. Tears pricked her eyes as she pictured her mother in the sterile room, hooked up to machines, fighting a battle that had already taken so much.

"It's from the new job, Mom. The one I told you about. The pay is... generous. I signed the contract today. I'm staying at the estate now."

A long pause. Then a soft, worried sigh.

"An estate? With that Voss man? I've seen his name in the papers, darling. They say he's brilliant but ruthless. People who get close to him don't always come out the same. Are you safe? Really safe?"

The question lodged in Sera's throat.

Safe.

She thought of the unlocked connecting door, of Damien's gray eyes devouring her curves, of the hard, unmistakable bulge in his trousers when he had stood so close she could feel his heat. Safe was the last word she would use.

"I'm being careful," she whispered. "This job will give us time. Your next round of chemo is covered. Jake won't have to drop out of school. Just focus on getting stronger. I'll handle the rest."

Her mother's voice cracked.

"You've always carried too much, Sera. Since your father left, you've been the strong one. But money like this comes with strings. Don't let anyone tie you down with them. Promise me you'll protect your heart."

"I promise," Sera lied softly, her free hand drifting unconsciously between her thighs, pressing against the aching heat there as memories of Damien's near-touch flooded back. "I love you, Mom. Tell Jake I'll call him tomorrow."

The call ended, leaving her chest tight with guilt and determination.

She set the phone aside and stood, pacing to the window. The ocean roared below, dark and endless, mirroring the turmoil inside her. She was here for her family. Not for the man whose presence made her body betray her at every turn.

A soft click sounded from the connecting door.

Damien stepped through without knocking, as if the contract had already erased every boundary.

He wore only black lounge pants that hung low on his hips, the V of muscle disappearing beneath the waistband drawing her gaze like a magnet. His chest was bare, sculpted and powerful, faint scars tracing lines across his abs that spoke of battles fought long before he built his empire.

His gray eyes found her immediately, darkening as they raked over her body. The thin tank top did nothing to hide her hardened n*****s, and the lounge pants rode low enough to reveal the soft curve of her hips.

He was already hard. Thick and heavy, the impressive outline straining against the fabric of his pants, the head visibly pressing forward as if desperate for release.

He made no attempt to hide it this time. His jaw clenched, hands fisting at his sides while his chest rose and fell with controlled breaths.

"You were on the phone," he said, voice rough and low, carrying straight to the slick heat pooling between her legs. "Your mother?"

Sera nodded, backing up until her shoulders met the cool glass of the window.

"Yes. She's worried. The payment went through. Thank you for that."

He stalked closer, each step deliberate, stopping only when he was inches away. The heat from his bare skin radiated toward her, making her n*****s tighten further and her c**t throb with fresh need.

"You smell like worry and want," he murmured, leaning in until his lips nearly brushed her ear. "Your body gives you away, Seraphina. Those pretty n*****s begging for attention. That sweet p***y getting wet for me even while you talk about family obligations."

Her breath hitched.

She could feel the thick length of his c**k brushing against her lower belly through the thin layers of fabric, hot and pulsing. He rocked his hips once, slowly, letting her feel exactly how hard he was, how much he wanted to bury himself inside her.

The friction sent a jolt straight to her core, making her thighs press together instinctively as fresh wetness soaked her panties.

"I didn't come here for this," she whispered, even as her hips tilted toward him traitorously.

"No?" His hand lifted, fingers tracing the edge of her tank top without quite touching her skin. "Then why are you trembling? Why is your breathing so shallow?"

He finally allowed one knuckle to graze the underside of her breast, the lightest touch that made her gasp.

"I have been hard since the moment you signed that contract. Fighting the urge to bend you over my desk and f**k the defiance out of you. But I won't. Not yet. I want to see how long you can pretend you don't crave it too."

The words sent a fresh gush of arousal between her legs.

Sera's hands clenched at her sides to keep from reaching for him. She could imagine it too clearly - his thick c**k stretching her, pounding deep while he growled filthy commands.

Her c**t pulsed, aching for friction, for his mouth, for anything to relieve the building pressure.

Damien's gaze dropped to her lips, then lower, lingering on the damp spot forming on her lounge pants.

"Touch yourself tonight if you need to," he said, voice dark with restrained hunger. "But know that every time you come thinking of me, it brings you closer to the moment I finally take what's mine."

He stepped back abruptly, the loss of his heat leaving her cold and aching.

His c**k still strained visibly, the head now leaking a small wet spot against his pants. He wanted her badly. The temptation was winning battles inside him, cracking his famous control.

Yet he turned toward the connecting door, pausing at the threshold.

"Tomorrow we meet with Marcus Hale about the charity gala. Keep it professional. He has a reputation for charming women out of dangerous situations. I won't tolerate distractions."

Before she could respond, he was gone, the door left ajar as always.

Sera collapsed onto the bed, legs shaking.

The moment she was alone, her hand slid inside her pants, fingers finding her soaked folds. She circled her swollen c**t slowly at first, then faster, biting her lip to stifle moans as she pictured Damien's thick c**k, his rough voice, the way he had rocked against her.

The orgasm hit hard and fast, her walls clenching around nothing while she whispered his name into the pillow.

But the release brought no peace.

As her breathing slowed, her phone lit up with another anonymous message.

First night and already wet for the devil? Bella knows you are weakening. Marcus Hale just confirmed his attendance tomorrow. He offers a way out, little bird. Safety. Real feelings. Not just a hard c**k and empty promises. Choose before Voss ruins you completely.

Sera deleted the text, but the words lingered.

Marcus Hale. The charming architect who apparently represented an escape. A man who might actually see her as more than a temptation to control.

She glanced at the ajar door, where faint light still glowed from Damien's suite. He was still awake. Still hard. Still fighting the same fire that consumed her.

The estate's shadows deepened around her, the ocean's roar a constant reminder that she was now trapped between dangerous desire and the promise of something safer.

And somewhere in the night, both Bella Laurent and Marcus Hale were already positioning themselves to pull her in opposite directions.

Tomorrow would bring the first real test.

And Sera feared she was already losing.