Craving Mr. Architect

Chapter 4

It’s been an eventful couple of weeks since I’ve been back in Davao. Not a single second has gone by without something kicking off within the Alcantara residence. Mostly, it’s been drama surrounding Jules, one of our top guards, and his step-niece and new recruit, Kiana.

Kiana’s past caught up with her when she fled back to her hometown after some miscommunication with Jules, or some s**t like that. I don't know the exact details, and to be honest, I don't really care. While Kiana is gorgeous, she doesn’t have the appetite for this dark lifestyle and requires far too much protection. It's sweet in a pathetic sort of way, I guess, but it's not for me. Luckily for her, Jules is utterly consumed with looking after her, so good luck to them. I never imagined Kiana surviving a syndicate, but the rival crew who targeted her made a fatal mistake by shedding Alcantara blood.

Their blunder resulted in a hell of a lot of fun for me when it came time for our family's retribution. Because that's what we are. A completely warped, immoral, beautifully unhinged family.

I even got to test out my new tattoo gun on one of the rival runners—a machine I’d custom-modified myself. Modifying tools has become a little dark hobby of mine, engineering fresh methods of psychological and physical torment. It keeps my mind engaged and highly entertained when I find innovative ways to make people bleed and scream. And f**k, did that ratty little bastard scream when I used the bladed needles to permanently carve the family crest into his raw flesh. Just thinking about his frantic begging makes my mouth water, leaving me eager for the next project.

Anyway, Kiana is safely tucked back inside the compound now, and the mansion finally feels settled. Standing here in Dante and Leo’s sprawling kitchen with the inner circle feels completely surreal, as if I never left. Like the past ten years abroad never even happened.

“Hey, Ysabella, can I ask you for a favor?” Kiana asks softly. I hadn’t even noticed her slipping into the room.

“What do you want?”

“I know you have a custom tattoo rig. Jules mentioned it.”

That brings a slow, dark smile to my face, remembering the absolute fun I had with it.

“Ahh. Did he happen to mention what I did to your old friends with it?” I ask.

Kiana’s face drains of all color, giving me my answer before she even speaks.

“Yeah. But that’s not why I’m asking. You can do actual, artistic tattoos, right?”

“Of course I can. Why, you want a piece?”

“I do. And I want it to be a surprise for Jules. Can we do it later?”

Well, now I’m genuinely intrigued. “That can be arranged. Meet me in the private executive office at the club tonight, and I’ll ink you.”

“Thanks, Ysa.”

I give her a brief nod just as the heavy security buzzer at the main gate echoes through the house. Dante had mentioned that the senior architect from Veritas—the guy tasked with designing our individual luxury properties on the ancestral land—would be arriving today. He also made it clear that my primary job would be to oversee the development. It’s certainly a change of pace from my usual enforcement work, but I’m entirely down for it.

I follow Dante, Leo, and Kiana out into the grand, marble-clad foyer and instantly halt at the sight of the most flawless man I’ve ever laid eyes on.

He is tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in an impeccable charcoal suit that hugs his frame perfectly. His dark hair is thick, styled to absolute perfection. The man belongs on a high-fashion runway, or even better, on his knees at my feet.

“Holy s**t. Is *that* the architect?” I murmur, not caring who hears me.

Alarm bells instantly blare in my chest, alerting me to how violently this hottie’s presence is wrecking my composure. Without even realizing it, I slowly lick my lips as I peruse his long, structured body, imagining every single detail hidden beneath that expensive tailored suit—a suit I suddenly want to slice off his skin with a blade.

“Put your claws away, Ysabella. I don’t want the workplace drama,” Dante warns, his voice sharp but entirely ineffective against my focus.

“Sorry, cousin. Can’t help you there. He is devastatingly hot. I can't wait to have him working under me,” I say, my eyes locked onto the man in question.

“I bet he won't even like you,” Leo chimes in as the architect steps through the grand entrance.

“That’s even better. I love a good challenge,” I reply with a cold, predatory determination. Anything can be broken and manipulated to bend to my will if I apply the right pressure.

As the man crosses the threshold, he clears his throat and introduces himself, his voice a rich, steady baritone.

“Good morning. I’m here to see Mr. Dante Alcantara? I’m Mateo Del Rosario, Senior Architect from Veritas.”

“I’m Dante. Welcome to the estate,” Dante says, offering a disciplined handshake.

*Mateo.* Mat. Hmm. I love that name. I like it a lot.

“Mateo. That’s a beautiful name,” I purr without thinking, my body moving entirely on autopilot.

I step directly into his personal space, my presence commanding his full attention as I extend my hand to slide mine against his. While I’m quite tall and strike a statuesque silhouette, Mateo still stands at a solid six feet, his broad shoulders filling out his frame. I wrap my fingers tightly around his palm—strong, smooth, and unblemished. No signs of a man who does manual labor.

The moment our skin meets, his touch radiates a sudden, dangerous heat that creeps straight up my arm, igniting a feral flash of pure, intoxicating lust. Need. Deep, dark, possessive need. Damn.

“I’m Ysabella,” I say, a wicked smirk playing on my lips. I watch his sharp eyes widen in immediate confusion and subtle panic as I hold onto his hand for what is definitely longer than socially acceptable. Then again, I don't do 'socially acceptable' in any facet of my life.

A tentative, highly uncomfortable smile flickers across his face, entirely awkward and defensive.

“Come along, Mateo. Let’s head to my office so we can begin the structural review,” Dante interrupts, deliberately breaking the spell.

I finally let his hand slip away. I watch the hot-as-hell architect follow Dante down the corridor, and exactly as I hoped, he can't resist looking back over his shoulder. He catches me unashamedly tracking the tight, perfect curves of his ass beneath his trousers.

“You’ve completely terrified him,” Kiana whispers beside me, treating it like a warning.

“Oh, little girl, I plan to do a lot worse than that,” I say, giving her a slow wink before trailing behind Mateo and Dante.

Dante didn’t explicitly invite me into the initial meeting, but since I’m the one managing this entire project, I belong in that room. More than anything, I want to see exactly how uncomfortable I can make our beautiful new friend. I want to watch him squirm under my gaze.

Today is looking up.