Craving Mr. Architect

Mateo. The pinnacle of my architectural career was supposed to begin the moment I signed with the top-tier firm in the heart of Bajada, Davao City. It was a flawless plan—until the Alcantara family laid their claim on me. My sister’s husband, Nico, had warned me about their reputation. I should have listened. Now, I’m bound to a massive contract to design their private estate, and I’m realizing some clients are too dangerous to handle. The Alcantaras don't just dominate local industry; they rule it with iron fists. But it isn't their intimidating influence that threatens to unhinge me. It’s her. Ysabella. She is a beautiful, chaotic storm I never saw coming. She shadows my every move at the construction site, needle-sharp barbs disguised as playful teasing, her gaze heavy with a terrifying, predatory intent. She doesn't just want a house built—she wants to dismantle my sanity and own whatever is left. I keep telling myself I can finish this project, keep my head down, and escape her gravity. I keep telling myself I don't crave her dark, intoxicating pull. But the lie is getting harder to believe. Ysabella Drifting from one distraction to another was getting tedious, so returning to the fold of my family's empire was the only logical step. The Alcantara's always take care of their own. My cousins, Dante and Leo, are expanding our heavily guarded family compound nestled high in the secluded heights of Shrine Hills, overlooking the gulf. I expected our hired architect to be a dull academic easily managed by our team. Instead, they brought me Mateo. He is a masterpiece of sharp angles and quiet, stubborn pride—built perfectly to fit my darkest, most quiet obsessions. Mateo. He thinks this is just a business transaction, a job he can finish and walk away from. He doesn't realize that the moment he stepped onto our land, he became mine. I want to break past that professional armor, taste his defiance, and claim his very soul. He fights the attraction, of course, drawing lines in the sand that I fully intend to cross. But a chase is always sweeter when the prey believes he still has a chance to run.