Back To Temptation
1084 Words
Aria’s POV
Eva burst into laughter like she had just delivered the funniest line in the world.
I stared at her, shaking my head.
It amazed me sometimes—how unapologetically alive she was.
No fear. No hesitation. No filter.
Meanwhile, I spent half my life trapped inside my own head.
“I’m serious,” she continued, grinning as she hooked her arm through mine. “The new pool is insane. Black marble, underwater lights, floating deck chairs… Dad basically turned the backyard into a luxury resort.”
“You say that like it’s normal,” I muttered.
“For us? It is.”
She tossed her dark curls over one shoulder and kept walking toward the entrance of the estate like she owned the ground beneath her feet.
Maybe she did.
The guards stationed outside the manor stepped aside immediately when they saw her. Huge men dressed in black, expressionless and intimidating, with the kind of posture that screamed violence without needing words..
I felt their eyes flick briefly toward me.
Not disrespectful.
Just assessing.
Observing.
The atmosphere around this place had always been different from everywhere else. Heavier. Sharper.
Like danger lived inside the walls.
The massive front doors opened before we even reached them.
Cold air drifted across my skin the second I stepped inside, carrying the scent of polished wood, cedar, smoke, and something distinctly masculine underneath it all.
My heartbeat stumbled.
I knew that scent.
God.
It was him.
Not directly—not enough to make sense—but enough to pull memories out of places I had tried very hard to bury.
The inside of the manor looked darker than I remembered.
More elegant too.
Black marble floors reflected the chandelier light overhead. Long hallways stretched endlessly beneath gold-trimmed ceilings.
Oil paintings lined the walls—wolves, forests, old Alpha bloodlines painted with haunting detail.
Everything about the estate whispered power.
“This place doesn’t even feel real anymore,” I said softly.
Eva glanced back at me with a smirk. “You missed it, didn’t you?”
I opened my mouth to deny it.
But I couldn’t.
Because the truth was embarrassing.
I had missed this place.
Missed the chaos.
Missed the tension.
Missed him.
A quiet ache settled in my chest at the realization.
“Careful,” Eva teased lightly. “The manor has a habit of swallowing people whole.”
Something about the way she said it made heat crawl up my spine.
I forced out a laugh. “You’re dramatic.”
“And you’re nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“You’re twisting your rings.”
I immediately dropped my hands to my sides.
Damn her.
She grinned victoriously and dragged me farther inside.
Servants moved quietly through the halls carrying trays and folded linens. Somewhere in the distance, music played softly through hidden speakers.
The estate felt alive.
Not warm exactly.
But awake.
Like it was watching.
“This is your room,” Eva announced finally, pushing open a tall black door near the east wing.
I froze.
The room was stunning.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the forest behind the estate. Soft cream curtains moved gently in the breeze.
There was a fireplace across from an enormous bed layered with dark silk sheets and expensive-looking blankets.
Candles flickered along the shelves.
Fresh flowers sat near the windows.
It looked less like a guest room and more like something designed for royalty.
“Eva…” I breathed.
“I know,” she said smugly. “Dad hired some famous interior designer from Italy or France or somewhere ridiculously expensive.”
Of course he did.
I walked farther into the room slowly, taking everything in.
And then I saw movement outside.
My steps halted instantly.
A man stood near the far end of the training grounds beyond the glass windows.
Tall.
Broad.
Dangerous.
Ronan Vale.
The world around me seemed to go silent.
He wore black training pants slung low on his hips, his upper body bare beneath the fading afternoon sunlight. Every movement looked controlled, precise, effortless.
He held a sword in one hand.
Not decorative.
Real.
The blade flashed sharply as he moved.
My throat tightened.
I couldn’t look away.
There was something terrifying about the way Ronan carried himself. Calm on the surface, but underneath it—
Violence.
Pure violence.
Even from a distance, the power rolling off him was overwhelming.
He moved again, rotating the blade smoothly before striking forward with brutal precision.
My pulse jumped.
God.
No man should look that good doing something so dangerous.
I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how warm my skin felt.
Then, as if sensing it…
He looked up.
Straight at me.
Our eyes locked through the glass.
Grey.
Cold.
Sharp enough to cut through bone.
Every breath caught in my lungs.
For one endless second, neither of us moved.
Then his expression changed.
Not fully.
Just slightly.
A small smile touched the corner of his mouth.
Calm.
Controlled.
Almost harmless.
Which somehow made it worse.
My body reacted instantly.
I stepped backward too quickly, my shoulder bumping against the edge of the dresser.
“Aria?” Eva’s voice sounded distant.
I blinked hard, dragging my attention away from the window praying she didn't caught me staring.
“What?”
She gave me a strange look. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I answered too fast.
Her eyes narrowed slightly suspiciously, but before she could question me further, someone called her name from downstairs.
“I’ll be back,” she said. “Try not to fall in love with the room while I’m gone.”
The second she disappeared, silence swallowed the space again.
I exhaled shakily.
My chest rose and fell too fast.
What the hell was wrong with me?
It had only been a look.
One smile.
That was it.
And somehow I already felt unsteady.
I pressed my palms against my cheeks, trying to cool the heat there.
“This is bad,” I whispered to myself.
Very bad.
Because deep down, beneath all the guilt and common sense and years of trying to move on…
I thought I was ready to face him now.
I assumed I was matured enough to handle my desires and dark thoughts.
But... .
Nothing had changed.
Not really.
If anything, seeing him again had made everything worse.
More dangerous.
I looked back toward the window before I could stop myself.
He wasn't there anymore but something tells me he was everywhere.
Still watching.
- Writer
