CRIMSON CONFESSION

Breaking Protocol

The next morning arrived with a heavy, suffocating silence. The snow had not let up. If anything, it had grown worse, blanketing the world outside in a thick, pristine white that made the forest look deceptively peaceful. Selene stood by the floor-to-ceiling window in her suite, wrapped in a soft cashmere robe, watching the wind whip the flakes into frenzied spirals.

She hadn’t slept more than two hours. Every time she closed her eyes, Kai’s voice echoed in her mind. *We both know you’ll be thinking about me when you touch yourself tonight.*

The worst part? He had been right.

She hated herself for the way her body had betrayed her — the restless heat between her thighs, the way she had clenched the sheets while imagining his hands instead of her own. Professional. Ethical. Detached. Those were the words she had lived by for years. And now, after one day, Kai Voss was threatening to unravel all of it.

A soft knock sounded on her door.

“Dr. Hart?” Margaret’s voice came through. “Breakfast is ready in the sunroom. Mr. Voss requests your presence for the morning session at ten.”

Selene dressed carefully — a crisp white blouse tucked into high-waisted black trousers, her hair pulled into a tight bun, minimal makeup. Armor. She needed every layer of it today.

The sunroom was stunning. Glass walls on three sides offered a panoramic view of the snowy mountains. A long table was set with fresh fruit, croissants, eggs benedict, and strong black coffee. Kai was already there, reading something on a tablet, looking unfairly composed in a dark gray sweater that hugged his broad shoulders.

He looked up when she entered, and his eyes darkened with obvious appreciation.

“Good morning, Dr. Hart,” he said, his voice smooth. “You look… rested.”

The lie was blatant. He knew she hadn’t slept.

Selene sat down across from him, keeping her expression neutral. “Let’s skip the pleasantries. We have work to do.”

Kai set his tablet aside and leaned back, watching her pour coffee. “You’re angry about last night.”

“I’m angry about the cameras in my private quarters,” she corrected sharply. “I want them disabled immediately.”

He smiled. “No.”

Selene’s fork paused halfway to her mouth. “No?”

“You signed the contract. Full access. Full transparency. I don’t do halfway measures, Selene.”

She slammed her fork down. “Then I’m leaving. Contract or no contract. I won’t work under these conditions.”

Kai’s expression didn’t change, but something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “You can try. The roads are buried under three feet of snow. The nearest town is forty miles away. Even if you made it past the gates, you’d freeze to death before you reached help.”

He stood up slowly and walked around the table until he was standing beside her chair. Selene refused to look up at him.

His hand came to rest lightly on the back of her chair. “Stay,” he murmured. “Finish your contract. Let me show you what I can offer.”

“I’m not for sale,” she whispered.

Kai leaned down, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “Everything has a price. Even you.”

The rest of breakfast passed in tense silence. Selene barely ate. When they moved to the therapy room, she tried to steer the session back to professional ground.

“Tell me about your mother,” she said, opening her notebook.

Kai’s jaw tightened. For the first time, she saw a crack in his armor. “She left when I was nine. Couldn’t handle my father’s ambition. Or mine.”

They talked for over an hour. He revealed fragments — the loneliness of being an only child in a cold mansion, the pressure to be perfect, the betrayal he felt when his own board tried to oust him. Selene listened carefully, taking notes, offering gentle probing questions.

But Kai never let her stay in control for long.

“And what about you?” he asked during a lull. “Why did you choose trauma therapy? Running from your own demons?”

Selene stiffened. “We’re not here to discuss me.”

“Aren’t we?” He smiled. “Therapy is a two-way street, Doctor. You expect me to bare my soul, yet you hide behind your clipboard like it’s a shield.”

He stood up and began pacing slowly. “I know about your father. The drinking. The way he used to lock you in the closet when he got violent. I know how you changed your last name to escape his legacy. Hart… a new heart. A fresh start. How poetic.”

Selene felt the blood drain from her face. “How do you know that?”

Kai stopped pacing and turned to face her fully. “I make it my business to know everything about the people I let into my life. Especially the ones I want to keep.”

The air between them grew thick. Selene’s heart was racing again. She stood up too, needing to put distance between them.

“This is highly unethical,” she said, her voice barely steady. “If you continue like this, I will have no choice but to terminate the contract.”

Kai moved closer until only a foot separated them. “You won’t.”

“You seem very sure of yourself.”

“Because I am.” His hand rose slowly, giving her time to pull away. When she didn’t, his fingers traced the line of her jaw with surprising gentleness. “You feel it too, Selene. This pull. This… inevitability. You’re terrified of me. But you’re more terrified of how much you want me.”

Selene’s breath hitched. She should slap his hand away. She should walk out. Instead, she stood frozen as his thumb brushed across her lower lip.

“I could make you feel things you’ve never felt before,” he whispered. “I could give you everything you’ve been denying yourself. Power. Pleasure. Safety.”

For one dizzying moment, Selene leaned into his touch.

Then reality crashed back.

She jerked away, breathing hard. “Session over.”

She fled the room, heart pounding, cheeks flushed. Margaret was waiting in the hallway with a knowing look she didn’t comment on.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Selene tried to explore more of the estate, but every door she opened seemed to lead back to thoughts of Kai. She found a gym, a cinema room, even an indoor pool. But the cameras followed her everywhere.

That evening, dinner was served in a formal dining room. Kai was waiting for her, dressed in a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing strong forearms.

They ate in charged silence at first.

Then Kai spoke. “Tell me what you’re afraid of.”

Selene looked up. “Right now? You.”

He chuckled softly. “Good. Fear means you’re paying attention.”

As the meal progressed, the conversation shifted. Kai asked about her favorite books, her taste in music, small things that surprised her with their normalcy. For brief moments, he seemed almost… human.

But then the mask would slip back into place.

After dinner, he offered her a tour of the restricted east wing. Against her better judgment, Selene agreed.

The east wing was darker, more gothic. They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.

“This was my father’s old office,” Kai said quietly. “He died here.”

He opened the door. The room was preserved like a museum — dark wood, heavy furniture, and the faint smell of old cigars. On the desk sat a single framed photo: a young Kai with his parents.

Selene stepped closer to look at it. When she turned around, Kai was right behind her.

Their bodies brushed. The tension that had been building all day finally snapped.

Kai’s hand cupped the back of her neck. “Tell me to stop,” he said, voice rough. “Say it, and I will.”

Selene opened her mouth… but no words came out.

That was all the permission he needed.

His mouth crashed down on hers — hungry, demanding, and devastatingly skilled. Selene gasped against his lips, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss with a groan that sent electricity straight through her body.

His hands roamed down her back, pulling her flush against him. She could feel how much he wanted her. The hard evidence pressing insistently against her stomach.

For several long, sinful seconds, Selene kissed him back. Her hands fisted in his shirt. Her body melted into his.

Then she remembered who he was.

She pushed him away, breathing raggedly. “We can’t. This is wrong.”

Kai’s eyes were nearly black with desire. His chest heaved. “It feels right to me.”

Selene backed toward the door. “This never happened. We will maintain professional boundaries from now on.”

She turned and practically ran back to her suite, locking the door behind her.

But as she leaned against the wood, lips still tingling from his kiss, she knew the lie was hollow.

Kai Voss had already gotten under her skin.

And the worst part was… she wasn’t sure she wanted him to leave.