Breaking Control
690 Words
Ava stepped into the penthouse and immediately felt it.
Something was wrong.
The air was thicker than usual, heavy with tension. The lights were dimmer, the city glowing through the floor-to-ceiling windows like a sea of fire below.
And Alexander Wolfe was pacing.
He stopped the moment he saw her.
His sharp gaze locked onto her like she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
“You’re here,” he said quietly.
But his voice wasn’t calm tonight.
It was tight.
Dangerously tight.
Ava hesitated near the doorway. “You told me to come.”
“I know what I said.” His jaw flexed. “That doesn’t mean I expected you to walk in looking like that.”
Her breath caught.
“Looking like… what?”
Alexander dragged a hand through his dark hair, clearly irritated with himself.
“Distracting.”
The word landed heavily between them.
Ava’s cheeks warmed, but before she could respond, his phone buzzed loudly on the table.
Alexander glanced at it.
His expression darkened.
Then he looked back at her slowly.
“Who is Daniel?”
Ava blinked. “What?”
“Daniel,” Alexander repeated, voice sharper now. “He seems very interested in you.”
Her stomach twisted. “He’s just someone from work.”
“Just someone?” Alexander took a slow step toward her.
Then another.
“And he sends messages like that?”
Her pulse started racing. “You read my messages?!”
His eyes flashed.
“No,” he said quietly. “But I saw the notification when your phone lit up.”
He was close now.
Too close.
The tension between them felt electric.
“He asked if you wanted to get dinner tonight,” Alexander continued, voice dangerously calm.
Ava swallowed.
“That’s none of your business.”
Something inside Alexander snapped.
Before she could react, he closed the distance between them, one hand bracing against the wall beside her.
She gasped.
He had her cornered now.
Not touching her.
But close enough that she could feel the heat of his body.
“You’re right,” he said softly.
“It’s not my business.”
His voice dropped lower.
“But I don’t like the idea of another man looking at you.”
Her breath hitched.
Alexander leaned closer, his eyes burning into hers.
“And I like it even less when they think they have a chance.”
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it.
“You don’t get to control who I see,” she whispered.
Something dark flickered in his eyes.
“You’re right again.”
Then his hand moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
His fingers brushed her wrist, sliding up slightly before stopping just below her elbow.
The light contact sent a shock through her body.
“But tell me something, Ava,” he murmured.
“If you don’t feel anything between us…”
His thumb lightly traced the inside of her wrist.
“Then why is your pulse racing like this?”
Her breath shattered.
Because he was right.
Her body was betraying her.
Alexander noticed.
Of course he did.
A slow, dangerous smile curved his lips.
“There it is,” he murmured.
“The spark.”
Ava tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go.
Not tightly.
Just enough to keep her there.
“You should go on that dinner,” he said suddenly.
She froze.
“What?”
His eyes darkened.
“Go.”
His thumb brushed her wrist again.
“Let him try to impress you.”
His voice lowered to a whisper.
“And then come back here… and tell me if he makes you feel even half of what you feel when you’re standing this close to me.”
Her entire body burned.
Alexander finally released her wrist.
But the moment stretched.
Charged.
Dangerous.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said quietly.
Ava walked out of the penthouse with her heart racing wildly.
Because for the first time…
She realized something terrifying.
Alexander Wolfe wasn’t just obsessed with her anymore.
He was jealous.
And that meant one thing.
He was falling hard.
- Writer
