ICEBREAKER: DARK RUNION OF FIRE

5. FINDING BALANCE

CHAPTER 5. FINDING BALANCE

Fanny Rose POV

I gasped and spun around so fast my back slammed into the wall. Then I saw him standing there with an infuriatingly calm expression, the diamond neckpiece glittering between his fingers. There was no assassin or intruder with murderous intent, just Steffan. I exhaled shakily, my knees nearly giving out before I laughed unwillingly.

“Oh my God, you scared me,” I rebuked weakly as Steffan stepped closer and clasped the expensive jewel around my neck. The cold stones settled against my glowing skin. My pulse was still wild, but his presence softened it. He looked far too pleased with himself.

This man gave me a sense of purpose, a reason to keep rebuilding, and hope that perhaps my future was not completely ruined. And with Steffan as my lover, constantly showing up in ways I never expected, my lonely apartment finally began to feel alive.

Bria had become a master of my routine; she knew every business schedule by heart and practically handled half my errands before I even asked. She also understood my journalism calendar, my interview timings, and always had comforting words ready to lift my spirit.

“Steffan, stop trying to murder me with romance. I need to be up early for morning match coverage. Do not distract me tonight, okay?” I complained while moving further into the room and dropping my recorder and notepad carelessly onto the table. He smiled slightly, and I hated how handsome he looked whenever he ignored me.

“Good evening, troublemaker,” Steffan finally greeted softly.

“Oh, now you know how to greet? Good evening. Why is there broken glass on my floor?” I asked suspiciously.

“I knocked over your cup trying to surprise you. I’m apologizing with diamonds, so I think I deserve forgiveness,” he replied smoothly.

“I’m going to punish you for that,” I replied seductively before pointing toward the mess. “Go pick the shards before I sue you for emotional damage.”

I slipped off my heels and settled on the edge of the bed while watching him laugh under his breath.

“Come here,” he ordered softly, and somehow, I obeyed without arguing.

Steffan stepped closer with that irresistible smile resting on his lips, the exact smile that dismantled every wall I built and somehow made me trust affection again.

“How is my girl doing?” he asked gently as his lips brushed warmly against my cheek.

He kissed my forehead before moving behind me, where he found me trying to loosen the tension in my neck.

“You look exhausted, baby. Let me fix that,” he murmured, gently turning me around as he began to work on my shoulders and back with his warm hands.

The massage was warm and sensual, his hands worked like magic, sending waves of pleasure and comfort into my system.

Ten minutes into the massage, my breathing had already changed, as soft helpless moans left my mouth uncontrollably.

My fingers curled tightly into his shirt as my nails dug heavily into his skin. He groaned deeply and pulled me onto his lap. My body settled flush against him, and I could feel the hard planes of his chest beneath my palms.

He was already hard, and his full length was bulging from his pants. It sent heat rushing straight through my body. Steffan brushed his mouth over mine; his kisses were wet and sloppy, damn, he was a good kisser.

It made me melt further; his tongue travelled from my neck to my breast, my n*****s stood on end, anticipating his touch.

I rode him desperately, each stroke was precise and desperate and he could clearly feel the way my body reacted. His breathing thickened as his lips left mine and moved along my neck once again, pressing slow hungry kisses there.

“Steffan f**k me harder... I need you,” I breathed.

He lifted me from his lap and lowered me onto the bed as his mouth travelled from the hollow of my throat to the valley of my breasts. He sucked gently, teasing every sensitive inch with maddening slowness. He moved between one breast and the other until my thighs trembled from need.

“Oh God... yes,” I whispered.

His fingers slid higher along my legs, rubbing me through the thin fabric. I moaned and tugged him closer. His mouth found me again, kissing me until my head spun.

A few moments later, my body shook with release. I pulled him up, wrapped myself around him, and straddled his waist. I was going for another round.

Every movement after that was desperate. The pleasure was consuming. My hips rolled against his thighs, first slow, then I began riding faster, and each thrust drew rougher breaths from both of us.

He held me firmly as if his life depended on it, and I felt his warm milky c*m deep inside me, as I collapsed against his chest, breathing hard.

My phone rang, but I ignored. It rang again and again.

Finally, I glanced at the screen. It was Jane. We barely kept in touch; she was the only person from my past who still had direct access to me. I had cut almost everyone else off. She only checked on me occasionally whenever things became unbearable, so seeing her call now unsettled me deeply.

I slowly slipped out of Steffan’s embrace before answering. “Hey, Jane. What’s up?” I asked quietly.

“Don’t you think it’s time you came back home?” she asked immediately. “I know you’ve built a life over there, and I hate being the one ruining your peace... but your father is dead, and your father’s estate is being hijacked as we speak.”

Her voice was rushed, and she paused afterward like she was waiting for my reaction. A sharp breath tore out of me instantly. My chest tightened so painfully that it almost felt difficult to breathe.

Jane was always ruthless with her delivery, direct, fearless, never the type to soften a blow. Sometimes I wished I possessed even half that steadiness.

“This is not the time to freeze, Fanny,” she continued firmly. “Your father remarried a monster, and now that he’s gone, that woman is working with your i***t stepbrother to seize every asset under the Lawson family branch tied to your inheritance. The house shares, the trust funds, the old business documents, everything.”

My throat tightened painfully. “What do you think I should do?” I asked, my voice trembling with emotion.

Jane hesitated briefly before delivering the final blow. “I tried interfering, but I’m not family. If you can reach out to Fred, he might help. If you don’t return now, they’ll carry everything away before your name is even mentioned.”

I lowered my head slowly while trying to steady my breathing.

“Fanny...” Jane’s voice softened slightly for the first time during the call. “Come back home and claim what belongs to you.”

Silence swallowed the room after that confession. I wept bitterly, trying to suppress the ugly sound of my own sobbing while Steffan immediately sat upright on the bed, his expression filled with concern.

Jane sighed quietly on the other end before speaking again. “Come and take your father’s legacy.”

Another silence followed. Then finally, she added softly, “I genuinely hope you pull through this.”