The CEO's Forbidden Desire

Chapter 4

|Gryphon's POV|

What the f**k have I done?

Did I just impulse buy the most perverted fashion label on the market just to stop Serena f*****g Van der Bilt from walking out in that abhorrent monstrosity of a dress that left nothing to the imagination of the watcher— one that she herself was clearly uncomfortable wearing.

The mere sight when I saw her standing backstage in the queue of models, supposed to walk out as the damn showstopper...I forgot all sensibility of being in public, I forgot that I was actually attending to help my friend, Odette Dubois who was thinking of buying out this studio for herself, I forgot the paparazzi, the niceties and everything else that I am always supposed to be remembering.

I just knew I had to get her out of here.

I mean, it is exactly what I told her and Donovan, she is to become a part of my family and I will not have her running my name into the mud, that's it. Yeah. That's it.

"Hey man, thanks for that. If we're being honest, I was anyways thinking of getting rid of this label." Nicholas arrives where I am standing backstage after the show is over and the guests have started to leave while I am waiting for Serena to come out so I can put this in her thick head that she needs to get her act straight.

I don't spare him a glance, "yeah, I don't care. Get out of here."

And he scrams without a word and only then do I look around, watching my surroundings as the crew packs up everything in lieu of my announcement, ready to get out of here.

"Bold choice you made out there, Gryph," I hear a familiar voice say as I turn around and my eyes soften the moment I find Odette standing in front of me, twirling a strand of her blonde locks as she looks around with a pleased smile.

"What can I say," I smirk, "it was an impulse buy. He was butchering high fashion, so, I had to take it away from him."

Odette gives me a knowing look before shaking her head, "well, at least now Morica would be a good brand. Are you thinking of changing the name of the label?"

I scowl, not knowing what to say considering this wasn't exactly on today's agenda for me. "Haven't thought of it yet."

Odette smiles, "you haven't thought of any of it yet, have you? Just as they announced Serena Van der Bilt as the showstopper, you left. Perhaps you haven't clearly thought of anything yet, Gryph." Her eyes travel to something behind me and her grin widens, "I'll see you later, love."

And with that, she leaves, making me furrow my brows just as the intoxicating scent of patchouli and bergamot hits my senses and I turn around to find Serena standing in front of me, and there goes my heart racing again for some stupid as f**k reason.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Oh, trust me, honey, I am asking myself the same question.

"Excuse me?" I mutter staring at her with a mask of indifference that is becoming harder and harder to explain because currently she's wearing a low cut cocktail top whose burgundy looks fantastic against her porcelain skin and her golden locks are finally out of that hideous headgear that Nicholas had made her wear and are now falling till her lower back in cascading waves. She is a goddess in her own right and yet, not a single person I have met in my life can infuriate me in the same manner as her.

"You cannot just bulldoze your way into my life and dictate what I can and cannot do! I am my own person and whatever sick satisfaction you're getting playing my master, you need to knock it off!"

My c**k almost hardens at the prospect of playing master to her, taming her, punishing her...seeing what lies underneath the facade of being the world class b***h that she clearly pretends to be in front of the whole world.

I saw the way her eyes had shone with vulnerability when she had asked me to let her walk out on that ramp and I also know that it had to do something with that no-good boyfriend of hers.

"I can do whatever the f**k I want because you are supposed to become a Vance and every f*****g Vance is my responsibility, my goddamn property, understood?" I hiss stepping towards her and accidentally making the mistake of inhaling her signature scent that does stupid things to the connection between my heart and my brain. Something is utterly wrong with me.

Her jaw clenches in a manner that highlights her sharp clavicle and the mere sight has me wanting to pull her by the neck and feel that smooth skin with my lips...

Woah...my eyes widen at the direction of my own thoughts but before I can say anything, her words leave me stunned—

"If you're trying to make me your property, Mr. Vance, then you better get in line. Because trust me, there have been a lot of men before you, and there will be more after you." The sensuous lilt of her voice and the way she makes a show of looking into my eyes before dipping her gaze to my lips has the exact effect that she desires— I am hard as steel and my hand is itching to pull her to me and claim her just to show her who's in charge here.

"Well, sweetheart," I lower my voice as I reach out and make a show of dragging a tendril of her silky hair behind her ear— good gods, her hair are soft enough to wrap around my fist— and I swear I feel her body shudder as her eyes widen and her lips part in a manner that is extremely distracting for me to be able to keep a straight face, "I don't care about the others because once I lay my claim on you, believe me, none of the others will ever be able to reach you, no matter what they try. I take care of things that are mine." I finish with a sweet smile directed at her— which is anything but, our faces close enough to feel her breath on my lips.

Her jaw hardens but I see the flare of desire rising in her eyes, "I am not a thing, Gryphon."

The sound of my name on her lips is enough to shoot all my blood to the nether of my body. I want to hear it again.

"Then you should act more human if you want to be treated like a human." I snarl, using my hand that was still cupping her cheek to tighten my grip on her jaw as I watch the sliver of desire and any remaining softness completely disappearing from her face and her expressions succumb into a mask of hatred so fierce and unbridled that I feel an ache in my chest like regret on what I have just spoken.

“You know what, Gryphon Vance? It’s on. You will die trying to control me and I will still be out of your reach no matter what. We might be becoming a part of a family, bro, but believe me, you’re about to enter hell.”

And with that, she ignites a challenge in me that I haven’t felt before, a challenge to make her break, to claim her, to tell her exactly what is the meaning of being owned by me. A challenge that is so maddening that I revel in the sweet victory that will come when she is finally defeated.

She pushes against me and walks away scoffing, not seeing the smirk appearing on my face—

It’s on, Miss Van der Bilt. It’s on.