Chapter 47

Laura's POV

A sharp laugh slipped past my lips. It wasn’t because anything about this situation was funny, I was pinned against a desk by a man who could kill without blinking, but because this was exactly what I should have expected.

Kelvin Aldoracco, always one step ahead.

His grip tightened slightly, his body pressing against mine, caging me in. His green eyes burned with fury, but underneath it, there was something else. Desire.

"What's wrong, Kelvin?" I asked, tilting my head. "Got something to hide?"

His lips curled into a smirk, slow and dangerous. "You should know better than to ask that, little kitten."

I arched my brow. "Should I?"

He leaned in, his breath warm against my cheek. "You see, if I did have something to hide..." He paused, letting the tension stretch between us. "Then your dead body might be the next thing I have to hide."

A chill ran down my spine, but I refused to let him see it. Instead, I laughed again, shaking my head. "You’re so pathetic."

He exhaled sharply, his grip loosening just enough for me to breathe. "And you're so reckless," he muttered, his gaze dropping to the file that had fallen beside us.

I followed his eyes. "So? What’s in there that you don’t want me to see?"

His fingers trailed up my arm, slowly torturing me till I found it difficult to breathe easy.. "Nothing that concerns you."

I scoffed, feigning nonchalance. "Clearly, it does. My picture is on it."

His jaw ticked, but the smirk remained. "Curiosity is a dangerous habit, Laura."

"Yeah? So is keeping secrets from the woman you're supposed to be married to."

Something flickered in his eyes, something dark, but it was gone in an instant.

"Walk away," he said smoothly.

I met his gaze, unflinching. "No."

His fingers tightened around my wrist again, and for a second, I thought he might actually snap. But then, to my surprise, he chuckled, shaking his head.

"You just don't learn, do you?"

I lifted my chin. "Maybe you should start teaching me, then."

His smirk widened, but there was a sharpness to it now.

"Careful what you wish for, little kitten," he murmured, before finally releasing me and stepping back.

I stayed where I was, heart pounding as he picked up the file, flipping through it as if to taunt me.

"Go back to your room," he said, not even looking up. "And stay out of my business."

I should have listened.

But I didn't.

It infuriated me the way acted as if the conversation was over, but it wasn’t. Not for me.

I stepped closer, closing the space he’d just put between us. He glanced up, one beautiful brow lifting in mild curiosity, but I didn’t miss the way his body tensed, as if he already knew I was about to push him.

“I need to go back to work,” I said, my voice steady despite the rapid beating of my heart.

He let out a low chuckle and snapped the file shut. “No, you don’t.”

I squared my shoulders. “Yes, I do.”

He tilted his head, watching me like a predator toying with its prey. “And why is that?”

I clenched my jaw. “It’s my career, Kelvin. I don’t need permission.”

His smirk deepened, amusement dancing in those cold, green eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong, little kitten.”

I sucked in a breath as he took a step forward, forcing me to tilt my head to keep eye contact.

“I’m your boss now,” he murmured, his voice smooth as silk but sharp as a blade. “I tell you when you go back.”

I stared at him, feeling the slow simmer of anger mix with something much more dangerous.

His arrogance. His control. His damn ability to act as if he owned every part of my life.

I should have turned away. I should have stormed out.

But instead, I reached for him, curling my fingers into the front of his shirt. His smirk faltered, his brows knitting together in the briefest moment of surprise.

Then, before I could think too much about it, I pulled him down and pressed my lips against his.

The moment our lips touched, the air between us shifted.

It wasn’t soft. I wasn't hesitant. It was a collision wild, heated, and desperate.

For a split second, he didn’t move. Then, just as suddenly, his hand shot up, tangling into my hair as he yanked me closer.

A sharp gasp left me, but it was swallowed by him, by the way his lips moved against mine, demanding for more.

The file dropped from his hand, forgotten as he turned the kiss into something darker, deeper. His other hand slid to my waist, fingers digging in just enough to make me aware of his strength.

I didn’t know who was in control anymore.

Or maybe, that was the whole point.

My nails scraped against his chest as I tried to steady myself, but he took it as a challenge, nipping at my lower lip before pulling back just enough for our breaths to mingle.

His eyes burned into mine.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked, his voice rough, but laced with something else.

I swallowed, refusing to look away. “Kissing my boss.”

His smirk returned, slower this time, more dangerous.

“Careful, Laura,” he whispered, his grip tightening just slightly. “You might start something you can’t finish.”

I held his gaze, my heart hammering.

“Try me.”

For a brief moment, all I could hear was the sound of our uneven breaths, the tension between us thick enough to drown in.

Gods! This wasn’t supposed to happen!

It had to be my hormones. My damn ovulation messing with my head, making me reckless. That was the only explanation for why I had just kissed Kelvin Aldoracco like I wanted him to ruin me.

I needed to leave. Now.

I started to pull back, but before I could, his hands moved, fast and unrelenting. One gripped my waist, the other pressed against the small of my back, keeping me flush against him.

“Running already?” His voice was like velvet over steel, taunting and dark. “I thought you wanted to play.”

I exhaled sharply. “I—”

Before I could form a coherent thought, he spun me, pressing me against the desk. The cool wood met my palms, and I barely had a second to react before his hands trailed down my hips, causing goosebumps to bloom like flowers on my skin.

“Kelvin…” I tried to sound firm, but it came out softer than I intended.

He hummed, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “You kissed me first.” He purred against my flesh. “And now, you’re going to deal with the consequences.”

A shiver ran down my spine, but I still tried to resist. “I don’t—”

The rest of my protest faded the second his hands moved lower, spreading warmth and anticipation through my veins.

“You don’t what?” he murmured against my neck, his breath sending tingles down my skin.

I gripped the edge of the desk, my body betraying me as heat curled in my stomach.

He chuckled, low and knowing. “That’s what I thought.”

Then, before I could protest again, he dropped to his knees.

My breath caught, my head spinning as I realized exactly what he intended to do.

And worse?

I didn’t want to stop him.