Jealous 🥵

The ballroom was a shimmering, gold-leafed trap. To the hundreds of guests swirling across the floor, Ariana was merely a beautiful girl in a red dress. But to the man watching from the shadows of the mezzanine, she was a territory under siege.

Ariana felt the weight of Mateo’s gaze like a physical touch. Every time she moved, she felt the red silk of her gown—his gown—rubbing against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, a constant, friction-filled reminder of the morning she’d spent aching for him. She had spent all day craving his presence, and now that he was here, his silence was louder than the orchestra.

"Ariana? You’re a thousand miles away."

She blinked, coming back to the present. Standing before her was Dr. Gabriel Moreno. He looked polished in his tuxedo, his eyes bright with the kind of youthful admiration that used to make her feel safe. Now, compared to the dark, gravitational pull of Mateo, Gabriel felt like a flickering candle next to a forest fire.

Mr. Moreno,"she called his name"

Oh no call me Gabriel please,"he said and she nodded

"I’m sorry, Gabriel," Ariana said, her voice a breathy exhale. "It’s just a lot to take in. The house, the people..."

"It’s a palace," Gabriel agreed, stepping closer, his scent of clean cologne a sharp contrast to Mateo’s heavy bourbon and sandalwood. "But even in a palace, the most beautiful thing shouldn't be left standing alone. May I have this dance?"

Ariana hesitated. Her instinct screamed at her to look toward the bar, to find the dark eyes she knew were tracking her every move. But the rebel in her—the part of her that wanted to punish Mateo for leaving her alone all day—made her place her hand in Gabriel’s.

"I’d love to."

As Gabriel led her onto the floor, the world shifted. He was a good dancer, his movements polite and respectful. His hand rested lightly on her waist, and for a moment, Ariana tried to pretend she was a normal twenty-four-year-old girl enjoying a party.

Mateo was standing by the mahogany pillars, a crystal glass gripped in his hand so tightly his knuckles were white. He wasn't talking to the hospital board. He wasn't playing the host. He was staring at Gabriel’s hand on her waist. His eyes were cold, surgical, and utterly lethal. The 'Ice Surgeon' was gone; in his place was a man watching a thief touch his most prized possession.

"You're shaking," Gabriel whispered, concern clouding his face. "Are you cold?"

"I... I think I need some air," Ariana gasped when she saw the way Mateo stared at them

The music ended, but before Gabriel could lead her away, the crowd parted. Mateo didn't walk; he stalked. The air seemed to chill in his wake, the laughter of the guests dying down as they sensed the predator in their midst.

"Dr. Moreno," Mateo said, his voice a low, vibrating growl.

"Dr. Lopez! A spectacular gala, sir," Gabriel said, though his smile faltered as he took in the older man’s expression.

"I believe my daughter is looking for someone to help with the charity auction items in the library, Moreno," Mateo said. It wasn't a request. It was an eviction. "Go. Now."

Gabriel blinked, looking between Ariana and Mateo. Even he wasn't blind to the possessive aura radiating from his boss. "Of course. Ariana, thank you for the dance."

The second Gabriel vanished into the crowd, Mateo’s hand clamped around Ariana’s arm. His fingers circled her wrist like a shackle, his skin burning against hers. He didn't say a word as he navigated her through the side door, away from the glittering lights and into the dim, silent hallway leading to his private study.

He shoved the heavy oak doors open and hauled her inside, slamming them shut with a force that rattled the frames. The lock clicked—a sharp, final sound that signaled the end of her freedom.

"Mateo, what are you doing? Everyone saw—"

"I don't give a damn what they saw!" Mateo roared, his tuxedo jacket already discarded on the floor. He looked feral, his tie pulled loose, his hair disheveled. He lunged forward, catching her by the waist and slamming her back against the door. "You spent the day looking for me, didn't you, Nina? You spent the day wondering where I was, aching for the touch I gave you at the mall."

"I... I didn't—"

"Liar." He pinned her wrists above her head, his large, scarred hands holding her with terrifying ease. He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "I saw you on that floor. I saw you let that boy put his hands on the silk I bought you. I saw you look at him with the eyes I taught to look at me."

"It was just a dance!"

"It was you being stubborn and trying to challenge me," he rasped, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her jaw. "And you know what I do to challenges, Ariana. I break them. I dismantle them until there’s nothing left but a whimpering, beautiful mess."

He released her wrists only to grab her face, his fingers digging into her cheeks, forcing her to look at the monster he had become. He looked at her with such raw, unadulterated hunger that Ariana felt her knees buckle.

"You've been a very bad girl today, Nina," he whispered, his thumb dragging across her lower lip until it pulled back, exposing her teeth. "You forgot who you belong to. You forgot the rules of this house."

"I'm yours," she sobbed, her heart breaking and soaring at the same time. "Mateo, please... I’m yours."

"Say it again."

"I'm yours. Only yours."

He didn't wait. He crashed his mouth against hers, a violent, starving kiss that tasted of bourbon and dominance. His hands roamed her body, the red silk sliding and bunching under his touch as he finally, for the first time, let the mask fall completely. Tonight, he wasn't anyone but he was the man who was going to make sure she never looked at another man again.