LOGIN❤️ In The Devil's Heat ❤️
Talia finally stepped in. The bathroom looked like something out of a five-star hotel. Warm lights and beautiful cream walls. There were huge mirrors and gold designs everywhere. She locked the door behind her, sat on the closed toilet seat for a second, and let out the breath she’d been holding since he found her. She peeled off her wet clothes slowly. Her tank top clung to her like a second skin. Her shorts were heavy with rain. Her panties were cold and sticky. She dumped them all in a pile on the floor. The hot water felt like heaven on her skin. She stayed under it longer than necessary, letting the warmth crawl back into her bones. She washed her hair with something that smelled like honey and mint. She scrubbed her skin until she felt clean again. Even though she was still broke, at least now she is clean. When she finally stepped out, wrapped in a thick towel that smelled like fresh linen, she saw the clothes on the counter. A black oversized pajamas. They looked big and probably his. She hesitated again but wore them with nothing underneath it. She stepped out of the bathroom quietly and saw him waiting at the end of the hallway, leaning against the wall like he’d been there for hours. “You clean up well,” he said without smiling. “Thanks,” she mumbled. “Come downstairs. Are you hungry?” Talia blinked. She hadn’t eaten since morning. Her stomach answered before she could. He heard it and smirked. The kitchen was even more beautiful than the bathroom. Steel appliances with marble counters. A huge island in the middle. He opened the fridge, pulled out a container of pasta, and slid it into the microwave. “You cook?” she asked quietly. “No I don't, my housekeeper does. She left for the weekend.” He leaned back on the counter, crossed his arms, and studied her. “You look like someone who hasn’t slept in a proper bed for weeks.” “I haven’t.” He nodded. “Boyfriend kicked you out?” “No boyfriend.” “Parents?” She looked down. “No one.” She didn't know him and didn't want to tell him about her pitiful life story in one meeting just because he was cooking for her. Dominic didn’t speak for a while. The microwave beeped. He handed her the food without a word, then poured her a glass of water. Talia ate like a starving dog while standing. She didn’t care if he was watching. She was too hungry to be embarrassed. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said, “Thank you.” He poured himself another drink. “Come with me.” “Where?” “Somewhere more comfortable than the kitchen.” He led her into a sitting room that looked like it belonged in a magazine. There was a huge fireplace with a deep black couch. Tall windows with the rain still pouring outside. The lightning flashed, painting shadows across the room. He sat down as she stood awkwardly. “Sit down, Talia.” She did. They didn’t speak for a while. The fire crackled. She pulled the sleeves of the hoodie down over her hands. “Why are you helping me?” she asked finally. Dominic sipped his drink. “You looked like someone who’s had enough punishment for one night.” She nodded slowly. Then he turned and looked at her directly, and her heart skipped. “You’re not scared of me?” “I should be,” she admitted. He leaned forward. “But you’re not.” She shook her head. “I’ve met worse.” He gave a soft laugh. “Have you?” Then everything changed. His body leaned closer. Her heart pounded so loud, she was sure he could hear it. His fingers reached out and brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. She didn’t flinch or even move. “You’re beautiful when you’re wet,” he said, and his voice was so deep now, it felt like it wrapped around her throat. Talia couldn’t speak. She knows what he was getting at and was no fool, all men are the same, once they help you, they want your body in return. She should let him before he kills her. “I should throw you out,” he said. “But I don’t want to.” His hand was still on her face. Then it moved, down her neck, to her shoulder. Her skin lit up with heat and the cold was gone. She whispered, “Why don’t you?” He leaned in, his lips barely an inch from hers. “Because I want to see what you do next.” Talia’s breath caught in her throat. Maybe this is what he wants, a show of appreciation for his comfort. She made up her mind and leaned forward instead and kissed him. The moment their lips touched, something inside her woke up open. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly. His mouth moved over hers like he had been waiting all night, all year. His tongue slid between her lips, slow, deep, tasting her and claiming her. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her onto his lap. She could feel his dick, hard and hot against her ass. She gasped into his mouth when he squeezed her thighs, dragging her closer. The fire burned behind them as the thunder rolled. Her hips moved on instinct. "Are you sure?" He asked. She nodded her head. Just for tonight and by the time he wakes she will be gone, that is if she survives the night with him. “Yes." she whispered. He growled low in his throat and lifted her in one smooth motion.Chapter 9:Three weeks later, Thessaly stood in the kitchen making bread while Caspian worked on repairing a section of the fence. The storm had passed, the satellite phone had been fixed, and she'd made exactly one phone call.To her landlord, to cancel her lease.Everything else in Seattle could be handled remotely or abandoned. She didn't need much from her old life. Didn't want much.What she wanted was here. In this cabin, with this man, in this wild beautiful place."You're doing it wrong," Caspian said from the doorway, making her jump."I'm following the recipe exactly!""The recipe is wrong. Here." He came up behind her, his hands covering hers on the dough. "Knead it like this. More pressure. You have to be firm with it."Thessaly leaned back against his chest. "Is this a metaphor?""Maybe. How's the dough feel?""Firm. Strong. Capable.""Good. That's what you're aiming for." He kissed her neck. "You're getting better at this domestic stuff.""Don't sound so surprised. I'm a
Chapter 8: Later, much later, Thessaly lay wrapped in Caspian's arms, her body sated and exhausted. He was tracing patterns on her bare back, his touch gentle despite the intensity of what they'd just done. "You okay?" he asked quietly. "Better than okay. That was..." She didn't have words for what that was. "Yeah." His arms tightened around her. "It was." They lay in comfortable silence for a while and just breathing. Outside, the storm continued to rage, but inside they were warm and safe and together. "Caspian?" Thessaly said finally. "Mm?" "What happened? The thing that made you come out here. The thing you won't talk about." He was quiet for so long she thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said, "I had a company. Tech startup. Built it from nothing with my best friend. We were going to change the world, make millions, all that ambitious startup bullshit." "What happened?" "He stole everything. The company, the patents, the investors. Framed me for fraud so I'd go to pri
Chapter 7: "Daddy." Her voice was steadier this time. "Yes, Daddy. I want this. I want you." He kissed her. Hard and claiming and absolutely devastating. His hand slid into her hair, tilting her head back, controlling the angle while he took her mouth like a man starving. Thessaly whimpered, her hands clutching at his bare shoulders. He was so warm, so solid and so real. Five years of loneliness was in that kiss, five years of denying himself any kind of touch or softness. When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard. "Bedroom," he said roughly. "Now. Unless you want me to take you right here on the kitchen floor." "Bedroom. Bedroom is good." He picked her up like she weighed nothing, and Thessaly wrapped her legs around his waist automatically. He carried her down the hallway to his room, not the guest room, his room, kicking the door closed behind them. The bed was massive, covered in furs and thick blankets. Caspian laid her down gently, then stood back, looking at he
Chapter 6:Day two of being snowed in started with Thessaly waking up to the sound of someone chopping wood. Again.Did the man ever sleep? Or did he just chop wood 24/7 to avoid having feelings?She got up, pulled on the oversized clothes she'd been living in, and ventured out to find Caspian exactly where she expected him. By the fireplace, shirtless this time because apparently he'd decided to torture her, swinging an axe with perfect precision.His back was covered in scars. Long thin lines that looked like they came from something sharp, and a few that were definitely bullet wounds.Thessaly must have made a sound because he turned around, caught her staring, and scowled."Morning," he said flatly."You're bleeding." She pointed at his shoulder where a cut was slowly seeping blood. "Did you hurt yourself?""It's nothing. Splinter from the wood." He set down the axe and grabbed a towel. "I've had worse.""Let me look at it.""I'm fine.""Caspian. Let me look at it." She used her b
Chapter 5:"You're snooping," he observed."I'm looking very big difference.""Not really." But he didn't seem angry, just resigned to her presence. "Find anything interesting?""You have a lot of cast iron.""It's the best for cooking over fire. Also virtually indestructible." He moved past her to the stove. "I'm making dinner. You can help or you can stay out of the way.""I'll help. What are we making?""Stew. It's simple and I can make enough to last a few days." He started pulling out ingredients. "You can chop vegetables. Think you can handle that without losing a finger?""I'm not completely incompetent.""Could have fooled me." But he handed her a knife and a cutting board. "Dice the onions. Small pieces."They worked in silence for a while. It was surprisingly comfortable, the rhythm of chopping and stirring, the warm kitchen, the smell of food cooking. Thessaly kept sneaking glances at Caspian, watching the way he moved, the concentration on his face."So," she said eventual
Chapter 4:Thessaly woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of someone chopping wood.For a moment, she forgot where she was. Then the memories came flooding back. Alaska. Lost. Wolves. Grumpy mountain man named Caspian.She sat up, groaning. Her body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Her toes and fingers throbbed, her muscles ached, and her head was fuzzy from too much cold and not enough food.But she was alive. That was something.The window showed a wall of white, snow was coming down so thick she couldn't see more than a few feet. The storm Caspian had mentioned was clearly in full force."Great," she muttered. "Just great."She got up and padded barefoot toward the main room. Caspian was indeed chopping wood, but he was doing it inside, near the fireplace. Which seemed weird until she realized there was an entire wall of stacked firewood and he was just rotating stock.He'd changed clothes. Dark jeans, a black thermal shirt that stretched across his shoulders and chest
Chapter 8: Reckoning Thomas Erikson's estate was everything Vincent had described. Old money, high walls, security that looked impressive but had obvious weaknesses. It was a type of place built by someone who'd never actually been threatened, who thought wealth alone was enough protection. Th
Chapter 2:The Cage:Raven woke up warm.That was the first shock. She'd been cold and wet on that rooftop for six hours, and now she was lying on something soft, warm and expensive. On a bed with an expensive silk sheets against her skin.The second shock was that she wasn't dead.Her hands flew t
Book 5: Lethal Daddy Intro: When assassin Raven Torres was hired to eliminate billionaire Vincent Kane, she expected it to be just another job. She never expected him to be waiting for her. Chapter 1: The Hunt: The rain turned the city into a watercolor painting, all smeared lights and blur
Chapter 7 Marked As His: Six months later, Emma stood in the university's main auditorium, looking out at an audience of faculty, graduate students, and research professionals. Her hands were steady as she clicked to her final slide, concluding the presentation of her research findings. "In conc







