His Return

The silence in the mansion was suffocating.

Elena leaned back against the plush headboard, her eyes fixed on the golden chandelier above her, its light casting soft glimmers over the expensive sheets. She shifted, the silk of her nightgown sliding up her thighs, exposing smooth skin. A sigh slipped past her lips, heavy with loneliness.

Down the hall, she knew her husband was locked away in his study, his voice probably raised on another late-night phone call. Richard had a way of making her feel like a beautiful ornament—something to look at, something to display, but never something to hold.

She pressed her palm against the empty side of the bed. Cold. Untouched.

The sharp crunch of tires on gravel outside startled her. Her head turned toward the window, and through the sheer curtains she saw the beams of headlights sweep across the driveway. A sleek black car rolled to a stop near the garage.

Her breath caught.

He was here.

Adrian.

Richard’s son. Her stepson.

Elena hadn’t seen him in nearly two years—not since he’d left for university. Back then he’d been lean, almost boyish, with too much restless energy and a sharp tongue he often turned on his father. She remembered his smirks, his careless charm, the occasional glint in his eyes when he looked at her in ways he shouldn’t have.

Now, as the front door opened and his deep voice floated through the quiet house, she knew something was different.

Her bare feet whispered against the polished wood floor as she descended the sweeping staircase. She paused halfway down, her hand curling tightly around the banister, and her breath hitched.

The boy she remembered was gone.

Adrian stood in the foyer with the kind of presence that filled the space. Broad shoulders stretched his black shirt, his jeans hugged lean hips, and his tousled dark hair fell just enough to shadow his sharp jawline. A duffel bag hung from one strong arm, and when he lifted his head, his gaze locked with hers.

Elena’s pulse stumbled.

“Hello, Elena,” he said, his voice smooth and low, carrying an edge of something… dangerous.

Her lips parted. “Adrian. I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

“Surprise,” he drawled, his mouth curving into a slow smirk. His eyes slid over her—over the silk straps clinging to her shoulders, the soft dip of her neckline, the bare length of her legs. He didn’t look away.

Heat flared in her chest. She tugged at the hem of her nightgown instinctively, guilt knotting inside her stomach. “You should have called. Your father—”

“—is busy in his study,” Adrian finished, his smirk deepening. “Still married to his work, I see.”

The truth stung more than it should have. Elena swallowed. “Yes. He… he didn’t mention you were coming.”

“I wanted to surprise him.” Adrian set his bag down, straightened, and stepped closer. His scent drifted toward her—masculine, warm, with a faint trace of leather and musk. “And you.”

Her throat tightened. “I’ll, um… show you to your room.”

She turned quickly, hoping to compose herself, but every step up the staircase seemed to echo. She was suddenly too aware of the way her hips swayed beneath the silk fabric, too aware of his eyes burning into her back as he followed.

When she reached the guest room, she pushed the door open, her hand lingering on the knob. “Here you are,” she said softly, forcing a smile.

Adrian tossed his bag onto the bed without looking away from her. He leaned lazily against the post, his arms folding over his chest, muscles shifting beneath his shirt.

“You look nervous,” he said.

Elena’s laugh was shaky. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” His eyes narrowed, sliding down her body slowly, deliberately. “What’s wrong? Not happy to see me?”

Her lips parted. “Of course I am. I just—” She broke off, flustered.

Adrian tilted his head, his smirk fading into something sharper. “You weren’t expecting me tonight, and yet…” His gaze flicked to her gown, lingering at her chest before dragging down the curve of her thighs. “…you came down to greet me like this.”

Her face burned. She glanced down at herself and wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly aware of just how thin the silk was. “I wasn’t dressed for company. I didn’t know—”

“Don’t apologize,” he cut in smoothly. His voice dropped, rich and dark. “I like it.”

Her breath caught.

The air between them thickened, the silence weighted with something unspoken. Elena’s heart pounded so loudly she swore he could hear it. She should walk away. She should close the door and lock herself in her room.

But she didn’t move.

Adrian pushed off the bedpost and stepped closer. He moved like a predator, slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving hers. Her back brushed the doorframe, and still he came closer, until his breath fanned against her cheek.

“Elena,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Do you miss it?”

Her chest rose sharply. “Miss what?”

“Being touched.”

The words sliced through her. Heat rushed to her cheeks, but it was the ache blooming low in her belly that betrayed her. She wanted to deny it, to snap at him, to remind him of who she was to him.

But nothing came out.

A small, knowing smile tugged at his mouth. He leaned even closer, his lips grazing the shell of her ear without touching. “You don’t have to answer. I can see it in your eyes.”

Her knees weakened. A shiver ran through her entire body, her nipples tightening beneath the silk.

He pulled back slightly, enough for his gaze to lock with hers again. His eyes were dark, hungry, daring. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. She thought she might let him.

Then he stepped back.

“Goodnight, Elena,” he said softly, the ghost of a smirk playing on his lips.

He disappeared into the room, and the door clicked shut behind him.

Elena stumbled backward, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. Her pulse thundered. Her skin still burned where his breath had touched it, her thighs pressing together as though that would smother the sudden, shameful ache.

She had just stood inches from her stepson and felt more alive—more wanted—in those few minutes than she had in years of marriage.

And that terrified her more than anything.