IVY’S POV I find him again. Of course, I do. He’s on the terrace, gripping the stone railing like he’s afraid he’ll leap off it if he lets go. The sky behind him is bruised with sunset—burnt orange and deep plum—but all I see is him. Tall. Broad. Tense. Like he’s waiting for me and hating himself for it. His back is to me, but I notice the glass in his hand. Scotch, always. Neat. His knuckles are white, jaw tight, sleeves rolled to his forearms like he’s trying to suffocate the tension under all that alpha control. It’s so… him. God, he doesn’t even have to look at me, and I’m already wet. I pad out barefoot, letting the sound of my steps be soft. Deliberate. I don’t want to startle him—I want to unsettle him. “Don’t you ever get tired of pretending, Alexander?” I ask, voice light as whipped cream, laced with danger. He doesn’t turn. Doesn’t flinch. But his grip on the glass tightens, and I see the twitch in his jaw. “I’m not pretending,” he mutters, low and sharp like a
Alexander's POV The sun dips low, casting a burnished gold across the pool. It shimmers like liquid fire, making the water sparkle like fucking diamonds. The whole damn view is something out of a painting. Serene. Quiet. A lie. I stand at my office window, fingers wrapped around a crystal tumbler of whiskey, the liquid burning its way down my throat—but not nearly as hard as the thoughts I keep trying—and failing—to drown. Then she steps out. Ivy. Wet. Dripping. My fingers tighten around the glass, the edge digging into my palm. That bikini. That fucking bikini. Red. Barely there. Strings. More sin than fabric. The water clings to her like it misses her already, gliding over her skin in ways I shouldn’t be watching. Ways I have no goddamn business watching. She stretches her arms over her head, slow and unbothered, like she isn’t standing there looking like a damn wet dream. Then she grabs a towel and starts running it down her body—slow. Teasing. Her hands skate over the swe
Ivy’s POVThe red dress clings to my body like sin.Not a soft, fluttery red. No. This is a fuck-me red. Deep. Bold. Slick like blood on silk. The slit runs up my thigh like a promise. The neckline dips low enough to silence angels. And I don’t wear a bra.I know exactly what I’m doing.When I walk down the grand staircase, I can feel Alexander’s eyes snap to me before I even reach the bottom step.I don’t look at him.Not right away.No, I give my full attention to the mirror in the hallway as I adjust the strap slightly, letting the fabric fall just a little lower. My reflection is pure wickedness. Hair curled and teased. Lips a dark, sultry red. Skin glowing like I’m bathed in candlelight.Then I look at him.He is standing near the dining room entry, hands in his pockets, jaw clenched so tight I can feel it across the fucking room. His eyes lock on me like a predator that just realizes his prey has grown fangs.“Too much?” I ask sweetly as I step closer, letting my heels click del
Alexander’s POVI just never realize I am the one needing protection—from her.Now?She laughs louder. Walks bolder.Moves like sin dipped in sunlight, and when she looks at me...Goddamn.It’s not safety she’s asking for anymore—it’s something else. Something that makes my blood run hot and wrong and desperate.I lean back in my chair, feeling the old leather creak under the tension thrumming in my body. I pinch the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut.“You’re losing it,” I mutter to myself, the words harsh and ugly in the quiet room. "You're the fucking adult. She’s just—"I stop.I flinch. At my own filthy thoughts.The shit swirling in my head would make a priest start smoking again.No.I’m not that man.I don’t cross lines. I don’t even fucking look at them.I build walls so high even God has to ask for permission to peek over.And then she walks in—skirts swirling, lips curling—and she doesn't just knock on the walls.She burns them the fuck down.My chest heaves like I j
Alexander’s POVI am fine.Buried in work. Focused.The contract needs my full attention. Deadlines are fast approaching. My inbox is flooding with emails that have to be sorted — but my mind is a million miles away. I run my fingers through my hair and try to shake the sense of urgency in my bones. Focus, I tell myself. It’s just business. Nothing more.Until she walks by.Ivy.A fucking vision.Her skirt—too short—moves like it is designed just to tease me. The hem flirts with the edge of her thighs. My pulse kicks up, and I clench my fists on the desk. Everything in my body screams at me to look away. To ignore it. But I don’t. I can’t.No words, no glance from her. Just the sway of her hips, like she is driving me insane on purpose. I swear to fucking God, that little curve of her body is a weapon. A goddamn deadly weapon aimed straight at my resolve.I grind my teeth together, trying to shove the fire inside me down. “Focus,” I mutter under my breath. My voice comes out a little
I unzip my bag and tug out the black silk dress I packed for a night like this—the one I haven’t worn in months but never stopped thinking about. I peel off my clothes, let them fall to the floor, then slide the dress over my bare skin, savoring the wicked whisper of silk as it kisses every inch of me. No bra. No panties. Just me, the dress, and the promise of trouble clinging to my skin.Tonight, I’m not just his stepdaughter.I’m his goddamn downfall.With one last look in the mirror—a wicked, dangerous woman staring back at me—I grab my stilettos and head for the door.Game on, Daddy.The dress is too tight. Too short. Too sinful.Exactly why I wore it.Black silk clings to me like a fucking second skin, whispering across every curve with every step I take. The neckline plunges like a damn invitation—deep enough to make a preacher drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness he knows he won't get. This isn’t just a dress. It's a loaded weapon. And tonight, I’m pulling the trigger