ANGEL AND DEVIL

CHAPTER EIGHT: ANGEL AND DEVIL

SERENA'S POV

I stepped into the warm water. It felt good on my skin. Caspian pulled me down so I was sitting between his legs. My back rested against his hard chest. His arms wrapped around me. One hand rested on my stomach. The other lay on my thigh. I could feel how hard he was against my lower back. But he didn’t move to take me. Not yet.

We sat there in the warm water. Steam rising around us. Caspian’s hand moved slowly on my skin. Up and down my thigh. Over my stomach. He kissed the side of my neck. Soft at first. Then harder. His teeth grazing my skin.

“Tell me what you were really doing in my study, Serena,” he whispered against my ear.

I closed my eyes. My body was reacting to his touch. My nipples were hard. Heat was building between my legs.

“I told you,” I said quietly. “Research.”

Caspian chuckled softly. His hand moved higher on my thigh. Closer to where I was already wet.

“You’re still lying to me.”

His fingers brushed between my legs. Teasing me. I gasped. My head fell back against his shoulder. He kissed my neck again. Harder this time. Sucking on the skin. Leaving another mark.

“Tell me the truth,” he said. His voice was low. His fingers kept teasing. Not giving me what I needed. “What were you looking for?”

I bit my lip. The pleasure was building. My hips moved a little against his hand. I couldn’t help it. “Nothing,” I whispered. “I wasn’t looking for anything.”

Caspian made a sound in his throat. He moved his fingers away. I whimpered at the loss. He turned me around in the tub so I was facing him and straddling his lap. The water splashed around us. His cock was hard between us, pressing against my stomach.

He held my chin again. His eyes were intense. “You’re a terrible liar, Serena. But I like breaking you until you tell the truth.”

He kissed me then. His tongue in my mouth. His hands on my hips. Pulling me closer. I kissed him back. I couldn’t stop myself. My hands went to his shoulders, my nails digging in. The water was warm. I felt him against me. But he didn’t take me. Not yet.

He pulled back from the kiss. His forehead rested against mine. Our breathing was heavy.

“Let’s have dinner tonight,” he said out of the blue.

I stared at him, surprised. Just like that, he dropped the topic. No more questions about the study. No more pressure. My mind was still spinning from the interrogation and the way his fingers had teased me. Now he was talking about dinner like nothing had happened.

I nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Caspian helped me out of the tub. His hands were careful as he guided me onto the soft bath mat. He grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around my body. Then he took another smaller towel and started drying my hair. His fingers moved through the wet strands gently. It felt strange. It was Intimate. Different from the rough way he usually touched me. I stood still and let him do it. My heart was still beating fast.

When he finished, he handed me a clean robe. I put it on and tied it loosely. Caspian dried himself quickly and put on a pair of dark sweatpants. No shirt. Just the pants hanging low on his hips. I tried not to stare at his chest and abs.

We walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom. I glanced at him. “Aren’t you going back to work?”

Caspian raised an eyebrow. A small smirk appeared on his lips. “Why? You want me out of your sight?”

I didn’t know how to answer. Part of me did want him gone so I could check my phone and think about the messages from A. Another part of me felt relieved that he was staying. I hated that feeling, I just looked down at the floor and said nothing.

Caspian watched me for a moment. Then his voice softened a little. “Besides, I want to spend today with you.”

I nodded. That was all I could do.

He walked toward the door. “Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

I stayed in the bedroom for a few minutes after he left. My mind was full of thoughts. The way he had stopped and changed the subject. The way he was acting now. Sometimes he was the devil. Cold, controlling and demanding. Other times he acted like an angel. Gentle, caring and almost normal. It confused me every single time.

I brushed my hair and put on simple clothes. Soft pants and a loose top. Then I went downstairs.

The smell of food hit me as soon as I reached the kitchen. Caspian was standing at the stove cooking. Actually cooking. I stopped in the doorway and stared. This was the same man who had forced me into a contract marriage. The same man who made me get on my knees for my brother’s treatment. Now he was making lunch like it was a normal day.

He looked over his shoulder and saw me. “Sit. It’s almost ready.”

I walked slowly to the kitchen island and sat on one of the high stools. My eyes stayed on him. He moved with the same confidence he showed in the boardroom. Chopping vegetables. Stirring something in a pan. Checking the rice. It looked easy for him. Like he had done this before.

“You can cook?” I asked. The words came out before I could stop them.

Caspian glanced at me. That small smirk was back. “I can do many things, Serena. Cooking is one of them.”

I watched him in silence. Steam rose from the pots. The smell of garlic and herbs filled the air. My stomach made a small sound. I hadn’t eaten much since last night.

He plated the food carefully. Two plates of rice, grilled chicken, and some green vegetables. He placed one plate in front of me and sat across from me with his own. “Eat.”

I picked up the fork. The food tasted good. Better than I expected. We ate quietly for a few minutes. The only sounds were the soft clink of forks against plates.

I kept looking at him.

Caspian looked up and caught me staring. “What?”

I shook my head quickly. “Nothing.”

He watched me for a second longer, then went back to his food. The quiet between us was not completely uncomfortable. It was just… different. Almost normal. Like we were a real couple having lunch instead of two people trapped in a contract.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

The sound was loud in the quiet kitchen. Both of us looked toward the front of the house. Caspian put his fork down. His expression changed. The soft look from a moment ago disappeared. The cold, controlled face returned.

He stood up. “Stay here.”