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Chapter Sixteen: The Devil's Weakness
Diago carried Alora gently, his steps silent as he walked her up the stairs, her body relaxed in his arms like she belonged there. He nudged her bedroom door open and slowly laid her on the bed, his gaze lingering on her peaceful face. Her lips were slightly parted, her lashes fluttering softly like a dream whispered against his chest.
As he turned to leave, her hand shot out, warm fingers wrapping around his wrist.
"Diago… please," she whispered, barely audible. "Stay here with me."
He looked down at her, startled. Her voice was so soft, so innocent—it held him in place like a chain. He couldn't look away from her pleading eyes, eyes that saw right through his cold shell.
He should have said no. He wanted to. But instead, he found himself climbing onto the bed beside her.
The mattress dipped slightly under his weight. His arm brushed hers, and every nerve in his body ignited. He turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to ground himself in the silence.
"Kitten…" he murmured, voice thick with warning. "Me being this close to you… I can't promise to behave."
Her breath caught. Her cheeks turned crimson.
"I—" she tried to respond, but the words failed her. Sleep was now the last thing on her mind.
She twisted and turned, unable to find peace in the sheets.
"Kitten," Diago said, his voice low and amused. "Stay still."
"I can't sleep," she whispered. "I… I'm going to take a shower."
He nodded, eyes still fixed on the ceiling as he tried to suppress the hunger bubbling beneath his skin. She slipped off the bed and padded into the bathroom. The sound of water running echoed faintly, and he closed his eyes, trying to push away the thoughts of her soft, bare skin under the spray.
Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Alora rinsed herself slowly, her body warm under the soothing cascade. The steam clouded the mirrors, but not her thoughts. She suddenly realized—she hadn't brought her robe.
Her eyes widened.
"Shit," she whispered, wrapping a towel around herself, but it was too short, barely covering her thighs. Her chest rose and fell in panic.
She couldn't call him—what if he was asleep? But she had already been in here too long. She had no choice.
Tentatively, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out. The room was dim, lit only by the soft orange flicker of the fireplace across the room. Her wet hair clung to her skin, curling around her flushed cheeks. Water trailed down her neck, sliding into the valley between her breasts, soaking the towel at her chest.
Diago stood near the bed, and the moment he saw her, everything in him froze.
His eyes darkened instantly, like a predator catching sight of its prey. His voice dropped, deep and husky.
"Kitten… are you trying to seduce me?"
Her heart skipped. She bit her lip nervously, her hand tightening around the towel.
"No… no," she stammered. "I—I forgot my robe and… I didn't know what to do. So I—"
He was already walking toward her. Slowly. Deliberately. Like a panther stalking what it already knew belonged to him.
"You forgot your robe?" he echoed, towering over her now. "And you just… came out like this?"
His fingers reached up, brushing her damp hair behind her ear. The touch was gentle, but her body trembled.
"You know what you do to me when you bite your lip like that?" he whispered, his eyes flicking down to her lips and back up again. "You wake the little monster up, kitten."
Her eyes widened as his hands caged her between his body and the wall, his scent intoxicating—dark spice and smoke.
"And now," he said, voice low and dangerous, "you need to put him back to sleep."
He leaned in slowly, pressing his forehead to hers. Their breaths mingled.
"Tell me to stop, Alora," he whispered, "and I will. But if you don't…"
She didn't move. She didn't speak. Her silence was the answer.
Diago growled low in his throat, scooping her up into his arms again. Her towel slipped slightly, and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
The heat between them sizzled—his control was paper-thin, her presence was fire, and tonight… tonight the devil wasn't the one in control.
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