Bound by Shadows

25 (R19)

Caelus truly outdid himself tonight, despite the havoc he wreaked in the kitchen. However, the food he prepared, especially the creamy Italian chicken skillet, was absolutely divine.

"Have you always been the one cooking for us?"

He nodded, a hint of pride in his expression. "I've always enjoyed it."

"Well, maybe it's time I took over," I suggested tentatively, although my kitchen skills were almost non-existent. "Though, I'm not sure if I'm up to the task."

"I know you can, but for now, let me handle it," he insisted with a reassuring smile. "I want to."

After our meal, we lingered in the kitchen, cleaning up. I washed the dishes while he dried them. With each brush of a touch or glance, a sense of intimacy that filled the space between us.

Once the last dish was dried and put away, we decided to escape to the beach. Stepping onto the cool sand, we kicked off our shoes, our hands finding each other. Walking along the shore under the moonlit sky, the only sound was the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore.

Later, we walked hand in hand along the shoreline, the cool breeze kissing our faces under the starlit sky.

"It's so peaceful here," I remarked, mesmerized by the scene before us.

"Do you want to stay?"

I hesitated, knowing the complexities we were facing back home—the business struggles, unresolved threats.

"We can't," I replied, listing the burdens awaiting us upon our return. "There's too much to leave behind—problems that need addressing, things that need solving, and people who need us."

Caelus halted, his fingers slipping from mine. I pivoted to face him, noticing his bowed head and hands shielding his eyes.

"Are you okay?" I cradled his cheeks, gently removing his hands as I blew away any debris. But as my focus waned, I caught a faint smile playing on his lips, his piercing blue gaze locked on mine, wandering from my eyes to my lips.

My heart raced in my chest, the fabric of my oversized cashmere sweater, suddenly feeling inadequate under the moon's gaze. This was the one night I chose to forgo a bra, and in this moment, desire surged through me. His expression hinted at an unspoken invitation, stirring a raw reaction that tightened my nipples.

"I swear to god, Caelus," I spat out, wrenching myself away from him, my strides quickening as I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment, my hands clutching at my waist. He was playing games with me, deliberately sending those charged signals he knew would set me off. Or perhaps he simply wanted me to shut up because, after all, we were on vacation and needed not to talk about matters back home.

But then, to my horror, Caelus matched my pace and stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"You have no idea what you're doing to me," I shot back indignantly, only to realize he was genuinely rubbing his eye again.

Wait, he actually had something in his eye.

"What are you talking about?" He squinted one eye shut, still rubbing at them while the other remained open.

Fuming, I felt my frustration skyrocketing, the sensation akin to a dog in heat—an embarrassing comparison. Despite my annoyance, I found myself cupping his cheek once more, forcefully blowing into his eye, then stormed back into the island house without a word.

As I rinsed the sand off my feet in the bathroom, I noticed Caelus had followed me in, taking a seat in the corner of the bathtub, observing as I cleaned myself off using the pipe tucked away at the corner of the room.

"I'm sorry for getting sand in my eye," he apologized earnestly. "I didn't mean to interrupt whatever you were about to say, but—"

"You were staring at my lips!" I slammed the faucet shut, whirling around to face him. "Why else would you be fixated on my lips if you weren't trying to seduce me? Whatever game you're playing or attempt to mess with me is pointless," I halted my tirade when I saw the surprise flicker in Caelus's widened eyes at my candid admission.

And then, infuriatingly, he laughed.

He actually had the audacity to laugh at me.

As I caught sight of my reflection in the bathroom grand mirror, spanning the entire wall with its expansive reach, my cheeks blazed crimson with what felt like irritation. Determined not to spend another moment alone with him, I made a beeline for the door, but before I could escape, a forceful hand slammed it shut behind me, trapping me with his presence pressing against my back.

"Don't you dare leave, Zanya," Caelus's voice, laced with pure wickedness, brushed against the shell of my ear as he leaned in close, freezing me in place. "What did I say when I dragged you out of the office?" His words were barely a whisper, yet they sent shivers down my spine, causing goosebumps to prickle across my skin.

"You said you'd make it up to me," I managed to breathe, my heart racing as he seized both of my shoulders, pulling me away from the door and guiding us toward the mirror, his movements deliberate.

I gazed at our reflections, with him towering behind me. "And I intend to do just that," he murmured, gently sweeping my hair back as it cascaded in front of me.

"You're insufferable," I protested weakly, attempting to push back, but my resistance faltered when I felt something hard against me, causing my eyes to widen.

"Don't shy away now that you have my undivided attention," he smirked, and with a deafening crack, the final thread of restraint snapped between us.

He carefully wound my hair around his fists, each loop pulling taut as he drew it back gently.

His lips traced the curve of my neck, leaving a trail of soft, tantalizing kisses from the nape to my shoulder blades. My breaths quickened beyond control as his calloused hand ventured beneath my sweater, all the while his gaze remained fixed on the mirror, meticulously observing every subtle reaction my body betrayed.

"Zanya?"

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my nerves. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to fuck you senseless," he tugged at my hair again, his lips breaking away from my neck as he stood tall, his eyes filled with a primal hunger. "And we'll watch it all play out in the mirror, and you'll know how much I crave every bit of you."